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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1977-03-24, Page 4Exeter councillors would do well to keep an eye on the success of a project be- ing considered in Clinton. A retired sportsman in that community has offered to • reduce the nuisance of pigeons by trapping the birds and banishing them to the auction at the Kitchener Farmers' Market. Using either his own home-made con- traption or a commercial trap, Mery Batkin has explained that he can capture up to 12 pigeons at a time and save lneal residents from the periodic "bombing at- tacks" they encounter from the birds. While council in Clinton have yet to make a decision on the trapping, in- dications are that the only objections may come from the dry cleaners in that com- munity. Because Exeter's Main St. is messed up by the throngs of pigeons that make their homes above several buildings, a similar trapping program should be seriously considered here if it is found to be successful in Clinton, Open the doors Two flagrant examples of public bodies meeting behind closed doors to discuss im- portant public matter surfaced last week and it is obvious that the taxpayers in- volved must be ar e why their elected officials are afraid to have the public know what they are doing. The examples we cite are Exeter coun- cil meeting in a secret session to purchase a house for the police department and the Huron-Perth Separate School board ap- proving this year's budget without permit- ting the public to hear the discussion. Obviously, these are flagrant situations, because both matters constitute two of the most important matters facing • either group this year. The decision made by Exeter council will cost local taxpayers about six mills on their taxes this year and there's no telling what the cost may be if their decision jeopardizes the restoration of the town hall. Oddly enough, council failed to adhere to their own policy regarding special meetings, and when those who make the laws start to side-step them, they obviously have little justification in making up laws which they expect others to follow. The actions of the Separate School board are also inexcusable. Approving an annual budget without a full and open debate in public does nothing but leave them open to question, What items are con- tained in that budget that they didn't want the ratepayers to know about? Separate school supporters should certainly be ask- ing some questions! The reporter who covers the board meetings for the weekly newspapers in Huron and Perth reports that the board has been holding an unusual number of meetings behind closed doors in recent months. It certainly leaves them open to some serious suspicions. Public officials are elected to conduct public business. They undermine the elec- torate's trust and democratic right when they hide behind closed doors to discuss that business. Easter Seals campaign The 1977 Easter Seal campaign is in full swing locally, with the overall provin- cial objective set at $2,300,000. There are almost 9000 physically handicapped youngsters who will be helped by the work of the Society for Crippled Children which is supported by this fund. As Frank Sinatra said recently in Toronto "the money you send to Easter Seals supports Canada's crippled children who are working themselves into shape. Life hasn't been easy for these kids, but they're fighters. This is one of the best in- vestments you can make. It won't return a penny to your pocket, but what you gain is in the heart." For more than fifty years the Ontario. Society for Crippled Children has been devoted to the welfare of physically han- dicapped children. The facilities and services are available to any youngster in Ontario, whose restriction of activity produces a physical handicap. The objective is to assist physically handicapped children to achieve their maximum potential by means of comprehensive treatment and training. Locally the Lions Club heads up the Easter Seal Campaign. .,. ... ,,, .0... , . • , ./....;:-.". \ .....• Valuable lesson? Nothing more frustrating Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 eteferZimes-Abuocafe SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND C.W.N.A., O.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 Jongkirid Phone 235-1331 Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386 Paid in Advance Circulation September 30, 1975 5,409 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canatla $11.00 Per Year; USA $22.00 Page 4 Times-Advocate, March 24, 1977 Success in Clbirto View from the top • There's nothing more frustrating than being loved for all the wrong reasons. This has been happening to me all my life. My wife fell in love with me because I was the first live one she'd met in three years at university. I was just home from overseas, cocky as a young black bass. Until then, the only college men she'd met were flat-foots or four-eyes, whose idea of a hot date was to ask her out, dutch- treat, for a coffee, and breathe heavily over their own passion for Wordsworth's poetry. She was a good, sweet girl who believed in God, university regulations and the sanctity of Great Writers. I soon cured her of that. I introduced her into a small society of skeptics and slumgullions like myself, who were more interested in beer than Browning, sex than sain- tliness. We didn't want to go to college; we wanted to go to Mexico. We didn't want to marry and have children and grow old together; we wanted to have 18 illicit affairs and die young of sheer depravity. It was all a facade,of course, but she was fascinated. And for the next 30 years, I had to continue the pretence that I was dashing rake instead of a dull hoe. It's