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Times -Advocate, October 29, 1906
Times Estabrshed 1673
Advocate Established 1661
Amalgams ed 1924
•
Ames
NIB
dvocatelit
Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario, NOM 150
Second Class Mail Registration Number 0306.
Phone 519.235.1331
&AL
LORNE [WY 6111 BATTEN ROSS HAUGH
Publisher Editor Assistant Editor
JNA BECKETT
Advertising Manager
HARRY DEVRIES DICK JONGKINO
Composition Manager Business Manager
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C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS 'A'
Serving South Huron, North Middlesex
North Lambton Since 1593
Published by J,W. Eedy Publications Umked
Drastic change
Women have always maintained the
prerogative of changing their minds and
perhaps in an exercise of equality, the
male members of Exeter's planning ad-
visory committee have followed that
lead.
In September, an application for a
variance to permit an addition for a local
business was turned down by the com-
mittee. One of the major factors in that
decision was a response from the Exeter
fire department that the erection of the
facility would greatly reduce the fire pro-
tection in the area. The county planning
department also termed the variance re-
quested as "substantial" and the com-
mittee subsequently denied the applica-
tion, listing as their reasons the inade-
quate fire protection access as well as
their finding that the variance was not
minor and not desirable for the ap-
propriate development or use of the
land/building and that the general intent
of the official plan and zoning bylaw was
not being maintained.
A month later, the committee
members unanimously approved an
identical application after being advised
that the fire department had no objec-
tion. It was indicated that the orginial ob-
jection in that regard had been due to a
misinterpretation of the plans as
submitted.
That explains the change of position
taken by the fire department.
However, it fails to answer how the
committee members could then agree
that the variance was not minor or the
development was desirable or that the in-
tent of the official plan and zoning bylaw
was being maintained.
The only party not making any such
drastic change from an original position
on the matter was the county, planning
department. Their opinion was that the
variance still appeared "extreme".
Oddly enough, the planning advisory
committee compounded their apparent
error in the original decision, by denying
a request that the $150 application fee
should be waived. That decision was
subsequently over -ruled by council and
the fee was not charged.
While the situation has apparently
been resolved to the satisfaction of all
parties involved, with the possible excep-
tion of the county planning department,
it does beg some explanation from the
committee or at least a review of their
procedures.
One plausible explanation is that the
committee members have a prescribed
check list for detailing their reasons on
all decisions and perhaps they got caught
merely filling in the blanks by listing
reasons that had not been the basis for
the original decision,
Planning is not an exacting science,
but seldom does the reasoning change as
drastically in such a short period as it did
in this case.
Need concerted effort
A suggestion by Councillor
Gaylan Josephson that Exeter
should consider mandatory
rabies shots for dogs and cats is
one that warrants consideration.
However, it would appear to be
a matter better served by coun-
ty council enacting the applicable
provincial legislation. Perth and
Middlesex have already under-
taken that step and Huron should
follow that lead.
Rabies is currently running at
• a near epidemic level in many
sections of Southwestern Ontario
and obviously measures must be
taken to bring the dreaded
disease under control to the ex-
tent possible.
While few people have actual-
ly encountered rabid animals,
those who have will attest to the
frightening aspects. The real
danger, of course, is in the con-
tact of young children who may
not realize the ramifications of
the situation and certainly it is
imperative that parents give fre-
quent warnings about the danger
in approaching animals that may
appear friendly to their offspring.
Rabies represents a high
monetary cost to the taxpayers of
the province each year and that
too should result in a concerted
effort to bring the incidence down
to previous levels.
However, officials also have to
look closely at the costs involved
to pet owners if they hope to
make any satisfactory inroads.
1n the past, even free clinics did
not get' the desired results in
some communities, so programs
that require those same owners
to foot the bill for the vaccina-
tions will probably have even less
success.
In most cases, the conscien-
tious pet owners not only ensure
that their animals get the protec-
tion, but they are also those who
keep their pets under control and
are therefore less likely to have
them come in contact with wild
animals or wandering domestic
animals that are more prone to
being victimized.
If the attack on rabies is to be
effective, the shots must be sub-
sidized to encourage full par-
ticipation and there must be
measures taken to crack down on
those who fail to abide by the
regulations.
