Sport Savings

Well-maintained parks and parks and recreation programs enhance
the quality of life in any community. They are, in fact, one of the
features owners of businesses and industry look for when deciding
to relocate to an area.

Merrillville parks have something for everyone, including
playgrounds, ball fields, walking trails and programs. The parks
department strives to enhance the quality of life of Merrillville
citizens by expanding the availability of leisure and recreational
services, and promoting a clean and healthy environment.

The Merrillville Parks and Recreation Department also actively
seeks citizens input about the parks, trails and leisure
activities. In addition, community volunteers are being recruited
to further enhance the programs in these times of limited
resources.

Seventeen parks and recreational facilities dot Merrillville.
Some are large parks with ball fields and picnic shelters. Others
are tot parks designed for youngsters.

Those park facilities include the following:

o Barclay Village Park at 61st amp; Polk Street

o Crescent Lake Park at 74th Court amp; Morton Street – Four
acres with tot equipment and picnic shelter

o Devonshire Park at 65th amp; Harrison Street – Eight
acres

o Forest Hills Park at 78 Indian Trail – Ball fields, playground
equipment and picnic shelter in 1.5 acres

o Hendricks Park on 81st Avenue – A one acre park with ball
fields and tot equipment

o Heroes Park (Our Lady of Consolation, 8303 Taft St – Tot
equipment

o Jennings Park at 75th amp; Hendricks – A six-acre park with
ball fields, tot equipment and picnic shelter

o Kurtis Park at 9-1/2 Meadow Lane – Tot equipment and a picnic
shelter are available at this less-than-one-acre park.

o Lincoln Terrace Park at 78th amp; Hendricks – Tot
equipment

o Meadowdale Park, 1030 W. 54th Ave. – An eight-acre park

o Meadowland Park at 54th amp; Madison Street – A two-acre
park

o Pruzin Community Center, 5750 Tyler Place – Merrillvilles
largest public park facility with 22 acres that include playground
equipment, gazebo, picnic shelter, hall rental and location for
activities.

o Rosenbalm Park at 73rd amp; Chase Street – A four-acre park
with ball fields, playground equipment and picnic shelter.

o Savannah Ridge at 74th amp; Johnson – A small ¼-acre park
with playground equipment and picnic shelter

o Southbrook Park at 74th amp; Wilson – Ball fields, tot
equipment and a picnic shelter are found in this six-acre park.

o John A. Stefek Park at 70th amp; Harrison – A three-acre park
with ball fields, playground equipment and picnic shelter.

o Wirtes Park at 5860 Roosevelt – This two-acre park includes
tot equipment and a picnic shelter.

Tags: Leisure Activities by Admin
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Picasso, Hirst Works Boost Paris Fair in Battle for Art Sales
October 18, 2011, 7:22 PM EDT

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By Scott Reyburn

Oct. 19 (Bloomberg) — Works by Pablo Picasso and Damien Hirst will be on offer in Paris from today as the French capital joins the crowded market for art fairs.

FIAC comes a week after London’s Frieze, which had $350 million of art on sale, tested investors’ faith in contemporary works and as Europe struggles with its sovereign debt crisis.

“FIAC is on the up,” the New York-based art adviser David Nisinson said. “Frieze is a perfectly good fair. It’s just that the difference between these events is not so great and collectors have to choose.” Amid volatile stock markets, “it’s a little tougher to sell works at less than $50,000,” he said.

France’s biggest fair — Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain is its full name — is helped by its central location in the Grand Palais and attracts collectors such as Christie’s International owner Francois Pinault, and Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA.

The 38th FIAC, which previews for VIPs today and doesn’t give any estimate for the total value of art on offer, brings together 168 galleries from 21 countries. Unlike Frieze, which focuses on contemporary artists, the Paris event combines pieces by emerging names with big-ticket works by Picasso and other 20th-century modernists.

London-based Lisson, Sadie Coles HQ and White Cube — which will be bringing Hirst’s “Where Will It End,’’ priced at about 2.5 million euros ($3.43 million) — are among the dozen galleries returning to FIAC. New York dealers Pace and Matthew Marks will be making debuts. All are Frieze exhibitors, underlining the growing rivalry between the two October events.