been hard. Underneath, I'm a cowardly conformist, not a revoluntionary romantic; a solid free-enterprise, not an idealistic" socialist. I'm not a leader; I'm a follower, even though sometimes I appear to be going sideways or backwards. Final blow came the other day when she caught me trying to figure out how much pension I'd get if I retired in three years. It sank in at last that she had married, not the Scarlet Pim- pernel, but Elmer Fudd. Same thing with my kids. They seemed to love me,but for all the wrong reasons. When I was a weekly editor, they thought I was the most important man in town, Don't know where they got the idea, They never saw me cringing behind the receiver when some old lady had called me up and was wiping me out over the phone because I'd either left one pall bearer out, or put in one too many, in the write-up of her old man's funeral. The kids thought I was a great father because I took them on the Ferris wheel and roller coaster when they were little. They didn't realize I was a quivering jelly inside. From their bedtime stories, they knew I had won the war practically single-handed, but thought I was just a peace- makewhen I backed,up smartly in any argument with their mother. Same story all over again with my colleagues. Love me ,for all the wrong reasons. They seem to think that just because I'm an outstanding shuffleboard player, a superb Russian billiards shot, an extraordinarily acute poker player, a snappy dresser who never wears the same shirt more than three days in a row, and a bon vivant who can get through thecafeteria'sshepherd's pie with the best of them, I should be an object of adoration, if not 'veneration. They don't see beneath that dazzling surface at all, They utterly fail to recognize the gentleness, the sweetness, the academic brilliance, and the humility that make up the real me. I have the same trouble with my students. I won't say they worship me. I won't go that far. But it's not unusual to walk into my classroom and find candles burning in front of the portrait one of our art teachers has painted of me. Once again, it's for the wrong reasons. They love me because they think I love teaching, love teenagers, tell sparkling jokes, and readily buy their raffle tickets. In fact, the only reason I teach is the Iong summer holiday; teenagers are difficult to love, even your own; not one of my jokes is less titan eight years old; and I buy their blasted tickets because I don't want my tires slashed. Why don't they love me for my unquenchable optimism: that some day I'll hit three good blows in a row on the golf course; that some clay I'll spend most of the time on the trail upright on my skis, rather than downrighton my fanny? Yes. It's disconcerting to be constantly loved for the wrong reasons. That's why Quebec is so disconcerted these days. Sud- denly, millions of Canadians, who never gave her a look or a thought before, love La Belle Province. But do they love her for the right reasons? Do they love her because she is toujours gai, aussi charmante, full of elan , and a hell of a gourmet cook? Nope. Do they love her because she is much more bilingual than the rest of us, and because she is busting with creativity? Nope. They love her because the sulky bad-tempered magnificently -endowed dau- ghter threatens to leave home, with her dowry under her arm. After years of being loved for all the wrong reasons, I know just how you feel, Rene Levesque. The educational system has been the subje3t of considerable debate recently, and while few people will probably change their minds simply on the opinions ex- pressed from various sources, this writer was certainly prepared to commend a recent exercise in which'one of our sons participated. That was a trip taken by the grade three class to the Royal Bank. The youngsters were given, an insight into the purpose of banks and the services they provide and we were extremely pleased to see that our eight- year-old came home with a dime collector. It's one of those packets in which there are 50 slots so a youngster can diligently save enough dimes until he has the whopping total of $5. No doubt the child is then expected to cart it off and put the money in his bank account. Father could naturally envi- sion his son becoming wise in the ways of money handling and learning that a collection of dimes was more valuable than all those hockey cards on which he presently spends most of the dimes which come into his possession. The lad excitingly reported that the bank had even started the youngsters off on their way to a fortune by providing the first dime for their packet. "Where is yours?" I asked upon noticing there were no dimes in the packet. "Oh, I spent it on the way homes " junior replied. So much for our educational system! * * * On a more serious note, EPS principal Jim Chapman is still seeking volunteers for his pro- ject of having the area educational system evaluated. Several people have already volunteered, but still others are needed. This should be a very fruitful exercise and those who have been complaining about the system now have an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of its evaluation. So, put up or shut up. You have the opportunity and those who fail to avail themselves of it, will have little ground to stand on for future complaints. * * Readers who may be short of cash will be interested to note that Dominion Textile are spon- soring a writing contest for which a cash award of $500 is available, The winning article — which can be a letter-to-the-editor or other personal expression which has been published in any weekly newspaper, will be that chosen by the jury as having the greatest impact on readers in calling the attention of other Canadians