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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-10-28, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, October 28, 1592 Publisher: Jim Wokett News- Editor: Adrian Norte Bushels 11011111110511 Don Smith _. Composition Mshta�er. Den Lord Publications Melt fl�Ntntlon Number 0386 �$�$jpttON TES: CANADA Within 4o sinters (a6 len.) addnaaad to aeon lelhawlM addiesees $10.00 plop g2.1011.11.7. Witold* 40 sidles (66 los.) or airy letter wrrlor address MA* pins 1123.75 (total 63.76) + 3.76 0.5.7. -1_- atolls Callads $66.00 I : ; i r .-,.�. 'it 1P1n , n aC. N l.i)I 1 ()I r The two dollar solution ow that the peqple of Canada have spoken, Exeter resiydents will be able to focus their attention on a much more immediate problem.... that's if we are to believe recent claims about Grand Bend residents dumping their garbage here. We know some people will go to great lengths to save a couple of bucks which happens to be precisely the amount Grand Benders pay for each bag of garbage they have hauled away in their community. The two dollars fee is less popular than Bob Rae at a Chamber of Com- merce meeting, but it's an idea that could quickly catch on in other towns, even Exeter. It certainly is one way of getting people to reduce the amount of waste they put out on the curb every week. If Exeter councillor Dave Urlin's charge that some Grand Bend garbage is being dumped in Exeter is accurate, Ex- eter's own garbage problem could be magnified. Once the idea that you can save two dollars a bag by dumping your garbage elsewhere spreads it could very well force Exeter to adopt a similar charge which in turn would force the more thrifty among us to find another free haven for garbage. More communities may be forced into charging by the bag out of self defence. There's no free ride, even if it's to the dump. Jim Beckett W More than an inconvenience ith its smoking restriction by- law for public places, we see Exeter, unlike other Huron towns, has finally caught up with what other Canadian municipalities were doing ten years ago. The bylaw clearly sets out smoking and non-smoking areas. Many places of business already have such restric- tions, others may have been waiting to let council take the blame for the rules, but will no doubt be quietly content to receive fewer complaints from non- smokers. So why did this bylaw receive so much debate at last week's council ses- sion? Is is really that draconian? Councillor Robert Drummond down- played the health hazard and irritant concerns about tobacco smoke as being no more than an "inconvenience" for non-smokers. What Drummond, a smoker himself, failed to address in his statements, is the bylaw constitutes an inconvenience for smokers who must now seek out an appropriate place before indulging their habit. Evidently, there are inconveniences to all parties with this bylaw; but all parties are granted certain implied rights as well. Non-smokers will have the right to avoid the odour of burning dried leaves while eating. Smokers will have the right to light up in their own restaurant sections without being sneered at. Busi- nesses can now keep the two groups apart with the support of the law. With non-smokers the majority of the population, had the town held a referen- dum on the bylaw there is no doubt as to the outcome. What is upsetting about this bylaw is council's reluctance to extend these same rights to those attending functions in the town's meeting halls - particularly the recreation centre hall - now that does smack of hypocrisy. A.D.H. Land of bad jingles I, for one, am glad the referen- dum is over. Perhaps now all those syrupy jingles will go away. Officially, the government will deny the "raise your voice, sing together Canadaaaa" com- mercials had anything to do with the referendum. They were, no doubt, only broadcast to celebrate 125 years since Confederation. Sure, whatever you say. It seems to me that this type of jingoistic, flag waving. hand on heart type of advertising heark- ens back to the "Mr. and Mrs. America" era of the 1950s. Sur- prisingly, the Americans ma- nned beyond this point; why not we? How many other countries in this world rely on cutesy multi- million dollar campaips to . boost national fervour? The far- thest they is is something like "Buy British, or .die". There may be exceptions. .Ac- tually, yes, . Iatquis are famlliar with seeing their beloved leader superimposed on their flag and other glorious scenes, accompa- nied by an Arabic jingle of trib- ute. Did all our psychology majors Hold that thought ... B Adrian Harte labouring away in the dungeons of the top-secret Mirdstry of Pa- triotism learn all they know frau the 'Hussein School of Mind - washing? It is very true that Canadians do not sing the praises of this country enough. In fact, if it weren't for the continuous at- mosphere of cynicism, this might be one of the bent places to live on can h. So while these commercials, and those flag -festooned ads the government places in newspa- pers, ours included, try to sing our praises for us, most Canadi- ans groan. sit back and gripe about how many of our tax dol- lars are going to support this brainwashing. And people like me complain about the vacuous lyrics sung by those overblown choirs. It's all rather'sad, isn't it? Maybe some good will come of it all. Perhaps all those facto- ry.outlet managers and car deal- ers will .be discouraged .from writing their own silly jingles in the future. I don't think my cof- fee table can withstand any more fingernail gouges. Thanks to the miracles of modem technology, there is a cure. As soon as I see those flags popping up on the screen, I can hit the "mute" button and pre-empt the jingles. The Pretty pictures are enough to give me a wann feeling inside. Nice to know not all our money is wast- ed. "Men are never so likely to settle a question righty as when they discuss it freely." ... Thomas Macauley Published Esieb E w Telephone err J.w. et424Min Sty Publieslisos Ltd. ► •.