rto retired teachers of ontario north york newsletter: toronto, rto/ero, benefits, 16, women

NOVEMBER, 2008 NEWSLETTER ~ Issue 95
A Newsletter for the Members of RTO/ERO District 23, North York

Click on most pictures to see larger version.
Colour versions may be available from the 'Photos' Link above.

Because of deadlines for submissions to STONY Bridges, I am writing this message during the second week of October. I write this to provide you with a time frame regarding my comments further in this message.

We have just had a successful Champagne Pour breakfast, held at the Thornhill Golf & Country Club to welcome our new District 23 members and to persuade the guests in attendance, to join our District. There were about 60 attendees. We were provided with a tasty continental breakfast. We are looking forward to registering our 2200th RTO- RO District 23 North York member.

Our Dirty Dancing and JerseyBoys trips sold out quickly. There is still time to attend some of the other events, but if you would like to attend any future event, please register early to avoid disappointment.

On behalf of the executive and you the members, I would like to welcome Mary Cairo to serve on your District 23 executive. Mary has accepted the position of Archivist. We spoke briefly, and she indicated she is anxious to get started in this role.

The position of Travelogue Convener is still vacant. If you would like to fill that position, please contact me or any member of your executive.

Your Conveners have lined up an exciting and varied group of events/activities for you to consider at-tending over the next few months. Throughout this newsletter, there are many advertisements, promoting and informing you of each activity. The "tear-off" registration sheets for these events/activities are grouped together for your convenience. Please ensure that if you wish to attend more than one activity/event, that you complete one registration form for each event and send it in before the cut-off date. In addition, please send in a cheque to cover the cost of only one event. Should you want to attend more than one event, please send in a registration form and a cheque for each event. Do not lump the amounts for each event and total them on one cheque. This makes it extremely difficult for the executive members in charge, to complete the paperwork for the events/activities and ensure your spot at the event.

The 47 District Presidents of RTO-RO were invited to attend a one-day workshop. I attended on be-half of District 23. At the workshop, we were provided with a number of procedures, ideas, and methodologies to use as District presidents. I personally found the sessions to be invaluable.

During one session, presidents from several Districts sat around a table to indicate what activities and events they were providing for their members. I am very pleased to say that when I listed the events District 23 would pro-vide during the rest of this year, and those that we have already provided, most of the members of my group were very impressed. Many of the other Districts only plan a very few events each year for their members.

The presidents were also very interested in our email fan-out system to inform members of important happenings between editions of STONY Bridges. The other presidents thought this is a wonderful idea to keep the members informed on an on-going basis. If you would like to be on this list, please let me know. There is a more de-tailed procedure informing you how to do this elsewhere in this edition.

Later this month, the table officers of your executive will attend the RTO- RO Senate meetings. There are two such gatherings per year. These are the venues at which the table officers of each of the 47 Districts meet to discuss and set the policies for the governance of RTO/ERO.

District 23 is always looking for members to assist with planning and delivering the various activities. Your involvement may be of a limited kind or a more intensive one. If you would like to become more involved, please let me know or let any of the executive members know.

By the time you read this, it will be close to the time for the traditional Holiday Season Break which our colleagues who are still teaching, will soon enjoy. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you, a joyous Holiday Season and a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous, and Safe New Year.

District Table Officers (l to r):
Michael Sheffe - President, Helen Wiber - Secretary, Luci Soncin - 1st Vice President, Margaret Schuman - Past President, Seated: Bev Henricks - Treasurer. Absent: Marisa Celenza - 2nd. V.P.

Occasionally, RTO- RO District 23, North York executive members have items of interest to share with the members. These may arise between published issues of Stony Bridges.

We have an email fan-out service, which we use to inform our members of such events. This is an efficient, expeditious, and economical way to deliver important information to our members. If you would like to be included, please email your name and email address to: msheffe@rogers.com

If you have been receiving these email notices regularly, you need not do anything. Some members may have received these emails in the past, but no longer are receiving them. In that case, please send me your current email address. Ensure that you set your Preferences to receive e-mail from the above e-mail address. If your e-mail address changes, please in-form me.

Your information is kept confidential. I do not distribute it, or sell it to anyone else. Please note that when you receive an email from this service, it does not show your email address, nor any-one else's email address. Thank you,

The Book Club meets the last Wednesday of each month at Edithvale Community Centre (Finch and Edithvale - on south side west of Yonge St.) from 2:00 to 4:00pm.

The North York Strollers is a friendly and enthusiastic group who investigate and discover various locations within the city of Toronto. The goals of the walks are: to enjoy the companionship of other nature lovers, to enjoy the natural beauty of our city and the changing seasons, to explore neighbourhoods and to exercise a few muscles in the process.

Walks are planned with a minimal number of steps and grades. The pace of the walk is determined by the needs and desires of the group. A refreshment and washroom break is usually planned approximately one hour into the walk. Walks last approximately two hours, but we have been known to continue a little longer and some often enjoy lunch together at the conclusion of our stroll. We've had two interesting walks this fall, with many new members joining in the fun. New walkers are always welcome.

We walk on the first Thursday of every month, regardless of the weather - rain or shine. Meeting places are listed for each walk.

December 4, 2008
City Hall and Environs
Led by Margaret Schuman & Joanne Famiglietti
Meet at Osgoode Subway Station

March 5, 2009
Downtown Landmarks
Led by Margaret Schuman & Joanne Famiglietti
Meet at Union Station Subway (in-doors at the clock)

May 7, 2009
Parks of East & West Riverdale
Led by Ernie Walker
Meet at Castlefrank Subway Station

For more information and/or directions please call:
Joanne Famiglietti: 416.483.4968 or
Margaret Schuman: 416.924.0267

As of September 30, 2008, we are pleased to report that District 23, North York has 2190 members. Your executive welcomes all new members who have joined from June 2008. The following information was taken from RTO/RO, Provincial Office in monthly membership updates. I apologize for any errors or omissions.

Every effort has been made to contact all new members and welcome them to District 23, North York. Newsletters are sent to all new members shortly after our monthly updates have been received.

June 2008
Maureen Capotosto	Michael Curran	Penny Dickie
Deborah Gans	John Reynolds	Peggy Ricciardelli
Simone Terpstra
July 2008
Madrina Alexander	Frances Berman	Jeremiah Blair
S. Rachel Brass	Joanne Callander	Heather Carroll-Donnelly
Sheryl Danilowitz	George Dingman	Carolyn Fairhurst
Jane E. Fardell	Susan Ferguson	Anne Ford
Merle Gracie	Gary E. Grimble	Barrie Humphreys
Jim Inch	Joseph Ki	Silvi A. Kolaric
Constance P. K. Lam	Archie Loberto	Gina Nasturzio
Donna Pencharz	Mary Pyman	Tom Pyman
Laura Rodney	Lyle Sadavoy	Jo-Ann Slack
Audrey Stacey	Melanie Tennant	Michael Vegh
Mary D. Venditti	Jo-Anne Weinstein
August 2008
Carol Bodo	Patricia Guthrie	Christine Jakubowski
Jerald Mandell	Larry Martinello	Sandra A. Motta
Elizabeth O'Halloran	Barry Schneider	Emilie Speed
F. Louise Wilkie
September 2008
James R. Bakes	Mary Cairo	Betty Clarfield
Holly David-son	Clarice M. Giffen	Krystyna Goldstein
Patricia Good	Pat Pecchia	Marion Steacy
Irene Yared

The 2008 Annual Meeting of District 23/North York was held on Tuesday June 10 at the Thornhill Golf and Country Club. It was yet another opportunity to celebrate, and celebrate we did – the 40th Anniversary of RTO/ERO and the 35th Anniversary of District 23/North York. A very special time was celebrated with Kathleen Elliott as she retired after thirty-two years on the executive of District 23/North York. Kathleen was presented with beautiful orchids as a token of our appreciation of her service and dedication to our district.

