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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1996-11-20, Page 24Page 24 Times -Advocate, November 20, 1996 "Age of majority required" Kids make bad decisions at times. It is part of growing up.... Dear Editor: It is with concern that I write this letter. As a past resident of Exeter I have always been proud of my hometown and just recently while returning to a wedding reception held for a relative at your Rec Centre, I was alarmed at what I hear recently has been a regular occurrence. At about 9:30, literally dozens of minors (13-16 years of age) started to ar- rive at the door and proceeded to come in and "par- ty down". Few of them were known to the bride or groom but this was an "open" reception so in they came. The part that worries me is that even though the cash bar had a sign stating "age of majority re- quired', not once did I see it asked for. I did see however, by 11:00 p.m., at least 100 drinking mi- nors, buying tickets and being served. As a high school teacher and Department Head of Science for twenty years, I have never got used to the morning announcements on Monday starting with.. "We have bad news...". I have attended over a dozen funerals of past students who drank then drove. It never gets any easier. To look at those par- ents in the receiving line wondering why it hap- pened to their child. Come on Exeter, wake up! Put someone at the door of these open receptions to check I.D. Have an officer of the law lay charges on minors who drink and on organizations who serve to minors. The penalties can be quite severe. Kids make poor decisions at times. It is part of growing up. We as adults should guide this process. Parents, you have as an obligation the need to set reasonable, safe, and appropriate standards for your children to follow. ';'his includes knowing where your kids are going on Saturday night and what they will be doing. Loving concern and guidance should not be confused with meddling or interference. I pray you never hear that announcement.... Dan Wilson Blenheim, ON The greatest gift of all "While 90 per cent of Ontarians say they would be willing to give their organs; only 38 per cent have signed donor cards. Dear Editor: The coming holiday season emphasizes the spirit • 'of giving, but the greatest gift anyone can give is the gift of life itself. The following poem was read by Dianne Dalton at the funeral of her 27 -year-old son, Chris, who died on October 17, 1996, after being hit by a drunk driver. The death of this young man from Port Elgin enabled five other people to live. To Remember Me Give my sight to the man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby's face, or love in the eyes of a wom- an. Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain. Give my blood to the teenager who was pulled from the wreckage of his car, for he might live to see his grandchildren play. Give my kidneys to one who depends on a ma- chine to exist from week to week. Take my bones, every muscle, every fibre and nerve in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk. If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses and all prejudice against my fellow man. Give my sins to the Devil. Give my soul to God. If by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you. If you do all I have asked, I will live forever. Sign the organ donor card on your driver's li- cense. While 90 percent of Ontarians say they would be willing to give their organs, only 38 per cent have,signed donor cards. Sign your card and tell your relatives of your deci- sion. Give others a second chance at life! Roberta Walker, Grand Bend Things go better with commercialism Now the Conservative Govern- ment wants to commercialize our schools and highways. Dear Editor: First it was Christmas, then Easter and then it was Canada Day, all becoming commercial for only one reason. The almighty dollar! Now the Harris Gov- ernment wants to commercialize our schools and highways. Do we not get enough advertising from newspa- pers, radios, television or through a flyer in our mail? Now the Harris Government wants us to get brain washed to take this or that for a headache and go to this restaurant for fast food and to drink this kind of soft drink. An this while we are driving down the 400 series. Just for the dollar. His Minis- ter of Education would like "to get the ball rolling" to put ads on our school buses. Now that's an idea! Let's brain wash our kids on the way to school. Our highways are already polluted with signs that are maybe a necessity. Do we need to add to this mass confusion of green and white signs? I thought the purpose of the yellow school bus was so they could be seen by other drivers, so now we are going to camouflage them! Let's get real. All the Harris Government is doing is snowballing us into thinking that the dollar is mightier than safety and well being of Ontarians. Safety and learning are what should be taught to our students, yet Harris and his government cut back funding to the school. Lack of funds cause less teachers, teacher assistants and learning tools to go to.our schools. He wants to break up school boards to save money. Does he think of the effect it will have on rural communities and their schooling sys- tem? I highly doubt it. I think I will go for a drive down the highway and read what I should eat for lunch and then maybe stop for a spot of tea just to contemplate what our provincial government will come up with next. Pity! Steven J. Dettmer 4 Usborne historians compile part II "Countless days were spent delv- ing elying into archives..." Dear Editor: Ten years, thousands of hours of research and hundreds of pictures later, historian Fern Dougall and photographer husband Bill and their faithful committee (listed in each volume) are "closing the book" on the recording of Usborne Township histo- ry. Countless days were spent delving into archives in Toronto, London, Goderich and into museums,. boxes, microfilm etc., just wherever one might think a little more information