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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1998-07-08, Page 44 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, JULY 8, 1988 - 11.1J1� 527-0240 Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 Terri -Lynn Dale - General Manager/Ad Manager Scott Hilgendorff - Editor Gregor Campbell - Reporter Larry Dalrymple - Soles Pat Armes - Office Manager Dianne McGrath - Subscriptions/Classifieds A Bowes Publishers Community Newspaper SUBSCRIPTION RATES. LOCAL 32-50 a year, in advance, plus 2 28 G S T SENIORS 30 00 a year, in advance, plus 2 10 G.S.T. USA & Foreign 28 44 a year in odvonce, plus S78 00 postage, G.S.T. exempt SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Published weekly by Signol-Stor Publishing at 100 Main St , Seoforth Publication mail registration No. 0696 held at Seaforth, Ontario Advertising is accepted on condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with o reosonable ollowance for signature, will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate In the event of a ypogrophicol error, advertising goods or services at o wrong price, goods or services may not be sold Advertising is merely an offer to sell and may be withdrawn of any time. The Huron Expositor is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproduction purposes. Changes of address, orders for subscriptions and undeliv- erable copies ore to be sent to The Huron Expositor Wednesday,•July 8, 1998 Editorial and Business Offices - 100 Main SM.t.,tleol.rlb Telephone (519) 527.0240 fax (519) 527-21E511 Mailing Address - P.O. lex 69, Seater*, Ontario, NOK 1 WO Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association, Ontario Community Newspapers Association and the Ontario Press Council Publication Mail Registration No. 0760$ There's more to the story about the last great elm tree To the Editor: During my recent visit in Seaforth, I was browsing through some back issues of The Huron Expositor when I cam upon your interesting coverage of the "last -great elm tree" (May 20 and May 27). It reminded me there is more to tell of the story of this magnificent tree that once graced the grounds of the Seaforth Lawn Bowling Club. My grandfather, the late John Beattie, a long-time merchant on Seaforth's main street, ardent bowler and amateur poet, had once penned some verse about this elm. His poem, "A Tribute to a Tree," appeared in a small booklet of his poetry by the same title. Though the booklet is undated, a not uncommon publishing practise in earlier times, I'm certain it was printed by The Huron Expositor. Beattie dies in 1960 at the age of 92. In the foreward, he explains how a young elm tree almost fell victim to the axe. "On arrival [in Seaforth, November 11, 1890] we purchased the corner lot adjoining the Bowling Green, on which stood a frame store, a healthy growth of thorn and other small trees, and in the middle of this stood --The Elm. My first job was to 'clear the land' and on doing School issues waiting for us in September Summer vacation is here. For those involved in the school system or with children; it's a couple months of not having to think about getting the kids to school on time or helping with homework. In Seaforth, the past year has meant a little more than that with concerns about the future of the high school. Not to put a damper on a carefree summer when thoughts don't have to be turned to issues such as that, but it's worth thinking for a moment about what's waiting for the community in the fall beyond homework help and permission slips. And beyond the issue of keeping Seaforth's high school open. That alone is enough to have waiting for September when a committee of community members and the Avon -Maitland District School Board start meeting to find a way to keep the school open. It's an issue many people are tired of but remains of the utmost importance. Let's not forget it's there. Unfortunately,- now we have the threat of a strike to divide our attention. At the end of the month, teachers voted 88 per cent in favor of striking. Staffing, workload and monetary factors are at issue. Negotiations for a collective agreement will continue through the summer. However, to further divide our attention, and also mired in the same issue of staffing and time that teachers have available, is the possibility that extra curricular activities will disappear. The Huron -Perth Athletic Association has announced all sports scheduling is on hold. Convenors to put together school sport. schedules have not been appointed and timetables are not available for teachers to know their workload. September poses some interesting struggles for teachers, students and parents. Enjoy the summer break but it looks like it's going to be needed to rest up for the fights ahead when school resumes in September. STH We're online! Want to e-mail your Letters to the Editor? The llurnn Expositor ha. gone high-tech and online. Our -mail address is: huronexp@odyssey.on.ca Remember. ALL Letters to the Editor must be signed and have a telephone number for confirmation. Letters fluty be edited for both length and content. Don't forget to check out our homepage at: www.bowesnet.com/expositor/ PHOTO 07 ZEIOLER •.1 this, I somehow spared what is now our beautiful Elm Tree." And in the first to stanzas of a "A Tribute to a Tree" the theme of "sparing" is developed further" Today I pay fond tribute to a tree, I've watched it grow, and just twixt you and me, I counted up the years, and do you know I spared it almost sixty years ago? With axe in hand, I went to cut it down, Fate intervened, how fortunate the town. Why was I turned aside - yes now I see, God made and had purpose for that tree. On the first page of the booklet is a splendid, though small, black and white photograph of the elm, taken, it would appear, when in its full maturity. Some of your subscribers and others, who, like Beattie, had a fond attachment to trees and a deep respect for our natural environment, may like to read his poem in its entirety. Yours sincerely, Douglas Stewart University of Regina Tribute to a tree Today I pay fond tribute to a tree, I've watched it grow, and just twist you and me, I counted up the years, and do you know I spared it almost sixty years agol With axe in hand, I went to cut it