HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-04-22, Page 10Page 10
Tines -Advocate, April 22, 1998
YOUR VIEWS...
Neighbor's"dog not restrained
"These dogs take a mouthful or a posed to catch the dog, then call the dog catcher who
lives in Hensall.
strip when they attack.A good number of dog owners obey the rules, a
Dear Editor: • good many ignore them. Why not get the new coun-
What is one to do, if on your property and trying ••sel members, with their 13 per cent raise, to take;
to get a little sun, a Rottweiler from next door comes :turns catching, calling, and holding this dog until he
barking -at you and comes up"to within 10', snarling has a'muzzle on him.
and harking, then goes back, lays down. I stepped • I have been bitten at times by dogs that wouldn't
out 4 feet further in the sun, he came dashing hack, bite. A woman in Stratford just had her face man -
showing teeth and snarling: 1 froze and didn't move gled, children are torn up by Rottwiellers. There arc
so much as a finger. He stopped about 4 feet from a good number of dogs with no tags and no muzzle.
me. l could have touched him.. Enforce what you have, or rewrite it with teeth.
1 was weak the rest of the day. These dogs take a
mouthful ora strip when they attack. I understand
they are to he on a leash or muzzled and I am sup -
'4
Meet the neighbors
...the fun begins Thursday nights
and continues until Sunday...
Dear Editor: -
I am writing this letter to the parents. of the young
men who recently purchased a house in our neigh-
borhood: 1 want tO sincerely thank you for the exern-
plaryjoh you.did raisingthcse-boys. I do not know
how you were able to allow them to move out -of
your homes - you must miss them desperately. They
have certainly become a presence in our neighbor-
-hood.
Where else can young children earn pocket money
picking up beer bottles? Where ease can underage
teens learn to drink numerous beers and toss the
empties onto the street? On Sunday on.my way to.
church. I was reminded that God made man in His
image and the body is a wonderful example of his
creation"- for there in all his glory. was one of your
sons desecrating the ground. They have mastered thc
art of fire building and are making use of otherwise
useless' materials - an old rubber tire- to contain the
fire. They provide us with entertainment in the form
of loud music and screeching tires at all hours of the
night. When there was snow on the ground; we were
shown thc-way our of town via snowmobile trails
that led across our lawns. We. have learned how rela-
tionships develop from the unusual language used by
young girls screaming at their boyfriends. For exam-
Yours truly.
Lloyd Lovell
111
Imor
AMMIL
• NM
NNW
ple, one young lady told another that if she wcrc to
lay a @#$%?! finger on her !@#??!! boyfriend
again, she would @@#$??! break her arm and shove
• it up her @!!? 1 betievc this young lady is sixteen, so
it is good that she,has grasped the importance of
communication at such a_tender age. She will he
well prepared for a career. further schooling or mar -
.whichever she chooses.
• 1 am impressed with the condition of the home the
hogs have bought. 1 gather they have started major
renovat.ans to upgrade the property. Entrepreneurs
know that by improving property, you increase the
value of your investment. Arc they planning on
putting in -new windows or is the removal of thc+.-0.1d
ones just to allow nature to move into their space' .
The addition of the deck and the moving of the oid
one has certainly added more outdoor living space.
And the car that was stuck in the front yard one '
snowy Saturday night - buried up to its axles - has."
created.a unique landscape. •
Anyway.'anytimc you would like to come visit
your children. he my guest. My front porch provides
a. wonderful place to watch from just re.mcmher •
that thc fun begins Thursday nights and continues
until Sunday unless it is along weekend-. then it
..continues until Monday. Bring your own lawn chairs
-hut there should be -enough hecr to go around- Or
yet. huy them a house in your neighborhood
you can enjoy their company year round!
Wendi Schwindt. Exeter
Peace through prayer:
"We believe that if enough people
join their hearts and minds for
peace in prayer, we can bring heal-
. ing and change for the world...
Dear Editor: .
i received an e-mail letter this.past week which I
feel may he of interest to many of yourrcaders. This
is an account of one man's courage to follow what
you would call an impossible dream and his unwa-.
• vering belief in the power of prayer.
James Twyman is an author and musician who
spent somc.tin►c in Bosnia during the war and was
.devastated by the death, destruction and futility of
war. He left there detemtined tti find a way to bring
about peace. -
He later received a .copy of 12 peace prayers writ-
ten by major.reiigions world-wide and set them to
music. He then began giving concerts with these
prayers across the globe.
