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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1988-08-03, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, August 3, 1988 Times fstablished 18' 1 Advocate 1stablished 1881 Amalgamated I4/4 BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1985 Imes-fldvocate Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S0 Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. Phone 519.235-1331 ROSS HAL CH Worm � CNA CCNAL JIM Bf(hW11 Publisher A Ad,ertiung Manager HARRS Of1RIES OO\ SMI1H ( umpo,etion Manager Rumness Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $25.00 Per year; U.S.A. $65.00 Need special nominations Do you know of a youngster between the ages of six and 18 who has made ex- traordinary achievments in his or her community? Exeter and surrounding area is includ- ed in a province -wide search for young people who best exemplify the qualities of good citizenship. The Times Advocate is pleased to be the local sponsor of the Ontario Junior Citizens program which is co-ordinated jointly by the Ontario Weekly Newspa- per Association and Canadian Airlines International. For the past 27 years, the Ontario Jun- ior Citizens program has recognized close to 100 young people for their cou- rage, ingenuity, resourcefulness, initia- tive, leadership, fortitude and communi- ty service. Nominees may be involved in worth- while community service, have over- come disabling physical or psychological limitations or have performed acts of he- roism perhaps endangering their own lives. The foregoing paragraph doesn't mean we are looking for a "Superkid". The qualities of good citizenship could just as easily be embodied in the kid next door who watches your toddlers, cuts your grass, runs errands for your elderly neighbour, coaches little league or is ac- tive in the community in a hundred dif- ferent ways. Award recipients will also be "good kids" who show a commitment to make life better for others and do more titan is normally expected of -someone their age. As adults, we're all too aware that praise, no matter how well deserved, is a rare commodity in our lives. Yet its val- ue cannot be underestimated. Think about that, and then think about a boy or girl you know who is truly a -good citizen and about what you can do to steer a little praise in his or her direc- tion. An Ontario Junior Citizen nomination just might do the trick. Nomination forms are available at the Times Advo- cate and we would like to hear from you. The deadline for nominations is October 31, 1988. The award recipients and their families will be honoured at a testimonial lun- cheon in Toronto next March at the an- nual newspaper convention. They will be received by Ontario Lieutenant - Governor Lincoln Alexander and each presented with a $200 cheque, a gold la- pel pin and a family portrait with the Lieutenant -Governor. We know there are young boys and girls in our community who have proven hey are willing to go the extra mile, if for no other reason than for their own personal growth and pride. That's a les - on that shouldn't be lost on the rest of us nd we want to do our part to ensure hese young persons are recognized. The theme for this year's program is There's one'in every crowd". Let's hear from you with a request for nomination form. t s a t 1, a Beatty's Folly World news has been encour- aging recently. The war between Iran and Iraq seems to be ending, the Soviets arc more or less pulling out of Afghanistan. Gorbachev is blow- ing up medium range missiles to usher in what the USSR de- scribes as a new era of peace, and Ronald Reagan has just about finished his second and fi- nal term in office. And then there's Perrin Beatty. Beatty is the Progressive Con- servative minister in charge of implementing military recom- '-•''ntendat ons made in the White Paper. The centre piece of that document is the purchase of 10 offensive submarines. Offensive is an appropriate word. I can't figure it out. We Cana- dians arc a peace -loving nation. We espouse peace on the interna- tional scene and we tell our poli- ticians on a regular basis that wc have no interest in nuclear weap- ons or nuclear -powered weap- But Beatty, working for Brian Mulroney, isn't going to let that get in bis way. At a time when the major pow- ers arc scrambling to get a grip on a run -away arms race, when the world is looking for ways to reduce stock -piles of weapons, Beatty steams merrily along in the opposite direction. The purchase of nuclear or even conventional submarines would set a dangerous prece- dent. It would set up a system whereby - billions of dollars are wasted on war machinery we hope would never be used. It would establish hundreds of jobs which could only be sustained by further military spending -- Mark Bisset the same sort of merry-go-round which is responsible for the USA accumulating the largest debt in the history of mankind. And, if the sub fleet is de- ployed under Arctic ice, arc we prepared to use it against the most flagrant violators of our sovereignty in that arca -- the Unitcd States? ft looks as if there is a silver lining to Perrin's little black cloud, however, His department has been mysteriously 'silent about the submarines this week amidst rumours that the US is denying Canada the necessary technology to build the vessels. Maybe Beatty's boys arc prac- lly Ross !laugh tieing stealth. Regardless of the outcome, Canadians should be concerned about the course Beatty and Mul- roney arc setting. This is an cra in which the world needs imag- inative governing. The Conser- vative move to build up our navy is not a modem approach to the problems we face. In fact, their thinking is reminiscent of the at- titudes which set the world on the road to the First and subse- quently the Second World Wars. It is old-fashioned and it is flawed. Arctic sovereignty cannot be secured with military might. Our opponents are simply too strong. Canada should seek other means. Economic sanctions and continued` diplomatic protests would be just as efficient, and' much less costly. While our diplomats argued in the abstract, we could put the submarine billions to work building houses for the home- less, relieving financial stress on hospitals, strengthening our so- cial security systems, encourag- ing research and development, turning Canada into a morally and economically strong world power. I suppose that's whimsical. But it beats Beatty's brand of reality. HAVE AN OPINION? The Times -Advocate welcomes letters to the editor. They must be signed and should be accompanied by a telephone humber should we need to clarify any information. The newspaper also reserves the right