$.T. *Rlafalea6f "Delbert'!" Apples - survival on the road Driving can be fun. However, driving all alone along a boring stretch of highway is not always fun. In fact, it can kill you. Sometimes I find it stimulat- ing to listen to the CBC. Some- times it is relaxing. And that's where the trouble starts. I get so relaxed that I fall asleep. That is to say, part of my brain falls asleep. My eyelids become heavy. My hands remain on the steering wheel. Until the Ford Motor Company introduces an automatic pilot which I can have installed in my aging Tempo, I'm forced to fight this physio- logical phenomenon. If I want to stay alive. And I have consid- erable motivation to do just that. I've tried so many things. I've chewed gum until the lining of my mouth felt like sandpaper. I've given up on Coffee Crisp because of the sugar and the cal- ories. Singing along with the ra- dio used to work in the days of Mitch Miller (who is old enough to remember Mitch?), but the CBC has matured and become more sophisticated. Have you ever tried to sing along with Rachmatiinoft? Of Liszt? I suppose I could switch sta- tions. Local AM radio will jar my tired brain for a few minutes or so. The Country and Westem station gives me a false sense of security - and wham! I'm on the shoulder of the road. A trucker once told me this trick: "Open the window a crack A Dear Editor: For several years, I wrote a weekly column for your newspa- per. During that time, our dog, Pepper often took over the type- wnter and wrote his view of things. Pepper's columns were far more popularthan mine --- 1 even hadreaders tell mo that my dog was a better writer than I was! Well, we wanted to let your Treaders know that we lost Pepper last weak. He became sick and we took him to the vet, where be was diagnosed with liver failure and we were forced to say good-bye to a good friend who been part of our family for more than 13 years. Friendship just doesn't conte any better. Pepper Was always glad to see us, and happy to spend time with us. He was always under- standing and forgiving. Pepper's ability to "smile" al- ways amazed us. He would always greet us with his tail wagging so hard that his entire rear end wig- gled, and then his lips would pull back in a real smile. Pepper will best be remembered as a sponte an, although be hadn't been active in recent years. I be- lieve be was the only watsrakiing dog on the Amiable River -- be used to stand on a toboggan -like board while we towed him up and and stick out your left hand. The cold air on your hand will keep you awake." Ya, sure. For about 15 seconds. So I used to pull over at the Antrim Truck Stop, turn the en- gine off, and catch a few winks. Sometimes I'd sleep for half an hour. One day, when a police Peter's Point • Peter Helsel cruiser pulled up to check whether I was alive or dead, I decided to take drastic action. For a while I walked a lot. I considered getting a horse. But then I accidentally stumbled across a solution to my problem. It was so simple, I don't know why it took years for me to catch on. The answer is to eat apples. Plain, unadulterated, cheap, readily available, wholesome apples. I discovered that it is im- possible to fall asleep while eat- ing an apple. The beautiful thing is that I can make it last. A me- dium-sized, crisp Macintosh, eaten with deliberation and without haste, will last me for about ten kilometers (depending on my driving speed). A dry Li. ttur to Editor Golden Delicious is good for 15 klicks, but I don't find it nearly as enjoyable as a Macintosh. So whenever I go on a trip, I stuff my pockets full of apples. When the time comes for the eyelids to drop, I reach for the first apple. Very careful not to chew off too big a bite, I con- sume the fruit of paradise. And it keeps the ambulance away. I don't necessarily eat apples continuously during the whole trip. Sometimes I won't get tired after having eaten number one. So I save the others. No point in loading up - after all, apples do have calories and sugar. What to do with the core? Un- like Elizabeth, I cannot bring myself to eat an entire apple - seeds, carpels, blossom, stem and all. I find it barbaric, sort of like eating an egg with the shell. No, I have to get rid of the core. Every day I struggle with my conscience: to pitch or not to pitch. "Don't litter," says one side of my brain. "It's biodegrad- able," says the other. 1 honestly believe that crows like to eat ap- ple cores. O.K., so you'll find the high- way behind me strewn with ap- ple cores. But I'm still alive. And please don't tell me that eating too many apples can cause the bubonic plague or typhoid. 1 will believe that we can catch every- thing from just about anything. But not from apples. Not from Macintoshes, for goodness sake. friend is gone down the river. Every- thing would be fine until be spieddog on shore 111 another watching him. Then he'd have a bark, and be'd lose his balance and fall in. He was also an expert diver and swimmer. He would barrel down the hill in ow front yard, go full speed the length of the dock and throw himself into the river with all four legs spread eagle, ea a perfect belly flop. He enjoa o cooling swim on a hot day. if anyone was in our yard, he'd be hippy to them off with t�sof hakes. He river water, in just He loved the water so much that at one time, we even bought him his ovm w ' pool to put beside his ury dog Heeaalso enjoyed or.hock- ey, and never tired of piityipg fetch. We spent so many bows balls for him, that Victor to hitting the ball with stick.Pvpw �ewed a countless oraage,radin his horny d t be er years. • ref40 ie + in front .that the lawnmower, pp MON had to stop and throw .it. ib just loved it when Victor and our neighbour, Bill, were both mowing s at the same time -- Pepper kept busy chasing the ball from one yard to another. Occasionally, the orange ball would be chewed to shreds by the mower instead of the Just last week I bought a pew orange ball for my kids to play road hockey. Pepper, ' , ' ire has arthritic legs, gamely 1 ' ., over to sniff the ball, and to . ' to join In the fun for a few minutes. Pepper was our "baby" for five years before we had children. Many people warned us that be'd be jealous when we brought a baby home. But, instead, he immediately became their friend and protector. He slept under the crib, when the kids were asleep, and would al- ways go outdoors with the kids. Even an his old age, he would lie beside the sand box, whenever Chelsey and Thomas were playing tbeying good-bye was difficult - Pepper was In "um:nsive care" tit the vet's. When I casae in to see him. despite being very stick, be raised Ni paw to show me the in- travenous tubes and bandages. At - tee I spoke to him, be raised Ids had and I think be pulled his meads back in a smile.Alderson