Mary Ellen Lawless conducted the election of officers for 2008/2009. The slate of officers is reported elsewhere.

District 23 mugs were presented to Bev Henricks and Jean Wilson for three years service on the executive. In addition, executive name tags were presented to Joanne Famiglietti, Claire Knapp, Luci Soncin and Bernadette Walsh.

We were pleased to welcome the presidents of the Toronto Districts – Valerie Mah - Toronto, Bill Sparks – Scarborough/East York, Gary Vipond – Etobicoke/York - who joined us for our meeting and celebrations.

In addition, Lori McDonald-Blundon, Debra Telfer, Johnson Insurance and Mari Anne De Lima, Merit Travel brought us up to date on services and supports which they provide.

During the lunch that followed, we were able to reminisce as we viewed the many pictures, which Andrée Nottage located in our archives and processed onto DVDs.

Our scrumptious lunch, arranged by Mildred Frank and the staff of Thornhill Golf and Country Club, ended with many happy attendees winning door prizes.

We regret to inform you that some of our members have passed away. Our condolences go to family and friends, and we hope they will find comfort in fond memories of days gone by.

The following information is taken from RTO/ERO, Provincial Office in monthly membership updates from January through to September, 2008.

Some 34 District members welcomed some 30 new and potential members to this annual event at the Thornhill Golf and Country Club on Tuesday, October 7 - an opportunity designed to celebrate recent retirement.

The wonderful weather and venue fitted the occasion. After break-fast, President Michael Sheffe, and some of our Conveners, described the many benefits and activities that membership in RTO/ RO provincially and locally offers.

First Vice- President Luci Soncin took champagne in hand and proposed a toast to all present. Each was encouraged to participate and get involved.

The event was arranged by Mildred Frank, our Social Convener (who unfortunately could not be present), and led by George Meek who told a few of his stories.

Lucky draw winners at the Champagne Pour: D. Fair, E. Chadband, I. Yared, N. Wilson, M. Alexander

Emily Manson and Carol McKnight attended the Champagne Pour for new members.

Mary Ellen Lawless and Eulaline Taylor attended the Champagne Pour for new members.

George Tuck and George Dingman attended the Champagne Pour for new members.

Note: You can also access much of this information on the RTO/ERO Members-only section (www.rto-ero.org) of its website in a tabloid format entitled ‘Health Matters' produced by the RTO/ERO Health Services Committee following each of its meetings. Much of this information comes from the June and August editions.

1. Supplemental Travel
Anew Supplemental Travel Option will come into effect on September 1, 2008. A new Five Day Trip Option will be available for purchase under the RTO/ RO's Supplemental Travel Plan. The negotiated rates are as follows: Single - $65, Couple - $130, and Family - $143.

A communication piece will be included in each renewal package advising Supplemental Travel Plan participants of the new trip option.

2. Mondial Assistance (formerly World Access Canada)
On June 2, 2008, World Access officially changed its name to MONDIAL ASSISTANCE . Please note that while the contact numbers for any travel inquiries or emergencies will not change from that listed in your Group Benefits Program Booklets, Health Plan, participants who call World Access will be greeted with, "Mondial Assistance, formally, World Access". The company's website will change to www.mondial-assistance.ca.

3. Claims Status
Of the occurrences processed from January to June 2008, O88% were electronic and 12% were paper claims. Go to page 5 and 6 of the RTO/ERO Group Benefits Program Booklet to see if you are making use of the many available electronic services that will cut down on paper use and your time.

4. Travel Pattern Statistics
At the June 2008 Health Services and Insurance Committee (HS&IC) meeting, Johnson Inc. was asked to review whether Canadian travel patterns have been altered due to the rising cost of fuel. The following is an excerpt from a press release from the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THIA). Johnson Inc. is a member of THIA.

Despite high gasoline prices and soaring airline fares, travel health insurers expect Canadian snowbirds to hold fast to their winter vacation ritual this coming winter.

"And though record high gas prices are a major concern, the fact they are some 20 percent cheaper in the U.S., where snowbirds will spend the winter months, may ease that concern a little," says Juliann Martyniuk, president of THIA. "So will the continuing strength of the Canadian dollar, which continues to trade at near parity with the U.S. dollar, a fact that fortifies Canadians' purchasing power in the U.S. sunbelt." The Conference Board of Canada projects that snowbirds (55 years and older travelling for at least 31 consecutive nights) will make more than 750,000 out-of-country trips through the 2008/2009 season. That is up more than 73 percent since the low of 433,000 in 2000.

Reminder - Snowbird time is quickly approaching. NOW is the timefor you to ensure you have proper Travel Insurance if you plan to travel Out of Province/Country longer than 62 days. Remember- a new five day top-up is available through RTO/ RO's Supplemental Travel Plan. Also remind members that proof is necessary for the date that each health plan member left the province of residence in case a claim has to be made.

Finally, Sam Habib would say, "If you know teachers who are close to retiring, tell them about RTO/ RO and to consider joining us and our excellent health plans." If they require more information they can contact RTO/ERO or me (George Meek at 416 226 3568 or george.meek@sympatico.ca.

Note: The most accurate information about our Health Plans is found on the RTO/ RO website: www.rto-ero.org and in the RTO/ RO Health Plan Booklets.

1. How to Make Eating Out More Healthy
According to the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, the average Canadian household eats at a restaurant an average of 536 times a year.

The choices you make can have a significant impact on your weight and nutrition.

2. Patient Drug Monographs
Johnson Inc. has expanded the services available to Health Plans participants online.

Participants can request a user ID and password to access Johnson's Members Only website to review a Patient Drug Monograph (P M) for any of the prescription drugs they have claimed under the RTO/ RO Extended Health Care Plan. The P M is an information document generally provided to participants by some pharmacists when they fill prescriptions. This document may be provided on paper, or often, a pharmacist will verbally review the information with the patient. The P M includes information about the medication including: uses, how to take the medication, side effects, precautions, drug interactions, counselling messages, and missed dose and storage instructions. To access the P M for a particular drug claim, participants would be required to log onto the Johnson Inc. Members Only website using their user ID and password, select the "Claims In-formation" section of the website and click on the drug claim they wish to view. Once the "Detailed Description" appears, they will need to select the drug identification number to access the P M information.

3. Database of Licensed Natural Health Products Coming Soon
The Natural Health Products Di-rectorate (NHPD) anticipates launching the Licensed Natural Health Products Database ( NHPD) in the summer of 2008. The LNHPD will allow users to quickly and easily search for information on natural health products (NHP's) that have been issued a product license. NHP's that have been licensed for sale in Canada will bear a

DIN, NPN or DIN-HM on the label, followed by an eight-digit number (e.g. NPN 12345678) signifying it is safe and effective when used in accordance with the instructions on the label.

The database will include in-formation on: authorized health claims, medicinal and non-medicinal ingredients and risk information. The database replaces the List of Licensed Natural Health Products and will be updated daily, as opposed to the previous list which was only updated monthly.

4. Heart Attack and Women – Are the Warning Signals Different?
In the past, it was believed that women had different warning signals than men. This may not be the case. Both women and men may experience typical or non-typical symptoms such as nausea, sweating, pain in the arm, throat, jaw or pain that is unusual. However, women may describe their pain differently than men. Nevertheless, the most common symptom in women is still chest pain. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. Women tend to be safeguarded from heart disease prior to menopause be-cause of the protective effect of estrogen, but not always. For example, pre-menopausal women with diabetes have similar risk to men of the same age because diabetes cancels out the protective effect that estrogen provides to pre-menopausal women.

