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Column Six Empathy versus scorn
BY SAMUEL PICCOLO
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INCOMING, 2 O'CLOCK HIGH Joshua and Kaylee Loc gave as good as they got in a snowball fight at Marlene Stewart Streit Park after last week's winter-capping snowstorm. SCOTT HOOPER PHOTO
Timmsdale demolition imminent
Jeffs in race for PC nomination
BY VOICE STAFF The process of demolishing the Timmsdale House is underway, according to Director of Community Planning and Development, Barb Wiens. The appearance of a large storage container on the property at 202 Hwy 20 West has reignited public interest in what the new owners have planned for the building, which was originally constructed in 1942 by Reg Timms. Last July, Council received a request to designate the property as a heritage site from residents and neighbours concerned about the preservation of local history. Council decided not to apply the heritage designation after receiving a report from Shoalts Engineering that the necessary repairs to the structure would cost an estimated $2.2 million. The fact that the Municipal
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Last week, the Town of Pelham announced that four user groups have signed five-year agreements for use of the Pelham Community Centre. According to a press release put out by the Town, these partnerships ensure that the Community Centre will exceed initial revenue goals. “These agreements exceed the Town’s revenue goals for the Centre, confirming the demand for a second arena in the new facility,” reads the release. The arena user groups consist of the Pelham Minor Hockey Association, Pelham Jr. B. Hockey Club, the
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The Timmsdale House, Hwy. 20 in Fonthill. Heritage Advisory Committee deemed the building a “modern house” that did not possess significant value in terms of local cultural heritage, also contributed to Council’s decision to not designate the property under the Ontario Heritage Act. A demolition permit was issued last summer, but
there has been little action on site to date. Wiens said the Town has yet to see any plans, or engage in discussions with the new owners regarding their intentions with the development, other than a brief telephone discussion with them last fall before they closed on the purchase of the property. At that
VOICE PHOTO
time, Wiens said they had indicated that they wanted to create a seniors’ care and housing facility that would remain in compliance with the institutional zoning of the property. Town staff are anticipating a presentation by the owners of the property, however they have not received notice of when this will take place.
Two-term Wainfleet Mayor and Regional Councillor April Jeffs has declared her intent to stand for the Progressive-Conservative nomination for provincial parliament in the new Niagara Centre riding. An election must be called by June 2018. Jeffs, who holds a degree in tourism from Niagara College, has operated a wedding and portrait photography business for the past 16 years, and has lived in Wainfleet since 1991. “I’m proud to put my name forward to represent you, and all of the hard-working families of Niagara Centre,” said Jeffs in a news release. The nominating meeting is set for Sunday, April 9, in Welland.
A D the Progressive Conservative party won a majority in 2014 and installed thenMPP and party leader Tim Hudak as premier, Niagara-West Glanbrookians of all political persuasions would have found themselves in the centre of provincial politics, even if only by association. Instead, Niagara made its mark in a different way two years later. We elected the youngest MPP in Ontario’s history: 19-year-old Sam Oosterhoff. In fact, the MPP will turn 20 in August, meaning he was barely past 18 when elected last autumn. Whether this electoral distinction is a positive one is, evidently, dependent upon who’s doing the distinguishing. The voters who sent Oosterhoff to Queen’s Park would likely call it an honour. Others, such as writer Julie Mannell, apparently see it as a horror. In “The Comfort Maple myth,” which ran in the Voice on February 8 and is surely one of the most debated articles in the paper’s history, Ms. Mannell is grim about what Oosterhoff’s election signifies. “Something is going awry in the community,” she writes. “Something ugly.” This is not the first time Mannell has written about her hometown. In 2016, in the online magazine The Puritan, she published, “Small Town A**hole,” a confessional memoir that focuses primarily on her relationship with Fonthill. Mannell is nothing if not a persistent provocateur. To understand more fully how she feels about Pelham, and See EMPATHY Page 14
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The Voice of Pelham, March 22, 2017
IN THE NEWS
PUBLISHER’S CORNER by Dave Burket
No mulligans needed... This week sees yet another talented voice appearing in the Voice, that of Samuel Piccolo, a name you may recognize from his brief moment of golfing fame a few years ago as a high schooler. Now he’s finishing up at Brock, headed for grad school, but not before responding to Julie Mannell’s Comfort Maple myth essay from early February. It’s a careful, considerate read by a young man who is scarily well-read. At considerably older than twice his age, I wish I had half his smarts. Actually, that also goes for the rest of what we're going to start calling the Voice Brain Trust: John Swart, Larry Coté, Nick Saltarelli, and the many articulate letter writers who make putting this paper together each week an adventure into the unexpected. Better by the numbers… In his commentary this week Larry Coté avoids using the current U.S. president’s name, instead referring to him as, “President #45.” Think we can get the world to go along? On this topic, given that the U.S. is Canada's number one trading partner by far, what happens down there directly or indirectly affects us mighty quickly. That’s why we’ll continue to present commentary and coverage, when appropriate, on #45, such as this week’s analysis of the man by Brock professor Tony Volk (p.9). Don't read it in the kitchen; your microwave may be watching. Back down to earth…
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Welland suspect identified
Following his Kinsmen Citizen of the Year dinner two weeks ago, Fonthill Sobey’s owner Ron Kore took last week off. When bundles of the Voice were delivered to the store last Wednesday, with its front page featuring a photo of a teary Kore at his dinner, a passing employee moaned theatrically and said, “Are you kidding? Even when he’s away we have to see his face?” Rum-running… Our man Nate had the temerity to pick this week to fly off on holiday to Cuba, so former editor Zach Junkin has graciously pitched-in on some stories, including one on a former Crossley classmate who may yet end up a Canadian astronaut (p. 10). Zach is also co-authoring a book with a noted Pelham resident, details to come when we’re allowed to spill the beans. Escape the madness… Looking to distract yourself from DSBN fibs over school name surveys, and arena contracts that may be less than they appear? Try the Pelham Library Book Sale, starting next Monday and running all week; the Pelham Historical Society’s presentation on Confederation this coming Saturday; and getting to know tai-chi, at an open house next Thursday, March 30. Ads for all are in this issue. And what's the year and make of the car... We have a prize-less mini-Puzzler this week on p. 12. It's a familiar family face, says everyone who looks at him, but his name remains elusive. Happy spring.
In February Niagara Regional Police say they began an investigation into a commercial break and enter in the area of Division St. and Burgar St. in the city of Welland. On March 13, police responded to a garage/shed fire at 44 Albert St. at the corner of Kent. Investigation revealed that a female identified as Chantelle Dufour was observed leaving this fire. Dufour is charged with one count of Break and Enter and one count of Arson as a result of the investigations. The whereabouts of Dufour at this time are unknown and a warrant has been sought for her arrest. Niagara Regional Police thank all members of the public for their assistance in this case.
