Vol. 44 · Issue 4

Thursday, January 27, 2011Loyalist College · Belleville, ON · Canada

Rooted in tradition · Exploring the future

Clover Raftis

Cheyanne Jekabsons, five, is the second person in Canada to be diagnosed with an extremely rare genetic disorder, Gomez-Lopez-Hernandez syndrome. GLHS affects multiple organs in the body; in particular, Jekabsons suffers from extreme balance issues, cranial numbing and social anxiety. Since its discovery in 1979, 23 cases of GLHS has been documented locally.

Galit Rodan

Eleven of Wolfe Island’s 86 windmills loom behind Keith Walton, who takes a break from plowing his field in the early evening hours of Friday, Nov. 12, 2010. Walton supports the local wind farms, the second largest turbine project in Canada. Although the wind farms have been controversial, the TransAlta project has brought a sizeable amount of money to the community and has been embraced by most Wolfe Islanders.

By Clover Raftis

When five-year-old Cheyanne Jekab-sons fell and hit her head she turned to her mom and said “I think it hurts mommy, there’s a bump... I think it hurts.”

Cheyanne couldn’t feel the pain because she suffers from Gomez-Lo-pez-Hernandez syndrome, a genetic disorder so rare only 23 people in the world have been diagnosed with it. GLHS affects multiple organs in different ways.

Cheyanne has to deal with a number of problems including mis-

shaped head, lack of balance, (her cerebral hemisphere is completely fused together) lack of feeling in her head and numbed feelings all over her body, short stature, vision prob-lems, bald spots located bilaterally above her temples, and social anxi-ety.

The problem first surfaced when she was just two months old. At her first milestone checkup her doctor noticed her head was misshapen. At her four-month checkup, her doctor sent her to Quinte Pediatrics. A long process followed, leading to the di-agnosis of GLHS in Sept. 2010 at To-

ronto Sick Kids Hospital. Cheyanne’s mom, Sarah Taylor,

didn’t really see the malformation at first. It wasn’t until she took Chey-anne to get her portrait done she noticed it. Until then, Cheyanne had seemed to be reaching all the neces-sary milestones perceived as the na-tional ‘normal.’

Balance is a major problem with Cheyanne. At times, she appears to be intoxicated.

“What did mommy put in your baby bottle?” is one of many com-ments her mom has heard people say as they observe her daughter’s

actions. “People are quite open with how

they feel,” said Taylor. While eating at a restaurant, when Cheyanne was still a baby, an elderly couple ap-proached to them to say hello. While the woman was saying hello she stroked Cheyannes head, she looked at Taylor and said ‘you need to put your baby in a helmet to straighten this’.

Shortly after meeting with local pediatrician Dr. Paul Dempsey, Chey-anne started a battery of medical tests, in search of a diagnosis.

Rare disorder impactson life of five-year-old

By Mihal Zada

Industrial wind farms is an issue that has caused turbulence in many rural communities. This week it is awaiting a ruling by a panel of three judges.

The panel heard evidence in To-ronto Monday from Prince Edward County resident and wind turbine activist Ian Hanna, represented by environmental lawyer Eric Gillespie. He brought his case against the Min-istry of the Environment before the Superior Court of Ontario.

The Ministry of Environment’s policy about wind turbines states that they can be built a minimum of 550 metres away from residential buildings.

Developers have already bought land to build wind farms. All across Ontario, plans for generating wind energy have been put in motion.

All that may soon grind to a halt.If Hanna is successful, a long-

debated question will have to be answered with scientific certainty: Does the noise and vibration from industrial wind farms affect human health?

Both parties made reference to medical studies in the hearing. The trouble is, to this date, there has been no controlled, peer-reviewed studies on the effects of wind tur-bines on human health.

Gillespie argued that studies prov-ing adverse health affects were avail-able but employees of the ministry who were not qualified to review those studies dismissed them.

“There does not appear to be any-one who has the requisite qualifica-tions to provide recommendations to the minister,” Gillespie told the panel.

Hanna’s evidence included a study by Dr. Robert McMurtry. An ortho-pedic surgeon, McMurtry has been dean of medicine at the University of Western Ontario and was once poli-cy advisor to the Minister of Health. McMurtry is also a resident of Prince Edward County.

He interviewed a group of people living within 1.5 kilometres of wind turbines and a group living five ki-lometres away. The study was not controlled and did not include a review of medical records. He con-cluded that people living within 1.5 kilometres of an industrial wind farm are more likely to suffer from hyper-tension, sleep disorders and anxiety issues.

Sara Blake, counsel for the minis-

try, argued that McMurtry’s study is biased and inadmissible. Blake said McMurtry is a member of an anti-wind turbine activist group and his study is anecdotal, not peer-re-viewed.

Blake referred to a study on night noise conducted by the World Health Organization. The study sug-gested that in order to be safe for hu-mans, a structure emitting noise at the frequency of wind turbines must be set back at least 350 metres from a residence. The minimum setback prescribed by the ministry was 550 metres; Blake said this was a conser-vative amount.

The WHO study does not make any reference to wind turbines. It is a study of acceptable noise levels in

residential areas.In the absence of any study that

scientifically confirms or discredits the harmful effects of wind turbines, Gillespie evoked the precautionary principle, states that in the absence of scientific proof, policy should err on the side of caution.

The ministry, however, feels that they have been sufficiently vigilant in creating their policy.

“We believe we have put in place a protective and cautious approach to developing renewable energy in Ontario,” says Kate Jordan from the communications branch of the Ministry of the Environment. “Our approvals are based on science, modeling work and jurisdictional comparisons.”

Rural Ontariansawait decisionby panel of judges

Wind farm issue to be decided

By Janek Lowe

Walmart Canada announced last Thursday an increased focus on lo-cally-sourced fresh produce.

The numbers – 100 per cent sea-sonal when possible, or 30 per cent over an average 12-month cycle – sent a message, not just to consum-ers but to a sector of the farming industry struggling to fatten its skel-etal margins.

“We know our customers are con-cerned about the quality of the fresh produce they feed their families,” says Les Mann, Walmart Canada’s senior vice-president of food and consumables. “They want a shop-ping experience that consistently delivers the fresh selection they are looking for at the right price.”

However, it’s that “right price” that has many Ontario growers holding at the gate with cautious optimism. “Consumers are starting to ask where their food is coming from, which is a good thing,” says Ron Bonnett, president of Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

“I’m not sure how Walmart is go-ing to balance keeping a local sup-ply coming in with ratcheting down prices.”

