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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1989-09-13, Page 2t 4 Page 2 Times -Advocate, September 13, 1989 Hosts and guest - Rosa Maria Duerias, employed yvith the Ca- nadian embassy in Mexico City, has been visiting in Exeter with friends John and Zella Gibson. Visitor from Mexico EXETER - If you ever need help in Mexico City, go to the Canadian embassy and ask for Rosa Maria Dueflas. Mention Exeter, and the first assistant consular's lovely brown eyes will light up with recognition. Rosa, a native Mexican, is cur- rently visiting Exeter residents Zella and John "Gibby" Gib- son. She became an embassy em- ployee nine years ago; the man who hired her, John Gibson, was then working at the embassy as officer in charge of the immigra r. tion section. Over 500,000 Canadians visit Mexico each year. Most have a happy, uneventful holiday. The embassy, plus Canadian consu- lates in five popular tourist des- tinations, arc there to assist the unfortunate few who require as- sistance. Lost passports, stolen money,Accidents, deaths, impri- sonment - Rosa has dealt with them all. • "We try to help people to help themselves. They can make a telephone call or send a telex message. If they are m dire need of money, we'll make a small loan. We issue emergency pass- ports, communicate with fami- lies back in Canada, supply a list of lawyers, make sure Canadian citizens are treated fairly by au- thorities, and that conditions in prison meet minimum require- ments," Rosa explained. Rosa recalls one incident she is sure will never happen again. Half -an hour after a tearful call from a Canadian who had her purse snatched on the metro, the Canadian embassy received a call from a hotel clerk reporting that a purse had been picked up on the sidewalk. Everything -but the cash was still intact. Rosa has one blanket piece of advice for travellers: Don't do in Mexico what you wouldn't do in Canada. She broke that down into more specific recommenda- tions. If going out at night, take a cab rather than public transport. Don't drive at. night. Don't pull riff .a highway in the middle of nowhere. Don't pick up Hitch- hikers. Register with your em- bassy when you arrive. Avoid any ostentatious display of wealth; keep in mind that Mexi- co City alone has over 20 mil- ir i - le;-aad-the-cooutri,es.ec onomic situation is not that good. Don't invite trouble Canadians used to scekinL,out the assistance qf the police when in trouble are vDarned to be more Cautio men. Rosa's first stop on this visit to Canada was Quebec. As the con- sular officer responsible for ar- ranging the transfer of two Cana- dians serving time for drug offences, Rosa was given a tour of Ste --Anne Des Plaines, an as- sessment centre next door to the high maximum security Archam- beault penitentiary. There are important differences in prison life in Mexico and Can- ada. In the latter, money can make one's stay behind bars much easier. Fruit and meat can be pur- chased to augment the healthy but monotonous diet of tortillas and beans. Other creature comforts to make one's cell more homey are available for an exchange of pe- sos. • A prisoner is allowed to make as many person phone calls as he or she can afford. And there is no restriction on conjugal visits from wife or girlfriend. About half the Canadians in Mexican • prisons opt to serve their entire sentences in that country. However, Rosa advises against running afoul of Mexican law. Under pressure from the US to control the drug trade, the Mexi- can law enforcement system has been coming down hard on for- eigners who are caught with drugs. Even possession of a couple of marijuana cigarettes can result in a charge of posses- sion for the purpose of trafficking and guarantees at least three days in prison. A trafficking convic- tion could mean a. 25 -year sen- tence. "The police like to show that it is foreigners bringing drugs in," Rosa remarked. Although this is Rosa's seventh trip to Canada, it is her first to southwestern Ontario. Included was a year at the University of Montreal adding French to the Spanish and English she already spoke fluently. Rosa began as a temporary worker at the Canadian embassy while still a student at the Uni- versity of Mexico majoring in journalism. After graduation, she was hired full time, and success- fully applied tor the senior consu- lar assistant post in 1986. She compares the embassy staff to a happy family, and has happy memories of the friendly, open door policy maintained by her '--- r-i'-C-nt Bost when he was em- ployed at the embassy. "It's sad when someone like him leaves," Rosa commented, adding "The locally hired staff have a saying: 'Bosses don't change bosses'. "We stay and the Canadians come and go." • J. Letters to the Editor Dear Editor, In answer to your sports reporters' plea for assistance with his golf game, Exeter is more fortunate than many small towns as two Class "A" C.P.G.A. professionals live and work here - Ron Bileski C.P.G.A. professional teaching at Oak x+ood, Ironwood, Bayview and Ndrth London Golf Centre and Bob Mason C.P.G.A. professional own- er and operator of Exeter Golf Club. Golf learned from magazines, tips from friends and fellow golfers is frustrating and inconsistent to say the least. The game learned from a professional with the training and experience to teach the game