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Huron Expositor, 2007-10-10, Page 5Opinion The Huron Expositor • October 10, 2007 Page 5 Iptte to till. Editor Dry river bed forces realization of how quickly climate chane is occurring To the Editor, I went for a walk on Sunday afternoon on proper- ty that I have owned for 24 years. This time it was different though in that I had never walked this area of my property before. How is that possible after 24 years? Simple. On Sunday I walked across the width of 100 acres in a dry river bed the likes of which I have never wit- nessed before. There was no mud, no pools of water, just dry rock. Discarded empty beer bottles from the stubby era, a rusty scale -encased wagon axle from the horse and buggy era. No sign of snapping tur- tles, fish, frogs, crayfish or any sign of wildlife that would ordinarily inhabit that strip of land. I did notice a couple of areas where minnows and crayfish must have spent their final days, as the water disappeared and the heron and raccoons feasted on their misfortune. This is the second time in less than a year that nature has forced me to question where we are headed, the first time being the overly unusual warm winter we had last year. It forces me to wonder just how quickly the cli- mate change is going to drastically change the world we live in here at home, never mind on a glob- al scale. I also wonder what it will take to have people locally stand up and take a stand to protect their futures, never mind that of their children and grandchildren. We Aye in one of the most prosperous _countries in the woitd, but stand idle when it cameo kb preserv- ing it.:.Ibiost believe it is the govelrment's responsi- bility id lead in changing or protecting our country. However, I would like to remind everyone that "we" are the government. It is our vote on election day as well as our responsibility to ensure that those elect- ed follow through with their promises and our requests, that will change the course we are setting. It is also our responsibility to preserve the natural environment, starting at home where we can change the very moment we decide to do so. If we, as a nation, cannot take responsibility with all of the many assets and prosperity at our dispos- al, how can we expect someone in a war-torn, devel- oping or poverty-stricken country to do so? The pre- sent government seems to be more concerned with the economy than the environment. They don't seem to realize that without the environment that nurtures our existence, an economy is pointless. You cannot breathe or eat money if that's all that's left. We need industry that produces clean energy, equipment and an environmentally friendly means of transportation, rather than the present factories that produce the cars that further contribute to the carbon problem and I coon but at this point, I ask only that we seriously consider what we can do to preserve our children's future and act on it rather than just return to our busy lives. By the way, have you noticed the leaves on the trees? They're drying off without the vibrant colours we usually see. We haven't had a frost to start the colour change. Sincerely, Pete Klaver RR 2 Staffa Second bear, 'a good, big fellow,' shot in McKillop in one week in 1907 October 29, 1882 The Seaforth Fire Brigade carried off first prize of $50 at a tournament in Mitchell. The test included run- ning 300 yards with a hose car, laying 300 feet of hose, attaching to a fire hydrant and procuring water. The winning time was one minute, 21 sec- onds. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the detection and conviction of persons involved in the incendiary fires in McKillop. The council offers $400, McKillop Insurance Company $4,400, and Thomas Govenlock, $200. Andrew McLellan of Hibbert has purchased a bull calf which took first prize at the Seaforth show for $125 from Thomas Govenlock. The calf is said to be the best in Huron County. A. Scott, the Brussels athlete, took eight prizes at the St. Thomas Caledonian games. He received five firsts and three seconds. Unmarried men in Clinton intent to form an association that shall be cal- culated to promote marriage. Upon the marriage of a member, others in the group shall contribute from $1 to $5 to go towards housekeeping. October 11, 1907 Driving into Seaforth, horses driven by J. Alexander of Tuckersmith, took fright and jumped into a ditch. Thrown from the rig, he held onto the reins and was dragged for some dis- tance before letting go. Mr. Alexander was only stunned and suffered scratches. A well-known and highly respected Seaforth resident, Mrs. John Crich died. A daughter of the late John Grant of Grey Township, she was a resident for 30 years. She was prede- ceased by her husband 14 years ago and is survived by four daughters and four sons. Messrs. Edze and Gutteridge have secured the contract for the new C.P.R. station buildings at Listowel. They are to be about on the same scale as at Goderich. Deputy game warden of Seaforth Major Anderson is champion no longer. The title was wrestled from him by Harry Speare when he landed home with a fox, one partridge and five rabbits. Wm. J. Welsh of McKillop recently shot a bear. The bear was "a good big fellow." Bears seem common in McKillop as this is the second report in as many weeks. September 30, 1932 Over 2,000 people attended the Seaforth fair where the largest indoor exhibit in years was shown. Every class was well filled; cattle displays above average and races and other track events were interesting. Two gentlemen attending a softball dance at Cardno's Hall, returned to the cloak room to discover some per- son unknown had stolen their hats. Both hats were brand new and were a rare bargain for whoever took them. Janet Doig, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.L.M. Doig of Tuckersmith, near Kippen, found an odd shaped apple. The apple had two distinct eyes, two inches apart at the bottom and two stems which merged into one stem about an inch long. It looked like the apple had grown as if glued together. A car accident occurred between Brussels and Walton when Miller McCarter and W. Love of Ethel side- swiped. No one was injured, but the cars suffered considerable damage. All the tires blew out on the McCarter car. No charges have been laid. November 8, 1957 Seaforth firemen found Hallowe'en to be a busy time as they answered four calls in 36 hours. An alarm was phoned in from McKillop near Slabtown, but there was no sign of fire. A storage barn on the farm of Warden Haney was destroyed several hours later. Dense smoke resulted when fumes ignited in a pit in Rowcliffe Motors. A large tire was burned in the centre of the Egmondville bridge. The asphalt melted, resulting in a hole the size of the tire. Special services marked the re- opening of Zion Church, McKillop. Months of work by congregation members was reflected in a complete- ly renovated building. Minister of the church is Rev. A.M. Amacher. October 13, 1982 Seaforth has a candidate for mayor. Mayor John Sinnamon announced in September that he won't run again, after two terms as mayor. The new candidate is Alf Ross, a councillor for two years, and an inspector with the Foodlands Preservation Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Mr. Ross, a Hibbert native, lives on Silvercreek Crescent in Seaforth and works out of the OMAF field office in Clinton. The list of candidates committed to run in this year's municipal election on November 8, is slowly taking shape in the eight townships covered by the Huron Expositor. In a telphone poll of the township offices and indi- vidual council members, it is clear that most of the present members will seek re-election.