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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1987-08-26, Page 4Page 4 Tirnes-Advocate, August 26, 1987 Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgama ed 1924 t BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1985 Imes dvocate Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S0 Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. Phone 519-235-1331 cn „L•JIk .111 LORNE EEDY Publisher JIM BECKETT Advertising Manager CNA BILL BATTEN Editor HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager ROSS HAUGH Assistant Editor DICK JONGKIND Business Manger,, SUBSCRIRTION RATES: Canada: $25.00 Per year; U.S.A. $65.00 • C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS 'A' Find safe route Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for school-age children in Ontario Safety League says. With schools due to open in a few short weeks, now is the time to talk to your children about safe pedestrian and cycl- ing habits. If your child is attending school for the first time, or if you have moved to a new area, it is a good idea to first find the quickest and safest route to school. Then walk with your child over the route a few times before school begins, pointing out the various signs and signals. Remember, children tend to copy their parent's behaviour. If you jaywalk, or cross on a red light, so will they. • Teach children to cross only at cor- ners, and not to dash out between park- ed cars. They are safer it they cross at signalled crossings, or corners where a crossing guard is stationed. Children are also generally safe if - they walk to and from school in groups. Discourage your children from walking alone, or taking short cuts through strange neighbourhoods. If your children ride buses, teach them not to roughhouse while boarding o* alighting. If possible, meet them at the bus stop and walk home with them. Make'sure that your children unders- tand the rules of the road for .bicycles. Check_ your child's cycling skills before letting him or her cycle to and from school. Dress children in light or bright col- oured clothes on grey days. If they must be out after dark, look into purchasing _ reflective clothing or tape. In rural or poorly lit areas, supply each child with a flashlight. Here are a few other tips for safety on the streets. for children: Children are adventurous. They will frequently 'devise their own short cuts and travel patterns. Getwto know your . child's habits and friends better by ask- ing them to take you around the neighbourhood: to the store, to school, to . friend's houses, to the playground. Emphasize that children should not talk to strangers on the street. Make sure that they know to report to you any per- son who approaches them on the street. • _ Cute though they may be, clothes with a -child s name on -the outside are -not _. a good idea. Too many children respond trustingly to adults who call them by name. Make sure your children know their complete names, address, and -phone number. If your child carries his or her own house key, don't mark it with your name and address if it is lost, the finder has all the -information needed to enter. your house at will. Happy gangs „ Now that the Boys of Summer are do- `i -hg their thing several times a week and millions are-hunkererd down before the Boob Tube watching their heroes per- form, says The Glengarry News, we belive it's high time a Coalition of Senior Citizens was formed to petition the CRTC for equal time with the young crowd knocking themselves out having a good time in the beer commercials. The beer companies should be forc- ed to recognize those happy, happy gangs of clean-cut youngsters, who all look like they were.born on the same day, are not the only beer drinkers in the. world. . Admittedly, doing backflips and building human pyramids on the beach is a thirsty business, and seniors aren't into that sort of thing, but they have been known to put away a pint or two in their time. So wake up seniors - let the beer com- panies know they ignore you at their pecuniary peril - and you're just not go- ing to take it any 'tore. Wingham Advance Times Who invented mallows Another summer has passed, and with it some glorious days at the beach that could have culminated in old-fashioned campfires, with kids and grownups sitting around, enjoy- ing themselves, singing campfire songs. Instead, what did we .get? Marshmallows. I have no idea who invented these things and for what purpose they were originally intended. i only know what's happening to- day as soon as the word campfire is mentioned. Children from 9 'months to 90 years immediately think of marshmallows. When I was a teenager, I sat around campfires a lot. i had never heard of marshmallows, and everybody was having a fan- tastic time. We were telling stories and listening to the waves and the crackling of burning wood. And we sang until well after midnight. There was never a question of roasting anything. The pleasant company, the fire itself, the stars above - those were important. And that's what my memories are made of. ' Not so these days. I don't know why kids today can't have fun at a campfire until they arm themselves with long, pointed sticks, a dozen bags of white, pink or green sponge -like sweets con- taining ,frothing but glucose, sugar and dextrose, water, corn starch, gelatin, tetrasodium pyrophosphate and artificial flavour. How old is this custom anyway? foes anybody remember when marshmallows entered our culture? No doubt they are a blessing that came to us from south of the border, as so many other Canadian diversions. Who can fill me in on the history of marshmallow roasting? As far as I'm concerned, mar - PETER'S POINT • shma!lows spoil the campfire ex- perience. Because the kids have only one thing on their mind: to get as many of these revolting, sweet, sticky things into their greedy little mouths as possible. Parents and other adults seem to lose all control on these occa- sions. They may ration their children's sweets at other times, but not at a marshmallow roast. You'd almost think that the bur- ning of these fluffy concoctions is a sacred ritual. Barbaric is what I call it. The goop gets into- the kids' clothes and hair. It sticks to cot- tage doorknobs and chairs. And the way some of these flaming puffballs are whirled around by toddlers, it is a miracle that , relatively few children are burn- ed in the process. Did you ever attend a mar- shmallow roast where eleven kids under ten are falling all over themselves to get sugar between their teeth? And most of the adults seem to be just as crazy about these revolting blobs. It can't be the taste. It must be a mystical experience for them. It is useless to suggest singing at a campfire where mar- shmallows are being blackened. The kids aren't interested in songs. They want their sweet stuff. More and more and more. And when the last plastic bag has ' been melted down, when their' tummies are bulging, their lips sticking together, it is time to get them off to bed. 