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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1976-11-25, Page 4Where is the community heading in terms of recreation? At the present time it is wallowing in a sea of uncertainty and there is no indica- tion that the leadership required to get it back on stable ground is forthcoming. For several months there's been a dis- cussion about an area recreation com- mittee, and yet there has been no move made to get such a group organized so they will be able to step into the new year with any sense of direction. The current situation with Exeter's own operation is basically a "mess" and while there may be a tendency on the part of council and RAP to think it can be placed in limbo for the balance of the year, it should really indicate the matter requires some serious deliberations immediately. It would be a complete abdication of their responsibilities for both groups to assume that the matter can be turned over to a new council and committee to pick up the pieces. The people who have been involved should be those who will at least attempt to sort out the problems and their causes and prepare some guidelines for the people who will assume the reins in 1977. The layoff period for three of the staff members terminates early in January and some decision must be reached, in fairness to them, as to their future employment. It is easy to sit back and suggest that the woes of the current year are due to the closing of the arena, Certainly that was a contributing factor, but the issues go much beyond that point and in fact indicate some serious questions about the entire opera- tion of RAP. While some suggest that policies and procedures are needed in the operation of the committee, it would appear that an en- tire philosophy must be established regar- ding the direction of recreation in the com- munity. The policies can then be set forth on how that philosophy can best be fulfilled. It is evident that the philosophy must be established by council, or at least have their full support. Only then will RAP have some assurance that their decisions will receive support from the people who provide the cash. Et to Listowel? The time has come for some major decisions as far as this town's recreation program is concerned. Right now the Parks, Arena, Recrea- tion and Community Centre Board (PARCC) is running an overdraft of $13,000 at the bank. Interest on that overdraft this month could reach $200. Regardless of final decisions on the recreation program and its overall budget, council made the right move Monday night in deciding to advance the board the money required to get the loan paid off. It's going to have to be paid regardless, so why wait and make the bank richer? The money should have been ad- vanced when the matter was first raised in council by the administrator. Just what i^ this town paying for recreation? It's a question that's bound to pop up in the minds of many people. This year the town's grant will be $63,- 8,37 — less than half the total budget of the PARCC Board of $153,377. To date the PARCC Board has spent $137,523 as com- pared to' the projepted expenditure at the end of October of n27,814. A portion of the overdraft is due to a deficit from 1975 of $5,000. It sounds like a lot of money, but members of the PARCC Board say it is en- tirely in keeping with the recreation expen- ditures of other towns of comparable.size. Certainly the members of the board are in a position to know. Speaking of those members, we know of no other appointed board which puts in more time and thought on their municipal work than these people. They are dedicated. If they weren't they'd have quit long ago. So where does that leave us? Obviously we're going to have to cough up more money for recreation, cut the program, or insist that individuals making use of the program pay for it. One thing we can't do is to continue to criticize the members of the PARCC Board for the job they are doing. If other residents of this town were as interested, then the board wouldn't have to spend wages for people to man the concession booth and operate every facet of the summer recreation program — they would have volunteer labor to help out. And that's another question we might ask ourselves — how come rural arenas can, get parents, etc. to man their booths and keep fund raising projects going throughout the year when towns like Listowel can't? Maybe all we need is a good, old fashioned infusion of community spirit. In- volvement instead of invective. Listowel Banner Our immigration policy p. rZimesaimix:afe SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND C.W.N.A., 0.W.N.A. CLASS 'A' and ABC Published by J. W. Eedy Publications Limited LORNE EEDY, PUBLISHER Editor -- Bill Batten Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh Advertising Manager — Jim Beckett Plant Manager — Jim Scott Composition Manager — Harry DeVries Business Manager — Dick Jongkind Phone 235-1331 +CNA CCNA PM RIBBON AWARD 1974 Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386 Paid in Advance Circulation September 30, 1975 5,409 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $11.00 Per Yea; USA $22.00 Page 4 Times-Advocate, November 25, 1976 Must be resolved Need magical shot 15 Years Ago Roman Catholic School board here will build a two-room school on the west side of town it was decided Wednesday night. Huron MPP has received a Distinguished Service Award from the 0.W.R.C. "in ap- preciation of his leadership in pollution control". Iris Marshall, Kirkton, was top scorer among the 4-H members at the county achievement night at Wingham, Friday, 5 Years Ago Stephen Township has issued a building permit to Cook's division ' of Gerbro Corporation of Hensall to erect a large grain elevator and processing plant. The Exeter PUC recently received awards in two divisions. The Electrical Utility Safety Association award was presented to foreman Bob Pooley and Harold Wurm received the American Waterworks Association award. Reeve Wilson Hodgins and his entire council in the township of Biddulph were returned to office by acclamation at Friday's nomination Meeting. "Illiteracy among students? What channel was it on?" I got talking to a chap at the curling club the other evening. He seemed a pleasant, straight- forward, friendly sort of bloke and we bought each other a. drink. "My name's Jake, Jake Sloan," he introduced himself. I reciprocated. Somehow the con- versation got around to Canada's immigration policy, which seems to be disturbing a good many people these days. I asked him what he thought of it all. "Oh, I got nothing against im- migrants," he said, expansively. "The country needs them." I asked him why. "Well, we gotta have Chinese and Greeks to run the restaurants," he opined, "for one thing." "Yes?" "And we need the Japanese for market gardeners, and the Eyetalians for construction work and running the fruit stores." "Is that all?" "Well, we need a lotta hunkies for the heavy work, like, you know, mines and longshoremen and all that." "You have no prejudices then, about allowing people into this country?" I queried. "Absolutely none," he replied firmly. "We gotta have them West Indians so as people in Toronto can have domestic ser- vants, and there'll be somebody to do the dirty work." "How about Indians?" I asked. "Well, I kinda feel sorry for them. They were here first, but now they're all drunk or on welfare or both." "Actually, I meant people from India. And Pakistan." "Oh, them. Well, I'll tell ya. A little bitta them goes a long ways. They're all too well educated. They come here with nothing, and first thing you know, they're doctors and teachers and all like that, and taking jobs from our own people, and thinking they're as good as we are." "How do you feel about Europeans?" "Waddaya mean?" "Well, you know, French, Hungarians, Poles, Czechs, Yugo-Slays . . ." "Oh, now, wait a minute, We got enough frogs already in this country. And them others, they're too smart. They come out here on a shoe-string, and before you know it, they own 200 acres of prime tobacco land, or they turn into architects, or they own a shoe factory and boss a whole lot of real Canadians around." "You haven't mentioned the Germans. We have a lot of them." "Ya, the Krauts are O.K. They're clean and they're good workers, But you know what happens, eh? They save their money and first thing you know, they've bought a summer cot- tage and live like kings, just like they won the war, or something." "I presume that you'd have no objections, then to a steady flow of immigrants from the U.K., English, Welsh, Scots, Irish?" "Well, I wooden go that far. The Limeys are sorta hoity-toity, like they got a plum in their mouth. The Welsh can sing, but they're crazy, The Micks are either Catholics or drunks or both. And the Jocks are pushy peasants with an accent that would curdle your blood. And Amalgamated 1924 w, My kids don't need a dictionary — they're going to wait till the movie comes out While voters in several area communities will be going to the polls on December 6, it is evident that few issues are at stake in any of the elections. They are basically all contests which are normally referred to as "per- sonality fights". In Hay Township, the recrea- tion issue is certainly the only thing that appears to resemble an election issue, but basically it is difficult .to ascertain where various candidates stand on that topic. Being a contentious issue at any time, it is difficult for any candidate to be too vocal in his stand, one way or the other, because he knows that whatever support he may gain on one hand he will lose on the other. Ob- viously any candidate who can come up with some convincing double-talk to support both sides of the debate should do extreme- ly well at the polls although he would have a hard time living with himself. However, voters should expect their candidates to be honest with them over the recreation issue so they can support the can- didate who sides with their par- ticular attitude on recreation. * * In Hensall, there is an indica- most , of them are skilled tradesmen, stealing the bread o0t of an honest Canadian's mouth." "How about the Portuguese," I asked rather desperately, "or the Arabs?" "Well, now, the Portuguese tend to crowd together in the cities. They'd be O.K. if we had a sardine.