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Norma CYCA ext. 223 neyca@ waterloochronicle.ca Jackie HAMILTON ext. 228 jhamilton @waterloochronicle.ca Carly GIBBS ext. 222 cgibbs @ waterloochronicle.ca Bob VRBANAC EDITOR ext. 229 editorial @ waterloochronicle.ca sports @waterloochronicle.ca Greg MACDONALD REPORTER ext. 215 edmacdonald@waterloochronicle.ca Gerry MATTICE ext. 230 RETAIL SALES MANAGER Brenda SOKOLOWSKI ext. 202 bsokolowski@ 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 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. Unresolved complaints can be brought to: Ontario Press Council, 2 Carlton Street, Suite 1706. Toronto, ON., MSB 1J3. Peter WINKLER PUBLISHER EDITORIAL Jennifer ORMSTON REPORTER ext. 203 sales @ waterloochronicle.ca 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 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. LETTERS POLICY 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 Addresses and telephone numbers are used only for verification purposes and will not be published.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, Ontario N2J 3H8. jormston @ waterloochronicle.ca SALES REPRESENTATIVES 8 + WATERLOO CHRONICLE * Wednesday, April 2, 2008 ADVERTISING WATERLOO CHRONICLE 279 Weber St. N., Suite 20 Waterloo, Ontano N2J 3H8 $19â€"886â€"2830 Fax: 519â€"886â€"9383 ww w waterloochromicle.ca editorial @ waterloochronicle.ca FAX 5$19â€"886â€"9383 EMAIL Cl L‘ | CHRONICLE EDITORIAL | There were a lot of people who felt the city was pulling a fast one on them when they saw the monument to the city‘s intelligence recently unveiled. They couldn‘t believe that the city and its sponsors were going to celebrate this accomplishment with a Napoleonic obelisk. They thought that was reserved for conquering armies, or tinâ€"pot tyrants, not a city which was trying to honour its deserved recognition on the world stage. Nicely redoing Heritage Green Park, one of the gateâ€" ways to the city‘s uptown core, be better than drawing all that attention to ourselves. You can put a pig in a dress but you can‘t make it dance. Thankfully, the toothpick from hell has been relegated to the history books. The monument to the city‘$ intelliâ€" gence has been toppled, and the city is no longer a punchline. The sound and the fury raised by the local citizenry to that arrogance and conceit was deafening. Had the city‘s intelligentsia forgotten is Mennonite roots? Didn‘t they know that flash doesn‘t win out over subâ€" stance? Especially when you put up a monument that lights up from inside. __ It‘s nice to see the officials behind the proposal have also come to see the errors of their ways. This project was something that the public didn‘t want sprung on them. They wanted to have a say in it, as is their right. It‘s another lesson in having proper public consultation on a project that‘s trying to cram a 30â€"foot monument down people‘s throats. They couldn‘t help but gag a little. People have a right to be in on the decision. At least that way we can all wear the goat horns together. _ This doesn‘t mean that Waterloo isn‘t open to great public art, or that there still isn‘t a way to properly comâ€" memorate this accomplishment. + â€" But public art imposed by committee never works. In fact it smacks of elitism â€" that the rest of us don‘t get it The joke‘s over VIEWPOINT pack to W drawm} board planned to spend the IGood Friday holiday relaxing at home. The most I would do is take a couple of photos for the Chronicle and go on a walk with the dog. Well you know what they say about the best laid plans ... of course my day didn‘t turn out as I had hoped. The flu I had been fightâ€" ing all week was hitting me hard. & _ So I threw on some comâ€" fortable clothes, jumped in the car and started my day. But I knew I had to go and get those photos for the paper. Friday is garbage day in my neighbourhood, and a truck was travelling in front of me. When it slowed down more than I had expected while turning a corner, I wondered what it had encountered. A man was walking down the street towards us, and I figured it was his pet. I put down my window and angrily asked, "Is that your dog?" Just thinking about how irresponsible it is to walk your dog without a leash made me furious. It turned out not to be his dog, but I saw him try to catch it as I drove away. Then I saw it ... a large, white dog was on the road The truck driver safely made his way by the pooch, who then ran over to my car. I had to stop as it _ pranced in front and around the vehicle. Don‘t follow my example Between my pounding headache and runny nose, my instincts told me to keep on driving so I could get * home to bed. But my conscience wouldn‘t let me. I turned around and went back. By the time I got there the pedestrian had walked away, and I soon learned why. The playful pup wouldn‘t come to me, no matter what I tried. I had dog treats in the trunk from taking my corgi to training classes. However, the strongly scentâ€" ed bones wouldn‘t lure this dog over. In fact, when I tossed some in her direction, she smelled them and ran furâ€" ther away. I knocked on my neighâ€" bours‘ doors trying to find the dog‘s owners, all the _ while fearing it would run in front of a car and be hurt, or No one knew the dog, but I met several friendly The dog‘s name, Abby, and phone number were on her collar, and I called her dog mother, who met me on the street. "We don‘t want anybody taking a chance that they‘re going to get bitten," she One was on a walk with his own dog, which attractâ€" ed the stray. When the loose dog went to meet it, I caught it and put it on my dog‘s leash. It turned out Abby‘s house is under construction, and she hates the loud noisâ€" es. Somehow she snuck out without her owners noticâ€" ing. About 80 per cent of the stray dogs at the Kitchenerâ€" Waterloo Humane Society arrive with proper identifiâ€" cation, either a tag or microchip, and it‘s fairly easy to reunite them with their pet parents. "Basically, it‘s your dog‘s ticket home," said Kathy Innocente, the organizaâ€" tion‘s manager of fundraisâ€" ing and community relaâ€" tions. & After telling her my story, she recommended that peoâ€" ple not follow my example. It‘s best to call the humane society at 519â€"745â€" 5615 if you see a stray. It could be frightened or sick. Luckily for me, Abby was a sweetheart. neighbours. If Abby wasn‘t wearing a tag, I would have had to call the humane society and wait for an officer to come.