Tax scam calls on the rise
Voice readers are reporting an uptick in the number of scam telephone calls they are receiving from persons fraudulently claiming to represent the Canada Revenue Agency. The CRA says that taxpayers should be vigilant when they receive, either by telephone, mail, text message or email, a communication that claims to be from them that is requesting personal information such as a social insurance number, credit card number, bank account number, or passport number. These scams may insist that this personal information is needed so that the taxpayer can receive a refund or a benefit payment. Cases of fraudulent communication could also involve threatening or coercive language to scare individuals into paying fictitious debt to the CRA, or other communications urging taxpayers to visit a fake CRA website where the taxpayer is then asked to verify their identity by entering personal information. These are scams and taxpayers should never respond to these fraudulent communications or click on any of the links provided. The CRA advises that taxpayers never provide personal information through
the internet or by email. The CRA does not ask you to provide personal information by email. Fraudsters are also able to use false return telephone numbers—do not trust Caller ID to verify the person or agency on the other end of the line.
Student street party chaos
On St. Patrick’s Day, 1 District St. Catharines uniform officers from the Niagara Regional Police Service responded to a report of a large street party on Jacobson Street between Glendale Avenue and Oakmount Drive in St. Catharines. Police estimate in excess of 3,500 young adults held impromptu street and front lawn parties to celebrate the holiday. The incident resulted in a number of complaints of noise, drunkenness, and littering. Officers on-scene were the targets of thrown beer containers and snowballs. A number of officers from around the Niagara Region were called in to help disperse the revelers. The area was cleared by 7:30 PM with no injuries reported. Within 24 hours, Brock University, apparently the source of most of the party animals, issued a news release apologizing for the incident. In addition, a group of student and staff volunteers went to the area Saturday morning to assist in cleaning up garbage left on the street. University officials say they intend to meet with the City of St. Catharines and the NRPS in the coming weeks to discuss how this type of incident may be prevented in
the future. “These deplorable actions do not reflect Brock University's culture or values and this group, both from Brock and elsewhere, do not represent our student population of almost 19,000,” said Interim President Tom Traves. “On behalf of the Brock University Students' Union, we would like to apologize for what took place Friday,” said Curtis Gadula, Director of Student Life and Communications for BUSU. “We pride ourselves on the many students who give so much back to our community, and we find it embarrassing that students were involved in this incident.”
$1 million ticket in Welland
The winning ticket for a LOTTO 6/49 Guaranteed $1 Million Prize Draw was sold in Welland. The draw took place on Saturday, March 18. LOTTO 6/49 includes a Guaranteed $1 Million Prize Draw along with each draw. “Somebody’s going to win the guaranteed $1 Million Prize each and every draw, and this time the winning ticket was sold in Welland!” said Wendy Montgomery, OLG Vice President, Lottery Marketing & Sales.
Last Sunday at approximately 5:45 AM, members of the Niagara Regional Police Services uniform patrol responded to the Canadian Tire Gas Bar located at 5 Burleigh Hill Drive in St. Catharines for reports of a Robbery. Upon arrival it was learned that a male suspect entered the gas bar brandishing a knife. The suspect fled on foot South through the parking lot toward Burleigh Hill Drive. The suspect is described as male, white, approximately 5'11, slim to medium build, and between 20 to 30 years of age. The suspect was wearing a grey hooded jacket with a smaller, dark, three-peaked logo on the front, a black, flat-brimmed baseball cap with a white decal on the top.
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Indulgence Bakery Mossimo’s Pelham Street Grille Keith’s Restaurant Fenwick Pie Company Sobeys Fonthill DeVries Fruit Farm Beamer’s Hardware & TV Fonthill Library Black Pearl Fish & Chips Bob’s Boys Antiques Moku’s Fonthill Fitness Curves McDonald’s Fonthill Legion Semenuk’s Gas Bar Target Store Tim Horton’s Giant Tiger Shoppers Drug Mart Zee Lube Express Care Lazy Loon Minor Bros Stores Avondale Stores A-1 Market Sobeys South Pelham Broken Gavel Restaurant Picard’s Peanuts Petro Canada Mtvl. Hwy. Renewed Thrift & Vintage Ridge Berry Farm
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The Voice of Pelham, March 22, 2017
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OPINION
The opinions expressed in submitted commentary and letters to the editor are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Voice of Pelham.
The Voice of Pelham is a 1211858 Ontario Limited publication David Burket, Publisher 2-1428 Pelham St., P.O. Box 1489, Fonthill, ON L0S1E0
COMMENTARY / OP-ED Larry Coté Feminism—A work in progress
O
RDINARILY, I am not given to writing about topics such as the following. However, in the interest of pushing personal boundaries, here’s a modest admission now that was a bigger deal back in the day. In times past, publicly declaring oneself to be a feminist was a difficult admission for many men. Such an admission was somehow thought to diminish or threaten one’s masculinity. Somewhere hidden deep in the machismo culture there existed an ill-begotten notion that the topic should remain among the unmentionables. To advocate for women’s rights in the clubhouse locker room might result in some type of sanction from the membership committee. (Just kidding.) Unfortunately, such a deep-seated male hesitancy may have inadvertently delayed the progress of the women’s rights movement in seeking political, economic, personal and social equal rights with their male counterparts. If such an indisposition be true then that deficiency need be rectified. Noteworthy to this issue, a recent occurrence in the European Parliament might shock more men, and women, to advocate more diligently, openly and with
more ardor to further advance the cause of women’s rights. A Polish member of the European Parliament, Janus Korwin-Mikke, stated in an open session that women should earn less because they are, “weaker, smaller and less intelligent.” To further reveal his mindset, he referred to migrants as “excrements” and topped off this outlandish outburst in the Chamber by making the Nazi salute. It is disconcerting to think he may lead a cadre of like-minded persons who elected him to office. Beyond the fact that these vile inferences violate the EU Parliament’s rules, such behavior should disgust all fair-minded individuals who are forced to share this planet with such a satanic globular mass of disjointed cells. One might hope that Jansz is a maniac who lives alone in his peculiar world and visits reality only occasionally. Fortunately, there are leaders such as Canada’s Prime Minister who openly declare and advocate on behalf of the women’s rights movement. Fully one half of the PM’s cabinet appointments are women. On a recent visit to Washington, he co-chaired with President #45 a conference
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on women’s entrepreneurship. Hopefully, there will be more world leaders who will take note and follow this lead. In recent times and mostly in the western hemisphere we have seen good progress toward women’s equality in a variety of settings. There is a growing proportion of females in the ranks of the armed forces, police services, business management, entrepreneurship, post-secondary education, medicine and many trades previously thought to be in the “male domain.” Yet there remain some barriers where this long sought equality has not yet reached acceptable levels. For instance, the payroll for women’s professional sports is a glaring example of where inequities still exist big time. It is unrealistic to think that the goal of gender equality will be achieved everywhere and anytime soon. However, that only underscores the grassroots need for men and women everywhere and at all times to work in unison toward that ideal. After all is said and done, 52% of the World’s population deserve to be seen as equals to their male partners. Let’s get together and make gender equality happen.