-industry, or lotsa olive trees. But we ain't. A few a them Arabs might be awright, if they brought some of their oil money with them. I wooden mine being an Arab, you know," here punching me jovially with an elbow. "Three or four wives, an I hear all ya gotta do to get a divorce is clap your hands three times and say 'I divorce you!' Priddy neat, eh?" I agreed it was priddy neat, "You certainly seem to have an open mind about im- migration," I suggested. "But if you were to become Minister of Immigration, to whom would you really open your arms? South Americans, perhaps?" "No way. Them spies are always having revolutions and such. And half them can't speak any English. No,.I'd like to see us thrown wide open to Australians. They're pretty mouthy but they're good drinkers, like Canadians, And besides, they're so far away we wooden get many of them." I shuddered. "Next," he said, showing that he was in touch with world af- fairs, "I'd welcome a whole slew of them Rhodesians, If they hafta get outa their own country. They're white, good workers, and they know how to keep the blacks in their place. Jiist to make sure they didn't take a lot of good Canadian jobs," he chortled, "we could send them up to the Mackenzie River area to sort out the Indians and Eskimoes." It was getting on. I asked Jake, from a combination of curiosity and politeness, what his own ethnic background was, as I couldn't even imagine it. "Oh, I'm a pure Canadian, My grandfather was Polish, and he married my grandmother, who was half Scotch-half Indian. My ole man changed our name from Slovinski to Sloan. We're third- generation Canadian." I went home and washed out my brain with soap and water, and wondered, for not the first time, at my fellow Canadians, tion that the Legion sewer fron- tage issue may become an issue to a certain extent, although voters should be cautious about supporting any candidate who appears to be seeking election on one issue only. A good councillor must be prepared to serve all residents to the best of his or her ability and not just to serve one group. Certainly any elected of- ficial who appears to have a con- flict of interest on any matter before council should declare that during any debate. In Stephen Township, the only issue at stake appears to be gain- ing a direct voice from the residents of Huron Park on coun- cil. Several candidates from the Park have attempted to win seats before and perhaps it is time that other residents of the township consider the fact that the residents do indeed deserve that consideration. However, they too must be assured that any Huron Park candidate has the welfare of the entire township as his basic con- sideration and again no can- didate should strive solely to serve his particular community or interest group. Exeter's election will ap- parently be fought strictly along personality lines. A couple of the new candidates indicated dis- pleasure with some decisions of the sitting members, but it was not a strenuous objection nor did it contain any defined ideas on how those candidates would have handled matters any differently. Experience is hardly an issue either with seven of the eight candidates having served on Council for at least two years. Certainly, 'one of the in- teresting things to watch will be whether voters will give 19-year- old Steve Pfaff an opportunity to bring the community's youth to the fore on council deliberations. His address at the nomination meeting showed him to be a serious young man and his can- didacy at least will provide some As mentioned, most of the area contests appear to be personality fights, but that does not preclude the opportunity for voters to ask the various candidates to make known their stand on issues which concern them. 30 Years Ago Roy Ratz was re-elected as reeve of Stephen Township with 563 votes to 488 for his opponent Elmer Lawson. A.V. Tiernan, Dashwood, was elected preiident of Dashwood business Club with C.F. Phile, secretary-treasurer. A new book by Dr. Sherwood Fox has just been published entitled "T'aint Runnin' No More" being a history of Grand Bend and the Ausable River. 