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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-09-02, Page 4Page 4 limes -Advocate, September 2, 1998 Publisher & Editor: Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Production Manager: Deb Lord AertisiDs: Barb Consitt, Chad Eedy (hews' Kate Monk, Craig Bradford, Katherine Harding, Scott Nixon, *Ross H PreaucLan; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Brenda Hern. Joyce Weber,. Laurel rransoQrtetion: Al Hodgert front Office Accounting; Sue Railings, Carol Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Da Ruth Slaght, 1.1rr> C4101.0 MIME augh Barb Robertson Miner Windsor Irymp(ea' C. Gala • The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information leadership EDI T()R1AI, 'Publications Mai Registration Number Q7511 ;wiseRIPTSQt4 RATES; One year rate for Canada subscribers • $35.00 + GST Two year rate for Canada subscribers - S63.00 + GST OTNER RATES .xerx„��(G/_) „. Outside Canada - S102.00 1 CJ� pM Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S6 by J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Telephone 1-519-235.1331 • Fax: 519-235-0766 emali:taeeedy.com • O.S.T. 18105210835 The best destination the American W dollar can buy bile politicians, economists., stock brokers and the Financial Post columnists moan about the decreasing value of the Canadian loonie these past months, our country's tourism and hos- pitality industry is likely singing "ho- sanna". How•.can Canadian hoteliers,. restaurateurs, ferry and theatre - operators, -concert managers, hot dog • and T-shirt vendors possibly complain with so many Americans crossing our border to enjoy some of the finest sum-. mer attractions, scenery and weather this continent has offered in 1998? An all-time record of 1.2 million Ameri- cans crossed the border in June to take advantage of the low Canadian dollar and'our fine hospitality, entertainment and attractions. Ask any local merchant or restaurant -operator and they are sure to tell you that they have never seen so many Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin license plates. passing through Fergus and Elora as ' this summer. Not only are our neighbours to the south taking advantage_of living in -such close proximity to the finest country in the world, record numbers of Canadi- ans.are also taking their summer holi- days within their own borders and dis- covering domestic destinations and. attractions. Ontario's beaches are re- porting record attendance and the Elora Festival reported record ticket sales. Other cultural events and institutions are surely to follow suit. Tourism has long been touted as a 'growth industry' for Canada. The low Canadian dollar should be considered an opportunity for our country's tourisrn businesses to expand - especially in On- tario,which-accounts for 37 per cent of Canada's tourism revenues. Fergus and . Elora:would also be wise to support and expand their own tourism infrastructure in order to assist local businesses in at- tracting and providing services to visi-• tors. This can include the construction of the new Fergus Information Centre, es- tablishing a permanent, accessible and -attractive site for an Elora Information Centre (now that it is being moved out of the new Township •of Centre Welling- - ton headquarters), and integrating and • strengthening the ties and relationships between the two communities' tourism sectors. . • Yes, 1998 may go down in our coun- .try's history as a time of anxiety over the value of the loonie, but it will also be remembered as a boon to Canadian B & Bs, restaurants, parks,.cultural events, attractions and domestic economy. The United Nations has listed Canada as one -of the best countries in the world to live . in maybe it's time to promote it as the best travel destination the American dol- lar can buy. Fergus -Elora News Express Your Views Letters to the editor Thanks to Exeter Pool staff When you have .such wonderful young adults as leaders, they be- come great role models for your children. Dear Editor: i wanted to write this letter to express my grati- tude to the staff, of the Exeter Pool. This summer my family "lived" -at the pool and ,wc were its - pressed at the skill and professionalism of the four staff mcmhcrs, Gavin Poole; Jaclyn Baynham, Meg- an O'Rourke, and Ben H000gcnhoom. They were a dedicated staff, committed to helping children- and adults- alike enjoy the sport of. swim- ming. My children went into lessons with•only the basics of swimming and by the end of this season my eldest daughter was winning ribbons on the Swim Tears (that competed. with towns. throughout .Huron and Pcrth.countics) and my other two girls were swimming in the deep end with confident strokes. Not only did they. teach lessons, but also lead the Exeter Barracudas to two first place team finishes at the four meets. One second place and one in the top four (out of IQ=15 teams). The children learned dedication and. hard work pay off - a lesson easily learned through the shining examples cif the lifeguards. When you have such wonderful young adults as leaders. they become great role models for your children. . Thanks, ha- a wonderful summer!! 1 know my fam- ily will return next year for another summer of fun!! Yours truly Rick. Karen. Erika and.Taylor and - Rachael Mattucci A View from Queen's Park By Eric Dowd TORONTO -- Ontario's Liberal leader, Dal- ton McGuinty, has called on New Democrats to vote for him in an election ,as the only way to get rid of Premier Mike Harris, and there may he some truth to it. The Liberal leader whose party leads consis- tently in polls, said those who want Hams and his Progressive Conservatives out should forget about voting for the NDP, which runs a poor third. McGuinty can be counted on to repeat this often before the election due next year, and it has basic appeal ,because many are motivated more by wanting to remove Harris, 'who has caused resentment by cutting services as well as taxes, than install any specific replacement. McGuinty's assessment is self-serving, de- signed to win votes, but oven the NDP's best friends would admit that it has extraordinarily weak support for a party that was in govern- ment only three years ago. The New Democrats obtain only between 12 and 15 per cent in polls, far below