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Home My WebLink AboutTimes-Advocate, 1980-08-27, Page 4Carry passengers to and from work, and you can all save l$$$ and gas. M twwwwmand C;,..044.0.47 771 Page 4 Thlaft3Ach(oc0.1..,. 0990 27t. 1900. irnes'Estalslishid 1473 Advocate Established 1441 4,K,Nzsavisitatt Amalgamated 1924 Mainstream Canada The 'Weighty! Metric 1.sstie,, • SERVING- CANADA'S ROT ,FARMLAND P.IN.N,A. CLASS 'A' and ABC • •Published by Vit, testy., Publications Limited 'LORNE MY. PUBLISHER _Editor 11ill.eatten 4.soistont Editor.— Ross Haugh. Advertising Manager 7- J,im Beckett Composition .Manager-„- .Harry DeVries Business. Manager --- 004 'long kind Phone 235-133T +CNA • Hard to disagree Published Each Wednesday Morning at &s ac., Ontailo Second Class Mad Registration Number 0386 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $14.00 Per Year;, USA $35.00 the claim that the shopping centre had a positive effect on the entire com- munity. The point left unanswered and which will be up to the OMB to decide is whether extended uses of the shopping centre should be considered. ,Regardless of the outcome, it is en- couraging to hear visitors comment favorably on the community as a whole. It is worth noting that one of the OMB members, C. G. Charron, Q.C., went out of his way to commend local developer Len Veri on the attrac- tiveness of the downtown centre mall. Sometimes, when it is difficult to see the forest for the trees, it is worth mentioning the comments of visitors and hopefully local citizens share in the pride which those comments rightfully engender. e ci9911#1."5,41bli,Tuukr "Ever notice — no matter how bad the news is when you leave on vacation, Far from being dull ViSA.t.h.s it's always worse when you return?" 1 111*: „ ,111111 • B,r W. Roger it 'orth Ottawa's metricators are all smiles these days, even as they watch bewildered shoppers scratching their heads, trying• to figure out the real cost of various products. The metricators, of course, are the government people who koncinually re-assure Ca- nadians that they will learn to love metric, particularly when it makes us more competitive in the international market- place. Still, a lot of Canadians re- sent the metricators and for a while it looked like the Metric. Commission's efforts to force metric might be thwarted, or at least slowed. Joe Clark's short-lived Conservative ad- ministration placed metrication on hold, at least until our American neighbors decided to fully accept the system. But the Liberals have re- versed that ,go-slow decision, and the Ottawa mandarins are now running full-steam ahead with the program. Roger Worth is Director, Public Affairs, Canadian Federation of Independent Business. While the metricators, COP. tend there is little resistance.to the metric system, surveys sag- gest otherwise. A majority' of the 56,000 members of the Canadian Fedekalion of Independent Business, for example, support a slower approach to metric. NOW independent grocers are up in arms about the costly introduction of metric scales,„ set for next year. The grocers claim consumers don't under,- stind .and won't use metric _weights, so buying new scales is a waste of money. In fact, the metricators have backed off in at least one com- munity where metric was used. on an experimental basis: But the real issue is the seeming lack of political con- cern about the effects of fun- damentally changing the Ca- nadian weights and measures system at a time when the U.S., our major trading part- ner, is reluctant to introduce such a program. The metricators should take a second look. The new system may eventually pay dividends, but in this instance stepping ahead of our neighbor to the south doesn't make much sense. There have been some slight im- provements over 1980 Holiday Weekends a trend the Council hopes will continue although it is too soon to obtain overall totals to date. The Council still cites safety belt use as a major factor that can con- tribute to a reduction in fatalities, along with a good attitude towards other road users. That, in itself, is generous. The' average Canadian is obliged to work much longer than 25 years before receiving a financial ticket to retire- ment. Members of Parliament will have to demonstrate the need for their privileged treatment befcTre improving their already-generous benefitpackage. According to press reports, after the plan was scuttled the government decided an independent body should consider pension benefits. That makes sense. Now, if only the public could be provided a similar vehicle to retire- ment security. Ridgetown Dominion turn the heap into a sparkling clean beauty in- side and out. Thirty minutes later the outside's still clean but the interior has a pop can under -the seat again, three gum wrappers on the mats; and a totally lived-in look that stays there until the next wash two months later. I'd get a little angrier about the whole situation except the kids keep on reminding me that I don't really need that can of pop anyway on the way home from work and that I should be the one who has the provilege of cleaning out the car once a week since I do most of the damage. Maybe they've got a small point there. Drive safely