5. Heart Attack Myths – Chain E-mail(s)
The Heart and Stroke Foundation continues to advise Canadians against circulating an e-mail often entitled How to Survive a Heart Attack When Alone. The e-mail is being circulated with the advice to send it to everyone you know and recommends that people who think they are having a heart attack should cough long, deeply and frequently. It claims that this will improve blood circulation to the heart keeping you alive until emergency services arrive. So what should you do if you are alone and think you having a heart attack?

- The Heart and Stroke Foundation encourages Canadians to learn the warning signals of heart attack (see what follows in #6), and - Immediately call 9-1-1 (or your local emergency number for help). It's a good idea to keep a list of emergency numbers near the phone at all times.

6. Heart Attack Warning Signals
Thousands of Canadians die from heart attacks every year because they do not get medical treatment quickly enough. Learn to recognize the signals of a heart attack, so you can react quickly to save a life.

Shortness of breath - Difficulty breathing Nausea; Indigestion; Vomiting; Sweating; Cool, clammy skin; Fear; Anxiety: and Denial

7. Ontario Public Drug Programs – Competitive Agreements
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has issued a call for applications from pharmaceutical manufacturers to enter into Competitive Agreements for four drug products currently listed "as a benefit" on the government formulary:

Pharmaceutical manufacturers are being asked to bid on the Ontario Public Drug Programs (PDP's) business. Ontario residents, age 65 and older receive coverage under one of the PDP's ~ the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan. Brand and generic manufacturers are eligible to quote. Two manufacturers will be selected as the exclusive suppliers to the PDP, effective October 1, 2008. All other manufacturers for the drugs listed below will be listed as "not a benefit" on the government formulary, and will no longer be covered by the province for the Ontario Drug Benefit Program and Trillium, etc.

The patent protection on each of the four medications has expired and there are multiple manufacturers listed "as a benefit" on the government formulary. They represent $80.3 million in expenditures under the various PDP's. The following table outlines the number of manufacturers approved by Health Canada for each medication (both generic and brand), as well as the cost to the PDP for April 2007 to March 2008:

Under the existing regulations, the pricing for generic drugs on the government formulary is limited to 50% of the brand price. With the new Competitive Agreements, prices will be maintained at 50%, but manufacturers will rebate back to the provincial government a further volume discount, based upon market share of the PDP.

If you are an Ontario resident age 65 or older, and are receiving one of the previously noted drugs under Ontario's PDP's, ask your pharmacist to switch you to the approved drug manufacturer once the Ontario Government has awarded the contract.

8. Ontario Establishes New College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Ontario has appointed a 15-member transitional council to oversee the practices and services of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists. The first public meeting of the council was held on June 26, 2008. Established under the Traditional Chinese Medicine Act, 2006, the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine will make traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture services safer for Ontarians by ensuring that only regulated and qualified practitioners who are account-able to a regulatory body may deliver services. The transitional council is the public's voice in regulating the future development of traditional Chinese medicine in Ontario. Traditional Chinese medicine is a holistic system of health care that originated in China.

Therapies include acupuncture, herbal therapy, tuina massage and therapeutic exercise. Ontario is the second province in Canada to regulate traditional Chinese medicine.

1. Flurizan
New Alzheimer's Drug Shows Promise Myriad Pharmaceuticals' new drug, tarenflurbil (Flurizan), is showing promising results after Phase 2 trials. Subjects, with mild Alzheimer's, who were given high doses of the drug showed significantly better results on tests of their functional abilities than those given a placebo. While the benefits were not exhibited in those given a lower dose or those with moderate Alzheimer's, the results are encouraging since the drug is the first to slow or even prevent progression of the disease in those with mild dementia.

The drug works by blocking the formation of amyloid beta-42, a protein that creates amyloid plaques in the brain – the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. It is thought that if this drug can block the production and accumulation of the protein, without causing significant side effects, then in theory, it can prevent, stop or perhaps even reverse the disease. Phase 3 trials are underway and the results are expected to be published later this year.

2. Erbitux (cetuximab)
Available for Sale in Canada, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, confirmed that cetuximab will be marketed in Canada after all. Two years prior, the pharmaceutical company had refused to sell its medicine in Canada due to a price dispute with the federal board that regulates the cost of patented medicines. At the time, it was deemed one of the world's most expensive cancer drugs. The Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada estimates it costs about $56,000 for a standard course of therapy. A company spokesman said the decision to finally launch had largely to do with studies showing the drug can prolong the lives of metastatic colorectal cancer patients, in addition to patients with certain head and neck cancers.

Since 2005, cetuximab, known by the trade name Erbitux, has been re-leased 495 times under Health Canada's special access program, according to Health Canada spokesman Alastair Sinclair. It remains to be seen if the provincial government program will pick up the cost of the drug.

3. CHAMPIX ® – New Safety Information
CHAMPIX (varenicline tartrate) is one treatment option available to help quit smoking. Pfizer Canada in consultation with Health Canada is advising consumers of important safety in-formation regarding CHAMPIX. Since the introduction of CHAMPIX in Canada, in April 2007 through April 30, 2008, a total of 226 Canadian cases of neuropsychiatric adverse events have been reported. A number of patients taking CHAMPIX have experienced unusual feelings of agitation, depressed mood, hostility, changes in behavior or impulsive or disturbing thoughts such as thoughts of self-harm or harm to others.

Ontarians living with advanced colorectal cancer will now have access to Avastin as a first-line treatment. Ontario will pro-vide more than $30 million in funding over the next three years through the Ontario Public Drug Programs (OPDP) to make Avastin publicly available. Avastin will be used as the first treatment option in therapy for advanced colorectal cancer in Ontario. Ontario will also provide approximately $20 million in funding over the next three years for Sprycel to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia and Alimta to treat non-small cell lung cancer. Clinical trials have shown that Avastin is most effective when used as a first-line treatment for advanced colorectal cancer. The average length of survival for patients who receive Avastin in combination with other chemotherapy treatments is close to two years, compared to 15 months for patients who do not receive Avastin as part of their therapy.

The ministry has also approved funding for Alimta under the New Drug Funding Program (NDFP) for patients in Ontario who require chemotherapy as second-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. Alimta has proven to be as effective and better tolerated in many patients than docetaxel, a chemotherapy drug that is routinely used for the second-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Sprycel has also been approved by the ministry for funding under the Exceptional Access Program for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (A ) for both adult and pediatric patients who did not respond to previous treatment regimens for A .

Source: Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Bulletin, July 2, 2008

George Dingman began teaching in 1965. He taught at Cedar Grove P.S., Zion Heights J.H.S., and served as a Physical and Health Education Program Leader. In 1977, after a four and a half year search, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. He continued to fulfill his duties until 1994 when he retired with a Long Term Disability pension.

George is married to Linda, has three children: Christopher, Craig and Marni and seven grandchildren: Kai, Reina, Jack-son, Jenna, Cole, Jasmine, and Taylor.

The moment I walk onto the course, I start thinking about and planning for the game I'm going to play.

First, I choose just the right clothing for the weather conditions, the kind of game I hope to play, and even for whatever mood I happen to be in. There are days when I'll change several times before I head for the course just to get it right. (I always carry rain gear just in case.)

Then I start planning my strategy. With whom will I be playing? What physical state am I in today? What special challenges does the course have? What clubs will I need to meet all the challenges?

Next step: warming up. Stretching and limbering ease Parkinson's-challenged muscles.

Finally, I play mind games. How am I going to get my best shot at par? I go over every inch of ground I'll be covering, every wrinkle in the course. How do I compensate for what-ever state my body is in today to make the score I have set for myself?

Despite all this, I am never anxious about the game ahead. I focus only on the challenges, the goal, and the camaraderie. I know from experience that I'm just as good as the next guy in spite of my condition. The bottom line is that I'm excited about playing.

