By Mark M Washburn

Florida Gulf Coast University, or FGCU, is one of the newest universities to make its debut in academe, opening its doors in August 1996. Much of the impetus behind its incorporation was the overwhelming desire of Southwest Florida residents to host a world-class university in their midst. Not surprisingly, the allure of a mild climate, lots of sunshine and nearby beaches has helped FGCU more than double its student enrollments every year since inception to more than 10,000 students for 2008-09. In an era of college educations that cost upwards of $40,000 a year in tuition, FGCU is a relative bargain with out-of-state annual tuition averaging $17K.

Located on 760 acres in the heart of Southwest Florida, FGCU has carefully mapped out its location to maximize the surrounding wildlife and nature preserves and offer a "living laboratory" to students, faculty, and alumnae. True to this mission, FGCU is heralded as one of the most ecologically sound campuses in North America. The University recently purchased waterfront property in Bonita Springs with the intention of developing a marine research laboratory to further capitalize on its coastal location and the abundance of marine and bird life.

A co-ed institution, FGCU is four-year with accreditation to award associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. As of the fall of 2008, the University offers 51 undergraduate and 31 graduate degree programs in Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, and Health Professions. With the plethora of resorts and restaurants in the region, the Resort and Hospitality Management program is one of the more popular majors. Students can participate in an active internship program at some of the world's premier resorts located just minutes from campus. Biology and criminal justice are also growing programs. The Division of Justice Studies is in its first year of offering a Master of Science in Criminal Forensic Studies, paving the way for future CSI investigators.

Students praise the small class sizes and individual attention with an 18:1 teacher/student ratio at the undergraduate level. FGCU is also one of the most technologically advanced campuses in the world with a campus-wide high-speed Internet network. Classrooms all feature fully equipped multimedia instructional systems that include Internet access, cameras and audio and video presentation capabilities. Capitalizing on its expertise, FGCU has hosted an Informational Technology (IT) forum for the past eight years, connecting area experts with MBA students in Germany.

While many students barely tolerate dorm or off-campus living during their college years, the 2,400 students who live in FGCU campus housing enjoy a comparatively luxurious existence. Residences are apartment-style, completely furnished and wired for high-speed Internet access. Full-size kitchens, spacious living rooms overlooking the lake, and automated laundry facilities are additional touches that give new meaning to the college experience. Other amenities include a swimming pool, barbecue areas, beach volleyball, and easy access to lake water sports.

Athletics are an increasingly large part of the FGCU program and encompass baseball, men's basketball, men's golf, men's soccer, men's tennis, softball, volleyball, women's basketball, women's cross country, women's golf, women's soccer, women's swimming and diving, and women's tennis, among others. The women's teams have performed especially well, despite the newness of the programs with the women's basketball team ending their 35-1 season with a loss in the Division II National Championship. As of the 2007-2008 academic year, FGCU moved to Division I sports.

Despite its sunny climate and laid-back atmosphere, FGCU offers a solid classroom experience. While students can take courses in paradise, graduates are well prepared to excel in today's tech-savvy and increasingly green environment.

By Tomaz Mencinger

If you think that making money will make you happy, then please continue reading this article. In my personal experience, you need two more things to be really happy...

The goal of this post is to open your mind a little a bit and show you the real path to happiness, so that you won't waste too much time and energy working ONLY to earn more money.

Let me share my personal theory on what makes people happy and hopefully, you'll see this making money thing from a different angle.

First, it is a fact that many rich people are unhappy. It is also a fact that many rich people were so unhappy that they committed suicide.

So just having a lot of money does not make you happy.

You may think, "Yeah, but I'm different. When I am rich, I'll be happy!"

I am quite sure that this is not the case, so let me try to convince you otherwise.

Three things are necessary for your happiness. Without them you CANNOT be happy.

(Of course, many smaller factors also affect your level of happiness, and we'll talk about them, too.)

1. You MUST do what you love.

There is no way around this one. If you have to be in a job where you do things that you don't like, you won't be happy.

It's logical right? Not like = not happy

Many people blind themselves and say, "Well, it's not so bad; I'm quite happy. I earn a good salary and spend weekends playing tennis, going to the movies, going out with my friends and..."

What they are saying is that if they are happy two out of seven days, then they are happy.

I am saying that there is a happiness with which you can be happy seven out seven days, and it's a much deeper and more fulfilling feeling than this superficial, short-lived, flying high feeling.

You need to be involved in some kind of activity that makes you happy. Something that is your passion.

For me this was and is tennis. I used to watch tennis on TV for hours, although I was a semi-professional volleyball player and I was studying electrical engineering.

I liked volleyball, my teammates and all the social parts of it, I hated electrical engineering and I was obsessed with tennis. I could watch it for hours, and I could play it for hours without ever getting bored or tired of it.

You need to find something like this in your life and then STICK to it. Do whatever you need to to make this passion your main activity.

Your happiness depends on it.

2. You MUST make other people happy.

This one is often overlooked, and the main reason is ego - selfishness.

Although you might think that you just want things for yourself, you will realize sooner or later that we are social beings and we thrive on being appreciated and loved.

We must feel that we are NEEDED, for whatever reason.

As a tennis coach I get this feeling from sharing my experience with other people, and from their appreciation of my sharing.

It gives me great pleasure when people tell me how their mental game or their general tennis game has improved. It gives me great pleasure when I receive e-mails from people who didn't buy anything from my website, but enjoyed the free information I offer.

By the way, this is one of the reasons that blogs are so popular. It's easy for people to leave their opinions and thoughts about certain topics, and this makes the owner of the blog very happy.

It doesn't matter what you do as long as you are USEFUL.

You can clean streets or hotel rooms, make pancakes or ice cream, be a waiter, make bicycles, sell juicers, repair vacuum cleaners... Whatever, there are millions of things that people need on this planet.

And as long as you feel useful and appreciated by other people, you will find the second third of happiness.

Before you see the last third of happiness, entertain this question for awhile: WHY do so many wealthy internet gurus (and other rich people) STILL sell their services, make new products and work hard every day, when they could just replicate, add new websites and earn more passive income doing almost nothing?

Why?

Because they NEED to be appreciated.

The main drive of most people is to be appreciated, to be useful, and that's why they still keep doing what they are doing even if they have massive amounts of money.

Just think about all the IM names such as Russell Brunson, Mike Filsaime, Joel Comm and tons of other people who have incredible wealth, yet you still receive their promotions about home based business ideas, hear about new products they've developed and find their names all over the Internet.

Some of the reason is their desire for power and money; yet some of it is because of the two basic human needs: to help, and to be useful and appreciated.

You have this need to be appreciated, too; so before you jump into this making money thing, think about how you can earn money and, at the same time, be useful to people and actually be able to hear or read their responses to what you offer.

This will build the second pillar of happiness.

3. You MUST receive GOOD income - MONEY!

I do not believe in the theory that money is not important for happiness.

Maybe if you live in Tibet, stay in some isolated cave and meditate for 12 hours per day, then OK, you got me there.

But if you live in a modern society with cars, cellphones, the Internet, TV, computers, movie theaters, Disney parks, hotels, holiday resorts, airplanes, electricity, taxes, schools and other things that complete the full package, then you need money in order to live a good life.

And you need a lot of money (what "a lot" is depends on your perspective, of course).

How much do you need? I say you need at least $5000 monthly to live a good, modern life. That's $60,000 per year. You are not poor, you are not obscenely rich, yet you can afford most of the pleasures that life offers.

(I'd be happy to hear what you think is a good monthly income in the Western world...)

But the actual key to happiness is not only HOW MUCH money you are earning, but HOW are you earning it.

The power of the Internet allows you to earn money effortlessly. It's passive income, and money just keeps coming in day after day, even of you don't do anything about your websites for awhile.

That is the real freedom: not only financial freedom, but also personal freedom.

Additional factors that make you happy

Of course, other factors also make you happy but, in my opinion, they all are less important than, or are consequences of, the three pillars of happiness discussed above.

The first of those is to be loved. I mean by a partner; whether you are straight or gay doesn't matter.

As long as you have a special soulmate, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a husband or a wife who loves you and whom you love, then you are adding to your happiness.

But know that before someone loves you, you must love and like yourself. How much you are able to like and appreciate yourself is how much someone else will be able to like and appreciate you.

And that's why I believe that doing what you love, making people happy and earning good income precede being loved by someone.

Because the first three pillars WILL make you happy, and that way, you will automatically attract into your life partners who will love and enjoy your happiness, and make you even happier.