Pricey Pop Art

“A propos de New York en Peinturama” by the French Pop artist Martial Raysse will be among the most valuable works, priced at about 5 million euros on the booth of the Paris dealer Galerie Natalie Seroussi.

London and Zurich dealers Hauser & Wirth are now representing the American artist Rashid Johnson and offering his new works priced $50,000 to $95,000.

There was no sales stampede at Frieze, according to dealers, with many browsers hesitating. Still, more than 60,000 visitors went to the five-day event and there were “strong sales at every level,” Frieze organizers said in an e-mail.

The most expensive confirmed sale was 1.5 million pounds ($2.4 million) for Gerhard Richter’s digital print “Strip (CR921-1)” on the booth of the New York and Paris dealer Marian Goodman, Frieze said. The Paris dealer Emmanuel Perrotin sold the Takashi Murakami carbon-fiber sculpture “Bunbu-kun” for $900,000, Frieze said.

Financial News

“It felt a bit subdued,” said Robert Read, fine art expert at insurer Hiscox Ltd., which valued the Frieze material at $25 million less than last year. “There’s so much bad financial news in the papers at the moment. It weighs heavily on people’s minds,” said Read.

The Indonesian-Chinese collector Budi Tek bought the 2011 Daniel Richter painting “London is the place for me,” priced at $350,000, on the booth of the New York gallery David Zwirner. London and Berlin dealers Sprueth Magers sold the 2006 George Condo painting “Interception,” tagged at $450,000, to an American client.

Michael Landy’s 2011 kinetic sculpture “Credit Card Destroying Machine,” which produced a drawing for anyone prepared to part, permanently, with their plastic, attracted attention at the booth of the London dealer Thomas Dane. Priced at 120,000 pounds ($188,000), it was a confirmed sale to a European collector on the concluding weekend of the fair.

The Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain is at the Grand Palais, Paris, through Oct. 23. Information: www.fiac.com/?lg=en

(Scott Reyburn writes about the art market for Muse, the arts and culture section of Bloomberg News. Opinions expressed are his own.)

–Editors: Mark Beech, Farah Nayeri.

To contact the writer on the story: Scott Reyburn in Paris at sreyburn@hotmail.com.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Manuela Hoelterhoff at mhoelterhoff@bloomberg.net.

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James Francois fills up a dish with frozen yogurt at Yogurt Yeti, one of two new frozen yogurt shops in Lynchburg.

Credit: Parker Michels-Boyce / The News Advance

The 14-foot-tall chef on the outside of Country Kettle Chowda in
Beach Haven is not meant to scare anybody.

Actually, it’s the opposite.

“It’s so quiet down here on the island now that anything you can do
to make your business look active you have to do,” said John B.
Maschal, president of the Bay Avenue business. “It makes a
presence.”

The Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce encourages businesses
and nonprofits to stand out this time of year.

Throughout October, one of those ways is to host a “Scarecrow Row,”
asking businesses to create unique displays to help make the area
more appealing to visitors in the fall.

Some business districts and chambers of commerce have been
embracing the concept of themed decorations and seasonal contests
for area businesses in the past several years.

Starting in 2008, the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce
hosted a contest for the business and nonprofit that decorated with
the best scarecrow.

“We really encourage everyone to shop local and look at the local
community stores and services and organizations more carefully. And
the scarecrows are great ambassadors because they draw people’s
attention and bring people into the stores,” said Lori Pepenella,
destination marketing manager for the chamber.

The fall theme helps promote the region and can make businesses
more welcoming to shoppers in town, she said.

While the scarecrow event was previously a contest (winners got
scarecrow trophies), this year there will be no winners or losers –
all participants will be recognized, she said. “Everyone puts in a
lot of love for these scarecrows,” she said.

These types of events are also happening elsewhere.

Last year, Downtown Ocean City hosted a contest for the business
with the best winter window display.

Downtown Ocean City represents the area with more than 100 small
shops and restaurants between Sixth and 11th streets in Ocean
City.

