Times-Advocate, 1988-12-07, Page 71
n
the
Street
By Jim Beckett
Canada should be working the United Way according to
Mike_Downey, a columnist forthe Los Angeles Times.
Downey's column appeared just after the U.S. election
and made its way to Exeter courtesy of }lugh Hiscott,
Lynn Rowe's `father. ,
The author obviously meant .11 to be provocative... and he
achieved his goal judging from the response I've seen from those •
who hav8 read it. I was watching Roger Wallis read the clipping at
the arena Saturday and you could practically see the smoke coming
out of his expensive fur hat..l haven't sten Roger since so he could
be on his way to L.A.-to dcal.personally with the writer.
The following paragraphs arc extensive quotes from the item
which may give us an idea about how at least some Americans
think about us.
Downey's column began by suggesting those who are not happy
with the American election results cotild stove to Canada. In fact,
he suggested they do that. "Canada needs some new blood, and
fast."He told the American readers they may he just the man or
woman Canada needs. "Maybe you can fight," he said: "Canada '
needs` a new prizefighter. The best one it had. Dpn►ty Lalonde, took
it on the chin and the Chest -and the eye front America's .Sugar Ray
Leonard. This is where the venom comes to the surface in his writ-
ing. "h really wasn't a bad performance for the Canadian. Ile fin-
ished second."
Downey wondered if any of his readers could run. Canada needs u
new sprinter. The best one it had, Ben Johnson, can't run for the Ca-
nadians anymore. Ainerica's Carl Lewis ended up with the gold. the
lucky rascal. .
"Or maybe you can skate," Downey continued. Canada needs a
new figure skater. The best one it had. Brian Orser, was good. but
not good enough to beat Brian Boitano of the United States.
-Downey even claims Americans are taking over our national
game. Canada needs a new hockeyplayer. The best one it hdd.
Wayne Gretzky, now plies his trade in California: In fact, he contin-
ued, the best two hockey players in the world, Gretzky and Mario
Lemieus, make their living, south of the border, while poor old Can-
ada, where hockey is a national pastime, is stuck with same Ca- -
nucks and Dale Ilawerchuck.
Downey asked what Canada has been able to win in 1988.
The Stanley Cup and .synchronized swimming. That's 1t.
Downey says he's never felt sorry for a whole country before., "his
don't those poor Canadians need our help?" he continued.
Perhaps his lowest blow came when -he lamented the fact the Ex-
pos or Blue. Jays haven't made it 10 a world series. Downey says the
only requirement Canadian professionals have made isthat Ameri-
cans must listen to two national anthems before everv.Can-Am
event.
Downey is worried about what could happen if Canada or Mexico
ever got into war. "They could he lobbing bombs -right over us, -as-
suming either one of them has bombs," he said. -
Downey isn't sure why Canada's athletes have had such rotten -luck
in 1988. Nothing has gone right. ile .suggests the only wry Canada
could keep the Stanley Cup was to have somebody dowse the lights
in Boston Gardens forcing the series to -move back to Edmonton to
the Oilers' home ice. Canadians will try anything to win some-
thing. -
He says it's going to be long, hard winter for us. We're not going
to win the National Basketball Ass'n championship, or the Rose.
Boivl, or the Super Bowl. No tennis players are going to emerge -
from Canada: - - - -- : -- --"'!
— ownt-yW s flit Americans to help us get back on our feet by
allowing us to annex Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and Wash-.
ington for five years. He's offered to give us some of their horses,
boxers; golfers and surplus basketball players_. He even offered to
lend out Gretzky on weekends.
* * * *
If Downey's column makes you mad -enough to write back to
him, please forward your letter to the T -A, we'll print it and forward
a copy to him.
Back in Time
10 years ago
•Exctcr mayor Derry Boyle called for a year of restraint, asking coun-
cil to keep budget and wage increases to Tess than the five percent al-
lowed municipalities by the province.
•Due to the high cost of turkeys in 1978, the Exctcr PUC decided to
discontinue the practice of giving turkeys to its employees.
•Huron county supervisory staff were given "catch up" wage increases
ranging from 1.5 percent' to 15.2 percent. The average increase was
seven percent.
•The final figure for crop insurance paid out to bean producers in
1978 was estimated to be just under SI million.
20 years ago
'Centralia College announced the establishment of a veterinary ser-
vices laboratory to be built in 1969. The lab would serve livestock and
tvultry proudcers in the eight -county region.