Letters "Throw the bums out," maybe; but limits not needed Given Pelham's current municipal context it's hard to argue with the points Don MacRea makes in his letter in last week's Voice [Letters, “New political blood needed —with regular transfusions,” Mar. 15] — until the very end where he suggests term limits for our mayor and council. While on its surface it seems a good idea, deeper down it isn't. Not all municipal politicians are created equal. Some are better thinkers, better listeners, better at weighing alternatives, better decision makers, than others. To lump them all into a single category does a disservice to them, as well as to the people they propose to serve. An established rule that limits the field
of candidates to those without experience would restrict the ability of the electorate to select their representatives. In essence, the imposition of an arbitrary, authoritarian standard would be a direct assault on the democratic system, and here's why. In reality the Mayor and Council are already bound by a term limit. It is four years. If, in these four years they fail to meet expectations, then the ratepayers get to decide whether or not they will be granted another four year term limit. Otherwise, a mayor and council members on the home stretch of a limited term have little incentive to meet See LIMITS next page
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Member of Federal Parliament
Electoral District: Niagara West
Dean Allison, MP 4994 King Street Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 Dean.Allison@parl.gc.ca 877-563-7900 Member of Provincial Parliament
Electoral District: Niagara West-Glanbrook Sam Oosterhoff, MPP 4961 King St. East, Unit M1 Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org 905-563-1755
Members of Niagara Regional Council Councillor David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Councillor Brian Baty 742 Memorial Dr. Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0 905-892-5317 Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square P.O. Box 400 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 905-892-2607
Mayor of Pelham David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317
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Ward 2 Councillor Catherine King cking@pelham.ca 905-658-8599 Councillor Gary Accursi gaccursi@pelham.ca 905-892-5528 Ward 3 Councillor John Durley jdurley@pelham.ca 905-892-5388
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Letters
The Voice of Pelham, March 22, 2017
Page 5
continued
United we stand, divided we fall Each of the five villages are integral to the well-being, prosperity and ongoing success of this town called Pelham. It is wise to remember this as Pelham undergoes inevitable development. It is important to be aware and also participate in issues confronting our neighbours. Those same issues may face us sooner rather than later. Recognize that there is
strength in numbers. Do not be divided by geography. Your voice needs to be heard. Your vote does count. Let us be united in our approach to creating a thriving sustainable Pelham for all residents. L.Morgan Fonthill
LIMITS continued from previous page expectations. They're lame ducks, about to be booted out anyway. No pressure. Might just as well coast to the end because there will be no ultimate accountability at the polls. Under-performance all but guaranteed. Imagine the last two weeks of high school—extended by a year or two. History has shown that voters can and will make wholesale changes to their municipal councils when they perceive things have not gone right, when serious mistakes are being made, when they haven't been listened to. We have also in the past seen fresh candidates presenting themselves because they are angry at something council has done and may even propose alternative solutions. But that doesn't mean they're capable of seeing the whole picture beyond one or two salient points of dissatisfaction or have the wherewithal to approach governance from a holistic perspective. The big picture needs to be kept in mind. To err is human. A mayor and council should be judged on their entire record, not a blunder or two. Incumbent candidates are a known quality, whereas newcomers have only their promises to offer. Here is where things can get a little fuzzy and where some greater focus can be applied.
The Mayor and Council are already bound by a term limit. It is four years.
THIS TREE IS TAPPED Spied recently in south Fonthill: Sweet times ahead. VOICE PHOTO
Town's need for cash is actual driver of development There's an inherent tendency in all of us to promote our accomplishments while downplaying our failures. Municipal politicians are no different. When they stand for re-election and cherry-pick their record, they expose themselves to a cynical response at the polling stations, but only against a backdrop of the entire picture. There is clearly a need for objective recording and reporting of a candidate's past performance and how he or she has contributed as a member of the team that is Town Council. This is a role that the local media are in the best position to play, but they must be pointedly objective even in their criticism. In my estimation the Voice does a good job in this regard. If the media are perceived to be less than objective toward a given candidate, judging him or her on a stumble or two rather than an entire four-year performance, the electorate will assess accordingly. Final point, there are doubtless many highly qualified individuals in Pelham who could do an
outstanding job serving on council, but I suggest there are precious few amongst them who are interested and/or willing to dedicate four years of their lives to the task of managing the nitty-gritty and oftentimes deadly dull affairs of running a small town. Rather than employing term limits to infuse new blood into the system, why not create a volunteer, ad hoc citizen's advisory group? This could be a fluid body of experienced professionals and leaders who put their names and qualifications forward to be consulted on specific and weighty municipal matters as they arise, leaving the everyday stuff to the people we elect. While council would be under no obligation to accept or act upon the recommendations of the advisory group member — because frankly council may have more comprehensive insight — it would promote greater transparency, deliberation, and accountability toward council's decisions. Nick Saltarelli Fonthill
In online commentary this week, the Mayor informs us of his commitment to preserving agricultural land. Indeed, he was the “only one” fighting off the scourge of developers, greedy farmers and rapacious local politicians determined to destroy our precious agricultural heritage—but only, it seems, outside the boundaries of Pelham. Reading between the lines, it becomes clear that the Mayor is trying to deflect attention away from the two developments the Town is determined to push forward: the East Fonthill development (approved in 2000, 17 years ago) and the East Fenwick development (approved in 1990, 27 years ago). He will argue that these projects were already in the Town plan and do not encroach on agricultural land. These plans have been resurrected for a reason. The Mayor needs the money. Obviously the Mayor is starting to feel some pressure. Some of this pressure is from townsfolk who are not interested in seeing the town expand. After all
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The real pressure is coming from the need for more money to pay for the new arena what’s in it for the locals. More traffic lights, endless construction, more expensive town staff, and, of course, higher and higher taxes. The real pressure is coming from the need for money to pay for the new arena. The Mayor pretends to be concerned about the use of lands elsewhere in the Re-
gion, but at the same time is determined to wreck the town to pay for a $36 million dollar arena that seems to serve a very select and small group of organizations, some of which are not even local. This paper has become the true Voice of Pelham. People's voices are being heard, and loudly. After all, in the words of Councillor Peter Papp, “It is important that you stand up. We have seen it over and over again at this Council that the will of the people sometimes wins. But if you don’t put it forward you will never know.” (Quoted in the Voice, March 1 2017). Ideally the will of the people should always win, but with this Council and Mayor, "sometimes" is as good as it gets. Jim Pitt Fonthill
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Page 6
The Voice of Pelham, March 22, 2017
ARENAS continued from Page 1 Southern Tier Admirals AAA Hockey Club, and the Niagara Centre Skating Club. According to the Town, these agreements mean that
the Accipiter Arena will have 100% prime-time ice usage and the Duliban Insurance Arena will have more than 90% prime-time usage. In an email exchange with the Voice, Town CAO Darren Ottaway stated that primetime ice is defined as Mon-
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day to Friday between 4 PM and 11:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. “Under these agreements the youth prime-time use per week totals 134 hours for both rinks and the adult prime time use per week totals 120 hours,” he said. “This also leaves time for other groups such as old timers, public skating and recreation programming.” According to Ottaway, hourly ice time rental rates are broken down into both Youth and Adult categories. Rates are to be set annually by the Town and are subject to change. The 2018 Youth Rate will be $141.70 per hour, and the Adult rate will be $198.77 per hour. Copies of the agreements obtained by the Voice outline the specific rental rates and usage commitments for each group. In those agreements, some groups are “entitled” to certain hours while others are “committed” to hours. The Voice sought clarification of these terms with Mayor Augustyn. “I also asked legal counsel about the use of the words 'entitled' and 'committed' prior to the March 6 meeting,” he said. “Legal counsel indicated that one can use the words interchangeably — and that is why some of the licenses agreements use entitled and some use committed.” Mayor Augustyn further maintained that the user groups are obligated to use all of their entitled hours and that the town fully expects them to do so.