Another thing that makes you happy is health. It is, of course, the most important pillar of happiness. No way can you be really happy if you have cancer and you know your life is going to end soon.

But I assume that because you are reading this your health is okay right now (or at least not too bad), that you are interested in learning how to become financially free, and that you are not worried too much about your health.

But still think about it, and don't let junk food and lack of movement spoil the happiness of earning money and being financially free by causing you to become sick.

In summary

Many big and small things make us happy. If your main goal is to earn money and you think that will make you happy, think about it some more.

Money, in my opinion, makes one third of happiness and, unless you do what you are passionate about (what your purpose is) and receive appreciation from other people for what you do, money will not make you happy.

Once you combine all three of these factors, many other things will automatically fall into place, and your life will become a joyous adventure.

By Melissa Larone

Gisele Bundchen....what can I say. She certainly has the best body out of any celebrity or supermodel that I can think of. She always manages to keep her weight right down and looks stunning as always. Being naked doesn't bother Gisele! According to her, her diet secret is cheeseburgers. This is a very upsetting claim! How can somebody who weighs about 90lbs and is probably 100 meters tall use cheeseburgers as her diet secret? She must have a hell of a workout secret, one cheeseburger contains approximately 300-400 calories! She was discovered at Mcdonalds at the age of 14 so I suppose it makes sense. I'll do some further investigating to find out the REAL Gisele Bundchen workout for you. Don't worry!

What Does Gisele Bundchen Eat?

Cheeseburgers apparently. And anything else she wants! She's either got a super fast metabolism or actually is burning it all off. Or....it was a lie!

How Does Gisele Bundchen Workout?

Ok now it is starting to make sense. Gisele burns off every calorie of that cheeseburger! We think of eating cheeseburgers and settling in for a night in front of the TV, whereas Gisele eats a cheeseburger and jumps on the treadmill! Gisele Bundchen tells "I'm very athletic, so I guess because of that I get to eat what I want."

From the information I have gathered, Gisele seems to do yoga upon waking. Gisele gave some New York builders a bit of a thrill when she was doing yoga in her apartment one morning. She wasn't aware the builders could see in through the blinds. I kept telling my assistant that we needed to put something up, because they could see in my apartment, but she said, 'Don't worry about it - you have special blinds where you can see out, but they can't see in.'" The supermodel continued to stretch and practice yoga in skimpy outfits every morning in her living room. She adds, "I'm stretching in my shorts and I see a guy looking at me, but my assistant said he couldn't see me, so I continued. "I left and came back home and there were more guys looking into my apartment. I decided to wave (to see if they could see) and they all waved back. "They could see me the entire time! I could have killed her (assistant)!"

She also plays Volleyball and does extreme sports to stay fit."I'm very comfortable with my body."

Workout: Yoga everyday upon waking, horse riding, volleyball & anything extreme about 3 times a week.

By Don Stuart

Can't seem to get the energy or motivation to exercise? Forget exercise - go play. For most of us exercise is a chore. So many people hate to exercise, or just can't get motivated to start an exercise program. If you are one of those, forget about exercise, go play.

Make it a point to play everyday. Find a partner. Go golfing, swimming, shoot baskets, tennis, volleyball, play catch, any kind of sport that gets you moving. Every day. You may need a different partner each day - find one.

Get on your bicycles and go siteseeing. Get with a partner or group and go horseback riding. Go to the parks and explore the trails. Play volleyball, badminton, anything to become active. Remember to start slow and work your way up to playing an hour or two each day.

Set a schedule for each activity one day each week. Pre-arrange with a partner to play every day, make each one a weekly event. You will need anything from one to seven partners to keep active all week.

Go to your Parks Department, see if they would be interested in starting a playday program for different age groups, or however they might want to do something for their public. Many already have activities for the kids - how about the adults.

Go to the local newspaper. Would their Sports Editor be interested in getting their public involved?

You may use this article in anyway appropriate. All I ask is that you use it in its entirety, including my information.

By Susanne Pacher

Ottawa has a myriad of sights to visit and the ByWard Market is one of the major entertainment areas in Ottawa. It combines a great selection of restaurants and night spots, with funky boutiques and retailers, galleries and artsy places and a busy outdoor market. Throw in a good dose of special events and you've got yourself a happening place!

I myself will be heading off to Ottawa on February 10 to sample Canada's capital, and to check out Winterlude, Ottawa's winter festival, which will be held this year from February 3 to 19, 2006. Winterlude includes skating on the Rideau Canal, the world's largest outdoor skating facility according to its Guiness World Book of Records designation of November 2005.

Let me give you an idea of the enormity of this skating opportunity: the Rideau Canal's surface is the equivalent size of 90 Olympic rinks and stretches for 7.8 km (4.8 miles) through downtown! And it features all kinds of outdoor entertainment as well as the famous Beavertails, Ottawa's signature pastry, so skating on the Canal will be a definite must on this upcoming trip.

So, after a good round of outdoor exercise I will certainly be checking out what the ByWard Market area has to offer and quench my well-deserved hunger with a great meal.

In anticipation of my visit I had a chance to talk to Meg McCallum, from the ByWard Market Business Improvement Association, who was able to give me a great overview of this ecclectic area.

1. Please give us a general overview of the ByWard Market, its location and its history.

Established by Lieutenant Colonel John By in 1826, the ByWard Market is one of Canada's oldest and largest public markets. The legendary builder of the Rideau Canal, Colonel By himself laid out the street plan of the Market, designating George Street and York Street to be extra wide to accommodate the creation of a public market and gathering place. 180 years later, the Market is still going strong!

Within an area roughly four blocks square, you'll find cafés, specialty food shops, boutiques, galleries, restaurants, pubs, hair & aesthetics salons and more! Easily accessible on foot, by transit, by bicycle or by car, the ByWard Market offers a unique experience for all.
Whether you're here at dawn to welcome the outdoor vendors with their overflowing stands of fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers, and art & crafts; joining some friends for brunch/ lunch/ dinner or shopping; or staying up till the wee hours at one of our hip nightspots, you'll find the ByWard Market has something for you!

2. The ByWard Market still houses a farmers market today, please give us more information about that.

Outdoor vendors are an integral part of the ByWard Market experience. You'll find ByWard's vendors outside, no matter the weather, 363 days per year (closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day)! At the peak of summertime, there may be 175 stands operating, selling fruits & vegetables, bedding & gardening plants & cut flowers, arts & crafts, maple syrup & honey. In the winter months, you're more likely to find Christmas trees, natural wreaths & garlands, firewood, cut flowers, maple syrup & honey, and art & craft.

The farmers market is surrounded by specialty food retail shops - butchers, bakeries, imported items and more. As an example of the variety of goods you'll find, there are over XXX types of cheese to be found!

3. Please tell us about the variety of culinary experiences that are available in the ByWard Market.

With over 80 restaurants, you'll never run out of options for dining. In the summer months, patios are the place to go, both to take advantage of the sun and warm weather and to people watch. In the winter, you'll find a warm welcome in some of the area's most beautiful heritage buildings, such as the Courtyard Restaurant and Mamma Grazzi's Kitchen. The ByWard Market is home to several internationally recognized chefs and sommeliers - try the Social, Luxe, E18hteen and Domus Café. You'll find Canadian cuisine at its finest, along with Thai, Mexican, Indian, Aboriginal, Japanese and more. If you're in a hurry, the ByWard Market building is home to several take-out options, or you can assemble a picnic lunch with breads, meats, cheeses, fruits and veggies from the farmers market. Don't forget dessert - there are several bakeries and gelato shops to choose from, as well as the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory or Sugar Mountain for those with a sweet tooth!

4. What type of retail and shopping opportunities can be found in the area?

With most retail shops being locally owned and operated, Market business owners are masters of their crafts. You'll find quality, experience and cutting edge trends in the many fashion, housewares and specialty boutiques. If you're looking for locally designed jewelery and clothing or picks from designers across North America and Europe, the shops on Sussex, Clarence and Dalhousie will wow you! If your interest in cooking has been piqued, try Ma Cuisine, Les Concepts Zone or Domus Housewares for kitchen gadgets galore! From there, of course, you'll start to want to redecorate your whole house... and this is the place to do it. Roche Bobois, Philip Van Leeuwen and many more furniture shops are to be found, along with specialty bath and bedding stores such as Mon Lit and Bed Behaviour. This is only a sampling of the variety of shops - you really have to visit to see for yourself!