This winter, the association plans an extra incentive — merchants
get a cash prize and a matching donation to the charity of their
choice, said Marcia Shallcross, executive director.

“Your window is your calling card,” Shallcross said. “By putting
something out there, it entices you to come in. The more festive it
is, the more time and effort you put into a display, it gets people
in your store.”

Last year, Gleeson’s Audio-Video won a special award for its
efforts: A Christmas tree decorated with business cards, shopping
bags and brochures belonging to other downtown businesses.

Contact Brian Ianieri:

609-272-7253

BIanieri@pressofac.com

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Are you concerned about how strong you back is with daily activities? Many times people hurt their back with a simple movement of picking up a pencil. We unknowingly put ourselves at risk every day with how we sit, sleep, use improper lifting techniques and even the food we eat. Back problems can impact work as well as many leisure activities. There are a few very simple rules to follow to protect your back from injury.

Make sure you are sleeping on a proper mattress. If you wake up feeling stiff and sore that is a pretty good indication you mattress is either to firm or too soft for you. Everyone is different here. You need a mattress that allows you to wake feeling rested, not hit by a truck! The right mattress will hold the spine in alignment and allow the back to rest during the night. When you are getting in bed always lower yourself with your arms to a side lying position then roll to you back and reverse that sequence to get out of bed.

Learn the proper way to lift, and I do not mean weights. We lift things every day from the groceries to the kids. Make sure every time you pick something up your spine is in the proper alignment. Be sure to think before you lift an object. Where is the object going? How are you going to get there? If the object is on the floor never lift from a standing position. Kneel with one knee on the ground and lift the object with a neutral back while bringing the object to rest on your knee before you stand. Keep the object close to your body and lift with your legs as you stand. You may also lift from a squatting position but be mindful of you back alignment. Never lift and twist at the same time.

Know your limits as to how much you are able to safely lift. Test the object first and if it is too heavy or you are unsure of your ability it is much safer to wait for a buddy to help.

If you have to stand for a long period of time make sure you wear comfortable shoes and avoid standing on a hard floor when possible. Try to change positions often. Do your best to bring your work up or down to a comfortable level, you do not want to have to bend over for a long time, it is also helpful to have a foot stool to prop one foot on.

Have a healthy, happy back!

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LONDON, October 10, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Diskeeper Corporation Europe will be exhibiting at VMworld in Copenhagen at the Bella Centre next week between the 18th and 20th of October to demonstrate the new technologies featured in the latest release of their Virtual Platform Optimiser, V-locity® 3. Exhibiting at stand 8, Diskeeper Corporation’s European Technical director – Spencer Allingham – will demonstrate how the new features V-Aware(TM), CogniSAN(TM) and the Automatic Space Reclamation tools can be used to eliminate excess I/O’s and maximise the use of storage bandwidth in the virtual environment, without competing for CPU and I/O resource with other users or processes.

Spencer Allingham, Technical Director, Comments, “Virtualisation is becoming very exciting as time goes on. As the physical hardware required to create virtual environments for the ‘real world’ (i.e. not just for test environments) continues to become more and more economical, it is nonetheless still vitally important to maximise a company’s investment in the technology.”

V-locity 3 now has full integration with VMware ESXi as well as existing support for other platforms such as ESX, Microsoft Hyper-V(TM), Citrix XenServer(TM) VMs and is designed to greatly improve the performance and efficiency of all VMware ESX/ESXi and Microsoft Hyper-V hypervisor virtual platforms automatically, intelligently and transparently.

Spencer adds, “V-Locity will not only prevent each virtual machine’s performance from suffering from excessive I/Os; this benefit will also be seen all the way down the storage stack to the Storage Area Network (SAN) level. Furthermore, by eliminating performance draining I/O that doesn’t need to be there, you can fit more virtual machines into each of your hypervisors.”

In summary the Technical Director states, “In today’s economic climate, these benefits have got to be welcome in any data centre. I am looking forward to showcasing V-Locity at VMworld, so that I help bring improved conditions such as these to as many virtualised data centres as possible.”

