The Gill Net Lodge

March / April 2003

Past notes are here.
 

Your thoughts are welcome
below by clicking the moose!

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I was watching the news this rainy Saturday morning here in Toronto and this argument "Remember 911" regarding the war in Iraq drives me totally crazy.  I can't help but feel Iraq has nothing whatsoever to do with 911.  On top of that, there doesn't seem to be  terrorist links to Afghanistan and Iraq.  How is Iraq a "direct" threat?  I think what is playing out is how the word 'TERROR" is being used by the Bush Administration to circumvent sanity.  Now we have car bombs going off by desparate people who have nothing and believe they are being invaded.  More terrorists.  This war has all the makings of Vietnam.  You have an entire muslim world now seething and after the thousands of deaths when Bagdad finally does fall, there will be individual attacks, more car bombs.  The Soviets will relate to all of this because this was their Afghanistan.  I note this morning how the Arab networks refuse to use the words "the coalition" forces because it is primarily just Americans and Brits.  They prefer to use the word "invaders" to the general Arab public watching all of this.  I think Operation Iraqi Freedom is Operation Iraqi Disaster.  It  will be interesting to look back to today at the Gill Net on March 29th, 2004 and see how right or just how wrong I am.  I guess one never really knows.

John

John, I agree with your sentiments!  Terry, Carolyn and I went to a lecture given by David Gergen.  He worked in for 4 administrations—Nixon, Ford , Reagan and Clinton.  He was a Republicsn commentor on Mc Neil –Lehrer (PBS) for 5 years and currently is an editor at large for US Newsand World Report.  He is mostly described as a Moderate Republican.  He said that when he was young ,he believed that brains made a good leader.  He has recently decided that what makes a good leader is a person who can motivate people not just solely brains.  He feels that Nixon had great intellect and could see far into the future—Hence he reached out to China.   He had demons in his closet so he was not able to finish his term.  He feels that Clinton has a great intellect but could not control his impulses so was not able to achieve greatness for the country.  He talked about how these men traveled around the world to understand a countries customs and motivations.  He believed that when it came to compromise with different entities, these two men could understand THEIR POINT OF VIEW and reach a compromise.  He believes that Reagan did not have a great intellect but he was great leader.  He could motivate people.   His discussion on the war was very good.  He says that there are people around Bush telling him first we will get Iraq, then, Syria.etc…  He is hoping that through recent events maybe the people around Bush will not be so Gung Ho.  He really emphasized that the US should try to understand and respect other people’s point of view especially Europe namely France.  Terry, the American, agrees solely with David Gergen and your view! Gergen talked about how as a nation we should embrace other cultures and understand them from their point of view.

On another note, what is happening in Toronto with SARS!!

The weather here Las Vegas is beautimous---Beautiful and gorgeous sunny and warm hi 70's!!!

Mary, as I anticipate being home for Easter you can put me down for $2.00 - my guess is the ice will break the day before I get there...April 17th..:-)

John

Hi everyone,

We are dealing with SARS in little old Miramichi.  One of the school prinicipals MAY have it so her school is closed until next Monday.  Many staff have children at that school, so we are all concerned that it may spread.  I spent my whole morning in a huddle with senior staff figuring out what if anything we need to say to our staff and students.  Ah the joys.....

Walter Cronkite was on Larry King last evening and he was excellent.  Although he personally thought the war was a mistake, he indicated there will be a time and place for a review.  In the meantime, he stated it was a time to support the thousands of young men and women who put their lives on the line as called upon by their country.    Thought he was very eloquent.

I  personally am cringing over the battle for Bagdad.  I hope the race for the city doesn't turn into the wall of the city.  The small port of Umm Carsar continues to be the only major population area completely under control.  After a week of fighting, the British experience in Basra has been very ugly and they remain on the outskirts.  With 15,000 republican guard troops saturated through Bagdad's residential areas, the situation there has all the makings of WWII and Berlin.  Let us hope such a scenario will not unfold.

John

Hi Again,

Just thought I would check in and say hello.  Hopefully the worst is over in terms of the conflicts in the world and in terms of SARS.  They are still trying to tie up loose ends in the spreading of SARS here in Toronto.  It is really beginning to hurt the city in terms of cancelled conventions and the like.

I have been checking with the Miramichi and there is no even slight sign of the river's ice nearing breakup.  I understand some people think it may not go until early May which would be indicative of a brutal winter out there.  (Where hasn't it been a brutal winter!)  Mother says you can still see high snow banks down at the dairy.  I have decided I may postpone my visit home until there is a definite idea as to when the fishing might kick in.

John

The following article is in the current Miramichi paper...