allows you to enjoy the game and to play it to the best of your ability. The degree of expertise you attain is di- rectly related to amount of knowl- edge, dedication to practice and de- sire. • Anyone giving lessons and advice should have the credentials to assure you the information is correct, oth- erwise it's likely to do you more harm than good. The bulletin boards and Ironwood, Bayview and Oakwood have had in- formation on Ron's golf schools posted all summer with phone numbers for more information. Proper instruction and practice is a sound investment in a game you can play a lifetime. Shirley Bikeski Letter to the editor • Welcome to the "Jungle" Baby!" Dear Sir. There have been many articles written recently on what is to be taught in the elementary school from the 3 -R's to AIDS education. No one can deny that all teachers whether they be parents, elemen- tary, or secondary are the builders of self-esteem. A strong self con- cept is a platform from which a child enters adolescence with confi- dence, an adolescent seeks out a challenging career or you and I stand in front of our peers and speak with confidence. For those parents of Grade 9 "Kittens" who have not seen the letter your child received last week, I include a copy. Having taught Grade 8 students for several years, I can tell you the biggest fear is not HIGH SCHOOL, it is "DEGRADE NINE WEEK". The questions, the concerns, the fear starts as early as April or Ma» This is not fun! It is humiliating, demoralizing and degrad- ing. It eats away at what you the parent and I the teacher have been strugglingto build. How many of you would like to show up on Terrible Tuesday dressed in your night attire with an "4" for "loser" on your forehead? How about Weedless Wednesday? I know of students who have gone out and bought an $8.00 Cartoon Character Lunch Box just so they don't have to face "Judgement Day" on Friday. Rules and morals can NEVER be set aside. In this society, we are only too aware of what can and does occur, not by the majority but those few individuals who carry things too far. As student leaders, I urge the Student Council tohelp build self es- teem, build self confidence, have fun. This "Jungle" is not fun. Respectfully, A. Beattie. This tette was circulated to the Grade 9 students at South Huron District High School. DEAR GRADE 9 KI 1-1•ENS (Yet -to -be full fledged PANTHERS): The Student Council believes in sexual equality, racial equality, and that all persons on this earth deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. But there comes a time in each per'son's life when rules and morals are set aside. Such is the story of Degrade Nine Week. "Welcome to the "Jungle" Baby!" Next Week's NActivities 1. Malicious Monday: Assembly, meet in cafeteria after H.R., wear Phys. Ed. Uniform, bring extra change of clothes, matched up with Senior Slavedrivers • 2. Terrible Tuesday: Dress -Up Suitable Attire Includes: (2 GUYS 1. Speedos (Ha!) 2. Teddy Bear 3. Pyjamas 4. Bathrobes 5. Underoos 6. Slippers 7. "L" for "loser" on forehead Day or more of the following) GIRLS 1. Nighties 2. Teddy Bear -- 3. Hair in Curlers 4. Baretts holding bangs back re- vealing "L" on forehead 5. Slippers 3. Weedless Wednesday: Cartoon Character Lunch Boxes to eat from at lunch in Cafeteria, milk -Chug -a -Lug 4. Rockin' Thursday: Movie and Pizza Party after school for putting up with all this stuff. • Dance to "Under the Blood Red Sky" Place: Small Gym . Time: Starts at 8:30 - 11:00 Cost: $4.00 for Grade Nines 5. Judgement Day (Friday): Kangaroo Court in Small Gym at Lunch (details later) What you are about to embark on, is an exercise in degradation and humility. All activities however, are to familiarize you, the first year high school student, with your fellow students and the school itself. Above all, have fun, and don't be too frightened:See you next week! Your Student Council 1989-90 Great response to boxes USBORNE TOWNSHIP - At the township's regular September 5 council session, Reeve Gerald Prout reported on a meeting with a representative from the Huron County planning department who was promoting community devel- opment in South Huron. A discus- sion ended in council consensus that each municipality should do its own promotion for economic and social development, and that funding should be provided to en- courage small business develop- ment rather than used as a grant to- ward formation of an inter- municipal community development corporation which would be expen- sive to set up and maintain. Prout passed on a notice from Fern Dougall, chairman of the His- tory Book Committee, that the deadline for anyone wanting their name put on the patrons' list by re- serving and paying in advance for a - history book be lune 1, lyyt. Licence fol* hunting rabbits and pheasants during the 1989-90 hunt- ing season will be sold by the mu- nicipality. Future road construction was dis- cussed with 'road superintendent Ken 1arkcr. ►vi,rk ilii .ossccssion -4-5 between lots 32 and 34 is be- ing considered at an estimated cost Computer Continued fromfront page - very easy to use and a colour moni- tor costing 4432 exira makes the menus and on-screen instructions stand out from the information. - The compact disc will be updated every six months at a cost of $80 each, which Ross said is a saving Aver the expense of updating each library's card catalogue. Ross