Twyman was invited by the government of Iraq
• to perforin his peace concert in Baghdad. War
seemed inevitable. "I was being used by the Iraqi
government." Twyman said, "hut we had the same
goal. to avoid a terrible war. i was given permission
to sing the Muslim prayer for peace to Saddam •
Hussein and 1 wanted the world to join in this
prayer. Thousands of pcopleover the world partici-
pated and I felt a profound shift in the energy of that
region. Three days later a pc -lice agreement was
signed. something that seemed impossible before the
prayer vigil hewn. •
• A week later I was invited by the government of
Northern Ireland to sing' in Belfast. Bombs were
exploding and peoplc.wcre trying to interrupt the
peace process. Once again thousands around the
world joined us in prayer and three days later there
was a break -through in the talks.A peace agreement
in May now seems inevitable."
Twyman believes the evidence is there that we do
have the power through prayer to bring about
change. He knew from this that he was to conduct a
global prayer project thus his invitation to sing at the
United Nations on April 23.presented an unparal-
leled opportunity to do so. Messages have been sent
worldwide through e-mail and lax to millions of. •
people requesting they send their prayers fin peace.
on this day and we invite you to join them with your
own personal prayer for inner and world peace.
We believe (holdenough people join their hearts
and minds for peace in praYer. we can bring healing
and change for the world. Thursday. April 23. 6:3(1
p.m.
More information on this project is available on -
the Internet website at http://www.pcaceseeds:com.
Scientific experiments on the project - at
http://-www.princcton.cdu/-rdneison/i nde x.html
Sincerely.
D. Chapman
y
VIM
Al
w
Going hungry for good causes. Above, students of St. Boniface/St. Peters Youth Group re-
cently went 24 hours without eating and raised an estimated $350 for Development and
Peace. Below, members of. the Christian Reformed Church Youth Group took part in a 30 -
hour famine for World Vision. "Around supper time is the hardest," said Ray Heyink, one of
the group leaders.
TEAS T�
.LET' pZ2-
HE EDI
Red Cross sends thank you
"It is the thoughtfulness of such.
people who help create community
spirit..;"
Dear Editor:
Next week there will"be a special celebration as it
is National Volunteer Week and the Canadian Red • •
Cross Blood Services would like to extend our sin-
cere appreciation to everyone who participates in the .
Blood Donor Clinics. Without the assistance of com-
munity volunteers, it would be very difficult to orga-
nize this program. "
There are numerous people in each community
who willingly share their time with us. If is weren't ,
for the hundreds of people who donate their blood,
•
patients wouldn't have a second chance. In order to.
organize a clinic, we rely on the support of service .
clubs; organizations, Masons, School Boards: •
churches, local businesses and the mediato provide •
us with facilities, refreshments, promotions and the • ' .
recruitment of donors and volunteers.
We would like to take this opportunity -to
acknowledge those dedicated people who volunteer
their precious time to.help enrich/save the lives of
those patients in need of blood and blood products.
It is the thoughtfulness of such people who help .
create community spirit which is a 'vital ingredient in
our Blood Services Program. .
Appreciatively:
Suzanne Barron,
Recruiter, Blood Services
Hurray for Charest
"Maybe he should be called
Thomas Charest, or would a bet-
ter
etter name be "Charade "?
Dear. Editor: -
i feel that Charest has made a great dedication. to
Canada by going to the Quebec Liberal Party. "Why
not leave a sinking ship?" -
if elected. Premier of Quebec, he will he pro-
claimed a hero for saving.Canada. He already is eli-
gible for his M.P. pension from Ottawa, and can try
• for a second from Quehcc should serve for six
..years:•
. If defeated in Quebec, his attendance record alone
should _qualify_ him for nomination to the Lihcral
- Senate. During the 3 1/2 years prior to .the 1997
election he attended only five times outof a possible.
637. This is a .065% attendance.
Mayp
be he should he called Thomas Charest, or would
a better name -be "Charade''" .
William Hudson. •
Granton
Courses not offered
Our children deserve a high quali-
ty and well rounded education....
Dcar Editor:
We arc writing to express our opinions on pro-
grams currently offered by the -former Perth Board
and not offered by the former Huron Board. In par-
ticular. Family Studics,.Design and Tech., and •the
use of specialist teachers.
We wish our children to march forward not hack -
ward into the 21st century. The current Family
Studies and Design and Tech. offers a full program_
that introduces and -develops necessary•life skills to
our children.. We feel more "computer expertise
should he available. We feel the Tech program at -
the Huron Board 'offers high tech. info. over very.
small periods of time that cannot meet the standards
currently achieved..