In December 2010, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture released its economic impact study, Ontario Farming: An Industry in Crisis. The numbers appear bleak for the prov-ince’s number two sector after auto manufacturing, employing 164,000 people. The study’s projected 2010 farm income loss of $500 million will cost Ontario $3 billion in GDP, 10,000 jobs and a half billion dollars in tax revenue.

“We are the highest cost of pro-duction region in North America,” says Brian Gillroy, apple farmer and president of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association. “Rollback prices and payless are not in the direction of what farmers can provide. Cost of production plus rea-sonable profit seems fair.”

The cost of labour-intensive fresh produce production has risen dra-matically in a relatively short time due in part to minimum wage in-creases, new food safety require-ments and the rise in oil prices. Ac-cording to farmers, these increases have not been buoyed by an increase in what retailers are paying for pro-duce, causing many fresh produce farms to be squeezed at both ends.

“I got paid as much for my apples in 1991 as today in actual dollars, not inflated dollars,” says Gillroy. “Efficiencies have been eaten up by higher input costs.”

A key item that the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association wants to bring to the industry table is a more sustainable approach to ensure profitability at all levels -- from the farm, to processing, to re-tail. For example, fresh produce is often sold at or below cost in order to draw customers also purchasing packaged foods, which traditionally earn the highest profit margins.

“The retail chain is going to have to absorb some of the cost when fruits and vegetables are sold as loss leaders,” says Bonnett. “This is not going to be sustainable in the long term.”

Lower cost produce from the Unit-ed States and other countries, such as China, adds to the pressure on Ontario growers struggling for shelf space within the province. Addition-ally, produce from markets such as California is built to last, enduring cross-continental travel where it may not reach store shelves until weeks after picking.

Paul Burnham of Cobourg’s Burn-ham Family Farms has been growing strawberries and other fresh pro-duce for their retail storefront since 1994.

“California strawberries are bred and grown so that they can be picked, processed and shipped, and last on the shelf for weeks without deteriorating,” says Burnham. “On-tario strawberries, unfortunately or fortunately, can’t do that, because Ontario strawberries have been bred for sweetness and flavour and texture.

See Growers...page 2

More localproduceto be made availableLocal growerscautiously optimisticabout Walmartannouncement

Page A2 · The Pioneer · January 27, 2011

Kristine Benham

Peggi Dugas (left) and Rose DeLuca prepare their dogs Mantracker (left) and Hardy for therapy dog training at Cold Creek Shepherds arena in Frankford, Ont.

“When someone comes to you with developmental delays, most of those kids have an easily identified problem, then there is a small num-ber of kids who have a number of different problems that go together that make sense, like downs syn-drome.” said Dempsey. “Then there is an even smaller group of kids who have a broader variety of problems. It’s my job to ensure that I channel those individuals to the appropriate specialists for the correct diagnosis.

“It’s like popcorn, the kernels in the pot that have popped you know about, and then there are others that have not yet popped” said Dr. Dempsey, explaining why diagnosing Cheyanne was so difficult.

Two MRIs, a CAT scan, X-rays of every body part she has, multiple blood tests, visits to a podiatrist and multiple trips to Toronto Sick Kids Hospital finally led to the diagnosis.

Taylor is concerned, just like any parent would be, of her daughter’s bald spots located laterally above her temples. She buys hats and hair clips to help her daughter keep her hair back while not showing her bald spots.

GLHS also affects Cheyanne’s mental well-being. Often she will get ‘overwhelmed’ and will hide from confrontation, or simply not respond.

“Once she spent an entire day un-der the table at school,” said Taylor. “I feel I have to explain everything to everyone because someone could ask her something and she’ll just shut down, and then they’ll think ‘what is wrong with this child?’”

Enrolled in senior kindergarten, Cheyanne has many obstacles to overcome. As she gets older, the dif-ference between her and her class-mates is more defined.

Some older children at the school Cheyanne attends refer to her as ‘”tipsy daisy,” a term that upsets her. “I tell them no, I don’t like that.”

Although the full extent of GLHS is unknown, it has been noted that out of 21 documented and confirmed cases of GLHS 11 have instances of neuropsychiatric symptoms. A stag-gering 14 out of 21 have severe men-tal retardation.

The future is truly unknown for Cheyanne. “We were told that she could turn into a vegetable,” said Taylor.

However there are signs of future academic success as Cheyanne has surpassed the level of reading re-quired at the kindergarten level.

Taylor is doing everything she knows possible to obtain any type of treatment and help for her daughter. “I’ve called counselor after coun-selor and I keep getting the closing door, no one knows about it, so they won’t counsel her.”

Cheyanne does partake in physio at her school, learning to jump, twirl, ball handle and stand on one foot. Also being explored is a naturo-pathic remedy GABA, an herbal drop taken twice daily to help calm the physiological distresses that burden her.

“We take it symptom by symptom, there really isn’t another option” Taylor said.

Disorder…Continued from Page 1

By Kristine Benham

Rose DeLuca and Peggi Dugas are two experienced dog lovers who are now putting their little friends to work.

DeLuca owns and runs the Cold Creek Shepherds arena in Frankford, Ont., where the two women started their six-week therapy dog course Jan. 18.

The dogs who pass the Therapy Dog and CGN testing may become members of Canine Comfort of Can-ada.

Dugas is the founder of Canine Comfort of Canada (2006), a non-profit charity organization that plans dog visits to people in need of canine assistance.

Members must visit a location twice a month for a maximum of 45 minutes. The 23 eager learners will be training every Tuesday evening with one class at 6 p.m. and the oth-er at 7:15 p.m.

Some of the training for the dogs includes exposure to several differ-ent people at once, being touched more than a usual dog would expe-rience and shown how to react to people using medical equipment, such as walkers.

“The dogs will be touched a lot more than a neighbourhood dog would be used to, so you have to be sure to get the dog comfortable with being touched a lot, especially around the face, ears and paws,” De-Luca says during training.

These therapy dogs will visit hos-pital patients, retirement homes, schools, libraries, peoples’ homes and other situations where a dog may offer comfort or help.

“I’ve lived with dogs all of my life, but back then they were just dogs. They were just there to warn you if someone was on your property. To-day, we have dog schools, parks and it’s wonderful because they are just

so smart,” Dugas says. Dugas and several other people

attending the program hope to volunteer their dogs to different specialty causes, such as the hear-ing-impaired, visually impaired or search and rescue. Dugas’ dog, Char-lie, is training as a hearing impaired dog and knows over 70 words so far.

