We are the ones who asked the off-the-wall questions of our parents and were never completely satisfied with the answers provided.
It was the same in school - and in church. Always asking questions and testing the limits of patience and tradition, which we took as something that was our birthright. We came from families that encouraged open rebellion and we reveled in stories of iconoclastic relatives' exploits. We were brought up to take nothing for granted and to learn, question and evaluate an issue, not on what we were told, but what our guts and mind tell us.
So, some of us ended up on the Island of Misfit Toys. In my case, I've been on the island a long time, having earned my place back in the turbulent 1960s. We questioned a war; we questioned racial inequality and, I organized a group of women into a powerful force within a very repressive work place. Along the way, I learned that some people don't like to be told that they're hawkish, racist, sexist fools.
So, it doesn't surprise me when I receive what I can only guess are "drunk written comments" on my blog calling me everything, including the anti-Christ. So 1969, really.
The Bay Beach situation will play out as all such issues do eventually. There will be an ugly scar on the landscape of Fort Erie's psyche regardless of the outcome. Time will tell as to whom was really right on this issue.
Of course, speaking from my perch on the Island of Misfit Toys, I know that the now re-christened development sits like a large lump of coal in my Christmas stocking.
Editor's Note: This season has brought a lot of heartache to friends and neighbours with the untimely loss of loved ones. I understand your grief. And I have you in my thoughts and prayers.
45 comments:
The deadline to write comments to The Minister of Natural Resources pertaining to the "beneficial use permit" for the Fowler's toad was today. I sure hope that the toad will save our public waterfront and that we in turn can save the toad!
I hope you have a merry Christmas, it is such a difficult time for so many.
Well Said Meg..
I would like to comment on your editorial "Anzovino Inquest .... Was it Worth the Cost?"
I am absolutely beside myself first of all in anger for the title that you put to this editorial.
WAS IT WORTH THE COST ??????
Absolutely, the Anzovino Family were looking for closure, and YOU, ooooh so rightous YOU want to put a cost on it.
Secondly, as I recall, you were one of the first to scream bloody murder because DMH was closed. You faulted everyone and everything.
The only saving grace is that it is unlikely that the Anzovino Family reads your rag and your torrid editorial.
I don't remember "screaming bloody murder" when DMH was closed. It was inevitable that the ER be closed. Remember, I was on the Health Council for several turbulent years where the threat of closure of DMH loomed large on the horizon.
I am angry that people with their own agenda convinced the Anzovinos to put themselves out there to relive the worst night of their lives. The campaign to place the blame for Reilly's death on the closure of the ERs in DMH and Port Colborne started almost immediately after her tragic death. Instead of allowing the family to go through the normal grief process, certain people pressured them to seek a Coroner's Inquest. I begged these people to back off, because I knew, based on my experience and study of trauma services in Niagara, that the inquest would not achieve their goal - the re-opening of the ERs. And make no mistake - that was the real agenda of the people behind the inquest. I believe they took advantage of the Anzovinos and It makes me angry.
As to the cost? I was talking about the toll it took on the family. Can you tell me what was accomplished by the inquest?
The recommendations made have been in the works for a decade or more. They were the best that the jury could come up with considering the evidence and testimony before them.
Don't be angry with me for making a prediction that came out almost exactly as I said it would almost two years ago.
Sorry, but you misunderstood me.
Immediately following the accident, you stepped up on your soap box "screaming bloody murder" that the Reilly would have survived had the DMH emergency department been open.
You did, you know you did ......
Sorry, I never said that. I never would have said that. I was very aware of the James Jamieson case and he would have lived, in my opinion, if he had been taken directly to ECMC. Instead, he was taken to DMH where he languished while the on-call doctor was en route.
You have me confused with the people who pushed for the inquest. I knew for years the limitations of DMH with regard to trauma and was very vocal about it - especially after the untimely death of James Jamieson. Did you not read that in The Strand? I had it on the front page for several weeks.
Here is an e-mail that I received regarding Reilly Anzovino's death:
Sent: Monday, December 28, 2009 11:25 AM
Subject: Is this a result of NHS closures??