About Diskeeper Corporation – Innovators in Performance and Reliability Technologies®:

Diskeeper Corporation is a VMware Elite Technical Alliance Partner and Microsoft Gold Competency ISV Partner. CIO’s, IT Managers and System Administrators of Global Fortune 1000 and Forbes 500 enterprises rely on Diskeeper Corporation’s storage performance software to make their physical and virtual systems faster, more reliable, longer lived, and energy efficient. Free trialware and further information at
http://www.diskeeper.com .

© 2011 Diskeeper Corporation. All Rights Reserved. V-locity, V-Aware, CogniSAN, and Innovators in Performance and Reliability Technologies are trademarks owned by Diskeeper Corporation. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

SOURCE Diskeeper Corporation Europe

Copyright (C) 2011 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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EAST AURORA, N.Y., Oct 09, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Astronics Corporation

/quotes/zigman/68578/quotes/nls/atro ATRO
+1.23%

, a leader in advanced, high
performance lighting, electrical power and automated test systems for
the global aerospace and defense industries, today announced that it has
been selected by Honda Aircraft Company to supply its 28VDC to 115VAC
EmPOWER(R) System and its Windshield Heat Controller as
standard installations on the HondaJet aircraft.

Peter J. Gundermann, President and Chief Executive Officer of Astronics,
commented, “The HondaJet is an efficient, fast and
technologically-advanced aircraft and we are extremely pleased to have
our power solutions on this innovative aircraft. We believe our unique
product solutions, superior design and responsive service were drivers
of Honda’s selection of Astronics.”

The EmPOWER(R) Inverter is TSO-C73 certified, DO-160E compliant
and FAA conforming for certification of power supply systems for
Portable Electronic Devices. Built with safety, convenience and
efficiency in mind, the EmPOWER(R) System has ground fault
interrupt, over voltage and current protection, as well as thermal load
shedding built into the unit. This intelligent in-seat power system
eliminates the need for external protection and control devices,
reducing cost and weight. The inverter is also configured for an
enable/disable input and a system in-use light for crew visibility and
control per the FAA Policy Statement.

Utilizing Astronics’ patented intelligent power management, the inverter
provides power to the outlet unit only after an appropriate device is
properly inserted. For seamless use around the world, the outlet unit
will accommodate plugs from 155 countries.

The patented EmPOWER(R) System is currently in service with 150
Airline/OEM customers at over 500,000 seat locations. The 28VDC to
115VAC EmPOWER(R) In-Seat Power Supply System was launched into
the business jet market in 2009 and is the first intelligent power
management system of its kind available to the business jet market.

The Windshield Heat Controller will provide ice and fog protection
utilizing Astronics’ extensive experience developing highly reliable and
efficient power generating and conditioning products. The Windshield
Heat Controller adds to the family of windshield temperature control
products designed and built by Astronics.

ABOUT ASTRONICS CORPORATION

Astronics Corporation is a leader in advanced, high performance
lighting, electrical power and automated test systems for the global
aerospace and defense industries. The Company’s strategy is to develop
and maintain positions of technical leadership in its chosen aerospace
and defense markets, to leverage those positions to grow the amount of
content and volume of product it sells to those markets and to
selectively acquire businesses with similar technical capabilities that
could benefit from our leadership position and strategic direction.
Astronics Corporation, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, DME
Corporation, Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems Corp. and Luminescent
Systems Inc., have a reputation for high quality designs, exceptional
responsiveness, strong brand recognition and best-in-class manufacturing
practices. The Company routinely posts news and other important
information on its website at
www.Astronics.com .

For more information on Astronics and its products, visit its
website at
www.Astronics.com .

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. One can identify these forward-looking
statements by the use of the words “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,”
“may,” “will,” “estimate” or other similar expression. Because such
statements apply to future events, they are subject to risks and
uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially
from those contemplated by the statements. Important factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially include the state of the
aerospace industry, the market acceptance of newly developed products,
internal production capabilities, the timing of orders received, the
status of customer certification processes, the demand for and market
acceptance of new or existing aircraft which contain the Company’s
products, customer preferences, and other factors which are described in
filings by Astronics with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The
Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information in
this press release whether to reflect changed assumptions, the
occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in future operating
results, financial conditions or prospects, or otherwise.

