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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1987-11-04, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, November 4, 1987 Times Established 187:3 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 imes dvocate Published Each Wednesday Moming at Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S0 Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. Phone 519-235-1331 Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by J.W. Eedy Publications Limited JIM BECKETT BILL BATTEN Publisher & Advertising Manager _Editor ROSS HAUGH Assistant Editor DON SMITH HARRY DEVRIES DICK JONGKIND Business Manager Composition Manager Vice -President SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $25.00 Per year; U.S.A. $65.00 Believe it's good Motivational speakers have been telling audiences for years we are only as good as we believe we are. That's why we're urging our readers not to give the recent dramatic reposi- tioning of stock market values any more importance than it deserves. Sures stocks have plunged... but what does this really mean to the average person in Ex- eter or Hensall who is among the 95 per- cent of all Canadians without any money invested? As we reported in last week's lead story the bean crop is expected to be a record one.As well, unemployment in the area is substantially lower than many parts of the country, we're in the middle of a housing and commercial building boom and lastly we're approaching the most critical time of the year for all of our retail establishments. If we are to believe the negative comments of some newscasters who keep hammering home the same dismal message night after night, the recession they keep saying might happen, will hap- pen. Just because the Tokyo and New York markets are adjusting to reflect world economic conditions and influen- cing Canadian exchanges, it is no reason to cancel all our Christmas shopping and start hoarding food. When the markets were climbing over the past many months no one sug- gested we rush out. and purchase everything we ever wanted. If we follow the same rational line of thought, now is not the time to kill our own economy by altering our normal shopping patterns. By continually saying the economy is going to slide we could create an economic avalanche... an un- necessary product of our own lack of confidence. Thanks to the Lions No Man Stands So Tall As When He Stoops To Help a Crippled Child. That is the motto each year on the first Tuesday of February when the Ex- eter Lions club stages the annual Sports- men's Dinner. The Exeter Lions have been stooping not only to help youngsters, but persons of all ages during the past 50 years. The Local Lions are celebrating their 50th anniversary on November 6 and this newspaper joins with the entire com- munity in saluting their excellent efforts for a half century. The amounts of money raised over these 50 years for the wide variety of pro- jects and needs for the community and individuals cannot be counted, but they are immense. Of the 28 charter members when the club was formed on November 25, 1937, only three are still living. They are Harvey Cowen and Benson Tuckey, who both served as president during their long years of service with the club and Joe Creech. To name all of the many projects undertaken by the Lions over the years would be almost impossible. The first and probably the most rewarding was plan- ning and finally construction of South Huron Hospital. was a donation of $1,000 from the Lions in 1949 to obtain plans and promote a campaign to raise funds that helped get the hospital idea going. It all came together with purchase of the Carling house on Huron street and that's where the hospital opened on January of 1953. Four years of hard work, but it was more than worthwhile. The Exeter swimming pool became a reality in 1964 and the Lions were in- volved jointly with the Exeter Kinsmen and Exeter Legion. Lion John Goman was instrumental in the pool project. The Exeter tennis courts were built in 1975 by the Lions with a lot of help from one of the members Clarence McDowell. Lights were installed during the summer of 1984 at a cost of $12,000 and this was paid from profits of the first Lions Homecoming Weekend. In the early days, the Lions main concern was assisting children who need- ed tonsils removed, dental treatment and eye glasses and now in the past 14 years it has been crippled children thanks to the Sportsmen's dinners, which have pro- duced more than $100,000 for the London Treatment Centre and local handicapped children. In addition to the many good works at home, local Lions members have taken time to serve their zone and district. Two who reached the post of District Goyernor were Jake Sweitzer and John Stephens. Others who have worked outside the local club have been Sandy Elliott, J.A. Traquair, Bob Dinney, Tom McMillan, Glenn Kells and Bill McGregor. Ontario's Lieutenant Governor Lin- coln Alexander will be the guest speaker at the November 6 celebration which will be held at the Exeter legion Hall. Accompanying The Honourable Lin- coln Alexander will be two former members of the local OPP detachment Frank Giffin and Bill Glassford who are part of the OPP security. Giffin is a former Lion and chairman of the Sports- men's dinner committee. Thanks again Lions for a half cen- tury of service to the community. It is appreciated. Perfect straight pines Just outside of Hamilton, up on the 'mountain' as it is referred to by local people, you can walk through a forest of perfectly straight pines. They're all about the same size, fifty or sixty feet tall. The whole forest floor is like a soft mattress because of •the layers upon layers of pine needles and everywhere you can smell the sweet scent of pine. When my father was a youngster he helped plant those trees, hundreds of them, out in an open field which was later sold to the city of Hamilton as a park. Now all kinds of people stop and picnic in the area and enjoy the natural beauty of the place. About twelve years ago we liv- ed in Warwick Village. Just behind our house was a conserva- tion.'area. The Boy Scouts came in one Saturday and planted five thou- sand trees of all kinds in an open By the Way by Fletcher meadow. Just the other day I took a drive by the old house and was amazed by the tremendous changes created by their han- diwork. The evergreen trees are up ten to twelve feet, the maples and beech trees are even higher. I couldn't believe how much bet- ter that simple field looked. Of course there are many benefits other than just looking nice included in replenishing our forests. The water table is retain- ed much better and trees help to keep an area cooler. In the future the trees will have to be weeded and will supply lumber to our descendants. Next spring the Boy Scouts and Cubs may be around to ask you to sponsor them in their annual tree planting drive. Cough up a couple of dollars and help them in this worthwhile venture. Maybe you and your children will get a chance to sit in the shade of one of those trees someday instead of sweltering out in the