HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-07-07, Page 4Exeter
School division wieners
The Exeter Agricultural Society announced its 1999 School Fair Winners in
conjunction with the Canada Day celebrations at the South Huron Rec Cen-
tre. School division president Pat Glavin. presents ribbons to, from left: first
place boys - Andrew Hodgert
of Usborne Central -School
(with morn Michele); second
place girls Alana Hodgert of
UCS; and second place boys -
Shawn Kennedy of McCurdy
Public School. Absent Lindsay
Hewitt of UCS (first place girls).
Pride of Huron Rebekah Lodge
sponsored the prizes. At left,
Dolores Shapton congratulates
Kyte Ryan of Stephen Central
hoof as the winner of the. Fo-
s on Agriculture in Huton
County category.
Wednesday, July 7, 1999
'Bend coundi pass tough sign bylaw
By,Katitarine Harding
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
GRAND BEND —. Coun-
cil wants more power to
control the type and
number of signs put up
in the village and on
Monday they passed a
tough bylaw to do just
that.
The comprehensive 15 -
page bylaw is effective
immediately and repeals
the previous sign bylaw.
"The standards and re-
quirements of the bylaw
hereinafter provided are
intended to have a pos-
itive influence on sign
design and promote good
signage... ," the bylaw's
preamble says. "The
standards reflect the
principles of neigbour-
liness and are designed
to encourage the en-
hancement and pro-
tection of the physical
appearance of the Vil-
lage."
The bylaw which main-
ly targets commercial
signs within the village
cracks down on the num-
ber and size of signs a
business can have.
Stricter new standards
are also in place for all
types of signage in-
cluding• mobile, portable,
banner and temporary
advertising signs.
TODS signs
Despite Grand Bend's
attempt to cut down on
signs, councillors be-
grudgingly accepted a
site plan from Canada
Tourism -Oriented Direc-
tional Signing (TODS)
earlier in the meeting to
place five signs within
village limits.
Last month, council re-
jected TODS' site plan to
post nine signs around
the village.
"This is basically sign
pollution," said Coun.
Phil Maguire at the time.
The TODS revised site
plan will see three four
feet by four feet signs
erected near the official
village sign on Highway
81. Two smaller signs,
measuring 20 inches by
36 inches, are slated to
be posted on Hwy. 21.
Darren Telfer, a repre-
sentative from TODS said
their company is re-
sponsible for insurance
of the signs and the con-
tract runs until 2006.
"The signs are almost
like a company leasing a
billboard," said Telfer.
"We take care of main-
tenance of the signs."
Some councillors
seemed uneasy with
TODS proposal.
"These signs aren't
meant for urban areas,"
said , Mayor Cam Ivey.
"They are going to start
to blur the landscape."
Coun. Phil Maguire
said while the signs
aren't ideal in light of
the new sign bylaw, they
have abreact committed
to erecting these signs.
Last February, council
agreed in principle to al-
low ,TODS to post signs in
the village.
"Guys, we committed
ourselves, now we have to
honour this," said Ma-
guire.
TODS is on contract with
the provincial government
and erects signs denoting
the location of local busi-
nesses and tourist destina-
tions via sponsorship.
Future of Exeter
parks meeting
set for July 14
EXETER — Should Ex-
eter have walking trails?
Do we really need a
skateboard park? Or is a
gym more important?
Those questions and
many more will be ad-
dressed at a special Exet-
er council meeting at
Town Hall on July 14
starting at 7:30 p.m. The
public is welcome to at-
tend.
The group attempting to
establish a gym and fami-
ly . centre in Exeter is
meeting before the spe-
cial council meeting at 7
p.m. at Town Hall..
For more information
on that caign, calf
Ann Rayner at 2354803or • e-mail her at Belk-
stofleeodyssey. on.ca.
i
By Katherine Harding
tiiiivouena STAFF
ST. MARYS — One hun-
dred years is a lot of liv-
ing and Gladys Petty
Smith says she has "seen
it all."
Born in Hensall on Jan.
5, 1899, Gladys knit
socks for the front lines
during the First World
War, weathered the dark
days of the Great De-
pression and has even
travelled to Buckingham
Palace to visit the Queen.
Last month, this dainty
but spry centenarian was
recognized during a Hen-
sall community dinner
held in conjunction with
the International Year of
the Older Person.
