What's New?

Well, Charlie Ghorayeb has (once again) tossed his hat in the ring for the spot of Mayor of Chateauguay, although I have not seen who his team of aldermen will yet be. (2:15 PM)

(9:25 PM)Ah! I've been informed that Charlie has no team! He's running as an independant! So if he wins as Mayor any combination of competing aldermen could win in their ridings but would have to work with Charlie rather than their designated leader they are currently supporting. Hmmmm.

Meanwhile, Charlie's competition -The Michel Enault Team, has already been knocking on doors up and down my street- completely organized and talking tough on issues while gathering material for changes and budget constraints. Do you remember Roger Doyle -who would get teased mercilessly for looking so 'straight-laced' in the winds the Acqarian storm? Well his younger brother, Barry Doyle is making quite an impression on the neighborhood as possible alderman and part of this Enault team.
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Restaurant
If you ever visit and want a great place to eat, drive a little further south to the community of Mercier on the main drag of St. Jean Baptiste just after Chateauguay,- left hand side, until you come to Charlie Ghorayeb's restaurant "Capiche". He has managed to create a high style cuisine, delightful ambiance, top quality service level and superb wine list, that can only be matched in romantic "Old Montreal a.k.a. Le Vieux Port". This is quite a feat to pull off from out our way.

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H.S. Billings
Under the banner of 'What's Old is New Again', -uniforms are back in!

I guess there is a time and place for everything.

I know -strange to hear that from me, one of the participants in the Sit -Ins back in 69-70 along with Roddy McManus and the rest of the school... to rid Chateauguay High- HS Billings of rules on dress code and hair length restrictions. In those times 'conformity at the cost of creative originality' and 'freedom from conformist repression' were the popular causes. Unfortunately in this day and age that sense of purpose seems to have faded into mediocrity and lack of direction necessitating apparently, the guise or semblance of 'new found' cohesion...just as long as the school administration can now begin to focus on student learning, rather than the distraction of 'uniform enforcement'. Appearances are one thing, now Seize The Day---

So the girls with their uniform skirts hiked up to 'mini' and the boys in their charcoal gray pants and black sweaters over polo shirts can be seen at lunch time strolling along with hair set 'Emo' just so- 'over eyes'. Looks almost like 1968!

At least our uniform colours 'back-in-the-day' were blue and gold. Today black and white is the vogue of discipline. I guess the idea is to try to look 'no-nonsense' like a private school. But I am told that these days the age 14 is the new 18...

Something fandamental needs to be done with the system itself where the problems fester. Teachers have a tough time.

If there were some way to create a system of education that could actually take small groups or just the individual and infuse with guidance, inspiration and motivation to learn, that would be great. But this only can occur with kids who are made 'ready' from home, like seeds that have been brought ot the point of sprouting. Many kids are just not 'ready' or if they are, the hormone pool of humanity they are thrown into in grade 7 causes such great distraction, that the learning process is side tracked until they are just plain fed-up with High School andfinally grasp that they must move on. Of course there are some who are wired to achieve and quickly grab the levers of the system. Be nice to teacher and teacher is noice to you. Do the homework and passing is easy....this will all be over soon.

In many homes, parents are out working -by necessity- while the kids are on their own -much like it was in our time, except that instead of TV, the focus is the 'Net'or 'Texting' or the cornucopia of of games and distraction. If everyone could afford private school that would be great, but even there, problems which eminate from home base and the streets can occasionally be evident through the cracks.

The Provincial Government in it's 'top-down' edicts to implement 'reform' attempting to improve a situation, have inadvertantly done more damage to the core by removing certain controls and measures. It seems the harder our systems 'try', the further away from the ideal they become.

But then before we know it, kids grow up, move away, get jobs or even better -create businesses and ultimately for the most part, integrate into that amorphous "system" almost despite inherent social bias and disfunction.

They manage- like little magnets, to keep some good elements picked up along the way from their better teachers who have done what they could with what materials they've got- and yes- from some committed and caring parents parents. And let us give credit where credit is due- to the children themselves who come pre-packaged with their own inner compasses, personalities and wiring.
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Week-end Rituals

I just returned from doing some grocery shopping over at the IGA on D'Anjou and Maple. These weekly outings can be rather interesting. Today I met up with Mr. Mahabir. His hair has a silver sheen to complement his smile. Now there was a teacher who embodied wisdom ...and still does.

In the next Isle as I sought out the unbleached flour, I happened upon Joanne (Green) Simpkin. She is still in great shape, very friendly (despite my student non-sense when I was 16) and so too is her husband (Howard) who I almost met up with as he went about his business over near the cookies. Joanne says they have been spending the last number of winters in Florida- Snowbirds!
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Esoteric Saturday

The Dalai Lama

Yesterday Jane and I attended the gathering at the Bell Centre (replacing the Montreal Forum) where the Dalai Lama spoke. He espoused non-violence and compassion. Yet he emphasized that compassion does not mean bowing your head and taking beating. It means seeing your enemy as a person and respecting that person, treating them as you would yourself. His religion he say is simple - it is the practice of Kindness.

This is something akin to all religions. And as in all religions, easy to practice when in the mood but rather difficult when one is not.
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Tennis Anyone?
As usual, Bob Houston and I were out at the Carlyle Tennis courts in the Heights early Thursday morning. The temperature was 5 above. We're going to have to find an in-door court soon.
He was telling me all about the show last week with Van the Man, Van Morrisson. Sounds like one of his best yet.

Five or six rows back from the stage, Bob met up with Karen and Tom Capelli and their wonderful son Aiden. This young man has smarts, courage and if I recall corectly -an uncanny knack for clever understatement and repartee. Gee, the apple does not fall far...
Some might remember Karen under her maiden name - Karen Degan.
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So as we enter another chilly Autumn season back home (Quebec) and wherever you may be right now, on the planet, in or out of hospital, in your life out in BC, Alberta, Ontario, New York, Connecticut, California, Texas or even off the Florida coast..wherever you hang your hat, let me wish you well -and know that you are not forgotten (even you Darrel) by many of us who are still...
...here.