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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-05-05, Page 88 Exeter Tir vocate Wednesday, May 5./1999 Opinion&:Forum Remember when... On June 30 to July 2, 2000,Asirti +tnaoN� RISTRIET liefl South Huron District High School will celebrate its 50th Anniversary. The Exeter Times Advocate would like to join in the celebrations by iht., sharing articles or pictures - 1 which have appeared over the years. YEARS 1950-1954 - HI HIGHLIGHTS Cadets strut for inspection, school redies for open house By Joyce Haugh This week has been a busy one for both teachers and students, and will continue to be busy until after the Open House on Thursday night. Last Friday afternoon the verse speaking competition was held in the library with Mrs. Dunlop, Mrs. Farrow and Evelyn Desjardine (a grade 13 student) as judges. The winners in the dramatic verse were Charles Cowan and Marie Hodgson, and in the lyric verse Shirley Pearson and Eleanor Sharpe. These students will enter the verse speaking competition in Toronto during Easter week in 1952. Mr. Sturgis has purchased records in verse speaking diction. These records were made in England and procured through the United States. They are recordings of authorities in verse speaking diction and are to serve as an example for the school verse speakers. On Tuesday afternoon the annual cadet inspection was held in the gymnasium. Besides the regular precision drills by the cadets and demonstrations by the bugle band, the pro- gramme included several new features such as a wrestling match .between Bob Wade ' -and Charles Cowan. (If the school isn't careful they may lose these boys to Alex- Calvin, London wrestling promoter for the main bout in the London Arena some Wednesday night), a box- ing match between Richard McFalls and Bev. Lindenfield, these two boys also gave a fine showing, and a volleyball game between a team taken from the officers and NCO's of the cadet corps against a team picked from the ranks. Captain J.A. Carson, inspecting Officer, from London, complimented the cadets and bugle band on their excellent showing. Awards were presented to Eleanor brown as the best girl cadet Neil Wildfong as the best Grade 9 cadet and Bill Yungblut as best Grade 10 cadet. Wednesday afternoon we were fortunate to be able to attend the matinee showing of the great religious film, "The Prince of Peace" through the courtesy of the theatre manage- ment. Plans for Open House Thursday night have been carefully prepared. They will feature a solo competition, an oral French competition, (a new competition for which a shield has been procured), a fashion show under the direction of Miss Leckie, tumbling demonstrations by the Juniors and a tour of the classrooms in which exhibits and demonstrations are set up. In the fashion show, the girls from all the grades will model the garments they have made. These garments range from pyjamas in the Grade 9's to bolero suits in Grade 12. Don't forget Open House Thursday night. All are cordially invited to attend. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TIIE SHDHS YEARS REUNION" CONTACT KENDRA ARTHUR 235-4006 (H) oft 235-4587 (W) OR PAT ROWE 236-7167 WANTED. Individual to co-ordinate memorabilia rooms. Please phone KENDRA ARTHUR 235-4006 (H) oR 23S-4587 (W) OR PAT ROWE 236-7167 OPINIONS & LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Thanks for the coverage' Dear Editor: Lucan Minor Hockey system would like to take this opportunity to say 'Thank You' for the coverage that you have done on our hockey system through- out the past years. The extra work that you have taken on with the full page ads for A11 Ontario Champions, matching the right pictures with the right names, proper spelling etc. just goes to show the credibility and pride that each of you put forth in your work. Congratulations on a job well done! GLENN SILVER, Lucan Minor Hockey Exeter's needs a place to skateboard Dear Editor; I'm writing in reply to the letter that was printed April 28, 1999, entitled "Skateboarders tired of Waiting". Well, first off let me tell you a little about myself. I'm 21 years old, and I skateboarded a good eight years of my life, more recently I have taken an interest into mountain biking. Since I was in public school I either rode my BMX or stakeboard every day until I was about 19. Myself and my peers have been chased out of many parking lots, either by citizens or police. I remember once a good friend of mine had his skateboard taken away for a summer. Could you imagine having your car taken away for the sum- mer? This was a means of transportation and recreation. I can remember summers of past when we would get up with the sun and skateboard until we couldn't out of exhaustion. I know how these kids feel. I've been through this__ We've..gone to town meetings in the past, we've spent countless hours on ramps and platforms. We have faced by- laws, and sheer "bullying" by the town of Exeter. Exeter has potential, this could be a town to be proud of. I find myself either heading to London or Goderich everyday to receive goods and services that are not available in town. It would be very sim- ple to solve the skateboarding dilemma, just lay down some cement or asphalt. Why not down by the river in the park? Put up a light, solution is done. That park is going` down very rapid. I'm