5. There are also a number of nightlife opportunities in the ByWard Market. Please tell us about those.

The Market is home to over 20 nightclubs featuring world reknowned dj's and live music; as well as more than 50 restaurants, pubs and lounges that stay open until 2 am. You'll find everything from martinis and single malt scotches to a world wide selection of wines and spirits. Venues run the gamut from intimate to extravagant; for the salt of the earth and the cream of the crop. Some not to be missed experiences include Fat Tuesdays New Orleans Experience (cajun cuisine and a carnival atmosphere), the Rainbow Bistro (live blues music), The Collection/Mercury Lounge/ Bar 56 (3 floors of martinis, dj's, culture and style), and Zaphod Beeblebrox (recently made famous as the filming location for the Rolling Stones latest video).

6. What special events are you planning during the ByWard Market Mardi Gras?

Warm your fingers, toes, and your spirits as you take part in a variety of great activities all week long. From a masquerade ball to live Southern bands, you will find fabulous entertainment options for everyone at ByWard Market Mardi Gras from February 3 - 14th.

Plus, all week long, take advantage of extraordinary discount prices at 20 of the ByWard Market's trendiest boutiques and salons. Over 25 great ByWard Market restaurants and bars will be serving up special Mardi Gras Menus all week; with tasty Southern dishes and beverages such as all-you-can-eat Creole mussels, Mardi Gras martinis, Cajun seafood jambalaya, and much more.

7. You are planning a "Winterlude Stew Cook-Off" for February 3, 2006. Please tell us about this special event.

For only $10 you can sample stew created by over 20 of the Market's finest restaurants, including last year's winner of both Judge's and People's Choice awards, Luxe Bistro. The 15th annual Winterlude Stew Cook-Off takes place at the south end of the ByWard Market Building on Friday, February 3, between 12 and 2 p.m.

Winners are chosen by the public as well as by a panel of celebrity judges including a master chef from Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School. All proceeds from the stew cook-off will be donated to Operation Go Home.

8. You have another special event planned for February 18, 2006: a Snow Volleyball Tournament. Please tell us about that.

Winter doesn't need to be spent inside! The Snow Volleyball Tournament brings out up to 40 teams to compete for bragging rights in friendly competition. The action takes place on Saturday, February 18 at 3:00 pm beside the Whiskey Bar at 112 York Street. Proceeds raised at the event will be donated to Operation Go Home.

9. Please tell us about the galleries and the arts and culture opportunities that are accessible in and around your area.

To start with, the National Gallery of Canada anchors the Market at it's north-west edge. And just across the street is the Notre Dame Basilica - a beautiful cathedral worth a visit to see the marbled painted archways and pillars. Throughout the Market you'll find many small galleries, commercial and publicly owned. The Ottawa School of Art offers short courses, workshops and lectures, and has a shop, a student gallery and a large public gallery. Lafreniere & Pai Gallery is home to works by some of Canada's best glass and ceramic artists, and Gallery of the Kanadas showcases aboriginal and inuit art. Many restaurants host exhibitions, and the Sussex Courtyards are home to several whimsical sculptures.

10. What are the ByWard Market Ambassadors?

The ByWard Market Ambassador program is operated through a community partnership and includes tourism, safety and information functions. Each summer ByWard Market Ambassadors circulate throughout the Market area contributing to a positive Market experience by...

- Providing tourists & the public with an on-street resource for questions about the Market & the City

- Providing a safety &security function by monitoring the street activity & responding to situations that require intervention

- Providing front-line response & first aid treatment in the case of accident or injury

- Maintaining positive community relations with all Market stakeholders

Look for the bright yellow t-shirts with INFO on the back...
Thank you, Meg, for giving me a good overview of the ByWard Market. I look forward to checking out some of these places in person in a few weeks from now.

By Lisa Carson

Purchasing Florida Investment Property

Considering researching the purchase of Florida Investment Property or properties for sale in central Florida? Do you find yourself wishing you didn't have that lawn to mow and the constant upkeep on a home? Purchasing Florida Investment Property can relieve you of all those household chores but purchasing a Florida Investment Property requires you do some homework. You need to know what you are looking for in a Florida Investment Property. Some important things to consider in Florida Investment Property are: size, price, location and future salability. Are you looking for the best price on an economy unit, or do you desire luxury Investment Property with more to offer. Prices on Florida Investment Property will vastly vary depending on size, location and other amenities provided. Remember to keep the main thing in mind when purchasing Florida Investment Property: location, location, location. This is the most likely factor in determining whether your purchase of Florida Investment Property will escalate in value. A Florida Investment Property location near banks, shopping, restaurants and cultural venues in a growing real estate sales area will probably mean home values will continue to escalate. The market can always be volatile but purchasing Florida Investment Property in areas such as this will give you a greater chance of profitable resale value.

Purchasing Florida Investment Property in High Traffic Areas

Are you looking for Florida Investment Property as your primary residence or are you considering purchasing Florida Investment Property as a source of providing rental income? Or is your goal to purchase Florida Investment Property that can be used for family vacations, giving you the benefit of anytime availability without the hassle of searching for last minute specials on low cost holiday lodging. Owning Florida Investment Property can provide you with the security of owning your own vacation villa. Purchasing Florida Investment Property in high traffic tourist areas will also give you the benefit of renting to help off-set the cost of your purchase. Many profitable rental locations exist with one of the hottest areas being the Orlando, Florida area. Orlando is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations due to its proximity to Walt Disney World and the major area theme parks, Sea World and Universal. Owning Florida Investment Property in the Kissimmee, Florida, Orlando, Davenport, Florida area will provide rentals with the closest lodging locations near the major theme park attractions.

Owning Florida Investment Property Close to the Major Attractions

Kissimmee is closest to Disney World, the number one Central Florida tourist destination. Besides Disneyworld, don't overlook other area attractions near Kissimmee that are also a boost to owning a rental accommodation in this area. A family with kids will have loads to do when booking rental accommodations in Kissimmee. Green Meadows Petting Farm transports you to the country where more than 300 farm animals are on display to touch and see. Other farm activities are also scheduled at this country adventure land. For the horse lover, Horse World is what you've been dreaming of! 750 acres are yours to explore with nothing above you but blue sky and nothing below but the creaking of the saddle. Along with horse riding, Horse World also allows you to relax with a good old fashioned game of horse shoes, volleyball, or basketball. Reservations are suggested. A trip to Kissimmee would not be complete without a visit to the Silver Spurs Arena where rodeos are held every Friday night at 8:00pm. Opening in October of 2005, the Silver Spurs Arena has a capacity of 8,300 with 12 luxury skyboxes in an indoor arena hosting concerts, sporting events and more. Along with these old Florida attractions, you won't want to miss the Arabian Nights dinner theater which was voted best dinner show by Orlando Sentinel readers. Step back into medieval times where an Arabian fairytale is played out before your eyes on horseback. Along with the amazing entertainment, you will feast on an elegant three course meal. Kissimmee is loaded with amazing hidden surprises.

Owning Florida investment properties in the Orlando Area

Owning real estate resort condominiums in the Orlando area will provide you and your renters with access to all the theme parks around Central Florida plus the hundreds of discount attractions in or near Orlando. Orlando's nickname is The Beautiful City". It more than lives up to its name with its towers of gleaming glass metal skyscrapers set between sparkling lakes. Orlando is also all about historic preservation also. You will find charming brick streets and many gardens and parks. Cultural attractions near Orlando Florida investment Properties include the Morse Museum of American Art where a permanent display of Tiffany glass is on exhibit along with American paintings from the 19th century. The Orlando Museum of Art features American portraits and landscaping, art of the ancient Americas and American impressionist works. Looking for a garden oasis far removed from the hectic tourist pace? Try Leu Gardens, an oasis covering 50 acres featuring annuals, palms and an orchid house. These fine cultural experiences will seem like cheap deals for their reasonable price.

Florida investment properties - Other Fine Attractions

The list goes on and on. After spending a fortune at the major attractions, you will appreciate finding low cost but fun entertainment near your investment Property. A trip to Florida would not be complete without a visit to Gatorland. The name says it all, as this 70 acre park is home to thousands of gators and some crocodiles. Breeding pens and nurseries are available to view, containing critters of all sizes. Don't miss gator feeding time when you will get a close up view of gators in a feeding frenzy. This family owned park also has a mini water park for children, a petting zoo and a 2000 foot boardwalk which winds its way through a cypress swamp. Looking for the "au naturale" wild side of Florida? Wekiwa Springs pumps 42 million gallons of sparkling clear water a day. Canoeing, swimming, picnicking and fishing are popular outdoor activities. You are also likely to spot a gator in the wild, along with other wildlife native to Florida. For information on these and other local Orlando attractions and to check out the lowest price at orlandoinfo.com.

