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It looks like the citizens of Waterâ€" loo will be paying as much attenâ€" tion to the court docket as it does to what goes on in the council chamâ€" bers in 2005. here was a lot to write about I this past year in the city of Waterloo, as a new council tried to set a new course for the municipality. That‘s because the city has no less that three major lawsuits to deal with in the new year, after launching suit against former treaâ€" surer John Ford, as well as some of the other players in the failed RIM Park financing scheme that added an extra $33 million in debt to the city coffers. Time to hire some legal advice While it looks like the city finally has a handle on RIM Park and its financing woes, the legal side of the ledger is a lot less clear. ‘But the city will also be a defenâ€" dant in the courts this year, facing a ‘Environment Last‘ a more fitting term sit here today, sick at heart, as II'\'e been for some time. feeling the vibrations and hearing the grumblings and beeping as the bulldozers do their workâ€"constfuctâ€" ing the new RIM parking lot. This is the one mentioned in a couple of Kitchener Record Second Opimion columns recently, where almost 500 trees and countless small animals and other species gave up their lives to make way for progress. In 1995 the Supreme Court pro vided the opinion that: "marriage is by nature heterosexual. "It would be legally possible to define marriage to include homeo sexual couples, but this would not change the biological and social realities that undertie traditional marnage." And that "Marrtiage has from _time immemorial been firmly grounded in our legal tradition, one that is itself a reflection of longâ€"standing philosophical and religious tradi tions " ( :h;mg«- is coming in the legal meaning of the word "mar riage" should the prime min ister‘s present direction result in new law In\u-;id of asking all City of Kitchâ€" ener employees to sacrifice a day‘s pay. may 1 suggest that the sacrifice be confined to management If the management sacrifice for ane day is $45,000, their pay for 365 days is $16,425,000. If they cut their pay by 10 per In the name of equality, the court has ruled the term "marmiage" Solution to local money woes is easy It‘s time to express views on marriage LETTE countersuit by Ford, as well as an $8â€"million lawsuit filed by former CAO, in name only, Bob Robertson after his short twoâ€"week stay. Local taxpayers had to hold on to their pants earlier this fall with all the legal briefs flying around; and that‘s not even an end to the promised litigation depending on how the aforementioned cases turn out. That‘s why the idea of a fullâ€"time legal department for a city of more than 100,000 residents might finally be something that council considâ€" ers. The days of Waterloo making decisions without being properly briefed on all the legalities involving an issue are over, and Mayor Herb Epp himself said that no major decision will be made in the city without legal counsel. RIM Park proved that mistake. So instead of farming out the Perhaps, as a neighbour, I should have protested, but. as Penelope Polyzou said in her column. "Protesting treeâ€"cutting is useless" â€" "People do not have many illuâ€" sions nowadays." I too have come up against the big business first machine and cold heart of the City of Waterloo enough times to know when a batâ€" tle is a waste of time and energy. "Environment Last" would be a more fitting term to use for this vent, the city could save $1.642,500. _ song and dance about the budget That would cost the manageâ€" ment only $821.250 because their income tax would be reduced. L am sure that they could still live very comfortably with such a takeâ€"home pay cut. Every year we have the same should apply to both heterosexual and homosexual unions and that the federal government has the right to make that change. There is another option that respects equality under the law and that is to rename the "marriage cer tificate" to reflect what it is: an agreement through which enforce able legal respansihilities are assumed A term such as "civil union con tract‘ or "registered domestic part nership" could replace "marmage certificate" for both heterosexual and homsexual umons Following this option there would be equality for all couples choosing to accept responsibilities to each other, thereby meeting the requirements of the Supreme Court By removing the term "martiage" from the statutes books. all would [ waitRLOO CHRONICLE Better to have the situation all sealed up before the city‘s seal of approval is placed on a document. practice, as has been done in the past, perhaps it‘s time to bring that legal advice within the structure of local government. We would like to think of ourâ€" selves as less litigious than our American cousins, but the truth is more and more of us are seeking legal remedies from the coutts . Sure, any legal advice comes at a price, but it‘s a lot cheaper than having to look to the courts for those types of resolutions. So it‘s only right the city have the staff and expertise in place to proâ€" tect all of the citizens‘ interests it represents. It will add another budget line in upcoming deliberations. But it‘s a more manageable line