Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1987-02-25, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, February 25, 1987 Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgama ed 1924 11111111111111111111111111111111 imes - dvocate Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S0 Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. Phone 519-235-1331 LORNE EEDY Publisher JIM BECKETT Advertising Manager eNA Gig BILL BATTEN Editor HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager ROSS HAUGH Assistant Editor DICK JONGKIND Business Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $25.00 Per year; U.S.A. $65.00 C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS 'A' Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by J.W. Eedy Publications Limited More paper work It is now possible to add small business to the list of perennial budget victims along with tobacco, gasoline and few other segments of the economy. Finance Minister Michael Wilson's budget last week took another swat at business with a plan to collect income deductions from companies twice instead of once a month. On the surface that may appear fair, but the reality is that most businesses already contribute more than their fair share to the federal treasury and the ex- tra book work and costs involved in sen- ding off cheques for Ottawa on a -more frequent basis adds to the costs already incurred by companies in acting as the middle -man for an endless list of govern- ment departments. The number of forms and informa- tion which firms now have to fill out for the government is mind boggling and doubling the workload in some of those areas can only add to the cost of doing business. If the national economy is to grow in a productive way, it will be through the initiatives of businesses and tossing them some more red tape and forms is counter-productive. The insatiable appetite of the govern- ment already has many businesses on their knees and many will have to cut some corners to double their efforts as tax collectors. • That's something governments don't appear to comprehend. They live in that make-believe world where budgets never have to be balanced and where there is seldom any thought given to cost-cutting, but only increasing revenues. Wilson's budget was basically designed to mark time until his much - heralded tax reform can be introduced. Canada's economy can not afford to mark time because it is hampered by a totally unrealistic deficit that appears of concern to everyone except Mr. Wilson and his government cohorts. Needed dollars There is so much adverse comment now about the education system it would be easy to get the idea that schools, once the centre of the community, are operating in something of 1 ✓acaum. It just isn't so. What happens in school today is a subject which still engenders a lot of discussion around the family dinner table. Community newspapers such as this one devote a good deal of space each week to school news. That's because school news is of interest to many readers. Friends and relatives still flock to school auditoriums to enjoy musical, oratorical, and dramatic presentations. Parent -teacher interviews are still con- sidered important events. Beyond this, organizations fostering a working relationship between the school and the community - they used to be called home and school associations - are not only still in existence, but are raising thousands of dollars. The Perth County Board of Educa- tion announced recently that in 1986 its schools received a total of $68,474 worth of equipment, purchased from donations from parents, students and community groups. A lot of dollars are raised through what might seem like piddling projects such as the selling of candy bars or nuts. Sometimes people get downright provok- ed by the requests to buy, buy, buy. However, those candy bars, raffle tickets and special club events can add up to the kind of educational equipment which can give students an edge in the work force or more fun on the playground. There is literally no end to things that are needed in schools. The day the support dries up is the day our educational system will be in real trouble. That day is a long way off. Listowel Banner Let's clear the air If the old adage is true that .,.._u -_,„ .._..misery--enjoys--company;•-it-•-is- suspected that the writer is join- ed by a host of other residents of the county who have suffered from nausea, cold sweats and shaking limbs over the past few days. While I have blamed by symp- toms on a flu hug that has resulted in an.unexpected winter holiday, no doubt more than a few Huron residents are blaming their symptoms on a rather disconcerting expose of the Huron County council and ad- minstration problems as outlined in a recent issue of the London Free Press. It rates right up there with book bannings to put staid, old Huron back on the map for a few days, and while there is considerable to sort out in the charges and counter charges that have been made, the general impression is that there's a bit of a storm brew- ing up in the centre of the square - at the county town. Of course, that's not particular- ly startling news to many people. The controversy surrounding the resignations of two county heads, MOH Dr. Harry Cieslar and chief librarian William Partridge have been aired in this newspaper as well as some editorial Comment on the situation and a few impas- sioned pleas from letter writers asking county residents to become aware of what was happening. • Perhaps it is indicative of our apathy that it takes the sledge hammer approach to bring things to a head. That often leads to more detrimental mud -slinging that Causes situations to deteriorate to the point where easy-snlutfons- a-re°•difficutt- because "battle lines" are drawn. * * * * * The worrisome aspect of the situation as it now stands is whether members of . county Batt'n Around ...with The Editor council, as respresentatives of the people, can get their house back in order. If Goderich Reeve Harry Worsell is correct, in his assessment of his cohorts, most of them have been asleep at ses- sions, and the fear Is that they may continue to assume that pose in the hope that the whole con- troversy will quickly die and go away. Well, obviously it won't! They're going to have to wake up to the fact that they face a pro- blem, both internally and'exter- nally, and that without a con- certed effort on their part, the woes will continue and magnify. While it must be emphasized that the problem bears little or no relation to the situation being fac- ed by the Mulroney government over its incessant scandals, there will be a similar closer scrutiny of county affairs and decisions in the weeks ahead as the public will look for Some assurance that r. some remedies are being under- = -taken for the -,ills-t-hatrhave.been:. detailed. The matter has now sparked considerable concern as evidenc- ed by the reaction of Exeter coun- cil members