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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1996-12-11, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, December 11, 199b Publisher & Editor: Jun Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Production Manager: Deb Lord Advertising; Barb Consitt, Chad Eedy News' Heather Mir, Chris Skalkos, Ross Haugh, BrenW1 Burke Production: Alrna Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson, Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner Transportation' Ai Flynn, Al Hodgert Front Office & Accounting; Elaine Pinder, Sud IRollings, Ruth SIVA Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple The Exeter Times Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers 04,010.16 CCI M Ystr providing news, advertising and information leadership • I • I inion CCW, Publications Mail Registration Number 0388 SUI1CCIPTIO0 RATES, One year rate for Ontario subscribers • $35.00 + OST Two year rate for Ontario subscribers - $63.00 + GST GAPADIAN ADDRESSES OUTSIDE ONTARIO One year subscription - $63.00 + QST Two year subscription - $119.00 + OST OTHER RATES Outside Canada - $99.00 + OST Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario NOM 316 by J.W. Eady Publications Ltd. Telephone 1-519.235.1331 • Fax: 519.235-0766 •maN adlIrmic tinaa.advocatNeady.con O.S.T. M10521053 I'i)1 1 ()RI \I. Program a wake up call It's the case of the disappear- ing license. A driver who gets caught for over -indulging in the Christmas spirits will have to hand over his li- cense on the spot. The Administrative Driver's License Suspension, which came into effect at the beginning of the month, allows police to get drunk driv- ers off the road - instantly. Under the new system, a driver who is stopped by police and whose breath or blood tests show over the legal limit of alcohol (or who refuses to take a blood or breath test) loses his license for a 90 - day period immediately. The suspen- sion is issued through the Registrar of Motor Vehicles in the Ministry Transportation. The driver has to face any criminal charges stemming from the incident. There is no doubt that police need every possible tool to protect the public from impaired drivers. Statistics show the grim reality - alcohol is involved in about half of all traffic accidents caus- ing death or serious injury. Most police officers put the estimate a lot higher. The fact is, even if you are not weaving all over the road, even if the collision is caused by the other driver, alcohol slows your reflexes and dulls your abil- ity to take fast and effective evasive ac- tion. ;?,4f yg; ilii past few years, combined ed- ucat>lon and enforcement programs have proved effective. The concept of the designated driver is no longer novel and odd - it is pretty much taken for granted. High schools have OSAID (Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving), a wonderful program which doesn't preach against the evils of alco- hol, and doesn't make judgements. Its message is simple - you can drink, and you can drive, but not at the same time. OSAID members teach their peers that impaired driving is irresponsible and plain, ordinary "not cool". The only problem with education pro- grams is that they don't reach all driv- ers. Check the court reports. The people being fined and jailed for drunk driving tend not to be the 20 -year-olds but their parents, the ones who grew up with the notion that blazing down the road in an old Chevy pick-up with a couple of bud- dies and a case of beer in the cab was just part of Friday night. Now they're driving zingy new models, but that case of beer with the boys is still part of Fri- day night. They know they face hefty fines if they are caught, and jail if they are caught a second time. They know they also face losing their licenses for at least a year. But they still drink and drive. The proof is in the scrap yards, the court files, and the morgue. Will the ADLS help? Perhaps. It is an immediate dash of cold water in the face. The driver has no time to get the arrangeTTrents in place, like transporta- tion to and from work, which would minimize the consequences of his ac- tions. If anything would make a person think twice about drinking and driving, this is it. But one wonders what happened to the concept of due process of law. The ADLS effectively makes the police judge, jury and jailer. The assumption is clear enough - the blood and breath tests are infallible, and so are enforcement officers and courts. Attret`lttedly,:tl e'i>e itte few")c: eS. tvtiei'e a 'let'Sdi>iisucd'agftilly"figli'Cs'an tnipaired driving, "over 80" or fail to provide a breath sample charge. But they do exist. It will be interesting to see what happens the first time