I get to the golf course maybe an hour before tee off. I do what I call my ‘three ball routine'. I start with a pitch shot, and then I try a seven iron, and then a putting stroke. This routine helps me focus on my strengths. I visualize each shot: the path the ball will take, the distance, pace and speed. I try to imagine the obstacles different holes can throw at me, and how I can best them.

As I head up to the first tee, I chat it up with my partners, none of them handicapped in any way. It's all golf chitchat, a bit of bragging, a bit of planning and projecting. We might even wager a few dollars just to add to the competitive edge. Of course, I play with a handicap. I may freeze, go stiff, or stumble because of the Parkinson's. (I have to make sure I've medicated myself adequately beforehand to avoid this as much as possible. I don't want to have to take time out to re-medicate myself during the game.)

For the first two or three holes, I'm talking to myself trying to get my head into the right space. It's mind over matter for me, especially if the weather is unsettled. If it's very hot, I have to keep drinking so I won't dehydrate.

I use the clubs that suit my condition best. Graphite, I find, is more forgiving than steel but the length and accuracy of the drive, even though it depends on the weight and shaft of the club, is still up to me.

I'll start off on a real high, but I know that if I don't cool it and relax, I'm going to shut down fast. The game I'll play will be erratic. If I try to quicken my pace, like taking too hasty a shot, or if I linger too long over one shot, I know I'll lose my balance and pitch right over.

Every moment I have to battle myself for control. I keep telling myself, "Relax. Enjoy the game. It's not a PGA tournament." Most of the time this dialogue works, and I get to the 19th watering hole feeling good.

One day my daughter Marni shot a video of a game in which I partnered with my son-in-law. Seeing my-self on screen cued me in and clued me in. Watching myself in action for thefirst time, I could tell what works for me and what needs improving. Most importantly, I saw that on the golf course I'm not as dyskinetic as I am during a routine day. Oh, sure, I could see that I'm off balance here and there. (I heard myself saying under my breath, "Don't freeze up…Keep moving…Don't be so jumpy on the swing… Step over the club [to get back in balance])."

I saw myself rushing to beat the rain that had started to fall. If I kept that up, I'd be in trouble. By the ninth hole, the sun was out again, and I could see that I was off pace, but this time it was because my medication was wearing off.

In spite of the flaws (that only I could detect), I looked to myself just like any other guy on the course. I was amazed. What an eye opener! Besides, I had a great time playing with my son-in-law and learned so much from my daughter's video.

There's always a price to pay after a vigorous game. I'm often stiff as a board when I get home. Every joint in my body aches. I have to lie down for a while, and then force myself to get moving again so that I don't freeze up altogether. One step over Dingman De-vice or a golf club or hockey stick or Linda's foot, whichever is handy, is usually all it takes for me to regain mobility.

Regardless, every day I look forward to the next round. Every round means I'll get it together to play a better game. My score is still usually somewhere between 80 and 100, most games closer to 80. The most important thing is that I am out there doing it.

Now you could well ask, is it wise for a Parkinson's patient to be out playing golf in all kinds of weather, shivering or sweating, and pushing myself to the limit? Wouldn't some gentler form of exercise keep the body fresh and agile? What happens if I fall or freeze? Who's going to get me through the crisis?

First off, as I've pointed out there's a close link between golf and life. Golf sharpens the senses and re-flexes, and the elements shape us. Golf teaches strategies for success. The re-wards, both personal and social, are unique.

Golf widens my world as my life becomes ever more restricted be-cause of the Parkinson's. Because of golf, I can still feel that at least in some areas I'm still master of my fate, not just a victim of nature's whimsical changes. On the course, I feel equal to any challenge, something I don't feel anymore off the course. Every game is a new set of challenges to be mastered.

My golf friends know the power of golf just as much as I do. The rewards of a good game, the satisfaction, the enhanced self-esteem; and let's not forget the lessons of a bad game: honing strategies for success. As partners on the course, we help one another to keep focused on the goal, not on the trials and failings along the way. They deserve recognition.

Laurie Buckland was the long-time head pro at Aurora Highlands Golf Club. Laurie is presently golf director at Wooden Sticks G.C. He hired me to Marshall and sometimes on the first tee as a Starter, knowing my condition, because he understood how much golf was helping me. He knows because he's been there, done that. He suffered a severe stroke at 45 and because of it, he is still speech challenged. Golf helped him to find a way back to living normally. He has not only taught me how to master my condition; he counselled me. He taught me how important it is to be open and up front about my condition and with my feelings. He's helped me regain confidence and self worth. All it takes, I've learned from him, is a strong will, a clear goal, and focussed effort. He's helped me move up and move on.

Neil Smith, presently CPGA professional at Maple Downs G.C. has used golf to come back from the brink of an addiction to alcohol and tobacco. He has shown me how golf can turn my life around too. From him I've learned how to treat golf as a holiday from grim reality, how to use it to strengthen skill and will. He has shown me that golf is more than therapy, though…that it's a breakthrough sport, constantly taking one to new levels.

Craig Moyer, his wife Shirley and son Drew have helped me more than they will ever know. Craig followed a dream. After the sale of a successful gravel business he bought a golf course, Bear Creek. Despite a bad back, he's at the club every single day, enjoying a round, or doing any job that needs to be done. He wouldn't ask someone to do a job he wouldn't do himself. He's passing his work ethic and his compassion on to his son Drew, who's well aware of how much Bear Creek Golf Club means to me in mastering the Parkinson's Challenge.

Bob Wall played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League for 13 years, and saw action with several teams. It taught him, and he passed it on to me, that no matter how much you're kicked around, you have to hang on to your dreams. In the end, he learned and he teaches that it's up to each of us alone. Just get on with it, is his motto. He's helped make

it mine too, and I know it works, because he now owns three Tim Horton's franchises and still has time to be my golfing buddy and friend. Not bad for a guy who never graduated high school.

Peter Calvert is another long-time friend who also has a story to tell. He made it big time as an insurance adjuster and had all the bells and whistles to prove it. A powerboat, a Corvette, and a monster house. Then, his long-time business partner died suddenly, his marriage fell apart, and he lost a bundle before the dust settled. Yet he invites me to play golf with him even though I think he secretly hates the game. He knows how important golf is to me. He always has time for a game of pool, a coffee, and a shmooze. Playing with guys like these, I come off the course refreshed, resolute, reassured and confident, even if I haven't played my best. All they ask is that I let them help me open up so they can help get me through. Without their support, I'd be an empty shell.

What's New
The District 23 Homepage Slideshow is featuring the Champagne Pour. Check out new photos added since spring.

Stony On-Line
To date, 123 members have opted to receive their STONY Bridges on-line. You can get yours on-line too. See de-tails below.

Remember
District 23 information can be found on our website: http://www.rtoerotorontodistricts.org/

Log on to view: Activities, Classifieds, Member Services, Newsletters, Photos, Executive Members and more.

Classifieds! Classifieds!
All members are able to submit ads to the Classifieds section on the website. You might have a service to provide or need support with a project, a property to rent or an event of interest to members. Send your ad to me at the address below. Classifieds can also be placed into STONY Bridges. Send to robertpf@hotmail.com.

Web Links
I want to remind you that there are numerous links on the District 23 website: OTPP, TRAVEL, HEALTH to name a few, and a MEMBERS ONLY section that re-quires registration before access is given. CONSTITUTION, FACT SHEETS, SENATE, TAX TIPS and GOVERNANC E are just a few of the topics you will find in the Members Only section of the web-site. Have your RTO/ERO membership number handy to register.

If you've already submitted your request and received an acknowledgment, it is unnecessary to do this again.

