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Home My WebLink AboutTimes-Advocate, 1988-12-14, Page 2Page 2 Times -Advocate, December 14, 1988 Resoyrces Against Pornography Alison Kerr (left) and Karen Binch have been holding workshops in Goderich to increase public awareness -of how pornography distorts society's view of women and -their sexuality. Survival through friendshi Continued from front page thing, especially advertising. "The focus is always on getting the man and how sexual you arc," said Binch, noting that these con- cepts are prevalent in everything -from ads that use bodies to sell, to soft -focus pornography like Play- boy, to hard-core pornography. However, RAP does not advocate the -elimination of sexually explicit material, drawing a definite line be- tween pomographyand erotica.. "Erotica is non=vio-Icnt, nein . degrading .scxual'material which;" docs not seek to sexually stimulate the consumer by showing or de- scribing a power imbalance among the participants," reads a RAP pamphlet. "it. stimulates by show-- ing or describing life -affirming, mutually affirming expressions of • human sexuality/sensuality which are satisfying to the minds, bodies • and spirits of participants and con - smilers al i ke.... Pornog raph y • isn't about sexual liberation at all; in fact, it's the completion of sexual repression:" RAP would ideally like to sec pornography eliminated under new legislation. Bill C-54, Kcrr and Binch suggest;- contained some ef- fective measures against pornogra- phy, but was too closely related to the problems of censorship 16 get approval. They hope a new Parlia- ment can initiate a new hill. without. the old one's problems. The present laws regarding what is consideded obscene cannot differ- entiate between erotica and pornog- raphy. • Kcrr .. called .the +law "flabby:" •• - • 'A►. "You have to.gct a judge to decide what is undue -exploitation, assum- ing that there is something called 'due exploitation'," said Kcrr: Kcrr and Binch said similar wom- en's groups in the United States arc envious of Canada's opportunity to. take action' against pornography. The First Amendment to thc_Amer- ican .Constitution. is so powerful it precludes. any chance of anti - obscenity legislation. Binch says pornography can he carefully disguised. For example, she refuses' to sec 'the movie Ac- cused which deals with the legal problems of sexual- assault because the filen includes a very graphic rape, scene. Women's novels arc also part of the problem. - "Flarlequin is like the' flip side of pornography," said Kcrr, explaining that their usual plots -arc a kind of rape fantasy, or suhntissive female training. - Binch and Kcrr also point out that women aren't:'the only losers .bc- causc of pornography.: ,Men find their sell`:percepuon distorted tic: cause of foie itttagcs:-1t presents. "Pornography. Melts -men they're witnps if they're vulnerable," said Binch. Men arc not. always- offered the chance to sec women in their true light: "They experience a loss too." - Anvone .interested_; thattiug,_ pornography either in their commu- nity or through the government are - advised to contact thc Survival Through Friendship Flousc in Code -- rich, or ti write to RAP at P.O. Bot 695, 'Toronto, Postal Station C, M6J .1S I. GB Reeve promises openness GRAND BEND - The council .that voters elected in the November 14 -municipal election a a sc, )rn into office at their inaugur. ' meet- ing last Tuesday, in front of the grade 7 and R cla•.s from Grand Bend' Public School. Along with. the council, which includes reeve Bob Sharen, deputy • reeve George Kadlccik, councilors Bruce •Woodley, John McDowell and Shirley Mitchell, Public Utili- ties .Commission members Roy Johnson and Prosper Van-Bruacne, were also sworn into office by clerk Dianne Monarda' ln his opening address, .Sharon said "Openness shall be tfie key to Mk council. With thc•exception of . • the three • items. not usually ad- dressed in open council namely liti- gation, acquisition or deposal of . land and personnel: All other mat- ters will be dealt, with in the regular . fashion.". • "During the recent election pro- cess it v.as "draqn to my attention by a.couple of residents that our li- hrary facilities were becoming ob- solctc. Both the school and the pub- lic are using. the facility, Perhaps the time has come to start to.estah- • lish anew library facility for the Grand Bend Community: -1 believe that with the community pride that Grand Bend has wc should be able to construct any new facility with - little'or no drain on-thc tax system. We should contact Wintario to de- termine whether or not there is . funding for thus type of project. We may then approach the community for their involvement." Sharon told the rest of thc coun- cil. • "This is not my village, nor is it this council's village. Rather than - being our private club, this village • hclon �s t' the jatc ors and tax;.