to the seriousness of the current energy crisis and the need for all Canadians, in- dividuals or groups, to take urgent steps to conserve our energy resources and expend them wisely. The article should be at least 250 words and not more than 700 in length. Deadline for entries is mid- May, so if you have something to say on the topic as outlined, and want an opportunity to win that $500, get your articles into this newspaper as soon as possible. Even if you don't win, the time it takes to consider the question and outline your concern will be far from wasted and will certain- ly make everyone who par- ticipates more aware of the need for energy conservation, While on the topic of letters to the editor, we should mention how pleasing it is to be receiving More letters than usual in recent weeks. It's a trend that hopefully will continue as we feel it can be one of the most important functions of a newspaper in providing space for readers to express their tcriticism or compliments on topics of interest to-everyone in the communities we serve. With most of the snow remov- ed from streets, more and more young bike riders are getting their wheels out, and similar to frisky colts let out of the barn after a long winter, many of them are showing a complete disregard for safety rules. Before parents allow their yOungsters onto the roadways, they should take time to review the responsibilities that accom- pany bicycle ownership to en- sure, as far as possible, that' no tragedies occur. Area drivers must also make themselves aware of the young bikers and approach with cau- tion, and be careful opening car doors on the traffic side. Our associate out in Zurich, Cathy McKinley, has been wag- ing a battle for some time against smoking and last week her column drew attention to the hypocrisy displayed by the government in banning 'saccharine because it caused cancer in rats, while at the same time they haven't done anything Dear Mr. Batten: `Heart Month' in Canada is now, over, and on behalf of the Canadian Heart Fund, Ontario Division, please accept our sincerest appreciation for your co-operation and assistance during our financial campaign in February, Our objective this year was $4,000,000 and although all returns are not in, we are quite hopeful that our objective will be attained . Without • your willing co- operation in communicating our needs to your readers, the Canadian Heart Fund would not be able to express such an outlook. Heart disease is everyone's problem-and again our thanks for helping us bring to the attention of the public, that-research should be everyone's respon- sibility, With best wishes, Yours very truly, CANADIAN HEART FUND, Ontario Division Esther M. Richards Director of Public Relations Back a fighter. about cigarettes despite the overwhelming statistics which shows it causes cancer in humans. The following is a reprint of her argument: Well, the Canadian govern- ment has done it again. This time they say the artificial sweetener saccharine is a cancer causing chemical and it is going to be banned from the market. The reason, so the government says, is that saccharine has been found to cause cancer in rats who were fed the sweetener over a prolonged period of time, The thing is, how. much of the sweetener were the rats fed, and for what length of time? Is the small amount a person may use in a cup of coffee or get from a serving of diet pop really going to do them that much harm? Were the rats saturated with saccharine as rats. have been saturated with other chemicals which have also been banned by the government. If saccharine is so dangerous, then why is the government allowing It to remain to be sold in drugstores so diabetics will not be completely deprived of its benefits while at the same time ordering so many foods con- taining the sweetener to be taken off the market? It reminds me of that chemical weed killer which was ordered off the market because it too was said to cause cancer in rats. It turned out, if I recall correctly, that a rat would have to eat about a truckload of grain a day over a period of years to obtain comparable amounts of the chemical. Let's not carry these ex- periments too far. It would probably be a pretty safe bet to say almost anything can kill you if you take too much of it over a long period of time. But what really gets me about this whole thing is how a govern- ment can be so hypocritical. It will ban a chemical sweeteper from the market because the possibility exists there may be some connection between the chemical and cancer in rats. Yet that same government doesn't do a darn thing about cigarettes and they have been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to contribute to lung cancer in even small amounts. Why I've never even heard of anyone dying from too much saccharine, but how many friends and relatives have you had who had lung cancer, or who wake up in the morning hardly able to breathe because of the fouling effect of cigarette smoke. There is of course some logic to this hypocrisy. Cigarettes supply a lot of money to the government of ours, I guess saccharine doesn't, Money, that must be the name of the game, Viewing the world from the heights of the C.N. Tower in Toronto can be a frightening thing, Frightening for those people who have a phobia about heights by the very fact they are standing in a small pod on a slender cylinder 1465 feet from the ground, It's also mind boggling to any perceptive person looking down on the scene below. There, the cars take on the appearance of toys moving in slow motion, Buildings, which when viewed from the ground, tower over you like great concrete and glass giants, become dwarfed from the view at the top of the tower. so to speak, with