sun. "HE USED TO DE A MOVER ANDA SHAKER BEFORE THE STOCK MARKET CRASH — - NOW HE'S JUST A SHAKER." Cut down This week we received a press release from the Ontario Hospital Association regarding smoking policies and practices in Ontario hospitals. It reveals that of the 213 hospitals that participated in the latest survey, 180 stated that smoking is now prohibited except in designated smoking rooms or areas, compared with 89 in 1983. Four of these hospitals reported they have imposed a total ban on smoking throughout their facilities since the 1983 study and another 101 said their ultimate goal is to eliminate smoking within their hospitals. A call to South Huron Hospital administrator Don Currell con- firms that the local hospital falls into the same category as 179 other hospitals with designated areas for smoking. Currell says smoking is allow- ed in the front lounge, cafeteria and patient's lounge. He added that smoke eaters which are elec- trical air filters have been install- ed in the designated areas. The release says many hospitals and South Huron is in- cluded here feel that for both humanitarian and safety reasons life -time smokers who are ter- minally ill should be allowed to smoke. smoking gne of the hottest topics at cof- feet shops and on the streets in most parts of Canada is the issue of free trade. While many are rather opi- nionated on one side or the other, it's nice to see a few instill good by Ross Haugh humour into the subject like Harry Van Gerwen at Exeter Farm Equipment at the north end of Exeter. Van Gerwen has a sign which reads, "Does free trade include the Bluy Jays?" Staying on the subject of baseball, a recent trade between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs actually was a free trade. It was really a situation of getting something for nothing and then giving it back. Shortly before the trading deadline, the Tigers obtained relief pitcher Dickie Noles in ex - Thoughts Death is final only for those who die. For the survivors - next of kin or close friends - the reali- ty of death begins when the life of a loved one ends. And death is a pain that requires relief. Sometimes comic relief is best. Obituaries published in newspapers have many useful functions. They tell us who died, and they summarize the highlights in the life of the dead person. They tell us when and where the person was buried or cremated, and many other im- portant facts. I'm not knocking obituaries. They're an institution. Especially in small communities, where thank goodness anonymi- ty is the exception rather than the rule, obituaries are an essential component of the human infor- mation network. But they can provide comic relief, usually of the unintentional kind. Looking through old week-. ly newpapers for historical infor- mation on a book I'm writing, I have come across some gems that I want to share with you. I hope no one takes offence. I know what grief is, and I know that laughter can serve as a marvellous cure. Life goes on. In the' past, • writers of obituaries have done their Utmost to avoid the words "cleat' and "dying", hoping perhaps thhat the euphemisms they used might ease the survivors' pain. I\ man didn't die, instead his demise tic' curred, he expired or passed away. Sometimes the last spark of life left him, or he was sudden- ly removed from our midst. At any rate, he wasn't buried hut laid tares'. Men were usual'si praised for their sterling qualities; they were widely known, often revered and universally respected. Women were either kind and loving change for a player to be named later. This week the Tigers named the player and you guessed it. It was the same Dickie Noles. What really happened is the Tigers bor- rowed the pitcher hoping he would be a big help out of the bull pen. When he didn't come through they gave him back. That sure was a free trade. The Toronto Blue Jays will have another $100,000 performer on the payroll when the new Sky Dome opens for the beginning of the 1989 baseball season. No• the newest addition to the staff will not be pitching balls or catching flies, but he will be cer- tainly in the skies over the dome. The Jays have contracted for a professionally trained and handl- ed falcon to keep the sea gulls and other birds away from the stadium and the service is ex- pected to cost about $100,000 annually. Now here come the ironic part. - The falcon will be called Winfield after Yankee outfielder Dave Windfield who had a brush with Toronto's finest for killing a gull with a thrown ball a few years ago. on obituaries mothers, faithful and devoted wives or sisters always willing to lend a helping hand to those around them. The chief mourners were sor- rowing, while theentire com- munity was shocked to hear. I now give you some of my favourite obituary phrases. Please, treat them with the respect they deserve. You may laugh, but don't make it a vulgar belly -laugh. I think a discreet smile, a cautious chuckle, perhaps even a pious cachinna- tion might be more appropriate, don't you? "He expired - the triumphant passage of the Christian in the calm begotten of the certain faith of a glorious immortality beyond the grave. The event has cast a gloom - a deep gloom - over the entire community, as all acknowledge the esteem in which he was held by all..." "A familiar figure around the village has gone. The curtain has fallen on the last chapter of a long, busy and useful life last Thursday, as the Angel of Death appeared..." The following obit appeared under the heading "His Death Regretted". "The sudden and sad removal from our midst on the 17th ultimo of this upright citizen who in the 77th year of his life has•come as a loss the likes of which is one of those that many are deeply regretting." "A.S. has passed to the great beyond after having been ill Tor as it seemed to the sorrowing widow a very long time." "The funeral was largely at- tended. Chief mourners received many colourful floral tributes: a pillow (from the family),, baskets of roses (from the office staff), wreaths (from neighbours) and cut flowers (from some)." "Her coffined remains were carried by neighbours all the nine miles to the cemetery, where she was placed in the ground to meet her maker." "Ilis widow was by his bedside when the last spark of life had fled and when his slow but in- evitable departure came. A bet ter man has never been mourn- ed by so many in that villag€ in the prime of life." • —There was a profusion of flowers. Tributes from a host of relatives and neighbours as well as loving friends covered tht, casket. Ile was removed to the... cemetery, and there he remain- ed to the end." Ah, the end. Death. For thousands of years sages, philosophers and theologians ave tried to define it, and now medical scientists and legal ex- perts are getting into the act. What is it? What does it feel like? When exactly does it occur? How long does it last? What happens after? Questions and more ques- tions. And not all the answers satisfy us. But one thing most of us in small communities can be sure of. We won't really die. We'll just pass 'triumphantly into the obituary section of our local newspaper. -