HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-11-18, Page 4'iLMir. mlmillarelidtt
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. Deb Lord
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"Men are never So 1tkety
to settle a question rightly
as when they dtseuss it
freely."
... 'Thotnss 1111 eoatiley
Pebtl,Md Each Wednesday MemW g at 42410Nn $t.,
Exeter, Ontario, NOM 130 by J.W. Est, Pubeeattehs Ltd.
Yetepttene 14i -2-13i
e.s.T. 01t1oet0S$
Let the critics buy tickets
he annual Exeter town appreci-
ation banquet has not been without its
problems over the years.
Not only was it intended to extend
Thanks to those who serve on town
boards and committees, the staff, and
council, but it also became a forum -for
recognizing the achievements of town
athletes who excelled in provincial
competition. But repeated success of
our athletes in recent years swelled the
numbers of the banquet causing ex-
penses to grow and also the fears of
leaving someone out - which happened
more than once.
Consequently, the town now honours
its athletes at a special session of coun-
cil.
The banquet is also to recognize the
Citizen of the Year, this year's winner
is Bob Dinney.
Think about that - the mayor makes a
public statement as to his choice of the
town's most deserving citizen - but the
only people to hear it are those who re-
ceived invitations. The public's sole
representative is from this newspaper.
The banquet has occasionally been
criticized, joJtingly by some, seriously
by others, a the mayor's private party -
an exaggeration •to be sure, but why not
"use- that- criticism constnictively? Throw
the banquet's doors open to the public.
Sell a limited numberof tickets to any-
one who wants to be present for the Citi-
zen of the Year _announcement, or to
those interested in hobnobbing with the
town's government.
While a larger venue might once again
be needed for the banquet - the Lions
Youth Centre hall was crowded to ca-
pacity on Thursday - surely the cost of
the tickets could pick up any extra ex-
pense for the room or meals.
Of course it remains to be seen if any-
one at all could care less to attend the
banquet - apathy being one of Exeter's
strong suits - but you couldn't blame
anyone for giving it a try.
Cat bylaw treads new ground
fter several years of delibera-
tion and doubting, Hensall has finally
gone and done it. The village is now
the only local municipality to put into
effect a cat control bylaw.
All cats will now have to be regis-
tered, just the same way as dogs have
been registered for, years. The point is
that unregistered cats can now be readi-
ly identified as strays and can then be
dealt with by the animal control officer.
Although stray cats are not the same
threat to public safety as are stray dogs
(their teeth aren't nearly as large), many
a homeowner will attest to the nuisance
involved iii having cats tear up flower
A.D.H.
beds, get into early -morning fights with
other felines, tease leashed dogs, leave
parts of dead squirrels and dead birds in
inappropriate places, ante �t� u .other-:
things catseeemn to enillyitituinaddi.+
The proliferation of stray cats is cer-
tainly of concern to Hensall residents,
and evidently their council.
Our best wishes and sympathy goes
out.to the village's animal control officer
who will now likely be expending con-
siderable efforts and energies in at-
tempts to corral the vagrant felines.
When was the last time you tried to
catch a healthy cat?
A.D.H.
Know thy neighbour
When I tell city folks where 1
live. they often say: "it must .be
nice to live in a small communi-
ty where you know all your
neighbours."
Yes indeed. It is a pleasure. to
go shopping or to conduct busi-
ness in a small town. I know
everybody behind the counter in
the bakery. in the -pharmacy, in
the photo store.
I'm familiar with you all: gro-
cers and druggists, librarians
and editors. clergy and under-
takers. teachers and bankers,
service station attendants and
restaurant staff, doctors and
nurses....
1'vc mct and talked to hun-
dreds of you: on boards and
committees, in churches , and
schools. I've been in your
• homes, and you have been in
ours.
1 kn'?w you all. The trouble is;
you. don't stay where you be-
long. I.think 1 have decent mem-
ory for names and .on . above-
average memory for faces. It's
just that I can't put your names
and fares together. So when you
move . around, I'm stumped.