•Minister of economics, Stanley Randall, said that the success of the
Huron Park industrial park was a story that should be told across Cana-
da about how a deserted airbasc.becamc a "thriving industrial and educa-
tional complex". '
"Joseph Polzen, of RR 1 Exeter, was to stand trial for the murder of
Crediton woman Gwen Pfaff. •
•A feature on snowmobiling said the nine-year old sport was becom-
ing more popular than ever. A variety of advertisements for the ma-
chines did not mention one Japanese manufacturer.
50 years ago - •
• An editorial page quip noted "Germany will have some uneasy
thoughts as the thinks how she is compelling a great many fine people
to spend Christmas".
•The Christmas Cheer fund had only received SI in donations so far,
but were expecting as much as 5150 before the end of the season. .
• Martin's Music Store in Exctcr hada selection of Christmas gifts,
including children's wagons priced from S2.75 to S4.95 and pianos
starting at S79.
100 years ago
•"Sodom is booming: They have the church plastered and otherwise
improved. So now it is quite comfortable, there is a talk of putting in
new seats when this is done it will compare favorable with churches in
former days when there was more real genuine religion and less gran-
deur than now."
'Advocate editor William Sanders, wrote at some length on the sub-
ject of the United States annexing Canada, then an issue of some con-
cern.
"Canadians are not for sale," Sanders wrote, suggesting that Britain
was not likely to give up more than one half of North America to the
U.S.
•Under 'local news' "One day last week, Miss Minnie. Hays ran a
needle through her finger. She applied some liniment to the wound,
which caused intense pain and causing her to faint, which brought her
to the floor and bruised her face somewhat."
Times -Advocate, December 7, 1988
Countertops blossoming
By Adrian—Tarte
USBORNE - •Passersby probably
see it only as an equipment shed in
an Usborne Township field, not re-
alizing that inside, Brent Dawson is
building his own business with
laminated counter tops.
Dawson worked at Northlander in
Exeter for three years as a cabinet
maker, where he realized there was a
need for a countertop supplier be-
tween London and Hanover: Be-
cause he needed to devote more time
to his farming, he decided operating
his own business would su;t his
schedule better •
In February he took delivery of a
special machine called a cutting sta-
tion and opened for business.
Things arc going so well, Daw-
son is increasing his -stock of coun-
ter styles to 17 colours from his
original (ive. Although he can or-
der counters in.literally hundreds of
colours, the popular in stock styles
help in speeding delivery.
"I was running into problems. I
didn't have enough colours to keep
everyone happy,' said Dawson.
'The counters come in lengths as
longus 12 feet, but it is the cutting
station with its special 100 -tooth
carbide blade that trims the counter
to size puts angles on the jo'ns,.
and uses a gang of four routers to
carve grooves for the draw bolts.
The result is an extremely,precisc
join once the -glue is in place.
"When it's together you can hard-
ly,see the crack," observed Dawson.
Finishing touches are cut and
glued end caps.
Although supplying counters and
vanities to Northlander. is Dawson's
main contract, his goal is to put his
increased stock to work by making
local contractors aware they can
place an order in the morning and
have the finished product in the af-
ternoon. .
"I'd like' to get more into cabinet
makers and lumber stores," he said
of his future targets in the counter
market.
Dawson expects to sell 1.0,00()
feet of counter in the next year
while maintaining a stock of 3,500
feet. The more exotic colours, in-
cluding powder blues or burgundy,
arc available within six weeks.
The unassurnin shed in which
Dawson Custom Counters operates
had to be specialty prepared before
delivery of the cutting station. The
ceiling was raised to stack counters.
Hydro was installed, the walls in-
sulated, and a concrete slab was
poured.to support the expensive ma-
chinery. -
Northlander supplied a fork-lift
once the cutting station was deliv-
ered. . .
"I. really appreciated everything
they did for me," said Dawson of
his previous employers.
While the investment in the busi-
ness is substantial, Dawson is cer-
tain it will prove viable once poten-
tial customers realize his counters
arc competitively priced with those
in London, and a lot closer to
home.
Page 7
1
Big '0 buys
MacFarlane
EXETER -Big O Inc. is groes'-.
ing again. with the announcement
thc.company-has purchased Mac-
Farlane Tile. Ltd- of Forest.
President Grant Kimc told T -A
the Fotest operation will be Oper-.
ated by Bob and Ron MacFarlane.
