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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1989-10-25, Page 4t Page 4 Times -Advocate, October 25, 1989 Established 187; Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario, NOM ISO • Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. Phone 519.235-1331 I ROSS HAUGH Editor HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager Business Manager BM BECKETT Publisher & Advertising Manager DON SMITH SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $27.00 Per year; U.S.A. $68.00 Inevitable, but meritable t was inevitable. At least that's the way people who were familiar. with recy- cling programs saw it. . The Bluewater Recyling Assoction's blue box'system has, since mid -sumer, lboked like the best bet for any of the area's municipalities to get in on the re- cycling bandwagon. It is local, enthu- siastic, comprehensive, and, more im- portantly, real. Councillors Morley Hall and Ben Hoo- genboom expressed their concerns more than once that Exeter didn't take a lead- ership position and join the program right away. -Town council instead took a more cau- tious route and gave equal time to all those who were wooing Exeter for a re- cycling contract. Most competing pro- grams either didn't have ,government ap- proval, didn't have a proven collection system, or were only interested in specif- ic recyclable items. The City of London went through simi- lar trials. It didn't help to have city engi- neer Darcy Dutton rehashing his two- year-old opinion that blue boxes would only save London's landfills a couple of day's capacity. Dutton, of course, never updated his figures to match increased recovery percentages, and never consid- ered what effect a residential recycling program would have on the prime cul- prits of waste: industry and commercial operations. Perhaps London recalled Dutton was the same guy who saw no problem with dumping garbage into city parks during the 1987 strike. The city is currently gearing up for blue box collection. And so is Exeter. The decision to begin recycling passed almost quietly at council last week, main- ly because it had been presented by the public works committee who came from a meeting at which the last recycling competitor failed to show up. Bluewater won by default, but council now has what looks like a good opportunity to get in en the grass-roots level of the move to save the environment. - Recycling might not be cheap (although new landfill sites aren't cheap either). It might not have all theanswers, but at the very least it is a statement to government and industry that the average homeowner is willing to make a change in his or her lifestyle to save the world. Come spring, when the boxes arrive, the citizens of Exeter will have to . make good on that council promise - and put the blue boxes to•work. A great example lways strive to work hard, display determination and try to improve in whatever task you may un- dertake. That's good advice for everyone whether it be in work or play. A perfect example of this is the recent accomplishment of Wayne Gretzky in shattering the National Hockey League scoring record of 1,850 points set by Gordie Howe. Any novelist or movie writer couldn't have imagined a better script than that used by the famous No. 99 to become the all-time scoring leader. Not only did he pull off his latest magic in his former home arena in Edmonton, but he scored point 1,850 with less than a minute to go in the.third period to tie the score and then notched the winning goal and world shattering point in overtime. Howe, without doubt one of the most durable athletes of all time took more than 25 years to .score 1,850 points. Gretzky smashed the record in just 10 years. In doing this, Gretzky has taught us a lesson which goes far beyond the partic- ular boundaries of hockey or sport in general. What he did was considered highly im- probable 10 years ago when he came into the NHL. At that time it appeared as if Howe had set unreachable records and the idea that they could be cracked wasn't even considered. By Adrian Harie When he first came into *the league many skeptics said Gretzky was a prod- uct of the expanded NHL, but he contin- ued to show amazing ability regardless of the competition as he methodically smashed one record after another. At the start, the only person who be- lieved he could set records were Gretzky himself and probably his father Walter. Gretzky had a quiet confidence and de- termination to excel.in hockey at a time. when many ahtletes were described as being braggarts. Despite small stature, he relied on a combination of physical ability and inte- lligence to show there is another way to success. Probably the most important thing we can learn from Gretzky is that despite of what has transpired in the past, regard- less of how impressive previous accom- plishments are, there is always lots of room for improvement. Gretzky refused to let anyone tell him that any of the records were unattainable or a higher level of play was impossible. He continues to be one of the most dedi- cated players in all of 1 is key and is a fine example to his i 1,n mates: If the greatest player in tile. ..