a person gets hit with an ADLS, loses his job, and beats the crim- inal charge. Still, the message is clear. Drink and drive tonight, and you could bethumb- ing a ride to work tomorrow, go directly to jail, do not pass "go". One also wonders if someone who continues to drink and drive, after a decade of warnings, RIDE pro- grams and chilling public service an- nouncements, will ever get the message. Saugeen City News IMMO our Views Letters to the editor View from Clinton How can they ignore the fact that Clinton has the busiest obstetri- cal unit in the county.... Dear Editor: The well attended public forum meeting held in Clinton on November 28 revealed some disturbing facts! Most evident was the fact that the District Health Council task force study members appear to be guilty of protecting their own turf. When you have uneven distribution of voting members (e.g. the smallest town with a hospital in the study has two members on the task force, while Clinton has no member from the town on the task force.) The voting cannot be fair! Also, the fact that the task force has not toured Clinton Public Hospital - (have they toured any other hospital in Huron -Perth?), yet can render a decision on the future of the facility! Unbelievable, but there's more - no. cost study was . done on the initial options - let alone on the three options they now present! Hpw can (hey ignore the fact that Clinton has the busiest obstetrical unit in the county, a brand new, well equipped, busy surgical unit and two special- ists in internal medicine (Goderich has one and he is leaving In the new year). , Also revealed was the fact that. D.H.C. task force membere,have not had time to sit down and read the m letters, faxes and phone calls they invited the ptao.00ntribute for input into the study. A demographic was displayed at the meeting which included Wingham, Clinton and Exeter as the three primary hospitals in Huron County on the highway 04 corridor. (The busiest highway in the county and a direct link to emergency and specialty medical services in London). It illustrated that this option serviced the county much better than the three options now presented. We don't have secondary hospital in Huron now and never have had, nor do we need one now. How much money do their intend to spend to make Gode- rich a secondary hospital equal to that of Stratford. I thought the object of the study was to save money! M.P.P. Helen Johns stated at the meeting that the government has not taken money out of Health Care but has in fact spent 300 million dollars more this year, Why then, is she trying to take 18-20 million dollars out of Huron Perth? Further she stated that 300 thousand dollars was spent this year; in Huron Perth on community nursing. So we have 300 mil- lion dollars more spent on heath care this year, Hu- ron -Perth stands to lose 18-20 million, but 300 thou- sand goes back into community nursing? The arithmetic just doesn't add up - where is all the extra funding going - urban areas perhaps? Helen Johns when asked about the time allowed for the D.H.C. Huron Perth study admitted it was a very tight schedule. In fact it is the least amount of time allowed for a D.H.C. study in the province to date. She assured us that if Fraser Bell, chair of the D.H.C. asked for mote time she would appeal to the Minister of Health for an extension. Fraser Bell, I suggest you ask for more time!! I also suggest to the public that you phone or write Helen Johns and Fraser Bell and ask them to halt this study until a proper format can be put in place. Yours truly George Kruse Bayfield 1 THE SUITOR Brenda Burke The spirit of Christmas spending One example of Christmas spending bliss: You grab your family and all go out shopping on a wintery Friday night. Everything you see is dazzling: ultra bright lights, shimmering tinsel, big and little Christmas trees, Santa ornaments, Santa stockings, Santa hats. Your son reaches for the newest computer game. Togedher you play it on a tiny screen while your partner takes the toddler for a browse..Then, you bump 'into cbaptryou, I lim it,- ha4en't'seen in yents: ,rif .,::• Surrounded by frantic shoppers, heart-warming Christmas tunes and red and green everything, you discuss your families, jobs and tight Christmas budgets. You moan together knowingly about closures, layoffs and winterdriving just as your son darts into a toy store. In here, your mind races, thinking, thinking, "What should I get the kids?' as you watch millions of little people tinkering with toys, giggling, and taking tamper tantrums on the floor. You have an urge to join them, to just play and worry about what Santa will bring. Suddenly you remember other peoples' kids you forgot to add to your list. You add them