who see it as casting the entire county in a bad light and wanting to know where to go for answers as to whether the smoke really does signal a dangerous fire. Comments from Reeve Bill Mickle as to the frustration en- countered in seeking information from county officials and the need for addressing some of the conflicts indicate that a con- siderable amount of soul sear- ching on the part of the elected of- ficials is required. • • . . . . The reality'is, that there are a great many unanswered ques- tions about power struggles, cli- ques, the right to question or hold opposing views, etc., etc. Obviously, the matter should be the subject of an immediate and open debate at county coun- cil to get all the issues ohto the floor and to then formulate a plan whereby those issues can be resolved. The sides are already lining up and they may as well get all the fat into the fire and then step back and determine the action needed to quell the flames before more people get scorched. If they can't do the job themselves then call in some ex- perts who can. The past can not be changed... but Huron County can't afford to move into the future with the peo- ple at the switch asleep, or not knowing who is at the switch. Going to the dentist In a story by Franz Kafka, prisoners are mentally tortured in a most imaginative fashion. The secret police discover the "private hell" of each victim. A man who fears rats is left alone in a cell filled with hungry, vicious rodents. Another who suf- fers from aquaphobia is almost drowned until he confesses. And so on. Until very recently, if I had been a spy and captured by the enemy, I would have revealed the hideout of my comrades at the mere suggestion of a dentist's drill. No secrets would have been safe with me if my torturers had discovered how horrified I was of dentists. That was my private hell. It all started when I was about five. Parenting in those days was done "by instinct" rather than by design. So when I complained about a toothache, I was told: "Stop crying, or you'll have to go to the dentist, Then it'll really hurt!" My first trip to the dentist was, a nightmare. Although I clung to my mother's hand, she was not allowed in the room but had to wait outside. Then the dentist -•slapped_rny..lgce"to calm me down", plunked me in' s cliialr, yelled at me to open my mouth wide and repaired my cavity with the sensitivity of a blacksmith. I can still see his hairy fingers and his brutal jaw; I can still hear the whining of that first dental drill and smell the burned enamel of my molar Later, as an adult, I always preferred to have anOching tooth yanked out rather than suffering through the agony of scraping and probing, drilling and filling. And I delayed visits to the dentist until the pain nearly killed me. As you can imagine, the results were disastrous. When I realized that one half of my .teeth were gone, and the others were all aching, I con- sulted a friend who also happen- ed to be a dentist. "What do you suggest," I asked, "should I have the rest of these ruins demolish- ed, should they be allowed to crumble into dust, should I have my mouth declared a disaster area, a heritage site, or what?" He suggested that I overcome my fear, pay a visit to my dentist, and have him assess the situa- tion. "What do you" mean, my dentist?", I said, "my dentist died fifteen years ago." And I did nothing -about •the•devastation-iW' my mouth for a while. But my teeth took revenge on me and began to hurt - all at once. This time, my friend quoted Shakespeare: "Ile that sleeps feels not the toothache." "What do you mean?" • I asked. "Get your teeth fixed under a general anaesthetic." Et sounded great. I would receive a shot of something or other - and the next minute I Holiday haven Too often we think that we have to drive many hundreds of miles in order to have that special vacation. Actually there are many places within Southwestern Ontario which are neglected by us in favour of trips to the U.S. or other areas. For example when you mention Cypress Lake to people they usually look at you with a quiz- zical uizzical look on their face. Their first guess is someplace in Florida that is a long way from Bruce County. Cypress Lake is a beautiful park just south of Tobermory. It has excellent cam- ping facilities but more impor- tantly it is located right on the Bruce Trail. On one school trip for Grades 7-8 we camped in the park for three days. Our major outing was an eight mile hike along the trail which winds along the cliffs from Tobermory. We started about five or six miles below- that village and walked south toward our park. The trail is clearly marked By the Way by , Fletcher with painted white and blue blazes about every fifty feet or so. The only equipment you need is a good pair of walking shoes with a non -slip sole. would wake up with a mouth ( half) full of healthy teeth. The leading edge. of dental science was applied to diagnosing and treating my problems. Something had happened to den- tistry in all those years. Dentists had become human. They had ac- quired sophisticated, state-of-the- art equipment that seemed to be especially made for people as chicken-hearted as me. No more blacksmith tactics, no more cast- iron pliers, no more burning enamel, no more slaps in the face. Instead, I was humoured by an attractive, smiling lady whose gentle fingers almost put me at ease. My ,teeth are now in good shape. not perfect, mind you, but serviceable. I'm proud of my own courage, and proud of our dental profession. And - like other peo- ple - I now go to see MY dentist. What a changing world we live in! Alexander, Duncan and Stephanie actually like going to the dentist. I find this unbelievable. The last time the kids went to THEIR dentist, Stephanie cried. No, the dentist. didn't hurt her. But he did something "neat" with Duncan that he didn't do with her. You -vsee� I')cmcan-hart°a piny°cavity; and Stephanie had none. To con- sole her, the dentist took her pic- ture with a Polaroid camera and told her she now belonged to the "No Cavities Club". I wonder what might have become my private hell if I could have been treated by a modern dentist when I was a child? Thunderstorms? Lizards? Rats? Afraid of dentists? Bah, humbug! close All kinds of exotic flowers sprout out of the rocks along the way. I understand that this is a protected area from some wild orchids which exist nowhere else in this part of the world. The day that we were there was bright 'and sunny. Miles out across the bay one could see the sails of tiny boats dancing across the waves. There are all kinds of lookout points along the white limestone cliffs and when you look down you can count every pebble along the bottom of the sparkling clear bay below. At one point the water has carved all sorts of caves and strange shapes out of tlfe rocks. You can climb down and have a fine time exploring them. I would rate this particular spot as one of the most beautiful in North America.