Renting Florida investment Properties

Owning Florida investment Properties may be a great option for those with the funds but maybe all you want to do is find discount lodging for a Florida dream vacation. There are many options for renting Florida investment Property. Kissimmee and Orlando are great choices for location of your rental villa. Check out this web source for more information on lodging: http://www.orlandotouristinformationbureau.com. Looking for a time share resort rental? Redweek.com lists time share rentals with price and availability listed on site. Maybe your idea of a dream Florida vacation is staying in a quieter area, somewhat removed from the mainstream of the tourist hubbub. Staying in Davenport, Florida offers that quiet respite. Davenport may seem like its miles removed from the mainstream but it is only 5 miles southwest of Disney making it a close commute to the major attractions. One choice in Davenport is Island Hideaway Resort offering 2 and 3 bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchen. Other amenities include: outdoor pools, children's play room, poolside bar and grill and recreation center. Another great choice is the Island Club Resort and Spa. With its variety of discount deals, you are sure to find what you are looking for here. Everything from an economy size villa to a 5 bedroom vacation villa can be found here. Along with low cost lodging, you will also find resort amenities which include a large adult pool and kiddie pool, volleyball, basketball and tennis court, massage and fitness room and on-site store.

By Lois McElravy

Workplace stress or occupational stress is the leading cause of employee absenteeism. On an average workday, an estimated 1 million workers do not make it to work due to stress-related-illness.

The unexpected or uncontrollable situations that daily wreak havoc on our well laid plans are a major source of stress. Even though we are often unable to control our circumstances, we can control our reaction. Acute stress causes the two hemispheres of our brain to become disconnected. This explains why we might feel flustered, fumble, drop things, and make mistakes, when we feel stressed out.

If we are able to look for the humor in that moment, smile, and find a way to laugh about it, we can diffuse a potentially explosive situation. Laughter is a pressure release valve that activates the limbic system in the brain, connecting the right and left sides. It helps us do more whole brain work, and improves our mental clarity. By relieving our stress, we are able to regain our perspective, summon our creativity and problem solve at a higher capacity.

Karla is an accountant and works for a medical office. Even though it was a stretch, Karla worked hard all week to finish the payroll, so she may leave work early to attend her daughter's volleyball tournament. Her boss asks her to fill in for the receptionist, who just called in sick.

Karla has a solid relationship with her boss, and she is fortunate to work in a fun environment. Karla feels comfortable to use humor in her response to her boss' request, "Sure, I adore this office. I don't mind missing my daughter's volleyball tournament this afternoon, even though it will break her heart, and I have worked hard to get my work done so I may leave early today. That is, unless you insist that I still leave early."

One theory on how humor is created is called the Incongruity Theory. This theory suggests that we laugh when two incongruent things come together unexpectedly. Without complaining, Karla was able to draw her boss' attention to the commitment she made to be present at her daughter's game. Because Karla's playful sarcasm caused her boss to chuckle, he was more than willing to make a plan that would accommodate her leaving early.

How can you use humorous exaggeration to solve a stressful issue in your workplace? Here is an example. You are not able to finish a project, because it hinges on receiving information from another co-worker, who has assured you twice, he will send it immediately. You feel awkward asking him a third time. So you pick up the phone, and call him, "I seem to be having some problems receiving my e-mail lately. I can't seem to locate the information you sent to me last week."

Don't be surprised if this is the response you hear, "The problem is not with your e-mail. I still haven't sent that information." When you show others that you aren't perfect, it allows them to admit that they are human, too. Bottom-line, you want the information and the quickest way to get it is to ask without blaming or offending.

The next time you are stressed out because of unexpected or uncontrollable circumstances remember this; "On the keyboard of life, humor is your escape key."

Lois McElravy, Lessons from Lois, works with individuals and organizations who want to learn how to effectively use humor, so they can handle the demands and pressures of work and home, maintain a flexible perspective, produce positive outcomes, and have more fun.

Learning to laugh and "hangin' on with humor" rescued Lois from the distress and despair surrounding her daily life, and initiated her recovery from a brain injury. Her universal message offers hope, motivates participants to be faithful to do the small things, and conquer their challenges one day at a time.

By Karl Robinson

A 30 year old woman developed Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) followed by Lyme Disease (LD) for which she was treated with partial success with antibiotics. She came to me as she had started to relapse.

RMSF is caused by a bacterium called Rickettsia rickettsii that is carried by an infected tick. Symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, headache and lack of appetite. Often there is a rash, abdominal and joint pains and diarrhea. Treatment is usually with the antibiotic doxycycline.

LD is also caused by a bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, and it, too, is transmitted by the bite of an infected tick. It causes fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash. It can progress into a debilitating disease affecting the joints, heart and nervous system. It is especially well-known for its arthritic symptoms. It, too, is treated with antibiotics.

Antibiotic treatment can be successful especially if started early in either disease. Unfortunately, in many cases of both RMSF and LD, antibiotics fail and the patients suffer terribly with the diseases disabling them.

To a conventional doctor the diagnosis and treatment of both illnesses is fairly straightforward. For the homeopath, however, the journey of the disease is always different from one patient to the other.

My patient remembered waking up one day in the summer of 2007 with burning spots, one on the abdomen, one on the upper inner thigh and a third along the bra line. She thought it was ringworm. Later, much later, she reasoned, they must have been caused by a tick bite. More about that later.

After a month the lesions went away but soon after she had her third ectopic pregnancy (when the sperm fertilizes the egg in the fallopian tube) and surgery was performed the end of October, 2007. After the surgery she experienced low energy and trouble sleeping. She was waking unrefreshed. She had been a most active person and volleyball was her passion. By the spring and summer of 2008 volleyball was exhausting her. Any exercise resulted in fatigue lasting two days.

She noticed fullness in the ears and "a ticking sound in the ears when I swallowed." If ice was dropped into a glass the noise was unbearable yet she could not hear someone close when they spoke. Her muscles began to twitch especially on the left side of the body. Facial acne followed with large pustules on the face and neck. There were two episodes of sudden dizziness and nausea with sweating in August, 2008. She lost feeling in the right arm and eventually was unable to move her right hand. In the summer of that year she developed balance problems. On rising from sitting she felt dizzy, as though she were falling to the left. She was bumping into walls and dropping things. It became difficult to find the right word when speaking.

She was diagnosed with the acute form of RMSF in October, 2008. She recalled the skin lesions in the summer of 2007 and reasoned they must have been caused by a tick bite. But she could not understand how she could test positive for the acute form of RMSF fifteen months later. The test was repeated and was positive again. A few weeks later she tested positive for LD. It is uncommon to have both diseases at the same time. She was placed on doxycycline for several months and did improve.

In January, 2009 she had another failed pregnancy, this one a miscarriage.

After stopping the antibiotics, she gradually began to relapse. It was then she sought out homeopathic treatment.

"All my symptoms are starting to come back," she said at our first meeting. "The twitching, the clicking in the ears, the fullness in the ears, the decreased hearing, irritability and lower energy-it's all coming back."

I now knew her diagnoses-the RMSF and LD-and I knew the particular symptoms that were bothering her. BUT THAT INFORMATION IS NOT ENOUGH FOR A HOMEOPATH TO PRESCRIBE ON. We need to know details about the person. I noticed she spoke rapidly and energetically. Her husband helped. "She is very active," he said. "Focused. Very athletic. Definitely not a couch potato. She used to play volleyball all the time."

In school she did poorly on tests and her academic record was not great. Her thing was sports. Besides volleyball, she did track.

She was punctual. "I like to be five minutes early," she said.

She had struggled with depression since she was married in 2003. She came from a large family and in marriage she was alone a lot since her husband was away often. Also, they moved five times in four years.

I asked how she was when depressed. "I would just lay around," she said. "Not much motivation." She mentioned how much she had enjoyed being around people before her marriage.

She then brought up a curious trait. "I tell the truth."

"What do you mean you tell the truth?" I asked.

"Well my sister lives with us. We found out she was using drugs. I confronted her about it and told her she needed to tell my parents and she did."

She continued telling me that she had always been a "goody two-shoes" and "a black and white kind of person."

By this time I suspected she might need the homeopathic medicine, Sepia so-knowing the symptoms Sepia women often have with their menses-I asked about them.

"I have to sit on the toilet, sometimes for hours, because I feel everything is going to fall out."

Now, this is a confirmatory symptom of Sepia-this bearing down sensation during menses.

I asked about her housekeeping. "When I was depressed the house would become a wreck, she said." Then I'd get up and clean the whole house in two hours."

"I bet you cleaned to music," I said.

