HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1970-03-19, Page 4Times Established 1873
Advocate Established 1881
Amalgamated 1924
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
C.W.N.A., O.W.N.A., CLASS 'A' and ABC
Editor Bill Batten Advertising Manager
Phone 235-1331
Published Each Thursday Morning
at Exeter, Ontario
Second Class Mail
Registration Number. 086
Paid in Advance Circulation,
September JO, 1969, 4,7'51
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $6.00 Per Year; USA $8.00
•
About a year ago we had occasion
to print a picture of a town hall being
torn down in a Western Canadian town.
The picture was of interest to local
residents because the town hall had been
built by the same man who constructed
the Exeter facility,
The two buildings had striking
resemblances, and one point of interest
Was the fact the town hall being torn
down was about 15 to 20 years younger
than the one which stands on Exeter's
Main Street,
During the past year, the mention
of new town facilities has been made on
several occasions. Renovations are badly
needed at the local hall to facilitate the
police department and this in turn is
going to deprive a group of older
gentlemen of their card playing room,
The upstairs portion of the hall is
practically of no use. It is almost
impossible to heat and large cracks
stretching along the walls suggest a
complete renovation would be necessary
to make the room satisfactory for most
purposes.
The fire hall portion of the building
is also inadequate, The fire truck and van
are too crowded for easy dispatch and
the stand-by unit has to be kept in the
shed at the rear of the building.
Even the clock on the building is of
little use, Considerable amounts of
money have been spent on recent
repairs, but council have come to the
conclusion that further repairs constitute
a case of throwing good money after
bad.
In addition, the town is required to
rent office space for the clerk-treasurer,
and while the rental is most reasonable, a
more efficient operation of the town's
business would result from having the
clerk's office located in the same areas as
the police, works department office and
council chambers.
The foregoing suggests that the
matter of the town's facilities should
soon be given some concerted thought.
Piece-meal alterations, as now being
considered for the police office, may
temporarily alleviate some of the
problems, but in the long run could
prove to be another case of throwing
money down the drain. It also eliminates
the use of a meeting room for a number
of groups in the community.
Unfortunately, the whole situation
becomes even more clouded when one
considers the advent of regional
government. The needs of the
community may be determined at the
present, but this could drastically change
within a decade.
This must be a consideration in any
discussion, but it is obviously impossible
to make it a determining factor in view
of the uncertainties surrounding
regionalism.
*
The discussion would appear to fall
into two avenues — a new building to
house all departments; or a renovation of
the present building and possibly a
smaller building to house some of the
departments. The determining factor on
the possibility of the latter is whether or
not the present edifice is structurally
sound enough to facilitate a major
renovation program.
We suggest this fact should be
determined immediately, so council will
know if there are alternatives, If the
building has deteriorated beyond the
point of being of any use for a period of
several years, then it becomes only a
question of how soon it has to be
replaced.
If the structure can be of use,
several changes are possible to make it
more functional. For the sake of
discussion only, we suggest the following
ideas:
The upstairs room could be
renovated to house the council chambers
and an assembly room for groups of 50
to 75, The present council chamber
could facilitate the card players and the
offices for the police and works
department could be carried out as
presently planned.
The present fire hall could house
the clerk's office and an addition at the
rear of the building, stretching across the
lane behind the library could house the
fire department equipment.
A number of alternatives could be
considered, depending upon the space
needs required by the various
departments.
Any suggestion of renovations, of
course, has to be considered in
comparison to rebuilding costs.
There's possibly no urgency in
making final decisions regarding the
town hall, but we do suggest there is an
increasing urgency to start determining
the possibilities open to better the
situation in the not too distant future.
Comments from readers on this
subject are most welcome, because it is a
complex matter, and the more ideas
presented the better.
Reataidet de 60'4?
In March, 1961, the congregation of Crediton United Church sponsored a refugee family from
Czechoslovakia. A home was found for the couple in the area and donations provided the necessary
furniture and supplies, Lorne Hodge, left, is shown greeting the couple and their two children at London
airport, along with an interpreter. They escaped from the country after the father's life was threatened
because he would not join the Communist party. The mother had TB and was treated at London for
some time before taking up residence in the Crediton area. They have since moved.
