HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-12-23, Page 7Exp' Ts -Advocate
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Thank you for all
your generousity
Dear Editor:
Through•yt►u, I wish to thank kill.churches In
the area, industries; organizations, schools, and
individuals who made .donations of .clothing,'
toys and food to .the Christmas Bureau. Each'
child received clothing and toys and each family
received a generous hamper of food as well as
vouchers for the grocery stores to buy groceries
Ghosts of Christ
for Christmas dinner.
Over $7,000 was donated to pay for vouchers
and some clothing in sizes that we were short
of. We served 126 families with 263 children.
This. was from Exeter and area only.. Goderich,
Wingham, Clinton and Seaforth had their 'own
bureaus.
The generosity of the people in this area is
overwhelming. Many families will have a ha _
er .Christmas because of your generosity.. Pet
Merry Christmas to all
AUDREY MACGREGOR. KAREN Vo I)AMM
mas Stephen Central students
or any say thanks for the tour
de mid
t'nezer Dear Mrs. Lord and Ms•. Monk:
hash put Thank you for letting us come to• -the T.A. Thanks
rds this you for your time, to
give us- a on the how you use the. machines. The tv,ax machine, our, 1.really the
butter- digital camera and the computers were, :interest -
writer ing. Thank you for answering
e past • 1 really- enjoyed learning how, o.make ney1 °lour gi spap( questions.
•
vices.
Yguod Thank ` KlusTi_� Rias(:ur;t:
unabld you for taking time• out of your work day,
to let us come to the .Tmes Advocate. I thought the
camera and the wax machines were neat. You also
lamas did a good job of answering all of our questions
wilted • •
good . 'Thank you'for taking the time for fustand answerii
-
mag- • ing our questions. 1 really lik. d.the- machines. It
front was beat how you could do all of• that...1 learned a '
ii
have lot. Thank you
river
her-. Thank you for showing us around the:u�r:i r,r 1.1ar,,
titre ly learned a lot about how the newspaper w(irkstl1 .
rig,- �tl�pfe( fate )ou taking tattoo. from your day to take
are •us on the tour.
sire -
les. /;hank you to • Jur; .IS•,tail
and showingu • • } 1P runes_ :�d�„(ate
i
This has nothing to do with Jacob Marley
of the Charles Dickens' characters who ma
night visitations to the bedside of Eb
Scrooge on that Christtnas Eve of fiction w
an end to his "Bah -Humbug” attitude Iowa
joyous annual season. Rather, reflection
metamorphoses that have evolved into the "
fly" Christmas that is current today,
s
has no thought of upholding lost virtues,ofth
and condemning the present observances as
Any long-range development that is basicall
can produce extremes that are of questa
value.
Take decorations, .for example: unlit Chri
trees, a scattering. of green ;boughs. and t
green and red crepe paper ribbons were -
'.when• there was nothing better, but .wildest i
inings did not dream of those'
light'shows of tc,day, or tonight 11 shouls home-
light
say.
yo seei) those new icicle, drape hangings
doorways alma eaves. 1 Have. heard of people
ally' fighting over the. last boa of them on s
steel%es. Municipalities s '
nrelity' of their, fun, e e ►n to compete in u
'transfor'lned, into air) landtwithr their life-
ianleaus of sec•u1a►' and- religious- Hien
Allitnated stun'; front scenes.
and the shu are a #;rent attrttct,ur, r hating us at tl
ppitr malls learn to ha%e at least one make a mews
g s all. lh( fir if nc s that )oto use to
U'ec: in every 50 feet of frontage, '
trees of the hone. feet
o are equally n dldChristmas
a isimas paper: 'Also. thank ca you fair answering
our questions. 1 liked the big carne ra--It is sireuul.'
iy glor•iuus - a far Cr.‘from strings of hand -strum
popcorn and a'lf w r.s from
and'1 1 g • Tian k`y( to }taking Silvis )'i...‘111 ,
g r►1g and the t 1. th( 'tunes 1d time to show u e ‘1 I)slot"
Sipecia1 iPOlitician
TORONTO - The most
unselfish politician in the
Ontario legislature in memory
— and• this is a good time of
year to remember it — is find-
ing life harder.
