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j\?J‘SK,\ | Fonl The Watertoo Chruonicle is published every Wednesday by the haurway Group, owned by CityMedia Group Inc . a subsidiary of Torstar Curp The cuntent of this paper is protected by copyright and may be used only for persunal nun: comtrerctal purpusey Alluther mghts are reserved arid commercial use is prohubited. T« make use ut this material you rrmast fust obtun the permissiur of the owner of the copyright editonaleewaterlouchronicle va sports@ witerloochromcle.ca sales@waterloochromcte.ca composingeé waterloachronicle.ca WATERLOO CHRONICLE The views of our columnists are their own and do not necessanly represent thase of the newspaper toanachans Pabiin atisins Mal Sates Prod ud Apreeinent Number 279 Weber St., North, Suite 20 Waterloo, Ontario N2J 3H8 The Waterioo Chromcle welcomes leiters to the Editur: They should be signed with name. address and prhione number and will be venfied for avouracy. No uinsigned lefters will be published Submissions may be edited far length, so please be brief Copyright in letters and other matertals submitted to the Publisher and accepred for publication remains with the author but the publisher and is hcensees may freely reproduce them in print_ electromi ar other forms C har mailing address is 279 Weber SX Unit 20 Waterion. N21IP? Bub Leuschiser Deuyne Weidendort Group Publisher . Group Sales Director? Associate Publisher Special Projects Migr.623â€"7218, Ext. 210 Retail Sales Advertising Manager, Ext. 230 Sales, Ext. 223 Andrea Bailey Bob vzbanac Editor, Ext. 215 . Sports Editor, Ext. 229 Hhie Matthews Gerr Martice Isee Harts Composing, txt. 220 Hitâ€" 2830 â€" io: HBGâ€"SHHS Letters Policy io Suandard Serual Numie ISSN 08 32â€" 34117 10050478 Audited rireulatian 2 Sanr Stiller Special Projects 623â€"7218, Ext. 208 lanne Dear â€" Advertising Sales, Ext. 222 Norma t ca Before you slap your forehead and start worrying about your taxes, let me assure you that I‘m not proposing we do this tomorrow. At a minimum, planning this project, and coordinating it with First Gulf Corporation (owners of Waterloo Town Square) will take several years. So the soonest 1 can imagine a shovel in the ground is 2007, which, coincidentalâ€" ly, is Waterloo‘s 150th birthday. Here‘s my rationale: . The current sites used for older adults (55+) are largely empty at nights and on weekends. Library usage is heaviest in the evenings and weekends. By combining space for older adults and the library, we could use the building more intensively. A comâ€" bined building could share meeting rooms, lobby, a cafeteria or coffee shop. And we could save money on common services, like janitorial and mainteâ€" nance. The library uses volunteers. Having older adults next door to the library makes it easier for the library to recruit volunteers. Projects should be under one roof W(h the RIM Park debacle still throbbing in our community like a cityâ€"wide migraine, it‘s hard to think about new municipal capital expenditures. But, in fact, I think this is the ideal time. This time. however, let‘s address a number of challenges simultaneously. The challenges as 1 see them are: * The need to renew our dreary uptown mall area; * The legitimate need for a new library; * The desire of the YMCA to expand its services and programs in Waterloo; * The need to expand programming and social space for older adults. My suggestion is to build, on the uptown square, a community centre that combines a new library, space for the YÂ¥MCA and a new older adult facility to replace the aging Adult Recreation Centre on King Street and the crowded RCAF Wing 404 building on Dutton Drive. As a member of the City of Waterloo‘s 55+ adviâ€" sory board, my interest is primarily in the needs of our older citizens, so that‘s where I‘ll focus this artiâ€" cle. The YMCA offers a wide range of health, wellness and fitness programs. The City of Waterloo offers fitâ€" ness programs to 55+ that are very well attended. The ¥‘s fitness facilities could be used by older adults during slow periods of the day. The Y also offers services for new immigrants and the library helps immigrants find employment.ahe fit is "handâ€"inâ€" glove"obvious. Successful downtowns need pedestrian traffic. A community centre combining a library. older adult facility and the YÂ¥ would generate 1.000â€"plus visits per day. Based on 2003 figures, older adults make a combined 60,000 visits yearly to the Adult Recreâ€" ation Centre and the Wing 404 facility. As the percentage of older adults in Waterloo grows from 21 per cent to 26 per cent in 10 years or so, the demand for increased space for older adults will also grow. Already, we‘ve been able to measure some of that demand by opening a 55+ dropâ€"in centre at the Brick Brewery one day per