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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1988-09-14, Page 5n the Street By Jim Beckett OMNI A well-known person in this area is one of 25 Ontario residents and 120 nationally. to be recognized in Air Canada's "Heart of 'Gold" pro- gram. • Jennie Rowe, R.R. 1 Exeter, will be one of the winners receiving honors in Toronto on_OcI. 1.5. Air Canada and the Canadian Commu- nity Newspaper Association sought nominations for deserving people in a nationwide. publicity -campaign. Six thousand people received nomination s. - • Jennie was nominated by Dale Armstrong, who many of you know as one of the friendly workers at Big V. Iler letter, which is printed be- low, capturcc w cit many o rs sec in envie. -If you're searching for .someone with a "Heart of Gold", search no further, she lives right here in -.Exeter - Geneva Rowe, better known in the community its '".Iennic This lady's heart should be glazed i -n platinum. As nianttger_ of the local high school cafeteria for the pa.st.23 years, -she has act- ed as counsellor: nurse, friend and muny.times mother. to _throusands of students. She's hired "problerir kids", vi knowing they'd steal from :her, choosing to lose her money and give them a chance:" A lightly handicapped woman was also hired. Jennie is giving cif her lime and money to ensure this woman keeps. her self-esteem and feels useful. in the community. - For two summers. she :'.pread, her time between work and sup-. porting students involved in lire Katinuavik Program, teaching them -hose to. cook and plan their activities. - • Jennie Rowe As a professional caterer to thousands of events and functions, many hills are• not paid. She reasons- they must n ecd .the money more than she does.. - - 11er bonne"has been open to dozens of wanderers, people looking for a night's stay, runaways or-jusi the hired Jamaican.Or Frenchmen of the local cunning factory who have no summer accommodation for their temporary ivork. Iler home, food and love are free. Bahy-sitting friend's children, grandchildren, tending to the .sick, vi- siting the ho,nebound, transporting the immobile, having conversa- tions si•ith Inne!v, Cleaning a_handicap'.s house, -running errands and do- ing favours. It'.s.0 mouthful to say. still it's not -enough and doesn't make a chip into the moand of goodwill. Everywhere you ,go, city or place, they know- her. }'ou see a smile or hear a yell. "Jennie". Jennie - synonymous with ."lleart ". l.should know. its a teen runaway more than 10 years -ago, -she took me in. She's been. Mom -ever since. . SinCerel y. ,Viss Date Armstrong Times -Advocate, September 14, 1988 Page 5 Leon's has anything and everything By Adrian Harte EXETER - Leon Coolman be- lieves everyone has something, somewhere, they will part with at the right price.: His job is to pro- vide the means to self it for them. Leon's Buy and Sell, a mile and a half west of Exeter, is a used car lot with a difference. Coolman is in- terested in much more than cars. "We sell • anything from baby buggies to boats," he said. Coolman gave up truck driving three years ago so he could enter the used car business, believing many people would like to buy or sell a car without having to resort to a private sale. The same applies to the appliances, furniture, tools, or anything else anyone caq find on Coolman's lot. The main advantage to his busi- ness, according to Coolnian, is the possibility -of trading in more than just cars. "We can take anything in on trade for a car," he said. 11e believes he is the only car dealer in the arca who will accept a boat, a snowmo- tile," or even a television as pay- ment on a used car. When asked to summarize his first two and a half years in busi- ness, Coolman replied "It's a lot more work than I expected." The job of repairing and cleaning the . cars- on the lot keeps him busier than expected, but he docs not doubt the demand for his trade. K.'••••••'V ••• •••••••••••• 4 ••••••••••••••v It's Your BusinesslKr••••••••144 Back in time 10 years ago -"Thanks-to a lot of volunteer labour, the last remains of the Exeter Rodeo ring have been torn down at Exeter Community Park," the T -A reported. The salvaged materials wcrc later auctioned off by Norm Whiting. - . • Charges laid against Fleck manufacturing vice president Grant Turner, OPP constable William-Macintyre and MPP Jack Riddell during the tempestuous 162 -day strike at Fleck were dropped by the United Auto Workers. The four had been charged with interfering with a labour union under the Labour Relations Act. • •The sod was turned for a new student residence at Centralia College in Huron Park. Ontario minister of Agriculture William Newman and minister of Government Services_Lornc Henderson did the honours. 