HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-12-16, Page 66
Exeter Times -Advocate
Editoria1 Opinion
Wednesday. De4.ember 16. 199$
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TIMES-AI)VOCATE
PUBLICATWNS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511
Jim Beckett
Publisher and Editor.
Don Smith
General Manager Production Manager
Deb Lord
Published by J.W. I:edy Publications limited
424 Main Street South. P.O. Box 850
' Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 • (5j9) 235-133.1
EDITORIAL
Let's hope for successful
amalgamation talks
'farting Jan. 12, Exeter and the townships
of Stephen and Usborne will form an orga-
nization committee to begin a proposal for.
amalgamation among the three municipalities.
The question is: Will this, the third stab at amalga-
mation talks among these three municipalities, be suc-
cessful, or are these talks doomed for failure?
A meeting in Usborne last week among the three
municipalities indicates that, at the very least, there's a
rocky road up ahead.
While the meeting started off on a positive note with
everyone pretending to be polite to each other, it -even-
tually eroded into a long, drawn-out bore marked by
arguments over issues that should have been easily
decided upon.
The most heated battle was over where the organiza-
tion committee will hold its future amalgamation meet-
ings. While it was•eventually decided they would all be
in Exeter, some councillors present, including Exeter
Mayor Ben lloogenboom, felt the meetings should
rotate among the municipalities. Stephen Township
Coun. Anita Riddell added that people in the townships
are already afraid of Exeter and holding all the meet-
ings there will make such feelings even worse.
That suggestion caught the attention of Exeter Coun.
George Robertson who, visibly angered, accused
Riddell of mistrusting Exeter.
Riddell was correct, of course, andso was
lloogenboom for suggesting the meetings rotate.
Other members felt rotating the meetings would con-
fuse the public who wouldn't know where to go should
they want to attend. Rotating meetings would also add
the "inconvenience" of having to advertise where they
would be. What these councillors failed to realize is
that amalgamation•can be an emotional issue, with
municipalities afraid of losing their identities. Rotating
the meetings would have gone a long way to easing
those fears. .
Another amusing argument at the meeting was
whether the organization committee will make deci-
sions by a majority vote or by a consensus. It took them
20 minutes to reach a consensus on voting by consen-
sus! if they couldn't decide on that issue quickly, how
long is it going to take for them to decide on major
issues such as staffing, taxation and services? Clearly,
decisions should be made by majority. Otherwise, the
organizational committee's regular meetings could run
into the wee hours of the morning.
So, while the three councils eventually agreed to
choose two councillors from each council to sit on the
organization committee to draft an amalgamation pro-
posal, there are going to be some heated. battles ahead.
That's OK, as long as the concerns of the taxpayers are
looked after.
And members of the organization committee should
keep this in mind — amalgamation talks have been
going on for at (east four years. it's time they got this
thing finished.
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---8Y IGCLE LIGHTS 1
A local sports Christmas wish list
There.'s no snow on the ground and that spiked
egg nog just doesn't go down the same unless it's -
20C or colder. Even Santa's reindeer (especially
Dasher and Donner) are friskier than normal
since the weather's more like mating season
than sledding season.
But you can tell Christmas is sliding into
home by how much the malls resemble zoos
on weekends. Christmas shopping is a full
contact sport as tensions_ boil over in parking
lots and all the blood spilled and broken
bones in the department store aisles.
This sports scribe has drafted a special
local sports -Christmas wish list which I'll
share with you before mailing to the Sports
Santa. tiow can you tell the Sports Santa
apart from the regular jolly guy? The Sports
Santa looks an awful lot like Don Cherry and the
elves all resemble Ron MacLean...
1. A Jr. 1) all -Ontario title for the Exeter Hawks
and/or the Lucan Irish. I'd settle for the two teams to
meet in the Yeck Conference finals, the T -A's dream
series.
2. Every highschool team (both boys and girls,
basketball, volleyball, cross-country, field hockey,
rugby, soccer, badminton, track and field, wrestling
etc.) "and individual athletes go as far as they can go,
ie. win Huron, Huron -Perth, WOSSA and OFSAA
titles. Of course, even the Sports Santa can't pull this
one of his hockey bag, but hey, it's worth a try.
3. For the liensall Sr. A Sherwoods to improve to
the point where they can enter the Southwestern Sr.
A League and take on my hometown, Aylmer.
Nothing against their current league, but remember
those classic Exeter Mohawks vs. Aylmer Hornets
battles?
4. Heightened enrolment in Exeter area minor.
baseball associations. Participation in minor baseball
around here has fallen off dramatically in recent
years thanks in part to the incredible success of
minor soccer. It is possible to have healthy baseball
and soccer systems without hurting either. Maybe
the Sports Santa can wave his magic baseball bat
and cut minor ball registration and equip-
- ment costs... •
5. Football to return to South Huron
District High School. Rugby is great, so are
field -hockey and soccer, but nothing .in my
experience boosts school spirit like football
games. There's always something to see
during a football game whether it's on the
field, on the sidelines or in the- crowd.
.Arguably the best sports photos- are taken
at football games. Now only if the Sports
• Santa would teleport a teacher who's a grid
iron- master to SHIMS along with the mega
budget to, support a top program...
. 6. tligh school hockey to -make like a phoenix at
SHOJIS. After football, ice hockey -is the next most
spirit -raising sport at high school I've found in my
travels. The hockey knowledge is obviously around;
but again, if Sports Santa can only pony up the
cash...
. 7. A windfall of all -Ontario hockey titles for- Exeter
area minor hockey systems. •
8. A successful season for the Exeter Centennials
in the Western Ontario Soccer League's First
Division. Their move up to the First Division is a -first
for Exeter area soccer and will provide a big chal-
lenge.
9.- Continued improvements for the Exeter Masters
soccer team. The team proved to be competitive in
their first season. Now-only.if they could play their
home,games in Exeter... •
10. lastly, I. wish for every- athlete to display
sportsmanship at all times and get the- most out of
the sports they love. Remember, sports are supposed
to be fun.. Remember, not having fun .will make- the
Sports Santa make you warm the bench (his version
of the naughty/nice list).
CRAIG
BRADF
MISSILES
MUSINGS
•
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