The Chilliwack Progress from Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada • Page 4

as IMi om'I whirl W.H)i;Tfs; Of-iw tjt 4 THE CHILLIWACK PROGRESS WEEKENDER, Friday, June -995--. "y-Cfo -1 Viewpoint Published at Chiiliwack by Ttra Chilliwack Progreee Ltd. for Canwest Publisher Limited. rrrrrri 7 A rodeo in one room WILLIAMS LAKE Come one, come all to the Williams Lake Stampede. Everybody ig iirolooma, young 5.X 1 1HANW0U I 1 TWO DOUM COWS.

A I 1 Iff 1 TMito I- 1 be there for mine. Robert Freeman Reporter's Notebook I didn't make it to the Bernardo trial in Toronto, Ont. during a visit to my hometown in nearby Grimsby earlier this month. But I did get a tour of the house Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka rented in Port Dalhousie, a picturesque lakeside community near St. Catharines.

The pretty corner house where Bernardo allegedly tortured and strangled to death two teenage girls is now boarded up, vandalized, gutted by police in search of evidence, a silent victim of a horror that could happen in any community. Kristen French lived just blocks away from my best friend Pete's house in St. Catharines. Pete's son Scott attended some high school classes with the murdered girl. Both took part in the futile search for French after she went missing in April, 1992.

St. Catharines hasn't been as devastated by the murders as some media have portrayed it, my friend Pete says, but some are still rattled that such evil could apparently exist in such normal-looking people as Bernardo and Homolka. But suspicion of Homolka' role and the deal she made with the Crown was already rumored among St. Catharines residents long before the telltale videotapes were discovered, he says. My friends' reaction to the murders and to the deal reminded me of the notorious "money-for-bodies" deal B.C.'s child killer Clifford Olsen managed to wring out of court officials in this province.

Homolka has pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter in the deaths of French and 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy and in exchange for her testimony against her husband received a 12-year jail sentence. The deal was made before the videotapes, which suggest Homolka may have taken a more active role in the crimes than the prosecution was aware of, were turned over to police by Bernardo's lawyer. Some of the community's anger can be seen in the vandalism of Bernardo's house, even though it's owned by a local who now can't sell or rent the property or get compensation for the police damages until the end of the trial. The innocent always lose out, one way or another. driving a Ford Explorer (I believe) licence plate RCK 590 who allowed her child to ride without his seatbelt on.

It's rather difficult to be leaning on the dashboard, and sitting sideways up at the dash when your seatbelt is on. Mom smarten up. I was tempted to get in front of you and slam on my brakes so you would have to do the same, but I didn't want to see your small son's face bloody and toothless. This was June 20, approximately 2:30 p.m. Penny Remington, Sardis Thanks, or old, rich or poor, civilized or from Alberta.

Who can think of a better way to spend the July 1 weekend which, in Williams Lake, is at least four days long? Well, some old mossyhorns, perhaps, who remember the stampedes of 1950, 51, 52 and other dim, dusty years back in the long Paul St. Pierre Wry and Ginger ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Today's rodeo is far better organized. The riding, the roping, the bucking stock, the seating, just about everything is incomparably better than those of the far yesterdays. Even the ticket prices are tolerable.

The Williams Lake show is as good as any professional production in the land and it pays $95,000 in prize money. More, although professionals have taken over all the regular rodeo events, some amateurs are coming back for revived events such as the Wild Horse Race, a modified Mountain Race and a few other events in a Ranch Challenge series. But those of us with moss on our horns will never find replacements for some of our memories of the days when the stampede was small, reckless and funny, in a town that was the same. That great monster, progress, changed all by making both the town and rodeo bigger and richer. We remember Roman chariot races, the chariots being hastily fashioned two wheel affairs that threatened to collapse under every man who drove one but which never killed anybody.

Another was The Roman Race. What Julius Caesar had to do with it nobody knew, or cared. It is See St. Pierre 7 Phone 792-1931 Paul Bucci Editor Andrew Franklin Advertising Manager Keliee Taylor Circulation Manager The Progress encourages letters from its readers. Letters submitted will be edited for legality, length, spelling, and punctuation where necessary.

Letter writers are urged to make their point in about one page typewritten double-spaced and comment within the bounds of good taste. Readers are warned that statements in letters to the editor are not necessarily verified by this newspaper and publication of a letter does not constitute endorsement of the view stated. The Progress will not publish any letter without the identification of its writer. A phone number for verification of authorship is required. Bloody and toothless? Editor, The Progress: Thumbs up to the young lady on a bicycle on Vedder Rd.

who stopped and helped me remove branches from the northbound lanes several weeks ago. It seems it was easier for everyone else to try going around them, almost causing some near accidents. Thumbs down to the mother Bill Boesterd, Sardis Circus helps children Editor, The Progress: Last year I wrote a letter in reply to the animal rights supporters who were making a fuss about what they perceived as "cruelty to animals used in the If I remember correctly, we also discussed the treatment of animals used in rodeos. What these so-called "animal lovers" fail to realize is that animals used for entertainment, in whatever capacity, must be treated humanely and carefully for several reasons: a) if for no other reason, they are expensive and the investment must be protected; b) training is long, laborious and expensive and common sense would dictate proper care of the animals; c) this is a highly visible (to the public) enterprise and any irregularities would soon be acted upon by the SPCA. I do not recall reading anything about the use of horses, dogs or See Letters 5 Julian Galbecka Publisher Dad Editor, The Progress: I read a quote the other day, "better to build a boy, than mend a It struck a chord of sadness, as Father's Day was just behind us, and I thought of the children that longed to have that father back, to help them through the difficult years ahead.

I thought of the "men" being many coming from a past where "building boys" was not a priority in their parents' lives. It's a simple thought, a lifelong challenge, with life-long rewards. Thank-you Dad, for being there for me. I hope I will always The Chilliwack Progress Published 45860 Spadina Avenue. Chilliwack.

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