20 years ago •Dan McLeod of Exeter was declared grand-chatnpion at the London Regional 'truck Rodeo held in London. • • 'John Grose was elected president of the Exeter Lions Club. •Alec Hamilton delivered his last bottle of milk after 46 years of service for Hamilton Dairy at Grand Bend. The dairy was sold to an unnamed buyer, ending an affiliation between Hamilton and the dairy which hegantn ' [922 • Suzanne Kann bpi I Ecnsall became thc first female journeyman chef in Ontario when she was hired by George Brown Col lege after complet- ing a course there. Rannic was part of .an exhibit put on by the Dcpanment of.Labour at various fall fairs across Ontario. • rhe Dashwood Tigers advanced to the Ontario Intermediate D base- bati finals after beating Walsingham Senators 10-9 in front of morethan 500 fans. 50 years ago •Upon the occasion of a Mr. Webber moving his blacksmith shop to SL Marys. the T -A noted: "Mr. Webber saw the way things were going, so hc branched out and installed acetylene welding equipment, power cmcrys, a wood -working shop and a harness department, all of which saved his bacon as it wcrc, and kept him busy in his little shop as long as he had a mind to work each day." •The Lions Club crippled children fund in Goderich was enriched substantially by Miss Kathleen FOX of Lucan. Miss Fox was the winner of a brand new car at a carnival held by the Goderich club, but she declined the prize. "Miss Fox... who never owned or drove a car in her life. told folks she had no use for one." ."When an auto belonging to Mr. Ernest Pym, of Usbome, struck a stone near the driveway on !sit. Archie Morgan's farm, the front door flew open and Mrs. Pym fell out. Mrs. Pym suffered from shock and bruises but fortunately no bones wcrc broken.". 70 yea rt ff'd" " —. - •'Thinking it no more hatm to drive a couple of automobiles around the race .track on Sunday than to drive on the roads, some boys last Sunday repaired -to the track," the Advocate•related. "After a few rounds, they found the exit locked and spent a few hours figuring how to get out. They finally decided to take down a portion -of the fence and so escape through the fields. This they did and no one seems to know who they were.' .•The First World War continued to affect Huron County. "Mr J.A. Stewart received a letter from his son Wilfred in which he stated that his wound in the hip was very slight. The circumstances in which he received the wound arc peculiar. He was retiring from the front line when he mei his brothet Douglas, and together they sat down by the way to talk. While there, a shell burst near them and Wilfred was hit. He was taken to a dressing station, but will soon be back in the fight again." BUY AND SELL - Leon Coalman owns and operates Leon's Buy and Sell west of Exeter. He and his family, in- cluding daughter Christine (left) and son Kevin, deal in all kinds of used merchandise from cars to televisions. "if you've got a.specific fchicic they want, they'll drive 100 miles for it, Coolman's brother Guido said, adding they have recently sold convertibles to buyers in Nova Sco- tia and Michigan. Another surprising aspect 16 Leon's Buy apd Sell is its link with the tourist season. Many browsers at his lot stop on their- way to the lakeshore. Some stop to look at a car, but end up finding that perfect piece of furniture for the cottage. Trade has been so brisk, Coolman was forced to expand his car lot and add an extension to his showroom just to keep up with his inventory. "I wasn't expecting it to get this big this fast," he said. But what about the more unusual items he has sold? Leon's Buy and Sell has had a horse buggy, photo- copiers, and an asphalt sprayer among other things. wit- 24 -foto sailboat proved such an excellent draw for passersby that Coolman can't wait for an airplane due on his lot in the next few days. . .Coolnian likes to joke about a company motto: "If we can't get it, you don't need it." Leon's is also a family business. His wife Helen tries to- keep up with the inventory in the accounts. Brother Guido is a key salesperson. • Cooleran's sons and daughter also contribute to the operation. "We don't want to. go too much bigger - it's all we can handle now," said Coolman. Coolman relics on other local tradespeople to repair and safety check his cars. -He says the stereo- typed slipshod image. of used car lots is unfounded, especially in his case. - "You don't get away with that for one thing," he sa.d. "And it's not good husiness." Although it is interesting to have unusual .cars and deems around the store, any merchandise not sold within a reasonable - fine is auc— tioned. Coolman believes there is a buyer for anything, he just has to - find him. Perhaps more important- ly, Coolrnan knows he has.a steady supply -of sellers. "Everybody -has .something to sell. "That's the. secret," he said. - English preservation gets- yes GRAND BEND - The Alliance for the Preservation of English made a salts pitch to village coun- cil at their regular meeting last Tuesday, but representative Alice Palmer went away with only half the support she was looking for. Speaking out --against the move afoot -to -make. both French and Eng- lish -official languages in Ontario, Palmer warned that the legislation is being forced on taxpayers from the top down. "It (bilingualism) sounds like a nice and decent thing, but the rami- fications are so overwhelming," Palmer said." • She asked_counciLto.pass resolu- tions making English .the official language in Grand Bend and imple- menting a referendum in the com- ing Municipal election. The referen- - dine would be held on the question of English as the official