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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1987-03-25, Page 4Page 4 limos Advocate, March 25, 1987 ' Times Established 1873 Advocate 1stablished 1881 Amaigama ed 1924 • Ames 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 4CNA 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' Not surprising While it came rather unexpectedly without any prior hints, the decision by Exeter council to terminate theservices of the Huron County -planning depart- ment is not surprising, although it pro- bably should not be construed as representing total dissatisfaction with the services. Local officials would agree that some of the planning advice and service has been most beneficial and the action stems primarily from a situation based on the fact it is impossible to serve two masters. The proposed Hay agri-industrial park put council in a position of confron- tation with the countyplanningdepart- ment andthatsituation continues -as -new deliberations over the project are underway. Exeter obviously requires the ser- vices of an independent planner to repre- sent their interests, and with no provision being available under the county system to help pay for the costs involved, it is on- ly reasonable that council should decide that contributing to county planning costs is paying double; or worse yet, con- tributing to the costs of the opponents. Members of county council were given ample opportunity to correct what Exeter saw as an unfair situation, and their reluctance to do so certainly precipitated the town's decision. It is ob- viously a matter that should be recon- sidered by the county, because such disputes are almost sure to arise bet- ween neighboring Huron municipalities in the future, and that could prompt others to follow Exeter's lead and seriously undermine the viability of the; county department: It is not merely coincidence that Ex- eter's action follows closely on the heels of apparent conflicts within county coun- cil and its administration and it is no secret -that -local officials have express- ed concerns and frustrations &e—other matters that have involved the county. By choosing to bury their heads in -the sand over suggested conflicts and to casually dismiss the concerns and frustrations aired by those from within and without, county council members ob- viously only added to those concerns and frustrations -and -probably forced local of- ficials into a realization that any at- tempts to improve the situation were futile. While Exeter's action should wake them up to the fact that there are pro- blems to be addressed, the track record of county members would suggest that it will be dismissed as a case of "sour grapes" and the concerns and frustra- tions will be allowed to continue smouldering until they erupt into a situa- tion that will make the recent expose pale in comparison. They can take their cushions and knitting to represent their lack of awareness and concern of what is going on about them but that light-hearted ap- proach only adds to the problem and gives further cause for concerns and frustrations. Keep plodding When Exeter council decided last year to throw down the gauntlet on the issue of funding for the South Huron rec centre board, they probably didn't envi- sion all the problems that have arisen or the amount of mire into which that gauntlet was going to fall. However, similar to the lad crossing the puddle, they already have their feet wet so they may as well continue to the other side. • Unfortunately, the reluctance of the townships to enter into a formal agree- ment, even under terms they establish- ed themselves., has left many of the par- ties playing from different decks and has obviously compounded some of the problems. . In addition, members of the board appear caught in the middle, along with • some of the facility users, and the situa- tion was described rather well by board and council member Dorothy Chapman, when she explained that she was begin- ning to feel like a ping pong ball. There are obviously some major decisions . facing those involved, par- ticularly Exeter council, and it is im- perative that they be addressed as quick- ly as possible to defuse the situation and get answers for many unresolved questions. • Some of those decisions are "political" but they require the cooperative input from everyone to en- sure that those decisions are in the best interest of area recreation, which hopefully, remains a common goal. The priority is to reach that common goal. Dangerous reactions Recently a variety store owner was robbed by a knife -wielding man. As the robbejj fled down the street the store owner ran to the back of the store, got a shotgun and proceeded to shoot the thief in the hack. The robber died on the way to the hospital. As I write- this, charges of se- cond degree murder are pending for the variety store owner. It seems that more and more often we are hearing about peo- ple taking the law into their own hands. Perhappart of the pro- blem is movies which emphasize the weaknesses of the judicial system. Some people seem to get off very lightly for violent crimes, often on a technicality. Films usually ignore the number of peo- ple who are systematically caught and pt(nished for their 1 wrong -doing. That type of story doesn't make the headlines as easily. - A number of years ago down in the Southern U.S. there was a By the Way by Fletcher case ofafarmer who hada va- cant house on part of his proper- ty. It was broken into repeated- ly. What was aggravating was that he had a pretty good idea of • who was coming into the house. Anyway he rigged up a shotgun and a trip wire. When the burglar came in he got shot in the leg. 'The burglar went to jail for his crime but when he got out he sued the farmer for assault. He won his case. The farmer ended up losing his farm to pay for the dama :es caused to the other per- son's • r r y. Going back to the variety store situation. It would seem that if the owner had shot the criminal during. the actual act of the crime, that is, in self defence, that he would be much more justified. Once the crook leaves the premises the owner is setting himself up as judge, jury, and executioner. • No person in our society has that right. t' Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by J.W. Eedy Publications Limited Irr Need the reminder There's a resident of Strathroy who questions whether any topics. other than personnel matters should be debated behind closed doors by municipal officials. That- may not be .particularly surprising given ratepayers' pen- chant for knowing how their ever- increasing tax dollars are being spent. However, the resident who raised the question in a recent newspaper interview was not just your average ratepayer. He's Strathroy Mayor Tom Wolder. Government is best when con- ducted in the open. he suggested. using the $3 -million Oerlikon land deal