He said one of the reasons for
making the purchase was the im-
portance of having a strong distri-
bution system in the market arca.
As well as making 4",'6" and
8" drainage pipes the Forest plant
also manufactures Septic tanks.
The 16-20 employees are expected
to see an increase in hours.
Big '0 Inc. :hassix. plants in
Ontario, twt in Quebec, and
plants in Alberta, British Colum-
bia, North Carolina and England.
AIS adds
new magazine
EXETER AIS Communica-
tions is adding one more -magazine
to their list.of titles. Glass Cana-
da will be launched in March -as a
quarterly publication forthe-Cana-
dian glass industry.
The magazine will bring AIS
Communications' total number of
magazines to eight, and it. will be
circulated to -4,5(X) readers across
Canada. -•
Ed • Cosman has been hired as
Glass Canada's. sales rcpre senta-
tive,and the magazine will include •
editorial features on new, glass
technologies, contractor profiles,
and on - special uses of glass in ar-
chitccturtl design. , -• .
AIS publisher Peter Phillips dy-
scribes his company's_ philosophy
as providing "readers and advertis-
ers with the highest quality maga-
zinc as possible; Glass Canada is
no exception.•
Precision fit - Brent Dawson
checks the alignment of a kitchen
counter top.
Sawdust flie
in Usborne -
Dawson Custom Counters ,1n es-
sential part of a countertop busi-
ness is the cutting station where
lamjnated counters .are cut and
routed to fit epch application.
Teachers demonstrate
By Toby Rainey
Blyth Citizen
CLINTON - More than 300 ele-
mentary school teachers seeking an
end to an 11 -month contract dispute
with the Huron County Board of
Education staged a peaceful demon-
stration in Clinton Monday night in
an effort to get the board to resume
negotiations. •
•-Spokesman Phil Parsons, Ontario
Public School Teachers Federation -
Huron president, said the teachers.
had been asked to come to show
their support for a negotiating team
seeking the appointment of a mcdia-
tor to resume negotiations which -
have been stalled for more than ninc
weeks.
The teachers crowded quietly into
every corner of the board office and
packed the building's halls as Dixie
Lee Arbuckle, chairman of the
teachers' Economic Policy Commit-
tee, attempted to present a prepared
statement, but was cut off before
the end of the first paragraph by
HCBE chairman John Jcwitt who
said the document was an attempt to
negotiate in public".
"The board feels very strongly
that (the presentation of) matters re-
lated to negotiations will not be al-
lowed (in public)," said trustee
Tony McQuail, who had moved that
the board waive the policy in order
to allow the delegation to presents
its case.
Parsons asked the board's per-
mission for Arbuckle to read
the final paragraph of the statement .
but permission was again denied of-•
to Jewitt reviewed the passage,
reiterating that it was out of order.
The teachers had no choice then
but to leave the building, where
they gathered on the steps outside
before boarding five large buses,
giving a rousing cheer with delega-
tion leaders read a passage from the
statement which said: "Chair John
(Jcwitt) we thank you for the oppor-
tunity to make this statement to the
Huron County Board of Education."
in an interview later, . Parsons
said that there was "ahsolutcly noth-
- ing" in his groups' statement that
cotild "be construed as negotiating
(in public)."
"The teachers came out tonight at
(thc teachers' federations) request as
responsible professionals seeking
the help of the board in resuming
(contract) negotiations," he said.
But retiring school trustee John
Elliott of Blyth said he took a dif-
ferent view of the proceedings,
claiming he felt the teachers had not
furthered their causc by staging
what . Jcwitt referred to as a
"media event to get attention".
"i'm a. little ticked off by what 1
saw tonight," Elliott said.
"Maybe (the teachers) saw some
value in corning out in force to -in-
timidate the new board (of -trustees).
The two parties can certainly meet
on common ground, but not as a re-
sult of the (kind of) display we have
just witnessed., -
Both sides in the dispute agree
that the positions under negotia-
tions arc "not far apart", but both
charge that the other side isrefit -g
to agree to further meetings to
plorc those positions. Gino Gfen-
nandrea, HCBE superintenden
personnel, said the thc hoard's "door
is always operNo the teachers,
Mr. Parsons alleges that the tc
Mr. Giannandrca and the board have
imposed on further meetings are
contrary to thc terms of Bill 100;
thc Ministry of Education's Collec-
tive Negotiations Act, adding that
his side is prohibited by its consti-
tution from meeting under any oth-
er circumstances.
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