“These license agreements are a two way street,” he explained. “Under these agreements, the Licensees are under some obligation to use their agreed upon hours; similarly the Town is under some obligation to provide the facility and at the agreed upon rates for those hours." The Pelham Minor Hockey Association is “entitled” to 60 prime-time hours per week from September 10 to March 31 at the youth rate. “The licensee shall sign a contract with the town annually prior to the commencement of the Pelham Minor Hockey Season which will specify the dates and times of the ice times to which the licensee is committed,” states the agreement. The Southern Tier Admirals Hockey Club is also “entitled” to 12 prime-time hours per week from September 1 through midMarch, as well as four hours of ice time for two games a week Monday to Saturday. They will be charged the youth rate. The Pelham Jr. B team has committed to nine primetime ice hours per week from September 1 to March 31. Games will be charged at the adult rate, and practices will be charged at the youth rate. In addition, the agreement grants the Jr. Bs sole operation of the concession stand on the main floor of the facility, and of all vending machines. The club will pay an annual fee for the grant of the concession stand license, set at $2,000 in 2018 but subject to change in fu-
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No agreement is air-tight, however the majority of these clubs have been in operation for decades ture seasons. The agreement with the Niagara Centre Skating Club does not specify the number of hours to which they are entitled or obligated, only that they will sign a contract with the Town prior to the start of their season specifying the dates and times they will use. The Town also reached agreements with Welland Raiders Minor Lacrosse and the Pelham Panthers Basketball Association for use of one of the pads in non-ice months and the Community Centre’s gymnasiums. The agreement with the Raiders also does not specify the total number of hours they are entitled or obligated to, but does state that in their first season they will use an ice-free pad four times a week, Monday to Thursday, from 4 PM to 10 PM. The Town will charge them $101.64 per night. For the first year in the new Centre, the Pelham Panthers Basketball Association will be responsible to pay fees for 133 full-court
prime-time hours at $20 per hour, as well as 30 halfcourt prime-time hours at the same rate. The dates, times, and hourly commitments in subsequent seasons are to be determined prior to each season. When asked about the legal ramifications if a user-group fails to meet their obligations, Ottaway pointed to the stability of each organization and the security the agreements provide for both sides. “No agreement is air-tight, however, the majority of these clubs have been in operation for decades and are very stable organizations,” he said. “These agreements provide security for the Town as well as the clubs that they commit to using the ice and we guarantee that they have secure time. For example, PMHA wanted a guarantee from the Town that they would have access to the ice that they needed, while the Town wanted assurance that they would actually rent the ice that they were requesting.” Ottaway noted that to “operate sustainably” the facility needs to rent a minimum of 75% of the total primetime ice hours available. “We have exceeded that for both pads,” he said.. Pelham Town Council has capped the cost of running the community centre at $200,000 annually. Ottaway believes they will achieve that goal. “At this point in time we are exceeding the expectations and assumptions of our business case,” he said.
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The Voice of Pelham, March 22, 2017
Page 7
FAITH & FAMILY Commentary by Pastor Mathew Bradbury
From bitter to better, much better
I
F YOU HAVE EVER applied for “acceptance” you know how the process can go, especially the waiting stage. Two of our children will be in new post-secondary classes this fall, and they have been deep in the application, visiting, essay writing, and choosing modes — waiting to determine where they are headed, and of course it’s all influenced by “acceptance.” A friend told me recently that Yale Law School had written his daughter, who graduates this spring, inviting her to apply because her marks fit their demographic — and that sounds fantastic. She has indeed earned it. Yale’s prestige supports the fact that its admission process is one
of the toughest in the USA. The tone of our conversation changed when we talked tuition and expenses, though, as the cost of “belonging” at Yale will demand roughly $98,000 a year Canadian, punctuating the fact that there can be a very high cost to acceptance and belonging. I cannot imagine the expense and the emotional energy it is taking for marginalized people, especially refugees, to find “where they are going,” put down roots, and find lasting acceptance and belonging. We have friends from Bhutan now settling in Ohio, who lived in Nepal for 25 years as refugees — and it is taking a tremendous amount of support, advocacy, and loving-kindness to help
find their way, and belong. I re-read a great love story this week about two widows, a foreigner, Ruth, and her mother-in-law, Naomi, moving to a new land during very hard times. It’s a short, four-chapter story in which the leading man “with means,” Boaz, respectfully gives of himself to restore belonging and acceptance, and goes on to guarantee a secure future for Ruth and Naomi. The love story is old by about 3,000 years at a time when the customs provided a way for someone to make a life-changing investment in the life of a widow, without building their own estate. When Boaz rescued Ruth and Naomi, he was investing in the continuation of their late husbands’ family
I cannot imagine the expense and the emotional energy it is taking for marginalized people, especially refugees, to find 'where they are going'
tree — not his own. This kind of selflessness is exactly how God loves us and wants to empower us to love others. Boaz noticed Ruth when she was gleaning scraps to feed herself and her mother-in-law, a seed of acceptance was planted, and his love for her
began to grow. I am challenged to consider who might be in my path this week, someone with loss or deep hurt, a marginalized soul who needs advocacy and the selfless care of another to help them sense again that they matter.
God has reached out to us, like Boaz, wanting to redeem our lives, give us hope, acceptance, and belonging. He somehow, mystically moves us toward others to be like him and give of ourselves to shore up hope and lasting encouragement. It will indeed cost us something, as it should, but it won’t likely be Yale. Names meant so much in Ruth’s day, and it is interesting that “Naomi” meant “pleasant,” yet when she returned to her home town as a widow, she said, “Don’t call me Naomi anymore, call me Mara”, which means “bitter.” I hope you find an opportunity this week to help turn someone’s bitter into “better.”