Jennifer Arminio has her poodle Stirling, in the course and says, “I hide a scent in a jar in one of the bed-rooms of the house to start small, and Stirling will go find it,” about training her dog in the beginning phases of search and rescue.

“It’s just so rewarding, dogs can reach people in a way that humans can’t,” De Luca says about visiting

assigned homes with her previous dogs. She is currently undergoing the first step of testing her dog Har-dy, a German shepherd, to qualify as a therapy dog.

DeLuca has a history with dog training which dates back to 1980 in Pennsylvania. She has since worked with many types of training, including wilderness search and rescue, the De-partment of Homeland Security/Fed-eral Emergency Management Agency and was involved in the first nine days of the 9/11 tragedy Task Force.

Dugas went to DeLuca’s puppy kindergarten classes in 2005 and the two started working on their idea to start a class since then. This year is their kick-off and they both hope

specialty dog therapy will become available across Canada.

“For Canine Comfort, my goal is to go Canada-wide, not just a small local area. I would like to go across Canada. That’s my long-term goal,” Dugas says about how she would like to see the classes continue.

Canine Comfort of Canada will be having a fundraiser at the Stirling Fes-tival Theatre April 19-30 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. The live show Hats!, a musical comedy, will donate half the ticket pro-ceeds to Canine Comfort of Canada.

Anyone interested in training and volunteering their dogs to be-come therapy dogs may contact Rose DeLuca at coldcreekshep-herds.com.

Therapy dogs share the love with humansCanine Comforttrains animalsto make visits

By Mariza Dunham Gaspar

Community members will be trad-ing in roofs for boxes and beds for sleeping bags during the “Sleep Out so Others Can Sleep In” event in Bel-leville this Friday.

The Canadian Mental Health Asso-ciation’s fourth annual fundraising event is aimed at creating awareness and providing a first-hand experi-ence of what homeless people have to do to survive each and every night.

Roby Graves, an employment sup-port worker with CMHA, says he feels the event is extremely impor-tant.

“Homelessness is definitely an is-sue here in Belleville,” says Graves. “And the funds raised help to main-tain our three transitional homes. It also supports programs that help the individuals living in the houses.”

In the three years it has been run-ning, the event has brought in more than $60,000 for the CMHA, and the amount fundraised each year is slowly growing. In the first year, the event generated $18,000, $20,800 in the second year and $21,000 last year. This year the CMHA hopes to reach $25,000.

Last year, Loyalist College student Luke Alexander Tomkinson and a

few friends raised over $800 for the event. And like many of the near 200 people that participate each year, the event was an eye-opener.

“We didn’t sleep at all. It was just too physically cold to sleep,” said Tomkinson. “We were absolutely frozen. It was a great experience but definitely exhausting.

We’re all used to having a roof over our heads, and now we can put our-selves in their position. It changes your perspective of homelessness and makes you want to help.”

Graves is one of many who par-take every year.

“It’s amazing. You participate in this event and wake up and can hardly move because it’s so cold. Now try to imagine having to do this every day, go to job interviews,

without breakfast in a warm home or a hot shower,” says Graves.

Besides raising funds and awareness, the event is some-thing fun to do with other mem-bers of the community. It will in-clude music by Scotty Lalonde, speeches by several local politi-cians, box constructing, prizes and free warm beverages to warm up chilly fingers.

“I think it opens people’s eyes. It’s also great to do something good for the community while having fun,” says Graves.

The event will be held at the Market Square from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. this Friday. Anyone wishing to participate can register on site or call the CMHA at 613-969-8874.

Trading in beds for boxes to help CMHAParticipants to getfirst-hand experienceon being homeless

By Irene Fior

Statistics Canada’s latest reports on employment insurance and the un-employment rate show numbers are down across the board.

From November 2009 to 2010, the number of people receiving employ-ment insurance dropped nationally by 13.4 per cent. For the same time period in Ontario and Belleville/Quinte West, the numbers are down 20.2 per cent and 30.4 per cent re-spectively.

At first glance, these statistics give the impression economic conditions are looking up. However, that may not be the case.

“Be wary when they say this is a good thing. It doesn’t necessarily mean that,” cautions Ann McIntosh, acting executive director of the Eastern Cen-tral Ontario Training Board.

“There could be a prolonged down-turn; you can be out of employment insurance and not necessarily back at work,” said McIntosh. “They also don’t track discouraged workers who have stopped looking.”

In related information, the unem-ployment rate from December 2009 to 2010 also decreased. On the national front, by 0.8 and for both Ontario and the region of Kingston-Pembroke, which includes Belleville and Quinte West, by 1.1.

“The economy has stalled a bit, but the crawl out will probably be longer and slower than anticipated. Self-em-ployment incomes are also very low lo-cally, about $10,000 to $11,000, which is not enough to live on,” said McIntosh.

She explains that someone in this situation could be working in those conditions out of necessity if they were unable to find full-time employment elsewhere.

Statistics maynot be asthey seem

Nathan Rochford

Ontario produce growers are cautiously optimistic about Walmart Canada’s push to bring more locally sourced pro-duce to their stores.

If I try to ship mine to California and back, they’ll be jam.”

Burnham is among many Ontario cash crop growers who have effec-tively cut out the middleman.

“By selling to the supermarkets, you’ll never get what you can direct from the consumer,” says Burnham. “We’re putting a price based on mak-ing a living out of it. They’re trying to draw people into their store.”

This pricing frustration from growers is not unfounded, according to the May 2010 report by Grocery Trade Review, a monthly marketing analysis report. The report states grocers have benefitted due to the effect of the strong Canadian dollar.

“Prices are clearly not down as much as costs,” states Grocery Trade Review. “This begs the ques-tion: Just how committed will the big grocers be to “Buying Local” this summer, when they consider the very low currency-impacted costs of American and Mexican produce?”

The report cites the example of bananas - the most frequently pur-chased item at most stores - on sale for 49 cents a pound -- appears to be a good deal to the consumer, but is still highly affordable for the grocer.

Gayle Grills, dairy farmer and president of the Hastings Federation of Agriculture, recounts the frustra-tion a local asparagus farmer experi-enced last season seeing California asparagus at the local supermarket while his product went to waste largely unsold.

“Why didn’t they buy local?” asks Grills. “It would have been the same price and healthier than a product travelling a week from California. It’s already lost a lot of its food value at that point. The big chains only have

a few items that they can buy a cer-tain percentage of from local people. It’s been frustrating for so long.”