Currently we send a copy of Stony Bridges in February, August and November to each of our 2100+ members, by mail. This costs about $1.50 per copy for printing and mailing. Members in many organizations have chosen to receive such newsletters ‘on-line' rather than in hard copy thus saving costs to their organization while making a real contribution towards the environmentally-friendly program of reducing and recycling.

For members like you, who are on the Internet, we can offer this opportunity. This is the way it works:

We hope you will try this process in the interests of the environment and saving costs to the District (which can be used elsewhere in the interests of the members).The August 2008 Stony is already posted on our website, as indicated above, in both for-mats. Please go there and see how user-friendly it really is.

Note: Previous editions of Stony for the current year are also available ‘on-line'. If after you have tried Stony ‘on-line' and find it does not meet your needs, please let Dianne know by e-mail and you will begin to receive your Stony in hard copy by mail starting with the next edition.

POETRY

Toronto
2008/1938

Concrete monoliths
Stalk the city,
Peering downwards
At cement seas below;
Thrusting skyward,
Nudging clouds
Into obscurity.
Cityscape.

Cosy bungalows,
Back gardens with
Morning glories
Turning towards
A sunny sky;
Nearby, grassy fields
Of wild strawberries.
Memoryscape.

Carole A. Martyn

My friend within

Alone? True.
Solitary? Rarely.
My dear friend within
clings to me invisibly,
rendering smiles with grace,
listening to my countless tales,
yet, allowing me my space.

Alone with my own,
on the past I reflect;
for what's to come I don't weep.
reversing time I shan't expect;
as life, like fleeting moments,
passes swiftly on arid lands,
to melt in a pond of laments.

Foreseeing a lonely,
naked, ever-silenced end,
from innocence, eyes open,
I emerge to hear my friend within.
Together our voices echo strong,
but, silent in their holy shrines,
the gods are deaf to our soulful song.

Terry G. Harris

For My Class

I want to give you
The sound of a sun ray
The softness of sand
The sob of a broken promise
The strength to cry

I want to give you
The wisdom of a tree that knows how to grow
The suppleness of a flower that knows how to bend
The glitter of dew on a cobweb at dawn
The courage of a river that comes pounding down
And then changes its course

I want to give you a better world
A warless world
Where even suffering and pain have beauty
Because tears fall on faces of loving friends

I want to give you a world without boundaries
Where no one asks your country, colour or god
Where being human is sufficient

I want to give you a better world

Elka Enola

There are many satellite adult life style communities, with and without golf courses, in the GTA. Many retired teachers live in these communities. Staff meetings have been replaced by sessions around the card table, or the 19th hole, or…

A bunch of the guys were in the pool (the deepest part) discussing (male for gossiping) nothing in particular.

The only things missing were a couple of cold beers and some peanuts. The philosopher noted this and profoundly said, "In a perfect world, the ocean would be beer, and the sand around it peanuts."

"Start by improving the activities," added the know-it-all while stroking his ample chin.

"We don't make full use of the recreational possibilities around here," pontificated the former whiz-kid. "For example, the wide expanse of the golf course and its disuse during the winter lends itself to snowmobile races."

"Ice sailing using those contraptions with sails and sleighs on the frozen ponds," said the know-it-all.

"Might even have submarine races during the summer in the ponds. Use those two-person subs," volunteered the pessimist.

"Wouldn't set a precedent," said the pessimist, " remember the time the sprinkler system let go? We had a fair bit of water in the big room. We could turn on the sprinklers on purpose and flood the place. Make a great rink."

"Ball hockey on the tennis courts. An all year league. Would be good fun," stated the know-it-all.

"Might upset the tennis types," mused the pessimist still picking at his hangnail.

"But," preached the optimist dogmatically, "all facilities should be for the use of all members. Ergo, a ball hockey league would not be uncalled for."

‘You know," said the former whiz-kid, "we could take it a bit further than that. Look at the big picture. If we save all our garbage and stuff and build a big land-fill on some of the vacant space, we could have downhill skiing, moguls or whatever you call it."

"Maybe even a luge course," added the know-it-all. " Like you said, look at the big picture. We could even get garbage from other nearby communities and get the hill built faster. So that even we can enjoy it."

"Yep. We're getting a little long in the tooth," sighed the philosopher. "Not getting any younger. That's a for sure."

"Make hay while the sun shines," said the pessimist finally freeing his hangnail from his finger.

"You know, we could have an Indy type road race around the ring roads," suggested the optimist, "We could sell tickets and make a few bucks."

"I'd like the concessions for that," said the former whiz-kid. "We could make a fortune. Let's think about it."

"How about hovercraft races. On the golf course. Capital idea," added the know-it-all clapping his hands gleefully.

"How about a road rally through the community? We could use the woods, the paths, the roads, every-thing," tried the optimist.

The philosopher started for the edge of the pool, followed dutifully by his comrades like a mother duck taking her ducklings to the fountain at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. "We should consider the possibilities of the illicit versus the licit."

"We could apply for our own version of the Olympic Games with all these ideas," claimed the optimist, "but right now I'm for the sauna."

"Have to be careful we don't fry these thinking brains though," finalized the pessimist, wiping the blood off his hangnail-less finger. "My wife's gonna kill me when she sees what I've done to this towel."

Samantha, my eldest unmarried grand daughter, age two years nine months (well they do arrange marriages in some countries at an early age) said we were going, "to Baska on a yiddle plane and a yiddle boat."

And a group of us went North to visit Alaska and the Yukon using a variety of transportation - airplane, cruise ship, train, river boat, various types of buses, and helicopters and sled dogs for some. We walked too. In total, we probably covered over 4,500 miles (multiply by 1.6 to get kilometres)…over 10,100 miles including flights to and from Vancouver.

And we visited countless jewellery and souvenir shops. And we saw all types of dancers, from can-can to soft-shoe to ballet. And lots of mountains, with and without snow cover. And glaciers. And moose, bald eagles, caribou, bear, and snowshoe hares. And we took pictures which if all are printed will use enough ink to fill a moat. And totem poles. And all told, we visited seven National Parks. And some of us hammed it up at various stage shows we attended. And we ate. Did we ever eat. And as a consequence, we put on the kilograms. I was asked, with undue sarcasm, if I had an ice cream cone every afternoon on the ship. No, I answered truthfully, since many a fine afternoon was spent ashore, not necessarily in the afternoon, but I must have had three or four a day.

A little known feature of the voyage was that it had the potential of being the most dangerous trip I have taken. Consider that most of the area is earthquake prone with the last big one in 1964. That one destroyed a lot of Anchorage. There have been several small earthquakes since. Alaska is also in the "Ring of Fire" with several active volcanoes. These have deposited a lot of ash on Alaska over the last half century. In fact there was an eruption two days after we got home. Most of the coast is subject to tsunamis and several have occurred in recent years. There is also the odd iceberg out there. And, if you should be unfortunate to tumble off the ship, Orca and other hungry whales are waiting.

Four by six pictures do not do justice to the scenery. The panoramas are too vast for one's entire field of vision. Hubbard Glacier is six miles across and 300 feet high and framed by mountains on all sides. Try and get that in your Kodak, or whatever brand of cam-era suits you. Even riding the domed train in Denali National Park was in-sufficient unless one stepped outside on the car platform and took in the entire 360 degree view.

Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon, features nice wide streets, which can be walked in daylight at 11 pm, and painted murals on the walls of many buildings. Beringa, the MacBride

Museum and the Visitor's Centre are staffed with friendly people who liked to be there. The SS Klondike is a remnant of the stern wheelers that used to ply the Yukon River.

We walked the wooden streets of Skagway and Dawson City, two Gold Rush towns. Dawson is more interesting because they still have dirt streets and have restricted souvenir emporiums and such mainly to one street. Turn of the century (20th that is) buildings dot these towns, some are originals and others restored. These latter now sell diamond jewellery and "Made in China" trinkets instead of miner's supplies.