Page 8
The Voice of Pelham, March 22, 2017
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The Liar-in-Chief: Brock professor decodes Donald Trump Dr. Tony Volk shares insights into the mind of #45, for better or worse, the free world's leader BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
Having studied the nature and origin of bullying, victimization, personality and psychopathy throughout his career as a developmental psychologist and scientist, Brock University Professor Dr. Tony Volk has kept a close eye on President Donald Trump. Through his observations of Trump’s personality and his path to victory, Volk has attained a surplus of insights into the mind of the man with his finger on the button. Throughout the campaign and since he took office, Trump has repeatedly revealed himself as a narcissistic liar who is willing to do and say anything to make himself look good, said Volk. The narcissistic traits Trump frequently exhibit on the public stage divulge that he is someone who needs to be liked, needs to be popular, and needs to be seen as “number one,” professed Volk. If he's not being perceived this way, Volk said there is a strong motivation for him to change his behaviour. “He actually cares a lot about what other people think of him,” said Volk. “Not necessarily the media or other people he has targeted as
enemies, but if his approval rates keep falling and polls continue to come out showing more independents and Republicans turning against him, then he's probably going to rein-in his behaviour because he wants these people to like him." This hypersensitivity to polls and public opinion is one piece of Trump’s puzzling personality that Volk finds slightly reassuring. Volk said the reason that Trump gets so upset by parodies such as actor Alec Baldwin’s portrayal of him is that as a person with narcissistic tendencies he’s petrified that his name, brand and reputation will suffer. "Making fun of somebody's hair is one thing, calling them a crook, a liar and a cheat might mean people stop going to his hotels, his casinos, his golf courses and stop buying his steaks,” attests Volk. “That's a very real threat to his reputation and his pocketbook. It doesn't surprise me that now that the stakes are much higher he's having a difficult time. It's interesting that a person like Howard Stern, who knows Trump personally, predicted that the presidency would be bad for his health." Volk believes that a big part of Trump’s fear regarding his status comes from the fact that the esti-
THE
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mate of his actual material wealth is approximately $500 million, while his claims of being worth more than $3 billion originate from the value he places on his name and brand. Beyond the 2005 tax return revealed last week by cable journalist Rachel Maddow, the world is left to speculate the true status of Trump’s finances. Some observers—including the Trump biographer to whom the 2005 tax return was leaked— actually speculated that it was Trump’s side doing the leaking, at least in part as a distraction from an extraordinarily bumpy first few weeks in office, and record low approval ratings for a president this early in his term. "I wouldn't say he is a deeply clever strategist as, say, Dick Cheney was perceived to be under former President Bush,” said Volk. “He really just seems like a celebrity president. He cares about ratings, cares about how he looks, and cares a lot less about the actual job of being president. It's only been two months and he's lost one of his top cabinet members and other of his top cabinet members is in jeopardy of being lost as well." Though he appears to be perpetually caught up in one lie after another, Volk does not believe Trump is necessarily a pathological liar, because he does not seem to be compelled to lie. The difference, he said is that he can tell the truth when he needs to, so it's not involuntary. "This is probably why he is such a good salesmen,” surmises Volk. “If he needs to lie, he has no
It doesn't surprise me that now that the stakes are much higher he's having a difficult time
problem lying. It doesn't bother him, he doesn't show signs of lying. It's a casual and easy thing for him to do. I don't think he has any problem with lying. Even when he is caught in a lie — for instance, when he said he had the biggest margin of winning ever, and that reporters corrected him and said George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama all had bigger margins, he just says, oh well, that's what someone told me and then moves on to the next question." Being able to casually shrug off accusations when he is irrefutably caught red-handed in a lie is the mark of somebody who is not concerned about lying and is a very skilled liar. Volk pointed out that most people give off signals of embarrassment when they are caught in a lie, but not Trump. “If part of your job is needing to tell lies — don’t get me wrong; I am not saying all salesmen need to do that — but if you are trying to sell a shady or crooked product,
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it's very helpful to be a liar.” The number of lawsuits Trump has been involved in—some 3,500—suggests that other people have at least perceived him as having told lies in the past. By modelling his campaign on variations of the idiom, To catch a thief, you need a thief, Volk said Trump was pitching the idea that he was the thief who was going to catch the crooks because he knew how they operated. “That was his pitch. He even bragged about how he took advantage of the system and how he bent politicians to his will. The problem with hiring a thief to catch a thief is what if the first thief never changed. Then you've just been conned into being ripped off." Accepting that there were clearly a lot of people who believed he was the candidate that would bring change, Volk understands why Trump may have appealed to some voters as a political outsider, hell-bent on shaking up Wall Street and rebuilding the middle class. Of course, now that he has appointed several Washington insiders and formed the richest cabinet in history, Volk said it doesn't look like Trump is much of an outsider after all. “His picks are not suggesting that he is taking people who are standing up for the environment, for middle class jobs, for individual rights. Rather, they are suggesting that he is picking people who have managed to gain from the system and become very
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Page 9
Actual E.W. Farr survey results differ from DSBN claims Freedom of information request reveals discrepancies between gathered opinions and the way they were publicly presented BY ZACH JUNKIN
Special to the VOICE
The results of a freedom of information request surrounding the name change for E.W Farr Memorial Public School were provided to the Voice last week by Names Matter, a resident group that is lobbying to reverse the name change. The group says that what they’ve uncovered raised a number of questions about the legitimacy of the process. Last Year, District School Board of Niagara trustees voted to rename the school “Wellington Heights” after implementing policy A-09, which initiates a renaming process. As part of the justification for this decision, the board has previously cited the results of a survey held among students, parents and community members. However, as the Voice has learned, these survey results may not add up. “According to the DSBN, 37% of respondents nominated E.W. Farr or a form of E.W. Farr,” said Fenwick resident and Names Matter member Jina Kerr, in reference to the data. “Actually, 45.3% wanted E.W. Farr or a form of E.W.
Farr.” “I find this significant given the question, ‘Do you want a new name for the school,’ was never asked,” she added. The DSBN received 250 submissions after initiating the renaming process, and the discrepancy seems to arise from how the submissions were tallied. These 250 entries consisted of 86 potential names, of which 7 were eliminated by the board, ranging from “Fenwick Super School” to requests to keep the current name. The information contained in the FOI request shows that E.W. Farr was the most popular choice by a wide margin, though that was not how the data was presented. Instead, DSBN representatives claimed that 93 of 250 respondents supported some form of the name E.W. Farr as the best option, and represented this figure as 63% of respondents preferring a name change for the school. This 63% figure was used a justification for a new name in presentations made to parents, the community, and board trustees. It would also appear to be the information provided by DSBN representatives
to Pelham’s Mayor Augustyn, who noted at a June 6, 2016 Town Council meeting that, “63% wanted a different name, so perhaps that’s why, or one of the reasons why they considered changing the name.” While Council ultimately voted to send a letter to the school board requesting that they reconsider the name change due to the feedback received from the community, the numbers cited in that meeting and elsewhere were, until recently, assumed to be accurate. “I cannot figure out where they got the 93 out of 250 figure from,” said Ker, who has reviewed the information contained within the FOI requests. “When you review all of the submissions you find that some variation of the name E.W. Farr accounted for 110 out of 243 submissions.” This is a significant figure and highlights a number of problems with the naming committee’s process and ultimate decision, says Ker. “[Only] 14 of 243 submissions wanted Wellington Heights or some form of a Wellington theme,” said Ker. “So in reality 94.2%
of respondents requested a name other than Wellington Heights or a form of Wellington Heights.” The FOI also shows that more children voted to keep the original name than voted for anything else. According to the DSBN, 27 of the pro-E.W. Farr responses were from current students at the school. The second most popular submission, “Cherry Ridge Public School,” received only 17 votes in total. When filing a nomination form, respondents were encouraged to provide a rationale for their choice. Several pages worth of reasons were provided requesting the name to be left alone, significantly more than any of the other options. “I feel that the name of the school should continue to be E.W Farr Memorial,” reads one submission. “It was named after a great educator and a great community member. To take this name away from the Pelham area would be wiping out part of our history.” “It was an honour to name it after Mr. Farr,” reads another. “He did a lot of good for education and the community of Fenwick and needs to stay.” So far, the DSBN has stuck by their decision to rename the school. However, a number of community groups remain committed to seeing that decision reversed before the facility takes in students next fall.