Gift for life "And four more out in the I utility shed." A louder mutter, Where I did those come from. "Those are the leaves and grass clippings you had the kids clean up, dear." Mutter changes to subdued, growl. You just can't seem to.win with the garbage. In the old days you had two big cans sitting out behind the garage. They seemed to be able to hold everything a house had to offer for a week. Now that. we've gone to the plastic bags, it seems to have opened up the upper limits to the garbage world. We're able to throw out far more than we carry into the house. The car's the same way. I can take it into the automatic car wash and watch ttunt Perspectives Experts who testified at list week's OMB hearing in Exeter were generally agreed on at least one thing: that being that the community is one of the more vibrant and progressive small towns in Ontario. It should perhaps be qualified to some note by explaining that the plaudits were used to sery various purposes at the hearing, but given the fact the testimony was all under oath, it should follow that the comments must be considered truthful. The professional planner and market analyst called on behalf of Hawleaf Development Limited advised the hearing that there was certainly no evidence to substantiate any suggestion the north end shopping centre had been a detriment to the core and in fact con- tended that there was ample evidence of commercial growth that would back During the 78 hour Labour Day weekend starting at 6 p.m: August 29th, The Canada Safety Council fears between 49 and 54 Canadians will becOme traffic fatalities. While severe, the Council says this is better than last year's total of 63, and much better than 1966, when Canadians set a black record of 102 traffic deaths. Under a revised pension plan shot down by opposition members, a member' of Parliament such as Lorne Nystrom, first elected in 1968 at the age of 22, could retire in two years with an annual income of $20,000. Not bad, had it managed to sneak through before the summer recess. However, it was blocked by critics who balked at a "cash for life scheme" for young politicians fortunate enough to put 15 years into the Commons before opting out of active political life. As it is now, members must serve 25 years before qualifying for max- imum pension benefits. By SYD FLETCHER Every Wednesday mor- ning you can hear the screech of brakes coming down the street, a signal that I've forgotten to take out the garbage again and that a mad scramble is about to happen. "There are four bags in the laundry room, dear!" Mutter. Mutter. Down a bag this week. Seems to me this house has more garbage than anybody else on the Street. For four days last week, the writer covered the Ontario Municipal Board hearing into Exeter's new official plan and zoning bylaw. You'd probably think that would be a very dull ordeal, but actually it was, on the whole, most enlightening and at times downright entertaining. Despite the sombre court room at- titude that prevails at such a hearing, there are many light moments as members of the legal profession and the OMB members interject periodic quips into the deliberations that provide some respite from the endless debate and verbiage. Lawyers are, by necessity, among the most proficient actors and could up- stage many of the thespians who ply their trade on the stages of the area's live theatres. They are not unlike box- eri who exchange pleasintries and then step into the ring and try to knock each other senseless. Unlike many untrained debateri, they can manage to ,keep themselves from sinking into the mire of allowing the attack to become one of per- sonalities rather than issues, despite the fact they seldom miss an opportuni- ty to cast their opponent in a bad light. The big difference, of course, is the fact they appear in such circumstances to represent clients and' are not affected personally by the outcome of the decisions, although to be sure their professional livelihood does depend to a considerable extent on having a win- ning track record. No doubt some animosities are created at times between counsels for the parties involved, but in general they can keep in mind that the debate is on the issue and not the personality. It would be welcome if all the people who argue issues in the council chamber could keep that in mind, as it Summer begins, and the school teacher, along with his students is reasonably ecstatic. Two whole months free to loaf, swim, golf, fish, play ten- nis, scuba dive, or whatever turns you on. And suddenly, before you've had a chance to hit a ball or catch a bass, it's the middle of August. You haven't been anywhere special, you haven't done anything special, it's rained four days out of seven or been so blasted hot all you could do was lie around and gasp, and there you are, a couple of weeks away from facing about 160 kids, fit as fiddles and ready to make you skip academic rope. Lucky is the teacher who has no friends or relatives. He or she can go to Europe, take a course in anything from primitive sculpture to basic Russian, or just lie around in the backyard watching the bumble bees trying to have sex with the hummingbirds. But most of us have relatives, and some of us even