only 21 and I have never seen that river as disgusting as it is. There is nothing to do for teenagers and young adults like myself to do in Exeter. It I want to "Work out" I have to drive to London or Goderich. I just finished my first year at Fanshawe college and I might be a little sick of driving every day. Why won't Exeter town council let this place grow? Keep spending money down town to make it beautiful, but don't neglect the rest of the town. This can be a beautiful town, like I said, I have never ;seen MacNaughton park as disgusting as.. it is. It's a great place for tourism, a very small portion of it is beautiful, why not the rest? Put more garbage cans in, maybe a cement pad for skateboarders where idiot drivers won't ruin their fun. Where is a 15 year old kid going to keep getting money to replace this? r This is still a farmer's community, I admit that. Personally I quit skateboarding because there was no where to go. It is a very addictive sport, and it is a sport. Skateboarding takes a lot of balance, a lot of patience, and a lot of skill. It isn't a team sport, you can't rely on someone else all the time. Skateboarding for me created individualism. Skateboarding is no different than any other sport. It is very rewarding, teaches youth to set goals and try their hardest to achieve them. Parents with chil- dren who skateboard can agree with me on this. • They will skateboard for hours either in front of their homes, in their back yards for hours. Don't neglect skateboarders, or any one else who seeks physical fitness other than the sports this small town offers. I'm sure there are others in Exeter who enjoy weight training, but find themselves driving to Lond-)n everyday. The only reason the other gyms In Exeter failed, is advertising. 1 only recently found out there was a gym at the north end of town. It closed over a year ago. What about the weight room at the rec centre? Well. no surprise there, it was a dump. Principal's message This week Is Education Week in the province of Ontario and South Huron D.H.S. will'be hold- ing a special event this week in recognition. On Thursday, May 6 we will host a day of special activities called "Panther Pride Day". We will begin the morning with breakfast for staff and stu- dents followed by classes. The afternoon activities include: • an Arts cafe • a staff -student baseball game • a swing dance workshop • students games including road hockey, tae bo, hackey sac, flag football • a dance with music supplied by our school bands. Students and staff will dress in red and black for the day; so, please dig out that old cheerleader sweater or football jacket for your kids to wear. The- students are encour- aged to stay for supper and to help clean up for the evening's School Open House from 7 to 8:30 p.m. All parents are invited to attend. Student work will be on display in every classroom. At this time of year there are so many wonderful pieces of student work to share and we'd Iike you to see them too! We are excited about this special day and look forward to you joining us. Help share the Panther Pride! Parents are invited to attend a Symposium sponsored by CPRI (Children and Parents Resource Institute) "Significant Losses: The Impact on Children and Their Families" on June 9 at the Recreation Hall, CPRI, 600 Sanatorium Road, London. DEB HOMUTH MESSAGE I can't drive to London everyday, neither can yang skateboasAers who are just, looking r a.,li44 tle ,fun. This is an issue about skateboarding, and other activities or services Exeter probably will never have. Why? There is a need. I can't not see a gym being prosperous in Exeter. It is a proven fact that weight training is more• effective in the long run to burning off fat than cardiovascular. Gyms aren't just for 200 pound men with chests the size of trees. I belong to two gyms right now and it is very surprising the senior citizens you see. They're not working out to be as big as Arnold Swarzeneger, but to be proud of themselves. The most common thing said by people who don't work out is that they are scared -of getting big. That isn't going to happen overnight. If you train to be big, you will get big. If you train to be toned, you will get toned. Skateboarding and weight training are two totally different things. However, they are two very addic- tive sports. There is a need for the two in Exeter. Why aren't they fulfilled? Goderich is only about 2000 people larger than Exeter, but they have filled both of these needs. Why won't Exeter? Exeter should have a gym or a cement pad for skateboard- ers. Maybe some of the people who sit in one of our five donut shops could use the exercise. What about the police or firemen. The police don't have a weight room, and the last time 1 checked neither did the firemen. Aren't these two professions sup- posed to be the most physically challenging? The need is obviously there, a gym would make money if it were advertised. A skateboard park has been sought after for more than ten years, it would make a lot of people safer and happier. Why won't town council look at these problems rather than raising their wages? They don't deserve six thou- sand dollars a year for meeting once a month. There is a need, just look at it and I'm sure you'll find the solution is a lot easier than you think. _ Sincerely SCOTT MCDONALD .: •9:4(:ii:,}i>: :;:j' is T::iii`i::r' ?::