HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1989-01-04, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, January 4, 1989
Times Established 1873
Advocate Established 1881
Amalg,imated 1924
BLUE
RIBBON
AWARD
1985
Published. Each Wednesday Morningat Exeter,. Ontario, NOM 150
Second Class_ Mail Registration Number Q,F
Phone 519-235-1.331
ROSS HAUGH
Editor
_ HARRY DEVRIES
Composition Manager
A
CCN.
IIM BECKETT
_ `Publisher & •Advertising Manager
- DON SMITH
Business Manager
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Acts of kindness
he saying "It is more.blessed to
give than receive"was. aptly
portrayed by at least.. two
groups in the Exeter area over Christ-
mas.
The former employees_ of Fleck Manu-
facturing made the holiday season a little
happier for a number of their fellow
workers along with some handicapped _
youngsters. •=
Despite the fact they lost their- jobs
when -the plant closed at the end of Sep—
tember, the executive qt. the social and
recreation club decidedo, use the more.
than $6,000 in the treasury to help oth-
ers.
While all former employees enjoyed a
"Christmas "turkey from the Fleck funds,
many others : Will have a more lasting
memory .of the generosity and kindness
of those who could have used the monies
for themselves.
Jeff Finkbeiner of RR 2, Crediton who
was the Exeter Lions Timmy at a recent
Sportsmen's Dinner was thrilled ,to :get
his "very own" television set.
'A Clinton girl Charlotte Liebold has
new remotre controls for her television
set and another TV was presented to the
Children's Hospital of Western Ontario
and here many handicapped children will
be able to see their favourite programs., -
Added to this was a new swing set to the
Parkhill Group .Homes Inc. facility on
Huron street east in Exeter and contribu-
tions to the Huron County Christmas Bu-
reau.
These former -Fleck employees who -are
mostly area residents are -to be com-
mended for their unselfishness and.
thinking of -others when many them-
selves were facing financial hardships.
The second version of Christmas kind-
ness was shown by eight young Exeter
girls who went carolling for three nights
during the week before Christmas and
collected $197.42.
:This money is being forwarded to.
UNICEF and will be used to support a
young girl in_Ethiopia. •
A picture of these charitable singers
appears elsewhere in this -issue.
Again, thanks to these two groups- for
showing the true meaning of the Christ-.
mas Spirit.. Y
By Ross fhtlughr
Only eleven years to go
We've just completed another
step toward the year 2000. Elev-
en ycars to go and counting.
I am younger at heart than I
have ever been. But when I was
young in body, the year 2000
seemed as remote to mc as the
year 3000. It had no meaning at
t1I. I never even wondered
whether I would live to sec it.
Orwell's 1984 was the distant
future. 2000 was 'speculative
science fiction. Only writers like
Jules Veme, H.G. Wells, or Ray
Bradbury had been imaginative
enough to think that far ahead.
I was too young to think be-
yond my next math test. 'The
next century was light-years
-away.-
Thcn I saw Kubrick's "2001 -
a Spacc Odyssey" in 1965 (24
ycars ago!). For the first time, I
counted and realized that with a
lot of luck, careful driving, and
clean living, I just might squeak
into the 21st century myself.
The year 2000, of course, will
still be in the 20th century. The
21st begins - so people with
scientific minds tell me - on Jan-
uary 1st, 2001.Thcrclis no;.point
in arguing about it, and it is as
difficult to disprove as the exis-'
tencc of the Easter Bunny. But I
think that the year 2000 will be
the magic one.
I won't tell you how old I
would be if I were to make it.
Hopefully, if I do live that long,
I'll be well enough to join in the
Dear Sir:
worldwide ccicbratigns view
satellite -transmitted, live, inter-
active, select -projection, omni -
phonic, ultra -shortwave TV:
But since the year 2000 will
arrive less than a dozen years
from now, chances arc that.
we'll have neither cable nor sat-
ellite dish, that 1'11 still be strug-
gling with our veteran boob -
PETER'S
POINT
•
by Peter Hesscl
tubc, with my right hand on the
vertical -hold button, my left
hand trying to get thc ghastly
green out of the announcer's
face.