called the installation of branch computers as big a step for the county library systems as was when Andrew Carnegie fust donated the money to help build them. Whether or not a branch gets a computer depends on the financial commitment from its community. The Exeter Library is already col- lecting donations from individuals, companies, and organizations to- ward its goal of bringing one col- our -monitor machine to the branch at a cost of $2,883. of $11,608. Council approved hir- ing Dave Siddall to do the job. Parker will be paid expenses for trapping beavers that are causing problems with municipal drains. Tenders closing on October 3 will be called for snowplowing this winter. Payment of $100 to Rene Van Bruwaene was approved to settle a claim of damage to his car caused by a stone thrown by the town- ship's mower. Five building permits with a to- tal value of $130,000 were issued in August. Blue boxes Because of the overwhelming re- sponse to Usborne's blue box recy- cling program, the truck was unable .to make a complete pick-up this week. Boxes in the west end will be picked up first next Monday. Hensall to raise funds for library- computer HENSALL - Susan Hartman, Hensall libr*rian,'met with council at Monday's regular meeting to dis- cuss the installation of a computer- ized catalogue in the Hensall branch. "It really. is a marvellous comput- er," said Hartman, who initially asked Huron County Chief Librari- an Beth Ross why the public was being asked to come up with the funds for the machines. Hartman was told it was because it is a tool for public access to the library sys- tem. "That's the immediate reaction of some people 'why should we pay for it? " said `Hartman, but agreed with the county's decision to keep fundraising at the local level. The Hensall librarian said she was waiting for response from local service clubs about possible dona- tions; most have yet to hold their first meeting of the season. Hartman said the deadline for or- ders before the end of the year didn't leave much time for fundrais- ing. The price of $2883 for the col- our system could only be guaran- --- teed until that time. - "We're starting to bar code our books, so we are talking circulation in the next two or three years," said Hartman, explaining that the com- puter will eventually be used for keeping track of the branch's books. Council said they would like to be kept informed of the progress on the community's fundraising ef- forts In other business, council dis- cussed a Letter from Tom Bender concerning his development of his proPerty on the Mill Street exten- sion. Bender claimed he under- stood council was helping him pre- pare the lots . for construction, but has since found they are not yet re- zoned for residential use. The area, however, has been redesignatedfor residential use under the Official Plan. "We agreed to get the designation' right, but I don't know how far that goes," said councillor Cecil Pepper. "I can personally see where he could get ttie wing impression thinking they were one and the same thing," said councillor Peter Groot. "Maybe we did give him the im- pression we would have it zoned," said Pepper. - After looking over previous re- ports about meetings with Bender, clerk -treasurer Luanne Phair said it appeared council would look after the zoning of the property as well as its redesignation. "Well, we should live up to it then," said councillor Butch Hoff- man. Council concurred and decided to pay for the costs of rezoning the land, estimated to be about $250. Hensall council briefs HENSALL - Wendy 'Campbell is the new chairperson of the Hensall Parks Board. She was appointed to the..position following the resigna- tion of Tom Ncilands, who left be- cause of previous commitments. Filling the vacant position on the board will be Greg Campbell. * * * * * The Parks Board considered in- stalling a new water furnace and air conditioning system in the Hensall arena, but rejected the idea because the cost was considered too high. "I thought we could have domed the whole village for that kind of money," said reeve Jim Robinson. The village will be applying to the ministry of the environment for a $16,000 grant in order to condtTct a complete hydrogeological study of the village's landfill site. The grant falls under the waste manage- ment improvement program. The study was recommended by the vil- lage's engineering firm, Burns Ross. Student council - The South Huron District High School stu- dents' council are all set to keep the students busy and enter- tained this year. From back left are social convener Mandi Fields, president Dan Weigand, 2nd v -p Doug Cudmore, treasurer Mi- chelle Caers, 1st v -p Christine Rose (centre), secretary Jennifer MacGregor (front left) and intramural and athletic council chair- person Marcie Ellison. • STOLES LTD ‘" ..--._- • ATt4 - ST,.yi.• -EXETER 2 3 5 -16 6 !, S.p.ecialsSMAL.11511121t140 .9 DEP Clean & Shine, 350 ML., + ' 100 ML Bonus - Shampoo or Conditioner Decongestant Caps, 20's Contac ._C - 4" Soft & Dri 200 ML. Aerosol or 60 G. Stick Antiperspirant 259 Low calorie Sweetener, pkg. of 100's Sugar Twin 159 Glad, 10 count 1 99 New" "Prevent" Adult, by1119 Garbage Bags 1/2 Price on Film Processing C-41 Films only Offer good from Sept. 12 to 23, 1989, we use Kodak paper for the Good Look. " Johnson & Johnson Toothbrushes Noxzema, 300 ML. Aerosol2 Foam Shave