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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-08-12, Page 4Page 4 -10 Times -Advocate, August 12, 1992 • • Publisher: Jim Beckett News Editor: Adrian Harte Business Manager: Don Smith Composition Mantllger: Deb Lord Publications Mall Registration Number 0986 �it�RiPTION RATES_ CANADA Within 40 Mlles (65 km.) addressed to non latter Darier eddies** $30.00 plus $2.10 A.S.T. Ontskle 40 miles (85 km.) or any letter carrier address $30.00 plus $21.25 (total 51.25) + 3.59 A.S.T. Outside Canada $88.00 I t happens jusr about once a year for most municipal coun- cils. They run into the annual "use it or lose it" scenario in which Ministry of Transportation policies en- courage them to spend tax dollars, whether they are needed or not. Zurich council faces it now. If they can't get their sewage studies out of the way in time, they will lose the chance to repave John Street N. - and in turn lose the grant funding that would help pay for it. Exeter too has this problem. In the road works budget this year is a plan to install a storm sewer on Francis Street. It was needed for the motel that was to have been built on the corner of that street and Highway 83, but has since been halted. It doesn't matter that the need for the sewer is not as critical as' it once was, the fact of the matter is that if the town doesn't spend all ministry grant dollars this year, they won't get zs much next year. Now isn't that some fine incentive for sound fiscal management? Naturally, town council is toeing the line and will spend the money, or most of it anyway. Surely by now some municipality will have spoken out against this tyranny. After all, for every unnecessary grant dollar spent, the municipality has to match it with one of ,their own. But then no one wants to bite the hand that feeds. Without yearly road subsidies, municipalities have to resort to the grim prospect of applying for supplementary road subsidies every time a big project a E1)I"1'OR1 k1, Forced spending comes along. Better to do a big project every year. The trouble is, while the ministry makes sure every municipality finds a way to upgrade roads and related servic- es on a regular basis, no town or village gets a chance to hold off when road pro- jects become unneeded, or when tax dol- lars would be better directed to other major capital projects. Mind you, we may not have this sys- tem for long. It may get worse. The province is talking about "disen- tanglement". One proposal sees Queens Park taking over ail welfare costs, while municipalities pick up the full tab on all road work. No more subsidies. One assumes the province would con- tinue to collect taxes on gasoline, car gas guzzler taxes, and car license fees. They just wouldn't pass that money along to the municipalities. It's about time municipal Ontario start- ed talking tough about the way the prov- ince doles out roadworks funding. Towns and villages ought to be able to hold off on paving and sewers and the like when not needed, or not affordable - and yet be able to get the money again when it is required. There's no sense in paving a subdivi- sion if the houses are on hold. There's no need for sewers when projects get de- layed by years. And yet, the province encourages, even enforces, such expen- ditures just because "they're already in the budget". At the same time, they should not get fooled into thinking we'll be better off under disentanglement - we'll just be "ripped off" then. A.D.II Hats and manners "Don't you have any man- ners?' In this particular case, i was addressing Alexander, but I reg- ularly ask Duncan the same question. And I could include other boys and men. I'm sure you know some of them. "i don't know what you mean," Alex said. And 1 believed him. I am to blame. Elizabeth is to blame. You, my readers, are to blame. Because you are part of our society. Our kids don't know. They honestly don't know what good manners arc, and why all the fuss is being made. In this instance, 1 made a fuss because when I introduced him to a cousin of mine - a lady in her fifties -, Alex, this young gentleman of 13 did not remove his baseball cap from his head. Although Elizabeth and I have told the boys 379 times that they should remove their hats (a) in- doors, (h) when saying hello to someone, and (c) when the hats start smelling, we have appar- ently never managed to get it into their skulls why we expect them to do it. "1 know you're always saying that," Alexander explained. "but you haven't given us a good rea- son why we should." "O.K.", i said. "First of all, I am glad that you are thinking in- dependently. In the past, people used to get into a lot of trouble by following orders blindly. i am pleased that you're not the way I was when I was a kid. When grownups gave me a di- rect order, I did what I was told without questioning their wis- dom." Peter's Point • Peter Hesse! "I'm not questioning your wis- dom, Dad. I only want to know why I'm supposed to take my hat off.," "Because it's good manners." Why?