A tragic death occurred on Hwy 3 just outside of Fort Erie over Christmas. We lost 18 year old Reilly Anzivino a promising young lady attending school in Ottawa. Reilly was home celebrating Christmas with family and friends in Fort Erie.
She survived the accident itself and was transported by ambulance to the Hospital in Welland..Emergency Rooms have been closed in Fort Erie and also in Port Colborne another closer destination then Welland.
Reilly died just as the ambulance approached the Welland Hospital according to attendants.
A Coroners Investigation must be called for to determine if this young life so tragically taken from us could have been prevented if closer Emergency Care was available.
The Niagara Health System closures of Health Care programs is having serious repercussions on our communities.
Could the death of Reilly been prevented is a question that this community needs to be answered.
Here is my response:
12/28/09
Please don't go there. You are wrong about that. She would not have been saved by going to DMH even when it was a full hospital. DMH was never a trauma-ready hospital. Leave the family to grieve their loss. Don't use a tragic death to bolster your argument. There are other ways to do that. Talk to Alan Jamieson who lives in Crescent Park. Ask him about how his son died as a result of being taken to DMH instead of the nearest trauma hospital. It was per policy to take accident victims to DMH regardless of condition. That policy cost James Jamieson his life.
Clarification: my response, according to g-mail was sent on Mon, Dec 28, 2009 at 6:51 PM. The only change I made was the omission of the name of the person who sent me the e-mail.
And you wonder why I'm angry?
No Sharon, I am not confused.
And the unfortunate passing of James Jamieson, you posted after Reilly's death to prove your point.
Now, I have said my peace. And try to control your hatred towards everything that surrounds you.
You recently posted that it was infact you that took the picture at the coal docks.
At the time of your accusations you said it wasn't you.
Which is the truth Sharon?
I'm still waiting for Russ Wilson to admit that he was at the Coal Docks on the day I took the picture as myself and four other people witnessed the tableau. Is that the truth you're looking for?
I cannot say for a fact that one of the other people with Russ Wilson was Ron Reinas, but it sure looked like him and the other people (who had better vision than I) insisted that it was the GM of the Peace Bridge. The third man was easily identified by the other witnesses, although I did not know him.
Russ Wilson got into a black car that was identified as his wife's car.
Yet he and Reinas insist that they were not at the Coal Docks on the day I took the pictures.
BTW, the picture on the front page of The Strand was not taken by me.
Boy, some people really can't handle the truth. They get all worked up and drunk comment on my blog.
While they accuse me of hate, they say hateful things. They accuse me of telling lies, while they tell lies. They angrily accuse me of being angry. Now, that much is true. I get angry when a grieving family is used to move someone else's agenda. I save a lot of e-mails and the e-mail and my response on December 28, 2009 show that Reilly Anzovino's death was quickly used to blame her death on the closure of Douglas Memorial's ER. Shameful. And, my reply was right. They should have listened to me.
Sharon,
I can handle the truth, and I can deciefer the truth from fiction/lies.
I am a Psychology Major and though I will not access you without a fee, but you have some issues that are so profound, that there are some real concerns.
Hear me out ......
You posted a picture of Merry Christmas in black. You know and I know that there were thousands of other more, well, non-depressed pictures to post. But you chose that one.
You headed this thread with " From The Island of Misfit Toys".
That in itself suggests that you feel that you do not fit in with today's society.
Do I care ..... YES. Should you ....YES.
But it is you that has to correct this malfunction in your life.
Hey,
Nice post Meg.
Get those letters and emails in.
SAVE our public beach so we can save the toad!!!!
Yeah, I took some psychology courses too. I was a history and political science major. Does that make me an authority on history and political science? Of course not.
Have you never heard the expression, "Island of Misfit Toys"? It's a joke, used by political pundits to denote that they are aware that not a lot of people agree with them.
All I can say is LOL to your analysis of my choice for the Merry Christmas message. I just like the font; did not even realize it was in black, but I like it; reminds me of calligraphy which is one of my hobbies.
Hate to burst your psychoanalyst bubble, but I'm doing pretty good, thanks for asking. I suffer from depression; have for years, especially in winter. But, I survive and have learned how to deal with it through therapy and a program I helped set up for people who have such problems. It has been in existence for almost twenty years and has helped a lot of people through the Regional Health Services.