could be found. The nu- merous visits back and forth to those who could re- call those "good old days" and who could often re- call the names of those, often stern looking faces, in pictures lent to them for these books. Many who have helped have passed on, but will be remem- bered through these now recorded stories. For that we are grateful. Much has been lost but much has also been gained with these two volumes now in print, the second one now being bound. Thanks to the photographer Bill Dougall and help- er, wife Fern, who would get up each morning, check the weather and wonder aloud "is the sun go- ing to shiner' - if it did the window would be cleaned again and everything put on "hold" for the time it took to reproduce part of the hundreds of pic- tures lining the rooms of their home, then to be re- turned to their owners. Although Fern and Bill have enjoyed the chal- lenge, ten years is a long time to have one's home : 4 0i-440ft. and life "in limbo" and for that we say to them and their committee "Thank You for a job well done!" It can never be counted in dollars and cents. This supplementary edition contains 500 pages, 200 of which have information on the "one room schools plus 140 family stories, most new with oth- ers relating to stories in "Between the Fences" vol- ume one. For those who like to read pictures there are about 1400. It is indexed and contains an index to volume number one. Between The Fences #2 has not been supported by Council and has had to be privately funded, but the Usborne Historians have been allowed to use the ABU boardroom for a "selling blitz." The time cho- sen for this has been Monday, November 25 through Friday, December 6, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. After December 6 you will be able to obtain copies from committee members listed be- low. This "Between The Fences" supplementary edi- tion is just in time for Christmas giving. The cost, until March 31, 1997, will be per copy, $50.00 + $8.00 postage, after that date the cost will be $55.00. The committee members who will have books for sale are: Mary Blackler, 229-6105; Ken Duncan, 229-8204; Garnet Hicks, 235-2438; Delm- er Skinner, 235-1868; Lorne Marshall, 235-0708; Jean Hodgert, 235-0497; Ruth Skinner, 235-0945; Dorothy Prout, 235-1866; Bill/Fern Dougall, 235- 2407; Grace Adkins, 235.0523. Gerald Prout, Former Reeve, Usborne Township S • Panther Funfest raises over $4000 "Many people put a great deal of energy and time into the organiza- tion of the day. Dear Editor: On November 9, South Huron District High School students and staff presented their first Pan- ther Funfest in an effort to welcome the community into the school and to raise funds for in -school ac- tivities, programs and hardware. The organizers are thrilled with the results of the efforts put forth by all .involved and are proud to announce that over 1,000 people were welcomed into our school for break- fast, a garage sale, volleyball and road hockey tour- naments, and a wonderful dance featuring the in- credible talents of our Black Jazz Band. The money raised by these efforts totals well over $4,000.00. Many people put a great deal of energy and time into the organization of the day. Kathy Hayter, Sandy Shaw -Young, Deb McCann and the other members of the School Advisory and Activities Council (S.A.A.C.) must be praised for the concep- tion and organization of Panther Funfest '96. The S.H.D.H.S. Student Council worked very hard to bring everything together toward the end. The Ath- letic Council, the teaching, custodial and secretarial staffs, and other students who just wanted to help are all responsible for a successful inaugural event that will surely be repeated in 1997. Special thanks to Ms. Simmons and the students and support staff in Room 110 for their wonderful baking and to Jen- ny Rowe for her help and advice in the kitchen. The primary goal of Panther Funfest '96 was to open the school to the rest of the educational corn- munity, meaning all of the people living in the South Huron area because we all have an important stake in the quality education that we feel is provid- ed at S.H.D.H.S. We would like to offer our heart- felt gratitude to the merchants of Exeter and area for the tremendous support they so generously offered in order to help us run raffles, put on a terrific breakfast, provide prizes for the tournaments and stage a very exciting silent auction at the dance. The local businesses have a stellar record of supporting local community efforts and each of the residents of the South Huron area owes these businesses her/his support now and in the future. A committee is being struck to help determine how the money raised at Panther Funfest '96 Should be spent. There are many worthy projects at the school. Contrary to the message being sent by the current Minister of Education, we at South Huron D.H.S. firmly believe that we provide a high quality service for the students and the community. We also feel that the product is outstanding and well worth the investment. Due to the current educational cut- backs, we see threats made to the quality of our work. However, we are pleased to put forth the ef- fort needed to welcome you into the school and raise a few dollars to support our program, as well as the morale in the school. We commend you for taking part in our day and we look forward to seeing you in the future at the variety of events we have planned. Thank you very much for your continued support. Sincerely, George McEwan and Jodie Baker, S.H.D.H.S. staff Poppies not for sale They are given as a thank you for donations to the "Poppy Fund.".... Dear Editor: I would like to commend your newspaper on it's excellent coverage of the Veterans and Remem- brance Day activities and especially your editorial on November 5, 1996. However, I would like to clarify what was written under the photo of Mr. John Webster "selling" pop- pies at the valu-mart. The Legion does not sell pop- pies. They are given as a "thank you" for donation to the "Poppy Fund". This fund provides emergency