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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1998-12-16, Page 66 Exeter Times -Advocate Editoria1 Opinion Wednesday. De4.ember 16. 199$ „boa,. 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. .K1fiCR1¢.�I(fa^s/4::lY.Y;19.4,,. .3Y1<: 'MR& Volt t'YikVIA,.d»Y.YR�'YA`%".s0>.i.. About theTimes-Advocate Address & Office Hours Times -Advocate, 424 Main Street South, P.O. i3ox 850, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Contact Us By Phone or Fax Classified ad & subscription sales 24-hour automated attendant Fax number for all departments . (519) 235-1331 (519) 235-1336 (519) 235-0766 Subscription Rates One year rate. for addresses in Canada: $ i S+GST Two year rate for addresses in Canada- $63+GST One year rate for addresses outside Canada: . $102 Call (519) 235-1331 to order a subscription. rIE EVOLUTION eOF n LI&l'MM 8Y.M13Q%e5 19¢8: SANTA suRRouNPED �-- RY ELVES 1908: BAIY SURROUNDED --- BY WISE MEN Ni4.%b 1998: FURBYurDu4PP ---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 • ORD AND .are..»«.�eaws.�smaa.�saraxzuaew.n.ua:+¢aeax.rarcar»ae:as+xexr�:au.w 91.x.1...*zwzrmnrzoss*a�:r:�zu:. Classified Rates Word ads: $9.00 for 20 words, 15¢ for each additional word+ GST. Notices (births, deaths, announcements, coming events, memoriams, cards of thanks): $11.00 + GST7 for up to 30 -words, 15¢ for each additional word. All ads must be pre -paid, The classified ad deadline is Monday at 10 a.m. Display Advertising To place a display ad, (519) 235-1331 weekdays 8:30 to. S p.m. or evenings (519).235-1336 (leave message) or toll -free -at 1-888-270-1602. 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