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The Waterioo Chronicle welcomes tetters to the Ediror They should be signed with name. address and phone number and will be verified tor accuracy No unsigned letrers will be published Submessions may be edited for lenigth. sozplease be bnet Copyright in letters and other matenials submitted to the Publisher and accepted for pubhcation remains with the author. but the publisher and its hconsees may frech reproduce them m print. electtonic or other forms Our mailing address is 278 Weber St N Unit 20 Waterlen: N2LIP2 WATERLOO CHRONICLE 279 Weber St., North, Suite 20 Waterloo, Ontario N2J 3H8 Diwavyne Weidendort edhtonal@waterloochromcte c sportse@waterloochronicle ca sates@waterioochronicle ca composingewaterioochronicle Letters Policy The Waterioo Chromcte is pub lished eveny Wednesday by the bamway Group. owned by Ciny Media Group Inc . a subsichan of Tormtar Carp . The content of this paper is protected in copyuight and may be used onh tor person al nonâ€"commercial purposes All other nghts are reserved and commercial use is prohihited. To make use of this material vou munt first obtain the permission of the owner of the copyrght Gerry Mattice Retail Sates Manager, Fxt. 230 Npecial Projects Managet ©23â€"3050, but. 210 Bill Pihura Advertising Sates, Fxt. 228 Bob Zarzvcki Advertising Sates, bxt. 222 Norma Cvea Advertising Sates, Ext. 223 Rob Leuschner Andrea Bailey _ Â¥ditor, Ext.215 Bob \rbanac Lnn Bartol Sports bditor, Fxt, 22% Matt Miller ©23â€"3050, but. 200 Group Publisher ISSN @@32 it0 30050478 virculation. 27. 538 This has caused some frustration for area businesses. and who can blame them? They‘re left dealing with quesâ€" tions about parking which the city should have already The city should have done a better job of ensuring that traffic levels don‘t drop in the core by posting better signage for the parking that exists, or by negotiating a temporary walkway through the construction site before the onâ€"street parking is temporarity eliminated. The streetâ€"level parking was seen as the most conveâ€" mient way to stop and shop. do banking or stay for a bite to eat. Instead the merryâ€"goâ€"around of driving around the block to find a spot will be what most motorists expeâ€" nience. The fear is that this will change people‘s habitsâ€"per manenthy. While there is a new 300â€"space parking lot at the back of the former south side of the Waterloo Town Square. the signage is confusing and most people still think it‘s part of the construction site. Sure the planners would love if everyvone would use transit to get around, but the reality is the automobile is sull the main means of transport for most, particulariy seniors. who come to the core. While many business owners and citizens who freâ€" quent the core can applaud the positive changes to streetscape, the city could have done a better job of makâ€" ing sure the area is still accessible by car. And it will be even harder to park starting next week when the city closes down 18 spots on the west side of King Street to allow work to progress on the new KPMG and RBC buildings. spot to park Better steering needed for uptown parking issues the former Seagram‘ VO Whiskey "People think. ‘If it‘s enough for the WDM’I‘L&““ ork continues on the buildings that will reshape Waterioo‘s uptown core, but it‘s hard to stop and admire what‘s going on because you can‘ find a She backed up her view by saying for every person who enjoys stories of that nature. there are 10 others who don‘t. That could be true. though she was the only complaint 1 took that week It was a humanâ€"interest piece with what manyâ€" especially dog ownersâ€" would consider a happy ending. as well as a news story since it involved counâ€" cil ruling against one of its own municipal bylaws. (Waterloo residents are allowed a maximum of three dogs per household). Yet the issue was a little too "sappy" for this reader. Such was the case last week... l took a call from a reader who was annoved that we ran a story about city council overturning its original decision and allowâ€" ing a local family to keep four dogs until the eldest But letting the phone ring off the hook at work is a little tougher. After all. there are tips to take. compliâ€" ments to enjoy and critiâ€" cism to swallow. I can think of a few hunâ€" dred dinners that have been interrupted by telemarâ€" keters offering me the "best vacuum cleaner on the marâ€" ket‘. and even more Saturâ€" dayâ€"morning sleepâ€"ins have been cut short by someone ready to give me a weekend stay in Collingwood with ‘no strings attached". you hadn‘t? Caller put herself in the doghouse Of course I thanked her 0 you ever pick up a ringing phone and immediately wish Frankly, I‘m surprised those opposed to Prime Minister Stephen Harper didn‘t accuse him of such thinking during the recent In all faimmess, education is a worthy cause and one that should be well funded by all levels of government. But to suggest house pets should cease to exist to betâ€" ter support educationâ€" that‘s a new one. After the first call 1 thought she was in left field; 1 was now convinced she was out in space. The same reader thought she‘d be helpful and later left me a message suggestâ€" ing I do a story on why peoâ€" ple shouldn‘t have pets at all, and how money that‘s used to keep pets would be better spent on providing more educational programs for children. Case closed? Think again. for the opinion and wished her a pleasant day, while reaching for a box of Kleenex to soak up. my bleeding tongue. 1 will agree with one thing... if the call 1 took last week is any indication, more education funding is neededâ€"a lot more. Or better yet, no one should be allowed to get sick; that way all the health funding could support our school systems. Hey, maybe some of those healthâ€"care savings could support education. Even science suggests the bond between humans and pets can enrich a perâ€" son‘s life, physical health and emotional wellâ€"being. Pets can help reduce stress, quell loneliness and depresâ€" sion, prevent heart disease and, in turn, lower healthâ€" care costs. 4 In all seriousness, while pets do slightly dip into the economy, 1 believe the joy they give their owners pays it all back tenfold. Well, for one thing, 1 bet the money the reader believes could go to educaâ€" tion would more likely pay for the cleanup of our streets on account of the all strays running around. Pet stores would go out of busiâ€" ness, putting a dent in the economy; humane societies would be overrun; and my father would have to get his own slippers. It would be utter chaos. But the idea did get me thinking...what would hapâ€" pen if pets were outlawed? (As I fight to keep a straight face...) federal election. It would have been perfect fodder, considering he was accused of nearly everything else under the sun.