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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1999-02-10, Page 9r Wednesday, February 10, 1999 Exeter Times–Advocate 9 10 YEARS AGO February 8, 1989 - In an abrupt about face, Exeter coun- cil has decided to purchase property from the Exeter District Co -Operative and build a new fire hall on Wellington and Brock Streets. Only a week earlier, council had—ided to locate the fire hall in a renovat- ed works department building. 2OYEARS AGO February 9, 1979 - Remember the Disco Duck, Grease and the Gong Show? All were part of a variety tribute at a production at Exeter Public School. More than 125 persons attended Monday's 25th anniversary of the Exeter Senior Citizens Club. Due to stormy weather and drifted roads some of the invited guests were unable to attend. The club was established thanks to the combined efforts of the Exeter Rebekhas and the town's recreational director Doug Smith. In attendance was the club's original vice-president Ed Lindenfield. 35 YEARS AGO February 8, 1964 - Members of the staff of Jones MacNaughton Seeds were entertained at the Zurich Hotel to mark the retirement of Herb Schenk and Rufus Kestle. Ray M. Creech, a native of Exeter takes over this week as manager of the local plant of Canadian Canners. 40 YEARS AGO February 9, 1959 - Fire destroyed the barn . of Usborne farmer Harry Squire. Also Iost in the blaze were 200 pigs, 200 bushels of oats and a large quantity of hay. Appointment of Wilmar Wein, Crediton as assessor of Stephen Township was confirmed by council Tuesday afternoon. 50YEARS AGO February 10, 1949 - W.G. Medd and C.V. Pickard have resigned as members of the Exeter Arena Board. They were members of the original board and acted on the ' building committee for about a year before the arena was built. Norman Hockey is completing his 31st year of barbering in his present location. 60YEARS AGO February 10, 1939 - The Order of the Eastern Star moved their meeting quarters from the Trivitt Parish Hall to the top storey of the Frayne build- ing. Thomas Klumpp of Dashwood suffered a heavy loss on Saturday when fire destroyed his planing mill, chopping mill, saw mill and lumber yard. The loss was estimated at $20,000, for which Klumpp said he had no insurance. The Dashwood fire department was powerless to save the mill because of a lack of water. Debate rose as to whether the wells were low, or the pumper or hoses were frozen. The fire departments from Grand Bend, Zurich and Hensall arrived in time to save surrounding homes., 65 YEARS AGO February 8, 1934 - Messrs. Fred Ellerington and Alex Stewart returned Saturday from a trip to England having shipped some of their cattle to the old country market. W.A Turnbull, who kr the past 22 years has been the efficient secretary -treasurer of the Usborne Hibbert Mutual Fire Insurance Company resigned his position on Monday. B.W.F. Beavers has been appointed to take his place. The grain elevator of Roy Fairless of Lucan which contained a considerable amount of corn, wheat, barley and chop was destroyed by fire, Monday morning. 80 YEARS AGO February 9, 1919 - Elizabeth Harness was hired by lxeter town council for ringing the town bell at a rate of $60 a year. Hockey fans have reorganized the Cyclone League to bring together teams -from Exeter, Hensall, Crediton and Zurich. President of the league is Fred Smallacombe of Hensall. A notice under the Dashwood column marked the dissolution of the general store partnership between Ezra Tiernan and George Edighoffer. The business in future will be conducted by Reid, Edighoffer and Son on strict business principle, embracing honesty, upright and square dealing with all customers, and with this object in view. HAUGHH SACK IN TIME Opinion&Forum LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Local help is needed Dear Editor: The Exeter Centennial Soccer Club, representing soc- cer for children, youths, and adults in the Exeter area, has embarked on a major improvement project that will enhance and improve soccer for all of the players regis- tered for years to come, and we need the help of the local people to bring it to completion. The project is the purchase and placement of lights at the soccer field at the South Huron Rec. Centre in order to provide more games at that facility. Soccer registration in our organization has surged over the past three or four years and we expect to register between 450 and 600 players in March for the 1999 sea- son. We enjoy the use of the two full fields and one prac- tice field east of the Nabisco plant thanks to that compa- ny's benevolence. The use of the fields at South Huron D.H.S. is also the result of goodwill between the South Huron Rec. Board and the Board of Education. Registration of players is restricted to the availability of fields for practices and games. Other factors add to make this a worthy project. The Exeter Centennials Senior Men's team won the W.O.S.L. Second Division in 1998 and earned promotion to the First Division for 1999. The higher level of competition comes with a requirement for change rooms and showers for visiting teams as well as referees. These facilities are ready and waiting in the South Huron Rec. Centre. Our organization also plans to enter four or five of our youth teams in the more compet- itive London District Youth Soccer League for the 1999 season. This expansion warrants the provision of a supe- rior playing facility for new teams that will be visiting. Exeter. However, we are also pursuing this project for the children in our soccer club. All registered players will have ample opportunity to use the field, under the lights or not, as the field will see other improvements that will make it a better soccer pitch. This project has a projected cost of $45,000 and, to date, we have raised approximately 70 percent of this_ amount, due to the gracious support of local service clubs and businesses-. In order to reach our goal we would like to appeal to the people of the South. Huron area. Many of our children enjoy playing soccer locally. We are providing coaching clinics for our dedicated coaches so they will be even better for