-, �t h lfiwInfo well to remember that all the poo= plc arc .harcholdcrs and wc are sim- ply their .board of directors." Members of council were also ap- pointed to various committccs in the village. Sharcn will-bc police liaison, fire -and PUC by-law• en- forccmcnt. Kadlccik will be on the finance committee, administration and rec- reation. • Mitchell will head up the public works committee, and -be on har- bour, sanitation, and animal control committees. • ' Mcf)orwrll was appointed to sign inspection,' parking lots, future parking. facilities and recreation committee. • Woodley will..continue • on 'in charge of bath and beach houses, he on harbor committee and chatnher of co.mmercc. Planning was not allocated be. cause Sharen bcliev.c that council• should-alt_be—looking at their alter- natives as to the handling of plan- ning Matters.. . invocation at the inaugural meet- ing was given by Rev. Teddy -Smits, fFcim Grand Bend United Church. - Council also hearing. greetings and best wishes from associations and organizations in the .village. The Chamber *of Commerce was represented by presidcnt.Dave Shep- pard. June Rhcubottom spoke on behalf. of Grand Cove Estates. Hu- - ron Woods was represented by Ron. Van Horne. The Lions and Lioness clubs Were represented by their pros- . idents, Elgin Hendrick .and Valerie Martens respectively. President Bob Earley spoke on behalf of the Oak- wood Association and Southcott Pines president Ross Myers also, • gave his hest wishes. Bill Stcadrnart, from the Lambkin -County.Puhlic School Board of Ed- ucition, gave hest wishes to the new council, as did Rev. Waller Vipperman, from St. John's By The Lakc'Anglican Church.• • After a short break for coffee and donuts, council met for their regular business portion of the meeting. Christmas program - Storyteller Mark Isaac is surrounded by animated ;oys in the program presented at Exeter' Pentecostal Tabernacle. •.RIQE :program begins EXETER - Exeter police have be- gun their RiDE program throughout the town. They are pleased to an- nounce that, to date; no impaired drivers have been detected through the program. • - -Police investigated five collisions in the past week. The first, involv- ing vehicles driventhy Bruce Cor- nish, Lucan and Mark Vanbru- waene, Centralia; occurred on December 7. • • •. Three collisions took place on December 10. Drivers involved were Russell Kinti and Kathleen Nixon, both of Exeterr Robert Rowe and Dalton Finkbciner, also both from Exeter, and Marion Ave- rill, Huron' Park and Elizabeth Charters, Kippcn. The final collision, on December 11, was between vehicles driven by David Robinson and Kathy Jolly, both of Exeter. Lucan faces garbage increase LUCAN - Village council was presented with a contract proposal for municipal garbage collection that would see an increase of 38 per- cent over 1988 rates. Larry Lewis, representing his On- tario numbered. company 680889 presented council Monday evening with his 1989 contract proposal that would increase the cost of residen- tial garbage pickup from $43,231 to $59,846: 4 • • • Lcwis cited increased costs of fuel and labour, plus additional expcnsys. of a new bulldozer purchase, legal fees,.and fines of $6,000 incurred from illegally dumping refuse incor- rectly. Reeve Norm Steeper said he did not sec why fines incurred by Le- wis' operation should increase -the contract price to Lucan. Lewis also recommended council tum over the disposal contracts for Lucan's 13 commercial properties which•use collection bins, suggest- ing that residential ratepayers were subsidizing the garbage removal of commercial operations. "I would like to suggest council regiove all those accounts from their tax billing and let me handle it myself." said Lewis. Council agreed the commercial collection -situation was less than ideal. - Lewis said his company's rate in- creases would apply to all munici= pal contracts. - Council will discuss their. options on thc sanitation