Grand Forks Gazette Wednesday, August 8, 2012
www.grandforksgazette.ca A5
LETTERS ❚ STARLIGHT DINNER
Friends of Library come through Editor: My wife and I had the good fortune to win the Starlight Dinner Party raffle fundraiser organized by the Friends of the Library. Along with six friends and family, we recently spent a wonderful evening on the banks of the Kettle River feasting on a seven-course meal, each course paired with a fine wine and accompanied by Rick and Maureen Hayworth playing soft jazz in the background. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Friends of the Library, as well as Ted Invictus and the board of the Grand Forks and District Public Library, for creating this event. To William Caley, menu mastermind and chef, along with his assistants, Leanne Edwards and Heather Buzzell, a big thank you for a gastronomic extravaganza. John Jansezian did a superb job as maitre de and headwaiter. A very special thank you to Bob and Jane DeVries for providing the extraordinarily beautiful venue and last, but not least, to Russell Smith for all his hard work behind the scenes. It could not have been a more magical evening; warm, no mosquitoes, a heron flying overhead. We wish everyone good luck in next year’s raffle and hope that the winner’s experience will be as perfect as ours. T. Fogg and A. Kilpatrick, Grand Forks
❚ PEACE
Remember Hiroshima Editor: At 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11 at Grand Forks’ Gyro Park, the Boundary Peace Initiative
invites you to commemorate the victims of the first use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The effects continue today since radioactive poisoning resides in the genetic code to affect the offspring of those who lived through this horrific genocide. The victim roster grows as uranium is used in bullets, missiles and tanks spreading radioactive dust in the wind, the rain, water and soil. Accidents at nuclear power plants infect in much the same way. The nuclear industry tries to convince us that this is clean energy but is it? From exploration to mining to processing, the “gift” of radiation just keeps on giving for billions of years. We join thousands worldwide to honour the past and present victims and send a message that we refuse to accept the gift of radiation. We have a great list of speakers and entertainers along with a silent auction. The speakers are: • Derrick O’Keefe, author, editor of rabble. ca, co-chair of Vancouver Stop War and of the Canadian Peace Alliance. • Kendra Cooper from Occupy Nelson • Alex Atamanenko, MP B.C. Southern Interior • JJ Verigin of the USCC and KRUNA • Marji Basso, BoundarySimilkameen NDP candidate The entertainers consist of The Hip Sisters of Grand Forks, Perry Best of Rock Creek, Rosemary Phillips of Christina Lake, Ellen Tolson of Rock Creek, Plectrum & Fender of Grand Forks and Lisa from Christina Lake. Come, learn and enjoy the speakers, performers and participants. Make bids on silent auction items donated by local businesses. And, if you have something you would like to donate towards the auction either give me a call (250-442-0434) or bring it with you to the Gyro Park. See you there. In universal kinship and loving peace, Laura Savinkoff, Grand Forks
❚ OPINION ❚ FEDERAL GOV’T
Oh those gold-plated MP pensions Editor: Prime Minister Stephen Harper has promised to look at pension reforms for Members of Parliament (MP) this fall, after he consults with MPs. That is good news – all Canadians need to tighten their belts to prepare for an uncertain economic future. Interestingly however, the rest of us Canadians missed out on such a consultation over reforming Old Age Security (OAS), which will see the age at which one can collect an OAS pension gradually move from 65 to 67. We all know that Canadian MPs have solid gold salaries, perks and benefits, followed by solid gold pensions, paid for almost entirely by Canadian taxpayers. But according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, for every dollar an MP contributes to his or her pension, we, the taxpayers, throw in over $23. With only six years of public service, an MP can start drawing on a full pension at age 55. Not bad for a part-time job. Compare that with the typical hard-working Canadian with a real job and true accountability. We can no longer afford to pay these obscene amounts to our MPs, and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is pushing for a 50-50 shared cost deal as part of the government’s MP pension reform. A petition drive is now underway to urge the prime minister to do the right thing. Please visit taxpayer.com/issues/federal/fed-reform-mppensions to sign the petition if you agree that it’s time for the government to overhaul MP pensions to bring them in line with reality. P. McCavour and J. Turner, Osoyoos, B.C.
❚ YOUR VIEW
DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION? The Grand Forks Gazette welcomes letters to the editor. All letters should be a maximum of 350 words and are subject to editing. Emailed letters are preferred. The name, address and telephone number of the writer must be included with every letter. Phone numbers and exact addresses won’t be published, but names will only be withheld at the editor’s discretion. Copyright in letters and other materials submitted to the publisher and accepted for publication remains with the author, but the publisher and its licencees may freely reproduce them in print, electronic or other forms. Views expressed in letters may not reflect those of the Grand Forks Gazette.
Ease off on the fragrances Throughout the ages, women have proudly dapped and re-dapped our favourite perfume behind our ears and a GRACE few other places. McGREGOR Our gentlemen friends have patted on their favourite aftershave and cologne. We have even scented man’s best friend and other pets unfortunate enough to get in our way. Now in my more adult years and a victim of allergies, I wonder how many people were sneezing and coughing in my wake. I can only say in my defense that I had a perfume I loved and proudly shared that name with all who might or might not ask. The name of the perfume was Hope. How ironic it is that in the days that I could use a little hope I am no longer a user; you could say I’m beyond hope. After I stopped wearing perfume, I realized that one gets to the point where they no longer smell the scent they are wearing and although others may find it strong the wearer doesn’t notice that. I am pleased to discover that there are many people now who realize that strong scents are very difficult for many and do contribute to fits of sneezing, coughing and asthma and therefore keep it on the light side. I recall an entertaining event I was at in Nelson and the person behind me, a gentleman no less, was exuding a very strong aroma. About 20 minutes into the show, I started to cough and sneeze. Because the entertainment was really good, I tried to mitigate the effects by hiding my face in my jacket – alas to no avail. I finally had to leave. Allergies are not always the same for everyone, rather reactions vary in intensity. I sat on a committee with a lady who was so allergic, she passed out in the parking lot after being exposed to a really strong aftershave and I too have had to leave a meeting because I couldn’t function and yet for some it is just a mild discomfort. At any rate those of us who have developed allergies don’t mean to be impolite if we move farther away from you. We are, very simply in self-preservation mode. When I sit in the doctor’s clinic I often read the sign that suggests it is a scent free office and I wish all places could be the same. Really, most of us shower regularly and use deodorant. Even if people use perfumed deodorant rather than scent free it wouldn’t be as bad as body sprays, perfumes, aftershaves and colognes. Wearers also need to realize that all of these get stronger with age and if you drag one off of a long forgotten shelf, chances are it is probably really potent. The message here, and I know not everyone will be pleased with me over this one is, “Please realize that your perfume may not bother you; however, it may very well be the undoing of others.” Ladies and gentlemen, lighten up. – Grace McGregor is Area C director for the RDKB ❚ In the Spotlight