Now, I suggest that you enjoy your holidays and have a great next semester. I had lots of fun in university; hope you do too.
It is presumptuous at best -- and cycnical at the worst -- to say Reilly's family was "pressured" to call for an inquest. Unless you (in the collective sense) are in their skin, there is no one who can understand how they feel.
It is an insult to their intelligence for anyone to think otherwise.
I have had the pleasure of speaking with them both Reilly's mom and dad and find it incredibly courageous, despite the obvious pain that is still with them, that they would come forward and expose themselves in the hopes the Reilly's death would -- in the end -- not be in vain.
I never said that the Anzovinos were not courageous. Did you not read the e-mail I received on December 28, 2009? I was not the only one who received that e-mail; it was sent to many in the media. The campaign to request a Coroner's Inquest started that day and the media pressure was constant to call for an inquest.
You seem unable to understand my writings. Perhaps you might re-read them very carefully before you make further comments.
Well, well, the flying monkeys have been busy! While I enjoyed a good book and a great night's sleep, the trolls were spreading their unique brand of holiday cheer. (And they talk about me being mean-spirited.)
I won't be publishing the remarks, but I might caution people to refrain from the egg nog before they send comments. Which reminds me of a recent e-mail I saw from a certain Fort Erie business owner to certain members of council. The long, tortured diatribe seemed like the writer (or ghost writer) needed an intervention. What the hell is he on?
And a final note about the Anzovino inquest: recommendations by inquest jury will be taken seriously by EMS.
That is good news. I sincerely hope that the Anzovino Family found that their participation in inquest was worth their valiant effort.
OK. I said that the previous post would be the last, but I found this in the Hamilton Spectator that sums it up fairly well.
I really don't like it when people use a family's tragedy to further their own political agenda.
From your answer to that original email:
Talk to Alan Jamieson who lives in Crescent Park. Ask him about how his son died as a result of being taken to DMH instead of the nearest trauma hospital. It was per policy to take accident victims to DMH regardless of condition. That policy cost James Jamieson his life.
You also state in another comment that it is in your opinion that James died as a result of a policy that resulted in him being sent to DMH. Fair enough, you are allowed to have your opinion.
It is events such as what happened to James, and Reilly, that illustrate the need to hold inquests.
Question, have you actually read any of the family's comments?
From Denise Kennedy press conference at the inquest's conclusion Wednesday:
“When we wrote to the Chief Coroner almost two years ago to request and support a discretionary inquest into Reilly’s death, our sole purpose was to seek answers for ourselves and our community that we could not get on our own and to prevent deaths in similar circumstances,” said Kennedy.
“We will always have questions about that horrible night. We will never have complete peace in our hearts.
“But one thing we always have is peace knowing that we have done everything possible to give Reilly a voice and everything possible to make positive change to ensure that what happened to Reilly and the pain our family and friends went through hopefully does not happen again.”
Sounds like they found the process worthwhile.
Merry Christmas to all!
Perhaps next year things will be better for everyone in Fort Erie.
God Bless .
Sharon, what is the latest word on the Friends of Crystal Beach and their Bingo money? I haven't heard anything about it and i would hate to see this group disappear because of this ...they do so many great things for the community. Cheers, Tori from Mad Cap
Hi Tori,
I haven't heard anything yet about the FOCB. I agree, they have done a lot for the community. When I see that the banners have been put up in the Spring, I rejoice. Another great summer ahead. Those banners, as well as many other great things in Crystal Beach, are initiatives of the FOCB.
It is indeed a shame that their reputation has been tarnished by this problem. I believe that the FOCB did nothing wrong. We voted to donate $5000. from our general fund to FEWPA long before there was any talk of lawsuits. It was to help in the continuing effort to save our public beachfront property from private development. And the preservation of public waterfront lands (including beaches) has been part of the mission statement of the FOCB since it was formed twenty years ago.
@ December 22 @ 8:52
Really, you are a Psychology major??? Why do you feel the need to announce this "fact". Professional people are not in the habit of mentioning their profession on a blog, unsolicited. Do you want to know why I think you are lying? Reread your post. Grade 7 mistake!