Walmart Canada has answered, defending its ability to bring cost savings to consumers while main-taining a strong agricultural commu-nity across Ontario.

“We are very committed to our sustainability goal,” says Susan Schutta, director of corporate affairs for Walmart Canada. “We do like to work with local vendors where and when possible. If you can source lo-cally, it stays fresh longer. It makes sense on so many levels.”

Walmart reports that its new cost

savings measures to be passed down to consumers have been met through increased efficiencies in its supply chain. The streamlining of its fresh produce delivery will see food delivered to stores within 24 hours of arriving at Walmart distribution centres.

“Walmart’s famously efficient sup-ply chain means that every day we can offer customers the freshest food at prices they can afford,” says Mann. “In fact, for locally-grown pro-duce like strawberries and apples, our goal is to offer customers 100 per cent local choice in season.”

Asked whether long-term con-

tracts would be offered to grow-ers to guarantee the supply chain, Walmart declined to comment.

Brian Gillroy says: “If Walmart can give us reasonable profit, cost of production would be nice. We’re willing to talk and give them access to as much of Ontario as they want.”

“Anything to help the farmers,” says Grills. “If the farmer knows he can sell direct to Walmart, he’s go-ing to be really careful to keep that market and sell quality produce. A farmer is very proud of his pro-duce. They would only want the very best out there if it has their name on it.”

Growers cautiously optimisticabout Walmart announcementContinued from Page 1

The Pioneer · January 27, 2011 · Page A3

Give us a heads-up! Email The Pioneer with your game schedules and scores at pioneer@loyalistc.on.ca

Tyler Pollard

Sherene Einarsson slams the ball on Alex Thompson of Trent Excalibur during last night’s game at Loyalist College. Loyalist defeated both of Trent’s men’s and women’s volleyball teams.

By Tyler Pollard

Both Loyalist Lancers’ volleyball teams shut out the visiting Trent Ex-calibur teams last night.

The women’s and men’s teams went to four games, defeating Trent.

The women’s team came off a loss to Cambrian College. They had a tough battle against the undefeated Trent Excalibur, which was 12-0 go-ing into last night’s game. Trent is one of Loyalist’s biggest rivals and holds the second-place spot in the division.

“We wanted to be mentally tough, focused and prepared. With regards to matching up with their hitters and our best blockers and fight for every point,” said head coach Tony Clarke after the game. “We started off strong and had a lull but we came back. It was a team effort.”

In the week leading up to the game, the Lady Lancers prepared themselves for a huge game.

“Tough practices, workouts on the side and they know the oppos-ing team before they play them. We give them handouts with informa-tion about them to make sure they are prepared,” said assistant coach Amy Hoskins before last night’s game.

In Ontario Colleges Athletic As-sociation rules, the top two teams are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs and the third place is battled out in a wildcard game. Currently, Loyalist sits in third spot; they are hoping that if Trent has another loss it will bump them out of second place and secure Loyalist a playoff spot.

The championships mean a lot more to Loyalist this year. This year, Loyalist is the host of the 2010-2011 OCAA Volleyball Championships Feb. 24–26.

Loyalist hosts Durham College Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. Durham is currently 7-7.

“They are 7-7 but we can’t take those guys lightly. We played them in the first round and went to 5 and 20-18. We want to win out in the next four games and get a bye into the provincial championships,” said Clarke.

Loyalist men now sit in second spot behind Durham College who they also play against next Wednes-day. That will be a hard game for Loyalist as Durham currently sits 13-0.

Loyalist didn’t have any negative thoughts while playing Trent last night. They played a strong game and took them two straight in the end.

Loyalist shuts out Trent By Natelie Herault

Off the ice, they are exactly how you would expect girls their age to be.

But once the 15- to 17-year-old midget AA Bearcats take the ice, there is an evident change in their demeanour. It’s hard to believe these are the same girls who min-utes before were complaining about teachers.

This year’s team is the first midg-et team in many years the Belleville District Girls Minor Hockey Associa-tion will be sending to Provincials. The girls, who are currently ranked third in their category, have won 10, lost eight and tied four games so far this season, and appear to have the vigour to take on opponents twice their age - something they proved last year they can not only do, but win.

There were not enough oppos-ing teams in the midget category of the Lower Lakes Female Hockey League last year so the girls faced off against a team in the senior cate-gory (aged 20-plus). They were able to overcome the age difference to win the game.

“These girls have a high fitness level,” says trainer Jan McKinney. “They can just keep going and going, and it drove the seniors nuts.”

“The [senior] girls got so frus-trated that I had to take one of them off the ice for being too aggressive,” adds referee Don Carr.

In a male-dominated sport such as hockey, the female side of the game is often overlooked, at times even by players themselves. Lisa Neil, vice-president of rep teams in the Belleville District Girls Minor Hock-ey Association (BDGMHA), says that some girls prefer to play in the male leagues.

Leah Green, 20, of Toronto, played on a male team from ages seven to 12, then switched to a female team until she quit hockey at the age of 17. Out of the two leagues, Green says she preferred playing with the boys.

“The boys had playoffs, so they took the game more seriously. With the girls, everything was about go-ing out and having fun. The girls were more my skill level, but I had more fun with the boys because I like competition.”

Neil says she hopes an increase in the advertising of the BDGMHA will help attract those girls playing in male leagues, as well as first-time players, in an attempt to increase league numbers. Although female hockey has shown an overall in-crease in popularity recently, such is not the case in Belleville, where Neil says numbers of rep players have dropped approximately 30 players, to 165, since last year.

Another initiative Neil is taking this year to help draw numbers is an increase in advertising for the BDGMHA. The association’s biggest fundraiser was the New Year Clas-sic tournament on Jan. 7. Seventy-seven teams from across Toronto, Quebec and the U.S. attended, with 159 games of hockey, bringing more than 3,000 people to the Quinte re-gion.

Trainer McKinney says a big issue in female hockey is the lack of op-portunity.

“There is no NHL for women’s hockey, so the girls aspire to be on either the Olympic team, or to get a hockey scholarship.”

However, with women’s hockey gaining popularity, changes are underway. Last year, the Canadian Women’s Hockey League launched a pilot league that will attempt to professionalize the game.

Five teams (Boston, Brampton, Burlington, Montreal and Toron-to) took part in the first women’s hockey draft in history at the Hockey Hall of Fame in August of 2010.