Futurologists have predicted
that for decades that we'll soon
be railing along safe, remote-
controlled highways, and relax
while our solar -powered cars
arc steered by automatic pilot.
That we'll step on and off mov-
ing sidewalks in glamorous cit-
ies under plexiglass domes
when tropical gardens bloom in
January.i have a hunch that in
January 2000 I'll still fight
against fatigue on the Trans-
Canada, fight for parking space
downtown, climb over snow -
,banks, try not to brcak my neck
on the ice or get: splashed with
salty slush.
Utopian writers have assured
us that we'll soon be able to Ay
to London or Paris 'in halfan
hour, that it'llrbe nothing unusu-
al for people to work in Sydney,
Australia, and to live in Baldur,
Manitoba. Balderdash. In the
year 2000 we might spend less
time in the air, but three times as
long in traffic jams on thc
ground, in line-ups, security
checks, and bomb scares.
I don't believe that technology
will kccp pace with the pmhlems
caused by .,. ,
don't think our engineers and
designers should even try to in-
vent new-fanglcd gadgets. Let
them concentrate on preventing
our planet and its population
from being smothered by gar-
bage and industrial wastes. Lct
them find ways to feed 10 billion
people with food that doesn't
slowly kill them.
Eleven yea to go till 2000.
Not long, if u consider that
eleven years a it was only
1978. Time is runnt out. The
20th century (which someone
had predicted would belong to
Canada) is practically over. The
21st century may or may not be-
long to Canada. But it will be-
long to our children and grand-
children. From where i sit, 1989
seems like a very good year to
start planning.
Lettersto the Editor
Overseas agencies seldom high-
light positive and hopeful projects
to win public support. Ethiopia is a
case in point. Mention Ethiopia and
most Canadians think of a waste-
land of wat and famine, without
hope. This image is misleading.
There is hardship, but there is
also progress.. USC Canada is help-
ing to supply funds so that farmers
and scientists can work together
through Ethiopia's Plant Genetic
Resource Centre (PGRC) to con -
1
serve the country's traditional seeds
and select the best for development.
and storage in times of drought.
PGRC Director, Dr. Mclaku Wo-
rede, describes the program as the
only way to sustainable agricultural
growth within Ethiopia.
Local seeds have been developed
by centuries of cooperation between
man and nature, to 'resist drought,
pests and disease and improved va-
rieties
arieties will be used to increase agri-
cultural production.
The Ministry of Agriculture,
Farmers' Associations and the Ethi-
1
opia Seed Cooperative are working
in close cooperation with PGRC.
'Ther cost of USC of launching and
coordinating this important pilot
project is $1.3 million. We need
the financial support of Canadians
to help Ethiopia put its own re-
sources to work.
Please send your contribution;
every dollar counts.
John Martin,
Chicf Executive Officer,
- USC Canada,
56 Sparks Street,
Ottawa, Ontario K I P 5B1
Serving South Huron, North Middlesex
& North Lambton Since 1873
Published by J.W. Eedy Publications Limited
•
�i
It's that time again
How many make New Year's
resolutions?
Most people will come up with
an affirmative answer; but then
comes the query; how many res-
olutions arG-•kept and for how
long?
- While it is generally thought'
that most resolutions centre
around losing weight and stop-
ping smoking, that's not the
case. • An national survey 'conducted
by Priority Management Systems
of Vancouver ' found that 'the
number one resolution .or goal
was to make money. -
During 1988, about 75 percent
of the persons asked made some
kind of New Year's resolutions
orgoals and 88 percent of these
keptat least some of their person-
al promises.
Of those questioned, 26 percent
resolved to make more money.'
This goal was followed by sav-
ing more moncy, losing weight,
getting a new job and spending
more time with a spouse..
The forecast of resolutions to
be made_ ins 1989 was similar,
with a slightly higher emphasis
on 'using weight and .spending
more time with a spouse. Sur-,
prisingly,, quitting smoking
wasn't in the top 10 for either
year.
A poll conducicd last nvicek by
the St. Thomas- Times Journal,
contradicted the national figures.
The top two resolutions by St.
Thomas and arca residents were
to quit smoking and not to make
a resolution; :because they
t
From the
--
; editor's disk
by
Ross Haugh
couldn't be kept.