DSBN survey results revealed through FOI request SCHOOL NAME
SUBMISSIONS
E.W. Farr Memorial and/or E.W. Farr Memorial Public School E.W.Farr Pelham Farr Fenwick Farr E.W. Centre United E.W. Farr Centre for Education E.W. Farr Elementary School E.W. Farr Falcons E.W. Farr of Fenwick Pelham Centre E.W. Farr Memories Pelham’s E.W. Farr Public School West Memorial Farr Public School
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Wellington Heights Public School Wellington Hghts United Public School Wellington United Elementary Wellington Heights Elementary School
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Crossley grad sets sights on space flight—among 32 finalists Astronaut candidate credits education, and one educator in particular, for helping him get where he is today BY ZACH JUNKIN
Special to the VOICE
T
HE STARS ARE THE LIMIT for former Fonthill resident and E.L. Crossley graduate Erik Kroeker, who was recently named to the Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA) list of 32 final astronaut candidates. For the 32-year-old Kroeker, born in Chatham but who grew up in Fonthill, this news brings him one step closer to achieving his lifelong goal of going into space. “It’s something that I’ve always had on the radar,” he said. “I won’t say that it was a singular focus, but certainly for the last 15 to 20 years it’s been something that I’ve aspired to.” Kroeker credits his family, and one member in particular, for planting that seed early in his life. “When I was young, my grandmother was a big fan of Roberta Bondar,” he said, referring to Canada’s first female astronaut. “When you’re young you tend to look at your parents’ and grandparents’ role models as individuals you kind of want to aspire to be. They become the early prototypes. Obviously your parents and grandparents are also early prototypes, but when you see who they really respect and admire that’s a cue to you as well.” As he progressed through his classes at A.K. Wigg, and later E.L. Crossley, he found himself drawn
to the sciences, and those early dreams developed into something more tangible. “It was always something present in my mind,” he said. “As I started getting into school and doing science, and realizing just how much I loved space sciences, it began to become a clear career objective.” After graduating high school, Kroeker was accepted into Princeton University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering. From there, he moved on to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned his Master’s and Ph.D in aerospace engineering. He is quick to praise the passion and support of educators from his youth in helping him get to where he is today. “My teachers were a great inspiration all the way through my education,” said Kroeker. “When you go through high school, I don’t think you ever get a great appreciation for how much your teachers do, until you go to other places and see the comparison,” he added. “Then you start to realize how absolutely amazing and mind-blowing every single teacher at that high school really was, how dedicated they were, how enthusiastic they were, and how much they actually cared about providing the best possible education.” In his biography on the CSA website, Kroeker mentions one
Candidates undergoing a shuttle run test during the first phase of aptitude testing. Crossley graduate Erik Kroeker is wearing #21. SUPPLIED PHOTO high school math teacher in particular whose engaging style stuck with him through the years. That teacher, Robert Hughes, told the Voice that it was always encouraging to find out that you’ve made a lasting impression on a student. “A lot of times when you’re a teacher you wonder if you really have an effect on the kids, so this just makes you realize that a lot of your efforts are worth it,” he said. As for Kroeker’s part, his former teacher remembers him as a student that would always go the
extra mile. “Basically, you would tell Erik to do something, and then he would go do that, and then he would do extra,” said Hughes. That same drive must have also impressed decision makers at the CSA, who last month selected Kroeker and 71 others out of thousands of applicants and invited them to the next stage of candidate assessment, where they underwent a number of physical and mental tests. Though the CSA did not tell the
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ASTRONAUT continued from Page 10 terpersonal situations?” There were a battery of physical tests as well. “They put us through a whole slew of physical exercises, testing everything from upper body strength, lower body strength, endurance, core strength, grip strength, and just about everything you could possibly imagine,” he said. After completing this first assessment last month, the candidate list was further whittled down to 32. Once again, Kroeker found himself on the right side of the ledger, and just recently completed the second round of assessments. These tests put him and his peers in a number of unique situations that forced them to think quickly under pressure. “Basically, they were trying to put us on our back foot,” he said. “The way I’ve been describing it is that, in general, during that week we were gassed, drowned, dropped, burned, crushed, and crashed.” Kroeker doesn’t yet know how he or the others fared in these latest exercises, and says he will just have to be patient. “We won’t know for a
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Astronaut candidate Erik Kroeker during CSA aptitude testing. SUPPLIED PHOTO while. We don’t have full details on when the next selections will be completed, so we’re just kind of sitting and waiting,” he said. In the meantime he remains focused on his work as both a university lecturer and staff scientist on a project where he designs guidance navigation control systems for satellites. While he would obviously love to be one of the final two candidates eventually selected, he is proud to have made it to this point amidst such a strong and talented group of people. “It was a tremendous opportunity to even go this far through the process,” he said. “Sure, I’ll
be disappointed if I don’t get picked, but at the same time, I would take a great amount of solace from the fact that having made it this far is a great honour.” He further acknowledged that there are no bad candidates at this stage. “I already know 21 of the remaining 32 candidates, and every single one of them would make an amazing astronaut,” he said. Kroeker noted that the strong field of candidates is also a testament to the careful selection process of the CSA, who he believes does a better job than any other space agency on the planet. “The amount of thought
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that goes into everything, from the physical training to the psychological evaluations, to the team-building aspects, it’s truly amazing, and it’s not something that is really done at other agencies around the world,” he said. “I think that’s something that Canadians should be really proud of.” When asked if he had any advice for young people with their own ambitious dreams, Kroeker stressed the importance of hard work and education. “First, there’s no replacement for hard work. It’s important to have a great support system, and have people helping you along, but ultimately your goals will not be realized if you don’t work hard,” he said. “Secondly, honestly, an education is always going to be worth it. Regardless of the payout, it’s worth it, one hundred percent, unequivocally. To know what I know today—all the things I’ve learned about science, and technology— I would pay any amount of money to have that.” And while an education can be its own reward, sometimes there can be other perks as well. Hopefully, in this case, a seat in a shuttle, and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