assistance to vete- rans and dependents; housing for the elderly; bursar- ies and employment for the veterans and depen- dents. We wear the poppy as a reminder of the sacrifice our comrades paid in defence of their country and for our freedom. Thank you, Mrs. Rose M. Webster Associate member of Hensall Legion #468 Concerns of Huron County Trustees As things now stand, parents can contact their local trustee by pick- ing up the phone.... Dear Editor: As you cannot help be aware, drastic changes are imminent for public education in Ontario. For months the Government has been putting out trial balloons to get reactions from educators and trus- tees. We thought they would have acted on recom- mendations from the Crombie commission by now, and we would all know which model for school system governance would be implemented. It is time (and perhaps past time) to make sure that par- ents understand which are the three most likely models from which they will choose, and what each will mean to students, parents, and taxpayers in Hu- ron County: The three models are: 1. Some form of amalgamation, perhaps with Perth County (as per the Sweeney Report). 2. Some variation of the 'British' model where a new 'board' or 'committee' is attached to the sec- ond tier municipal government (ie. County or re- gion). 3. A large and unwieldy regional council operat- ing under the direction of bureaucrats out of one of the MET District Offices with no local governance body. The first model, amalgamation, would be similar to what exists today, but larger. There would still be trustees, although many fewer, representing much larger geographic areas. There would be few- er superintendents dealing with curriculum, special education, etc. and helping teachers. This scenario represents the least amount of change, but is also seen as not saving much money in the long run. (We need to remember that this government is try- ing to cut another billion dollars out of public edu- cation!) The second model, becoming part of a larger mu- nicipal structure, would see education decisions made at the same meeting as those about sewers and street repair. If there are no elected officials with specific concerns about education, how will pro- gram and curriculum choices be made? The third model, which sees local boards abol- ished in favor of large regional councils, would like- ly see no Trustees, no Director for Huron County, and all of our Superintendents being moved to work from a far -away city office in the pre -1969 position of provincial school inspectors. As things now stand, parents can contact their lo- cal trustee by picking up the phone. Anyone can call and talk to the Director or a Superintendent at any time they have concerns. Even though we have one of the lowest per pupil spending levels in the province, our students contin- ue to score well above the average in provincial tests. We are also regarded throughout the province as being in the vanguard with computer technology education. Amalgamation with any school systems that are further behind will mean new combined budgets, at higher levels, where money will be directed to other communities to help those schools get caught up. Once again, our students will not be able to access their fair share of dollars spent to support their edu- cation. The government must stop stalling. It must speak clearly about its plans. The Minister must outline how his changes are going to improve education in the classroom. Parents and taxpayers then need time to review his suggestions. They need the opportuni- ty to ask questions. And they need a chance to be in- volved in how these changes are made. Trustees on the Huron County Board of Education are concerned that answers will not be available to a number of questions before final decisions are made. Who will parents call? Who will hear taxpay- ers concerns? Who will respond to their questions? Sincerely R. Brown Chair of the Board. Local business supporting Scouts "...Pizza Delight is donating a por- tion of their revenues to groups in the area..." Dear•Editor: Sometimes people don't get the recognition they deserve for their volunteer efforts and charitable do- nations. There are numerous groups and organizations that work on behalf of the community. Some provide ac- tivities for youngsters and older residents, while others offer an all important support role. Such is the case for the First Exeter Scouts, which provides development activities for Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Venturers. For boys aged five through 18.years there are craft skills, hiking and camping opportunities. They are led in their activities by nine dedicated leaders and supported by a group commit- tee of parents. Our sponsor, the Lions Club of Exeter, holds our charter with the Boy Scouts of Canada and provides guidance as well as much needed financial support and facilities for our activities. We have also been fortunate to receive substantial funds each year from the Exeter Optimists Club. There are numerous others who lend a hand. Hun- dreds of area residents support the Apple Day pro- gram and the Scouts Calendar Sales. We also look forward to support for our upcoming Christmas Car- olling and Food Bank Drive for which we are work- ing with area Girl Guides. We have recently learned of an intriguing idea which will help raise some funds for us and other groups. Bill and Marilyn Bengough of Pizza Delight are donating a portion of their revenues to groups in the area, including ours. This is part of Pizza De- light's promotional efforts, and it gives residents an opportunity to direct donation funds to the group of their choice when they make a purchase at the res- taurant. Hats off to Bill and Marilyn for their initia- tive and thanks in advance from First Exeter Scouts to Pizza Delight and its patrons! The First Exeter Scouts look forward to serving the youth of the area. The help we receive is appre- ciated. Thank you. Sincerely, Ron Dawe, Chairman, First Exeter Scouts Peter Darbishire, Treasurer, First Exeter Scouts