- ie can try toin, prove further, :o can t' t'v. He has set an a can -all fol- -- low. Also, 1'fv.r c. I1c1c gays don't ne- cessarily fini, By Ross Haugh mminasommammimoommi HAVE AN OPIfirPN? The Times Advocate welcomes letters to the editor. T ey -- Ist be signed and should be, accompanied by a telephone number and address should we need to clarify any information. The newspaper also reserves the right to edit letters. Letters can be dropped off at the Times Advocate Office or mailed to: Exeter Times Advocate Box 850, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by J.W. Eedy Publications Limited d (M BAKKER WATER SLIDE Hallowe'en fun We are getting close to the end of the month of October and one of the most exciting times for area youngsters as they go trick and treating on Halloween night. The origins of Halloween are a curious mixture of religious his- tory and popular folklore. Today this special day is dedicated to fun, but for the ancient Celts and the humans they sacrificed it was deadly serious business. Halloween has been celebrated since the time of the Irish Catho- lics fleeing from the potato fa- mine bringing with them their Halloween costumes to the North American continent. The ceremonies of All Hal - low's Eve date back to 70 B.C. and the Druids of Wales, Ireland and Scotland. These ancient Celts believed that each year on No- vember 1 the dead returned to mingle with the living. Historical explanations of the origin of trick -or -treating differ, but at least two customs may have led the way. One possibility involves the Druids' practice of offering gifts to their Gods in return for hea- venly rewards. These "treats" in- cluded bLt.,t. cats and human be- ings \, h,. re imprisoned in wih 'lges and sacrificed in QCs. t, more cheerful theory is asso- ciated with the Druid custom of offering banquets for the ghosts and spirits inhabitating their homes. Following the banquets, held on the Druidic New Year's Eve, October 31, villagers, act - From the !;editor's disk by oss Haugh IDE ing like souls of the dead and dressed in costumes and masks, "tricked" the ghosts into follow- ing them out of town and away • from their homes. Halloween was seized in the mid -1800's as an opportunity for fun and frolic, and many beliefs from the Irish and Scottish be- came important H:'loween tradi- tions. Ducking for apples and biting at apples suspended by a string are games of Irleand, Scotland and parts of England that have survived in present-day Cana- da. In a custom that pre -dates our hollowed -out pumpkin lanterns, Irish children carved out the cen- tres of large rutabagas, turnips and potatoes. The custom of small children venturing into the night to beg for candy can be traced to the 17th century, when it was customary for Irish peasants to wander the streets on all Hallows'E'en offer- ing to fast for the departed souls in return for money or an offer- ing. We have heard stories of outra- geous prices of food and refresh- ments at the new Sky Dome in Toronto, but a story out of De- troit takes the cake. In the Detroit Free Press it was reported a couple of weeks ago that a glass of water at Tiger Sta- dium costs $1.25. That is right unless you are willing to make a few waves. The problem is that the water you order will come in a red pa- per cup, the same as those' used for a Coke. It's a chargeable item cup and the accounting depart- ment can't tell a soft drink from a swinging bunt. All it knows is that for every paper cup that goes out, $1.25 is supposed to cup in. The solution is to ask for a non -chargeable cup and they are green in colour. Thought of the Week: Blend a bit of faith with your doubt and you will produce hope. Winter insulation A new photo accompanies this week's column, adding a new feature to Hold that thought: fa- cial fur. Having a beard really offers some insights into human na- ture. Other people's human na- ture, that is. Some individuals will look at me, point to their own chins and ask "What's this?" "Is this a trick question?" I an- swer. "It's your chin, isn't it?" One person asked me outright "Hey, what's with the beard?" "Full moon," I replied. . Others will hazard the guess "Arc you growing a beard?" _A011 4 4a ialt•pitlty td. question if you think about it, even if thc answer weren't obvi- ous. How does one grow a beard? It isn't something you do ,is it? It's something you don't do. To shave or not to shave. That is the question. I think my favorite cartoon says it best. Calvin (six years old) tells his mother "I've decid- ed to grow a beard?" She says "That's nice, Calvin. You go ahead and do that." "I thought she'd put up more of a fuss than ,that," wonders Calvin. When you think about it, shav- ing is a barbaric process. Smearing an ice-cold gel on your face, plunging the sharpest blade known to man into the foam, and trying to slide it over Hold that thought... By Adrian Harte your features without drawing blood jttct doesn't cemnnd_ration- 111 come cul..,,J they'd recommend therapy to anyone so inclined. So wily did I let it grow? - Hero worship, 1 suppose. 1 make my living by writing (yeah, it surprises mc too) and perhaps I naturally recall that'all the great writers had beards. These were the guys who stretched [he bounds -of the hu- man imagination and brought us new ideas: the idea that a wife could convince her husband to kill the king, the idea that you could anrioy your girlfriend so much she'd drown herself. The idea that you could run into a bullfighting ring to ask a dying man what it felt like. Vow. great stuff like that. Of course, the only men in Shakespeare's day without beards were either boys or eu- nuchs. 1 suspect the relative scarcity of shaving gel and twin - blade razors had something to do with it. My beard has garnered mixed reviews. Some have told me 1 look "distinguished". My grand; parents came right out in favour of it without hesitation. They are sure to be at the top of my Christmas list this year. My mother and sister, howev er, don't pull any punches when thnv cam., 11,"••%. •�„ - same people who encourage a new hairstyle or different clothes disown me just because of a little facial hair. My sister has even suggested depillatory cream while I'm asleep. Thank goodness she now lives in Ham- ilton. To tell thc truth, I'm not sure whether I like it myself or not. The guy in the bathroom mirror first thing in the moming still makes me jump. Perhaps if 1 get a lot of fan mail I might reach a decision. What do you think? 1 wonder if Siskel and Elbert arc busy?