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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times-Advocate, 2002-11-06, Page 5Process of releasing players Dear Editor: I feel a need to write this letter after reading the letter from Wayne Dickins and also the story from Pat Bolen. Regarding Mr. Dickins letter I do believe there are some points he does not understand on the process of releasing players. As he kept alluding to, there was no Midget team to play on in Hensall. Under rule 18.8 in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association Manual of Operations reads " If a centre is unable to provide a representative in a division or sub-division, for which a player is eligible by age and residence, the player may register and play with the team in the age division above the age division for which he is eligible in his Home Centre or the player may, after first REGISTERING WITH AND RECEIVING WRITTEN PERMISSION from his Home Centre, try- out for a team in the nearest Centre from his resi- dence, for which he is eligible by division or sub-divi- sion which can provide him with hockey." As this clearly states, a player must register in his home cen- tre, before being released to another centre, regard- less if there is no team in that centre. The intention of H.M.H.A. was not to or never see Jeff Smale play hockey. We could not release a player that had not registered in Hensall. A permission to skate form to skate with the local Jr. D team or anything verbal is not considered registration. Perhaps somebody should explain to me why the 40-some other families did not have a problem signing up by October 1st? As stated in the H.M.H.A. by-laws, (which are available to any parent who wishes to see them) By-law # 7.4 reads "Any player not registered by Sept. 30 of the current playing year stands a chance of not being released." There are more issues than not playing. As was the case the past couple of years, many people waited until there was practically no chance of hav- ing a team, then waltzed in with their registration. (Those people know who they are.) This is how the number of players faxed into the W.O.A.A. went from seven to 10 players. Although it will probably be said otherwise, I believe this is why there were no regis- trations received for these boys. As for claims of "emotional abuse", I am not going to dignify that with any remark, except to say, what kind of abuse is it to bring a 16-year-old into the mid- dle of a meeting, and have him singled out in front of a group of "adults"? Contrary to his letter his grand- son was not present at the meeting until after the vote had taken place. Also for Mr. Dickins informa- tion, I attend the H.M.H.A. meetings in the role of Past-President, and do not attend them in any con- junction with my duties as a W.O.A.A. Convenor. They are totally separate. As for Mr. Bolen's story regarding the issue, I am going to allow a bit of lee-way on his part as he is new to the Times Advocate, and for that matter, probably the area. If he had interviewed the H.M.H.A. President, (which he may have done) he may have realized that his name is John Coleman and not Jim. As for Mr. Young's contention that the affair was mis- handled by the executive, I concur that it may have been, but not nearly as mishandled as some tourna- ments that were handled when Mr. Young was President of the Association a few years back. The Young's also had an abundant amount of time to reg- ister their son before his untimely injury, and their argument was very flimsy to say the least. The point is there were 10 players signed by the W.O.A.A.-imposed date of Oct. 1, and just because there was no team, did this give either family the right to a release without registering first in Hensall? I hope that in the future all parents in our Association can be registered properly and not have to put the executive in the position of having to make a decision like this again. In closing these are my views and may not and probably do not reflect those of any or all of the Executive of Hensall Minor Hockey. Respectfully yours RANDY PARKER, Hensall Need to work together Dear Editor: Despite assertions to the contrary on your letters- to-the-editor page, livestock farming and safe water are compatible. With the passage of the Nutrient Management Act in June, we now have a key tool in the development of the Ontario farm water protection system that Justice Dennis O’Connor recommended in his Walkerton Report. Nutrient materials, especially manure and com- mercial fertilizers, are sometimes blamed for conta- mination of watercourses. The Act will ensure clean water and a clean environment by setting and enforc- ing clear, consistent standards for nutrient manage- ment on farms. Implementation of the Act through regulations begins next spring. The regulations are currently before the public for consultation. Phase ! draft regulations require all farms to file a Nutrient Management Plan for the handling of manure, commercial fertilizers and other nutrient- bearing material. Covered are farm identification and location, a farm map and site plan, details of the type of nutri- ents used on the farm, field-by-field information like soil tests, nutrient allocations, and crop rotations; manure and biosolid applications and contingency plans to address matters such as spills and severe weather. Livestock operations are categorized by nutrient load and by the date the regulations apply to them. It should be noted that the largest operations must comply first. Phase 2 draft regulations, to be published shortly, cover: construction and siting of barns and manure storage; land application of nutrients; biosecurity; local advisory committees; feedlot operations; content requirements of nutrient management strategies for municipalities and other non-farm industries that apply nutrients to land; setback distances for apply- ing nutrients around water ways and other sensitive features; restrictions for spreading nutrients on snow-covered or saturated land, as well as two Environment ministry programs, one of them being the five year phase-out of the application of untreated septage. Phase 3, to be published later this winter, will