in Quebec as an example of what can happen when secrecy is employed. Ironically,'discussions on land deals are among the topics which the Municipal Act allow to be held behind closed doors, but Wolder cites a -couple of situations in his home town which prompts his concern in this regard. The town held negotiations with the local agricultural society for land council wanted for a multi- million dollar recreation com- plex. The society wanted $225,000 for 19 acres. • When council went public with the proposed purchase, another local land owner came forward and offered them 25 acres for a price of $75,000. That provided more property for the complex at one-third of what the fair board was asking and indications are that the deal may not have sur, faced had discussion continued in secret. The Mayor also explained that Strathroy built its municipal water tower on the lowest land in town 25 years ago because the property on which it rests belong- ed to a member of council who made a tidy profit front the sale. That type of thing would be almost impossible now under more stringent conflict of interest guidelines: although public knowledge would also add to the safeguards. "Our failures and embar- rassments should be discussed in public as well as our successes because freedom of the press is the greatest freedom we have," he continued in the interview, ad- ding that honesty In politics is a Batt'n Around ...with The Editor real problem for the public these days and he urged that the public should give politicians a break and consider them honest and honorable until proven otherwise. He concluded by lamenting that fact that many people regard politicians with suspicion until proved otherwise. Fortunately, few people tar municipal politicians with the same brush as their federal and provincial counterparts, and the credibility problem currently be- ing experienced by the leader of this country and the one south of the border are not duplicated on the local scene. Part of that stems from the fact thalt local policians do their hest at being open and honest with the -people they represent and seldom succumb •to actions geared primarily at maintaining their elected position.The vast majori- ty say what they think and not merely what they hope will get thein the most votes at some future date. However, there does remain a reluctance on the part of some to - keep their deliberations open to the public and they apparently Thrown I've had a chance to get ten million dollars, and I've deliberately thrown it away. It's not that 1 don't care for money. In fact, I'm actually fond of it. Or the things it can provide. But I didn't like the way the for- tune was offered to me. Let me tell you about it. You've all heard of the respected Canadian magazine called MacLean's? Of course, you have. Or Readers Digest, or Hqrrowsmith, or Chatelaine, or LIFE, or TIME? They all band- ed together and offered me - Peter Hesse! - a chance to get ten million dollars, and I declined. I -don't know how they heard of me. I didn't think that my fame had reached the boardrooms of the mighty. But it had. They sent me - through a company that is representing them - a "Notifica- tion of Intent" to award me that staggering amount, to be paid in two months. And I didn't even have to write anything for them. Exeept my name on a form. Because, as Fred C. Shotwell, President of Canadian Family Publishers, P.O. Box 4033, Station A, Toron- to, Ontario M5W 2K7, points out, 1 would be the guaranteed winner of ten million dollars, "the big - million gest winner in history". And there was the rub. When the envelope arrived, what was staring me in the face in letters half an inch in size was the announcement : "Peter Vessel SHALL be paid ten million dollars." Only when I read the small print, did I discover two lit- tle words that I learned to PETER'S POINT • distrust at an early age: "would" and "if". Now suddenly I was confronted not with a gift or a contract or assignment,but with a lottery. My disappointment -increased as I began to read through the seven documents that were enclosed, in this piece of junk mail. Even though Fred assured me that I was "designated as a potential recipient of ten million dollars in guaranteed annual payments of $333,333.00" and that need frequent reminders that moving behind closed doors to hold talks in private does lead to suspicions and undermine their credibility. • Even the usually open Exeter council have lately succumbed to private deliberations on such matters as the fire board agree- ment and several of their ses- sions in the new year have ter- minated with the announcement that members are asked to re- main for a private chat about "something". * * * * * * Another example arose at the recent meeting of the South Huron rec board when members decided that a recommendatIol pertaining to the hiring of a pro- fessional cleaner was a personnel matter and should be held in - camera. That obviously ap- peared to be stretching the defini- tion of a personnel matter and was an item that should have been held in open session. Generally the board delays in - camera matters to the conclusion of their meetings and the pl-ess departs. It was therefore with some con- siderable surprise that I noted the meeting actually lasted three hours after my departure and what transpired is open to conjecture. The press and public are, un- fortunately, subject to the whims of elected officials and others in the matter of public business be- ing discussed in private. There are rules, of course, but they are easily circumvented and subject to differing interpretations that provide officials with con- siderable leeway. The public is left only to trust the openness and credibility of those who conduct business on their behalf. It's a trust that should never be misplaced and, as stated, apparently needs a periodic reminder in that regard. away "financial guarantees have been provided" by his firm for the full payment of this "history -making award", I learned to my an- noyance that I would have to send in an order for at least two magazines to "qualify;' for the "sweepstakes". I would have thrown the whole package out at that point if I hadn't noticed the names of some of the most prestigious magazines on one of the glitzy inserts. Now 1 ask myself this question: Isn't it embarrassing for Maclean's Magazine to be found in bed with the promoters of such hype? And The Financial Post? And Catholic Digest? And Cana- dian Art? Do the publishers of these periodicals, do the shareholders of the companies that publish them have no shame at all? This is one heck of a method to sell subscriptions. Who is this Fred C. Shotwell who keeps his desk in a post office at Station A, Toronto? Is he a real person or is he as fake as the garbage he pro- duces? And what else does "Canadian Family Publishers" publish besides misleading advertising that tells met will be Pleas turn to page 18