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The Voice of Pelham, March 22, 2017
OBITUARY MOORE, Amber Louise (nee Barden) August 25, 1967 - March 10, 2017, passed away peacefully at home after a long courageous battle with cancer at the age of 49. Beloved wife of Brian for 23 years. Loving mother to Eric and Ashley. Amber is survived by her mother Sandy Jacobs, brother Jeff Barden, and her in laws Lawrence and Gail Moore, sister in law Janice and many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her father Jim Barden, grandparents Ken and Gwen Barden and Murland and Jennie Foss. Amber was an employee for 12 years with the City of Thorold. The family would like to extend a special Thank You to Dana Reece and nurses Jocelyn and Kim for the excellent care they gave to Amber. Also to the nurses at the St. Catharines General Hospital on the Oncology floor. Keeping with Amber’s wishes Cremation has taken place. A Memorial Service will be held at Fenwick United Church on Saturday March 25th at 12:00 P.M. Visitation will be one hour prior to the Service from 11:00 - 12:00. Donations to the Canadian Cancer Society or St. Catharines General Hospital Oncology Department would be appreciated by the family. Arrangements entrusted to the LAMPMAN FUNERAL HOME, 724 Canboro Road, Fenwick. www. lampmanfuneralhome.com
EMPATHY continued from Page 1 why she is so critical of it, “Small Town...” should be read alongside “The Comfort Maple myth.” (Fair warning: “Small Town...” runs 42,000 words. Novels start at 50,000 words. If every page of this issue of the Voice— including the front page— were covered only in text, with no ads, and no photos, you would still need an additional two full pages to fit 42,000 words. In short: brew a pot of coffee, generously dilute with Irish whiskey, and settle in for a long evening.) The myth of the Comfort Maple is common to the two essays. This is fitting, since Mannell argues in both that the tree is symbolic of greater ills plaguing Pelham. She was uncomfortable with the state of our town while growing up here, and now, when she returns from the outside world, feels compelled to expose Pelham’s ugly truths. But contrary to Mannell’s argument, the real lesson of the Comfort Maple is not that its story— Pelham’s story—is outright false. No, the real lesson of the Comfort Maple is this: Not all facts are true, and not all truths are facts. To survive as a community, we need to understand how the truth can, and cannot, be factual. Let’s start by comparing cities and towns. Cities, in general, are built on facts. It’s the only way they’re physically possible—the only way
that so many people can fit into skyscrapers and subways. As she says in, “Small Town...,” Mannell is “a city girl now.” This is why her writing about Pelham sounds condescending to some ears (though, to her credit, it’s a painfully self-aware condescension in “Small Town A**hole,” as the title might suggest). It’s as if she’s returned from the city to set straight those who haven’t made the leap to real-world truth. Towns, in general, are not built on facts, at least not in the way Mannell understands them. The Comfort Maple is probably not the oldest sugar maple in Canada. It is factually false to say that it is. But this doesn’t mean that the claim is untruthful. Since people don’t mechanically process facts like computers, there’s another form of truth that’s more powerful, and this form of truth is exemplified in religion. It may not be factually true to say that in the garden of Eden, a snake spoke aloud and convinced the “first woman” to convince the “first man” to eat an apple, and that this is the reason that, “the scales fell from our eyes,” and we lost forever blissful ignorance. This story, like the Comfort Maple myth, is not something that can be factually confirmed. Even the most devout Christian would agree. Even the Comfort Maple’s own website can’t confirm that it’s the oldest in Canada. But facts are only important as parts of ideas, and
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The point here is that facts alone are not enough to explain how the world —or our town—operates.
ideas are what make up real, meaningful, truth. An evolutionary anthropologist named Lynne Isbell wanted to understand why humans have such incredible eyesight—vision that is second only to birds of prey. By studying primates, Isbell found that those that evolved in locations with the greatest number of predatory snakes had vastly superior vision to those that evolved elsewhere. She also argues that our capacity to see in complex colour—a rare ability—is due to our ancestors being fruit eaters, since colour vision is a great advantage in determining the ripeness of fruit. Isbell concludes that snakes and fruit gave us our superior vision and allowed us to see our surroundings clearly—a proposition familiar to anyone acquainted with the book of Genesis. The point here is that facts alone are not enough to explain how the world— or our town—operates. When Mannell writes that MPP Sam Oosterhoff is “anti-women,” she is surely referring to the fact that access to abortion is directly correlated with the economic success of women. But what’s essential to understand is that Oosterhoff’s opposition to abortion does not mean he is opposed to women being successful. It means that he believes that there are some things that are more important than economic success. By now, we’ve all received the MPP’s first newsletter. It’s ironic, coming on the heels of Mannell’s as-
sertions, that we find an all-female cast in his constituency office, photos and brief bios included. These women must have been surprised to learn from Mannell that, by virtue of their employment, they, too, are “anti-women,” rather than women supportive of a particular view of justice. The question for Oosterhoff’s staff isn’t, “Does legalized abortion improve the status of women?” but, “Is a fetus a human being?” We can assume that they wouldn’t be working for Oosterhoff if they didn’t believe that fetuses were human, and that aborting the lives of these humans is wrong. This belief supersedes whether access to abortion improves the lives of one gender—or both genders, for that matter. The debate between Mannell and Oosterhoff is not, as Mannell frames it, between justice and injustice. It’s between definitions of justice. According to Mannell, Oosterhoff’s reality is defined by an “archaic ideology,” one intolerant and false, despite any comfort it provides to its believers. Like the Comfort Maple, it’s a version of the world that on its own would prefer to die, but is kept alive by those who stubbornly maintain its myths. Yet seen through Oosterhoff’s eyes, Mannell’s reality is untested by time and lacks transcendent truth, a world literally (and literarily) without meaning. How can such opposite concepts of truth, of justice, coexist?
