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Home My WebLink AboutTimes-Advocate, 1988-08-03, Page 5Summer's best GREAT SHAKES - Exeter's Derby Dip restaurant was one of two area outlets singled out for praise in the London Free Press Encounter section featuring the "Best of Summer". Best's in Grand Bend and the Derby Dip both received good reviews for delicious milkshakes. From the left are Derby Dip staffers April Lewis, Terra Ahrens and Becci Farquhar. Eclectic designs in gold, agate, ebony, or diamond By Yvonne Reynolds Jos Bervocts is a fortunate man. Ile earns his living doing what he enjoys most - designing and sell- ing elling jewellery. You can find him almost every day at his bench in his little shop in Bayfield, hum- ming along to some of his favour- ite music as he creates an original pendant or a one -of -a -kind ring. Bervocts' tastes arc eclectic. The former boy soprano whose singing voice now ranges from bass to ten- or enjoys everything from tradi- tional to abstract in art, and from classical to contemporary in mu- sic. In each discipline, his criteri- on is the same: Did it come from the soul? In one showcase are some exam- ples of his craftmanship. A spec- tacular agate ring catches the eye. Bervocts looks up from his work to explain that he made this ring for a customer who brought in the Targe, tawny stone and some old It's VOW a0rJ(n00 mumurvourrowiroo mm/lovvvvwwwww£ Should John Turner use the Senate to force an election? By Jim Beckett Liberal leader John Turner's ploy in using the Sen- ate to delay passage of the government's free trade legislation without calling an election is about to backfire if recent poll results are any indication. The Grit -dominated senate is stocked with faces many Canadians are tired of seeing. Regardless of how strongly Turner opposes free trade as proposed by the Conservatives, the benefits of trotting out Al- lan MacEachen to justify the Senate action can only 4 cost votes in the long run. Many Canadian politicians have questioned the benefit of having Senators in the first place. It's a retirement home for friends of the gov- ernment of the day. What a nice political appointment, where you can be assured of a large government cheque until your seventy- fifth birthday. No more elections to fight, no more political decisions to make... in fact, staying awake or showing up isn't necessarily a prerequisite to keeping your job. Z 's been 76 years since the Senate threatened to block legislation proposed by the government - that tittle, a -Naval Aid Bill introduced by Prime Minister Robert $orden to assist the British navy. Again, a Liberal' Senate was fighting Conservative legisla- tion. It's a tactic that does nothing to enhance the im- age of politicians. Unfortunately, the Senators are safe in their positions, leaving John Turner to face the judgement of the electorate. Arguments have been made justifying the Senate as an important balance to government whims whereby older, more experienced politicians can step in and stop our elected representatives from making any mistakes. The best argument for maintaining the status quo with our Senate is that it at least keeps them under one roof instead of having governments appoint them to more sensitive crown bodies where they coukfo some real damage. By Mark Bisset The outraged pose Prime Minister Brian Mulroney struck after John Turner dropped his bombshell an- nouncement on the Ilouse of Commons recently is, at best, laughable. Mulroney claimed Turner's use of the Senate to block free trade legislation until an election is called was flagrantly undemocratic. This is the same man who, in his bid to become head of the Conservative party in 1983, told dele- gates that he was unalterably opposed to free trade. with the United States saying: "Free trade was decided in the 1911 elec- tion. It affects Canadian sovereignty and we will have none of it." ( Con- servative leader Robert Borden forced an election in 1911 to stifle Liberal Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier's bid for free trade. Borden prevailed in the ensuing election.) Mulroney -the -Smug went on to campaign in the 1984 federal election without so much as mentioning free trade. . In 1988, Mulroney has taken it upon himself to al- ter our economic and cultural landscape fundamen- tally -- with no mandate to do so. Polls now indicate that 75 percent of Canadians want an election before the free trade agreement is signed, but Mulroney prefers to ignore those statis- tics. , Is this democracy? Perhaps a