Dawson also boasts ‘Rocky, The Celebrity Horse of the Yukon.' For $25 one can get a fully narrated ‘Slow Rush Tour' of Dawson while ‘comfort-ably' seated in a covered wagon. If you can go without inhaling for 40 minutes you have it made.

Virtually all of the towns we visited put an emphasis on showing and conducting tours through establishments which housed ladies of negotiable affection. The individuals, ‘in costume,' leading the tours are described as being ‘in character.' Well, let's put it simply… no way. I didn't even reach first base.

Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan are three ports that can only be reached by air or water. They have no roads connecting to the interior. Ketchikan and Sitka have large concentrations of totem poles, but most are reproductions of the originals.

Juneau, population 32,000, is the capital and outside the Federal Building is a bronze sculpture depicting pelicans. The sculpture was intended for Florida, but a mix-up in shipping orders sent the eagle sculpture to Florida and the pelicans to Juneau. Florida won't trade the eagles back. This leads to a trivia question: Where do you find pelicans in Alaska? Except for (fill inthe blank) it has the only Capitol building in the USA without a dome. And the only city with a glacier within its city limits.

The Alaskan Russian influence is evident, especially in Sitka. The USA bought Alaska from the Russians for 7.2 million dollars in 1867, our Confederation year. No one in Canada or England could put in a bid. Unfortunately, the Russians wouldn't sell to England…too big an empire in those days. Missed a great bargain! What if the Russians decided they were swindled and wanted to reverse the deal? After all, the Native Americans (First Nations) are getting a lot of their land claims and treaties, from previous years

Except for the rain in Ketchikan, Sitka and Anchorage, the weather was more than acceptable. And it didn't get dark at all in most places which meant no bedtime stories. In Ketchikan we saw a softball game being played in a downpour. No problems though as they play on a complete sandy field, no grass at all.

I had my photo taken holding up the Trans Alaska Pipeline outside Anchorage (don't know what happened after I left. Is it still standing?). A few minutes later we pulled in to Gold Dredge #8 where I panned for gold in an effort to help defray part of the cost of the trip. I got $14.40 cents worth of gold in about 15 minutes. I figure it would take about 160 hours of panning to pay for the trip so I'm going back…and that'll mean 320 hours of panning. But maybe I'll get lucky.

Right in the middle of this economic tsunami - in which most mutual funds have lost half their value - I received my copy of Pension News from the Teachers' Pension Plan.

The newsletter leads with this headline, "Shortfall resolved, current pensions unchanged." The article ex-plains the change to the cost of living inflation protection for pension credit earned after December 31, 2009.1 Accompanying the article is a picture of three generations of smiling teachers with the caption, "Keeping the pension plan healthy provides pension security for all generations of members."

On page two, there is an article headed, "Market turbulence won't affect your pension." With it, is a smiling picture of Jim Leech, President and C O of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. He says, "Retirees need not worry about the impact of current market conditions on their pensions." The article concludes with these words from Mr. Leech, "It's important to remember that pensions being paid to retired members and benefits already earned by working members are protected by legislation."

What a marvellously tranquil picture! I pray it's all true but I imagine we're all wisely wary of the reassurances of forecasters, bank presidents, C O's and legislators. And please don't forget that legislators can make and change legislation - and they do - just like that!

As for me, I'll heed Sam Habib's sage advice to, "Take care of your finances," as I await the spring Re-port to Members from the Pension Plan.

George Meek prepared the following chart to illustrate the contribution rates to the pension plan since its inception in 1917. How times have changed!

For a complete explanation of the change to the cost of living adjustment, refer to the newsletter, Pension News. Summer/Fall 2008

The Original Plan
The Teachers' Superannuation Plan (TSP) was established in 1917. Few occupational pension plans have operated longer. The plan provided:

The Goodwill Committee and your Executive of District 23 are committed to maintaining contact with our older members and those who may be confined. If you know of a member who would appreciate support from us please let us know by calling the Goodwill Convenor or an Executive member.

Did you know that in the year of your 70th birthday you are invited to attend the Annual

General Meeting for free? We will also do our best to recognize members reaching milestone birthdays (80, 85, 90, 95, …). In honour of our members who reach these significant birthdays, District 23 will be making an annual donation to the nutrition programs that support students in the Toronto schools.

We are presently accepting proposals for Project - Service to Others 2009. We are looking for an initiative that sup-ports the concept of "Service to Others". The in-tent is to raise the profile of retired teachers by visibly demonstrating to active teachers and to the public-at-large that retired teachers care about their communities and about public education, and are willing to do something to help those who need assistance. These assistance projects could be in any form that supports the goals of Project – Service to Others. Please submit any proposals to the Good-will Convenor by December 5th, 2008.

The humorist Stephen Leacock pointed out that all old men claim to have had a great classical education. I resemble this insinuation. I am an old man but I insist that I really did have a great classical education at West Hartlepool Grammar School. This, by the way, was a school which no longer exists in a town which no longer exists.

The Hall
My first important memory of the school Hall was of the retirement ceremony, held in the evening, for the headmaster Ralph Todd. I cannot recall that I had seen him around the school and he looked in-credibly old to my twelve-year old eyes. I had seen the film, "Goodbye, Mr Chips" but this was better. They presented him with a set of the full Encyclopaedia Britannica.

This seemed to me to be a very boring gift and judging by the state of him I doubted that he would ever get through it all. Throughout the ceremony, we all sat very still because we had been told that our face was a mirror and if we moved it from side to side it would somehow offend the councillors and dignitaries. A half-day holiday hung in the balance too, I suppose.

That Hall was an important part of our lives. The morning assembly was a vital part of building a School of the Imagination. Being together, singing together, and watching beatings together was very important. Later, when I ran my own schools I used the same idea to great effect. It was in the Hall, on a morning in 1952, that we sang "God Save the Queen" for the first time. Until then we had had a King.

The beatings, to which I referred, were the punishment for the deplorable incident at the Geography Master, Joe Burrell's house. I have not seen any O.B.A. Bulletins for the last fifty years so I do not know what has been said about this incident but judging by the references, in Edition No.87, Joe Burrell was more popular than I remember. Incidentally, he was the only person, that I have ever heard, who called the State of Ohio "Oh, EY , Oh,"in sing-song fashion. At any rate, on Guy Fawkes Night a group of pupils gathered outside Joe's house and were a major nuisance. The genesis of conceiving such an encounter is a mystery to me. We did not behave this way. Today, I almost expect it. Back then, such things did not happen.

The aftermath of the Burrell Affair was that every master lambasted us as a group. After two days of inquisition, not excluding the third degree, the school was assembled in the hall. A sheaf of canes, I did not know that you could buy them in sheaves, was brought onto the platform and placed on a table. Nobby Houlton then read out a list of names and told the owners to stand. He then told them to go home; they were dismissed from the school.

Two broad-shouldered Rugby - playing masters (probably Messrs King and Brock) then took up their positions and, as names were called, the condemned mounted the place of execution. We did not know who was to be called and this was nerve-wracking. There was always a good chance that the innocent would be punished with the guilty. The scene will remain with me forever. Canes were shattering, being thrown aside, and then replaced with new ones. Pieces of bamboo were flying through the air and dropping to the floor. The slashing canes beat the dust from the trousers of the victims and it rose like motes of incense into the shafts of light which filtered down from the high windows of the hall. It was quite ecclesiastical and it certainly impressed me. The expelled pupils eventually came back to school but I do not know under what circumstances. They probably got off.