SOURCE: Astronics Corporation

Astronics Corporation
David C. Burney, (716) 805-1599, ext. 159
Chief Financial Officer
david.burney@astronics.com
or
Investor Relations:
Kei Advisors LLC
Deborah K. Pawlowski, (716) 843-3908
dpawlowski@keiadvisors.com

Copyright Business Wire 2011

/quotes/zigman/68578/quotes/nls/atro

Add ATRO to portfolio

ATRO

Astronics Corp.

$
32.95

+0.40
+1.23%

Volume: 39,849
Oct. 14, 2011 4:00p

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How much money will you need to live in during your retirement years?

The Answer: $421,639.20

OK, Im kidding, I wish it was that simple.

One of the first questions when creating a financial plan for someone is How much income do you believe you will need in retirement? Often the question is met with a blank stare. Lets face it, it is difficult to estimate how much money you will need next month, let alone estimate what you will need to live in 20 years. Therefore, an important step in the planning process is working with that individual or couple to arrive at a number that makes sense for them.

First of all, a couple things should have happened before the decision to leave the workforce has occurred. Ideally the mortgage and any major non-deductable debts are paid off. If not, much of your post retirement cash flow will need to be dedicated to those payments and the rest of the planning becomes more difficult. Your current financial plan should be addressing your debt and planning to have it paid off by your chosen retirement date. If not, it would be wise to either delay retirement or more aggressively tackle debt now.

In retirement some of your current expenses will no longer exist, however, you may be faced with new expenses that were not there before. You will no longer need to allocate funds for such things as, your mortgage payment, the costs of raising children and saving for their education and putting money away for retirement. Some other things you may spend less on, such as clothing, work related expenses and disability insurance but often those expenses are replaced by things such as travel, leisure activities, and health care. Some expenses will always be there such as home and car insurance, cell phones, property taxes, groceries and entertainment.

The closer you are to retirement the easier it will be to predict what your future expenses will be. Here are a few methods that are most commonly used to estimate how much you will need.

Rules of thumb: Many retirement experts feel that most people will need about 70 per cent of their pre-retirement income in retirement. The rationale behind this thinking is the assumption that you have higher expenses in your pre-retirement stage, for the reasons discussed above; however it is not always the case, which is why these are called rules of thumb. Every situation is different, for example, you may still have a mortgage payment or expect to pay rent, and, with more time on your hands you may spend more than you think. For some, retirement will be more expensive. If you want to be conservative in your projections, you should assume you will need 100 per cent of your pre-retirement income.

The budget Approach: To decide out how much money you will need in the future, you must start by figuring out how much money you are spending today. This is done by keeping track of your expenses for a period of time, say three months. After you know where you are currently spending your money you can make adjustments by subtracting work related expenses, then add back expected future costs such as that golf membership, travel costs and any other new expenses such as private health care coverage. Only after you have calculated what you will be spending, will you know the income required to support it.

The Simple Approach: Since most people have no idea where they spend their money day-to-day and hate the idea of budgeting, for simplicity I will often use the top down approach to arrive at a figure. In a nutshell, take your annual income and subtract what you pay in taxes to arrive at your after-tax income. Next, deduct any annual savings such as education savings, pension payments, TFSA and RRSPs contributions. Then, if your house will be paid off, subtract the mortgage payment (but not the property tax portion!). Voila, you have a starting number to work with. This is a rough estimate of what will be required, after tax, from your income sources in retirement. Keep in mind; we did not add back extra income required for travel or leisure activities, etc. If you know now you will require additional money to fund your new lifestyle, add it to the required amount. I will normally use after-tax numbers in planning as some income sources with be taxable and others not and tax rates change from year to year. Using after-tax numbers helps simplify things.

Any of these approaches can be used as a starting point, But, these figures will be in todays dollars. As we know, due to inflation, a dollar today is worth less than a dollar in the future. Inflation historically has averaged just over 3 per cent, but in recent years has been less. We often use 2.5 per cent in our planning. The next step is to adjust the figure you arrived at earlier for inflation. If your retirement date is 10 years away and you want to use 2.5 per cent as your inflation estimate, you must increase your number my 2.5 per cent per year for 10 years.