Yes, they are horrifying
WADE
INSURANCE AGENCY
D.T. (Terry) Wade
Total Insurance Service
Auto — Fire -- Liability
Sickness and Accident
Life --n- Pensions — Surety
I woulct be nappy to
Particular insurance needs.
at renewal time,
Phone Creditpn
:1 i
f.
— Glass d
Incoule ,:
Bonds, etc.
discuss your
Call today or
234-6368 or 234-6224
11111.1.1411.1.11.11.1111111111.11ht
Be Ready.,
'
' 141 11. For Easter . . . ft.014,‘ ef -Tit . 4 ,1 ..,.
This Spring Try Our Top 401/4
DRY CLEANING ... 1‘
Look Your nest For The Spring
Season. Your Clothes Are
Cleaned, Pressed and Re-shaped
By Experienced Personnel Only
WE ALSO HAVE A COMPLETE
Laundry Service
QUALITY WITH SERVICE IS OUR MOTTO
Call Either of Our Two Locations for
FREE Pickup and Delivery
EXETER 235-0360 GRAND BEND 238-2122
Have You Tried Our Coin Laundry?
Large 12 lb. Stainless Steel Washers
Wash 25c Dry 100
WALDRON'S
Grand Bend Cleaners
Corner Sanders & Main Exeter
1011111111111110 lllllllll 01111 lllll 1 lllllllll 11111111111111 llllllll llllll 1110111111111.11111.1111.1111111111 lllllll 011111 lllll 1 lllll
Add Sparkle
To Your New
Spring Fashions
FINE. WATCHES
From $9,95 up
COLORFUL
JEWELLERY
Including 108-Inch
String of
Pearls
VARIOUS
COLORS
For Your
Easter Party . .
FAB TRAYS ...$5.95 up
Jack Smith Jeweller
MAIN ST. 235-2944 EXETER
111.1111 lllllllllllllllllll 11 llllllll 111111111111111111111114111 lllll II llllll 111110,11111 lllllll WM11111111111 lllllll 114111 llllll 11.1i
FEATURE
VALUE
Chocolate
Easter
Bunny
ONLY
97'
THURSDAY FRIDAY WORM Yet...
Fisher's Hardware
NtAiN EXETER.
sai:isS:Ssi:SVs
Sun shines day at a time
For discussion only
tr1"-If,
A letter writer took us to task
last week for what she termed
the use of "morbid pictures" in
recent issues.
While we would choose to
debate the point with her, we do
appreciate her opinion and
particularly the fact she was
concerned enough to express
those opinions publicly, and as
she reported, to discuss the,
matter with some of her friends.
It was a bit surprising that
anyone should consider a
blanket covered body
"horrifying" in view of the
bloodshed to which we are
subjected on TV news and
entertainment shows.
We'll have to admit that the
use of such pictures has created
much debate in our own mind at
times, and it has never been
done with the intent of being
sensational or creating duress for
relatives or friends of the victims
so depicted.
In the latter instance, we tend
to reason that a picture does not
add to the grief already being
experienced by the fact a loved
one is dead.
A picture taken of some
accident victims could stir the
emotions to a greater height, but
one showing a body shrouded in
a blanket would hardly fall into
that category.
So, why do we use such
pic tures?
In the first place, it's part of
the news. It depicts what
happens.
More important, it depicts
reality. We see accidents,
murders and beatings on our TV
screens daily, but the victims
appear in a later show to give
one the impression that the
bloodshed is not really so
terrifying.
In real life, it's different.
People die and they stay that
way. Some are crushed behind
steering wheels, others have their
anatomies split open as they are
catapulted through windshields.
All die for basically the same
reason. Some person was guilty
of making a mistake, the type of
mistake many others make daily,
but for which they do not pay as
dearly.
It is our hope that the sight
of a body lying in a ditch has the
same effect on some of our
readers as it does on us as we
drive home from the accident
scene.
Exeter 1, i me s- A dvoca te ,
Exeter, Ontario.
Dear Sir;
As a member of the Canadian
As so c i a Mori for Humane
Trapping I would like to draw to
the attention of your readers the
horrible suffering that is being
inflicted on fur-bearing animals
in this Province, and all across
Canada.
