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Looking for Whistler legends Do you know a Whistler legend? I think anyone who has lived here for a few years will have an idea of who or what they think is a "legend".

Looking for Whistler legends

Do you know a Whistler legend? I think anyone who has lived here for a few years will have an idea of who or what they think is a "legend".

The Resort Municipality of Whistler is asking residents to help create a list of legendary events, places, features and characters of the resort community for a public art piece to be installed in Village Square this spring during its reconstruction. The concept of celebrating Whistler's legends was developed through consultation with the Public Art Committee. The Village Square glass features will be the first stage of the project.

The library will retain the list of legends and other legends will be interpreted through other art projects. I was invited to sit on the advisory group that has been formed to nominate candidates, as well as review and select the final list. So put on your thinking caps and pick up a nomination form from the library, museum, municipal hall and other community facilities. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 14.

Board of Trustees 2004

Mayor and Council appointed Alix Nicoll and Mary Scott and re-appointed trustees Jane Finlayson and Anne Hale (Treasurer) to the Library Board. Continuing to sit on the board for another year are the following trustees: Marlene Baldwin (Vice Chair), Sharon Broatch, Dallas Cristofoli, Anne Fenwick (Chair), Gordon McKeever (Municipal appointee), Betty McWhinnie, Marianna Orr. The trustees work hard at advocating for library services in Whistler and provide tremendous support to the library director and staff.

Be Web Aware

Helping Canadian parents protect their children from potential Internet risks is the focus of a new public awareness campaign called Be Web Aware , launched by a coalition of leading corporate and non-profit organizations led by Media Awareness Network (MNet) and national partners Microsoft Canada and Bell Canada (a founding sponsor of MNet).

Research by Media Awareness Network - Canada's leading Internet education organization - shows that Canadian youth are among the world's most active Internet users, with 80 per cent having regular access at home. More than half use the Internet with little or no supervision. Yet 25 per cent of young Canadian Internet users have been asked by someone they've only met on the Internet to meet face-to-face. Fifteen per cent have gone to meet an Internet acquaintance face-to-face; and almost two in 10 of this group went to these meetings alone.

The Be Web Aware initiative directs parents to a comprehensive Web site ( www.bewebaware.ca ). The site, developed by Media Awareness Network, is full of information and tools to help parents teach their children to handle the potential risks associated with going online.

Some of the recommendations being offered to parents through the campaign include:

Teach your kids the value of their personal information and to protect their privacy on the Internet by not sharing personal details when signing up for free e-mail accounts, using chat rooms, bulletin boards, instant messaging or visiting Web sites. This includes name, gender, age, home and school addresses, e-mail addresses, phone number, picture, credit card information or passwords.

Most youth have their own e-mail account (71 per cent). Of these, 81 per cent have a free Web-based account (e.g. Hot Mail). When registering for these accounts, 86 per cent indicate their gender, 68 per cent provide their real name, 29 per cent their address and 20 per cent their phone number.

Set clear rules about what kind of sites your kids are allowed to visit.

Almost half of young Canadians use the Internet from home for at least an hour every day and many of them do so with little or no adult supervision, guidance or rules - only 24 per cent say they talk to their parents a lot or a fair bit about what they do online.

Talk with your kids about predators and potential online dangers. Young children should not participate in chat rooms. If your teens participate in chat rooms, make it your business to know what chat rooms they visit and who they talk to. Have a house rule that no one provides personal information in chat rooms.

More than four in 10 youth say they have met someone new on the Internet who asked for information such as their photo, phone number, street address or name of the school that they attend.

If your children use Instant Messaging, check who is on your children's contact list. Find out if they know each person and encourage them to delete the names of people they have not already met in person.

More than half of young Canadians surveyed say that when using IM they often or sometimes talk to people they have never met.

Popsicle bridge building contest

The Sea to Sky branch of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. will hold the 4th Annual Popsicle Stick Bridge Building Contest on Saturday, Feb. 28th, 2004 during National Engineering and Geoscience Week. Bridge building kits complete with Popsicle sticks are available at the library for a fee of $10. $5 will be refunded at the event. The contest will be held at Capilano Mall in North Vancouver. There are three age classes open to participants: 12 years or younger, 13 to 18 years old and 19 years or older.

Check out the Web site at: http://www.apeg.bc.ca/branches/seatosky/popsicle.html