better question: Is this a man who re- spects democracy, or. even understands it? The Senate is badly in need of reform, but it is, nevertheless, an integral part of our governing sys- tem. Its function is to act as a check and balance against the ruling government. It is a place for sober second thought. It is not the result of democracy, like the Ilouse of Commons, but is rather a tool of the democratic process. In using the Senate to hold up the legislation, Tur- ner hopes to force an election -- a democratic elec- tion. And that is the bottom line. Times -Advocate, August 3, 1988 Page 5 GOLDSMITH - Jos Bervoet's workbench is part of his Bayfield shop. He handcrafted the crucifix he wears. It's his favourite creation. gold jewellery. Bervoets niched down the gold and fashioned a new setting. A diamond conceals a slight flaw in the agate. In contrast, another ring in an abstract design incorporates a sliver of ebony and a diamond that seems suspended in space. Sailboats sculpted in 10 and -14 -karat gold demand attention. The three-dimensional pieces, averaging three inches in length, arc modelled . on boats docked at the Bayfield ma- rina. Ile has already sold two. To Bervocts, each customer is a distinct individual. When someone comes in to discuss a custom or- der,, the goldsmith takes into con- sideration the personality, the clothes, the shape of the hands, all the clues which make that person unique. Bervocts finds out what the client has in mind, offers a number of ideas, explains what he visualizes, and the two agree on the final design. "Some people would look ridicu- lous ;,1 a Rolls Royce, and others in a 'kswagci. , Bervocts said. "I wat., the ring to stand out. The more compliments people get in a lifetime the better, and it gives me more business." Bervocts' manual dexterity and creative abilities were encouraged by his parents while he was grow- ing up in the Netherlands. He has always been intrigued with the goldsmith's craft, and as a young man "in the hippie days" he made and sold jewellery on city streets in Holland, Belgium and Germany. A brother and sister who had em- igrated to London saw Canada as the land of opportunity for their younger brother. Bervoets arrival at the Montreal airport on a cold No- vember day in 1972. (Knowing no English, he boarded the wrong plane and ended up in Vancouver. The airline graciously flew him back to London.) Bervocts spent the next 10 years at Bristol Jewellery picking up many trade secrets of his chosen profession under the tutelage of de- signer Don Thaycr, former Mustang quarterback. After Thayer died, Bervocts moved around among different London manufacturers, ever gathering more knowledge, but always working on someone else's designs. His most expensive commission was an S85,000 diamond and sapphire neck- lace he copied from a picture. Last year Bervocts and his wife lamina discovered Bayfield, and suc- cumbed to the village's charms. They bought a home in Drysdale on top of the cliff, overlooking the lake, and opened Four Seasons Jew- ellery Design in April in the new quadrangle of boutiques just west of Main St. SAMPLE - One of the sailboats Bervoets crafts in 10-14K gold.. Bervocts plans to keep his shop open at least until December. He may -take a winter vacation, and sec customers during the slack time by appointment only. He will also have time to create more designs. 13y next May, it will be business as usual. Bervocts hopes to relocate on Bayficld's Main St. ncxt ycar. He envisions, two shops, one sell- ing fashion jewellery, and the other devoted to pieces custom-designed by Jos Bervocts. HAND-CRAFTED - Jos Bervoets holds one of the rings he custom de- signed for a client. Interest rates up • OTTAWA - The Chairman of Farm Credit Corporation, Jim He- witt, today announced that the Cor- poration has increased its interest rates on all loans approved after July 22, 1988. The interest rate charged for five- year, fixed intarest term loans is now 12.50 percent compared with the previous ratc of 12.00 percent. Shared Risk Mortgage Loans will now be approved at 12.25 percent, up from 11.75 percent. Loans with tcrms of 10, and 15 years or more arc now at 12.75 percent, up from 12.25 percent. The interest rate on Farm Syndi- cate Loans is now 12.50 perecnt compared with the previous ratc of 12 percent. We've Moved to our New Location... G.W. Parsons & Associates Inc. Management, Accounting and Computer System Services Doug Denomme Karen Neevel Gerry Parsons C.M.A. 396 Main Street South Exeter, Ontario (519) 235-1304 1