"Yes. How did you know?"

I knew because that is typical of Sepia women. In fact, they are always better with activity and vigorous exercise. Often they love to dance and if they can't dance they will boogie around the house when cleaning.

She mentioned how before these two illnesses she often used to run six miles effortlessly.

Sepia people love activity, the more vigorous the better. If they do not do sports they work hard and fast. They tend to be honest (witness how she confronted her sister about her drug use.) And she had the strong bearing-down sensation during the period.

One other Sepia trait: they often become indifferent, even hostile, to loved ones. I asked her how she treated her husband. "When I was depressed I told him, 'I don't like you. I don't want to be married to you.'"

I was satisfied she needed Sepia and gave her a dose.

During the follow up visit she was ecstatic. "I'm doing a thousand times better," she said. "I feel I'm a completely different person. I told my husband I felt genuinely happy for the first time in years."

"My female parts aren't as heavy as they used to be. Every time I had a period it felt heavy down there-my uterus and lower intestines. Also my thighs felt heavy. Not now."

She had resumed running and it was not tiring her. Also, she was getting on much better with her husband. She even overheard him say to a friend, "She's a completely different person."

Her acne, however, was considerably worse.

In homeopathy, it is important to know what is happening on the road to cure. We like to see old symptoms return and acne was an old symptom. Also we like to see less important organs and structures being affected as the more important ones improve. As the acne was far less crucial to her health than the symptoms she had had earlier with the RMSF and LD I assured her that everything was in order.

Does this mean that Sepia will cure all cases of RMSF and LD? Not at all. Sepia will only cure when the patient has the characteristic symptoms of Sepia. Another person with either RMSF or LD will need a different medicine. Homeopathy is very different from conventional medicine in this regard. We focus on the innate symptoms of the person which are often particular to him or her. By "innate" I mean those traits that an individual comes into this world with. They shine forth consistently throughout the life. Sepia would not be indicated in a lazy, slothful person who moved slowly through life. ALWAYS WE TRY TO MATCH THE HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE WITH THE PATIENT'S CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS.

By William Maguire

INTRODUCTION:

Surfboards, swim fins, wetsuits, t-shirts, swimsuits, sunglasses, sunscreen, bottled water, sandals, umbrellas, towels, volleyballs, ice chests........ sounds like another summer day at the beach! To the savvy, business entrepreneur, however, these beach accessories/necessities are the breeding ground for commercial exploitation. Not far behind in this consumer petri dish of sand and capitalism is the need to select a trademark by which the item exploited will be known, e.g., HOBIE® surfboards, O'NEILL® wetsuits, OAKLEY® sunglasses, BAYWATCH® wristwatches, MIKASA® volleyballs, and COPPERTONE® sunscreen and tanning lotions. This article will highlight some famous trademarks in the sun, sand & surf and will briefly address the legal and business issues with respect to the selection, clearance and registration of such trademarks.

TRADEMARKS DEFINED

A trademark (or mark) is defined as any word, symbol, slogan, or device (such as a design), or a combination of them, used by a manufacturer or merchant to identify his goods or services and to distinguish them from those manufactured, sold or serviced by others. COPPERTONE® and SPEEDO® are excellent examples of 'word' marks. "TAN DON'T BURN" is an example of a 'slogan' mark. A logo or design such as the famous COPPERTONE girl and the dog is an example of a 'design' mark. An example of a service mark is ESPN® for the "entertainment services, reporting and sports programming services rendered through the medium of television." Such a service mark as ESPN® can also be exploited and serve as a trademark (i.e., for clothes (shirts, hats, sweaters, vests); prerecorded videotapes; beach bags, beach towels, etc.). In the U.S., trademark rights are acquired through use (e.g., by selling or transporting your product in commerce with the mark attached or on a label). In addition, under certain circumstances "color" can be a trademark. Examples outside the surf/beach industry are the color "pink" for fiberglass insulation and "green" for dry cleaning pads.

SELECTION AND CLEARANCE

The selection of a trademark is the first step that a merchant undertakes to create an identity for his/her surfboard or swimsuit, etc. The clearance of a trademark is the process of determining whether or not the trademark is available and is not being used by someone else as a trademark. This clearance process cannot be overemphasized in its importance. Ignoring this vital step can lead to a multitude of problems and expense. In the clearance of a trademark, a two-step process is suggested. The first step is to conduct an on-line computer trademark search of the mark. This on-line search is further clarified by identifying the goods sought to be used or sold as trademarks are categorized by classification. In the United States, the federal government has adopted the International Classification system. Toys, sporting goods, volleyballs swim fins, bodyboards, and surfboards are in Class #28. Swimsuits and beach apparel and clothing are in Class #25. Backpacks, beach bags and gear bags are in Class #18. Posters, magazines, books, trading cards, and other printed matter and publications are in Class #16. Videotapes, audiotapes, video game software (including downloadable software over a global computer network), surfing and skateboard helmets are in Class #9. Therefore, if you are planning to sell surfboards, apparel and gear bags, then you will want to conduct an on-line search of Classes # 28, 25 and 18. The on-line search is often called a "knock-out" search. This is because the on-line search is a quick and relatively inexpensive way to determine if the mark is already being used. These on-line searches are often available at public libraries, commercial search firms and law firms.

If your mark appears free of conflicts after conducting an on-line search, the next level of search is the full search, which is obtained from commercial search firms like THOMSON COMPUMARK and CORSEARCH. The full search will search the federal database of trademarks at the Patent and Trademark Office, State trademark registrations, common law sources such as phone directories and Dun & Bradstreet listings, plus internet domain name registrations. If your mark still appears clear of conflicts after a full search, then you can be fairly certain that you can adopt and start using your mark. CAVEAT: These searches are not guarantees of the absence of conflicting marks, but they do allow a merchant to make a more informed decision in the clearance of a trademark.

FEDERAL TRADEMARK REGISTRATION

To obtain maximum protection, it is best to register your trademark or service mark. In the U.S., your greatest rights can be obtained with a federal trademark registration. If you are only conducting business within one state, e.g., California, it is possible to register your mark with the California Secretary of State. However, if it is your intent to do business across state lines or in foreign commerce (or if you are already doing business across state lines or in foreign commerce), then the prudent thing to do is to file for a federal trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office located in Alexandria, Virginia.

An application for registration of a trademark must be filed in the name of the owner of the mark. The applicant must submit: (a) a written application; (b) a drawing of the mark; (c) the required filing fee (which is $325 per mark per class at this time). The applicant will also incur attorneys fees, typically a fixed fee, should an attorney be hired to file the application(s). Trademarks registered with the Federal Government, as stated previously, are categorized by a classification system which correspond to the type of goods sought to be registered. For instance, MOREY® and MOREY BOOGIE® for bodyboards, CHURCHHILL® swim fins and MIKASA® volleyballs all are in Class #28. The ESPN® service mark is in Class #41; QUIKSILVER®, HANG TEN® and OCEAN PACIFIC® for clothing are in Class #25; BILLABONG® and BODY GLOVE® wetsuits are also in Class #25; REEF BRAZIL®, NIKE® and ADIDAS® for sandals and footwear are also in Class #25; SPEEDO® and TYR® backpacks and gear bags are in Class #18; SURFER® magazine, VOLLEYBALL® magazine and SURF BUSINESS(TM) are in Class #16 for publications.

After the mark is registered in the U.S., it is important to give notice of this fact by placing the registered trademark symbol, "®", adjacent to the mark. Prior to registration, it is also advisable to use the symbols, "TM" (for trademarks) and "SM" (for service marks).

The chief advantages of a federal registration include:

"Constructive Notice" nationwide of the registrant's claim to ownership of the mark. This basically eliminates the good faith defense of an infringer who claims to have lacked actual knowledge of the registered mark.

Registration is also evidence of (a) the validity of the registration; (b) the registrant's ownership of the mark; and (c) the registrant's exclusive right to use the mark in commerce in connection with the goods or services.

Registration also entitles the registrant to (a) file a lawsuit for infringement of the mark in Federal Court; (b) prevent importation of goods bearing an infringing mark; and (c) use the registration as a basis for registering the same mark in certain foreign countries.

Trademark registrations are valid for 10 years subject to certain use and filing requirements, and are renewable every 10 years, also subject to continued use and renewal filing requirements.

FOREIGN TRADEMARK REGISTRATION

If your product is distributed internationally, then you must, by and large, register your mark(s) in each country where you plan to do business or are doing business. Is this expensive? Yes! On the other hand, the alternative is the potential loss of the ability to sell your product in those countries where a third party has filed a prior application for your mark(s). Therefore, foreign trademark protection is typically obtained on a country-by-country basis. Unlike the U.S., however, trademark rights in many foreign countries are obtained by registration rather than use. This further necessitates the importance of filing for marks in foreign countries as soon as possible.

