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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1997-06-25, Page 71 FAMILY Times -Advocate, Jane 25, 1997 I'rr.•r / Jon's home page Jon Eagleson- of Zurich Public School placed near the top of his division in the Internet Home -Page Olympics recently. Eagleson designed his awn home page for the contest which contains his top 30 songs, sports photos, favorite links and other personal items. Dashwood native will whistle '0 Canada' at Cabot 500 celebration GRATES COVE, NEWFOUND- LAND - Dashwood native John Mason is scheduled to whistle '0 Canada' at the Cabot 500 celebra- tion in Ne.wfoundland on June 27. His renditioh will greet The Mat- thew. :the replica. ship of explorer John Ca- bot. 'as she arrives -at Grates Cove. More - than - 1.0(X), people are expected to attend the celebration as will Mason's wife Natalie and daughter - Stephanie. According to Mason. his whistling career be- . gap six years ago in Grand Bend when -his mentor Rick Powell Exeter Seniors Club Christmas par- ty. Mason said his unique version of •OCanad;,' is hilingual. "There is no language barrier and it has pulled at quite a few heart - strings," claims Ma- son. His dream is to whistle the Canadian and American na- tional . anthems at Skydomc in To- ronto. Mason is currently working in New-• .foundland as the site manager of River Run' Village Golf Course on Salmonier Linc. 40 kilometers John Mason persuaded him to perform at Co- west of St. John's. His parents are conut Bay. He has also whistled at Gerald and Joy Mason of Dash - the Zurich. Bean Festival -and at the wood: Stephen teachers graduating to retirement By Craig Bradford T -A Reporter • • CREDiTON - While they loved their jobs as teachers. Don .. 0' Rourke • and Adriaan Brand arc looking forward to a change of pace. - ', • The .two Stephen Central School teachers: will retire at the end of the school . year. O'Rourke, a' French teacher. started his career at code rich's Victoria Public School, then spent 10 years at London's Regina Mundi College before making -his last stop at Stephen Central m 1979. O'Rourke was glad he spent his last years as a teacher close to home — he grew ,up just a couple of kilometres away .and is a gradu-' ate of Our Lady • of. Mount Carmel School. • ' O'Rourke,- , 54. • said students 'haven't changed 'as much ;ts you would think over his tenure. "Basically kids are pretty good here,".hc•said. "I don't think you'd .sec the changes in kids like you'd see in the city:" • $rand, a Gr:,5 teacher with stints at Brucefield's School Section No. lh and Huron Centennial Public School before starting at Stephen Central in 1978. 'sa}d the biggest charges -in his teaching experience over the years has been the steady increase in class sites. . He added students are "less . goal orientated. now." with ; charfges in society creating - a more "self centred" mentality in ' some stu- dents. "But that's one of the advantages here.' Brand. 52. said of. Stephen Central and rural schools in gener- al. ';There'sless of that here than in the city. Brand's family came to Canada from the Netherlands in 1953 and (rented in the Exeter area. The youngest of eight kids. Brand is thankful his parents chose to im- migrate here. •1 was the only one (of my sib- lings) fortunate enough to get an education in Canada," he said. the rest having to leave school behind —Glad and sad. Stephen Central Public School teachers Don O'Rourke, front left, and Adriaan Brand will retire at the end of the' school year taking with; them their combined 64. years of experience. Here they're seen with some of the many students they've taught in recent years. From back row jeft, Lindsay Nedza, Sarah Parker, Angie Dearing, Milou Vanjecek. Mid- dle row left, Joe Powell, Sabrina Brand, • Amanda Widdis; Shannon Green. Front row left, James Reschke, ' Chris Hearn, Nicole Noble and Megan Finkbeiner. - for work in the fields. O'Rourke said he`ll miss the stu- dents and his co-workers the most after retirement. • What won't he miss'' "Report cards.", he said with a smile. "All the stuff that comes down the tubes that doesn't have a lot to do with teaching." Brand' said he'll miss the ,routine of .school and the students hut he's "really looking forward to re- tirement anda- career change." Brand plans.on devoting alt his en- ergies into.his Arabian horse stable and horse training business. His Brandate Arabians 115 acre farm operation includes 26 horses and an apprenticeship program where both young and adult students care for. one of Brand's .horses. O'Rourke plans on continuing with his part-time grass cutting job at Ironwood Golf Club. "i just want to he outside. • of a huilding awhile," he said: O'Rourkeiand his wife, of 31 years: Julia,'arc moving to London at the end of the sum- mer, but will remain fixtures in the area since O'Rourke will keep his 100 acre cash crop farm he leases out . in Stephen Township near Dashwood. O'Rourke also plans to keep up his sporting' interests jogging, volleyball. cross: country skiing and rollerblading. Brand said his new full-time