'Ah,' the grown-ups will say, 'wasn't it a nice campfire?' How wonderful. 'Can we have another one tomorrow, Mommy?' 'Of course, darling. We still have a huge supply of marshmallows, and if that runs out, we'll beg, borrow or steal more.' 'A campfire just won't be a campfire without mar- shmallows.' How often have i heard that? To which i reply with the question: 'Says who? Kraft Ltd.?' Next year, just owe, try a campfire withotit mar- shmallows! Just sit around the flames and tell stories. Sing or hum a tune. I'm sure it will take the kids a while to get over the withdrawal symptoms. But once they catch on, they might actual- ly enjoy the fire for its colour and coziness, its warmth and wonder. As children and the ypung at heart have done for hundreds of generations before them. Before the age of marshmallows. Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by I.W. Eedy Publications limited • F'OR THE 'TORNADO DISASTER? NO-TNE TORY DISASTER -vc $1..2 BILLION RIM FOR WEST ANNOUNCED IN EDMONTON Lor Great fishing jaunt Had a visit_the other day frotn Doug Gould telling us about a very successful fishing trip he and seven other area anglers en: joyed recently. Doug reports his group spent five days on Lake Nipigon on a 52 foot cruiser operated by Tim "Carroll. Supporters of the Exeter junior Hawks during the early 1970's will remember Tim Carroll as one the of alibthe urton stalwartHu k' performers of H s les. Everyone on the jaunt was able to get their full limit of .pickerel in the first two days. They then switched to northern pike and speckled trout territory and were again successful. Carroll's cruiser is a custom built 1983 cruiser and accom- modates . up to 10 persons for sleeping. When the cruiser goes out onto Lake .Nipigon, four aluminum boats are in tow for use by two persons each for fishing. Doug Gould said the four and a half days out on the lake were wonderful. He added "it was just like a floating hotel, all you need- ed to take was a bedroll and a toothbrush and for the food Tim could get a chef's job in any hotel. I would go back tomorrow. Anyone wishing further infor- mation on a similar trip should •contact Gould. His fishing partners were Bob Dinney, John Burke, Peter Ray- mond and Harold Boltzmann all of this area, former Bank of Nova Scotia manager Ray Murley, Dr. Bill Scrimegour of Parkhill and Wilf • Alexander from Thamesford. « « « « * *- While on the subject of fishing a recent press release from the Ministry of Natural Resources brings good news to' anglers within the confines of the Wingham District of MNR. When Natural Resources Minister Vince Kefrio introduced the resident angling licence fee _itis year he promised revenues from the sale of the annual $10 fee wouldbe used to benefit the fisheries resource. Most anglers are pleased that their money would be directly benefitting their favourite past .time sup- ported the new plan. Already, the Wingham District office has completed some fisheries projects made possible by Ross Haugh r� by licence revenues. More than $120,000 has already been allocated to the district for the 1987-88 budget year. Habitat improvement by way of livestock fencing. construction of instream habitat devices. reforestration and beaver dam removal on coldwater tributaries of the Bayfield, Maitland and 'Nine Mile rivers are some of thk projects planned. Others include rainbow trout stocking in district ponds, a study of the walleye fishery in the Maitland river to determine pre- sent use and future potential and various stream surveys to record water temperatures, fish popula- tions and use of habitat. District biologist Mike Malhoit is enthusiastic about what may be accomplished in this area with the extra funds. He said these projects are making an im- mediate contribution to increas- ed sport fish production, He added "In addition impor- tant management questions are being answered which will enable us to implement new programs as early as next year. Anglers should be proud to see their licence dollars having a positive effect on the fisheries resource." _- We would hope some -of -these dollars could be used at Morri- -son Dam. It has become a popular spot for area fisherrinen or those just looking for an hour or two of relaxation. Alniost every afternoon you can sip a number of visitors out there at least giving their worms swimm- ing lessons. . c Two batches of trout were stocked at the dam early this summer and we saw. about 25 bass transferred to Morrison from the Parkhill conservation; area during a recent fishing der-`. by there. * * * * * * Just an update on our garden- ing story of a week ago. At that time we said our one sunflower plant was in excess of eight feet in height. As of our latest official measurement Monday morning it was up to nine feet and 11 in- ches. Shades of Jack and the beanstalk. * * * * A couple of weeks ago we featured an article on the front page about Bill McLean of lown . planning a reunion of the First Special Service Force Parachute Unit. Bill tells us he was surprised that about 375 of the DeVll's Brigade Commandos showed'•up and added, "The reunion was the nicest thing I have enjoyed in 69 years." Next year's reunion will be in San Diego, California and Bill says "I'll be there". One of his war -time buddies John Chauffeur of Tocoma, Washington spent a couple bf days in Exeter before the reunion. • The return of Chauffeur to his home in Tocoma was not without a scare for the MacLeans. ,His plane was scheduled to land at Detroit the same night the ill- fated crash occurred. it wasn't until late Monday afternoon that MacLean learned his friend's flight had been cancelled because of the accident. He flew out of Detroit safely Monday morning. Personal poetry During the summer, as I men- tioned in an earlier column, i taught a senior English course. As part of the session I asked the students to write some of their own poetry based on personal ex- perience. One of the lads wrote the following piece based on the loss of a younger brother from cancer just this spring. i found it an extremely touching piece of work and hope you will do so alflo. Mourning Glass after glass, bottle after bottle, hoping, needing, wanting to erase the pain. Wanting to repeat history, to do the right things, to be there at every beck and call, to say "I love you". Wishing it was not true, that it was a dream. By the 7 Way by Syd Fletcher Drink after drink, clouding the mind, yet not the questions: why him,.why him. • All prayers, in vain many sleepless nights; 1 am more deserving of such a fate, too young. The questions burning in the mind, Why him. 0 Lord, why him Such endured by a small boy. A whole life ahead, snuffed like a flame. i loved him. The sun shone again, peace of heart regained knowing he rests in the bosom of the Lord. . Please my dear brother pray for me.