One notable alternative to the typical practice of registering trademarks on a country-by-country basis is the new (European) Community Trade Mark Application which has been available since January 1, 1996 for the filing of applications. By obtaining a Community wide trademark registration, an owner of a U.S. registered trademark, for example, can potentially save both time and money otherwise invested in registering a mark in each separate European country and can thus hopefully attain maximum protection for its trademarks in overseas markets at a minimum of cost.

CONCLUSION

Whether you are selling products or services, it is very important to be aware of your trademark and/or service mark and their value. In a competitive business environment, the potential for economic loss is tremendous if trademark rights are not acquired, evaluated, protected and maximized. While this article does not portend to cover all the intricacies of trademark law, hopefully it has helped to shed some light on this area of the law which is of paramount importance to the business owner.

By Susannne Pacher

With the date for my photo exhibition rapidly approaching and the need to finalize my articles and get the photos ready, I had not planned to do any further interviews, but one organization could not be missing from my article series about the Beach: Toronto Police Service 55 Division, an organization with whom all the special events organizers work regularly. In his words 55 Division is extremely supportive of the Beach and a very positive force in the community.

I hopped in my car to drive to Dundas and Coxwell Avenues to meet the officers at 55 Division. Gene introduced me to Superintendent Wayne Peden, the head of the station and after introducing the Celebrate Toronto project Superintendend Peden started to give me a general overview of 55 Division. He explained that the policing area of 55 Division extends from the Don River in the west and to Victoria Park Avenue in the east, and from Danforth Avenue in the north to Lake Ontario in the south.

Superintendent Peden added that the police play a critical role in all the public events in the Beach, including the Beaches Jazz Festival, the Easter Parade and the Ashbridges Bay Fireworks. He used to work in this area in the 1980s and was just transferred back to this station last year. According to Superintendent Peden the Beach is a very safe area, with the main concerns being traffic and parking. He described the Beach as an excellent place to live and work. Many police offers want to work at this station, and Superintendent Peden enjoys his new location.

55 Division has about 235 employees including front line officers, detectives and investigative offers as well as community response officers who work with the community to resolve issues. Examples could include barking dogs, or driveway disputes, or teenagers that might be up to mischief. The idea is to resolve issues before they become problems.

During big events 55 Division officers work with the organizing committees of the respective events to ensure that the festival or the parade are going to run smoothly with minimal inconvenience to the locals. During major events for example, all the main streets north and south of Queen Street East have to be blocked off, and this is 55 Division's responsibility. Once the roads are closed, the organizers take over and handle things from there.

Superintendent Peden started to fill me in on some of the community issues that are going on in 55 Division: from volleyball programs for teenagers from at-risk communities to school safety and anti-bullying education programs, officers from 55 Division are involved in a wide variety of community endeavours about which I would shortly learn more. The Superintendent added that his station has a very good working relationship with the community and the politicians in the area. 55 Division strives to provide a strong visible presence and to be recognized as an integral part of the community.

As he had to go, Superintendent Peden handed me over to Sergeant John Spanton who was going to explain things to me I more detail. He explained that there are several different units within 55 Division: a Primary Response Unit (PRU) that involves first line policing, emergency call response and apprehension of criminals. In addition community problems and outreach is handled by the Community Response Unit (CRU). Sergeant Spanton added that the division has one officer who is in charge of educational outreach in elementary schools; in addition two full-time officers handle the liaison with local high schools.

One of the important mandates of the Toronto Police Service is to encourage greater community integration. In addition a concerted effort has been made to attract more visible minorities and women into the police force. Sergeant Spanton explained that today many of the officers that are being hired are quite a bit older than what used to be the case in the past. The recruiting process takes life experience into consideration, and Toronto's demographic diversity is increasingly being reflected in the faces of the Toronto Police Service. A wide variety of different ethnic and cultural groups are represented within Sergeant Spanton's own team of officers. More officers with different language skills are being hired as well to be able to communicate with the various immigrant groups that call Toronto their home.

Another officer joined us: Regina La Borde is a 15-year veteran with the Toronto Police Force and now a full-time Elementary School Liason Officer. After many years of front-line policing she has become a full-time educator and crime prevention officer for 55 Division. Her curriculum includes topics such as traffic safety rules and not talking to strangers which are taught to children in junior and senior kindergarden. In Grade 2 safety and street proofing continues. Topics such as what to do when you get lost and telling your parents at all times where you are and what you are doing get covered. The curriculum for Grade 4 includes Internet safety and cyber-bullying. The concept of never talking to any strangers, even online, is emphasized as well.

In Grade 5 bullying becomes the key topic while drug awareness takes centre stage in Grade 6. Students learn about the different types of drugs, such as alcohol, marijuana, cocaine or ecstasy; they also get educated about the drugs' biochemical effects as well as about the legal consequences that can happen if they get involved in drug use. In Grade 8 the focus is on youth violence and gangs to prepare students for what they might be facing in high school. Materials such as videotapes and Powerpoint presentations are used to illustrate the concepts, and the entire curriculum is presently being updated to reflect current realities.

Officer La Borde indicated that she does these teaching assignments in uniform and added that her job is very rewarding because at this age children are very open to learning, and they have a consistently positive image of the police.

Sergeant Spanton continued that police officers come out to local elementary schools in the division to participate in fair days or fun days. Community Response Unit officers make an appearance in uniform and give the children an opportunity to explore the features of a police car and to get to know the officers. On various occasions children from different daycare services have a chance to get a tour of the police station. All these functions are part of the public outreach and education function of the police.

He went on to explain that two full-time officers in 55 Division are dedicated to the local high schools. They make an appearance at high school basketball games or swim meets, and often police officers participate in friendly competitions with the local high school sports teams. The children have a great time competing against the officers, and it gives them a chance to get to know the officers from a human point of view.

In elementary schools officers also offer bicycle safety courses and provide safety checks for the children's bikes, another opportunity to see the human side of the officers. The focus in elementary schools is on crime prevention and pro-activeness while in high school the police officers' role becomes more reactive and focused on education and enforcement.

Sergeant Spanton also explained that in addition to the CRU (Community Response Unit) officers there are Primary Response Unit officers who handle emergency calls and apprehend criminals. A full-time Crime Prevention Officer interacts with local store owners and residents about how to safety-proof homes and businesses. A Community Relations Officer looks after seniors and mentally ill individuals. These officers often become the liaison person with other social service agencies or local hospitals.

Sergeant Spanton himself supervises a Community Response Unit team, and in the winter he has eight officers reporting to him while the number goes up to ten officers in the summer. He also attends management meetings to identify problem areas in the division which will then be taken into account in the deployment of manpower. Special events and crime "hot spots" are considered in the allocation of resources. The officers' hours are changed depending on the problems that may arise in the community. In the spring as daylight gets longer, work hours for many officers are changed to go from 4 pm to 2 am.

He also explained that many officers walk the beat in the Beach all year round. they start at Lee and Queen and talk to store owners about crime and safety. When the weather gets nice several officers are deployed on bicycles to patrol the green spaces and parklands close to the waterfront to ensure that the general public is safe in these popular recreational spaces. The "Parks Project" for example is intended to provide police presence in the outdoor recreational areas and to deal with groups of teenagers that might assemble in the evenings which occasionally may lead to trouble.

A visible police presence discourages these crowds from gathering, and the officers educate and encourage the youth to disperse when it gets dark to prevent issues from happening. As a result, single women going jogging can feel quite feel safe and secure when they choose to work out in these areas, and a consistent police presence goes a long way towards ensuring public safety. Sergeant Spanton emphasized that the Beach gets the service it gets because it is receptive to the police. He added "we are here to help".

The entire philosophy of the Toronto Police Service is heavily focused on community-oriented policing which is a number one priority. The public should understand that the police are accessible and available, and what makes 55 Division unique is that the community takes full advantage of the services offered by the police.

Staff Sergeant Steve Tracy explained some additional concepts to me. He indicated that the officers in charge of the high school programs also run the ESP Program: a Toronto-wide initiative, the Empowered Student Partnership program is a peer mentoring program where students plan, organize and execute a year-long safe schools initiative in their local schools and communities. They are empowered to take the necessary actions to solve issues specific to their school and are able to utilize programs or guest speakers that are available to them through the Police Coordinator at Community Programs, Youth Services.