Former Bearcat Breanne Hack-ley was one of the girls selected, drafted 70th out of more than 400 players, who tried out for the Burl-ington Barracudas, which gives in-spiration to current Bearcats.

Despite there being less oppor-tunity for the Bearcats than their male counterparts in the sport, it doesn’t discourage the girls in the Midget AA category. At least six members of the team have at-tended prospects camps, where scouts evaluate potential players.

Annie Moynes, 15, captain of the AA Bearcats, says she loves playing in a girls’ league.

“You become like sisters with all the girls on the team.”

The girls of the Bearcats are heading to the provincial play-offs on Feb. 18- 20, and hope to make it to nationals this year.

“It’s my job as captain to get the girls pumped up and focused on the game,” says Moynes, “and this year we’re going to win!”

Bearcatsheading toprovincialplayoffs

By Nathan Rochford

After taking an early lead in the first period, the Belleville Bulls lost 8-5 against the Kingston Frontenacs on home ice, Wednesday.

It marks their eighth loss in nine games.

“We weren’t playing our best,” said Bulls right wing Luke Judson. “Even when we were keeping it close. They finally took advantage of that when we were tied at 4-4 and we couldn’t do anything about it.”

The Bulls lost a one-goal lead in the second period when Frontenacs’ Ethan Werek tied the game at 2-2. From there the Bulls battled back and forth with the Frontenacs, each team matching the other goal for goal until midway through the third period when the Frontenacs took the lead and held it.

Bulls coach George Burnett said it was a game they could have won.

“We got sloppy,” Burnett said. “When you score five goals on (Philipp) Grubauer you expect to win.”

Burnett said the team hasn’t been working to its full potential and it’s been costing them.

“We cut a lot of corners and we paid the price,” he said. “We aren’t a team that can get by if a few play-ers have a good game. We need to be strong on all fronts.”

Judson felt the same.“I don’t think anyone should be

satisfied with how we played,” Jud-son said. “Me included.”

However, Judson added, there was one positive the team took away

from the game.“We were getting pucks in the

net,” Judson said.” Which we’ve been struggling with lately.”

The Bulls outshot the Frontenacs 31-30. Scoring for the Bulls were Mi-

chael Curtis, Brendan Gaunce, Mike Mascioli, Carter Sandlak and Andy Bathgate.

The Bulls’ next game is 7:30 p.m. Friday against the Sudbury Wolves in Sudbury.

Bulls slump with eighth loss in nine gamesBelleville teamoutshot Frontenacsbut lose 8-5

By Harper Bauer

One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight and get in shape, but people get bored with their routines. The solution may be cross-fit training.

While many gym-goers complain they might not survive a tough work-out, Cory Mestre, co-ordinator of campus recreation and fitness facili-ties at Loyalist College, offers cross-fit training for students to give them

variety in their workout routines. “Constant variation does not

mean random movements put to-gether,” said Mestre. “I have been doing cross-fit training for five years now. I encourage athletes and stu-dents to try it. I post new workouts on the bulletin board. Cross-fit really gets you prepared for anything.”

The website, CrossFit.ca, defines cross-fit training as a combination of various types of workouts to maxi-mize the exercise. It involves muscle

and strength training, aerobics, en-durance and balance testing, and flexibility to increase agility. From the “average Joe/Jane” to the mili-tary, professional and amateur ath-letes, cross-fit is delivering results like no other fitness program before it, said Mestre.

“I have been doing cross-fit style training for a little over a year,” said Cody Howie, Loyalist varsity athlete. “I love it, and would recommend it to anyone that is motivated enough to

drive themselves through the work-outs to get the results, it’s tough but it really pays off. Come out and try it!”

Only 12 per cent of Canadian chil-dren and youth are meeting Cana-da’s physical activity guidelines of 90 minutes per day.

The staff at the fitness centre will help you come up with a program.

“We set you up so you can succeed at even the most basic level,” said Mes-tre.

Cross-fit training prevents workout boredom

Nathan Rochford

Belleville Bulls Carter Sandlak knocks Kingston Frontenacs Ryan Davidson off his feet during game action at Yardmen Arena, Wednesday. Despite outshooting the Frontenacs 31-30, the Bulls lost 8-5.

The Pioneer · January 27, 2011 · Page A4

Tell us about your events. Email The Pioneer with the details at pioneer@loyalistc.on.ca

Natelie Herault

Ian Davis (saxophone/bongos), Phil Smith (singer/bass) and Peter Thorn (guitar), perform with drummer Ken Layton and back-up guitar player Jacob Charles (not pictured) at a fundraiser at Stix and Stones in Trenton on Saturday night. The event was to raise money for band, known as The Bad Poetry Band, to travel to Memphis and compete in the International Blues Challenge. The band, based out of Campbellford, recently qualified to compete after an audition by the Loyal Blues Fellowship.

By Natelie Herault

Lead singer Phil Smith’s silver eyes catch the red lights while singing the blues Saturday night at Stix and Stones in Trenton.

The Bad Poetry Band, along with solo act Mark Taylor, are raising money to help pay for the cost of getting to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, a competi-tion that both acts qualified for in an audition put on by the Loyal Blues Fellowship at the same venue last October.

Both acts are based out of Campbellford, and a chance to compete at the world’s larg-est blues celebration represents a big step in their careers. The festival takes place Feb. 1 to 5 along Beale Street in Memphis, where artists will perform in various venues. Last year, it fea-tured more than 110 bands, 82 solo acts and 32 young musicians. Grady Champion, from Mississippi, took home the ‘best band’ award, and Matt Andersen of New Brunswick won the solo/duet category.

“I’m looking forward to being part of a really huge music scene,” said Smith, who makes up one part of the five-piece band (who call them-selves Bad Poetry).

“I hope we can hobnob with industry people, and get a sense of where to move forward.”

Mark Taylor, 32, began the show at 9 p.m. Saturday, playing the audition set that landed him a spot in the blues challenge. Despite

technical difficulties cutting short the playlist, Taylor, a natural-born performer, didn’t miss a beat in transitioning to a 12-minute song he had written for a friend he lost in a car crash.

Mark Walker, Taylor’s self-professed number one fan, couldn’t have been happier about this change of plans.

“This is the song where his hand moves so fast, you can’t even see it!” Walker gushed about the song he first heard when Taylor played it at his son’s wedding.

“Just when you think it’s going to end, it gets faster. This is better than most of the top 10 on the radio today.”

