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75 King St. South, Suite 201 Waterloo, Ontario, N2J 1P2 Phone: 886â€"2830 Fax; 886â€"9383 Eâ€"mail: wehronicle@sentex.net Chronicle Proponents of leashâ€"free zones are not suggesting that dogs be allowed to run free throughout the city. They simply want a place to call their own â€" a place to go where they won‘t be bothering or be bothered by anyone. To the gentleman who expressed concern that his children would be at risk if leashâ€"free zones were to be introduced, 1 suggest he not take his children to those areas. I‘m not being snarly. Honest. It just makes sense. For example, most parks have children‘s playgrounds with slides and swings and such. 1 would never dream of setting up a hibachi in the middle of one while 20 or so of my closest friends drank beer and listened to tunes. Not in a million years. That‘s were kids play That‘s not my special place, it‘s theirs. So I won‘t go there. Those against offered various arguâ€" ments. One gentleman said he feared PR for his children‘s safety if dogs were fe allowed to run free in parks. Another J ce said it was a bad idea because many irresponsible pet owners don‘t clean C up after their dogs have taken care of hi A business. And another said that since so many people already allow their Deborah Crandall dogs to run free in city parks despite the current bylaw against such activâ€" ity, the problem would only be made worse by loosening leash laws. I‘ve got to go on record here and say I‘m with Mr. Hillis. I‘m not a dog owner â€" my dear, sweet Ali; a big, fat, somewhatâ€"lethargic golden retriever â€" took her last breath six months back. But when she was young and fit, there was nothing she loved better than to run. It‘s what dogs do. Now, l agree with those who say dogs that are allowed to run free may pose a threat to people as well as other dogs. And 1 agree that many pet owners who allow their dogs to run free aren‘t armed and ready to stoop and scoop. And that is exactly why 1 strongly support leashâ€"free zones. With the current bylaw in place, pet owners prone to ignore it will do so anywhere they choose â€" in any park, at any time. And yes, they‘ll leave, um, messes. But if they have a designated area in which to let their dogs run free, chances are that‘s where they‘ll go. And there‘s that word again, folks. Designated. Get it? As in one specific area? I also feel that if pet owners have one designated area in which to run their dogs, they will develop a sense of ownership of that area, and will therefore take care of it. And 1 wouldn‘t be surprised if most proponents of leashâ€"free zones volunteer their time to help organize and take care such an area. It‘ll be like a community project, bringing people together They‘ll socialize, as will their dogs I just don‘t see the harm, especially if it will take dogs out of parks at large, away from those they‘re now bothering It‘s a noâ€"brainer. A winâ€"wan situation Chronicle Loosen the leash Mark Hillis, who comes to us from the City of Mississauga, where he was heavily involved in that city‘s move towards establishing leashâ€"free zones, said he doesn‘t think that doggy play areas are such a bad idea A few months back, we at the Chromicle asked our readers what they felt about the issue after a group of residents requested the city pommmmmmmemmmemmmmemmee . Cesignale Slch an arca Well, i1 seems the City of Waterloos new team leader for parks services is in favour of designating certain areas of the community as Teashâ€"Iree zones â€" places where pet owners can let their dogs run free International Standard Serial Number ISSN 0832 3410 AND ANOTHER THING... t As expected, most dog owners were strongly in favour, while others were not so enthusiastic Gazilhons of you spoke up, and the response was pretty much split. Cheryl McMenemy Group Publisher Jtm Alecander Gerry Mattice Bill Karges Norma Cyca Kim Broderick Linda Bellivean Director of Advertising . Sales Supervisor Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Clnnssifed Sales Clussified Sales Deborah Crandall Bob Vrhanac Andrea Bafley Carobyn Anstey Cheryt McGill Fditor Sports Fditr Reporter Circulation Manager Circalation @ 2 9 Suill, a lot of people 1 know aren‘t working. Like the guy who is supposed to be fixing my radio, the plumber who said he‘d be here by noon, and the scientist who is supposed to disâ€" cover a cure for baldness. It‘s a fairly safe bet that Ken Selling will be