Donald C. MacDonald was.
leader of the Cooperative
Commonwealth Federation and W
later New. l)emot'ratic' Party ERIC
from 1953, when Leslie Frost . ,,,!,...ERIC 11"ru
' was premier. until 1970. When A vrEw F(iAP1
he took over it had only two OueEN'sP�Rtc
Seats, so it cannot be"said he jumped on a band-
wagon.
•• The -Progressive Conservative government had
22 ministries and MacDonald was his
critic •
on 18 of them. Hr• kept a file on eacparty's
into Swhich
he threw any letters and research his. party turned
up,' although for a time its only staff was a part=
tinny secretary, and clippings from newspapers,
and grabbt.d it and was ready to speak on a
moment's notice. . any at a
. His riding of York' South was paved over and
miles from a farm-, but he' drove around enough
be as informed a critic on agriculture as, his ri1s.,
When MacDonald later had the luxury of lead-
ing eight MI'1's including brilliant Orator Stephen "
Ley% is, economist Kenneth Bryden and .lames
Renwick, who turned his bark on• corporation law .
..and provided legal. depth. his tiny; -party was more
effective than the 24 '\11'1's -of the rival opposition
'liberals and may, have been the most withering
opposition) of all time. '
McDonald was the only party leader
e'er his news releast•ti personally' to every
•
repo
in the press gallery, which could not hap-
iWith today\ highly or•gutoized p.r. stall's. But it
tot he got to answer their. questions, giving his.. ; .
s'spin and ensuring that the .\Dl' goti
•dia out of all proportion to its numbers. spare
citonald 4e(4 'the \ew Democr:ttr, to 259 per'.'
,1' the vole by the late -1960s, but was in hitt
s and younger politiri ns were, thought to-. '
:ill the . irtues :u,d there. was some demand
tore ronteinpor;u•1 le,adet•. -
l�1 ick ran -against film -, in 1968` -'
maid beat. hirto all' II ut iii I rj and
del
rep(
pen
ru(•:t
in nu
Ma
(:(•tot
liftio..
Kase
for ;lit
;' lifer
eve
The ' ►v' lengths of tinsel. Ur they
receiving g _ ti :froom' ac ,(
g of gifts' is an'ar'ea machinery- Thank 11o. really o. Wring seeing I the .'"1" 0
where' things have gut a .bit- out of hand. Almost
't'�'f'rr thi something have �►tt'w- and ut fume cur►you fur unherewa ago 1101(1 1- I
the murk que'stiunk 1 never knew that there was so.rnurh . { I -Is
' becomes a .. work in making a newspaper. _
ruse in'the age' or c'cwlunilic strengt
gruu'p where it most a ,Kali and /le6, thank the studeiets or t/
grou w e5 the Tuve of pieals` 1 be love' of having of thanks,. Space in 'Ike Pu �e.r . I titi(,ulil
i their letters
that .is de 'from Christmas g and. receiving, and all the tetters to.be puhfis/te'd, a 411 of (1 fetters
fair 1) 1 at,
many gifts were handmade. secretly,. a (tons bank�J .tire (r iters �'p ;t g(i
in lune and pride. After the children's bedtime -
mom
were read crud enjoyed.
ly', and wird e hut h
mom would Work pride.t knitting d•d Together We its top 1
have
o )e was fast bring, 1'/71 :ltj:
, made a differe '
nee
market w }lie h bee It s ud hard.
becomes
a 'Inas( for l! status symbol and
- 7i) --- although
,mild glosses over it in 0 new,- Updated ver• -
1' his biog►,►p),y, , The Happy Warrior. pre -
to tri ing to ,nord're(,l►(•►litog;-old wounds. —
and his supporters- quietly gathered'
h tor' their run.
;wiling of it. MacDonald announced that he ,
step, clown! (*limed that he could have
�uiu. and there is POdoubt he could kayo. put
td light.