In a later, nastier post, which I deleted, the "psychology major" bragged that he or she had a "practice." Talk about delusional. Last I heard, in order to have a practice, one must have a PHD or a MSW. Otherwise, they are just rank amateurs. The operative word being "rank."
Hey, everybody,
Have a great and Merry Christmas!
I know that I will.
I believe this "psychology major" is also the "former Fewpa member", as well!
Funny, someone who has his/his own practice would know the difference between "access" and "assess".
"access you for a fee"...so funny! Isn't that a male prostitute?
Merry Christmas Sharon, and may you find 2012 to be a blessed year. Take care of yourself this season and keep up the good work.
Merry Christmas to all,and a Happy New Year,some how we made it through a not so tranquel year, I have never seen a year when Europe seemed to be on the brink of collapse and bringing the whole house of cards down with it.next year could be another tulmultious event. I just wish our Town would stop trying to bribe business with giveaways to set up shop, here in Fort Erie. but some things never change.TRG
Editor could you please post this infamous picture of Russ wilson at the coal docks and tell me why this is stuck so deeply in your craw other than he wont admit it is him even though it is not.
GW
To the Mad Cap comment on the bingo for FOCB. They broke the rules no differeny yhan someone shoplifting in your store. Even Mr Wilson said they were a stellar group at the hearing, but we all have rules to follow and if you break them you should pat the consequences.
GW
Re: Coal Docks
I have posted the picture in the past. The reason it has "stuck in my craw" is the level of denial by Russ Wilson and Ron Reinas. It was very intriguing that they were so upset over that picture. It still intrigues me.
If you insist that it is not Russ Wilson, so be it. No need to re post that picture then.
FOCB did NOT break any rules. The cheque was written on the General Account, of which the group has always had it's own discretion to do so. That's the same account through the years that bought the yellow signs and put up a thousand dollar billboard. The Lottery Accounts, chequing and savings are Separate.
Heather Salter is to come up with a definition for "political" from the Gaming Rules. Haven't heard it yet. Remember if one of the groups is deemed not in compliance, it opens problems for many others. If a group is "political" it shouldn't matter if you agree or not agree with their politics. Think about the Kinsmen, they rented a bus and went to Queen's Park for a Health Coalition Rally. Is that not "political"?
Let's explain why this happened. It was a complaint by a nasty woman who lost her ward and repercussions, just like the Compliance hearings.
I can't say that it is ironic, because it goes well beyond that.
Your blog has a link to Niagara at Large and the current story shown is "Niagara’s Most Remarkable Family Of The Year – The Anzovino/Kennedy Family".
Doug Draper writes a factual report of the inquest ..... because he was there.
He writes accolades towards the family .... because he was there.
Sharon Bowers writes accolades towards herself in her editorial "
I did warn them, but they didn't listen. I laid it all out ...." .... but you weren't there.
You concluded your editorial with" Someone should have told this family the truth of what
happened, rather than feed their grief and expectations about a costly Coroner's Inquest."
Why do you think that the family went through this process?
It's about time that you started writing some responsible articles rather that the trash you put out.
I was not "writing accolades" about myself. I said, from the beginning, that an inquest into Reilly's death would only prolong the family's suffering. At no time, did I say anything against the family. I did say that I thought that certain people used the family to move their own agenda, namely the re-opening of the ERs in Fort Erie and Port Colborne. I still say that someone should have advised them of the tremendous pressure and the probable outcome of the inquest. All I wanted was for them to be spared of what I knew would be the outcome of the inquest. Hopefully, their reliving of their pain will help emergency personnel learn and adopt better procedures.
Yes, they are courageous. Nothing I say here can take that away from them. I cannot begin to imagine the heartache of losing a child.
I matters not which account the FOCB wrote the cheque on.
Bottom line .... they write a cheque for $5000.00 to support a political organization ..... then they don't need the $5000.00 from the Bingo.
Argue that!
Hey Big Mouth of post December 29, 2011 9:27 AM
So, if you see an infraction by the Kinsmen then address it.
Sound like you are a "a nasty woman" or man yourself.
Go ahead ..... put in a complaint. That seem to be all that you people do these days. LOSER.
YOU DID ..... write accolades about yourself. Don't be such a hypocrite when your published words are right infront of you.