One important corporate partner of the Toronto Police Service is Tim Horton's which has created a so-called "Earn A Bike" program, targeted at children between ages 12 and 15. In return for providing 30 hours of supervised community service, children who would not otherwise be able to afford a bicycle participate in park cleanups, graffiti eradication and other community based programs. In the process they gain a totally new understanding of the role of the police as well as a new perspective on mischief such as graffiti. At the end of the program these children are presented with a bicycle and a helmet by Tim Horton's, and last year 14 children in 55 Division had an opportunity to participate in this program. Staff Sergeant Tracy says that "small things like this can have a big impact on the community".

He also explained that 55 Division has an auxiliary police program that encompasses volunteer police officers that often help with crowd control during special events like the Toronto International Beaches Jazz Festival or the Taste of the Danforth. These are trained civilian volunteers, outfitted in uniforms that are similar to those of full-fledged police officers, and they are trained in civilian authority and basic use of force. Their equipment includes a baton and handcuffs, and their main role is to assist with community events.

Events like the Beaches Jazz Festival that attract large crowds require a large uniformed presence to provide for safety and public confidence. Auxiliary police officers also help to locate missing children during special events; in addition they assist with community outreach and crime prevention and play a critical role in supporting the police force which, like any other city department, is facing limited resources.

Community mobilization is also an important objective of the Toronto Police Service. With an $800 million budget the Police Force is highly accountable to local taxpayers, and a two-year business plan lays out the service's priorities for the next two years. Community mobilization also encompasses turning Community Response Unit officers into "long-term problem solvers" dealing with problem addresses, neighbhourhood disputes, noise complaints or other community problems that do not have an immediate fix.

Staff Sergeant Steve Tracy explains that problem addresses often have some criminal element associated with them, for example drugs might be at the root of the problem. But there are also other stakeholders involved, for example a negligent landlord. The problem address might affect Social Services, the Department of Public Health, Bylaw Enforcement or the Fire Department, and might require a holistic solution in order to solve the problem. Cases like these are not just a police issue. The police's role is to involve the various stakeholders to get the problem fixed. Simple examples of community mobilization include Neighbourhood Watch programs where the neighbourhood starts to solve its own problems. The Police Services simply do not have enough resources to handle all issues, and it becomes critical to mobilize the community and involve them in the problem solving process.

We also touched on the role of the CPLCs: the Toronto-wide Community Police Liaison Committees are made up of community volunteers and police service representatives from each division. Each committee is intended to reflect the demographics of the local community to work together in identifying, prioritizing and problem-solving of local policing issues. The CPLCs achieve this by being proactive in community relations, crime prevention, education, mobilization and communications initiatives, and by acting as a resource to the police and the community.

In the Beach, for example, the Community Police Liaison Committee would have representatives from the main business improvement areas as well as major event promoters and regular citizens. This gives all the stakeholders a chance to hear one another's voice, and Staff Sergeant Tracy adds that at 55 Division the CPLC works extremely well. Resources, ideas and information are shared for the benefit of the entire community. The Community Police Liaison Committee also has a Youth Scholarship Fund where money is raised for bursaries that go to local high school students. The entire community is working together to make the neighbourhood a better place.

Individual police stations participate in a variety of corporate initiatives, and many initiatives are the results of partnerships with the community. Basketball and volleyball programs, for example, are funded by ProAction Cops and Kids, a non-profit organization designed to provide funding for programs targeted at at-risk youth. These programs are designed for youth between 11 and 18 years of age and allow police officers and at-risk youth to interact in constructive, non-confrontational circumstances to develop a better understanding of one another. Programs encompass arts, sports, education, safety, mentorship and camping, and to get a better understanding of ProAction's role in the Beach community I had a chance to talk to Police Constable Lisa Cowling.

Together with Police Constable Troy Lashley, PC Lisa Cowling created a beach volleyball program for children at risk. In the summer of 2006, 18 male and 20 female students aged 11 to 16 years old were selected from two different community centres, and they would take turns coming down to Ashbridges Bay on a Wednesday evening to learn how to play beach volleyball. ProAction provided the funding for nets, balls and refreshments, and every evening would be capped off with a barbecue. Police Constable Cowling explained that the participants were taught the basic skills of the beach volleyball, but also other concepts such as camaraderie, teamwork, honesty and fairness.

Many of these children had never had an opportunity to spend much time at Toronto's waterfront, and this was also an ideal way of getting to know police officers on a human level. The officers would be running the program in plain clothes, and by the end of the program real friendships had developed. On the final day of the program, a big barbecue was held for the two groups from the different community centres, and two professional Beach volleyball players came out and played games with the kids. Fred Koops, owner of local beach volleyball outfitter Overkill designed and donated t-shirts for the children. This coming year, other police divisions will be invited to select their own at-risk youth to participate in the program and the program will be expanded.

My visit to 55 Division was capped off with a guided tour through the facility by PC Cowling. She showed me the entire three levels of the building, including the holding cells for men, women and teenagers.

This afternoon had been a fascinating lesson in policing, and my eyes were truly opened to the broad range of positive roles that the police play in the community. The motto of the Toronto Police Service "To serve and Protect" is definitely being put into action in the Beach.

By Susannne Pacher

No neighbourhood portrait of Toronto's Beach community could ever be complete without one of the true institutions in the area: the Balmy Beach Club, a private social and athletics club founded in 1905, has been a real anchor of the local sports and recreational scene, and continues to thrive today as a favourite gathering place for many of its members. During a recent interview with Glenn Cochrane, he took me briefly into the Balmy Beach Club and stated that "this is the best patio on Toronto's waterfront - bar none". When I headed out on the patio and saw the sweeping 180 degree panorama of Lake Ontario with a view towards Toronto's skyline, I simply had to agree. Combined with a beautiful setting inside a historic neighbourhood, surrounded by gorgeous mature trees, one would be hard-pressed to find a more perfect urban oasis in Toronto than the Balmy Beach Club.

To find out more about this revered institution I set up an interview with Ken Bingham, long-time member of the Balmy Beach Club, and the official historian of this institution. The Balmy Beach Club, a non-profit organization, is a social and athletic club that came into existence in 1905. It has about 1400 members in two membership categories: the social membership provides access to upstairs facilities, including the bar, lounge, patio and banquet hall. Social members are able to attend a wide variety of functions, for example the Superbowl Party, a Glen Miller Dance, Rock Star Karaoke, a Martini Night and many more. Members in the social category also participate at no extra cost in lawn bowling, volleyball and most social functions run through the club. In addition, members are eligible to rent the banquet facility for private functions such as birthday parties, anniversaries and weddings. Many local community organizations also use the club to hold special events or fundraisers.

The fitness membership includes the privileges of the social membership and additionally provides access to the fitness room, the squash courts, sauna and change rooms on the lower level of the building. With this level of membership it is feasible to join the canoe, hockey or rugby sections of the club. Sports such as curling, tennis, football and lawnbowling are offered as well through the club.

For more than a century the Balmy Beach Club has been noted for its athletic teams which started out with canoeing and lawn bowling, and were later expanded to add other activities such as curling, hockey, squash and volleyball. Ken explained that the land for the Club was donated by Sir Adam Wilson, an Ontario Chief Justice in the second half of the 19th century. The land for the Balmy Beach Park was incorporated in 1903.

The first club house, a beautiful two level structure with large wooden verandas, opened in 1905, but it unfortunately burnt to the ground in 1936. Another club house was built, but again fire struck in 1963. The current club house dates back to 1965.

While Ken was grabbing me some extra papers with historic information I took the opportunity to talk with Chris Buckley, the current president of the club, now serving his second term. Chris works full time in sales, and in his spare time he oversees the club and chairs the board. He informed me that this is a volunteer position, and that a Board of Directors is responsible for the main athletic sections (canoeing, lawn bowling, volleyball, hockey, rugby and squash). Chris further explained that membership is actually rather reasonable for a private club: the social membership is $260 a year while the fitness or athletic membership costs $420 per year. An initiation fee of $300 applies to first-time members, but that fee is sometimes waived during special promotions.

Chris Buckley indicated that he is very interested in increasing the membership of the Club since a larger roster of members also helps to defray the costs of running the club. Sometimes the Balmy Beach Club holds open houses and invites the community at large to get to know the club, its facilities and recreational opportunities. He indicated that the club is very open and welcoming, and has members from as far away as Brampton and Mississauga, but there are also a number of international members who reside in the United Kingdom, in the United States, in Australia and New Zealand.