have two or three friends, and therein lies the sudden dis- appearance of the summer holidays. A couple of days here, a little jaunt to see some relatives there, and suddenly it's last summer. My wife is at the moment packing bags for the eighth time in five weeks, and she swears that after this brief ex- pedition up north to the cottage of friends, she's going to pile the suitcases in the backyard, sprinkle a can of gas over them, and have the first big barbecue we've had time for since the end of June. I spent one week loafing. But I have such a gift for loafing that it seemed like only three days. Then it was a punishing trip up north to Odic up the grandboys. Their mother insisted that I not spoil them, or try to entertain them. I did both and we all would make the life of 'a small town politician much more enjoyable. * * One of the interesting aspects of ,the OMB hearing was the use of the "ex- pert" witnesses who were appearing in an attempt to discredit the "expert" witnesses on the other side. While there are standard planning procedures and market analysis methods', each person in the field has ,different ideas and the subjects themselves are in many ways in- tangibles that lead to varying opinions. In the case in point, Hawleaf Developments Limited enlisted the testimony of a professional planner to punch holes in the local planning con- cepts that had been used by Huron Gary Davidson and his various associates. How successfully that may haire been a'qortiplished won't be known until the OMB members who heard the arguments hand down their decision sometime in the future. One of the ironical aspects of the situation is that Jerry Sprackman, who is president of Hawleaf, enlisted the aid of Davidson to support his fight over a development one of his firms planned in St. Marys. • In that case, Davidson's testimony was instrumental in the Sprackman firm being successful before the OMB in their dispute with the municipality. So, even the credibility of an expert can be limited to how closely his opinions align thimselveS with what ideas and plans others have, or how they stand up to the arguments of another expert in the same field who may have differing opinions. The latest definition of an expert is: a man from Toronto who shows up with a loved it, but it took its toll. On me. Next thing 'I know, my brother wants a reunion, because he's leaving the country. Thomas Wolfe wrote a great novel: "You Can't Go Home Again". Well, you can, but I wouldn't advise it. If you haven't been back to your old home town for many years, don't go. Progress puts its ugly finger on the most cherished memories of childhood, and you'll find that the treelaned, sleepy little town in which you grew up not only makes you sad, but a little angry, with all its new motels; sleazy eating places, and fine old homes turn- ed into apartments or nursing homes. I went looking for a corner where I had kissed a girl every night for two years. As I slowed•down, trying to iden- tify it with the big maple gone, replac- ed by a pizza joint, a dry-cleaners, and a fish-and-chips boutique, a kid came up from behind, slammed me in the rear, and ran off in his souped-up Zilch, hurling obscenities. I was wishing I had a .44 and I'd've put two slugs through his gas tank. I drove down the main street, and it could have been Main Street, Anywhere. Like North Dakota. That was the street 'Where I hustled deliveries for my Dad, when he had a shoe store, and he'd give me a dime, and I'd go to the matinee, watch Tarzan beat the crocodiles (almost) across the river, and go back next Saturday after- noon, wondering if he'd made it. He always did, thank goodness. My brother and I played golf, badly, at the local course. I felt completely out of my element, with all those old, white-haired, wizened people until I got to the bridge, spanning the river. The bridge was new, but at least I remembered sitting on it, watching the ladies pound their golf balls into the people, there is little doubt that the local position was well presented by the town's solicitor, Mike Mitchell backed their position to the hilt, giving into compromises where it was felt they could be accepted and fighting through on other positions when compromises were not in the town's interest as es- tablished by council and the planning board. One of the better presentations in the hearing was by BIA president Bob Swartman, but due to his admitted ner- vousness he referred to the $150,000 funding from the ,- province for the 'current downtown revitalization pro- ject as a grant. Not once, but twice, he' made' that slip although quickly cor- rected it to note it was a loan that had to be repaid. Bob, as many will know, gets quite upset with local citizens who think the money is a grant, rather than a loan, Now he knows how difficult it is to keep from making that faux pas. river. We dived for them, and sold them back for a dime. If I'd had time, I'd have driven around the three-mile circuit' Jack Pope and I worked every Saturday morning, looking forempty beer bottles in the ditches. We made a fair •buck in those days, probably splitting thirty- five cents when we turned in our goods to mi., an elderly Jewish gentleman, much more scrupulous of