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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2004-04-28, Page 5Opinion Small towns seem a lot bigger when you're out of your car exploring A couple weeks ago my girlfriend, who is from Oakville, went to a farm for the first time. The whole misadventure was caught on video because her friend was making a documentary similar to the TV show The Simple Life. Before leaving for her friend's farm she was extremely excited about the visit. She talked about how she'd get to see a cow up close and maybe milk it. Even though I wasn't able to be there to see her first farm adventure I was able to watch it on video after her friend made me a copy. On the video, she tried to pet a cow. The cow licked her and she screamed and laughed. She didn't know much about cows because the only time she'd ever seen one was when she'd drive past them on country roads. She thought cows were a lot smaller because she'd never seen one up close. A lot of people drive past small towns and think they are a lot smaller than they really are. But they're wrong. Once you're in a small town you realize how much bigger they are when you're out of your car and exploring. While Seaforth is not the first small town I've stopped in before, it is the first small town 1 have ever lived in. I've noticed a lot of people driving past and looking at me in my first few weeks here in Seaforth. I hope you're looking because you want to know who I am and not because I have something caught in my teeth. For those of you that would like to know a little more about me, I'm originally from Brantford and lived there until I was 19. Three years ago I left Brantford to go to school at Kitchener's Conestoga College to study print and broadcast journalism. In my third year of college I moved to Waterloo and got a job at the weekly newspaper, The Waterloo Chronicle, where I was a freelance reporter and photographer. And, two weeks after finishing my final classes at Conestoga I'm here in Seaforth. But now when you drive past me on the streets of Seaforth, you'll know who 1 am and that I'm here to tell the stories of this great town. Letters Landfilling garbage is burying money in the ground, says Frank de Jong From Page 4 and therefore no need for landfills. Garbage should be recognized for what it is, partially used resources. Resources cost money, so landfilling should also be recognized for what it really is - burying money in the ground. As the American businessman, Paul Hawken, writes in "The Ecology of Commerce", we don't have an environmental crisis, we have a design crisis. The McGuinty government should immediately legislate extended product warranty on all products sold in 0 ntario. Everything sold in the province to be designed from the bottom up to be repaired, reused, recycled, recovered or composted. Nothing should be landfilled. Within a few years all landfills in the province could be closed since there would be no more "partially used resources" to bury. Instead of being a garbage exporter, Ontario could become a continental leader in efficient production systems that don't waste our precious resources. Frank de Jong, leader, Green Party of Ontario Toronto Government -style bookkeeping is temptingduringtax season To the Editor, I am about to sit down and drag out my file on income tax related, receipts, invoices, T4's, T5's, charitable donations and all that great pile of paper work that accumulates over the year awaiting this moment of last minute necessity. Usually, I do not look forward to this battle with the papers and the forms. But this year I'm planning to learn a lesson in easy book keeping straight from the horse's mouth (I think that is the end of the horse it came from). I'm going to figure out what I want my final results to look like and then I'm going to write in the numbers for income, expenses and charitable donations that will produce the desired results. If I get audited I know just what to say. All those expenses I claimed? Not to worry Revenue Canada - No Receipts - heck "I got value for my money." Who needs receipts'? My farm income - who needs to keep track of deposits and all that work - My customers all' "got value for the money" - and it is exactly the amount I put on my form. No more - no less - no paper trail - no mess. (And, a lot less work for my wife who diligently kept track of every penny in the pre -sponsorship scandal era.) Alas, 1 don't expect Revenue Canada will cut me the same slack Martin and the Liberals want from us. the electorate. So I guess I'll have a few late nights pulling it all together. But it was an interesting daydream to imagine how it might be if ordinary folk got to play the record keeping game the way the high and mighty did in Ottawa. Yours sincerely, Tony McQuail RR if 1, Lucknow, ON News Council anticipates OSTAR funding By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor News that North Huron has received its OSTAR funding (provincial and federal funding assistance to upgrade water systems to new provincial standards) for Blyth and Wingham, Huron East council is wondering when it will receive a similar cheque in the mail. "North Huron got their funding but 1 heard they only got