I am referring to the barbaric
and atrocious leg-hold trap
which holds its Actin' by the
paw until the animal dies either
of starvation or freezing,
An animal is in many cases
trapped up to a period of two
weeks, Sometimes it even
succeeds in chewing off it's own
paw and crawls away to die.
There are humane traps
available to trappers now, and
more research is in progress to
develop others,
I urge people to please write
to their Members Of Parliament
Urging then) to instigate
Please turn to page 5
There's a gnawing in your
stomach and you start to assess
your own driving in the hope
that in fact some other news
photographer won't be standing
around some day taking pictures
of your crushed body or that of
someone near to you.
Call it the shock treatment, if
you will.
We'd like to think that many
parents make a point of showing
the pictures to the young drivers
in their family, as well as making
an assessment of their own
driving habits.
The pictures may be morbid
or horrifying, but if they serve
to prevent even one accident,
then they have served a purpose.
We choose to think a grieving
parent would pay that price if in
fact it saved another from going
through the same ordeal. * * *
Actually, some of the most
effective safety films used by
safety groups in this country use
the shock treatment in their
presentations.
While they give motorists
helpful hints on how to become
better drivers, they also show
some very vivid pictures of
accident victims to impress upon
the viewers the consequences of
improper driving.
From the actions of a great
many drivers, it is clearly evident
50 YEARS AGO
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Pybus,
of Hensel, have moved to the
West and will farm near Webb,
Sask.
Mr. J. G. Cochrane, of town,
has bought the Conner Machine
building which he has been
occupying. He has installed the
latest machinery and is an expert
mechanic himself. He has taken
the agency for the Fairbanks
Morse gasoline engine.
Mr. C. L. Wilson purchased
the store property occupied by
Wilson & Sims, from Mrs. It.
Knight.
Mr. B. W. F. Beavers has
purchased the Pickard proper
on Main Street opposite Mr.
J, Christie's home and will erect
two residences thereon.
Mr. Herman Ireland of
Dashwood, has taken a position
in the Dashwood bank as a
beginner.
25 YEARS AGO
Sgt. Ed. Hunter-Duvar, a
mechanic at the Centralia
Airport, who came to Exeter
from Suminerside, P.E.I., has
purchased the property of the
late Richard Pickard and
following his discharge from the
air force, expects to go into
business here.
Mr. Charles Keddy, of
Usborne Township, has sold his
farm to his neighbor, Mr.
William Jeffery, Mr. Keddy and
his sister, Miss Nettie, will
remain on the farm until fall and
will then moue to Exeter.
Leading Fireman William
Chambers, Tpr. Sidhey Stire and
Spr, Roy Kirk, who have
recently returned from overseas,
and their parents, were guests at
a banquet, sponsored by the War
Time Reception Committee.
A record crowd attended the
auction sale of Mr. Ben Williams
and son of Ilsborne.
r,,
that the consequences of their
foolishness is given little
thought.
Until it is, the carnage on our
highways will continue to
mount. * * *
On that topic, it is
discouraging to learn from OPP
Cpl. C. J. Mitchell that only one
person has asked for any
information regarding the
defensive driving course offered
by the Ontario Safety League.
Most of the members of the
local ' OPP detachment have
taken this course and tell us that
it does indeed provide some very
helpful hints for drivers.
A minimum of 25 people
must enrol before the course can
be conducted locally, and
information can be obtained by
contacting the OPP.
While most drivers hesitate to
indicate the need for
improvement in their own
driving skills, they should at
least be interested in knowing
how to take steps to ensure that
the poor drivers on the highways
don t get them involved in
accidents.
And, as most good drivers
will readily admit, there are a
great number of poor drivers on
our highways these days.
15 YEARS AGO
Jim Carter and Marion
Crossman, two SHDHS verse
speakers who won WOSSA
honors last year, will represent
the school again this year in
regional contests at London on
Saturday.
Mr, and Mrs. Elmer Bell
attended the golden wedding
anniversary celebration of the
latter's parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Dave Bell in Harriston.
A hot beef supper sponsored
by the ladies of Main Street
United Church, Wednesday
evening attracted a goodly
number,
Robins have been reported
and on Wednesday last Victor
Jeffrey of Usborne, saw a flock
of swans headed north. The
swans as a rule come after the
wild ducks.
