'Now, it's danger city'
Drag racing once meant muscle cars and empty roads. Not any more. As SHARON CRAWFORD reports, it's a 24/7 nightmare -- especially for parents. Originally published Globe and Mail, June 3, 2006.

John Newell started drag racing by a fluke. He was 17 and wanted to buy a Ford convertible. The seller suggested a short drag race to demonstrate the car's capabilities.

"I was hooked as soon as I popped the clutch," he says. "There is no one alive who ever drove in a winning street race who didn't get a life-defining rush from it. There may be nothing legal that the average human being can do for the dollar spent that can provide the level of gut-wrenching, mind-blowing raging rip that a street race in a muscle car or a modern tuner [contemporary car] can provide."

That was 39 years ago.

Sleep Apnea

Could you lose your driver's licence? By Sharon Crawford, originally published by cbc.ca Jan. 2, 2008 - When Bob Martin, 59, was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, he had to surrender his driver's licence to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

The Mayo Clinic calls sleep apnea a "potentially serious sleep disorder." When asleep, the person's back throat muscles relax, causing repeated stops and starts in breathing. It sometimes reduces oxygen levels, and can be accompanied by loud snoring.

Keeping them in focus by Sharon Crawford, originally published in Optical Prism, September 2007. - When we age, so do our eyes, but baby boomers and seniors are at different points in the road. Their vision requirements usually differ but so do their attitudes. Eyecare professionals need to remember that they are not only treating the eye condition, they are also treating the client.

“If you’re dispensing advice and glasses, you need to instil in the patient confidence in you,” says Eye Contact’s Lorne Eidinger. Eidinger, an optician for 27 years, provides on-the-spot eyeglass fittings at senior’s facilities in the Greater Toronto Area. He also shares an office with two Oakville ophthalmologists.

Connecting Through Song  by Sharon Crawford, originally published Centre of the City, November-December 2005 - I was losing track of time and wasn’t sure how much “seed money” I’d put into my case. I was starting to fade – “Tin Can Alley,” © 2005 Lynn Harrison, Song of the Subway: One Artist's Journey Underground... Full Story

Aurora Country Garden by Sharon Crawford, originally published The Toronto Star, June 10, 1993—Eight bats and 1,500 different varieties of perennials keep David and Deirdre Tomlinson hopping at Merlin’s Hollow, their English country garden in Aurora... Full Story

A Garden according to Carlo by Sharon Crawford, originally published Centre of the City, March/April 2007 - By workday Carlo Catenazzi is a photographer at the Art Gallery of Ontario - documenting acquisitions for records and catalogues. But come evening and weekends - spring, summer, fall and this winter's warm beginning - he's outside changing the medley and texture of his garden. He can't keep his plants still and constantly moves a tree or perennial or tries out a new dazzler.... Full Story

The Emotional Side of Diabetes by Sharon Crawford, originally published CheckUp Magazine, Issue No. 27, 2006 - When Karen Mercer was diagnosed at age 13 with Type I Diabetes, her doctor handed her a death sentence. “I was told that I would live to be 28 and I would never have children,” says the 62-year old mother of two and grandmother of three.... Full Story

Jack Reid paints the watery outdoors by Sharon Crawford originally published The Country Connection, Winter 2005 - Everything watercolourist Jack Reid paints is related to water—tidal pools and rocks, snow, fog and rain reflecting the autumn colours on the ground. The artist is “fascinated by their translucent nature.” He hates artsy and happy... Full Story

Financial Planner and Financial Advisor by Sharon Crawford, originally published Career Choices, Winter 2005 – Do you know that establishing client trust and providing a high service level – not peddling RRSPs and life insurance – are keys to a successful financial planner career? Or is that financial advisor? These terms get used interchangeably... Full Story

OH! The Pain by Sharon Crawford, originally published Body, Mind & Spirit, Fall 2004 – One in 10 Canadians suffers chronic pain. Their joints, back or feet ache; they have irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines or whiplash... Full Story

Elizabeth Verwey Home Office Mentor for Entrepreneurs by Sharon Crawford, originally published HomeBusiness Journal, August 2004 – “Would you like to find time to take a micro-vacation from your business?” Elizabeth Verwey, 48, of Home Office Mentors, Toronto, Canada, reels in time-starved entrepreneurs with the above line.... Full Story

The Wisdom of Water by Sharon Crawford, originally published Quill & Quire, June 2003 – The setting in The Wisdom of Water isn’t Walkerton, Ontario, site of one of the country’s worst environmental disasters, but it’s eerily similar: tainted water from an outdated treatment plant, malfunctioning equipment, and an irresponsible plant manager.... Full Story

Justice Canadian Style? by Sharon Crawford, originally published Wordscape Seven: Mystery & Suspense Anthology, MTB Press, 2001—I lost my innocence in October 1980. No, not rape in its traditional sense, I... Full Story