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Wednesday, March lit, 2008 Peter W INKLtUt PUBLISHER EDITORIAI Bob VRBANAC EDITOR ext. 229 editorialCd waterIoochronick ca sportsiewaterloocttronictc Ca Jennifer ORMSTON REPORTER ext, 203 Jonnswn igl w aterloochromc [than Greg MACDONALD REPORTER an. 2 I 5 gdmacdonahier waterkxchronicle,ca Gerry MATTICE ext. 250 RETAIL SALES MANAGER SALES REPRESENTATIVES Norma CYCA ext. 223 ncycaewaterloochrvnicle.ca Jackie HAMILTON ext. 228 jhamilton@waterloochroniceca Carly GIBBS ext. 222 ADVERTISING saiesewaterioochrom'cleia cgibbstewaterloochronicleca Brenda SOKOLOWSKI ext, 202 bsokolowski tlp ware rloochronicle.ca CLASSIFIED 519-895-5230 CIRCULATION S [9-886-2830 ext, 213 Canadian Publications Mail Sales Publication Agreement Number 40050478 International Standard Serial Num. ber ASSN 0832-3410 Audited Circulation: M.292 The Waterloo Chronicle is published each wedntrsdiay by Metroland ONTARIO PRESS COUNCIL The Waterloo Chronicle is a member of The Ontario Press Council. which considers complaints against mem- ber newspapers. 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Lena: may be submitted by fax to 519Ar86-9383 or by email to editorialowater- 1oochrotticle.ca or by mail or deliv- ered to Waterloo Chronicle. 279 Weber St. N.. Suite 20. Waterloo, Ontario N21 3H8. WATERLOO CHRONICLE 279 Weba St, N. Sum: 20 WW. Onlano N2] 3H8 5lF8w2830 fur 519-8809383 w w watedouchruncie.ca FAX 5 “18869383 EMAIL nu 0"4 What about a plaque? The question what is art is being asked again in Water- loo as the monument to the city's Intelligent Com- munity win, was gnyeiled last Week The M-foot obelisk that is proposed to go up in Her- itage Green Park inWaterloo's uptown core is symbolic of the city's different stages of development over the last 150 years. If hopes to capture some of the changes that Waterloo has undergone as it transformed itself hom a sleepy farm town to a high-tect) hub. - " . .. . But some, people are wondering what all the hubbub is about. Why do we need a 30-foot monument to our "intelligence" put up in th_e city's core? . _ . As Jne pariicipdnt at last Week's workshop revealing the initial design asked. "Maybe they could just put up a plaque." - _ A _ _ _ _ _ _ . In terms of ideas that have ignited the local commu- nity's imagination, this hasn't been one of them. In fact. it's tickled more funny bones than it has sparked a sense of civic pride. It's right up there with calling Waterloo the centre of the universe as a former mayor did arfew years, ago. _ . But it comes with a couple of caveats, The public doesn't have to spend a dime in designing or building the monument. And it will lead the refurbishment of an uptown greenspace that has gone unappreciated for a number of years Some say it's Watedoo's v'ersion of a pfoctoloéist's tool to go along with the large bit of intestine gracing the grounds of the provthcial courts in Kitchener. There is always a debate about public art whenever something of this magnitude is unveiled. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the debate shouldnt detract from some civic supporters wanting to dress up and cel- ebrate this great community of ours. Waterios is a great placé to work and live. The ques- tion is do we need a monument to celebrate what we already know? VIEWPOINT at was that word Archimedes was supposed to have shouted when he discovered something relating to the purity of gold? Eureka! He saved $900 . M, yei That word was eureka. A few weeks back that's what I should have screamed in the quietness of my home. There I was scanning through my never-ending list of emails when I was "officially" informed that my email address had just won a million British pounds Eureka' I was an instant millionaire. Actually, based on the exchange rate that day, I was more accurately an instant two-millionaire. plus. You know, the differ- ence between the Canadian Iconic and the Brit's pound. As visions of exotic golf vacations and jazzy new cars danced in my head, I thought to myself. No more the little guy struggling along against insurmountable odds, trying to eke out a meagre existence. That's an expression I heard years ago and have been boring my friends with it ever since. For the past decade or so, I have been deluged with snail mail from all over the world telling me that I had been named a winner, final- ist, etc., in the quest for mil- lions. However, on reading the fine print or figuring out the tricky, designed-to-confuse wording it more often than not pointed out I would merely be entering the lot- tery. If in fact there was a lot- tery. __ - - - Usually the letter wanted . the tees. $10 to $30 mailed to some The courier company was address to complete the pro- not happy. I got a snarky cedure, whatever it was. We email back pointing out - been shredding them as long with a lot of capital letters on as We been receiving them. words that didnt need capi- However. this email thing tals - that they were a won- was quite sophisticated. derful operation that was emblazoned with the Yahoo above reproach. Yada, yada, logo and sundry 'other famil- yada. iar symbols. The so-called Gettinsasnarky note parent firm called back from what may or may Yahoo/MSN lottery lncor- not be a scam operation just porated was based out of an blew my mind. Had I hit a addressin london, we, and nerve? didnt ask much initially. Apparently we'll never They only wanted my know. After my mocking name, address, phone num- note, I haven't heard back ber, age and nationality - from anybody connected nothing that wasn't easily tith either of the "opera- available to just about any- tions." body with a phone book and So what are we left with? computer. So I sent it off just Have I turned my back on $2 a few days after the initial million? Maybe But I like to announcement. think l saved myself $900. I won't bore you with all ... thedetailsbutitbecamean Billi9ipHohnsretiredmrm interesting war of the emails fiut-timethumalism in 2002 atterIreceivedwoedtrom bute.ntryeaHitr somebody called World Courier Delivery Services outlining what I needed to do to get the certified cheque from the lottery outfit. The bottom line of their email was that I needed to send them, through a secure source, 465 pounds to cover the cost of courier charges, administration fees and insurance. That would be more than $900 Canadian. I then informed them that I wasn't sending any money but proposed a plan that would assure me that there was no scam involved. In essence, it said once I got the money I would look after the fees. The courier company was not happy. I got a snarky email back pointing out - with a lot of capital letters on words that didnt need capi- tals - that they were a won- derful operation that was above reproach. Yada, yada, Getting a snarky note back fiom what may or may not be a scam operation just blew my mind. Had I hit a nerve? Apparently we'll never know. After my mocking note, I haven't heard back from anybody connected with either of the "opera- So what are we left with? Have I turned my back on $2 million? Maybe But I like to think I saved myself $900.