Specialized teachers provide:expertise in many ar-
eas that provide a richer education base for our chil-
dren. Music skills -help develop skills•that carry Oyer
to other educational subjects. It provides for -a more
rounded person. The quality of education is depen-
dent on the qualifications of Our teachers. We feel it
is necessary to have qualified music teachers in our
schools.
As well, 'a French program without qualified
teachers can only be as good as the ability of the
teacher. In a bilingual country, we feel it is impor-
tant to have qualified teachers'for our French class-
es.
Physical education in our society is of prime im-
portance to our health and well being. we feel quali-
fied teachers can help make this an important pan
of our children's lives. .
Our children deserve. a high quality and well
rounded education. Please consider this carefully
before making decisions that would hurt them.
• - Sincerely,
Connie Bedford, Chairperson
. Juliet Public School Council
•
Please, don't drink and drive!
Dear Editor:
Hi! 1 just wanted to send you this poem that I re-
ceived over the net: I thought with summer coming
up it should he published for -the teenagers. It made
me think- about my daughter. I hope you think it is
as good as i do.
Moonlight Ride
Jenny was so happy about the house they had found.
For once in her life 'twas on the right side of town.
She unpacked her things with such great ease.
As she watched her new curtains blow in the breeze.
How wonderful it was to have her own room
School would he starting, she'd have friends over
soon
There'd he sleep -overs; and parties; she was so hap-
py
it's just the way she wanted her life tobe.
• On the first day of school, everything went great.
She made new friends and ever] got a date! .
She thought. "1 want to he popular and I'm going to
he.
Because l just got a date with the star of the team!"
To he known in this school you had to have clout.
And dating this guy would sure help her out.
There was only one problem stopping her fate.
Her parents had said she was too young to date.
"Well, 1 just won't tell them the entire truth.
They won't know the difference; what's there to
lose?"
Jenny asked to stay with her friends that night.
Hcr parents frowned but said, "Albright."
Excited. she got ready for the big event
But as she rushed around like she had no sense.
She began to feel guilty about all the. lies.
But what's a pizza. a party, and a moonlight ride?
Well the pizza was good, and the party was great,
But the moonlight ride would have to wait. •
For Jeff was half drunk by this time.
But he kissed her and said that he was just fine.
Then the room filled with smoke and Jeff took
puff '
Jenny couldn't believe he was smoking that stuff
Now Jeff was ready to ride to the point
But only after he'd smoked another joint.
They jumped in the car for the moonlight ride..
Not thinking that he was too drunk to drive.
Thcy finally made it to the point at last,
And Jeff started trying to make a pass,
Withal' of her might, she.pushed Jeff away;
"Please take me home, l don't want to stay"
Jeff cranked up the engine and floored thc gas.
In a matter of seconds they were going too fast.
As Jeff drove on in a fit of wi;d anger.
Jenny knew that her life was in danger.
She begged and pleaded for him to slow down,
.But he just got faster as they neared the town.
"Just let me get home! I'II confess that 1 lied.
I really went out for a moonlight ride,"
Then all of a sudden. she saw a big flash
"Oh God. Please help u.! We're going to crash!"
She doesn't remember the force of impact.
Just that everything all of a sudden went black. •
She felt someone remove her from the twisted rub-
ble,
And heard. "Call an ambulance! These kids are in
trouble!" "
Voices she heard....a few words at best.
But she knew there were two cats involved in the
wreck.
Then wondered to herself if Jeff was all right,
And if the people in the other car were alive. •
She awoke in the hospital to faces so sad,
"You've been in a wreck and it looks pretty bad,"
These voices echoed inside her head,
As,they gently told her thatleff was dead, • •
They said. "Jenny, we've done all we can do,
But it looks as if we'll lose you too,"
"But the people in the other car!''" Jenny cried. •
"We're, sorry, Jenny they also died."
Jenny prayed. "God forgive me for what I've done
1 only wanted to have some fun."
"Tell those people's family, I've made their lives
dim,
And wish I could return their families to them."
"Tell Mom•and Dad I'm sorry I lied.
And that it's my fault so many have died.
a Oh, nurse, won't you please tell them that for me?"
The nurse just stood there -she never agreed.
A pass is not what Jenny wanted at all
(and by a pass, I don't mean football)
"Perhaps my parents were right maybe 1 am too
young
Boy, how could I ever have been so dumb
•
But took Jenny's hand with tears in her eyes
And a few moments later Jenny died,
A man asked the nurse, "Why didn't you do your
best
To bid that girl her one last request'?"
She looked at the man with eyes oh so sad,
"Because the people in the other car were her Mom
and Dad."
This story -is sad and unpleasant.but True,
So young people take heed, it could have been you.
I hope this poem will help stop kids and adults alike
from drinking and driving. JF