Walker met Taylor by chance one day, when he stumbled across the young musician play-ing in a garage with the door open.

“I’ve been watching him play for two years, and I’ve never seen him miss a note,” Walker boasted.

Taylor is a local favourite, despite quitting music as a full-time gig in 2008 after eight years when his daughter, Rio, 2, was born. He now lays floors for a living.

“It was a crazy lifestyle with a lot of partying, and it got the better of me. I still play a bit, but now I focus on my family,” Taylor confessed.

Members of The Bad Poetry Band, whose

ages span over three decades, also have “straight” jobs on the side.

“The blues doesn’t pay the bills,” remarked drummer Ken Layton.

The Bad Poetry Band has gone through many incarnations in the five years since they formed. The current lineup, which in-cludes Smith, Layton, Ian Davis, Peter Thorn and Jacob Charles, has been in effect for two months.

How the band’s unique name came about was accidental.

“We used to hang out at the Stinking Rose Pub in Campbellford,” said Davis, saxo-phone/bongo player, a founding band mem-ber.

Realizing they had a mutual interest in music, the original band members started playing together and got booked for a New Year’s Eve gig.

“We needed a name, and there was this book [at the pub] called Really Bad Po-etry that we used to read out loud as a joke. We made a snap decision to name ourselves after it, and it stuck like wet noodles. We’ve tried to change the name, but we just can’t seem to get away from it,” laughed Davis.

Smith described the band’s musical style as an “eclectic party mix with blues influ-ence,” which was certainly the case Sat-urday night when it seemed as though the whole bar was up dancing.

“I hope that this experience will give us a sense of the state of the blues today,” Smith said of the blues challenge.

“Blues isn’t really commercial music. It’s not overproduced like a lot of the mu-sic these days, and features real artists. I look forward to just having a really great time.”

Band heads to international blues challengeBad Poetry Bandto perform atblues festivalin Memphis, Tennessee

By Kristine Benham

Some say that one good thing leads to another and this is true for the international support worker students at Loyalist Col-lege.

Initially started as a fundrais-er, the students’ slam poetry and open mic night has started a trend at Sweet Escape Dessert & Coffee Lounge in downtown Bel-leville.

Heather Barker and Shamsa Hassan, both ISW students, or-ganized the poetry idea as a one-time event in early Novem-ber 2010. The hope was to raise money for the ISW students’ trip to Chiapas, Mexico.

The students left Monday from Loyalist. They will be staying in Chiapas for five weeks to learn about community development.

After the first slam poetry night, many regular customers of Sweet Escape asked when the next poetry night would be held.

“People that I don’t even know have invited me out to this and that’s pretty great,” Barker says.

There is a wide range in types of content, including humour, original prose, letters and songs. There is a great deal of material related to the spirit of the ISW mission of helping others.

Barker says the event is open and everyone is welcome and encouraged to come and share on a Friday night.

“It makes my night go by faster, for sure. They are also always up out front and it makes us look busier,” says Jessica Hindman, a Sweet Es-cape employee who has worked several of the poetry nights. The 15-person ISW group does not have a set goal to fundraise, but incidental fees and extra costs such as flying, living with a family, travelling around and other costs are all out of pocket.

“The cost per student is $3,500, which is above and be-yond our normal tuition fees,” Barker says, emphasizing on the costliness of such a venture.

A global gala was held in a fi-nal attempt to raise money for the group Saturday evening at the Belleville Club. The semi-formal gala included catering, local music and art, information tables and a silent auction.

The ISW program started at Loyalist last September and is offered as a one-year post-grad-uate program. The course’s goal is to allow students to use their previous skills to travel and im-prove the world, working with international agencies.

The next slam poetry night is on Friday, Feb. 4 from 6 p.m. un-til 8 p.m. The café is located at 194 Front St. in downtown Bel-leville.

Mallory Haigh

Hold My Beer singer Aaron Pritchett sings a song off his new album, In the Driver’s Seat, to the delight of 300 fans at Tweed’s Trudeau Park last Friday. Pritch-ett came to Tweed to do a small, intimate CD release show and to connect with his fans.

By Mallory Haigh

Canadian country singer Aaron Pritchett chose Tweed for the location of a CD release and fan appreciation concert last Friday.

Pritchett, a multi-Juno award-nominee known for his country anthems Hold My Beer and Let’s Get Rowdy performed to a sold-out crowd of 300 at Trudeau Park.

The singer/songwriter has been travelling across Canada performing small, intimate CD release parties to recognize and appreciate his fans.

“Since I got into this level and aspect of the industry and playing to a lot of fans, it’s always been about them,” said Pritchett, about making an effort to meet with his fans after shows. “I’ve never done it any other way.”

Pritchett super-fan Christina Boudreau certain-ly appreciates her favourite musician’s loyalty to his fans.

“He makes me feel like a princess,” she said, noting how Pritchett frequently dedicates his song, New Frontier, to her when she is in the audi-ence.

“His songs have helped me deal with a lot of issues, and I’m very thankful for that.”

Boudreau came from Toronto for the show. Over the past two years, she has attended 28 concerts, including Fridays at Trudeau Park.

Pritchett’s fifth studio album, In the Driver’s Seat, was released in early November 2010 and takes an entirely new direction compared to his previous work.

“The sound is a bit different, a little more rock than it ever has been,” he said. “That’s me. That’s the way I was brought up. I listened to rock long before I listened to country. I thought, ‘Why not throw in some inflections of the artists I grew up listening to?’”

Many of the songs feature darker lyrics, includ-ing Coming Clean, which speaks about the guilt associated with infidelity. Pritchett felt it was important to bring this issue to light, both the positive and the negative, especially after recent incidents involving high-profile celebrities.

Fans were entertained with old favourites, but were also introduced to tracks from In the Driv-er’s Seat.

“Out of all my albums so far, I’m most proud of this one. To have full creative control has really helped,” he said. This latest work was released under his own record label Decibel.

Pritchett stayed until the last photograph was taken and autograph signed.

“People keep saying ‘One day, you’re going to have to stop doing this.’ I just say ‘No way!’ I’m always the last guy left; I joke that I’m the one who has to sweep the floor. But when it’s all said and done, if people come to the show to hang out with me, that’s cool – it’s all about the fans.”

The song Coming Clean is slated to be the next single off the album, to be released some time in mid-February.

Trudeau Park will feature more Canadian coun-try acts this year, including Jason McCoy on March 26 and George Canyon in July.