the millions of -people who are working or living behind every one of those tiny windows in all those buildings stacked almost on top of each other. You are forced into an' awareness that every one of those tiny specks hurrying along on the streets below are not ants but human beings each with his own set of troubles, ambitions, happinesses and desires. Can it be true, you ask yourself, that each one of those specks has a soul , . , that God does know each by name . that He does care what happens to each one? How can this be possible? For what we are looking at, mind boggling as it may be, is only the tiniest, minutest piece of an ever expanding universe. Multiply it by billions and billions and it becomes too much for the human mind to grasp. It is a humbling experience, to say the least, and one could certainly begin to doubt one's worth and importance in the 55 YEARS AGO The Lucan Junior hockey team came up on Saturday to play a friendly game with the Exeter junior team. The ice was soft but the game was a good exhibition. The locals were too fast for the visitors, the score resulting 10 to 4 in favor of the home team. Lieut. H. J. Parnell of the Salvation Army leaves Exeter this week to take up similar work at Palmerston. Mr. F. Fairhall has sold out his general store business in Cen- tralia to Mr. Milton Sleamon, The Y.P.C.A, staged a suc- cessful five pin bowling tour- nament this week. The teams and results were as follows: E. Wethey, T. Elliott, W. Lawson, and T. 0, Southcott total 1210; Rev. M.H. Wilson, W. W. Taman, Lyle Statham and W. S. Cole, total 1189; Dr. Roulston, W. C. Davis, Geo, Hind and J. M. Southcott, total 1144; Rev. G. McAllister, J. R. Hind, C. B. Snell and Earl Shapton, total 1043. 30 YEARS AGO Huron Lumber Co. has started an excavation for a modern building on their property that will display the many lines of buildi'ng materials now on the market. The Hobby-Fair sponsored by Grand Bend WI held in the school was a success. Mrs. Taylor, principal of Dashwood Public School, was the speaker. Mr. Clinton Sweet of Usborne held a successful auction sale of his farm implements on Monday. He had 60 head of cattle which netted him about $5,000. About 225 pounds of butter valued at $100 were stolen from the Lucan Creamery early Sunday morning. William H. Golding, Liberal member for Huron-Perth, was appointed deputy-chairman of committees of the House of Commons. scheme of things. Am I just a speck, a piece of worthless dust in this vast universe? Surely it is not intelligent to believe that there can be Someone, A God, who really personally cares about me and every other speck like me, Our intellect may say it is impossible, yet something within us, call it our soul if you wish, reaches beyond our intelligence to that Something More. It yearns and stretches until it finally breaks through to belief with a mighty resounding, "Yes". The only explanation is "I know because I know." In answer to the question of how it is possible that an infinite God, busy with all creation, can find time for us, Dr. Walter Russell, famous sculptor and philosopher, said, "The trouble is that your infinite God is not in- finite enough. If He is really infinite, He can dispatch the affairs of this universe in the twinkling of an eye, and then have all the time in the world for you." Imagine . . . God is like that! We do not have to define our own worth. We may feel and look like specks, but God defines our worth not by how great or how small we are, nor by the size of our pay cheques, nor by our position in the world but by how He beholds us in His eyes. And He does not look at us from some lofty place like the C. N. Tower. He walks with us and beside us where He sees our true height and potential. He loved us so much He sent His son, Jesus, to tell us about this love. He says, "I have called you by name . I know you so well even the hairs on your head are numbered . . . I will never forsake you nor leave you." No, we are not worthless specks in the eyes of God. 20 YEARS AGO Surgical services at South Huron Hospital will be extended by May 1, the board of directors announced at the annual meeting of the association Tuesday night. The Board also announced plans for construction of a nur- ses' residence and a wing in the near future. Hundreds of lay people from 13 different churdhes in South Huron will embark on an every house visitation this fall as a sequel to the Crusade of Christ which has sparked Christian evangelism in this area. Margaret Sanders became the / fourth Exeter Girl Guide to win her Gold Cord, the highest award of the organization when it was presented to her Thursday night at a mother and daughter banquet. An oil drilling outfit moved onto the farm of Wally Wein, Highway 83, and drilling operations have begun, 15 YEARS AGO The Hotel Imperial, G. B, was filled to capacity Saturday night to witness the debut of "The Coachmen" four Exeter musicians: Bob Fletcher, Bob Russell, Don Taylor and Bill Batten. H. H. G. Strang) Usborne Township has been named chief officer of the Ausable authority. Sandra Walper and Bill Pollen won the twist contest held at the Imperial Hotel, Saturday night, Town council - agreed to establish this year the tree planting program proposed by the PUC. Approximately 15 trees will be planted annually. Mr. & Mrs. Milton Young, former Exeter residents, died from injuries in a car 'accident near London Sunday night. As one surveys the huge city of Toronto spread out as far as the eye can see, one catches a n "Car 54 at scene of low-priority burglary 16 hours ago, now the scene of high priority glimpse of how immense it really murder attempt by burglary victim who called" is. You are brought face to face, qtk wn rnemorif ane,