ca- reer will keep -him busy enough that he won't have time for his sporting . pursuits, broomball and soccer. "I get - enough exercise chasing the horses around." he said. When asked what they think. about: the state of education after their long careers and the numerous tweakings of the system dyer the years, hiith agrced.that the desire of the student to learn is more im- portant, than any government agen- da. "The• method isn't the ;main thing." Brand said. "if you want something badly enough it doesn't matter how much they change the system." O'Rourke hopes -„changes to the system don't .compromise student needs. "I just hope they don't make class sites too big because. that's the real killer for the kids," he said. Stephen Central principal Rob Snell said Brand and O'Rourke will obviously be missed. ' • "We're losing 64 .years of ex- perience on our teaching staff," he said. "That's hard. to replace but 'hopefully they'll be back, lots." Have a news tip? ('all the Times -Advocate 235-1331 Moore's flowers Clearance Prices Everything must go Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m,. - 8 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sun. 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Pick You Own Strawberries Open 8 a.m. - dark 1 mile east of Hwy. 4, on Kirkton rd and 1/4 mile south of Exeter Golf Club Jeff and Brenda Horn 229-8176 Ai VON would like to thank the generous sponsors of the 1997 PCVP Golf Tournament at Exeter Golf Club. The tournament was a great success - which raised over $2000.00 for the Palliative Care Volunteer Program.In the South Huron and Grand Bend area. Volunteers provide visits free of charge to people facing sustained illness or bereavement in our community. • Smith -Peat Rooting- • Anne's Fashronation • Quilts & Calicos • Bakelaar Jewellers • Melba & Abner Tuckers • European Addition • Reel Time - • . • Thompson's Furniture • Merry Rags • Ron's Health Centre - • Exeter Decor Centre • Duttman's Bakery • Drysdale's .Appliances - • Huron Motor Products - • Cobble Design • Plantations. Vintage Interiors • • Bernard & Mary Rimmer • Shoppers Drug Mart • Grand Bend • Dashwood Lock & Key • Peckitt's Mens Wear • Kozy Korner Restaurant • Jerry Rader Homestyle Catering & Market - •Donuts Now • McTaggart'& Food Market • • Zurich Do -;t Centre • • Patty Turnbull • Canada Post Corporation - Hensall • Huron Apothecary • Haugh. Tire • Dr .: m O'Conror • Exeter Golf Club • Middlesex PCVP . ;:agonlit Ellison Travel : • Kentucky Fried,Chicken f Stephen • - • Village of Zurich • Tim Horton's ,a's-Restaurant • Cook's • Canadian Tire , (smith • MacLeans Home Hardware ' • CI&, ar - • Country Flowers • Dave IJrlm's Auto World • Bev Bumstead Fuels • Town of Exeter . • Hopper. Hockey Funeral Home • Rick Frayne's Exeter Toyota • • J.M. McBeath Funeral Home i• Eric -Campbell Ford. •.W.G. Thompson's • Hayter's_Turkey Farms • • Band of Montreal - Exeter • National Trust Exeter • Shoppers Drug Mart • Exeter • Jean Bennett - Avon Products • Dave Brock - Pioneer Seed Products • Deanna Brock - Aloette • State Farm Insurance - George Marr • Hensall Distract, Coop • Becker's Farm Equipment ;; _ P:tn. t;c :ficin VON • Capsule Comments - with Ernie Miatello There's much written. about dangers of cocaine :use during pregnancy. Duke University'.s researchers re- port that cigarettes may be more harmful than co- caine to the developing fetus. Cigarette smoke expo- sure produl;ed a. reduction in some brain cells. Conclusioria. [korai . smoke - anything... especially , if you're pregnant. - • By.the way, cigarette butts can.be a cause of poisoning inyoung chil- dren. If you smoke ensure you dispose of your butts. Nicotine poison- ing -can' cause respiratory problems, irregular heartbeat and. convul- sions. ' . We've mentioned in this column before of the importance of hand • - washing. 'A recent survey found that 48 per cent -of. people don't wash their hands 'after petting an animal; 33 per cent don't -wash • after coughing or sneezing artd 22 per cent don't wash their hands -after-han- dling money. Routine hand -washing reduces infection: Can a couple of big cups of coffee help. your breathing problems with hay fever? The caffeine in coffee has a relaxing effect on the bronchial tubes which" makes breathing easier. However, before drinking more coffee, remember caffeine can also raise blood' pressure and cause sleeping problems. Carry a list of routinely used medications with you. at .all times. This list can be helpful in an emergency situation and save valuable time in treatment. HURON APOTHECARY Ltd. Phone 235-1982 440 Main St., Exeter "Your Health Care Pharmacy" inventory reduction inventory reduction inventory reduction sale inventory reduction inventory reduction inventory reduction sa e inventory reduction inventory reduction inventory reduction sa e inventory reduction inventory reduction inventory reduction sa e Sofas, Loveseats, Chairs, Mattresses, Tables, Lamps, Bedroom Suites and Accessories Minne s Fine Furniture & Window Fashions 467 Main St. Exeter 235-0173 sA VE NO'11 V SAVE- NOW Al VE I !O W