Aaron Pritchettthere to the endto sign autographs

Country singer appreciates his fans

Poets share skillsat mic nightSpecial downtown eventturns into regular eventat Sweet Escape lounge

Adam Jackson

Finger Eleven frontman Scott Anderson performs the song One Thing at Empire Theatre on Wednesday. The band performed in front of a nearly sold-out crowd.

Finger Eleven rocks Belleville

By Adam Jackson

Canadian rockers Finger Eleven made a stop in Belleville Wednes-day on tour for their new album, Life Turns Electric.

The new album, released in 2010, has been performed live by the group but this is their first real tour with the album.

In front of a nearly sold-out crowd at Empire Theatre on Front Street, the group performed 10 songs, in-cluding a lengthy encore. Lead singer Scott Anderson was suffer-ing from a cold, but the group of five musicians managed to please their toughest critics – their fans.

“It was really good. I really en-joyed the show and meeting Elias,” said an excited Ashley Wood, a 15-year-old high school student.

Finger Eleven, the headliner for the show, played to a well warmed-up crowd thanks to openers Elias and The Envy.

Small venues like Empire Theatre are known for their terrific sound, and 34-year-old drummer Rich Bed-doe agrees.

“I love playing in small venues, the acoustics are great and it’s a nice in-timate show,” said Beddoe.

Beddoe joined the group in 1994 shortly after they were dropped from one label and re-signed to an-other.

This is not Finger Eleven’s first

time performing in Belleville. In the summer of 2009, the group per-formed in Empire Square alongside rock band ZZ Top.

“I haven’t been able to see a lot of

the city yet, most of the time when we tour all we see is the alley and the venue we’re playing in,” said Beddoe. “But the people seem really nice.”

Finger Eleven has been on tour for

six weeks and will continue to tour across Canada and the United States until mid-February.

Their next show is set for Jan. 27 at Cowboy’s Ranch in London, Ont.

Nearly sold-out crowdenjoyed performanceof Canadian bandon Wednesday

Page A5 · The Pioneer · January 27, 2011

On the street

We asked people at Loyalist College the following question:

What is your view on capital punishment?

Crystal Matheson, 20, media experience, “I don’t believe in capital punishment. I believe too strongly that everybody deserves a second chance.”

David Villenueve, 21, television and new media, “I’m not really for it. I just don’t think that kind of force is needed in our culture today.”

Megan Abbott, 19, early childhood education, “Yes, I support capital punishment. I don’t think it should be as harsh, just something that shows what they did was wrong.”

Derek Moon, 26, custom border services, “I agree with capital punishment. I think whoever is convicted with murder shouldn’t be allowed to live any longer themselves.”

Tracey Allan, 20, early childhood education, “In some ways it should be...harsher depending on the crime they commit. For some crimes, they let them off a little easier than others.”

Troy Stewart, 22, post graduate, public relations, “I would be against it. I just think it’s kind of an eye for an eye men-tality. Being in isola-tion would be worse punishment than kill-ing them.”Editorial

Brain exerciseskeep you healthyHealth Canada lists more than 130 days, weeks and months throughout the year that warrant recognition. Topping the list, which begins in January, is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Alzheimer’s disease occurs most commonly in people over 65. It is a debilitating disease. There is no known cause. There is no known cure.

Medication, at this point, helps only to slow an individual’s decline – to “plateau” as those-in-the-know might say. But ulti-mately, a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s equates to a death sentence, albeit a long one.

The brain is the issue. Brain cells are killed when “plaques and tangles” develop, and once dead, brain cells can never re-generate. Gradually, but not always slowly, cognitive function declines.

According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, one in 11 Canadians over 65 suffers from Alzheimer’s or other related dementias. In 2010, 110,000 new cases were diagnosed. That equates to one new case every five minutes.

In fact, there are now more than 500,000 Canadians living with some form of dementia with Alzheimer’s being the most prevalent. The number is staggering.

However, it gets worse, or it soon will, because the boomers are coming.

Babies born after the Second World War, until 1966, are known as “baby boomers,” a term popularized in this country by demographic forecaster and author David Foot in his book Boom, Bust and Echo.

“The only thing special about baby boomers,” writes Foot, “is that there are so many of them.”

Herein lies the problem. According to Statistics Canada, nearly two million people will

reach their 65th birthday over the next five years. That isn’t to say that all two million will suffer from dementia. However, ac-cording to The Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia on Canadian Society, a comprehensive report published by the Alzheimer Society of Canada in 2009, the number of Canadians suffering from Alzheimer’s or other related dementias may well reach 1,125,200. The future could be grim.

The important thing is to advocate for your own health. Right now. Today. Make healthy lifestyle choices – eat healthy, get regular exercise, reduce stress and be brain smart.

Protect and exercise your brain like you would any other vital organ. Wear a helmet, stay socially active, and challenge your brain every day – do the crossword, learn a new language, take up a new hobby or just do something old in a new way.

Alzheimer’s disease is a death sentence, but in the grand scheme of things, so is life. We are all going to go, it’s just a matter of time.

But now is the time to act. Build your defences against all ill-health, Alzheimer’s included, and instead of being a part of “the rising tide,” you may just ride the tide to a healthier life.

Opinion

The Pioneer is currently produced by print and photojournalism students for Loyalist College and the surrounding area. In the spirit of the pioneers who settled our community and who were rooted in tradition, these pioneers always had an eye on the future. Our students strive to serve the public interest, seek the truth and uphold the highest standards of our profession.

Editor, Audra KentPhoto editor, Michelle BergIn Focus editor, Agnes RamosFaculty advisers: Patti Gower, Luke Hendry, Frank O’Connor, Scott Whalen, Theresa SuartManaging editor, Mike BeaudinPublisher, Jane Harrison

The Pioneer welcomes your letters and comments. Please send material to the editor at the address below before Wednesday. We reserve the right to edit submissions for content and length. All letters must be signed and include a daytime phone number.For advertising information, rates and placement, please contact Sandi Hibbard-Ramsay, at the college, 613-969-1913, ext. 2591; by cell at 613-848-5665; or at home, 613-965-6222.Pioneer newsroom, 1N9, Loyalist College, Box 4200, Belleville, ON K8N 5B9 · 613-969-1913, ext. 2852 or 2108FAX 613-969-1036; e-mail: pioneer@loyalistc.on.ca

OntarioCommunityNewspapersAssociation

By Agnes Ramos

Feeling guilty about the few extra pounds you put on this winter?