1- said,tliis.would first divert his party from,
n ior'ity of preparing fair cin election due in, I
Mist an expected i1,'w 'fury 1N'('mie►'. who
turned It to -be the indestructibl(•.Wiili;,n1 Davis.
MacDonald also conceded accurately that two
attempts by his Own party to get hint out would
make hire appear a leader. trying to hang on
beyond his flay. '
The question that lingers even today is whether
-Neiv-Democ'r'ats would have beim better off' keep-
ing MacDonald'. Lewis- told hemi that picking hint
. was their best and probably last rhanr(''in :i 'hong
time to break through.
Hut in three elections •Lewis managed to raise
the NUT's-.v}ite, by, at most 3 .pt•r!'entage points: a- .
small gain ronilpa-red to what MacDonald had
gii'en. it as leader, and sobseque►►t leaders ,w,er(,
'unable- to raise it even to the level at which
MacDonald, left until the public,' became disgusted .
at Tory and Liberal governments in:quick surces-
sion and turned. to the ,ti'f)p at last ih 1990..
•MaclNin:lld's secinid big 'act of,self-sar<c self-sacrifice was
in 1982 when the Ontario x'1)I' picked Bob Rae,
- then the fcderafpa,►•ty's finally, critic, as leader.'
•
The party asked usher, less distinguished MN's
to give up their ridings so Ra(' could run fir the
legislature', but mune- would aild fn. the end
MacDonald alter •27 xears gave .up a riding be
could still be holding today. MacDonald, now .8 5, still works at ;ill levels in
the party including heading a committee to elect a
New. Democrat in his former ,riding -and 1.
dent of a community centre he 'bonded, but is not
quite as busy. as be was because be has prostate
cancer.
Ile is special because politicians do not like to
give up their ►nom(nts of glory, but MacDonald did
Blit l r\I:Y 'mot UI 11 - On le
out the toy or tool ! an ad would bran
would make lit't'le things, with he ipil r Ten41e c ora en
meat from their teachers. The compatitiveubrag
ging that ,resulted was heart-warming. Gifts given
uut'uf loVe'ur'because of need deserve highest pri
ority. 1 like the rethinder al- the end of a cun►mun
mealtime prayer, "and make us ever m,indful o
thu needs of others." ,
Seasonal events are bi '
party has become a tri at 'Christmas. The office
ditiun with business and
Many prOrdSjional' .groups. Occasionally: less than
creditable reports tome out Ir(Jn1 them, often From
,people 'who weren't even .there. In rural Ontario
the annual school concert was really
'par-
ents and children alike. Even the teacher's
f reputa-
tionor might hang on the ,qualityof h
and her next raise in the production:
grams have survived, pay. Sunday Schuul pro_ ,
draw goodatm happy to note, and •
1 attendance. Choirs and musical orches-
tras present speoial programs, which is all to the
good. but the most important gatherings at the
season of Christmas are those of families.'
• With all the hurry, the stress 'and the expense ,
that this season :brings and the accelleration of all
through time, it is comforting and assuring 0, real-
ize that one baste facet .of the occasion has never
changed - the original reason for its being. Our
material gifts should reflect the giving
first
Gift to all men of all time in the birtof that of Holy
Babe in a humble stable in Bethlehem'.
•
(.JERRY DpBRINDT, EXETER
Dear Editor -
At -this time, the 1998 Huron County,Christ►;tas
' .Bure
au,has.cumc' to a close:
f Again, this -year, due to the getlerosity and kind-
ness'of Huron County residents, we have been suc-
cessful'in providing support to approxi►nat(•I) ;UU
lagnilio.s »ith,yuung children'
On behalf of the Five buru$us, operating Iron), Chntun, • Exeter, Goderich, Sbafurth and Wing4l,ar11-,
and all the volunteers who provide their time and
ser%ices to, help make this - a succuss, we extend
our .sincere: thanks and. appreciation. Together 'we
Made a difference.
We wish everyone the very best of theseason
- and a Wonderful New Year.
KAREN limen l.l.,•MANA(;I:►(
Lettert to the Editor
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