week. It‘s been packed to capacity since it opened. The library and Â¥ would generate tens of thouâ€" sands more. This yvolume of visits will keep the uptown both busy and safe. The Wing 404 building is hooked solid with proâ€" grams for 55+ every weekday. The Adult Recreation Centre is equally busy. But what about funding? To start with, the Â¥ would lease its space at a rate that would cover its cost. The library and 55+ areas are different. They will depend on a combination of public funding and fundraising. The question we must ask is whether we are so paralyzed by the RIM Park mistake that we can‘t dream of new ideas and make our small city a more attractive, more social and more sophisticated place in which to live. I‘m not paralyzed. How about you? VIEWPOINT Steve Lindt Waterion Politicians should stick to dreaming Quoth he, "I don‘t want to be mean but this is a poor woman who deserves pity, who doesn‘t have a spouse as far as I know. Typical is Jean Pelletier who is the exâ€"VIA Rail chairman. He was canned for calling Olympic gold medalist, Miriam Bedard, a "pitiful" single mother. "She is struggling as a single mother with economic responsibilities. Deep down I think she is pitiful," he added. There‘s talk that more Chreâ€" tien appointees will get the hook as events unfold. Af'ew days have hinted that spring is comâ€" ing. I hope the warming keeps up because I‘m wondering if you can get a sunâ€" burn over your frostbite. Speedy Exit: Paul Martin has the answer to some of Jean Chretien‘s appointâ€" ments: You bounce them as quickly as you can. *> That wasn‘t all. As a matter of fact, he also called her a liar. And only halfway down, most of us know that the comments are pitiful. Most of Pelletier‘s comments are wrong, and it‘s too much penalty for a whistleâ€"blower. Pelletier later apologized, but it was late, too late. And for once, the big guy got his comeâ€" uppance. They‘ll fire them if they can figure out what their duties are. _ Dreaming Big: Maybe it‘s | hig just a reflection of global events, lâ€"_ but it‘s as if every nearby community is dreaming big. We have a rail line going through the metropolis, whole university departments being moved, bridges being flung across rivers, tracts reserved for industry, and so on and so on. Some politicians don‘t want the people to keep more money. They‘re afraid they‘ll just waste it on food, shelter and clothing. All the former Olympian did was make allegations about misspending at the Crown corâ€" porations and a firm at the heart of the scandal. You just wish the big thinkers would put their dreams under wraps and await a year (if it comes) when there‘s a little more room in the tax rate. A Lord Fumbles: Delaware court judge in a landmark verdict bas ruled that Conrad Black is a manipulative and intimidating omm SANDY BAIRD executive. Black (a.k.a. Lord Black blah,blah) has fumbled and stumbled in playing with his properties. â€" Strine also wrote, among other things, that Black improperly used confidential information "to advance his own personal interests" and he urged the Barclays (prospective buyers) to use "improper inducements" to urge a N.Y. investment banker to betray its client. Hollinger Interâ€" national. In a 130â€"page ruling, Viceâ€"Chancellor Leo Strine nixed Lord Black‘s plan to sell Hollinger Inc. on the basis the sale was determined in such a "cunning and calcuâ€" lated way" that it breached his responsibiliâ€" ties to directors and shareholders. My mind drifts back to the night I had to thank Black for speaking to the Canadian Daily Newspapers Association of which I was president. ; Black, as Js his custom, laid it on the _ â€" audience with a vengeance. Any name revealed will be a big name, and the drill of discovery has to be kept at least semiâ€"secret. Charges and counterâ€" charges are flying. One comes in three convenient forms syrup, tablets and roll your own. Some of those commercial products are so powerful, the last thing you remember doing is taking the cotton out of the bottle. U l Foul Bawl: Bigâ€"league baseâ€" ball is dancing around perforâ€" manceâ€"enhancing drugs while striving to keep the music as low as possible. A heck of a lot of people seem to be on drugs. I passed a guy last week trying to change a tire with a roach clip. Even cough medicines have drugs in them. I‘ve taken some cough medicines that knocked me flat on thé ceiling. The jurist‘s finding against Black merely confirms what hundreds of associates and employees have known since way back when. He would never win a popuâ€" larity contest, but never. And, in thanking him, I responded in kind. Jt was quite a confrontation. He really believes that if he‘d never been born, God would have a lot of explaining to do. He likes attention. At a funeral. he‘s sorry he isn‘t the corpse.