comract at a later date. Solicitor Robert Benner told council thc water and sewage pro- ;jects arc at a standstill until an amendment to the Municipal Act is passed by the Ontario Legislature. The Supreme court has ruled wa- ter and sewage projects billed to rate payers are not legal, even though the Ontario Municipal Board has ap- proved such funding in previous years. Currently, all water pipeline _projects in -the province arc in the sante'situation. Once thc amend- ment is passed, Lucan can anucipate a three to six-month wait for an OMB hearing to approve its $ 10 Million ' projects. • Benner cautioned thc,wen with provincial fundiq the projects will overextend thc village's borrowing capacity, and the OMB will, hope- fully, overlook that ing light of the declining water supply and over- flowing sewage lagoons. • "We are attempting to blow more money than we arc entitled to," said • Benncr, yho was .questioned by councillor Tom McLaughlin about why, the projects were receiving such low approval .from thc mini- stries. - - "These arc unofficial ways of con- trolling expenditures," Benner told McLaughlin, explaining that the government does not have the funds to proceed with all projects at once. McLaughlin asked if a timetable existed for the projects, . but was told no such schedule can be drafted before OMB approval. "We have no idea when either one of those projects will be complet- cd?" inquired McLaughlin. "It's worse than that," replied Steeper, "We don't even know if they will be completed." - However, council suggested that if all. goes well, Lucan will likely not sec completion of its new water or sewage•systems before 1991 or -1992-. ' Steeper, councillors Larry Hooson and Bryan Smith, Steeper, and clerk : Ed Melanson will attend a seminar on the mandatory Pay Equity legis- lation. - "I'm liot even in favor of it, but I guess :1'd better learn something about it," said Hotson. The legisla- tion, which aims at eliminating un- fair disparities between male and fe- male public employees; has to be enacted by all Ontario municipali- ties before- the cnd of -the year. Benner recommended Lucan pur- chase the road allowances necessary for last summer's ividtning of But- ler Street. •- .Five properties in all need to be purchased from the Butler and Oak Street residents at a suggested puce of $1.50 a square foot,. but Benner recommended the first three proper- ties be bought for a total of $2,875.64. One. of the remaining properties cannot be purchased until a zoning articndment regarding set- backs is passed, and the other is not required except for future roadway plans. "In my mind the people should have given it to us for all the im- .provements we, made hack there,' said deputy reeve Harry Wraith, but -acknowledged he would rather see the properties purchased and have the Butler Street project considered 'finished. Wraith also noted that plaits to re- pair the municipal building -have .run into problems. • Council had previously decided -to contact the Fanshawc College engi- neering department to. discuss -the possibility of converting the crum- bling parapet roof toa gable design; but the cellcge-did mit have anyone - available. Hotson suggested -any roof truss company could calculate the neces- sary structure as part of a job esti- mate. - • "Let them engineer it," said Hot - son, who .11.,) said the roof should be covered in metal or tile ratite_ r than asphalt shingles. • Steeper agreed; recommending at least ;one rooting company 'should he contacted regarding the feasibility of the project. ' Existing water work buildings a • re deteriorating at a rapid rate said - works superintendent Doug John- ston, who doubted they would last the winter. - Council is facing the ncceSsity of repairing the .huildings even though funds are being set aside for the new. water systern. he cau ).he existing putnpmg st.tem avid tov.er u ill hay -e to East :11 Hist another Iwo -years. inaugural meeting - Usborne councillors were sworn in -for the 1989-91 term at an Inaugural erecting on De- cember 6. Shown (back left) are Billy Joe Rowcliffe, Jim Kerslake, Rob Morley and (front) -clerk Sandra S'rang, Reeve Gerry Prout and Deputy Reeve Pat Down. •• Letters to the Editor Dear Sir: I would like to direct this letter to the taxpayers of Grand Bend. i feel 'very privileged to have this opportunity to serve as a Councilor for the Village df Grand Bend. -1 have enjoyed .the last six months