down; Fate intervened, how fortunate the town. Why was I turned aside—yes, now I see, God made and had a purpose for that tree. Live on and grow, and shed your cooling shade, On bowling men, on matron, and on maid; Live in the breeze, the sunshine, and the rain; Your bowling friends will soon be back again. You have a wondrous beauty all your own, Your growing in a sheltered spot—alone; And soon you will put on your summer dress; We'll welcome you, in all your loveliness. To see you in full dress is such a treat, Tree -lovers stop to "snap" you from the street, And tell their friends, they ought to come to see The Seaforth Bowlers' lovely Elm Tree. • Tinted headlamps not allowed Colored lamps appear to be at different distance that white lights Tinted headlamp bulbs are not allowed. While they are available at some automotive stores, Huron OPP report the bulbs, usually in blue, yellow or rainbow tints, violate the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Highway Traffic Act. Lights roust be white or yellow in color and conform with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations. OPP have not determined any tinted bulbs that meet th elegal specification of the appropriate white color. All legal bulbs have clear glass, where as the tinting is plainly evident when the bulb is held up to a light. The use of colored lights may reduce the visibility of obstacles in the roadway, rear lamps of other vehicles and road signs. Colored lamps may also appear to be at a different distance than white lamps, posing a hazard for drivers making decisions to pass another vehicle with oncoming traffic in sight. High powered versions of both tinted and clear white bulbs are available. These bulbs, with ratings of 80 watts or higher, are intended for off- road use only. They can cause extreme glare to approaching drivers and pedestrians, even on lower beam. High wattage bulbs also create additional heat than can permanently damaged headlamps. Normal power is 45 to 65 watts, depending on the bulb type. Consumers should not purchase or used headlamp bulbs that exceed the power rating of the standard bulbs for their particular vehicles. The rating is marked on the base of the original bulb and is exlpained in the vehicle owner's manual. High intensity discharge lamps are permitted in white or amber light only. There is no coating over the bulb or lamp assembly and nothing that diminishes the light intensity. Some drivers are buying tinted bulbs to create a distinctive appearance for their vehicles. Confusion has resulted among regulators and law enforcement officials because the blue color produced by the tinted bulbs appear similar to the legal white of the gaseous discharge headlamps on some new cars. Confessions of a bad Canadian I took the Canada Quiz. A copy of the one 50 per cent of 1,500 adult Canadians failed in an recent Angus Reid survey. I don't know what was considered a passing grade on the test. It features 20 multiple choice questions covering a cross section of Canadian history and facts. I made four mistakes. That doesn't sound too bad but the test was designed to be easier than a similar one from last year with an even worse success rate among Canadians. It was also multiple choice. That means I there were also a couple that were lucky guesses, narrowing down the four options to two (because two in some cases were ludicrous), leaving a fifty-fifty shot of getting it right. Who wrote the Canadian national anthem? I guessed wrong. That's pretty pathetic. But I can't recall any time in school were we even studied the anthem; what it's about, how it originated. I do remember the Canadian flag being on the curriculum but again, like too many Canadians, I couldn't tell you precisely how it came to be. In grade school we studied something about the Plains of Abraham, I remember bits about the Bocr War and more distinctly, have an understanding of issues surrounding Upper and Lower Canada. It may be different now but school curriculum was never built around presenting our history in an .interesting fashion. A question I did know the answer to asked which Canadian prime minister attended seances to talk to his dead mother. Without looking at the options, I knew that answer right away: William Lyon Mackenzie King (which I could also spell correctly). Why? Because 1 did have one teacher in my high school education, George Sutton, who did his darndest to make the subject interesting. And I don't think it was that hard. He took the time to find some of the details surrounding the dates, events and time lines we were required to memorize. Those details, like some of the eccentricities of figures like Mackenzie King and Louis Riel surroundcd the rest of the facts and helped us to remember much more of it. was also able to answer a question correctly about the longest river in Canada --the Mackenzie. I also didn't need to look at the options before I knew that one. This was a fact I managed to hold on to since grade school, before Mr. Sutton. This time, because I was at an age where adventure stories were fun and exciting and much of early Canadian history, from the fur trade to the struggles of early settlers, made for entertaining study in school. Our history is nothing but interesting when it's presented well. But for some reason, so much of what we are as Canadians is stuffy. We forget how interesting we arc, preferring to let ourselves be absorbed by the American influence that is so predominant in our culture. I know I don't speak for everyone. There are many good Canadians who can quote the facts and histories and have read everything by Robertson Davies and Margaret Atwood. But I would suggest many of these people respond well to our stuffy nature and might not know all those interesting bits. Sadly, I still don't remember enough from the classroom but, day to day life does not present many reminders of what we are all about and just how great our history is. Mr. Sutton did and I know it would be worth sitting in his classroom again for a good refresher course in what Canada is all about. Do I have an excuse for not learning more on my own? Not really, unless I chalked it up to typical, apathetic behavior. But if I chose to be lethargic wouldn't that make me a good Canadian too because aren't we supposed to be apathetic? 1