Don't do that to me!
When I stop for:gas:at-pry usu-
al -pumPing atuion, I;know the
guy who's serving ale. .He's
Jack. I :that with him while the
abhors. add ;upsmidihieilaauonal
c,ipuch makes it a little easier •to
-pan, with avoupleof tw noes•
•
but .when .Jack isitrlWAri1Y
1 ottows „up -in , a - honk alit SW -
-.---rioenpjsia-Yieuw+otiv SlSft - I!
irptaunize -the terse, but I won't
:place him. i211 ,tooksiiiar,
hitt 1 won't;) aye ,Yue famirsst
Adearoliera•
Our conversation may go like
this: "Hi. Peter. how are you?"
"Fine, and you?" "Cioin' to stash
some money away?" "No, 1'zn
always just taking it out...." De -
Peter's
Point
•
Bleier Hemel
pending on the length of the
lineup, this can goon for quite a
while. My turn may Dome be-
fore .he realizes l'vc forgotten
who he is. Or I may confess and
say sheepishly, "I know you, but
I an'tplace you right now."
Maybe I'm perucptual y dis-
abled. Why can't 1 store -and re-
trieve arch vital information? It
can become cmberma ing. After
;a11, •it's-mere.._polite 10 addnees
' :people by name than by "-Hello,
moi"
I'm not asking for much. Just
this: wren you leave your nor-
mal :place of ;work or your
home, Avner a some :tag iiia:
says: "Hi, I;m Jack faun the pas
-Ae'i ips you °mild • provide
,sae,;additiuga1 mint ln-
eona$iun-.;jtiat,for,ipysmite -
iike "ownlibberwfitio Mu.orlid
. iabsol- ssOAl n'4 r 'lassoed
:1 ia& .,1wiAe - sapid aaf->dtiwr
.I10Itieriwiaw wAurie e." .ear
'leant ilo Atli ool syjlh,ppivr„ w1 e
red Aim*, mto y>r r
lis illileh " . onorMlped d
You're not being -fair. I've
spend a lot of time learning who
you are. Neighbours, relatives.
parents of our children's class-
mates, people who come to
meetings.... I know you all. Just
give me a fighting chance to
•make the right connection.
Maybe those name .tags could
be colour-coded: by occupation
or geographical area. Red tag
with blue border: a nurse living
on the 8th concession line. Yel-
low.tag with a red.boader: a local
politician from Stewartville.
People used to drmas according
to their trade, but they ;don't any
more. Nowadays the gentleman
in the pin stripe suit could .be my
chimney sweep, and the ,unsha-
ven guy wearing dirty jeans,
with his faded checkered shin
hanging out, is either a .tax law-
yer Or a deputy minister.
So the next time ys3u atop me
in the mall to dell etre what to do
with my column,. just stay:
Peter. I'm Philemon Fitch, the
encyclopedia sideman. Remem-
ber you slammed the. door in my
face? I'm also ;on the'Joard of
Diluters of 4he.otarrtpany tvherc
your sister is applying for a*.
Hdwpare you?".And I'll be in the
picture.
1:i1ke-ttaall,tslk.-And We.could
she ,rite ..flvnvSry Nion awn
vox •1 :if ,you mat
Moor* IflittTs�f,, f jlr,e: "Mi. slPc-
er. Y+vtr;plsbtlidy:gl4p'tr4asillm-
Aer->slie. I live•jtt pa,gggae jtgyoe
,,as you
ado. gadI:Mgt tst Ault
.1
-3,10ftwea..4001
,p;wlagker,,rvet-
dy
jestAight Alien Arre pod
iiesomehasissrriosholkisswar
Mariposa TTT
I first heard the news Saturday
morning Like any of the other
cyclists I've spoken to. I too got
a creepy feeling on the back of
my neck. Whatever led to a
pickup truck plowing into a
pack of 13 cyclists I don't know,
but 1 am familiar with that feel-
ing of dread I get when a motor-
ist passes when I'm out riding
on the road.