„ "We should have good man- ners because it shows people that we're not selfish, that we have concem for others, that we are considerate and kind and well-bred." "I believe that we should have good manners, you don't have to convince me of that," Alex said, "but why is it good manners to take your hat off and bad man- ners to keep it on? Why not the other way around? Where is it written that ON is bad and OFF is good?" I can deal with flawed logic. But i've always had trouble with kids whose arguments seen per - "Men are never so likely to settle a question rightly as when they discuss it freely." ... Thomas Macauley Published feel' Wedessday Monde( at 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario, NOM ISO by J.W. Esdrr Publloallona Ltd. Telephone 1..U. S4361S31 e.s.s. oaa05:101135 Ultra overload The Canadian Tire Back -to- , School sale has always been an indication that we are in the fi- nal inning of the game of sum- mer. For some reason it was al- ways an exciting feeling as a kid to wander down the aisle choos- ing new pencils, erasers, binders and paper. There really is such a thing as the "latest" in school paraphernalia. fectly logical. Wrong but logi- cal. Do you know what I mean? "Look. Alexander," i tried, "for generations, men and boys have taken their hats off to show that they're respectful of others." "I can be respectful with my hat on. I don't have to bare my head for that." "But older people think that you simply don't know how to behave if you keep your hat on. They think that you're being very rude and that you have no manners." "That's their problem." "No, it's your problem." "No. i think it's your prob- lem." There we had it again. Quite against my will i was being drawn into a power struggle. Soon it might lead to a shouting match. I had told Alexander so many times: "You can't win an argument by yelling. Such argu- ments are futile." And now I was doing it myself: raising my voice, as if that would give me more clout. 1 took a deep breath. "i'll tell you what," i said. "If you can think of one good rea- son why you should keep your hat on indoors and not take it off as a matter of courtesy, i may not bother you again about it." I think he's taking me up on it. At least, he has just gone to his room and sat down at his desk. is he writing something. t won- der? 1 even remember the old, crowded store right downtown where I probably ran into [vends 1 hadn't seen for the whole summer, which at the time seemed like an eternity. It was always a good place to get bargains and they had the "fun - nest" stuff. Donna Turcott of Exeter, how- ever. picked up on something that wasn't so fun on tie shelves this year and she may just have a point. A back -to -school "value pack', one for men and one for women. which included such items as shampoo, shaving cream. razors and deodorant also included an instant diet drank. f ler complaint to Ute store was based on the theory that this ac- tion reinforces the idealistic view society already impresses upon young people, especially women, that the use of dietary products is acceptable, almost necessary, behavior to be suc- cessful. The store responded that the package was aimed at the uni- versity and college crowd. not teenagers. Adding Thought to Sense by Michelle Ellison But, statistics have shown that no age group is immune to this unrealistic ideal of "thin is in". An Ann Landers column i once read revealed the follow- ing: * By age 13, 53 percent of girls are unhappy with their bod- ies. * The average woman would like to lose 10 to 15 pounds. * A generation ago, fashion models weighed eight percent less than the average woman, but today, they weigh 23 percent less. * As many as one fifth of all female college students have a severe eating disorder and 150.000 American women die from complications associated with anorexia and bulimia every year. I.r't,I r to Ctlitc,r air* Probably most students who purchased the "value pack' would simply shrug off the in elusion of the drink as just an other promotional deal, but tic problem is the message is there that instant meals are as much a part of day to day routine as soap, toothpaste and shaving and are the "latest'. trend in healthy eating. To actually change the set point of people's bodyweigtit. it is necessary to change eating and exercise habits forever and 1 , don't think anyone wants to diete on gritty, imitation chocolate shakes for the rest of his/lier like I think tie diet industry should forget printing books on lad diets and creating new concoL lions for dieters to wake up to and perhaps try a guide (0 cit verse fitness and eating sched ules for changing lifestyles I think that would have been ., stronger selling lxrint of the pack, ,c for those students win, want to be prepared to battle we "Frosh 15" safely. Probably, hundreds of restless youngsters strolled the aisles just as keenly as I once did and didn't get hurt, but I think it was commendable for Canadian 'FIR' to rethink its decision to try. and help eliminate our "spare tines The product, although still avail able upon request, was pulled from regular shelf space. Keep ,Exeter lawns neat Dear Sir. Although most Hueter awn dwellers take m their neat lawns and it seems all is not perfect in Paradise. as a few (a very few) let down our town pride when it comes to bow they mow their lawns. Perhaps the iest building in Exeter Is the Bell Building on Car- ling and its unploasent exterior is not enhanced by the way they blast their lawn grass on the street. It isless amend thoughtless. If the person they hire to do their lawn is too poorly supervised to use the be could mowerproperly. as lyni.and told to sweep up his sieve? And - surely "Boy Scout Bob' Rae's LAI roaucratic budget could spring for a few shrubs and flowers for the lawn? it would make a bag differ ence. No reflection on our Bell workers, who are fine fellows. And a few others in the Bell area could be more careful too. Lets not spoil our lovely town with sloppy behaviour! Yours truly Libby Gibson