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M
A N N E L L ’ S rhetorical road is riddled with potholes. Sam Oosterhoff is not “the embodiment of a teen-movie villain.” He is a respectful young man, in whom a majority of those who chose to vote last autumn placed their faith. We could reasonably argue that these voters are ignorant of what justice truly is, and this is likely Mannell’s point. But scorn is insulting, and tends not to advance any cause of justice. Many responses to “The Comfort Maple myth” showed that when attacked for their beliefs, people will defend themselves with those beliefs—and, in many cases, attack right back. This sort of circular combat degenerates to the point that those who see justice differently can’t even speak reasonably with each other. People you can’t talk to become your enemies. And enemies don’t live together; they fight. Neighbours who are fighting instead of talking are wasting the tremendous potential for understanding that exists in small towns. Accepting the possibility that you may be wrong is essential to living in civilized society. Nobody knows everything. This is accepted by religious people when they use faith to fill the void in their knowledge. They believe that something exists which transcends the knowable. Non-religious members of society must accept that they, too, do not have a comprehensive understanding of all that is good and true, what is right and just. Absolutism in any form is dangerous. Sam Oosterhoff owes the majority of this riding’s residents, the 83% who did not vote for him— or for anyone, having failed to show up at the polls—the same respect as the 17% who did. He must listen to his opponents in good faith. Julie Mannell makes the case for poetry as a source of truth. But poets aren’t infallible. They are as prone to prejudice and dogmatism as the rest of us. If you want to improve your hometown, you have to accept that perhaps, just maybe, you don’t know what’s wrong with it. And then go to public meetings; get politically involved; go to the churches; go to the poetry slams of those you disagree with; don’t refuse to engage with those whose vision of justice is starkly different to yours. Participate in public life as if our individual lives depended on it, because in the end they probably do. It may be that the Comfort Maple is not the oldest sugar maple in Canada. Or maybe it is. Stories that survive for centuries usually do so for a reason. Either way, before we tear down the tree and open up the earth, we ought at least to discuss, if not agree on, what could occupy the hole its absence would create. ♦ Samuel Piccolo has lived in Pelham for 15 years, attending E.W. Farr, Pelham Centre, and E.L Crossley. He has spent a substantial amount of time in Ottawa and Toronto, and is fascinated both by big cities and small towns. He is finishing a degree in Political Science and Economics at Brock University. He shortly will be moving away from Pelham for a while, but hopes that it won't be forever.
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The Voice of Pelham, March 22, 2017
Activist talks peace and justice BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
Community members gathered at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church earlier this month for a special service celebrating the Women's World Day of Prayer. Celebrated each year on the first Friday of March in more than 170 countries, Women’s World Day of Prayer brings people together for a common day of ecumenical prayer. The tradition began in Brooklyn, New York in 1887 when Mary Ellen Fairchild James called for a day of prayer for home missions, and Methodist women called for a week of prayer and self-denial for foreign missions. As a human rights activist, guest speaker Sarah Salise has been taking action to make peoples’ lives better in communities around the world. During the service, Salise spoke to the congregation about her work with Indigenous communities in the Philippines. While volunteering with the youth organization, Anakbayan Toronto, Salise first learned of the plight of the indigenous people in the Southern Mindanao Region of the Philippines through the International Solidarity Mission (ISM). Disturbed by the extreme poverty the people had been enduring, she decided to travel to the Philippines to get involved. Her experiences there changed her life.
Sarah Salise. One of the most valuable lessons she brought home was the massive difference between the lifestyles and aspirations of people in North America and the indigenous people she met. “One of the most rewarding was when we interacted with the children through play and activities,” said Salise. “That would tell us how they have managed or cope with the military harassment in their communities and the first super typhoon that hit their area. Through the social activities that were led by the Children's Rehabilitation Centre and the Women's Studies Resource Centre of Southern Mindanao Region, we were able to get a glimpse of what they were going
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through.” Keeping up to date with the campaign in the Philippines, Salise continues her fight for social justice by speaking about her experiences. Salise said she always makes a point of telling people about the corrupt role of the mining companies — including Canadian companies — and how they clear indigenous ancestral land while the government stands aside. Salise encourages anyone interested in helping indigenous communities in the Philippines to get familiar with the campaigns of Salupongan International. She said the organization runs many of the programs building schools and creating sustainable infrastructure among others.
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The Voice of Pelham, March 22, 2017
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Dr. Tony Volk.
DECODED continued from Page 8 wealthy doing so. Maybe they are all going to know the system so they can crack down on people, but it doesn't look like it at this point." Referencing the racism inherent within much of Trump’s policies and rhetoric, Volk does not see him holding strongly to the principles of white supremacy and anti-Semitism, which earned him the endorsement of organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan. "I don't see him as being a deeply principled individual,” said Volk. “Those are not morally good, but they are essentially principled and moral arguments. ‘Whites are morally superior,” is something Hitler would say. Donald Trump doesn't have that kind of moral flag, which is in a sense a good thing, but I think he
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found a nerve that he could pluck and it was a nerve that would make him very popular. It's important to consider that four or five years ago, he was pro-free-trade, and he was pro-abortion. He doesn't have strong moral principles, so if it looks like the popular thing to do with his group is to overturn Keystone XL blockages he's going to do that." Laughing, Volk admitted that Trump would definitely not be his first choice for a leader. He did give him credit, however for being a master manipulator. Trump has one rule, according to Volk, which can be observed anytime he says or does anything. That rule: do whatever makes Donald Trump look good. Despite caring deeply about what people think of him, Volk found little evidence that he shares the same concern for others. For example, Trump’s lack of empathy is apparent in the disrespect he has shown the families of fallen war veterans and the veterans themselves.
"I don't think he cares that much about the military,” said Volk. “He didn't mind insulting a Gold Star family. He has compared making money to serving in the military when he talked about the sacrifices he has made. So, I don't think he really has any real respect for the military or for America's geopolitical situation. He just wants to be seen as the toughest, the best and the biggest job maker, etc." Yes, the idea that the past host of a B-list reality show has access to America’s nuclear weapons worries Volk, but for better or worse he said it is somewhat comforting that Trump seems to have a friendly relationship with Russia. “That would be of course the most likely doomsday scenario — having Russia go off the handle,” he said. “I can't imagine him attacking Europe, China or India. Some might argue China, but with trade alone, never mind the nuclear fallout if one were to nuke the other, their economies would end." As far as Canada goes, Volk figures we're probably well-off because there are a lot of Americans who depend on Canada for their business, and we don't really seem to appear on his radar. “To be crude about it, he sees us as having the right coloured skin, so I don't think we are going to be a target." Volk believes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may have played the right card by using his celebrity status to call attention to his meeting with Trump. Who is going to argue that sitting down and talking about bringing more women into the workplace is a bad thing? "It gave Trump a chance to trumpet himself as someone who cares about women after the horrible comments that he made while he was on the campaign trail. Trudeau gave him a really nice photo-op, and Trump loves photo ops as someone with narcissistic traits. It was absolutely just a photo op. It didn't really give me any pride in Trudeau for advancing women's rights."
To be crude about it, he sees us as having the right coloured skin, so I don't think we are going to be a target
Two weeks ago Trump shocked observers around the world by alleging that former President Barrack Obama authorized the bugging, via wiretap, of Trump Tower in New York during last year's election. Every U.S. intelligence agency has directly or indirectly denied the allegation, as has Britain's GCHQ, the equivalent of the NSA, after Trump implicated them in the plot. Once again political leaders from all sides have called on Trump to retract an allegation for which he has zero evidence to back up. But don't expect an apology, said Volk. "Given his personality and his past behavior, I would think that the odds of him sincerely and completely apologizing for the wiretap allegation—assuming it is indeed false—are very slim. People with his personality profile tend to be less interested with objective facts than with perceived appearances." Trump may be a narcissistic liar, but we're stuck with him for the time being. Volk holds out hope that the new President may yet prove able to see beyond his own self-interest. "I would hope that President Trump can focus his efforts on improving the country and using his personality traits of boldness and his lifelong negotiation expertise for the good of the US and its allies."