'From a personal standpoint,
losing weight was -our big goal
for 1988 and that proved to be
fairly successful.- In a weight
loss contest here at the T -A dur-
ing the first two months of 198.8,
we lost 12 pounds and right at
the moment after hearty holiday
eating, the loss figure remains at
eight pounds.
As readers will find out in Jim
Beckett's On *the Street column
this week, our weight loss con-
tcst is being repeated and this
time it is being Thrown Wide
open to anyone who wants to
- lose weight and is willing to
back his or her wish with a .fi-
nancial contribution.
Three members of our immedi-
ate family arc threatening to enter
this contest, just to prove that-
they
hatthey can outdo us and that father
doesn't always know -best.
So, it will be back -to the salads -
and long, long walks. Probably
the most efficient -exercise would _
be the one usedby your elbows ,
in pushing away from the -dinner. .�
table.. '
in the national -survey, some 77-
percent
7-percent madebetween one and
five resolutions for 1988 and the
majority planned to setgoals for -
1989 and most also thought niak..
Ing goals will help them get
ahead. I• t was recommended that peo- .
ple set realistic goals in six differ-
ent areas of their life. They . -
would be corporate, financial, in-
tellectual, physical, family, social
and spiritual.
While our New .Year Mehra -
lions arc over, they continue in
different societies.
The Chinese New Ycaris`ccic-
brated beginning in late Januar
or early February, according to
the lunar clacndar. The year of
thc Dragon, 1988 will give way
to the Year of the 'Snake on Feb-
ruary 6, 1989 according to the
date 0,1 11 IC IiCW•1113011 111 lin_ L.t.x.
Most ancient .nations celebrate
the new year with the coming of
spring, while in India the Hindus
celebrate the first day of each of
the four seasons.
1 can't afford to be sick
I am seldom ill, for which I• am
very thankful. When I do need
medical advice, it is never for
something simple. I have been
treated for athlete's foot on my
hands, and "pink cyc" in my haz-
el orbs. - -
I have lost my tonsils and ap-
pendix, and gradually gained 10
ugly pound which I would like to
get rid of without chbpping off
my head.
I am usually my own worst en-
emy. That is a gentle way of
saying I have Masochistic tenden-
cies. Nothing serious. ND need
for institutionalization - which
sounds like a deadly disease it-
self.
A few years ago, 1 sliced into
my fingers at the T -A while trim-
ming PMTs with an Exacto
knife, leaving the tops hanging
like bottlecaps. In that case,
stopping the flow of paper from
the • Workers' Compensation
Board was more difficult than
staunching the original gush of
blood. •
I finally wrote the Board,
promising to never claim com-
pensation for my injury and ac-
ccpting full responsibility for my
wound. I blamed my own care-
lessness, and assured the Board
.1 worked in a safe environment.
An hour after I handed the edi-
tor a photocopy of my letter, the
Reynold's
Rap
by
Yvonne
Reynolds
/
plastic case covetin jg the fluores-
cent lights came loose from its
moorings and dropped on his
head. "Safe workplace -indeed!",
he was heard to mutter.
Another time i gave myself
blood poisoning by picking ata
toe. My..husband delivered me
to the doctor's office within min-
utes of noticing a telltale red line
snaking its way from my foot
halfway up my leg.
But these were minor, com-
pared with with my most recent
medical complications.
I intcrview_ed.a bee keeper, and
broke out in what was soon diag-
nose as a severe case of hives.
(Both those statements are trtle,
but I don't think they arc related.
However, there is no known curc
for a corny sense of humour.)
My visit to the doctor, and thc
antihistamine shot at the hospital
were covered by OHiP. it's the
other uninsured costs that arc
pushing me to the edge of hank-
ruptcy.
In trying to track down thc al-
lergy that made my hands swell
and my forehead itch% i was ad-
vised to stop taking some recent-
ly prescribed medication..
Wouldn't you know it was the
most expensive ever, working
out at $1.50 a pill for a month's
supply?
Next i had to have all my rings
cut off. Aside from the trauma of
going ringless throughout uhe
holidays, i face another just as
severe when i get the bill for pu
ting my rings back together
again.
I have made a New Year's res-
olution to stay as healthy as pos-
sible. I can't afford to be sick.
•