20 Years Ago Five people died in the Tuesday morning blaze which destroyed the British-Exchange Hotel in Goderich, Thieves had to abandon the safe of Tuckey Beverages Ltd, on the town sidewalk early Tuesday morning when they found their "loot" too heavy to load onto the pickup truck• they had stolen from the same business, Four members of McGillivray Council were returned to their seats by acclamation this week. They were: Earl Morley, Duncan Drummond, Earl Dixon and Thomas Hall. The Editor Exeter Times-Advocate Exeter, Ontario Dear Sir, How important is recreation, particularly physical activity, to the citizens of Exeter? Is it something that is necessary and is provided for children but something that adults don't have time for and really don't need anyway? On the list of priorities is it relegated to a bottom position as a luxury or a frill: something that's nice to have but not really necessary? Council members in making' their decision to lay off their recreation staff have illustrated that this is their view of recreation. This view that recreation is unimportant is as archaic and invalid as the one that says that the world has unlimited energy resources, therefore we need not take steps to conserve it here and now, or that this year we'll have a green Christmas so we need not buy overshoes. The lack of money in the R.A.P. budget is a consideration that is certainly valid and undeniable. Should the financial situation be the main (if not the only) con- sideration? What is the cost of gpod health? What are the medical and social costs arising out of such popular pastimes as over-indulging in eating, smoking, elbow-bending and other non-active pursuits? Physical activity is an alter- native that can improve over-all health in general and that of heart and lungs in particular. It can change a person's attitude toward habits that can lead to serious disease—ie. smoking and drinking. What value is such a change in attitude? It is important that these at- titudes toward physical activity be held by every person of every age. It is important that municipal leaders foster this attitude and provide the per- sonnel with the knowledge and expertise that is needed in this field. To say that these people are not worth some special effort to maintain is to say that en- couragement and guidance to the citizens of Eiceter to achieve personal welfare are not im- portant. Budgets are man-made. They can be manipulated by those in authority. Could council mem- bers not have found money to supply Jim McKinlay and. staff members with living expenses for six weeks, until the RA.P, budget was again able to support them? Was the lay-off of the recreation staff and of Jim McKinlay in particular, a political move taken by members of council in order to gain popularity and enhance their prestige in the eyes of certain citizens who may be considered by our efforts we are on our way to a sick religion, We are unhealthy if we feel we must use loud and unnatural language when addressing God; if we are dogmatic and legalistic and denounce anyone who doesn't believe exactly as we do; when we believe we alone have all the Light; when we give the Devil much more than his due by reading evil into everything, thereby missing the many pleasures God has given us to enjoy, even the most simple ones. We all carry around some kind of hangup about our religion. Recently, I met a lovely and most sincere Christian woman who finds it difficult to believe anyone can be saved who has not been baptized by total immersion. Well, if she's right there are a lot of us who'll never make it to heaven! The trouble is, we all try to make God too small, to fit into our preconceived shape, But God will not be boxed in, not by me, not by you, no matter how sincere we are. Our faith becomes healthy when we know it is God alone who works in each one of us what is right for us according to His pleasure. 'We become energized and strong when we come to the realization that it is only by His Spirit moving within us that we are made whole; that there is no need of irrational and frantic effort to prove ourselves ac- ceptable to God who has already accepted us. God Sense God grant you In the common things of life Good common sense. And in the larger things Uncommon sense. And, in the greatest things of all, His own God-sense. God sense of what is right and fit. That so, in every circumstance Of life or death, you may acquit Yourself as He deems well. In all make good deliverance; In all without offence excel; In all add glory to His name And His estate enhance. U.F.O.'s—Unifformed Free- speaking Observers, so that they will receive more votes on election day? If this were the case, let this Uninformed Observer become a Free-speaker and shout that recreation is as important as nourishing food and sufficient rest. It should not be something we can easily throw out. It needs to be high on the list of priorities of every person. We all need help and guidance in "getting off our butts" and becoming physically active. We need a director of recreation and a support staff. Yours truly, Joe Laurie Exeter • To the Editor Dear Sir, Over the past several weeks the news media in Ontario have devoted considerable time and space to the question of Hydro rates. This emphasizes the importance of the consumer understanding the relationship between himself and Ontario Hydro through the Municipal Hydro, in order to relate the impact of rates objectively. Hydro in Ontario is divided into two responsibilities, the first for generation and