their core Missiles and musings By Craig Bradford Homerun hitting and who to look up to - -Morals and sports have always been like oil.and-'water. Take the Major • League Baseball homcrun and steroids media debacle for ex- ample. , • - Let sic go on record here = I don't care. what slugger Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals puts in his body. He could shoot up on camera fur 60 Minutes or do a late night inion ercial in andnisten- edoinc or creatine for all I caro. e. The homcrun hitting contest- be- tween McGwirc. . Chicago Cub Sanunv Susa and the. fading Ken Grifley Jr. of the Seattle Mariners has single-N(ndc(1ly tilled seats. in ballparks across Norah America and almost erased the damage done by the players' strike/owners' lockout. People are excited about huschall again due to McGwirc's. formidable forearms. So what if he needs a lit- tle boost to put him over the top'. It's true the more powerful you are the -more likely a deep fly hall can turn into it round -tripper. - But the fact is McGwire. 34. still has to have the super hand -eye _co- ordination to connect with the • hall in the first place and have the ap- propriate homerun swing to make the hall sail over the fence. Have you ever tried to hit a la) mph+ • • fastb,t . 7rafty veteran's trade- mark Tinter.' McGwire". homcrun hitting prowess isn't -something new. f(c hit 49 in :87 in his rookie year for gosh --sakes. Remember the days of Oakland's Bash , Brothers (McGwirc and now Toronto Bluff: Jay Jose Canseco)'' He also went on a batting hinge late last season -to club 58 homers: ' if he had stayed healthy through- out his career. McGwirc might also he gunning for Hank Aaron's ca- rcer honterun stark let alone the single - season What kind of message is McGwire sending to the millions of kids who idolize him? orientated gu\docs charity work and. for all accounts. wants -to hit his homers 'for the team'. - in other words. hesides•this recent - mediit blip. McGwirc is the idcai- "-spokesperson for pro baseball and a good role model for youngsters. But that role. model -stuff is the kicker. What kind of message is - McGwire sending to the millions of. kids wit() idolize him'. Docs he want his-ntug on the front7o1an an-. dro or creatine bottle instead of the. Whcaties box? And who is the better role model'' A pampered; spoiled profes- sional athlete who makes soil- Rims for hitting a small cowhide- - covered hall elf twine or that nice ratan around the corner who coaches his daughter's soccer. team, • teaches - Sunday school. volunteers for the Heart & Stroke -Society and mows poor old . widow Mrs. Bryso n's 'fawn 'each mark of 61 in "61 held by Roger Maris. • ' McGwirc claims the legal (well. at (east • in Major `League Baseball) substance arida) • helps hire receiver faster from -his heavy weightlifting regimen. and ease the fatigue from the I62-garne • long season. . • in fact, creatine is a well-known diet supplement to workout fanatics week''. • and is widely used by athletes and- Someday our society may value huff factory workers and other ordi- something more than money. power nary Joes. , - and fame. Tilt that day we'll have McGwirc, though- divorced. .to take our Clawed heroes as they seems to be a - likeable family- come, dirty habits and all. vote of around 25 per cent in elections for tht past three decades and a high of 37 per cent when, led by .Bob Rae, they ejected a Liberal government in 1990. They have not fallen to as few as 15 per cent in an election since they faced the popular Tory premier John Robarts ill 1963. The NDP's decline among floating voters who supported for it for the first time in 1990 results particularly from still -fresh memories of its $10 billion annual deficits, totally out of step with the trend in all governments today to balance budgets and reduce debt. The NDP is rarely given allowance, although it is only partial redemption, for having had the bad luck to govern in a recession when revenue from taxes was low, while Harris can rake in as much even after reducing taxes because of an economic boom created largely by others. • The NDP's core following which stuck with it through unrewarded decades in opposition has been eroded because in government it reduced public sector pay when it recognized belatedly Can they beat Harris? the need to cut costs and incurred the wrath of unions and the rift still has not healed. The NDP government turned off other core supporters when it abandoned cherished poli- cies such as government auto insurance because of the cost and opposition to gambling only to set up the first casino to win itself cash. ' Since the NDP returned to opposition, its rank and file have been further disillusioned by two of its most respected figures, former treasurer Floyd Laughren and education minister Dave Cooke, defecting to supposedly -non-partisan posts in Harris's government which help it look more representative, following a well -trodden path of socialists being seduced by power. The NDP suffers also from the general lack of support for left-wing parties except where as in Britain and nearer home in Saskatchewan they are seen to have moved closer to the politi- cal centre. • Howard Hampton, who succeeded a as leader, has not been able to do this so it has been . particularly . recognizable, altho gh he warded off attempts by some in his party to de- clare' if, Ontario Hydro is privatized the NDP will renationalize it without compensation. But he has dropped so low in polls media have less interest in anything he says. The New Democrats run the danger that if their, weakness in polls continues through an election, they will have fewer than the 12 seats needed to be a recognized party and lose funds for research and the right to ask the same num- ber of questions in the legislature as the larger opposition party. Can a party lose support so it drops like a stone from the heights to depths? One example was. the federal Tories winning 43 per cent and government in 1988 and only 16 per cent and two seats in 1993. It is a year to an election and the NDP will recover some lost support when unions remem- ber who fought for them hardest and the Liber- als are seen first as having few policies and then being too much to the right. But the NDP will still have difficulty arguing that it can beat Harris. •