his business dealings with us kids than most trust company executives would be. I saw my sister, who, as was always her wont, tried to stuff more food into me than a healthy alligator could han- dle. I drove out to an incredibly romantic place my Uncle John had bought as a farm. He couldn't make a nickel from it, but it had a huge stone house with a butler's pantry, and about 14 out- buildings: stables, sheds, barns, the lot. After explaining my safari to a sur- ly chap from eastern Europe, he said, "Sorright, sorright." So much for memories. It wasn't all gone, of course, to be fair. Some of the old stone houses and hotels are still there, turned into artsy- crafties or modern eating places. The old, smelly river-cum-canal is still there, weed-infested, tranquil, full of suckers and pike, a relic of the war of 1812-16. But don't go home again. Crowning blow was when my wallet was either lost or lifted, and I've been cancelling credit cards, getting new licenses, and weeping over my cash and my OHIP number ever since. Stay home and be happy with your own rotten place and all its problems. Suddenly it's last summer slide presentation: - * While few local citizens were in- volved in the OMB hearing, the future direction of the town will, of course, ride on the outcome of the arguments that were presented, at least as they affect the commercial growth. The town planning board, council and a few citizens had their say in most of the matters, as only a small portion of the new plan was being argued before the OMB, So, we had lawyers from Toronto and Stratford arguing the future of the town before two non-residents who will . make the final decision. County planning department director/ While that may not sit well with some 30 Years Ago Mrs. Thos. Dinney, Mrs. Ed Johns, Mrs. Olive Grainger and Mrs. E.S. Steiner attended- the Mary Hastings Housewives picnic at Springbank on Saturday . Exeter Kinsmen are considering the project of numbering houses in the village. The cornerstone for the addition to Exeter Public School will be laid bn Sep- tember 27. A six-point program to promote safety of public school children crossing at dangerous intersections in Exeter was mapped out by village council and public school teachers Monday night. Highland Hill and Exeter Dairies ,increased the price of milk to 19 cents a quart and 11 cents a pint. 55 Years Ago The new red brick, schoolhouse at Plugtown, S.S. No. 3 Usborne was opened on Labor Day with a picnic and gathering by the ratepayers in the vicinity. There was a splendid display at the Horticultural Society Flower show in the basement of the Public Library, Friday and Saturday of last week. Mrs. Agnes McDonald • is opening a millinery business in the Murdock block, Hensall, which will be known as the "Bonnie Bonnet Shoppe." Some time Tuesday night the store of Southcott Bros. was entered and the loose change was stolen from the cash registers. Entrance was made to the building by climbing a ladder and breaking a window of the second storey at the rear of the building. 20 Years Ago Temperature hit a peak of 90 degrees Wednesday climaxing a week of hot, humid weather. And the drought continues. Police reported no ac- cidents in South Huron over the Labor Day weekend, a 'much better record than was reported over the province. Enrolment hit a new high at SHDHS this week when 669' students registered. Biggest grade is nine, which numbers 207. William W7 Rader, 19, Hay, escaped serious injury Friday when his car ex- ploded in flames on the eighth concession of Stephen. Mary Louise Fritz who spent the summer holiday in Mexico and California returned to Toronto on Sunday to resume her- teaching duties at St. Clair Junior High School. 15 Years Ago Mr. and' Mrs. E. Leslie Gibson have disposed of their business and living quarters at Exeter North on the corner of Highways 4 and 83 to the Department of Highways. FS D.P.L. Robbins CD & Clasp of RCAF Station Centralia will retire after 25 years of service, to the town of Exeter. Doug and his wife theNformer Catherine Wilson of Longueuil, Que., will continue to reside at 244 Main Street, Exeter. Doug will be able to devote full time to his used car business. Construction on the new portable classrooms for SHDHS was delayed Tuesday because of rain. The flooring is now corn: pleted and it is still hoped that the project will be completed in time for school opening. Dear Editor: I am writing to thank you for the overwhelming sup- port you and your organization have shown the Blyth Summer Festival over the summer. The Festival has enjoyed a tremendous season this year, Our audience in- creased greatly this summer and the reason for the in- crease is due in large part to the interest of the local media in the people and the program we have here, ' I really think that we at the Blyth Summer Festival are very lucky to have such a supportive community around us. What a joy to deal with people who are always so welcoming and so in- terested in what we atte doing. Our sincere thanks to your paper for their 'coverage and to the people of the area for their patronage. We hope we can continue to enjoy their ° trust and support in years to come. Yoca urs sincerely, Brenda Doner Publicity Director 4