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8 + WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, December 26, 2007 Peter WINKLER Boh VRBANAC EDITOR ext 229 editorial @ w aterloochronicle.ca sports (@ waterloochromcle.ca jormston@ waterloochronicle ca Greg MacDonald PUBLISHER EDITORIAL REPORTER ext. 203 edmacdonald @ waterloochromcle ca Gerry MATTICE ext. 230 RETAIL SALES MANAGER Bill PIHURA ext. 228 bpihwra (@waterloochronicle ca Carly GIBBS ext. 222 cgibbs@ waterloochranicle ca ONTARIO PRESS COUNCIL The Waterloo Chronicle is a member of The Ontano Press Council, which considers complunts against memâ€" ber newspaperâ€". Any complaint about news, opmions advertising or conduct should first be taken to the newspaper. Unresolved complaints can be brought to: Ontaria Press Council. 2 Carlton Street, Surte 1706. Toronto. ON., MSB 1J3 Jenniter ORMSTON REPORTER cut 215 sales @waterloochromicle.ca CLASSIFIED 519â€"895â€"5230 CIRCULATION 519â€"886â€"2830 ext. 213 Canadian Publications Mail Sales Publication Agreement Number 40050478 International Standard Serial Num SALES REPRESENTATIVES Norma CYCA ext. 223 nevea@ waterloochronicle.ca ber ASSN 0832â€"3410 Audited Circulation: 31,292 The Waterloo Chronicle is published each Wednesday by Metrotand Media Group Ltd. COPYRIGHT The contents of this newspaper are protected by copyright and may be used only for personal nonâ€"commerâ€" cial purposes All other rights are reserved and commercial use is proâ€" hibited. To make any use of this material you m=st first obtain the permission of the owner of the copyâ€" right. For further information con tact Boh Vrhancc, Editar, Waterloo Chronicle, 279 Neber St. N.. Suite 211. Waterloo, Ontario N2J 3H® LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor must contain the wniter‘s full name. signature, address and telephone number. Addresses and telephone numbers are used only. for verfication purposes and will not be published. Names will not be withâ€" held. We reserve the right to edit, conâ€" dense or reject any contribution for brevity or legal purposes. Letters may be submitted by fax to 519â€"886â€"9383 ur by email to editorial@water Joochromicle ca or by mail or delivâ€" ered to Waterloos Chromicle, 279 Weber St. N., Suite 20, WaterIoo. Ontaia N2J 3H8 ADVERTISING WATERLOO CHRONICLE 279 Weber St. N., Suite 20 Waterioo, Ontano N2 3H8 $19â€"886â€"2830 Fax: 519â€"886â€"9181 w w w waterloochronmicle ca EMAIL editorial @ waterloochronicle.ca FAX 5$19â€"886â€"9383 W(h 2008 just days away, our thoughts turn to the nopes we have for the new year. Every year starts with such great expectations. There were thoughts that the environment would finally get its due with new Liberal leader Stephane Dion winning his party‘s leadership on that green plank. The year ended off with the Harper government doing its best to put up roadblocks on the roadmap being created at the Bali climate change conference. _ With the world incrementally heating up, the hot air continued to flow out of Ottawa. Thankfully, it looks like there will be a federal election probably sometime early in the new year that will finally put to the test just how much Canadians care about the environment. _ But he spent much of last year battling his own obscurity and doing his best to avoid a federal election on any issue. _ â€" s Canada is firmly in the tent of the world‘s worst polâ€" luters, and now dragging its heels on any significant reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. It was a mixedâ€"bag of results on that front, with the region winning an OMB appeal that will allow it to bring in its Environmentally Sensitive Landscapes designation that will protect sensitive groundwater recharge areas on the other side of the Wilmot Line. However, local city council and regional government decided there was nothing they could do to stop the development of three new westâ€"side subdivisions that have been in the planning pipeline for more than 20 years. The news locally wasn‘t any better as the year started with great.expectations that concerns about developâ€" ment on the Waterloo moraine would finally be heard, and that environmental safeguards would be in place. They recovered themselves to launch an appeal by a private bottler to draw more water on the city‘s northâ€" east side, but water will be a going concern for an area that continues growing. Looking ahead to 2008 VIEWPOINT I(hink I‘ve caught a new seasonal disorder. No, it‘s not SAD â€" seaâ€" sonal affective disorder. I think 1 have a touch of mall rage. It was the brilliant term coined by Chronicle reporter Greg MacDonald last week when interviewing mall manager Sandra Stone. It was a succinct way to define the Christmas crunch that we‘ve all been going through in the last few I caught myself gunning the gas before realizing that the monster truck would z probably do more damage to my little car than [ would do to his. It perfectly describes the way my blood pressure was boiling as I circled around the parking lots last week. That maniacal merryâ€"goâ€" round wasn‘t helped by the fact that last week‘s snowâ€" storm had cut down the number of available parking spaces. And without lines to guide them some people decided they were going to make up their own rules of parking etiquette. Why use one spot, when two will do. And you can start your row of parking in whatever haphazard way you can think of, including blocking points of entry or escape for people like me. Successfully thwarted, and in the right frame of I actually drove down a row of cars and came to a bottleneck caused by this massive SUV. umm(nJ It‘s not enough for our kids to act up, we have to catch them in the act as well. The only saving grace is that we might be able to send one of these clips to Funniâ€" est Home Videos. mind, I stormed into the mall. Thankfully, most of the shopping was done by my much more understanding wife. Women seem to be more philosophical about this annual pursuit, whereas men would just prefer to retire to their caves. More likely, it will end up on some parenting website about what not to do with your children. Somehow I managed to survive the busiest shopping day of the year, but that didâ€" n‘t mean it was the end of my troubles. I have plans to go out again on Boxing Day, today, and see if I can‘t find that new video camera that my family is pestering me about. BOB VRBANAC Feigning and jabbing are sometimes things you need to just get into the door of some of these electronic stores. Watch the body blows as you elbow your way into line. But watch out for that knockout blow. You know, when you find out you‘ve gone 12 rounds for nothing and the item you‘re looking for is already sold out. At any rate, I think that Boxing Day is also appropriâ€" ately named because anyone who is a fan of the sweet sciâ€" ence knows that the same terms apply. I‘ll be spending the rest of this week in recovery waiting for New Year‘s Eve. Thankfully, the expectaâ€" tions for this holiday are a lot less than Christmas. The hangover also doesn‘t last as long. Ever since the Y2K hoax, and the price gouging that came with the turn of milâ€" lennium parties, this day has lost its lustre. It‘s faded faster from our collective memoâ€" ries than the ball that drops every Dec. 31 on Dick Clark‘s rocking New Year‘s Eve show. With three small kids, we were in bed by 10 p.m. last year. The biggest party of the year has become an after thought for my family. I think I set the alarm for midnight just to say I ushâ€" ered in the new year. But I think I hit the snooze button, and I‘ve been hitting it ever since.