to edit letters. Letters can be dropped off at the Times Advocate Office or mailed to: Exeter Times Advocate Box 850, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S0 • Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by I.W. Eedy Publications Limited "RELAX— I JUST NEED SOME OF YOUR WATER!" Home for the wayward Do you have animals that you wish to give away or need a new home? Don't call us at our Crediton home. Our place is bcgnning to look like a farm menagerie. For several years now, wife Irene's love for pets has been kept at a low kcy and we have been without a dog, cat, fish or any other pct. That changed abruptly about seven weeks ago and has been deteriorating at a fast clip. At that time along comes a nice black and while male cat who had tried several other spots in Credi- ton before arriving at the Haugh residence. Within a couple of days as soon as the kitchen door opened in came Sylvester and can be found most of the time lying on the downstairs spare room bed. A few weeks after this it's an- other feline. This time it's another cute pussy, a striped Tiger female and yes, she was very much in the family way. Now wc'havc four little kittens, again cute who were bom under the grapevine. it didn't take Irene long to get a box fitted with a car- pet on the bottom placed on the back porch and that's what mom and the four kittens now call • • home. The story is not over yet. While the cats have been fore- most at our home, they now have some opposition for our at- tention. During that extreme hot and dry spell of a couple of weeks another visitor arrived. This time the approach was a little more subtle. Arriving home one night just fr, ! From the editor's disk by Ross Haugh t. before dark, Irene comments, " Our neighbour across the street has a new lawn ornament". It turned out to be a live duck. Ile looked forlorn and hungry and thirsty. That classification of a "he" is only a guess. Anyway, we put some watcr in a pan in the backyard and the next day, the duck now named Fred is a permanent resident. With lots of water and a couple of handfuls of oatmeal placed beside the water each morning, Fred is getting to feel a little more at home. Wednesday moming, he made it to under the picnic table on our patio. The next moming he was on top of the table. While Fred likes .the grass in our backyard and all the goodies that go with it, he spends most of the night sitting on the paved parking lot of Bell Cananda, which is right next door. In additon to the cats and duck, we are currently babysitting Duchess. She is a large and well matured Lab owned by daughter Linda and husband Brian and family. Currently they arc holi- daying in Tennessee. Add to this Christy, a poodle owned by nephew Robin and his wife Cheryl. Christy spends the occasional weekend at out house. After a very short and almost friendly confrontation, Duchess and our other inhabitants get along fine. They ignore each other. We also have a number of squirrels in the neighbourhood, but they haven't become as per- sonal as our other house guests. What's next? Your guess is probably better than ours. Risk of showers Another week had gonc by without a drop of rain. I walked from the house to the office across the brown exp pse of dust 'arid'antitills that had once bccn our lawn..1 turned the radio on for the weather report, hoping against hope that a break in the perpetual heat wave might be near. "Looks like another glorious weekend out there for you sunbathers. Absolutely no rain in the forecast for today or tomorrow. Only on Sunday there's a slight risk of a shower or two in the afternoon, but nothing to worry about ..." 1 turned the radio off and called the station. I asked for the person who had just' given the weather report "Sorry, but what you heard was a taped weather announcement". "May I speak to the person who taped it, please?" "He has left for the weekend". Gone sunbathing, no doubt. 1 am convinced that all radio and TV weather announcers live in downtown concrete apartment buildings with not even a miserable geranium on their balcony. In the morning they take the elevator to their underground parking garages, turn the air conditioning on in their car, drive through seven blocks of highrise canyons and into the underground parking garage of their c 'lcrete Office building. in the elevator on the way up to their air-conditioned office they ponder about the outside world. A world full of things they, don't understand. Like open spaces. Lakes and rivers. Or farms. Weather? That's something constantly posing a thrcat. All weather announcers are chronically afraid of rain, snow, hail, or any other kind of precipitation including a heavy PETER'S POINT • dew. They arc so afraid of thunderstorms that they run for cover when their own stomach grumbles. When they sign their employment contract with the radio or TV station, they must agree to work in a windowless environment. To make sure that they never see what is actually going on outside. It would distract them. They must stick to the information that comes to them via computer screen, fax machine, ticker tape or whatever. Another clause in their employment contract forbids them to read newspapers, watch- TV news, or listen to radio news before or after weather reports. Facts would prejudice them. You and i know that the country has been suffering from the worst drought since the Great Depression, that farmers and farm - related industries are losing their shirts. That's because we pay attention to the news. And because we have windows. And because wc actually step outside once in a while. You and I know that if we don't get rain soon ---- rain that drenches the earth for many days — we'll all be in trouble. But weather announcers are not allowed to be influenced by this kind of information. They believe that their listeners are all like them, living a precarious, grey existence in the concrete jungle, with nothing to look forward to except a few hours of sunshine on a crowded city beach. Their greatest fear is a shower that would force them to open their umbrellas or to seek cover. They musn't get wet because their mascara might run, or their glasses might fog up, or their clothes might wrinkle. Risk of showers? Farmers, garden and lawn owners of .the world, unite! Let's turn the rascals out!. What this country needs — besides rain — is weathcr announcers with a sense of reality. During one of the worst droughts most of us have ever faced, there is no such thing as a risk of showers. It's a chance of showers, a hope for a few drops, anything that remotely resembles rain. For me, of course, things could be' worse. I could be a farmer. All I am losing is my fawn,