• • * • •
Actually, the writer can attest
to the fact that carting off the
family pets to a rabies clinic can
Batt'n
Around
...with
The Editor
................... ....
be an enjoyable respite front the
drudgeries of life. It can be full of
excitement and should not be
mused from that standpoint
alone.
Yours truly had five dogs to get
vaccinated last week. That can
present a loading and unloading
problem beyond comprehension
under normal circumstances, but
you can imagine the added
headaches represented by the
fact two of those canines were in
heat and another in the aggrega-
tion was fully intent on taking ad-
vantage of the situation.
Four were placed in the back of
the pickup and one got a ride with
the driver in the cab and things
worked out well until the arrival
at the clinic when it became evi-
dent that the front seat passenger
was intent ori clawing his way out
to socialize with the other cats
and dogs being hauled in by other
people.
Getting the tailgate open far
enough to grab an unwilling can-
didate, while at the same time at-
tempting to block the planned
escape route of three others is a
test of one's dexterity and pa-
tience. I came up short on both
requirements and spent 10
minutes trying to coax one
escapee back into confinement.
One trip through a waiting
room crowded with snarling pets
and owners (more of the former
than latter, fortunately) would be
more than enough to try most
people, and it doesn't get any
easter on subsequent passes.
However, most pet owners are
congenial people and I expect had
they all been on the Titanic, they
would have taken their fate
rather stoically and managed a
forced smile to their last bubble
of breath.
It's' an experience you really
shouldn't miss. If you haven't got
your own pet, I know a fellow who
has five he'd gladly give up
before he has to return for next
year's annual foray.
• • • * •
While taking dogs off to the vet
inic� a �,�est, it pales con-
sidPl` ably innthe challenge facing
most rural residents who are re-
quired to trap their collection of
cats and get them into some
suitable container for the trip.
Statistics indicate that cats are
more frequent victims of rabies
then dogs, so it is a chore that
must be undertaken.
One lady at last week's clinic
bore the trademarks on her
hands of attempting the feat and
she had only her cuddly,
household pet. Imagine, if you
can, the ordeal of trying to bag a
half dozen barn cats who quickly
revert to the ferocity of their
jungle counterparts when they
get cornered.
No doubt most pet owners
would cringe at the suggestion,
but I came across a little note in
an article recently that had a
rather pointed, yet unsta% d, solu-
tion to ensure that barn cats did
not become a rabies menace for
money -producing livestock on the
farm.
The terse item simply noted
that rabies shots cost anywhere
from $5 up, while a shotgun shell
was only 751.
"ACTUALL`I,TA LOOKING TOR A THIRD CRR— Y11 Win. RAN 1NTO OIIR f iRST CAR WITH THE 5E(D141) CAR ! "
Incentives to lose
I am not fat. I am perhaps
moderately overweight. I let you
judge for yourselves. Is a man
five foot ten and a half who
weighs 199 pounds fat? Of course
not. Not even when you convert
everything into centimeters and
kilograms. It'sust that I might
feel better if I lost about 10 per
cent of my weight.
I want to get this perfectly
straight. I do not need to lose. I
am not forced to go on a diet. I
am not faced by any crisis. But
on a completely voluntary basis
I am prepared to shake off a few
pounds.
As Alexander pointed out to me
recently, it's only my middle that
is too big. And that is absolutely
true. My fingers, for example,
are as lean as they have ever
been. Not a gram of fat on my
hands. Or feet. My body must
have decided a number of years
ago that it would be prudent to
store a few pounds of blubber
around my lower rib cage, just in
case of a food shortage or famine.
But if my projections are ac-
curate, the likelihood of that hap-
pening in my lifetime is small.
So if I can get the right kind of
support, I'm going to dispose of
this storage hump. In other
words, I might be going on a diet.
It all depends on a number of
factors. To lose 20 pounds I need
some very strong incentives. The
prospect of living longer at a
reduced weight should be a fac-
tor, but I need something more
tangible than life and death. Like
money. If people would come for-
ward and offer me so much a
pound, that would be considered
a strong motivational influence.
At a hundred dollars a pound,
for example, I'd be prepared to
go on a crash diet immediately.
At ten dollars a pound, I'd follow
a sensible regime and cut out all
desserts and gnacks the day after
Christmas. At a buck a pound I'd
stop taking sugar with my coffee
starting in 1990. We all have our
price, don't we? But maybe
mpney isn't the answer to my
problem because nobody is going
to pay me anything.