Congratulations, you have completed the first step in your financial plan. Once you know how much is required, you will be able to determine how much you will need to save to achieve that goal. In the end, retirement is personal and is based on many assumptions that will change over time. A rule of thumb for one person may not make sense for another. The important thing is to start putting thought into it now, create a financial plan and adjust it annually as required.

This information is for general information purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, accounting, tax or personalized financial advice. Please speak to your own advisors concerning your personal situation.

* Scott Lewis is a Financial Advisor with AttisCorp Financial Group, and is a mutual fund representative with Investia Financial Services Inc. Comments or questions may be submitted to scott@attiscorp.com, or he may be reached at 855-1155.

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THIS WEEK

Beth Ora Seniors hold a Games Day on Tuesday starting with a light lunch at noon at Congregation Beth Ora, 2600 Badeaux St. in St. Laurent. To reserve, call 514-332-9038.

Golda Meir Chapter of Canadian Hadassah-WIZO members meet for a guided tour of the Temple Emanu-El Synagogue on Wednesday at 11 a.m. Call 450-681-9342.

Chomedey Seniors Club meet on Thursday at 1: 30 p.m. at Young Israel of Chomedey, 1025 Elisabeth Blvd. in Chomedey, Laval. They hold a Games Day with special guest MP François Pilon. Free for members. Call 450-681-2097.

St. Paul’s Seniors welcome guitaristsinger Glen Fournier on Saturday from 1: 30 to 3: 30 p.m. at 321 Empire Ave. in Greenfield Park. Freewill offering. Call 450-671-6000.

The Montreal Welsh Male Choir, the Boston Saengerfest Chorus and the Burlington Welsh Male Choir ?perform their concert The Colours of Autumn on Saturday at 7: 30 p.m. at St. James United Church, 463 St. Catherine St. W. Tickets $20. Call 450-464-7161.

The Creative Social Centre presents Andrew Lloyd Webber’s film The Phantom of the Opera on Sunday starting with a pre-show discussion at 1 p.m. at 5237 Clanranald Ave. Donation $5. Call 514-488-0907.

upcoming courses and events

Dawson Community Centre in Verdun offers seniors 50+ a wide range of activities – line dancing, exercise, badminton and open gym (complete training with a certified instructor). Membership $15 and class fees range from $30 to $75. They need volunteers for their snack bar, to teach computer basics and to accompany seniors getting groceries on their bus service. Call 514-767-9967.

The Media: Are We Informed or Misinformed? Panel discussion presented by the Cummings Centre on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Gelber Conference Centre, 5700 Westbury Ave. Moderator is Suburban Editor Beryl Wajsman and panellists include Montreal Gazette Publisher and Editor Alan Allnutt, Bernard St. Laurent from the CBC and journalist Elin Bessner. Cost $25, $15 for members. Call 514-342-1234, Local 7201.

Beth Zion Sisterhood presents the Island City Barbershop Chorus on Oct. 25 at 7: 30 p.m. at Beth Zion Congregation, 5740 Hudson Ave. in Côte St. Luc. Tickets $10. Call 514-489-8411.

Serenity Gardens Day Centre, a community day centre offers Englishspeaking seniors on the South Shore the following activities: exercise, board games, cards, piano lessons, creative arts, computer courses, guest speakers and Bereavement support groups. Respite care and Alzheimer’s programs also available.

Call 450-812-2453. The Montreal West Operatic Society ?still has openings for the 2011-2012 season. This year they present A Gilbert and Sullivan Soirée and Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld. Many volunteer opportunities. Call 514-990-8813, or visit www.mwos.org.

helpful services

Referral Helpline for Seniors managed by the Information and Referral Centre of Greater Montreal. Free information and referral on home nursing services, housing problems, financial help, consumer problems, physical health, legal aid and rights, transportation and leisure activities. The confidential helpline is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4: 30 p.m. Call 514-527-0007.

The Cummings Centre offers an assisted transportation and accompaniment service to and from medical and personal appointments. They also offer bus transportation to the centre. There is a nominal fee and appointments must be booked in advance. Call 514-342-1234.