mentally, then snatch up a few toys you recognize from TV commercials. At that point you know you've got the spirit of Christmas spending. You pull out your wallet, pay, and count what's left. Where's your son? Down a games aisle, you see the red peak of his baseball cap bobbing in a sea of multi -colored caps perched on close -cropped hair. You sneak up behind him. He's staring so intently at this game. Then it hits you like a tonne of Santa sacks. He loves this game. In fact, his life depends on it. You can already see his eyes light up Christmas morning. We all know that wild excitement of buyingfor someone we're shopping with: steering them clear of your shopping territory, peering over your shoulder as you make the big purchase, trying to hide the bag as you -meet again,, you' With yettytrtbse in -the ',I: refusinghti give any 1iiht's: After the big game purchase, you find your partner, switch kids and run around like mad for the next hour. There's never enough time. If the stores closed at 3 a.m. you'd still be struggling to finish Christmas shopping. You desperately try to concentrate. You're supposed to find a present for your mother-in-law but the more you look, the more you're struck with all sorts of wonderful ideas for everyone else, people on and not on your list. Where is that list, anyway? It's not until you finally take a much needed washroom bleak, your parcels heaped inside your stall and the toddler peering in at you through a hole in the door when you realize how much money you've spent. Now the budgeting begins. You glance at someone's watch. One hour before stores close. Well, you reason, you have to - finish the shopping tonight because it's the only chance you'll get with all the parties -- That's it! You forgot about the staff Christmas party gift exchange tomorrow: So off you go, mentally figuring out how our Views Letters to the editor much cash is left, what's left on your credit card, your partner's credit card and in the joint account. But you're loaded down with bags and bags and a cranky toddler. You lug her up and down aisles between smiling, well-dressed people, frantic store clerks and around shelves and shelves of endless, wonderful merchandise. Aha! There's that familiar old yellow coat. Pointing to the .1.. clock on the.wall, .youbeg and .i '/And untiWyPui' fttle't ilec+ides, "Altl 1lY Tll take the kids and bags and go load up and car and get it warm while you finish up." Having your hands free is like starting over. Your eyes scan everything. Buying under pressure is incredibly tough but you do have a little cash eating away at your pockets. Besides, this may be your last chance. You find a few things, use up the cash, overload the credit cards and are about to write a cheque when you realize you've left your I.D. in the car. Your heart sinks. Your brother needs this authentic nose warmer - it's got his name all over it. Panicking, you scrounge up your last few loonies. "Wait!" you plead with the clerk, who's now examining her watch while a loud speaker crackles, "Attention shoppers: we will be closing in five minutes." As you race out to find the car, you notice huge, fluffy snowflakes drifting calmly down to rest on hats and coats of shoppers toting away their treasures and you think to yourself, "Christmas is beautiful." Christmas bulbs stolen "...the O.P.P. have agreed to keep a close eye on -the Path.' Dear Editor. The Exeter Lions Club, with the generous finan- cial assistance from the good citizens of Exeter and area, have worked very hard to develop the beauti- ful MacNaughton Park. The Lions and the Exeter Public Works Department have put many Christmas lights in the Park again this year to make an attrac- tive display for the holiday season. However, it seems that a few thoughtless individuals do not ap- preciate these efforts. The lights were put up about one week before the Santa Claus Parade, to be turned on the night before the Parade. ' 'ng that week, approximately 60 bulbs were stolen off of three trees. They were re- placed and the display was lit up on Friday night. During this past weekend, over 300 bulbs were stolen. Some of them were found smashed on the street beside the P.U.C. pump house.Wouldn't you like to have been there to see the enjoyment those thoughtless individuals were having doing their act of vandalism? It must have been quite a sight. The lights have been replaced again and the O.P.P. have agreed to keep a close eye on the Park. We would appreciate any help the nearby residents can provide in watching out for vandals in the Park. If you see any suspicious activity in MacNaughton Park, please notify the O.P.P. Thank you for your assistance. Johns Stephens, Exeter I.ions Club E#F: A:•• fi P a'kf I • • s � ,. I