Opinion

Editor: I just received a phone call from the vet for Captain Midnight. They informed me that two citizens walked into their office and paid the entire balance of the account. Like my vet, I am truly overwhelmed and words are not enough.

Editor: Small businesses are the heart and soul of communities. They support families and keep local economies strong. The owners are parents, coaches and volunteers who make a difference every day.

There's good news on the education front this week with the release of the 2013 to 2016 Achievement Contract by School District No. 46. The targets the trustees have set are lofty, but ones we believe are doable.

Editor: Three cheers for the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) for taking the initiative to protect the rights of the public against allegedly negligent, or worse, architects and contractors who took taxpayers' money and left behind what appear

Editor: I was very pleased to see the front-page picture (Oct. 11) from the grand opening of the new wing at St. Mary's Hospital, with health system and community leaders.

Editor: Before you add your name to the petition to legalize pot, consider this: a 40-year research study conducted in New Zealand has found that teenagers who smoke pot can lose eight IQ points, and it's permanent.

Editor: Nine of my hiking friends and myself recently finished a seven-hour hike on the lower level of Mount Elphinstone. Almost on every path we went we saw that the trees had ribbons marking the border of a logging block.

Editor: A recent poll indicating public support for a new hydroelectric dam (i.e. site C dam) if it is done correctly raises many serious questions.

Editor: John Gleeson's rambling column in your Oct. 11 issue ranged from residential school diets to organic food to genetically modified plants. None of his comments were positive nor were they particularly informative.

Editor: I recently encountered a young black bear that hobbled past me about 30 feet away from where I was sitting in my back yard a month ago. He was heading for the laurel bushes and berries.