The Saint-Antoine Community Centre offers members discount taxi vouchers for medical appointments. Seniors purchase the vouchers in advance and save 50 per cent off the regular fare. Annual membership is $15. Call 514-933-7351.

NOVA Montreal foot-care clinics ?are offered at several locations in the Montreal area. Basic foot-care first visit is $35, subsequent visits $30. Specialized care available. Cost $50. Call 514-866-6801.

Alzheimer Groupe Inc. offers ongoing support groups for spouses and psycho-educational groups for adult children, art therapy and a music program for individuals in the early to mid-stages of the disease. There is also a social/support group for the newly diagnosed. Call 514-485-7233.

Send items for this calendar to The Gazette, For Seniors, Patricia Wright, 1010 Ste. Catherine St. W., Suite 200, Montreal H3B 5L1; email pwright@montrealgazette. com. For information, call 514-987-2642. Deadline is one week prior to publication.

TIP SHEET AND IT’S A DATE

The community listings Tip Sheet and It’s a Date are published once a month in the Arts & Life section. The next listing will be Oct. 26. Deadline is Oct. 19. Send submissions to Patricia Wright, c/o The Gazette, 1010 Ste. Catherine St. W., Suite 200, Montreal, Que. H3B 5L1; email pwright@montrealgazette.com. For full community listings, updated weekly, go to montrealgazette.com/life

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette   

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As I walk through campus I love to see students lounging on lush green grass with their textbooks, relaxing in the sun, picnicking or sitting on the lawn with friends in between classes.

Students also use the green spaces on campus for playing hacky sack, throwing a Frisbee or playing a pickup game of soccer.  Flag football, kickball or softball are also popular choices for students.

Recreational activities like these are important for social connection, they relieve stress, increase productivity and in general increase the college experience — after all, it’s impossible not to feel like a college student while playing Ultimate Frisbee.

The primary location for these activities and the only maintained recreational field space on campus, the fields south of the south gym near University Courtyard, is being fenced in and padlocked.  This space is no longer available for free student use.

It seems the field is being gated and locked in an effort to maintain the grass and preserve the space as a teaching area for kinesiology classes.  The grass on this field goes dormant in the winter. If treated properly, this is not a problem, and the grass should return in the spring creating a nice green field.

However, when it rains or the field becomes muddy and students use the field, the grass roots are pulled up and the grass cannot grow back in the spring.  In addition, the use of the field when it is not dry leaves holes, dents and divots in the field causing an uneven playing surface that could be potentially dangerous to kinesiology students who use that field for class.

While these seem like valid concerns, our fear is that fencing in the field space will have negative side effects for students and result in a severe decrease in access to recreational space for our general student body. Club sports like rugby and soccer use the field to practice their sports and play games. Fresno State’s Greek community uses the field to host fundraisers for philanthropic events, and dorm residents often use that space for recreational activities.

While there was some discussion the space could be reserved, the reserving entity would have to be a recognized student club, rendering the field unavailable to dorm residents and students for leisure activities.  Even club sports and organizations that could reserve the field might find their access greatly decreased, as kinesiology and intramurals would have priority over these groups.

Another issue we see with the fence is that it encompasses the outdoor basketball courts.  It seems to us the issue of preserving the grass does not apply to our concrete basketball courts, and at the very least those should be available to the general student population at all times.

Lastly, if I may lament… a field is simply no longer a field if a fence surrounds it.   The point of a green space is that remains open, free and accessible.  Also, that it is available for recreational use, and a fence prevents all of these things. A fence tells students they are not welcome, and they may not use the space freely on their own campus.  A fence tells students, “this place is not for you.” This is not the message we should be sending our students.

Associated Students, Inc. is interested in opportunities for recreational green space use and increased access for students.  We are, as you might have gathered from this column, particularly interested in the uses of the designated kinesiology field.  Please feel free to share your questions, suggestions and opinions with us on our Facebook page via email or in person at the ASI office. We would love to hear from you on this issue.

Tags: Leisure Activities by Admin
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