Laura Vickers, athlete, scholar, writer, leader

VOLLEYBALL - Volleyball, basketball and soccer - She plays them all. Laura
Vickers is a grade-12 student at Miramichi Valley High School and a member
of the school varsity teams.
"Playing sports is something to keep me busy," says Vickers. "Since my
father is in the RCMP, we have moved around a lot. We came to Miramichi
about three years ago and playing sports has allowed me to meet people and
to make friends."
Vickers was born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and was stationed in
Fort Resolution. The family left the NWT when she was three and moved to
Calgary where they were for 10 years. They then moved to Ottawa for three
years before coming to Miramichi.
But coming to Miramichi was a home-coming of sorts for the family, if not
exactly for Vickers herself. Her father is Kevin Vickers, who is the son of
Bill and Monica Vickers of Miramichi. Her mom is the former Ann Hubbard, who
is the daughter of George and Marie Hubbard of Miramichi. Both of Vickers'
parents are graduates of Miramichi Valley High. So a strong Miramichi
connection is there.
Vickers herself will graduate from Miramichi Valley High this June. What
will she do following graduation?
"My mind changes almost every week, but at present I'm planning to attend
Mount Allison University in Sackville to study for a science degree," said
Vickers.
Her favourite subject is biology and she sports an 85 per cent First Class
Honours standing.
One to be noticed
But on this day, her focus is on sports - volleyball in particular - as she
practises with the varsity Pulamoo girls. She is primarily a middle blocker.
Standing an even six feet tall, the 17-year-old is certainly one to be
noticed, but not only for her height.
Her volleyball coach Jason Harris likes what he sees. He coached her last
year with the high school team and with the juveniles.  "Laura is a kid you
don't have to tell anything to twice. She is very determined and has shown a
100 per cent improvement in her play since last year. And she was good to
start with. Even other coaches around the province have noted her improved
play around the net. She is a joy to coach and is always smiling. She
definitely has a future in university volleyball if she chooses to go that
route," said Harris.
Ricky Stewart coaches the MVHS varsity girls basketball team and has had
Vickers as a center on his team for two years.
"Her size made her a real threat down in the paint area of the key. She
caused a lot of problems both offensively and defensively for our basketball
opponents this year," said Stewart.
"Laura is an extremely dedicated athlete and one of our team leaders. She
certainly was one of the most valuable players on our team the last two
years. She is very coachable and wants to learn. "She is the type of person
her teammates like to be around and was our team captain. She was a big help
when we did our spring basketball camps and worked well with the younger
kids.
"She really made the effort to get involved. I wouldn't mind having many
more like her. She is a pleasure to have on any team. If you are going to
spend five months of the year with a group of kids, make them like Laura,"
said Stewart
Talents go beyond sports
Vickers was also a center fullback on the varisty soccer squad last fall.
But it is not just sports that occupies her time and talents. Vickers
somehow finds time to do some creative writing.  "I like to write' Vickers
says. "It is the other side of the spectrum for me. It brings out my
emotions in another way than sports." She also finds time to paint, and
plays guitar and piano. She is vice-president of the MVHS graduation
committee and serves on the MVHS student council. In addition, she is
working as a waitress part-time at the Castle Manor.  As well, twice a week
she is at Harkins Middle School where she teaches volleyball to the younger
kids as part of her Leadership 120 class.  "Teaching the younger kids is
good for me. I am able to see how much I've learned because I started like
them. It also makes me appreciate my coaches a lot more because I now know
how hard they have worked," said Vickers.  Vickers has great respect for the
coaches she has had at MVHS. They include Jason Harris, Perley Tozer, Larry
Flanagan, Ricky Stewart and Brett Cameron.
"They made me feel welcome when I first came here. I was a new kid and very
tall and they helped me fit in as one of the girls. I appreciate everything
they have done for me," said Vickers.
Looking back on her short career in sports, Vickers said her biggest thrill
was making the Ottawa Selects basketball team in grade nine.  "There were
about 2,000 that tried out and I was one of the 10 who made it, so I am
pretty proud of that," said Vickers.
The whistle blows for practice to start and Laura Vickers heads onto to the
volleyball court as just "one of the girls." But those who coach and those
who watch know differently.

What a famous niece I have!  JV

After a lengthy investigation the RCMP "J" Division Commercial Crime Section in Fredericton, NB have laid charges against three (3) former Executives of the Region 7 Hospital Corporation in Miramichi and the former Chairman of the Region 7 Hospital Board for offences which allegedly took place between April 1, 1994 and June 30, 2000.

A.R.J. (Drew) Stymiest of the Miramichi area in New Brunswick, has been charged with thirteen (13) counts of fraud and nine (9) counts of breach of trust. The breach of trust counts and eleven (11) of the counts of fraud are in relation to his duties as the Chairman and Board member of the Region 7 Hospital Corporation. Two (2) of the counts of fraud are in relation to his duties as a New Brunswick Provincial Court Judge.

John Tucker, the former CEO and President of the Region 7 Hospital Corporation, of Newfoundland and Labrador has been charged with eleven (11) counts of fraud and ten (10) counts of breach of trust. All of the counts were in relation to his duties as CEO and President of the Region 7 Hospital Corporation.

Ian Jamieson, the former Vice-President of Finance for the Region 7 Hospital Corporation, of the Northwest Territories has been charged with ten (10) counts of fraud. All of the counts were in relation to his duties as Vice-President of Finance at the Region 7 Hospital Corporation.

Darrell Doucette, the former Vice-President of Support Services for the Region 7 Hospital Corporation, of Prince Edward Island has been charged with one (1) count of fraud. The count is in relation to the Region 7 Hospital Corporation.

The accused first court appearance will be at the Miramichi courthouse on April 28th, 2003 at 1:30 pm.

It's wonderful to have the article about Laura posted in the Gill Net Lodge . Too often we hear about the horrible things young people do and we really have to applaud those that are the great role models for the young ones coming behind them.  Great job Laura!!

I have to tell you though, my daughters really like Laura, but they LOVE Erin.  Erin is the star in our household for sure. :)

HAPPY EASTER!

An Easter Greeting to one and all is here!

Easter meditations and prayers are here! (This is for us practicing Catholic Kingstons - descendants of a grandfather in a past life I believe who turned Catholic on his death bed on the Nor' West).

John

A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY ......Monica. many many more. love from Patty.

Just back from seven days of sun and sand in CUBA.  Sure great to get away.  Hoping to depart shortly for a few days of flyfishing on the Miramichi.  Father says the ice went last Tuesday and indicates for the first time he can recall it went out at Newcastle on the same day it went upriver.  John