So I'm coming to you for sup-
port and advice. Please, tell me
why I should go on a diet, when
I should start, what I should eat
and not eat, what excerise I
should do, and so on. It's especial-
ly the "and so on" that I'm in-
terested in.
I know it all in theory. I have to
trouble recognizing calories.
They accumulate in all the foods
I like. If I like it, it's full of
calories. If it's safe, I don't like
it. I love chocolate pudding, and
I don't care for plain crackers.
But are there some rich, tasty,
absolutely yummy snack -type
foods that you have discovered
that have less than 50 calories per
bite? Don't tell me about diet
chocolate bars -they taste like
formaldehyde.
Are there some exercises I can
do that don't require a great
deal of time - which I haven't got?
Is there a fast, painless way to
lose weight without really trying?
I would be forever grateful if
you'd let me in on your secrets.
But most of all, I need some
kind of reward. Maybe a medal
or a prize, a framed certificate or
a letter of recognition.
I imagine it must be a lot easier
to stop smoking than to lose
weight. All that smokers have to
do is to stay away from the stuff
that's bad for them. But I can't
stop eating altegethet. The cold -
turkey approach doesn't work
with dieting. And don't tell me to
read yet another book on losing
weight. I've gone that route, and
it doesn't work for me.
Oh, it would be so nice to be
slim. The back of my cupboard is
full of shirts, sweaters, jackets
and pants that I could wear if I
really wanted to, but they are just
a tiny little bit uncomfortale.
They re not too small, mind you,
it's just that they seem to have
shrunk a bit. I guess the dry
cleaners are to blame, and the
lady who does my laundry. Now
if Itcould lose those 20 pounds, I
could wear these garments
again, and nobodycouldtell how
much they have shrunk.
So it's not an emergency at all.
I'm not fat. I'm not even portly or
stout or corpulent, and certainly
not plump. Robust maybe. Just
slightly overweight around the
middle perhaps.
I'm going to sit back and see
what happens. if I get a lot of en-
couragement and advice, I may
plunge right into my diet. If I
don't, I'll leave things the way
they are.
Just one more question: does
anyone know where they sell
sports shirts slightly larger than
extra -large or with buttons that
don't pop -off at the slightest
provocation?
Binds us together
As I watched a film clip recent-
ly of the royal wedding between
Prince Andrew and Sarah
Ferguson I was reminded of my
own contact with royalty quite a
number of years ago, about thir-
teen to be more exact.
We lived in Ingersoll at the
time. The Queen and Prince
Philip were touring Southwestern
Ontario. The royal train was go-
ing to travel between London and
Toronto and was supposed t0 slow
down in Ingersoll.
As I remember it the day was
damp and drizzly. Our two year
old was not quite convinced that
she wanted to be out there along
the track half an Flour before the
event. By the time we had stood
there for much longer than that,
rain trickling down our necks, we
were not so impressed with the
situation either. Nevertheless, we
stayed, and so did a couple of
thousand other people six deep
along the tracks. Some were even
perched up on the top of
buildings.
Then somebody said that they
could hear it coming and sure
enough, the cross -walk gates
went down and you could see a
By the
Way
by
Fletcher
faint light m the distance. The
train came up toward the town so
fast that you thought it would
never slow down, but it did and as
the end of the train came along,
very slowly now, we could see the
Queen and Prince Philip standing
on the deck at the very back.
They waved and smiled.
There was a steady building
roar from the crowd, far noisier
than you could have imagined.
Many Canadian flags had ap-
peared as if by magic and were
being waved frantically.
I have to admit that deiTaite be-
ing cold and wet and very cynical
not five minutes before that I got
caught up in the drama of the
situation. It isn't often that you
get to see a real live queen in per-
son, even if it was only for about
a minute and a half. There was a
.feeling of pride in the lady and
what she represents that I am •
sure Americans, limited as they
are to mere elected officials,
could not quite ever feet..
Perhaps that is why Canadians
value the royal system so much.
They like, that feeling of being
part of an historic system that
goes back through hundreds of
years, that sense of part owner-
ship of the British Com-
monwealth that binds us together
with people around the world.