Thinking twice about that second serving (or third, or fourth) of holiday ham you ate over the break? You are not the only one. This has happened time and time again.

Don’t feel too badly. There is actually a scientific explana-tion for this yearly phenomenon. The lack of sunlight during the winter lowers our levels of serotonin, the chemicals in our brain that makes us “feel good.”

That, along with our harsh, cold, Canadian weather results in an overall gloomy disposition that makes us more likely to reach for that caramel chocolate bar or that bag of overly salt-ed potato chips.

While this offers obvious temporary happiness, junk foods that are supposed to be comfort foods are actually doing the exact opposite. Gorging on high sodium and high fat snacks that are low in nutrients end up making us feel sluggish, tired, and less motivated to hit the gym.

We gasp in horror when we step on that scale after the holidays, but the truth is the number that has “surprisingly sneaked” up on us didn’t really sneak up on us at all.

We make the same New Year’s resolution every year to start losing weight. So we activate that gym membership. We go re-

ligiously for a few weeks. We make “the promise” to stick to it but then eventually forget and fall back into our sad and hun-gry demise.

Ever notice how busy gyms get after New Year’s? Cory Mes-tre, the fitness facilities and campus recreation co-coordinator at Loyalist, says January is the facility’s busiest time of the year, but after a few weeks, towards the end of the month, it begins to quiet down again.

How do we keep ourselves from falling off the wagon? Being active is not an individual problem. As a country, we

spend 9.5 hours of our days sedentary. According to Statistics Canada, only 15 per cent of Canadian adults meet the minimum amount of daily-recommended exercise but only five per cent meet the recommended 150 minutes per week.

Granted, 150 minutes per week can be a huge lifestyle change to the average person, but the long-term effects are well worth it. A lack of a healthy lifestyle can lead to this Canadian image: lazy and fat with poor cardiovascular health.

It is a well-known fact that exercise releases endorphins. The next time you’re feeling blue and ready to take a trip to the pan-try cabinet, combat those low serotonin levels with exercise.

Commitment and dedication doesn’t come easily but you can start slowly. You don’t want to join a gym? Run up and down the school staircase. Park further away from the entrance.

Get moving. Your body will thank you.

By Clover Raftis

Everyone has a Facebook account.Your mom, sister, brother, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend,

dog, cat, even babies who have yet to see the light of day seem to have a Facebook account.

Status updates and pictures can be shared with everyone. Not to worry if you’ve been taught proper online etiquette. But if you are one of thousands who are oblivious to the daily threats the online presence can be, consider this.

At age 16, you go looking for a job, hand out resumes, make cold calls and drop in to speak with the managers. Then you go home and update your status with regards to the ‘awesome’ party you attended last night complete with pictures posted of you and your friends having a blast, being naughty and gener-ally doing things your own mother would recoil with disgust viewing.

Did you stop to consider that your future manager might just check out your Facebook page? See your status, and that awe-some picture of you downing a 40 of Olde English? Doesn’t sound like such a great idea now, does it?

Even if you are extremely diligent to ensure your privacy, Facebook teenaged crowds tend to post whatever is on their mind, including what they think about their peers.

There are some parents who have caught on to this online

blurt-fest and have quietly added themselves on to their chil-dren’s Facebook friend lists. (A brilliant parental control if I might say so.)

We’ve all seen the somewhat suggestive photos that others have posted, nearly in the nude, or the classic “I’m in the bath-room casually with my iPhone” shot. With images, videos and posts easily shared and distributed throughout the social net-work, no one is safe. But we can all gain a fresh start by deleting the past and, keeping in mind that anyone can view this, post ‘user friendly’ photos and updates.

After you have logged in, checked out the latest and great-est, cruise over to the heading ‘Account’, then click on ‘Privacy settings.’ Choose Customize settings located near the bottom then scroll down to the ‘things others share’ section. Here you can change the settings of what people can view and post to your wall, the setting ‘friends can post on my wall’ has an en-able button that you can click on to stop anyone from posting their outrageous comments on your wall.

This is also helpful as it forces people to message you about the massive blowout party happening later tonight that you re-ally didn’t want your boss to know about.

So the next time you update your status, consider who will view it. That thought may just stop you from exclaiming your ever-present love for beer. But really? Who doesn’t love beer?

Don’t be so quick to post on Facebook

Make a commitment to your health

Capital punishment isn’t the answerStephen Harper’s face filled the TV screen. In an interview with Peter Mansbridge on CBC’s the National, Harper said he believes “there are times where capital punishment is appro-priate.

Harper called this a personal view and said he would not attempt to reinstate it if elected to a majority govern-ment. Didn’t he also say that Canada would not go into further deficit if he was elected? This makes his state-ment on capital punishment a concern.

When asked about reopening the death penalty issue, Harper said he doesn’t “see the country wanting to do that.” Has he ever based his decisions on what the coun-try wants?

Back in the 1980s, when Liberals were in power, sur-veys showed more than 60 per cent of Canadians sup-ported capital punishment. Now it’s the reverse, but those voters most likely to support capital punishment now are Conservatives. With the Conservatives in power, resinstating the death penalty would be a mistake.

Harper’s personal beliefs and others may coincide, but we need a more reasoned response to horrific crimes. Society demands a more responsible response than knee-jerk, gut reactions.

Should Russell Williams and Paul Bernardo be given the right to breathe our air, eat our food and have a roof over their head when so many people are freezing on the streets? No.

Williams should be put in a glass box in downtown To-ronto to starve to death with everyone watching. Should a 23-year-old girl even imagine such things? No. Nobody should think about the killing or torturing of a human be-ing but at what point does a human remain human?

The thing about death, as opposed to 25 years or more in prison, is that it is a form of escape.

Williams attempted suicide in jail, which proves a life sentence is the best option. He shouldn’t get what he wants.

Right now, Williams is in his own personal hell, trapped in the confines of a prison cell where he must live with his mind replaying every horrible act he did. Life in jail is a better way of making sure criminals endure the hell they’ve created for themselves.

We often think we shouldn’t put our tax dollars into feeding and housing murderers, but in our criminal jus-tice system, it actually costs more to give someone the death penalty due to the lawyers and appeal processes.

Not to mention there are many cases of people being wrongfully convicted, like David Milgaard who spent more than 22 years behind bars.

Our first reaction may be to agree with Harper. There is a part of all of us who would love to see all of the mur-dering-rapist bastards thrown into a real-life version of the movie SAW. But history, research and statistics prove – capital punishment is not the answer.