item than the liabilities the city could suffer without that legal service. city‘s planning approach It was then ironic to see the headline of Dec. 15 â€" "RIM loses round 2" regarding its defense of patent infringement suit. __ Wow! Is this the revenge of the trees? The solution is easy spending money. be at liberty to apply the meaning to the word "marriage" according to our personal beliefs. Such an action on the part of the Parhament of Canada would avord the divisiveness that will be engenâ€" dered by whatever is the outcome of a vote in the House of Commons on the direction currently proposed by the government With Parliament having begun a sevenâ€"week break on Dec. 14, a timely opportunity exists for con stituents to [‘Xpfl"‘éfi [hf‘lr views to their MP as they move about their nding M. Carl Kaufman Waterioo Donna Keddic Waterloo Joe Hueglin Niagara Falls just stop he amount of media coverage devoted to the Todd I Bertuzzi‘s plea bargain and conditional discharge last week was absolutely startling. The case made front pages coast to coast to coast on national, regional and local newspaâ€" pers. If the front page wasn‘t enough, it was also front and centre on all the sports pages, sports columns and editorials. Locally, the interest in the case is high because Bertuzzi played junior hockey in Guelph and resides in Waterloo Region in the off seaâ€" son. Far be it for "strictly speaking" to be left out of the fray. Based on my reading of last week, my views are slightly differâ€" ent from the largely nayâ€"saying, gutâ€"wrenching acrimony and outrage over the verdict printed elsewhere. Let‘s, however, get one thing straight right from the get go. What Todd Bertuzzi did to Steven Moore was wrong, plain wrong and has no place in hockey. _ â€" â€" ‘Bert‘ and the Crown In today‘s multimedia 24â€"hoursâ€"aâ€"day, sevenâ€"daysâ€"aâ€"week world, parents could not possibly avoid the replay and had to try and explain how an experienced skillful NHL allâ€"star could do a terrible thing. Explaining adult behaviour to youngsters isn‘t easy at the best of times. "Bert" made a mistake; he admitted his mistake, lost $500,000 in pay, and his suspension cost his Vancouver Canucks hockey . meaaans team a deep run into the Stanley Cu i 6 & 5 playoffs ani:i possibly a berth in lhg ‘ STRI oNR ‘ Stanley Cup finals. SPEAKING Some would say a small price to pay compared to the broken neck and subsequent postâ€"concussion synâ€" drome Steven Moore of the Colorado Avalanche is now forced to live with. The fact the Crown attorney in Vancouver arranged the plea bargain and set a court and sentencing date without Mr. Moore‘s lawyer‘s knowlâ€" edge and Mr. Moore‘s physical presâ€" ence was regrettable. Common assault happens every time an NHL game is played â€" If the Crown attorney‘s office was going to lay charges in professional sport, it would be busy every time a hockey game was played. Knecing, cross checking, tripping. hooking, slashâ€" ing. spearing, boarding, elbowing, and fighting are either twoâ€" minute or fiveâ€"minute penalties in hockey. Fach one of them would be assault outside of a hackey rink. Assaults, as we know assault, occur every time a hockey game is played. For that matter, every time a football game, rughy game and sometimes whehn a baseball or basketball game is played. | The Crown made the right decision. Applying common law to sporting events is a tricky business. A more punitive senâ€" tence. say jail time, that some would apparently like to see. would set a precedent that any future onâ€"ice incident could rely upon. Hockey is a fastâ€"moving, territorial, violent game plaved by tremendousty strong and conditioned athletes. A couple of weeks ago a Green Bay Packers wide receiver laid motionless on the ground after a "cheap shot" from an opposing player who hit him as he came across the middle The injured player was unable to move his lower body for approximately half an hour after the game. Thankfully, it seems the player will recover: but if we extend the Bertuzzi example to other sports. here is a prime case where someone could argue assault had taken place and charge the defensive back for his assault on the wide receiver. It is far better for sport to police itself and leave the courts out of the system. Sure, step in and send a message when required:; but criminal charges and convictions for actions that take place in a professional sporting venue will mark the end of professional sport as we know it. Hockey is such a great game because it requires skill, speed, grace, tenacity, perseverance, teamwork, balance and agility. It is also extremely fast, rough, and physical. In combination all these elements create a beautiful and sometimes violent game But we also more easily and readily remember the names of the great ones: Gretzky, Ort, Howe, Lemieux and Sittler In hockey. these names are part of the same coin, the "ying" and the "yang". the beauty and the beast. inextricably linked hy the game and the fans who. every time we watch a game. are complicit in both its violence and its beauty Eâ€"mail your questions{comments to sean@seanstrick land.com We remember the names of those hockey players involved in some of the games more notorious incidents: Shore. Green, Maki, McSorley and now Bertuzzi