language for the province of Ontario, its-gov- cnu ient, institutions and services. While council agreed to pass the first resolution, they declined to conduct a referendum in the No- vembcr.cicction, citing the fact that there arc already a number of issues ratepayers will-bc-asked'to decide upon. - Deputy Reeve Dennis Snider pointed out that bilingualisrn was a mis-understcx)d issue. and no "You shouldn't ask someone to vote on .something they don't un- derstand,"_Snider said. —The an- swers you get, whether they're- for or against you, are meaningless." Reeve Harold Green agreed with Snider, noting bitterly that the pro- vincial government wouicfn't-listen anyway. "Do you really think the govern- . mcnt is going to care what the refe- rendum says?" Green pressed. Robinson will seek re-election as reeve HENSALL - Reeve Jim Robin- son confirmed Monday. evening he will be running for re-election in November's municipal elections; however, other council members have yet to decide if they will run this year. Councillors Cecil Pepper and Butch Iloffman did not rule out their candidacy,. but both said it would be unlikely. They cited pres- sures from other comma:Ments as making participation on council dif- ficult. Peter Groot -.said he would like to seek re-election as councillor, but noted he will have to -look carefully at commitments. to work and the minor hockey association before hc can decide. Councillor Irene Davis, a six-year veteran of Iicnsall council, said she had not yet made up her mind. In other business, Clerk -Treasurer Luanne Phair reported -to council'a 50 percent grant is available to cov- er the costs of a waste management improvement project for the village landfill site. B.M. Ross consulting engineers arc preparing a report on the site and have recommended acri- Brochures a possibility GRAND BEND - Chamber of Commerce president Dave Shcpperd and vice president Carol Farquhar asked thc village council for input on a tourist brochure the Chamber plans to produce for the 1989 sum- mer season. Noting that a previous attempt AIDScampaign failed whcn it became "grandiose", rated success QRAND BEND - London Health Unit representative Cheryl Fagan told council the campaign waged against AIDS and Alcohol abuse was a success. Calling the program "low key, but evident", Fagan notcd that the "Take care of yourself - just for the health of it" approach was greeted favourably by the transient summer crowds at the beach resort. "I think it was a really positive vehicle to gbt•the information out," she said. the -campaign included poster and literature distribution, as well as the strategic placement of eight condom dispensers. Council welcomed Fagan to come back and discuss another program next season Best Interest 1 /4%Glnuaranteed Investment Certificates • subject to change GaisereKneale Insurance Brokers Inc Exotor 233-2420 Clinton 4112.9747 Grand Bond 23$-$4$4 Honwll 262.2119 pperd told unci the brochure would stay within the bout s irtthc Chamber's budget. "I'd like to see us do something we can afford'-- the best we can do for what we can afford." Suspicious of the Chamber's mo- tives, Reeve Harold Green wondered if the input they were looking for al photography of the site to deter- mine its future capacity. - - Present estimates show Hcnsall has approximately 30 years of Lind- fill capacity, hut council expressed concern over thc large amount of grain screenings from the mills that make their way to the site. . "If we want to kccp our landfill site for a while, wcrc going to have to do something with the scrcen- _.ings_from .thc_mi11s,"_said_Groot..-____ had a dollar sign attacncd. Phair noted B.M. Ross are cur - "But you're only looking for our rcntly examining thc feasibility of menta! input?" he asked Shepperd using the screenings as a source of who replied: "i'm not saying were energy, possibly to be burnt as NI - not asking. for money -- we're not lets in a furnace. asking for it now." . Council apcTrovcd a bylawto reg - Green :told the . delegation that ulatc parking .on Mill Street in council was in no position to make front of the General Coach plant. , financial promises at this point in The company requested h two-hour lime because a new elected podyy lime limit on street parking during wtlTbc in power after the municipal their office hours. .. elections in November. . Shcpperd explained that he would be happy with advice at present. The Chamber hopes to have the brochure ready for the travel, show circuit next spring. The Best Place to he is a STANDARD TRUST 5 year GIC Minimum depict! I \Of . Rates itI ,-, 1 ! hang.. 386 Main St. S. Exeter, Ont. NOM iSO 235-1060 BEAMSvI UE • BLENHEIM • BRAMPTON • CALGARY • CHATHAM • ESSEX • EXETEP • GODEP c • HAMILTON • MARKHAM • MONTREAL • NEWMARKET • PARIS • PERTH • PICTON • PORT PERP' • Ff -; c • SASKATOON • TORONTO • VANCOUVER • WALKERTON • WINGHAM • WINNIPEG • WOODS'OC, When reviewing your home insurance needs. consider The Cooperators. Our Home Guard program offers some of the broadest coverages available _ anywhere. Call today for cern plete details Bob Laramie (.O the 0 co -open for Insurance Services EXETER: 472 MAIN ST., 235-1109 l1111 INAMI At PI ,.Ne•IIP. AlI•-U' tNA\11 r