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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1997-03-12, Page 5c nMMuNITv Times -Advocate, March 12, 1997 Page 5 Skating carnival Zurch Figure Skating presented a Carnival with an Olympics theme on Sunday. Pictured above, the performance called Swimming - Love is a Contact Sport fea- tured adult skaters Clark Forrest, Jenny McMullin and Marla Nicholls along - with five senior stri- dents. At left guest skat- er Mel Douglas per- formed Rock 'n Roll Part Two with five differ- ent partners. Family Fun Night Mt. Carmel students test their donut race and croquet abilities at the school's Family Fun Night on Thursday. Above, Julia Hardy, at left, and Adrienne Kester, both of Das1wqod, eat to their heart's content: Al left, two-year-old Mat- thew Haga -ty, of Port Franks, gets 1 into the action. i Speaking champs Stephen Central Public School held a speaking contest on Feb. 19. Back row, from left, Brent Hoffman, first place, Janne-Lynn Weber, second place, Brayden Lord, third place, and Josh Heywood, fourth place. Front row, from left, Meghan O'Rourke, first place, Amber Lord, second place, Matthew Marlene, third place, and Amanda Widdis, fourth place. Your ViewsLetf,tothedjtJ1 Rules should be reviewed "Because of your ruling, children will not be able to participate in your shows..." Dear Editor: This letter is directed to the members of thc Exet- er Saddle Club. To say the least" 1 am very disappointed with the decision not to allow more than .onc child per pony at your club this season. - Because of your ruling, children will not be able to participate in your shows because of thc fact that they would he sharing a pony. 1 fully understand the arguments for and against this ruling, for example, your concerns for the well- being of the pony when they have more than one rider. Any owner worth their weight in salt it not about to let twenty different children ride one pony in a class, however a pony can carry more than just one child in a twenty-second event, so perhaps you might consider limiting it to three or four riders. • This way more children can learn and. benefit from the horse experience. It is unfair to punish families who have more than one child and only one pony. It is also unfair to expect families who lack knowledge and finances to race out and hu y a pony. When your child first shows an interest in something, you're not always sure they will stick with it, hut by not allow- ing them to share a pony they won't even have the opportunity to start an interest. Your second issue was that "it's written in the rule book only one rider per pony." (Where are your concerns for the horses carrying different riders all day long?) This is true it is in the rule book, but in the hest interest of the club, the rule needs to change. You're turning away young riders when you should be promoting and welcoming them. if you limit the youth. you limit the Exeter Saddle Club's future. I sin( cI .1 hope that you come to- gether and change yrnur minds. Carleen Lawrence, Huron Park Equality for all • "Referees and the Stephen. Township Minor Hockey Associa- tion should soon realize that giris - hockey is here to stay..." Dear Editor: • • i am an 18 -year-old hockey player for Stephen 'township Minor Hockey. - Hockey is a very highly respected sport in this community. The fact. that 1, and my other team members arc girls, should not have any bearing on the recognition and fair treatment we deserve... Registration fees are the same for boys and girls. . Ice time isn't. This was demonstrated last week at a playoff game at.Stephen Arena. We were tied with • an opposing team and because the boys had a game next, we had to stop the clock before our time was up, and get off the ice. Referees and the Stephen Township Minor Hock- ey Association"should soon realize that girls hockey is here to stay and fair and proper consideration should be given to girls and boys equally. " Jenn Case, On behalf of Stephen Senior Girls Hockey Work together for brighter future -Abuse of drugs, alcohol and to- bacco has been conclusively linked to cause of Pre -natal dam- - age..... • Dear Editor: • - I would like to take this opportunity to share my concerns with you, as the date of a Federal Election approaches. Elections are an ideal time -to plan for the future of a country, and thc future of its citizens. I am concerned.for the health of our future citizens - those unborn children who are being carried to term by their mothers. The issue here is not about the Pro -Choice or Pro -Life debate, but about the pre-• vention of pre -natal abuse as a way of fostering healthy babies. Abuse of drugs, alcohol and tobacco has been conclusively linked to the causes of Pre -natal dam- age in otherwise healthy fetuses. Damage vanes ac- cording to the amount and the timing of the sub- stance abused.