Children of the War
We were children of the war. I was supposed to enter school on Mon-day 4, September 1939 but Lord Chamberlain declared a war on Sunday 3, September, so it was a while before I got there. They dug out the old slates for us to learn to write on because paper was strictly rationed at first. We had very few memories of "before the war" to call upon; things like food fads, sweets, toys, car rides, holidays, and trips to the beach. When Mister Churchill spoke on the wireless we had to be very quiet. Our world had the threat of invasion, rationing, bombs, evacuation or the threat of evacuation, fathers and broth-ers going off to an uncertain fate, and even school chums trespassing onto the beach to be blown up by mines. We were the kids who stood in the school yard staring up into the bright blue sky to watch the sunlight sparkle off a thou-sand bombers high in the stratosphere. We were the kids who started school not knowing that a pencil could be a brightly painted thing and not just a stick of sweaty, raw cedar.

My Classical Education
Lord Cherwell, it seems, persuaded Churchill, in the middle of the war, to support a scheme to find the brightest in the land. This probably owed more to the wartime need to have a supply of the best minds available than it was to social policy. Hitherto, it had been considered that the brightest were to be found only in the privileged classes. The Education Act of 1944 (the war still had two more years to go) is now considered to be part of the Welfare System but I think that its origins were a little more devious. The pleasing result though, for us, was the Grammar School.

The Grammar School in West Hartlepool was different from many other new Grammar Schools in that it embraced the successful traditions of the old grammar schools. There was the sense of the school as the foundation of a meaningful existence rather than as a pit-stop on the motorway of life. There may have been some "cream of the cream" talk but the main thing that I learned is how little I knew, no matter how hard I worked. This was a community in which Learning was an Ideal and a staff that exemplified it. The presence of a Sixth Form of responsible young men contributed a model for the young fellows to emulate. The trappings of academic gowns, and prefects, added to the picture and a magnificent school song completed it.

I can remember most of that song. After fifty years of experience I can say that Henry the Eighth was right on the money. I can confirm that Idleness has been the Chief Mistress of every last one of my vices.

The Table Champions
Congratulations to the following players who were undefeated in at least five rounds once between June 10th and September 30th 2008: Bev Henricks, Wayne Justeson, Bev Suzuki, Alan Ward

The Slam Bidders
To recognise those players who have the courage of their convictions and the skills to succeed in high level contracts, a small prize will be given to any player who bids and makes at least two small slams in the course of an afternoon's play.

Bridge Notes
In the Grand Slam made by Madeleine and Claire on September 9th, these two ladies had all 16 face cards between them: 40 high card points. Since the chance of holding a hand with no face card is about 1 in 1000, the likelihood that two partners will have such hands must be about 1 in a million. Lucky ladies!

D.O.N.T give up when your right hand opponent (RHO) opens the bidding with 1 No Trump. Have you noticed how often the opponents seem to get most of the good cards? The 1NT bid is a limit bid, since it confines the bidder's hand to the 15-17 High Card Point range. Distribution is not included in the point count at no trump. Since 26 HCP are normally required for game at 3NT or 4H/4S, many 1NT bids will be passed out. At least 8 HCP are required to make a Stayman response. Playing the D.O.N.T. convention may allow you and your partner to take the hand from the opposition. 16 HCP and good distribution may be able to take more tricks than flat hands with 24 HCP. More HCP are needed to play in No Trump.

The Law of Total Trumps suggests that you and your partner should bit up the level of the total number of trump in your combined hands. If partner opens 1H or 1S this guarantees 5 cards in that suit. If you have three cards in that suit, raise partner to the 2 level, even with zero HCP. With 4 cards in partner's suit, jump to the 3 level and with 5 cards, to the 4 level. Partner will al-most certainly go down 2 or 3 tricks, but opponents may have been deprived of a game or even a slam. Be slightly more cautious when vulnerable. This is what preemptive bidding is about: stealing a hand that belongs to your opponents. Bridge players can bluff as well as poker players! Good trumps are often more powerful than high cards: it is possible to make a Grand Slam on as few as 6 HCP!

D.O.N.T. stands for Disturb Opponents' No Trump. After the RHO opens 1NT, you may make one of the following bids with a hand having between 7 and 15 HCP.

2 Spades Your hand has at least 6 spades, but is weaker than bidding double would suggest

If the LHO passes, partner will bid 2 clubs in response to the double. If clubs are your long suit, you will normally pass. Otherwise you will bid your long suit and partner will usually pass. How-ever, if partner holds 3 or 4 cards in your long suit, he/she may continue preemptively to a higher level, especially if his/her hand is also weak. Re-member, this is about stealing a contract. If LHO refuses to cooperate and makes a bid over your double, your partner can respond with a double, which asks you to show your suit.

If your bid was 2 clubs, partner should pass with three or more clubs, but can bid 2 diamonds with 0 – 2 clubs. You may then pass if your second suit is diamonds or bid your second suit if it is hearts or spades.

If your bid was 2 diamonds, partner may opt to pass or to bid 2 hearts, asking you in turn to pass or bid 2 spades.

You will seldom opt to proceed beyond the 2 level, unless to preempt, since you would prefer to make a 2 spade contract rather than to go down at a 4 spade contract. For those of you interested in reading more about this and other useful conventions, I can heartily recommend the book 25 Bridge Conventions

You Should Know by Barbara Seagram and David Bird. It is significantly cheaper than a Bridge cruise on the Rhine, but you must provide your own food and accommodation!

Unfortunately 2008 has been a year in which we have bid farewell to four of our "Aces". Alec Taylor, Elizabeth McKeon, Eileen Justeson and Marsh Morris were regular attendees at our Tuesday Bridge Club. We miss them very much. We are pleased that so many of our more senior friends continue to come out, including our two wonderful nonagenarians, Kathleen Elliot and Eulaline Taylor. Thanks to Vic and Bev Suzuki for providing rides for them.

Thanks also to the folks below who help by setting up tables and chairs, brew coffee, clean up and deputize for me when I cannot be present. Like the captain of the "Pinafore", I have a "right good crew".

Theatre & Other Events

Mark Your Calendars!

ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Details in our next issue.

Holiday Season Luncheon

Friday, December 5, 2008
Cut Off Date: Thursday, November 27, 2008

11:00am ~ Cash Bar
12:00 noon ~ Lunch

Spirale Banquet and Conference Centre
888 Don Mills Road. North of Eglinton Ave
Parking Free

$35.00

Entertainment ~To Be Announced

Menu
Garden Salad ~ melange of lettuces with cranberries and mandarins with balsamic dressing

Roast Turkey Breast & Stuffing or Grilled Atlantic Salmon ~ served with seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes

Spirale Special Crepes ~ filled with ice cream and garnished with berries, chocolate and raspberry sauce

Download Registration Form Here

HAPPY DAYS - A New Musical

Goodbye gray skies, hello blue! Happy days are here again with Richie, Potsie, Ralph Malph and the unforgettable "king of cool" Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli. Based on the hit Paramount Pictures' television series, Happy Days, A New Musical re-introduces one of television's best loved families, the Cunninghams, and the days of 1959 Milwaukee complete with varsity sweaters, hula hoops, and jukebox sock-hoppin'.

Elgin Theatre
189 Yonge Street, Toronto

$52 (taxes included)

Wednesday, February 11, 2009
(Cut-Off Date: Friday, January 5, 2009)

Note: Please meet Bernadette inside the main entrance of the auditorium after 1:15pm.

Download Registration Form Here

Mystery at the Old Mill

Old Mill Restaurant
21 Old Mill Road, Etobicoke

Wednesday, February 4, 2009
(Cut~Off Date: January 10, 2009)

$44

11:30am Lunch Buffet
Main Dining Room

1:00pm
Mystery in Brule C

Meet Doug in the Main Entrance of the Inn

"DANCING WITH THE STARS CAN BE MURDER"

Download Registration Form Here

PLEASE NOTE:

When filling out your registration (Tear Off) slips, we ask you to follow the guidelines listed below.