reâ€"elected. That is, if he wants it. He‘s served as a force for common sense and stability on a council that is wracked by at least a few overâ€" sized egos and overactive mouths. Being regional chairman is a thankless job. When you take the oath of office, you feel as if you should place your hand on a paperback Bible. Polls Apart: Whoops! Last week in speculatâ€" ing about next year‘s municipal election, 1 forgot to mention the chairmanship of Waterloo Region. Asphalt Alley: Queen‘s Park and other supporters of the new highway to Guelph are sure losing the battle of public relations. The opponents, although relatively few in number, are getting their message out two or three times a week I wouldn‘t question their sincenity, but the fact is their soluâ€" tons to the problem just won‘t work. Maybe they should, but most folks won‘t go for them. So it‘s not a solution in any fashion Voting your pay raise sure beats earning one Voting yourself a raise? It sure beats earning one. Anyhow, I‘m against it. If politicians want a raise, the first thing they should do is get a job. Job Lot: And, speaking of jobs, you‘ve probably noted that Kâ€"W has the lowest unemployment rate in the province. That‘s despite the factories that have closed in the past decade. The community has spawned new plants and has watched many of its existing ones grow. Once upon a time its economy revolved around a few prodâ€" ucts, including tires, beer, booze, and furniture. nMfl Now a diversity of products cushions the community against a deep downturn. The only problem is that a lot of the new jobs don‘t pay as well as the old ones in tire factories and brewâ€" eries. Ah yes, it takes patience to shepherd the councillors through what are laughingly known as their deliberations. Kitchener councillors voted themselves a pay increase, and wouldn‘t you like a job where you could vote your own pay raises. Now that‘s a fringe benefit made of pure velvet. |Fiiyvia2o@1NT B 3 OncE over LIGHTIY Hmmm.... it‘s not exactly as i planned, but atleast it‘s still alive / Reg. Class. Mngr The heck of it is how long the detours seem to persist. Ah well, when you think about it, the detours are necessary As the late and lamented Dr. Frankenstein used to say, Some things build character, and some characters build things." Man the Barricades: Maybe it‘s my imagination, but local detours seem to be lasting longer this year. And that‘s not even counting the dislocations that go with the work on the Conestoga Expressway. And you‘ll pardon me for a footnote to the Berlin Wall Have you noticed how the Russians keep asking the West for money now? They were cheaper when we didn‘t get along with them. Or something like that. If famed song Baird writer Irving Berlin had ever visited Kitchâ€" ener, the Germansâ€"forever fan club would probably have swooned in adulation. They‘d probably have been shocked to learn that he was the antithesis of things Gerâ€" manic. In any case, congratulations to Kitchener Mayor Carl Zchr for giving that wall huckster a polite brushâ€"off. Still, with the smart PR program they‘re conducting, it‘s problematical where the politicians will wind up on this one. Or maybe Queen‘s Park will just stall and stall. And you‘ll have to admit that procrastination always has its bright side: You always have something to do tomarrow. Shucks, I‘d have wagered that there‘d be a highâ€"decibel demand that Kitchener buy not just a chunk, but all he could Up Against the Wall: Gosh, I‘m surprised (and gratified) that there‘s been no local response to that offer of a N.B. man to sell Kitchener a chunk of the Berlin Wall. Lyna Mitchell The views of our colummists ate their n and do not necessarily represent the views od the newspaper Mailed subscription rates $65 vearly in C an nla $90 yearly outside Canada +G S T Waterloo Chronicle is published every Wednesday by The Fairway Group = A division of Southam Inc. That‘s only to say that theres a cult localiâ€" ties (mostly relative newcomers) who‘d like to the name Berlin revived, German taught as a first language, and the wearing of ledethoâ€" sen made obligatory. deliver. The municipality could then mount on it the zillion or so handâ€"prints of Berliners That lunacy is supposed to be part of Kitchâ€" ener‘s millennium remembrance. Maybe 1 haven‘t got that exactly, but its something like that. You have to figure that nothing is too far out in this community when it comes to worâ€" shiping Germany. The Chronicle