three-quarters of what they were expecting," said Deputy - Mayor Bernie MacLellan. Clerk -Administrator Jack McLachlan told council that Huron East's OSTAR funding has been approved at the provincial level and is moving on to the federal level for approval. "It will probably be a two-month process but we'll get the funding then," he said. Huron East has spent $1.39 million so far on upgrades to the water systems in Brussels, Vanastra, Brucefield and Seaforth/Egmondville. And, while the upgrades have been completed on three systems, the work hasn't begun yet in Seaforth. Council is still researching its options to upgrade the Seaforth, water system, which could range from $1.7 million to upgrade the existing well to $11 million to join a pipeline project to Lake Huron which South Huron has approved and Hensel] is still considering. "We're still banking on. two-thirds of that $1.39 million to come from OSTAR. We've spent $1.1 million on the three completed systems and that's quite a financial load to carry," said Deputy Clerk Brad Knight in a phone interview after the meeting. McLachlan said that the OSTAR funding. is specifically for upgrades that will bring water systems up to provincial regulations. And, while there were some rumours at this year's ROMA (Rural Ontario Municipal Association) convention that the province might not fund the water upgrades, he said it's welcoml news to hear that North Huron has received its funding. McLachlan said that whether the province will fund a water pipeline to Lake Huron from Seaforth will depend on whether or not the municipality can prove one is needed to bring its water system up to provincial standards. "I know the province won't pay for a Cadillac if Banging railway cars bring complaint to municipal council By Susan Hund•rtmark Exposttor Editor The banging of railway cars at 3 a.m. has brought a complaint from a Railway Street resident to Huron East council. "I was asked if we have a noise bylaw because it rattles the whole neighbourhood. In the summer it's a little ' loud," said Tuckersmith Coun. Larry McGrath at council's April 20 meeting. McGrath asked if council could write a letter to Smith Packaging and ask if the Seaforth business could do anything to change its schedule to create less noise on the railway lines. "They're probably not thinking about noise. I know (owner) Dave (Smith) would address it," said Seaforth Coun. Joe Steffler. a Chevy will do the job. What we don't know yet is whether a pipeline will be classified as a Chevy or a Cadillac," he said. McTaggart Wettlaufer INSURANCE BROKERS INC. ••%U) UU *0' E- •F • ::Avfl •('rr.' .'FPCIAt BROKERS: Paul Wettlaufer Anette McTaggart Ken Hutchison Bill Siemon Vicki Siemon Suzanne Zehr 68 Ontario Rd. 348-9150 1 Mitchell 1-800-561-0183 THE HURON EXPOSITOR, APRIL 28, 2004-8 OPENING APRIL 30TH Lite and Mid -Size Travel Trailers & 5th Wheels by Gulfstream Coach SPECIAL °PEI'11Gmeri-lite C & Awning $Withal?5QQ 139 Grand Bend R.V. Hwy. 21 (just) North of Grand Bend (on east side) Tel: (519) 238-2445 ": f sated tic toe Vka'tt lomme eausetet " ALBERT STREET DERTURE CLINIC Denture Specialist Dean R. McTaggart D.D. Complete and Partial Dentures Denture Repairs Relines - Additions 482-1195 50 ALBERT STREET CLINTON Church Services BEREAN COVENANT CHURCH A CHURCH PLANT OF GRACE TRINITY COMMUNITY CHUi CH 527-0029 F.ilowshlp et 7:00 pm Pastoral Team: Pastor Bob Psnhearow Pastor Ron Matthews Pastor Royal Hamel St. Thomas Anglican Church A Congregation of the Parish of The Holy Spirit Jarvis St. Seaforth Fr. Michael Milne Parish Office 527-1522 Sunday May 2 Fourth Sunday of Easier Worship at 9:30 a.m. Monday - Prayer Group (700 pm) Revelation. Chapter t (7.30 pm) You are invited to attend these area churches Catholic Chyrch St. James RC Church 14 Victoria Street, Seaforth 527-0142 Weekend Masses: Sat 5:15 pm Sun. 11:00 am St. Columban RC Church Saturday Mass at 7:30 pm Father Lance Magdziak Bethel Bible Church An Associated Gospel Church 126 Main St. Seaforth 527-0982 Sunday School 9:45 am Sunday Worship Hour 11 am Jim Wyllie - Pastor B & G Club Wed. 7 p.m. Youth Group Wed. 7 p.m. Egmondville United Church Sunday School 10 am Worship 11 am Sunday May 2 Steve Hildebrand Lay Pastoral Minister in Training Everyone Welcome NORTHSIDE - CAVAN UNITED CHURCHES Cavan 9:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. Northside Winthrop 54 Goderich St W SUNDAY MAY 2, 2004 Ws Welcome To The Pulpit I Rev John Gould First Presbyterian Church Goderich St. W. Seaforth Minister Rev. Ted Nelson Sunday, May 2 11:15 a.m. Special Music by Janice & Marc Nelson Tickets for Mother's Day Breakfast Available *Plant Plus' Sale on Sat. 8 am • 12 Come for a tree cdlee 6 browse (brig your plants & Garage sale iterns no tater than Friday evening) -rr' 'WE HAVE IT ALL FOR '�`"'�s ' GREAT CASUAL LIVING" • For Outdoors • Pools • Garden Areas • Sunrooms ()rife amply the rirMd r r_ I L./WEAR RFSlN n RNITURE tax• Clhntite In Elegant Oot.hn.T Lie ing.. NEW • Ttak • Wicker • ( Aluminum • Rattan • IH,tminuck • Acccssurin 1 ,,•Jlljn• i• triesgat hem sfonecust Pottery LARAND BEND 238-2110 IMS 93 E (DmiIN from Ilre water plant) rw.r... YM.-ifl. W6 • Sat. 1 Hwy (9 mile. fho water plant) a atre Men• -Fel. 0-B • rat• 10.4