10 YEARS AGO
District residents had an
unobstructed view Sunday night
of the first complete lunar
"black-out" since November,
1956.
On Thursday evening the
Exeter Fair Board sponsored a
progressive euchre and dance in
the Legion Hall. During the
evening tickets were sold on a
half pig with the Winner being
Lloyd Reynolds.
C. Van Laughton, Exeter has
been appointed a delegate to the
Naval Officers' convention in
Charlottetown, P,E.I. in June.
He will represent the Western
Ontario Association.
Over $600 has been raised by
public school students in this
district to aid World refugees, it
was announced this week by
Inspector G. John °Main.
Town council will consider
replacement of two members
when it meets Monday night.
Councillor Jack Weber has
submitted his resignation for
reasons of health. Councillor
George Rethet has offered to
resign, if a replacement. can be
secured.
This has been quite a winter,
in more ways than one. Cold,
snow cold, snow. When it
wasn't cold enough to freeze the
brains of a brass monkey, God,
or the weatherman, or
somebody, let fly with the
confetti as though it were the
biggest wedding in the world.
And I'm stuck with three
females: A broody wife, a
moody daughter, and a pregnant
cat. So things haven't exactly
looked up as spring hides well
around that corner.
However, there are always
bright spots, and I've had a fair
share of them. Terry Barker
took me to task, in a long,
intelligent letter in rebuttal to a
rather disgruntled column I
wrote about teaching. He didn't
convince me, but let's say that I
am a little more disgruntled than
I was.
There are deep and satisfying
rewards in teaching, along with
the frustration, red tape and the
feeling that you're hopelessly
entangled in a huge cobweb,
There's a real thrill in seeing
young people grapple and grope
with new ideas, and light up as
the ideas get through.
Then I had a thoughtful letter
from a Qualium Beach, B.C.,
reader enclosing a clipping from
the North, Battleford (Sask.)
News-Optimist stating that "Bill
Smiley is by far our most
popular sydicated columnist."
That's great for the old ego,
which needs a little balm once in
a while.
Another ego-booster was an
invitation to speak to the Vimy
Branch, Royal Canadian Legion,
a unique organization in
London, Ont. It meets only
twice a year, to observe
Remembrance Day and Vimy
Day, A charming and kind chap
called Joyce Roadhouse made
the contact, pointing out that it
was a toss-up between me and
some Major-General. The branch
is studded with Brigadiers,
Colonels and Wing Commanders,
and there was a terrible
temptation to take advantage of
this chance to stand up and tell
the brass what I've always
thought of them. But I had to
decline.
However, the brightest spot
of all has been the tremendous
and moving response to a recent
column about my daughter.
Every day letters have been
coming in from all over Canada,
full of sympathy and warmth.
Many of them have been
addressed to Kim herself,
Old friends have rallied
round, and complete strangers
have taken time to write
cheering, encouraging letters and
cards. This has not restored my
faith in human nature, because
I've never lost it, but it has
bolstered it.
Here's an excerpt from a
typical letter. "Whatever
happens, don't blame yourselves.
It's very easy to do this as
parents. You did what most of
us try to do —you taught her to
stand on her own feet — and let
her go. She fell. So she'll get up
again and be twice the girl she
was before."
And here's another. "Dear
Bill: Detected grave concern
beneath your casual request for
a prayer. I have solicited our
Father on your daughter's behalf
and I feel that He has answered
your prayer. May God bless you
and Yours in the name of his son
Jesus Christ." That was all from
a complete stranger.
From Red Deer came a long
letter full of scriptural comfort
and the assurance that his (or
her) prayers would be with us.
Others sent prayers that had
helped them in time of trouble.
This is only a sampling. I am
not an emotional or sentimental
person. My wife calls me Old
Stoneface. But it has touched
me deeply that so many people
have tried to communicate with,
arid help, a stranger. Sometimes
a columnist feels that he is
writing in a great, cold void. It's
not a good feeling.
Now I know better, and I will
be of good heart. Meanwhile, we
live a day at a time, the sun
shines, spring is on its way.
Thank you all. It's good to know
that there is still a great deal of
human kindness in a world that
sometimes looks a bit bleak.