transmission, is given to the Crown Corporation known as Ontario Hydro. The second responsibility is vested in the Municipal Hydro, responsible for delivering electrical energy to the householder, the businessman, or the manufacturer. In addition, Ontario Hydro supplies energy to large industrial customers such as steel mills, paper mills and chemical plants, and also those customers who live in small rural communities and to summer cottages. ' It should be understood that when the news media talk about Ontario Hydro rates they are discussing the cost of power that will be charged to municipalities and large industrial customers. The cost of electrical energy to the householder and the businessman in the community is determined by the local Hydro Commission of the Municipality concerned, The increases imposed by local Municipal Hydro Commissions are not necessarily equal to the bulk power costs that Ontario Hydro charges to these local commissions, since each Commission must also cope with its own problems of system expansion, cost of labour, and debt encumbrance. The cost of power from Ontario Hydro constitutes a very large portion of a Municipal Hydro's operating cost and it is common for the cost of power to range between 70c to 80e out of every operating dollar, This 14 Please turn to Page 5 interest and involvement for the youth of the community. That in itself is good, whether Steve wins or loses. We note with some regret that Garnet Hicks is sticking to his opinion that council should move behind closed doors for more of their deliberations, although he has yet to explain satisfactorily why he feels the public do not have the right to all the informa- tion pertaining to their business. The race between mayoralty candidates Bruce Shaw and Derry Boyle is not expected to generate a great deal of debate. As members of council for a number of years, neither man can pick holes in the other's record, as basically they have both been part of the same record. Commen'ts from the ratepayers' meeting would in- dicate Boyle is attempting to gain his support from a promise to be more accessible to the public, while Shaw seeks support for a continuance of his programs to involve more people in community work. Perhaps the most interesting situation in the area is in Grand Bend. That, of course, is not an election issue, but rather the fact that a second nomination will have to be held to fill one vacan- cy on council. Reeve Bob Sharen probably summed it up best when he suggested the lack of candidates for public office "is a sad com- mentary on this town", The resort is one of the fastest growing communities in this area and it is disappointing to find a general lack of interest in civic affairs, particularly when there appears to be some rather contentious issues now under consideration. While sitting members may be amazed at the apathy shown by their fellow citizens it is an in- dication that the majority must be in favor with the decisions that have been made on their behalf. The same can be said for Usborne and Biddulph councils, both being acclaimed to office for another two-year term, Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Basically personality fights Everywhere you go these days the question is asked, "Got your shot yet?" Everyone wants to know are you? or aren't you? Few people seem decisive on the subject, even the doctors can't agree. Of course, they're talking about the shots available now for swine flu, that strange and mysterious disease that the experts tell us may or may not strike us, Sometimes we see religion becoming perverted and unhealthy and we wish there was a magic shot to cure it to make it rational and sane again, There is a saying that goes something like this: "In your natural life be religious, and in your religious life be. natural." We know there are thousands who are not religious in their natural lives, but sad to say, they are probably outnumbered by those who are anything but natural in their religious lives. These people allow their religion to become fetish, cultish or fanatical. In plain words it's sick. It seems to me Christ was a most unartificial man. The gospels show him moving and speaking easily and unaffectedly. His vison was always unclouded and he required no fancy sound or special effects to make his existence on earth the most meaningful life that was ever lived. He never had a pulpit; he never had an office; he never wrote a book; he never belonged' to a 'power' group. His leadership was simple, loving and healthy and people's lives were made whole (and still are) because of him. Sometimes the disorders that hit our religious lives come because we try too hard, In our attempts to be obedient and please God we often fall down hard in our scrupulous efforts to be perfect, to do everything just right, to never make a mistake. We perceive God as a tyrant who will destroy us if we do make a mistake. When we become fretful and feverish and begin to think God's love for us is determined