WHO ..... did you warn?
Yes they were courageous.
EVERYTHING you say here takes that away from them.
FEWPA, like say, Shorewalk, was not set up as a political group. If anything, it was set up as a lobby group, advocating for the retention of all publicly owned waterfront land.
(Of course, we all know what happened to Shorewalk once Stephen Passero took it over. It's a shadow of its former strong advocacy group.)
Re: a comment asking me who I had warned about the inquest, figure it out. It was a person who has been at the forefront of the hospital issue. It was not any member of the Anzovino Family. If asked, I would have still been honest with them, but in much gentler terms.
I used to be called "Cassandra" back in the day, because, like the mythical Cassandra, I would predict outcomes, but no one would listen.
Here's a prediction: the Canadian Motor Speedway OMB hearing will go in favour of the Speedway, (if it gets that far) but the speedway will not be built. (Of course, it is easy to predict OMB outcomes. They seldom rule against developers.)
Holy Mary, Mother of Jesus ....
Now you proclaim yourself as a soothsayer.
Do you not realize how pathetic, how dillusional that is?
Time for an intervention.
i have never posted on your site before but is not hard to see that you are yet another internet whore.
you proclaim to be all almighty but are all nothing.
quit wasting internet space with your dribble
The Goals and Mandate for Friends of Crystal Beach is:
- to enhance public beaches, properties and parks through beautification.
- to promote Crystal Beach through festivals and events.
- generally to enhance the community for the enjoyment of year round and seasonal residents as well as tourists.
That mandate follows the aims of The Community Gaming and Development Corporation as well.
It is only a few "nasties" that speak badly of an organization such as the Fort Erie Waterfront Preservation Association. How can they speak so badly about a preservation group?
"Humans are co-opting more and more land for human use and act as if nature can simply make do with less and less space". - quote from David Suzuki.
Hello Sharon. I hope you had a good Christmas. Did your cats get you anything? I can see you are still up to your usual rhetoric.
I am hoping you will stop talking about the Anzovino family and move on and let them move on. They have been through enough and don't need to be talked about on this blog or any others by people who are not qualified. You certainly have the knack for pushing aside poor taste to full fill your own need for attention. This issue is about the hospital not this family. The emergency room closed because this town could not justify the costs of keeping it open, period. Amazing coming from someone who can justify the FOCB donating money to the FEWPA and the FEWPA bragging about raising over $100,000 to stop the very kind of development this town needs to bring more people back to town to justify opening the hospital if that is even realistic anymore. Keep that in mind every time your chubby fingers start typing. Irresponsible bloggers like you need to think about the negative impact of the things you write instead of spin doctoring all your idiotic mistakes and delusions and your whimsical justifications for the stuff that comes out of this blog. Focus on your own legal troubles and let the real residents of this town along with the real business community worry about our problems.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I give you the above comment as a perfect example of the tortured logic of some of the posts found in my SPAM file.
"I am hoping you will stop talking about the Anzovino family and move on and let them move on."
I confined my comments to the inquest and my opinion that the Anzovino Family were persuaded to request the inquest by people with an agenda and that very little would be achieved for putting the family through reliving their tragedy. I was right and I tried to make others understand that it would be a painful and fruitless quest. And they didn't listen.
"The emergency room closed because this town could not justify the costs of keeping it open, period."
Wrong on many levels. The ER was closed by the province's LHIN based on a number of criteria. The town had nothing to do with the decision. If it did, then you would have to be blaming the previous council for closing the ER because it happened on their watch.
"Amazing coming from someone who can justify the FOCB donating money to the FEWPA and the FEWPA bragging about raising over $100,000 to stop the very kind of development this town needs to bring more people back to town to justify opening the hospital if that is even realistic anymore." So, you think that the development at Bay Beach will bring back people and thus cause the re-opening of the ER at Douglas Memorial? That is delusional and I hope that you haven't pinned your hopes for the future of Fort Erie on that one development. As to the $5000. that the FOCB donated from its general fund (by vote of membership,) I voted for it and I believe that it is in keeping with the FOCB mandate which was to retain parkland for public use.
As far as the real business community, please read my latest post regarding a local businessman.
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