the coming sea- son. We believe that these improvements are good for the entire community, not just the soccer players. Therefore, we invite people who wish to help get this, project to its completion to send their donations to the following address: Field Improvement Project Exeter Centennial Soccer CLub P.O. Box 2081, Exeter, NOM 1S7 Our project received a boost on Friday night when the BX93 Bullshooters hockey team came to town to play the Exeter Juvenile Chiefs and alumni. The game was orga- nized by Don Richardson on behalf of the Chiefs and the Rec. Board. Many thanks go to Don, Joanne Fields, Scott Rasenberg, Ron Westman, and the players for their help in raising $330.00 for this project. I believe in our project and I am confident that it will provide improved facilities for many local athletes. I hope the local residents will support this worthwhile endeav- our. GEORGE MCEWAN, PRESIDENT Exeter Centennial Soccer Club 50th anniversary coming Dear Editor, `�'"� J The year 2000 is not just the special year which the whole world is talking about, but it is also the 50th Anniversary of the building of South Huron District High School. There is an enthusiastic committee working on a celebration which will occur in conjunction with the other celebrations in Exeter taking place on the Canada Day weekend, 2000. - One of the projects being developed by the Committee is the preparation of a book covering the years of the Exeter High School which preceded S.H.D.H.S. and the fifty years of S.H.D.H.S. We would ask that former South Huron students and staff in all areas - teaching, secretar- ial, custodial and so on provide us with anecdotes and reflections from your time. We are inviting everyone from the earliest years to the latest years to this reunion and we hope that the book will be a wonderful souvenir of both the reunion and everyone's time at S.H.D.H.S. So, please send in your stories and anecdotes. (We'd look forward to hearing from "Senator Farwell" of Zurich!) We'd also appreciate any memorabilia that you could lend to the Committee for display. We will return everything loaned to us after the reunion. Bring your memorabilia to the school; bring your sto- ries or send them to the 50th Anniversary Committee S.H.D.H.S., Exeter, Ontario Thank you, DEB MCCANN PER J.L. WOODEN, South Huron Alumni Testing the waters TORONTO -- Premier Mike Harris is testing the waters to see if he can run in an election as the champion of family val- ues, but the title does not quite fit. In expressing his concern at a loss of respect, civility and responsibility, particularly ERIC among youth, the Progressive DaWD Conservative premier Aview FRoP deplored violence, vandalism, QUEEN'S PARK disobedience, rudeness and swearing and proposed giving schools a code of conduct with strict penalties for breaches. Harris mourned the disappearance of exam- ples set by the likes of Leave It To Beaver, the clean -living family TV program of three decades ago. The premier said it might be easier for him not to discuss the issue because some (presum- ably the opposition parties) will call him old- fashioned", but he is not afraid to speak out because values are important. He also warned that he is merely starting with youth -- there is more to come. Harris has long hovered on the brink of trying to make family values an issue that will help him. His party turned to it often in past elec- tions. Tories feel that because they advocate getting tougher with criminals and never quarrel with police, who in general do a good job but some- times violate citizens' rights, they have some sort of corner on promoting family values. The longest -serving Tory premier this century, William Davis from 1971 to 1985, also liked to boast that he was "old-fashioned" and it served him well Harris;- who is adept at spotting useful issues, talked a lot about family values when chosen leader in 1990, but dropped it and focussed almost exclusively on cutting taxes, wisely because it won him the 1995 election. A senior Harris adviser said recently he should not campaign wholly on tax -cutting again, but look for new issues. Harris has had nearly four years as premier to talk about the need to promote family values and it is hardly a coincidence he has raised it suddenly when an election is imminent. Many will agree with the premier in his con- cern at bad behaviour among youth, although he should have stressed among only a minority, but feel he has no ground to make political cap- ital from it. Harris claimed his tax cuts have helped fami- lies and should get credit. Some of his other programs also help families including job cre- ation aided by a strong U.S. economy, providing $30 million a year for more police in residential areas, hounding deadbeat dads to maintain their families and cracking down on reckless drivers. Harris's government is in its element being tough. But Harris will have difficulty proving he gen- erally has helped families and promoted their values. He cut welfare benefits, making it hard- er for those on lowest incomes, and stopped building social housing for poorer families. To grab more money for government he is expanding gambling by providing more places to do it, arranging cheap transportation and hiring star entertainers to attract, and his latest aim is to put slot machines within every family's reach, which will deprive some of necessities. Harris offers air miles as an inducement to buy liquor, which siphons still more from fami- lies, and has done nothing of consequence to discourage or limit smoking, which is increasing among youth. It was Harris, not an opponent,who once told a TV cameraman to "bugger off" ands."use your fucking head," which does not inspire youth to more refined language. Harris has the only cabinet minister, Al Palladini, known to pay child support to a for- mer mistress; the only MPP, Bill Vankoughnet, caught soliciting for prostitution; and the only MPP, Al McLean, at the time Speaker;- accused by a woman aide of sexual harassment. Harris has just silenced this complaint by hav- ing taxpayers pay her damages and now feels the path is clear for him to run as an advocate of family values.