Despite leaving Hensall
in the late 1920's as a
new bride for St. Marys
with her husband Dr.
George Smith, Gladys has
always remained loyal to
the hometown her great
uncles George and James
Petty, founded.
Even at a 100, Gladys is
driven to Hensall almost
every week to do her gro-
cery shopping at McTag-
;art's Food Market.
During an interview
with the T -A at her Rob-
inson St. home last week,•
Gladys, aided . by her ra-
zor sharp memory, vivid-
ly yet humourously re-
flected over her long life
with her daughter Joan
by her side.
She fondly recall
growing up in Hens
with her parents
George and Hanna, an
six sisters and on
brother. Her father wa
a butcher in the villag
for 50 years and th
family lived on Queen St
While she was th
baby of the family sh
said her family was very
close and she was es
pecially fond of he
brother Hanson.
In 1913, Hanson was
the first Hensall resider
to own a car.
"It was a Ford Run
about without a wind
shield and it took him al
day to drive it . home
from Toronto," Glady
said with a gleamin her.
eye. "He used to take me
for rides around Hensal
if I'd polish the brass on
his car."
During the First World
War Hanson was killed
on the battlefields in
France.
"Bean business"
Gladys also recalls
how her father helped
encourage Hensall farm-
ers to start growing
white beans during the
First World War.
"The war really start-
ed this bean business,"
quipped Gladys. "It was
hard -to grow them be-
fore because there was
nowhere to store them."
"Some man came from
Toronto and asked my
s dad to encourage farm-
all ers to grow beans for the
war effort. He was re-
d tired by then so he
e helped out."
s Gladys remembers be-
e ing especially happy with
e Hensall's newest venture
because she was taught
e to drive so she could
e help her father run er-
rands.
- "Not many women got
e to drive back then," she
said. Gladys recalls spe-
cial trips to Grand Bend
t in the 20's with her girl-
friends when she got to
- drive her'dad's carr.
- Catching the eye of
1 a young dentist
On New Years Day in
s 1927, Gladys was mar-
ried to Dr. George Smfth
l in a house in Hensall.
It was too cold to hold
the ceremony in a 4.
church," she said.
Smith was a young
dentist in Hensall and
shortly after the wedding
they moved to St. Marys
where he set up a prac-
tice.
The Smith's raised
three children, George,
Joan and Elizabeth, and,
Gladys continues to live
in the home the couple
bought in 1931 for
$3,500.
"It's my house of
dreams," said Gladys,
about her two storey
home built in 1880 that
overlooks the Thames
River.
While her son George
lives with her now, Gla-
dys is quick to point out
she does all her own
cooking and cleaning.
Thrilling moment
Looking back over her
life Gladys says meeting
the Queen and Prince
Philip in 1971 is one o€
her favourite memories.
"It was a thriller," Gla-
dys said gleefully.
Her husband was a
member of the 108th
Squadron Royal Flying
Core and he was invited
to a 50th anniversary
celebration in London
which included an audi-
ence with the royals at
Buckingham Palace.
George, Gladys and
their daughter Joan
made the trip and were
presented to the Queen
and the Prince along
with other members of
the squadron and their
families.
Gladys remembers the
palace vividly and she
still has the navy blue
dress she wore for the
special occasion. She
also got to talk to the
Queen briefly.
"It was the most touch-
ing experience," she
said.
What's her secret?
So what's. Gladys' se-
cret for living so long?
"Keep busy," she an-
swered staunchly. "Most
people just give up if
their husband or wife
�7�
Gladys Petty Smith, 100, says the secret to long life is
to "keep busy." Gladys is the great-niece of George
and James Petty, the founders of Hensall.
dies — but not . me. As
Itg as I'm in my right
mind I'll never go to a
home."
Gladys lost her hus-
band George in 1979.
"I've also been pretty
lucky with my health,"
she said: "If I had my
hearing and eyesight I'd
be perfect."
Gladys credits reading
the London Free Press
and the St. Marys Jour-
nal Argus along with
magazines with keeping
her up taate with cur-
rent affairs.
"I've also done a fair
bit of knitting in my day,"
she said.
She also said getting to
the family's cottage near
Bayfield helps keep her
young. Her daughter
Joan said her mother has
already been in the lake
three times this summer.