Most motorists plan their pass-
es well enough. -Others seem to
cut it a little close for comfort.
Others blast by honking their
horns and giving the riders the
finger. Their license plates get
memorized.
Every now and then, though,
there is the back -of -the -neck
feeling of "what if this one's
more than too close?" Night-
mare on Elm Street pales in
comparison.
Saturday morning it happened
to a group of 13 while riding
west of London. I once rode
with their club 10 years ego in a
ride celebrating 100 years of cy-
cling.
Later came mom shocking
news. The one cyclist killed in
the collision was Greg Cumoe:
likely the only one of the group
whose name I would know.
Hold that
thought ...
By
Adnan Harte
Cumoe was a well-known
London artist whose favourite
subject matter was bicycles. The
fust Cumoc painting I saw, it
must have been 11 years ago,
was a watercolour of a Mariposa
Team Time Trial. No rider, no
setting, just that bicycle against
a bright background; lime green
1 think.
I came to believe bicycles are
more than just transportation or
recreation. In their own way
i, : (is
they are a minimalist art form in
their own right. in the years
since. I've yet to find anything to
contradict those conclusions.
I'm sure I decided back then
that someday I'd own either :a
Mariposa or • a Greg Cumoe
painting. That never came to
pass, but some have accused me
of trying to make my bicycles
works of art. A complaint I take
as a compliment.
I'm clot sure if I ever met Cur-
noc, but I have a vague memory
of my commercial -artist friend
introducing me to someone at
some party or opening. 1 re-
member saying something that
must have sounded stupid at the
time, and 1 think I was talking to
Greg Cumoc.
It doesn't matter. Curnoe's m -
fluence on my life was already
made; and now lite way in
which he died will also be a per-
manent part of every ride on
roads when the traffic doesn't
seem to have the best interests
of the cyclist in mind.
CaiuI taxes
Dear Editor:
It was with regret the Coun-
cil learned of ibe plans to dupe
Gorrard's Clothing Store in Saar
and its other stores in Strasbroy
and Woodstock.
We certainly share Mr. Geatard's
concern about high ,tales. The
record shows that Tuteier s
very tight reins on the outileadi-
1W $ that koala/Is. Ac -that rea-
son, it is waaatisl.Ira k ho lrlr.
Geriard'aelalealantitwt "Ibis lawn
is deiulllelya*biJaMtia •"
Consider Awe eta -Italactad
from an1._ppp
�the
N9O4 v g .
owns of Huron 'CaateryiliIi** s
maideafialiom for ovi
dw
wwoat;at hf4?44,�pmlise-
.bold. The average was $625.60 per
household. (Since residential rates
are IS gement lower than commer-
cisl,<tbe commercial rate for "own
putpgaseo" was likawiee lowest-)
2,:In 1990.-6/44001 MACS fermu-
wc�prtl. gAucatiien crud County pur-
poses u+ are $1,313.00 per house-
hold .while the aysrase was
81,31.11)Q, Stswi_l Ao
control over. County and School
Board hnOwns.)
3. ag
Exeter with
may, we
fiisd ,twat saves
myosin 1000 were
Joeyar 1,313,00 /or -
an BMW rOolparod 10
A. lisaMo ly, Mraosd.took's mos
at $1,387.00 per household in 1990
were higher then 1ixeter's.
5. Finally, comparing fixeter's
taxes to other Ontario towns of
2,500 to 5.000 population, we find
that our Town's rate of $1,313.00
par boussbold is lower than the
proviooial average of $1,34 I.(10.
Fairtbenuere, Exeter's taxes .are
4461144y _ lower -llytn aver
urban lax rales•
-To close, please note that in die
past two yrears, ow budget incrsps-
ss were 408 perpein and 0 percept.
We want 'the Town's reeideitts .W
know•that we are vory.myth ware
of the impnrlapce of fiscal moon -
Odin.
Yours
wary
,
&tke Stow,
Mayor kir Council.
i