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Exeter Timea-A4vecate
Editorial&Opinion
'1 1 I NI LS- \ J ) y ,` / CL T I
Wednesday, January 6, 1999
TUBIJCATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511
jim Beckett
Publisher and Editor
Don Smith
General Manager
f
Deb Lord
Production Manager
Published by J.W. Eedy Publications Limited
424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850
Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 • (519) 235-1331
EDITORIAL
Community newspapers offer the
news that is imporant to you
Reading the lists of top international
news stories of the year and other bits
of new year's trivia makes one consid-
er how many of those stories actually
had an impact on us here, in this small
corner of the world.
The general consensus on the sor-
did saga of Bill and Monica was that
around here, we regarded it as more
annoying than titillating. We are
accustomed to hearing what the rich
and famous of the world do to each
other, with each other and with each
other's spouses, so this was nothing
new. Most of them manage to do it
with more class, but otherwise, this
story had little going for it.
We in small town Ontario really did
not care how Bill defined adultery. In
fact, we rather thought that was his
personal business. It suddenly became
our business when Clinton ordered a
Christmas attack on Iraq. Canada had
promised to support the United States
in such military action, and that meant
kids from around here could end up
serving in the Gulf.
The timing of the attack on. the eve
of the impeachment vote raised a lot
of questions around the world. We
found ourselves asking if this man
who leads the most powerful country
in the world, at least for the moment,
would declare war on another country
as a smoke screen of sorts. True,
Hussein sits like a bomb with a very
short fuse, ready to wreak havoc. in
the volatile Middle East. Military
action was probably justified. But the
timing seemed sufficiently curious that
Clinton's morality became a topic we
found very interesting.
Then there was the so-called Asian
Flu. That was one international story
which had a lot of local impact. We
discovered to our woe just how much
our economy depends on world mar-
kets. We might not understand why
the economies in Asia crashed, but we
certainly recognized what happened
when m; . rkets for our pork and grain
dried up. •
On a positive note, there was the
phenomenal success of the movie
Titanic. We flocked to the theatres to
see the film, many of us opting to go
several times. Then we bought the
video. Why would what is, in fact, a
romantic tragedy in period costume,
earn such a massive following?
Apparently there was, and is, a mar-
ket for films which depend on ele-
gance and technical perfection instead
of car chases and gunfire. Hollywood
has taken note. We in small town„
Ontario and communities like this
around the world, will pay for top
quality entertainment.
On the lower end of the entertain
ment scale was television; 1998 was
not a great year:. Television was sup-
posed to spell the end of the movie
industry as we know it, but instead,
network television seems to be suffer-
ing from a distinct lack of forward
motion. These days, the best - in fact,
the only - creativity and quality pro-
gramming is found on the community
channels.
Of course, your biggest bang for
your media buck still comes from
newspapers. Contralry to the belief
that growth in the computer industry
would virtually spell the end of print
journalism, newspapers are thriving.
They still offer easy access to the
world, the nation, and your. communi-
ty.
People look to publications like the
one you are reading t6 keep up with
the news that is of vital importance to
them - how the local team is stands in
the league, what is happening with
property taxes, and what their friends
and neighbours are doing for fun.
Your community newspaper lets
you keep out-of-town relatives in
touch with home, maintain a firm
grasp of local issues even though you
work in the city, or become better
acquainted with your town and the
news that matters to you. Here's to
good news in 1999.
About the Times -Advocate
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NOM 1S6. Our office is open Monday to
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by Taralyn Gr. 6 - Zurich P.S.
NewYear's resolutions for Lucan Biddulph
Ah, the start of another new year. A' scrapped. If it's not important enough
chance to wipe out the blackboard that to be brought to the administrator's
was '98 and start fresh in '99. attention and added to the agenda
Things are newer, than ever in the before the meeting, it can wait till the
newly merged Township of Lucan next meeting.
Biddulph` as of Jan. 1. The friendly *Be prepared. In the past, councillors
amalgamation has_had its fair share of could show up for a regular council
bumps along the tke Or so years it has meeting w'ittiout brushing up on ,what
been in the works but councillors and will be ciletilialloaliatlai will
staff of both former municipalities have to come ti`an end, especially
should be commended for their hard since Lucan and Biddulph councillors
work. will be expected to make
A special thank you is extend- decisions on areas they aren't
ed to outgoing staff members for familiar with.
their efforts throughout their Study that agenda the week -
tenures: Biddulph administrator end or night before the meet -
Larry Hotson, Lucan public ing and give staff a call about
works superintendent Doug any simple questions that can
Johnston and Lucan deputy tax be straightened out ahead of
collector Linda Hackney. Their ; time rather than bogthe
jobs. have become redundant council meeting
down with
with amalgamation and the the basics:
transition board made the
BRADFORD the
compromise
unenviable decision to let them MUSING i and listening will be the key
y
go. Johnston's, Hotson's and skills. Both former councils
Hackney's contributions and smiling have had their traditions and ways of
faces will.be missed. doing things. Through co-operation,
But the remaining staff and the joint the new council will be able to forge
council still have a tough road to hoe. new processes that will be more effi-
There will be many challenges for the dent and more fair to all.
10 people around the table to tackle Compromise will also be in demand.
over the next year and their staff will Lucan councillors will try to do the
have to once again rise to the chal- best for their electorate and Biddulph
lenge. Here's one reporter's guide or members the same for theirs.
proposed '99 New Year's resolution list Everyone should work towards that
for Lucan Biddulph: elusive happy middle ground so an
•Put a reasonable cap on issue cis- benefits from hard decisions can be
stit
cussion length at council meetings. shared as much
go on and on and on ad nauseam.
as possible by all con-
c
With 10 people at the table, talks on uents.
even the most mundane issues could My lips are moving, but do you hear
me talking? It's easy to have precon-
While it's 'important each councillor ceived notions on how a Lucan or
gets an opportunity to share their Biddulph councillor will stand on an
opinion, some discussions on the tini- issue. It's also easy to form your own
est of issues at the Lucan council table agenda before hearing the other side.
gallery members into a deep coma.
alone in the past couple of years lulled Taking thenot tuneonly tocrlistenefor tobetterdecithe other
sak-
Here's my idea: each councillor would sions, but will also provide less scan -
have an equal amount of time to dalous ammo through heated and ill -
address an issue, say two minutes, and informed debate for the media to print.
opposing sides would have another The new Township of Luca,
two or so minute long rebuttal. Really Biddulph is an exciting development in
important issues, like budget talks, the area's rich history. It is an oppor-
major capital projects or personnel tunity to improve on the great work of
matters would be exceptions to this two councils through a concerted
rule. effort. Happy New Year to thenew
Also, the traditional go around of the Lucan Biddulph Township and may the
table at the end of meetings for coun- future be as bright as the past and
cillors to bring up recent items bf present.
interest or concerns should be