This will help our Assistant Treasurer sort and direct tickets.

A separate cheque is required for each event/activity.
Each person's name must be included on each form for each event/activity.
Each RTO/RO member may bring ONE guest only.
Unless you are contacted, your registration form and cheque are your confirmation for the activity/event.
Tickets, if required, are given out only on the day of the function.

REFUND POLICY

All trips and events advertised in STONY BRIDGES and requiring a cheque and order form, will show a cutoff date. The date is set to enable us to comply with our commitment to pay for the event. No cheque should be post dated beyond this date.
Any booking can be cancelled at any time prior to the cutoff date by phoning the event organizer or Jean King, Assistant Treasurer 9057641125 (trips/theatre), or Mildred Frank 4162215328 (Social Convener).
Cancellations beyond this date will only be accepted if there is a waiting list for tickets, and we can sell your ticket to someone on the waiting list.
Ticket holders are welcome to sell, give or transfer their place or ticket privately.

In cities across Canada, Health Coalitions released a groundbreaking new report investigating 130 for-profit surgical, MRI/CT and "boutique" physician clinics across Canada. Re-searchers found evidence to suspect 89 possible violations in 5 provinces of the Canada Health Act's requirement for equal access to hospital and physician care and prohibition on extra-billing patients. The report reveals a new phenomenon of a for-profit health industry that has emerged significantly over the last five years, and the first forays of U.S. private health companies into Canada.

Report author, Natalie Mehra, Director of the Ontario Health Coalition revealed the report's key findings and called upon the federal government to live up to its responsibility to protect Canadians from extra-billing and two-tier health care:

"We found evidence that for-profit clinics are eroding the fairness and equality of Canada's health system that is supposed to provide access to necessary hospital and physician services based on need, not wealth. A significant proportion of for-profit surgical and diagnostic clinics are billing provincial health plans and also charging extra fees to patients to maximize their revenues and profits," she explained. "The charges are unaffordable for all but the wealthiest Canadians. Clinics told us they charge $13,000 - $20,000 or more for knee surgery, $1,200 - $2,000 or more for cataract surgery, and hundreds to thousands of dollars for MRIs."

"For-profit clinics are also taking specialists, health professionals and operating room nurses out of local public hospitals to serve less urgent patients, often for extra fees. Despite claims about reducing wait times, we found direct evidence that poaching staff out of local hospitals by for-profit clinics worsened shortages in local hospitals forcing the hospitals to reduce MRI hours. We found evidence of staff poaching out of local hospitals by for-profit clinics in Nova Scotia, Quebec, British Columbia, Ontario and Manitoba."

"Ironically, while some provinces are considering introducing for-profit clinics for the first time, we found that three provinces - Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba, under governments of varying political stripes — all have rolled back their experiments with for-profit MRI/CT clinics or surgical clinics, opting instead to build capacity in the public non-profit health system where access is improved on an equitable basis. In Ontario and Manitoba, the for-profit cancer and cataract surgery clinics revealed direct evidence of higher costs per treatment than non-profit clinics. This should serve as a warning to provinces like Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and British Columbia where more for-profit privatization of health care is being considered."

"We found that the for-profit clinics overwhelmingly locate in large urban centres where there are more wealthy people to buy their health care procedures, raising concerns about worsening access in rural areas," she added. "Particularly regarding the physician clinics that charge thousands of dollars per patient per year, there should be grave concern that their low caseloads and their high costs imperial access to care for the majority of people. In cities like Montreal where Statistics Canada reports patients have the worst shortage of family doctors in the country there is a high incidence - perhaps the highest concentration in the country - of "boutique" physician clinics selling executive health care for hundreds or thousands of dollars per year per patient. Yet the vast majority of people could not afford these services. This low volume high cost approach of "boutique" physician clinics is simply not sustainable and threatens health care access for many more people if it is al-lowed to spread."

"This report should serve as a wake up call and a call to action. The federal government has all but abdicated its responsibility to uphold the fairness and equality of our public health system," she concluded. "It is required, by law, to ensure that patients are not exploited by extra-billing or two-tier health care. In turn, our provincial governments have failed to set up adequate regulatory and enforcement regimes to protect patients. The evidence is clear that the for-profit health care industry is undermining equal and fair access to health care for all Canadians by taking resources out of the public health system, by selling two-tier access and by levying extra charges on patients. We should require our federal and provincial governments to improve access in our local public hospitals and clinics, and to ensure improved access to care is equitable and based on medical need, not high in-come as is evidenced in the for-profit clinics."

If you had $26 billion burning a hole in your pocket how would you spend it? Would you blow it all on high-risk nuclear power plants or would you use it to transform Ontario into a green energy leader?

Right now, that is the very question facing Ontario. And so far, the government seems very intent on pursuing Option A - spend it on nuclear. It is promising to start signing deals for new nuclear plants as soon as March 2009 despite a history of horrendous cost overruns and poor performance in Ontario's nuclear fleet. And as for that $26 billion, well, according to Moody's Investors Service, the actual cost is much more likely to be $68 billion.

Of course, we know who will be picking up the tab - the same folks who have always shouldered the burden of nuclear cost overruns in Ontario: ratepayers and taxpayers. You know that nuclear debt retirement charge on your hydro bill? Be prepared to see it there long after your children retire.

We believe it is time to end nuclear energy's free ride. No other power provider - whether it is a community-owned wind turbine or a large gas generator - can pass on its capital cost overruns to Ontario's electricity consumers or taxpayers. This is a special deal strictly for nuclear - and it has to end. We are calling on the government to pass a Nuclear Cost Responsibility Act that makes it illegal for nuclear capital cost overruns to be passed on to ratepayers or taxpayers. This will pre-vent any additions to the $18 billion "stranded" nuclear debt that is still being paid off by Ontario ratepayers.

Ontario can obtain 100% of its grid-supplied electricity from renewable sources by 2027 if Energy and Infra-structure Minister George Smitherman adopts the recommendations in the Ontario Clean Air Alliance's new re-port, Ontario's Green Future. The report's three key recommendations are: build on success; take the lid off clean power; and make nuclear the last choice, not the first.

Build on Success
Ontario's Standard Offer Pro-gram for Renewable Power has been a huge success, attracting more projects in one year than the Ontario Power Authority had projected would be available in 10. It's time to extend this simple and effective program, which pays a fixed price for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of new supply, to energy efficiency and clean combined heat and power projects.

Take the Lid Off Clean Power
We also need to make the Standard Offer Program model more robust by removing arbitrary project size limits and raising the standard offer price to reflect the true comparative cost of obtaining power from new nu-clear units and associated transmission systems.

Make nuclear the last choice, not the first
Nuclear power projects have a long history of massive cost overruns in Ontario. No other electricity generation projects, whether they be wind, water, solar or natural gas, are allowed to pass their capital cost overruns on to ratepayers and taxpayers. It is time to end this and other costly special deals for nuclear and to make nuclear projects compete fairly with other generation sources.

STONY Bridges welcomes submissions from members. Please include name, address and telephone number (for identification only) and some past and present biographical information (for publication). Pictures are also welcome. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters or submissions. Send them to:

Robert Fraser, 116A Hinchberger Bay Dr., Callander, ON POH 1HO
Phone: 705-752-5697 email: robertpf@hotmail.com

Editor: Rob Fraser
Distribution: George Meek
Photography: Andrée Nottage
Proofreaders: Executive Committee

STONY Bridges is published in February, June and November. The deadline for the next issue is mid-January, mid-May and mid-October.

Change of Information
Please use the form to notify RTO/ERO of your new information, or call RTO/ERO 416.962.9463 or 1.800.361.9888.