HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-08-04, Page 7. Wednesday,August 4, 1999
Exeter Times -Advocate
7
Opinion&Forum
OYEARS AGO
August 2, 1989 - PUC manag-
er Hugh Davis is puzzled.
told the regular July meeting
the Commission that the amount
of money in arrears on the latest
hydro billing is the highest ever,
and he knows of no reason for
this.
The Times Advocate placed
first in the annual advertising
awards competition.
More than 100 persons atten" ed Saturday's suc-
cessful launch of a campaign to establish a Wheels
to' Nature program at Rock Glen. Wheels to Nature
will provide wheelchair accessability to many of
the trails at the Rock Glen Conservation Area.
20YEARS AGO
August 1, 1979 - After an absence of over three
years, the bum of productivity will soon be heard
at the former Maple Leaf Mills plant on John Street
in Exeter. Sybren DeBoer, a resident of the com-
munity for more than 10 years, announced plans
this week to open a processing plant for knitted fil-
ters and he and his son, Andrew have already
started on that project.
Concerns for the needs of a number of.
Vietnamese refugees expected in Huron County-
has resulted in the membership of the local
Christian Reformed Church agreeing to sponsor
two families.
John Anderson with 50 straight hits led the 19
competitors at Monday's regular shoot of the
Kippen gun club.
Champion fiddler Willis Desjardine of Shipka has
won another prize. This time he was tops in the 35
to 49 age category last weekend in Bobcaygeon.
30YEARS AGO
August 2, 1969 - A flash flood swamped Exeter
and surrounding townships Thursday with_
between five and ten inches of rain. The ensuing
deluge carried cars. and trucks as far as 100 feet
down Anne Street. Downtown businesses were
hard hit as stock stored in basements was ruineFl.
Hundreds of acres of crops in Usborne and
Stephen townships were reported to have been
totally wiped out. Corn and grain were ripped, into
shreds by hail which was as large as marbles and
in some locations completely covered the ground.
35 YEARS AGO
August 4, 1964 - Exeter ballet students Jo -Ann
Whilsmith and Gayle Ecker have won medal hon-
ours from the Western Ontario Conservatory of
Music.
40 YEARS AGO
August 3, 1959 • A big market for turnip grow-
ers was assured this week with the announcement
that the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company
had leased the Centralia plant of Exeter Turnip
Sales. Production target for the firm is 500,000
bushels.
New prices and new hours will be established by
local barbers on August 17. Regular cuts will
increase from 85 to 90 cents with brush and crew
cuts advanced from 90 cents to one dollar.
Children's prices will remain unchanged.
SOYEARS AGO
August 2, 1949 - A new. firm, Exeter Farm
Equipment , has been established in the village to
.ice over the J.I. Case agency formerly handled by.
Snell Bros. Dick Jermyn, a native of Granton is
proprietor of the new firm.
Local photographer Jack Doerr has been invited
to join a panel of judges to pick prize winning pho-
tographs at Western Fair.
60YEARS AGO
August 3, 1939 - Charles Ford of London was
filming footage of Exeter's "old swimming hole", to
compare it with more up-to-date city pools. The
area's popular swimming hole was east of Exeter
running through J.G. Dow's farm on the Aux Sable
River.
75 YEARS AGO
August 4; 1924 -A $7,000 bylaw to provide
funds for an addition to Exeter High School was
passed by council.
Dr. Moir of Hensall has purchased the farm of
Mr. John Bell, a mile south of the village of Hensall.
110 YEARS AGO
August 2, 1989 - The Lucan Gossip began publi-
cation in that village this week. The Advocate
judged it to be a "newsy sheet" and no doubt
admired its Conservative politics. The Exeter
Times is the local Liberal paper.
ROSS
HAUGH
BACK IN TIME
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR & OPINIONS
No Canada Day
celebrations for
year 2000?
Dear Editor:
Why not? "This year's Canada Day fireworks
demonstration was the best display to date!" say
many local and surrounding area residents.
Each year a group of approximately eight local
individuals get together months in advance to plan
and coordinate a program of entertainment and
special events to make a success of the July 1st
holiday celebrations in Grand Bend. Everything
from arranging for costly musical entertainers,
advertising in papers, on radio and television, buy-
ing flags for people to wave proudly, and most of
all, providing for a spectacular and safe fireworks
display are the job of this handful of volunteers.
And who is it for?
Well, of course, it's for the thousands of people
who swarm into Grand Bend for the Canada Day
holiday celebration. But there's the point. Why
attract all those people to Grand Bend tc see our
celebration? It's good for business, that's why!
Who benefits? Who pays? Unfortunately too many
people, including business people in Grand Bend,
presume that the event is staged and funded by
the Village of Grand Bend. It's not! Not one cent is
provided by the local municipal council; they just
give us permission to use the beach that now
belongs to the taxpayers of the Village. It is you -
the residents and local merchants - upon whose
contributions we depend to make this event a suc-
cess or failure. An unusually low response from
local businesses to requests for contributions left
us far short in funding this year's event; without
your help we will not be able to stage Canada Day
fireworks next year for the year 2000. Many area
merchants did contribute this year! To those mer-
chants who have shown in this way that they
understand how this celebration is made possible,
the committee expresses our deepest gratitude.
