A new year! Read The Free Press, online and in print, as we cover the biggest stories of 2009 in London

NAMES A SIGN OF THE TIMES

I loved the Babies '08 (Dec. 31) supplement in The London Free Press. My comment: The times, they are a changing.

Remember John, Tom and Bill? How about Mary, Jane and Susan?

Reading over the babies' names, I was intrigued by the number of changes over the years: Alyssa, Hailey, Addison, Lachlan, Kayden, Chace, Braden, Carson, Reanna, Boden, Grayson, Joelle, Logan, Madison, Cassidy, Wryleah, Roman, Mikayla, Cole, Allie and Maddie. And that was a brief compilation from page 4.

For 2009, I suggest Gleet, Smork, Ulylea, Maroona and perhaps even Barack. What do you think?

Robert Williams

London

UNIVERSAL TRUTH DEPICTED

The photograph in the Dec. 30 London Free Press showing a Palestinian protester hurling a stone from a slingshot at Israeli troops who are presumably backed up with rifles, tanks, gunships and jets, was significantly overwhelming.

It should be prominently displayed in the halls of governments worldwide, particularly in Israel and the United States.

It displays the historical fact that when you invade and/or occupy another country or territory, inevitably there will be freedom fighters, terrorists, insurgents, non-combatants or whatever you call them, but no peace.

John Martin

London

MENTAL HEALTH COURT AN ASSET

Thank you for the excellent article Mental health court a success (Dec. 31).

Our society, as a whole, has so much more to learn and understand about mental illness and those who suffer from this hidden disease.

Kudos to Justice Deborah Livingstone and the vast team of professionals who are tackling this issue head on.

Kudos also to the mental health diversion team that works out of the Woodstock courthouse in Oxford County. I recently had the opportunity to work closely with two of their team members, Carrie and Heidi. These women were a phenomenal resource and support. Their knowledge, awareness and understanding demonstrated exactly what was said in the article.

As a resource in our communities, any education your paper can provide on the realities of mental health as a disease would be most welcome.

Shirley Hanlon

Tavistock

REALIZE FONDEST DREAM IN '09

As the new year begins, why not resolve that this will be the year that your fondest dream comes true? It can't possibly happen, you say.

Several years ago, I read about a diversion program that had been started in Toronto and a couple of smaller cities.

With article in hand, I walked into the office of Mike Petrenko, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association in London. I asked, if those cities can have a diversion program, why not London?

Petrenko agreed with me and ran with the ball, to court attorneys, mental health workers and others in the field. After much hard work, the program became a reality, and those who were ill and had committed crimes of nuisance were given a second chance.

A few years later, I was honoured to be asked to take part in a research program to determine if a mental health court would benefit London and the ill who were in trouble with the law.

Not only did I meet some extraordinary people, but also after much reading, writing and compiling, the powers that be decided that it would indeed be an asset to our city. With the help of mental health workers from all areas of work and a judge who knows about mental illness, most people going through these programs never reoffend.

If you think that one person cannot make a difference, think again. Every good thing that happens starts with a dream. Share it with those of like mind and watch as it takes off and becomes a great thing. You won't be sorry.

Carolyn Dykeman

London

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