include regulations dealing with livestock access to waterways, manure haulage and transfer, and wash- water and dead animal disposal. I apologize for all this detail, but my intent is to show just how seriously this government takes its obligations to the environment in general, and to water safety in particular. At the same time, this government is pledged to support a competitive and innovative agri-food indus- try committed to its stewardship of the land. We know farmers have legitimate concerns about cost, and the government is currently developing a pro- gram for cost-sharing on capital expenditures to assist farmers in meeting the standards and regula- tions under the Act. None of us are in this world alone. We all drink water and eat food. Farmers, consumers, tourists, environmentalists, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food - all need to work together to ensure the future both of our envi- ronment and of the province’s second-largest busi- ness, agriculture and food. HELEN JOHNS M.P.P. Huron-Bruce The right to smoke? Is this a joke? Dear Editor: As the new owner of Town & Country Bowling Lanes in Zurich, I made the decision to go totally smoke free when we opened for the season in September. Our bowling centre, like every other one in Huron County has always allowed smoking, and we were warned by some people that going non- smoking could hurt our business. After some careful consideration about this issue and the effects it would have on our business, we decided there was not one good reason to allow smoking to continue, yet there were several reasons to stop it. First, I must say that, although I have never smoked a cigarette in my life, I have had many friends and family members who have smoked at one time or another. I don’t like these people any less because they are or were smokers. Similarly, as a supporter of non-smoking by-laws, I am not attacking smokers or attempting to deny them their “rights”. We have a lot of rights in this country. Smoking isn’t one of them. Smoking is a privilege, and there needs to be restrictions on it for the protection of the public. Our society has laws for many things that we find inconvenient from time to time. There are speed lim- its on our highways, laws against assault and mur- der, laws against narcotic drugs and laws protecting our property. There are also controls on prescription drugs, the use of alcohol and the use of firearms. People generally accept these restrictions as reason- able for the protection of society as a whole. Why 6 Wednesday, November 6, 2002Exeter Times–Advocate Editorial&Opinion 10 YEARS AGO November 4, 1992 -The South Huron District High School Panthers have won the Huron-Perth Conference field hockey title for the tenth straight year and then went on to win the WOSSA crown with a thrilling overtime win over St. Marys. A walkway that stretches from the Bluewater Rest Home into the village of Zurich has been com- pleted. It will be named the Gordon Erb Walkway. Erb, who passed away a year ago saw a paved walkway as an invaluable aid to rest home and village resi- dents who wished to walk back and forth and avoid hazards of Highway 84. 20 YEARS AGO November 4, 1982 - “Shameful” was the com- ment of editor Bill Batten after only six persons in addition to candidates, municipal employees and spouses attended a municipal candidates meeting in Exeter. Batten added, “It was hardly enough to have a good game of euchre”. 25 YEARS AGO November 5, 1977 - More than 375 persons attended a Saturday reception honouring John Broadfoot of Brucefield as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ontario of the Independent Order of Oddfellows. In Jack Lavender’s “The Light Touch” ad, it says, “No man is more articulate than the one who can give directions without taking his hands out of his pockets.” Jack Delbridge was the lucky winner of the quilt draw sponsored by the Exeter Heritage Foundation, the third one to be made and donated by the Helen Jermyn apartments. Mary Gardiner of Snell Bros. Ltd. in Exeter has been honoured as the first person to attain 40 con- tinuous years of membership in the General Motors of Canada Accounts Club. 40 YEARS AGO November 5, 1962 - Red Gables restaurant in Grand Bend was one of ten applicants to be award- ed liquor licences by the LCBO during a hearing Friday in Kitchener. In canvasses Hallowe’en night, students of five area public schools collected more than $600 for UNICEF, Care of Canada and an adopted Korean child. The largest total was brought in by students of J.A.D. McCurdy school in Huron Park. RCAF Station Centralia opened the area curling season over the weekend with a men’s bonspiel. Group Captain L. H. Randle threw the first rock. Exeter Curling Club begins its regular season Sunday night with an increased membership. 45 YEARS AGO November 6, 1957 - Bill McLean and Ken Ottewell, both of Exeter, shot eight geese on the Haigmeier farm near Grand Bend, Monday. Game experts said it was one of the largest bags reported in this area in many years. Exeter’s Public Utilities Commission Monday appointed Hugh Davis of Marlborough Street as superintendent starting in January. The PUC is preparing to take over the operation of hydro ser- vices in town. Oil wells near Greenway are producing 150 bar- rels of oil a day according to Imperial Oil Limited. The three wells are on the farm of Lloyd Stewardson, one mile west of Greenway. Exeter Legion recently won a raffle sponsored by the Exeter Mohawks hockey team. Legion president Harold Holtzmann was presented with a cheque for $1,000. 55 YEARS AGO November 5, 1947 - Mrs. A.J. Traquair has been installed as Worthy Matron of the Exeter Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. 60 YEARS AGO November 6, 1942 - With a severe need for more scrap metal and iron for the manufacture of war machinery, it is now an offence for anyone to retain more than 500 pounds. 80 YEARS AGO November 7, 1922 - Mr. Herb Debus of Usborne Twp. is learning the barbering business with Mr. Norman Hockey. Messrs. J. Senior and C. Pilon motored to Toronto Thursday. Mr. Pilon brought back with him a new Star car for which he has the agency. ROSS HAUGH BACK IN TIME See SMOKE Page 7