- Fewer than 1/3 of the babies with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are kept by their natural mothers. Society must help to care for the rest of these children. Legislation is obviously impractical, unenforcea- ble, and probably unconstitutional: What we need is an aggressive public education campaign to con- vince those parents -to -be that a healthy baby is worth involving some of their time in a substance abuse program. So many of these health problems, developmental handicaps and resulting mental retar- dation can be prevented. As a society, we must work together to support young women to fight their substance addiction, for their own health, and the health of their unborn ba - hies. Tomorrow's children will thank them. and all of society will benefit. Substance abuse programs for pregnant women must be promoted and made readily accessible. Healthy children have the capabilities to become productive, contributing members of their communi- ties. It makes good sense - morally, medically, and financially to invest in the future of Canada. Let's all work together for a brighter future for the citi- zens of tomorrow! Roberta Walker Grand Bend Setting a poor example "We need to protect our children from our addictions, not train them in them." Dear Editor: The South Huron Rec Centre is hosting a Youth Bingo during the March Break and is being spon- sored by the Legion Ladies Auxiliary. My question is why? There was a time when gambling was on the fringes of our society. Yes it was there but it was not acceptable as part of a healthy lifestyle. There was a time when people knew the consequences of being involved in any kind of gambling. That time is gone. Gambling casinos are popping up like mushrooms and this is a very fitting analogy if you look at the medium that fungus thrives in. Now peo- ple are gambling in the name of charity. What a hoax! We have candy coated it and we think it's okay, but it isn't. The same people are getting hurt. It isn't the people who have lots of money to throw away on a night of amusement that are getting hurt. It is the lower income bracket who are lured by the hope of a miraculous win that will save them from their money troubles. It is the weak willed people who once they start cannot stop. People who are ad- dicted, people with families, people with low pay- ing jobs that are looking for some relief. Do we care about these people? Is it just me or am I not the only one who sees something just a little cock-eyed in creating gam- bling casinos and then rationalizing them by having some of the proceeds go to.addiction research! So to a large extent we would get the money from people who can't afford it or help themselves (this is chari- ty?) and then use this money to find out what is wrong with them. Is that the same as poisoning somebody so we can see if the antidote works? We should not be putting stumbling blocks in their paths but trying to remove them. The taste for money in today's society is becoming like a wild animal's taste for blood. We have to get money at all costs. And now not only are we making it difficult for these afflicted adults but we are training our chil- dren! What harm can a little game of bingo cause? We have to be able to look into the future and see what results today's actions will bring. The Bible says 'Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.' Proverbs 22:6. So who are we training our children to be? My 12 year old son recently told me that "it is okay for pornography to be offered on the Internet, because some people need it!" I set him straight. People don't need pornography but if they are weak in that area and someone offers it to them, then they will take it even as it destroys their life. Then another time he learned in school "you know no one ever died from smoking marijuana." Again I set him straight. Maybe it won't kill you but you can sure mess your life up not to mention what other drug use it could lead to that can kill you. Then one day he said "Mom do you want to play poker for nickels?" Again 1 set him straight. I said we can play cards but not for money, because once you get that taste for winning it is just too hard to control for certain people. Maybe you will be the man someday that says to his wife "Host our rent money on break - open tickets." Let's start setting our kids straight on what is right and wrong. Good and bad. Maybe we need to figure it our ourselves first. We need to protect our chil- dren from our addictions not train them in them. Let us all try to help the weaker ones not feed off them. J. Nairn, Huron Park County staff not following directions Ask your present council member why this is going on.... Dear Editor: It has been my understanding that county voters elect council members to represent their interests in municipal matters. However, after reading reports from the February 6 council meeting, I'm not so sure. it appears from discussion at the meeting,that non -elected county staff are not following the direc- tions of elected council members. If this is in fact the case, the democratic process is not being served, in other words your vote does not count in county matters. This bullying has to end! With a municipal election coming up this fall. I would think that this situation should be a key can- didate issue. Ask your present council members why this is going on, and if they choose not w cor- rect the "dictatorship" prior to the upcoming elec- tion, terminate their tenure at the ballot box! W. Peter Fydenchuk Huron Park