And several of them wrote that they’re afraid to say anything critical about the conflict.

“Myself and many other parents are hesitant to speak up directly to our children’s teachers (or to even post a comment on this subject on Facebook) for fear of negative repercussions that may arise towards our kids,” wrote one reader in an e-mail. “This concern may be unwarranted, yet regardless — it remains. Sadly, the teachers have this power to take it out on the kids, so we remain silent in order to maintain a positive teacher/student relationship. In our case, the silence is deafening.”

After commenting on the column, yet another parent added, “given that I do not want my children further punished by their teachers, I ask that you not disclose my name.”

Certainly a sad state of affairs.

“Generally, in principle, the parks and recreation department is in the business of providing quality of life services to our community — to provide all those programs in Spectrum, soccer fields, (and) hockey rinks,” says Swan. “And very few of them are predicated on a full cost-recovery model. So these services, like Storybook Gardens and golf courses, etc., this notion or concept of everything as a profit-making business, it’s not how I see us dealing with children and families, as if we’re out to make a dollar.

“Collectively, our community is better off when we work together to provide affordable sports, recreation, health-based services. . . . Running it (Storybook Gardens) like a business, a la Canada’s Wonderland, that’s just not what our community and government is about.

“So, quality of life, affordable and reasonable — let’s nurture and encourage children through play and fun. It makes for a great community.”

Reader D.G.B. had this to say:
“In your article in today’s LFP, Maureen Temme states that ” there are a lot of drivers out there who hate us”. Cyclists need the same lessons about pedestrian’s, as they regularly ride illegally on London sidewalks with impunity. A week ago Sunday, on the holiday weekend I went for my constitutional in Springbank Park, in the afternoon. This was a mistake not to be repeated!  I felt threatened as a walker, by cyclists. As a precautionary measure, I walk toward the oncoming traffic, so I can see the approaching menace. I say, menace, because an acquaintance was run down by a cyclist doing time trials in Springbank. As the gentlemen lay injured on the ground, the cyclist’s first concern was for his mangled, expensive bicycle! As I walked toward traffic in Springbank that day, I was almost run down by a cyclist who refused to give me any space and, in fact, rode toward me, just because he figured I was on his side of the path!
The cycling/motorist/pedestrian story has more than one side.”

I also received this viewpoint from Patrick Connor, executive director of the Ontario Trails Council and vice president of the Canadian Trails Federation:

“Instead of focusing the media on roads, how about on trails. NOTE – as a cyclist, I am fully supportive of safety and regret any loss of life or injury, however……London has 100′s km of off-road trails where people don’t get injured. Trails are just as vital a piece of alternate transportation as roads and, in an effective network, provide greater safety, better air quality, peace of travel and the travel space is shared with folks that want riders on the trail.

“If 10% of the effort was put into answering and providing maps that showed integration instead of forcing Ontario to make Ontario into Holland – (it’s not) accidents and the lack of cycle on road capacity Ontario would be better served.

To find out more about Meslin’s recommendations, check out his profile on the National Speakers Bureau website.

Also, here’s a nice video of Meslin’s recent “Change Camp” presentation in London.

And in my latest story, I profile a local woman who, despite a lifetime of hardship caused by schizo-affective disorder, has surmounted her mental illness.

Many people agree that we need to change the way we think about mental illness and lessen the stigma surrounding it. And a new website, called Not Myself Today, aims to mobilize Canadians to do just that.

The site invites people to pledge to do their part, by:

1) Paying more attention to my mental health and well-being

2) Supporting a loved one/friend/co-worker who is living with a mental health issue or illness

3) Challenging the negative stereotypes and attitudes that exist around mental illness

4) Contacting elected officials to help influence policy that will improve the mental health system

5) Volunteering time to support the mental health cause

6) Donating/fundraising for the mental health cause

It’s a fascinating website, filled with personal stories. I urge you to check it out.

Sponsored by District 11 of the Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation, the awards are named after local educators Ernie McTavish (who died in 1973) and his son Ted (who died in 2008).

Congratulations to this year’s winners:

Vivian Dang (A.B. Lucas)
Marcy Whitesel (Arthur Voaden)
Jessica Alessio (Central Elgin)
Darlene Guardado (Clark Rd.)
Robbie Grant (College Ave.)
Helen Goertzen (East Elgin)
Travis Morris (Forest City Program)
Ashley Gundry (Glencoe)
Jordan Bootsma (Glendale)
Joe Clubine (H.B. Beal)
Craig Brown (Huron Park)
Wade Kos (Ingersoll)
Brandi Corsaut (London Central)
Brandon Emery (London South)
Samantha Roberts (Lord Dorchester)
Marc Stahl (Medway)
Natalie Murray (Montcalm)
Amy Caperchione (North Middlesex)
Alex Kain (Oakridge)
Dustin Robinson (Parkside)
Kyle Rubini (Saunders)
Shaina Turgeon (Sir Frederick Banting)
Taylor Jamieson (Sir George Ross)
Alecia Fisher (Sir Wilfrid Laurier)
Jordan Thompson (Strathroy)
Rebecca Riley (Thames)
Josh Haehnel (West Elgin)
Sayer Hurdle-Gushue (Westminster)
Jacob Masters (Woodstock)

Although my intentions were humorous, the column sparked this rather serious email from a reader:

“I can’t thank you enough for your wonderful article on Helicopter parents. I totally identified with this and I am currently ‘reaping what I sowed’ with my son’s bad choices and his life damaging decisions. Unfortunately for me, I recognized this too late as he is 23 years old now. He never suffered the consequences of his actions as I was his shelter and protector. I over-protected him and always bailed him out. We kept a lot between us so everyone would like him. Now he doesn’t speak to his step-dad or me. I hope more parents read this article and change before it is 23 years too late.”

In essence, Zoffmann says that when certain factors are present — including a lot of noise, alcohol, a “critical mass” of other people and something to focus on, such as pounding music or a bonfire — people tend to abandon their normal inhibitions.

“Those critical elements are things which overwhelm the forebrain — the seat of judgement — and get people to react more emotionally and instinctively,” says Zoffmann. “It’s not that the  person who’s doing these actions is not aware that they’re doing them. It’s just that their judgement and control is impaired.”

She says this sort of “group brain” behaviour has been observed in mobs when rioters “react simultaneously like a bunch of wildebeests being startled on the veldt. Without any apparent communication between them, they do a 90-degree turn this way and then a 90-degree turn that way. You see this in human crowds.”

It’s similar, she says, to the way a flock of birds will suddenly turn together.

“In animals, the flocking behaviour confuses predators,” she says. “So maybe (in mobs) we’re seeing a vestigial holdover; we don’t need it anymore, but it’s still there, like an appendix.”

One reader wonders if, perhaps, the 114-year-old building might serve as a local archives centre, both for the city and Western University.

The reader points out that a) London is the only major centre in Canada that doesn’t have a single, accessible storage site for its municipal archives, that b) Western University’s new archives is already overcrowded, and c) the nearby Landon branch of London Public Library could use a larger space.

Would it be possible to house all three of those collections at the historic structure in Old South? It’s certainly an interesting idea. (Any thoughts?)

Of course, you might disagree.

If you want to voice your opinion, here’s your chance: City councillor Paul Hubert has posted an online poll to gauge reactions and opinions about the budget. So have a peek at his poll; Hubert says he’ll take it down Saturday morning and tabulate the results, which he will then circulate to members of city council and post on his own web site.