having been appointed as Councilor to fill a vacaecy,1 look forward to serving the people of Grand Bend for the next three years. I have always been interested in the Village and. have attended Coun- cil mcctings as an intcrclsteiiparty for the last eight years. -i bought a place in Grand Bend -25 years ago anti have been a permanent resident for 12 years, Council meetings arc open to the puhlic.and I would encourage the people of this Village to take time -to attend a Council meeting, to see their Council- in action. At the cnd of every meeting There is a 15 minutc discussion period for the public 10 ask questions. The previous Council has had many difficult issues to deal with. Development such as'condornin- • iums. i feel it very important to continue with the standards set by our previous Council. The use of professionals is times - wheal. dealing with dcvelop- .ment: A Planning for the future with nc.spect to road widening is im- portant. The widening of Highway 81 'should be completed in 1989, if funding is approved by Ministry of Transportation, and new traffic" lights will be installed as well. • With the use Quints, Council has been able to accomplish new sidewalks, street lights, parking arca. Projects ongoing until 1990. Grants arc very important to a small village. Main Street should be upgraded and i would encourage the business people to work with Chamber of Commerce. Also the Council to sec that this is accomplished. If another location could be found • fbr thc O.P.P. the Village should consider this property on main street, two floor parking garage' with clean washrooms, bcric;hes and small green arca. This couhl be a focal point for our main street. The Village of Grand Bend con- tinues to grow and I'fecl that it is very important for Council to en- - courage orderly growth for the bene- fit of all. . 1 will do my best as a. Council member, * Dear Sir:. On behalfrofmy-family, I wish to commend the rin "al, .staff and' studcns of Sou Huron_ District High School. itr family is just completing a twelve month •Canada - our home be - it was with pensive feelings. my husband and 1 left New Zealand and enrolled our four daughters at South Huron District High School. Now, looking back on the year, it has been an incredibly enriching cxperi- cnce for every daughter. There is a great torte througho�nt- Shia y Mitchell. * '•the school fostered not only by stu- denLs and teachers, but clerical staff, janitors, cafeteria employee and just cvcryonc involved in the school. The teaching staff have shown dedi- cation and sensitiveness apd provide a relaxed, friendly, yet conducive ac-. admit: environment. (hod things seem to be happening throughout. Hats off to the students. They have helped to .provide a year of fond and lasting memories. Our, daughters have been nothing but impressed by the warm friendliness, encouragement and tolerancc,.thc students have shown toward~ them. They have been able to enjoy an ex- • pericnce far more worthwhile and enjoyable than we had ever imag- ined when we left New Zealand. We have one regret and thatVoits ono stay in that the car has past too urckl iii • ',- andever, we are- ever so tat - u , . _ - and feel privileged to have had this - opportunity to spcnd,a year. in Can -• ada. it has been an even greater priv- ilege tb have our daughters attend South lluron District .Higli School. Our sincere thanks to everyone con-. cemed.• - You . •sincerely, Robyn 'Rosie 1 •.. x{/�. .^^-fv!ns.s-aaT►`..`i..-! r r -'.'i' �� .Tri. ..,,-,:•-w+++w^Kr . Sell one fire pumper truck, get replace' �- Monday r • EXETER - E\ctLr in -rently considering a on which to establish .t n, hall to house equipment of the Lt eta and area fire board. The existing fire hall at the corner Of Main and Victoria streets which is badly in need bf repairs has been - sold for $150,000- to E. Kastro of Thornhill. • .• The closing, date of the sale has been extended: to May 1, 1989 which gives the ,town additional time to find a suitable%placement site. i ill is not ready foruse. ' rg date, the agreement lc, 1„ . ides for a rent -hack. of S. ' K1 per month. a rcc'nt,firc arca board meet- ing, the.196I fire pumper was :s ,iu to the municipality of Wehhwood for $9,500. Deputy --reeve I.o�sy Fuller said, " We got just a little Iess than we ex pect'd." Reeve 13111 Micklc r'kported.a ne* • pumper trick is.schcdulcd to arrive on Doccntbcr19 from the manufac- turer in British Columbia. l