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