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8 + WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, January 23, 2008 jormston@ waterloochromcle.ca Peter WINKLER PUBLISHER EDITORIAL Bob VRBANAC EDITOR ext. 229 editorial @ waterloochronicle.ca sports@ waterloochronicle.ca Jennifer ORMSTON REPORTER ext. 203 Greg MacDonald REPORTER ext. 215 edmacdonald@ waterloochronicle.ca Bill PIHURA ext, 228 bpihura@ waterloochronicle.ca Carly GIBBS ext. 222 cgibbs@ waterloochronicle.ca Gerry MATTICE ext. 230 RETAIL SALES MANAGER SALES REPRESENTATIVES Norma CYCA ext. 223 nevea@ waterloochronicle.ca CLASSIFIED 519â€"895â€"5230 CIRCULATION 519â€"886â€"2830 ext. 213 Canadian Publications Mail Sales Publication Agreement Number 40050478 International Standard Serial Num ber ASSN 0832â€"3410 Audited Circulation: 31.292 sales@ waterloochronicle.ca Brenda SOKOLOWSKI ext. 202 bsokolowski@waterloochronicle.ca ADVERTISING The Waterloo Chronicle is published each Wednesday by Metroland Media Group Ltd. ONTARIO PRESS COUNCIL The Waterloo Chronicle is a member of The Ontario Press Council, which considers complaints against memâ€" ber newspapers. Any complaint about news, opinions advertising or conduct should first be taken to the newspaper. Unresoived complaints can be brought to: Ontario Press Council, 2 Carlton Street, Suite 1706. Toronto, ON.. MSB 113. The contents of this newspaper are protected by copytight and may be used orlly 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 must first obtain the permission of the owner of the copyâ€" right. For further information conâ€" tact Bob Vrbanac. Editor, Waterloo Chronicle, 279 Weber St. N., Suite 20. Waterloo. Ontario N2J 3H8. COPYRIGHT Letters to the editor must contain the writer‘s full name, signature, address and telephone number. Addresses and telephone numbers are used only for verification purposes and will not be published.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 or by email to editorial@waterâ€" loochronicle.ca or by mail or delivâ€" ered to Waterloo Chronicle, 279 Weber St. N., Suite 20. Waterloo, LETTERS POLICY Ontario N2J 3H8 WATERLOO CHRONICLE 279 Weber St. N., Suite 20 Waterloo, Ontario N2J 3H8 519â€"886â€"2830 Fax: S19â€"886â€"9383 www waterloochronicle.ca EMAIL editorial @ waterloochronicle.ca FAX 519â€"886â€"9383 Here’s a spin on an old movie lineâ€" if you build it will they come? That‘s the question regional transit planners were askâ€" ing in a series of workshops held in the City of Waterloo last week investigating how people would respond to a proposed rapid transit system. _ The two main options seem to be to build a light rail transit system or a bus rapid transit system seen in comâ€" munities like Ottawa and Vancouver. The biggest difference is cost. And with projections that the price tag for the first phase of an LRT system between Kitchener and Waterloo would be more than $300 million, there is some heavy analysis that still needs to be done. Would there be enough riders to support a LRT sysâ€" tem? We‘ve seen even in cities like Toronto that rapid transit expansion on some lines doesn‘t necessarily mean more riders. Has anyone ridden on the Sheppard line? If you build it will they come? Even worse, it doesn‘t lead to the type of development and intensification in city cores that the region needs to meet a population boom projected for the area over the next 25 years. And for those of you who forget, Waterloo and Kitchâ€" ener once had a dedicated streetcar ling running down the length of King Street when our sister city was still known as Berlin. frg There are those of you who also remember all the work it took to dig up all those street car lines about 10 years ago closing down major portions of King Street. It came at a great cost, and caused massive traffic headaches in our core, so we don‘t need a repeat of that performance. That‘s why the region has to decide very seriously if the LRT is the best option, or whether growing the existâ€" ing transit service and creating a bus rapid transit system is a better way. We don‘t need to rethink this decision in a century‘s time, and we can‘t wait for the next 100 years to make sure that it‘s the right one. VIEWPOINT ow I know why they Nplay curling indoors â€" wind chill shouldâ€" n‘t be a factor when you‘re trying to make a takeout. But I was just one of the brave souls who decided to give outdoor curling a shot last Saturday during the Takâ€" ing It To The Streets event put on by organizers of the 2008 TSC Tankard along Willis Way in uptown Waterâ€" loo. This is the first time the Ontario championship is coming to Waterloo in modâ€" ern memory and it features some of the province‘s best curlers at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Comâ€" plex from Feb. 4â€"10. Competitors include defending world and Brier champion Glenn Howard, and former champs Wayne Middaugh and Mike Harris. To build up some interest local organizers thought a throwback game featuring an outdoor rink would be a great draw. The game got its starts on frozen ponds in Scotland, and a lot of oldâ€"time Canadiâ€" an curlers grew up playing the game on outdoor rinks. Old timers like Eddie "The Wrench" Werenich, one of the true personalities of the sport, who said he startâ€" ed curling on an outdoor rink with the encouragement of his older brother. "My brother told me there was a bottle of rum buried in the snow at the other end to keep warm," he laughed as he regaled a crowd of about Throwing a few stones 100 about some of his exploits, including two Brier titles and two world champiâ€" onships. He encouraged a few peoâ€" ple to join him for a drink at the Brick Brewery after the event, and slipped out early with a few people also lookâ€" ing to get "warm" at the hosâ€" pitality suite. Of the people left behind, Wayne Tuck and Codey Maus did their best to try to figure out the ice. They represent the Brantâ€" ford curling club, and will take part in the Tankard. It was the first time either curler had played outdoors and both looked forward to the experience. "I used to think that some of the arenas were cold, but I‘ll never complain again," said Tuck, who will be playâ€" ing in his third Tankard. "It‘s Organizers were wortied that an early January thaw might make an outdoor rink BOB look more like a swimming pool, but last week‘s arctic blast ensured that the experâ€" iment would go ahead. The only problem is that the ice froze at a bit of a tilt. It felt like almost a 45 degree angle if you were throwing a stone. As for the pebbling that makes the rocks, let‘s just say it was a little smoother than the ice the curlers will see next week in Waterloo. Organizers promised the curlers better ice conditions at the Tankard, but Tuck and Maus still managed to put on a show during a hotshots demonstration. Tuck, the skip of his team, managed to make four takeâ€" outs all while using a curling poll to launch his stones. _ "Apparently I got a takeâ€" out only, I couldn‘t draw," he laughed. â€" Maus, who‘s playing in his first Tankard, had a little less luck than his skip but still made some contact. "This has been really interesting," said Maus. "I‘d love to do it again in a little better conditions where it wasn‘t so frigid." Both players are looking for a big turnout at the Tankard, with tickets still available. Granite Club president Neil Miskell, who is coâ€"hostâ€" ing the event with Westâ€" mount Golf and County Club, expects a strong walkâ€" up crowd for the event. _ Tickets are still available at the club, or by calling 1 â€" 866â€"406â€"0051.