The event, this year, cost approximately $21,000.
Collections and contributions fell substantially
short of that figure. The nine individuals who
organized this event and who have already donat-
ed hundreds of hours of time and effort, are cer-
tainly incapable of making up the shortfall from
their own pockets. We need your help. While the
volunteer pyrotechn1cians, who do this.. every year
as a labour of love, would like to continue the pro-
gram in the year 2000; without your immediate
financial help, it may not be possible.
The Canada Day fireworks celebration brings
thousands of local and area residents to our town
- potential customers for local merchants - poten-
tial profit for Grand Bend businesses. We are hop-
ing everyone will be able to donate to the fund to
discharge this year's deficit and make possible an
even greater celebration for the turn of the millen-
nium, the year 2000.
To make your donation, please. contact Kevin
Poole, Canada Day Chair, at 238-8993 or your
local Chamber of Commerce at 238-2001.
Thank you for assistance,
.The Grand Bend Canada Day Committee
- , KEN POOLE CHAIRPERSON
Thatik: you fro m
the hospital
Dear Editor:
On behalf of the Board of Directors, Staff,
Volunteers and Patients of South Huron Hospital a
huge thank you to Mart,. Joe. .Barry and all the
staff of M & M Meats for your continued- support of
South Huron Hospital. .The charity barbecue is a
wonderful idea.
Sincerely,
Dom HOOVER, Chair Board of Governors
South' Huron Hospital Association
The > G . vv et era 6t
a forum � `": , , ' .... i e5, concerns,
c4-nniot, and kudos,
By mail: P.D. Box 850, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1 S6
By fax: (519) 235-0766
By e-mail: ►ditnr(0.)South kip ron.com
Please include your name and address.
Anonymous letters will not be published.
They; 'Fimes-Advocate reserves the right to edit letters
Rubbing salt in wounds
TORONTO - Premier Mike
Harris has been getting a Jot of
mileage out of promising to lis-
ten to opponents without having
delivered anything.
The Progressive Conservative
premier, after being re-elected
in June in a campaign marked
by bitter, rowdy demonstrations
against 'him, acknowledged
there are divisions in society.
Harris said he is "prepared to
do whatever it takes" to talk in a
non -divisive way with those who disagree with
him. He also said he will sit down with anyone
committed to seeking excellence in areas including
healthcare, 'education, public safety and prosperity.
Harris more than preceding premiers had
refused to meet groups that did not share his views
and dismissed them derisively as "special interest
groups," while oddly keeping his door open to such
as the Chamber of Commerce, a group which has
the special interest of making sure its businesses
make a profit, which Harris shares.
Harris was premier two -and -a -half years before
he met unions concerned he was reducing their
ability to promote their members' interests.
The premier has been prompted by polls showing
residents want less confrontation, but even when
holding out his olive branch refused to accept any
blame for the divisions or conceal his natural bel-
ligerence.
Harris added others, not his government, created
the divisions and repeatedly lied about him without
offering solutions of their own.
Despite this unpromising start, groups who had
been left .out in the cold when Harris's government
formulated policies have quickly requested meet-
ings.
They include organizations representing the
homeless, low-income families, mental patients,
injured workers, pensioners concerned about
homecare and diose looking for co-operative hous-
ing.
e'Y h were ignored, dismissed and even arrested
at times when they over -exuberantly tried to
express .their concerns to Harris and they said they
hope he is sincere in being willing to collaborate
with them now.
Some ministers have quickly arranged meetings.
Janet Ecker, whom Harris appointed minister of
education after the election and who is astute in
public relations as one of his former longtime p.r.
aides, phoned leaders of teachers' unions offering
to meet, which almost floored them and led one to
say it has hopes of a more compassionate and con-
sultative approach.
The new labor minister, Chris Stockwell, has met
Sid Ryan, president of the Ontario division of the
Canadian Union of Public Employees and the
province's most aggressive unionist, and they man-
aged to avoid rancor.
All this has prompted rave reviews by many
observers that this is a turning point and Harris
and his Tories have started to listen and switched
from confrontation to consultation and the pitbulls
are friendly puppies.
But Harris's government by saying it will listen
also has implied it will seriously consider concerns
arid alternatives raised and even incorporate some
in its programs at times. Harris has not had time to
do much of this yet.
But Harris in addition has not looked particularly
kinder and gentler in his few acts since the elec-
tion, which include appointing two hawks to key
ministries and firing a deputy minister viewed as
approachable by teachers.
Harris also has insisted he will press on with pro-
grams he has already promised, which include re-
testing teachers every 3-5 years to judge whether
they are competent and sending those who fail to
summer schools to upgrade their skills, which he
will not require for other professions.
His new labor minister has refused to rule out
further undermining unions by allowing employees
in and benefitting from unionized workplaces to
opt out of paying dues and his attorney -general
looked with relish at bringing in a law to charge
squeegee kids, who are part of the homeless.
Harris has raised expectations by offering to lis-
ted to critics and if he refuses to make worthwhile
concessions to them, which seems likely,_ he will
make them still more hostile and not heal wounds,
but rub salt in them.
ERIC
DOWD
A VIEW FROM
QUEEN'S PARK