The sports teams themselves run various fundraising events to cover the costs of insurance and other necessary funds for their sports activities. A very popular fundraising event is a volleyball tournament, and participants often show up outfitted in funny costumes. One time a team was dressed up as gladiators, another time they were pretending to be waiters with bowties from the "Goof" , the affectionately nicknamed historic Garden Foods Chinese restaurant just up the street.

The club itself also gets involved in charitable activities on behalf of the Beach community. The club sponsors local high school baseball, lacrosse and hockey teams, and club members also provide a scholarship to one male and one female student at Malvern Collegiate. During the summer the club runs a canoe/kayak day camp for about 300 children. The linkages to the community are strong.

I inquired into general information about the club, and Chris informed me that the opening hours are Monday to Sunday from 6 am to 1 am. He chuckled and said "the bar closes when the president goes home". New developments are also in the works: the city wants to build additional volleyball courts on the sandy beach right in front of the club. Toronto has actually become known as the beach volleyball Mecca in Canada with a variety of leagues and tournaments encompassing hundreds of teams that are run out of Ashbridges Bay. The Balmy Beach Club was actually were it all started, and Canadian beach volleyball celebrities Mark Heese and John Child both used to play at the Balmy Beach Club. Heese and Child participated in three Olympic Games: the team won the bronze medal in Atlanta (1996), came in 5th in Sydney (2000) and 5th again in Athens (2004).

World caliber athletes have been coming out of the Balmy Beach Club for a long time. International rugby players have been developed at the Balmy Beach Club, and Chris adds that there are eight senior players that played on the Canadian national rugby team, while six Balmy Beach junior players are currently playing for Canada. Several paddlers from the Balmy Beach Club have won Olympic medals in kayaking and canoeing as well.

What Chris really enjoys about being a member at the Balmy Beach Club is that the club is very inclusive and includes members of all backgrounds and age groups. He enjoys being friends with 18-year old youngsters while he also appreciates the older members, many of whom have been part of this club for several decades. He said it is very sad when some of the older members pass away, and the entire club mourns the departure of long-term club members. He adds that he has football pictures from high school that depict three generations of Balmy Beach Club members.

Chris had to go and handed me back to Ken, and we set off on a tour of the building. Ken first took me into a large multi-purpose room on the Western side of the building which houses a variety of plaques and sports jerseys. This is where most of the social functions are held, and occasionally the room is also used for indoor lawn bowling. Ken indicated that the Balmy Beach Football team won the Grey Cup twice in 1927 and 1930. Several wooden plaques highlight the Canadian champions in canoeing / kayaking, lawn bowling and football/rugby that came out of the Balmy Beach Club. The long lists are impressive.

One plaque in particular honours the Olympians that emerged from this club. One person that appears four times on this plaque is a gentleman by the name of Jim Mossmann, who, as Ken explained, was the Canadian Olympic Canoe Coach in four different Olympic games. In addition to paddling sports, curling is another sport offered by the Balmy Beach Club. The club fields twelve teams that all play in their own league at the East York Curling Club.

Lifetime club members also get honoured here, and some active members have been with the club for 60 or more years. The Balmy Beach Club truly provides social and recreational opportunities for an entire lifetime, and its members have a deeply felt loyalty to this institution. Many a courtship was started at the Balmy Beach Club, and I bet that scores of Beachers were born as a result of a romantic connection that started at the Balmy Beach Club.

Just outside the multi-purpose room is an area full of plaques, the Balmy Beach Club Hall of Fame, honouring some of the distinguished athletes from the club. In a hallway just to the left of the entrance hall there are a number of certificates, including original certificates from the 1920 Olympic Games in Paris, the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, the 1952 Games in Helsinki as well as the 1960 Olympic Games in London, all donated by Balmy Beach Club members who were actual participants in these historic competitions.

Ken pointed out a picture on the opposite side of the wall showing a group of lawn bowlers on opening day in 1905. A picture of hockey players dating back to 1913 also illustrates the long history of this institution. Ken explains that the original sports at the Balmy Beach Club were lawn bowling and canoeing, and all the other sports were added gradually over the years. We then headed downstairs where Ken showed me two squash courts as well as the well-equipped fitness room that is available to the fitness members. Wherever you look, walls are adorned with historical pictures, certificates, medals and plaques; there simply is not enough wall space at the Balmy Beach Club to display all the significant mementos that have accumulated over the years.

Our official tour had concluded and Ken took me back upstairs. In addition to the club's history I was also interested in some of the individuals that make this club run. I had already talked to the president, Chris Buckley, and I thought I'd find out a bit more about the historian himself. Ken Bingham was born right in the area and spent 25 years of his life living on Fernwood Park. He joined the Balmy Beach Club in 1950 and is also one of the lifetime members. Prior to his retirement he used to work at Inco's head office, a company that also generously sponsored some of the trophy cases, a big TV screen and several filing cabinets for the club.

Ken introduced me to two long-term Balmy Beach Club members and handed me over to his colleagues as he had to go. The famous Jim Mossmann, four-time Canadian Olympic coach, has been a member for an unbelievable 72 years. Naturally he was also inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame for his athletic achievements. Today he says he lives in a condo close by and mainly comes down here to socialize.

Another long-term member, John McCullough, was just inducted as a lifetime member last night. He has been a member since 1943. His friends were joking and referred to him as a walking encyclopedia. John says that today he spends much of his time golfing, lawn-bowling and curling. He has been retired for 23 years, and the Balmy Beach Club has become an important anchor for his social life.

The friendly face behind the bar is Jamie Reynolds, also a Balmy Beach Club member and the maintenance manager. Jamie is also responsible for ordering the supplies, the drinks and snacks for the bar. The Balmy Beach Club is a licensed establishment and serves quick snacks and pre-made sandwiches. Jamie has been a member since 1964, started off paddling, then played rugby from 1967 to 1987. Today Jamie is a talented lawn bowler. He explains that the natural sequence of sports at the Balmy Beach Club starts with paddling, then moves on to rugby and hockey, and finally ends with lawn bowling in people's later years. An entire lifetime of sports and social activities is available at the Balmy Beach Club.

Another true fixture at the Balmy Beach Club is Barb Kelly, who works part-time in the club's administration since she retired from her long-term job with a paper mill. Barb Kelly is also a life-time member and joined the club in the mid 1970s. She has been on the Board of Directors for the last 12 years and was the first female on the board. Originally the Balmy Beach Club was closed to women as there were no lockers or showers for females, and finally opened its doors to females in the 1970s.

Barb has been paddling since she was a child, and on May 4, 2007 she will be inducted in the Balmy Beach Sports Hall of Fame as an athlete (she is an outstanding lawn bowler) and a major contributor of the club. Barb explained that eight times a year she runs a "Euchre Meat Roll" which is basically a fundraiser for her lawn-bowling team that involves a vacuum-packed piece of meat as a prize giveaway. Barb has participated in many dances and social events at the Balmy Beach Club since she was a young girl.

Last but not least I got a chance to meet the person who really runs the Balmy Beach Club: Charlene Provan is the General Manager of the club and is in charge of all operational matters which include staffing issues, facility rentals, administration, maintenance, volunteer coordination, security and well as set-ups and tear-downs for special events. Charlene mentioned that insurance costs in particular have risen incredibly over the last few years. Insurance now adds up to about $130.00 per player on the competitive rugby team. Canoeing/kayaking, on the other hand, requires expensive marine insurance. Charlene has worked here for eight years, and since she started insurance costs have actually tripled.

Charlene adds that the club is financially self-sufficient and has never asked for any funds from the city, who officially owns the land that the club is built on. She adds that the Balmy Beach Club is an important focal point for the community, a beautiful place to get away from it all, right here in the city. Charlene herself grew up in the Beach, attended local schools such as Williamson Road, Glen Ames and Malvern Collegiate Institute. She has raised her daughters here and for a number of years she worked at "Lido's in the Beach", a restaurant formerly owned by Lido Chilelli, founder of the Beaches Jazz Festival.

One of the things that Charlene has instituted at the club is a more inclusive policy. More than 30 years ago, the club was open to men only. After shower and locker facilities were installed for women, the club opened its doors to both genders. Things have changed substantially, and since Charlene arrived on the scene, she has introduced many family-friendly events such as Christmas parties, Easter egg hunts and Halloween events. Charlene has actively been working on broadening the appeal of the Balmy Beach Club and on making it accessible to a wider range of people. She has even added a wireless Internet connection to the club so members can come in and use their laptops from the comfort of their social club.

Considering all this history and the people behind it, the club is definitely the 'Legend by the Lake", and in Charlene's words it is the "best kept secret in Toronto".

By Bailey Jamieson

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