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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1984-02-08, Page 4,. Va V .'" .,.may: e ' Pag. 4 Tlmos-Advocoto. F.bruory 8, 1984 Ames Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 dvocate Serving South Huron North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by I.W. Eedy Publications limited LORNE EEDY Publisher JIM BECKETT Advertising Manager BILL BATTEN Editor HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager ROSS HAUGH Assistant Editor DICK JONGKIND Business Manager A Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $22.00 Per year; U.S.A. $60.00 C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS 'A' and 'ABC' Headway for peace Despite some criticism from his fellow Canadians, the peace initiatives being taken by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau are beginning to bear fruit. Through his latest discussions with East German leader Erich Honecker, that country's officials and Canadians have agreed to bilateral talks in an attempt to find ways of decreasing European tensions and possibly reduce nuclear weapons. The lastest achievement in East Germany is the first of any concrete nature and is opening an impor- tant path to East-West relations. Neither Canada or East Germany has any great influence over the superpowers, but, this kind of infor- mal dialogue could be useful to both sides as both share a common interest in promoting better US -Soviet understanding. Canada and East Germany could assume common roles to press for a resumption of the formal East-West talks on arms. Trudeau's peace mission has always been aiming in this direction. In helping to push arms control back to the forefront of the political agenda, Trudeau's peace mis- sion has' served NATO well during trying times. It appears that.the smaller western countries are behind our Prime Minister's beliefs and in recent. weeks there have been a few signs from Washington that the US may be thinking of coming around. Trudeau's critics may continue to mutter but, he is•continually making headway and beginning to heal some of the rifts which have occurred. A sports coverup Sports fans in Western Ontario should keep their fingers crossed until the final decision on the location of a dome stadium in the Toronto area is announced. Located a short distance north of Highway 401, the former Downsview airport site would be much better for any travellers from the west than the CNE site. The lobbying by Toronto mayor Art Eggleton and Metro chairman Paul Godfrey to build the dome at the CNE grounds can •be expected to start immediately. • They will be testing their influence on Ontario Premier Bill Davis in trying to get him to change his mind. When the Macaulay report recommending the Downsview location was first announced Davis was a supporter. One aspect of the controversy that seems to be forgotten is the fact the present CNE stadium is real- ly not suitable for baseball and football. As the Toron- to Blue .Jays and Argonauts will be the major tenants, their wishes should be consideredh Another cabinet post You .may not know it (and you may not care, either), but the federal government has created another cabinet post, one for Youth. It has been put into the hands of Celine Hervieux-Payette. Actually, the new youth ministry may have some sound reason behind it, unlike some of the ministries and bureaus conducted by the government. Ms. Hervieux-Payette says business, labor and govern- ment must work together to build a better future for Canadian youth. She says young people will either revolt or become a lost generation if the 20 percent unemployment rate among their group isn't solved. Ms. Hervieux-Payette is a perceptive individual; we do have a mountain of a problem here, the ques- tion of thousands of young people and the enormous mount of time they have on their hands. W -inter I -s N-ature T-esting E-veryone's Resources Winter is not the most glamorous of seasons. My nose begins to runabout the first of November, and doesn't stop until early May. I have thought of buying it a little pair of Adidas and entering it in the Olympics, but am afraid that would only encourage it to run all year. In .recognition of advancing age and thinning blood I didpurchase a toque and matching scarf. Thinking to emulate the elegant Geraldine Chaplin in a prerevolu- tion scene from Doctor Shivago, I wrap- ped the eight -foot strand once around My neck, jauntily tossed the end§ over my shoulder, and stepped blithely out of the house. Within two strides I came to an abrupt halt. Two feet of scarf were firm- ly caught in the closed door. In the winter, nothing gets the adrenalin flowing like a good chimney fire. The sudden blare of a smoke detec- tor strikes into my heart like a dagger. 1 go into my frenzied routine. First,a mad dash to the basement to smother the wood fire in the furnace. Next, grab the fire extinguisher and squirt its contents into the chimney clean- out. This proves to be as effective as try- ing to stop an enraged -bull with a fly swatter. Run upstairs. Remove the thimble from the chimney opening. Begin pouring in warm water. Listen in horror as it im- mediately turns to sizzling steam. Isour and pry. Pray and pour. Two hours later, slouch white and limp at the kitchen table, trying not to spill the cup of coffee held in still -shaking hand. Imagine a generation of Canadians growing up without ever holding down a job with some sort of pro- mising future, without ever having reason enough to be responsible.- In .some of the larger cities in the United States, law enforcement officers and social workers are worried about what will happen to those who never hold down a job, are never able to work for the cheque they collect. But the problem has travelled north to Canada dur- ing the past five years. And the governments are wondering what to do. Some expand the bureaucracy, perhaps in response to the perceived hue and cry such a social malady will bring. We wish Ms. Hervieux-Payette luck with the job she has on her hands. It's a challenge that's not going to solve itself without any investigation. Petrolia Advertiser -Topic Endure! ! ! Hear a horrendous crash. Race upstairs, heart thumping uncontrollably. Realize in that second before losing consciousness that the cat has knocked over the steplad- der brought upstairs during the firefighting in case it was needed in the attic. Chimney fires do have a positive side, however. They are guaranteed to clean " Reynolds Rap by Yvonne Reynolds out the creosote. The trick is to make sure they don't also clean away the house." Winter doesn't seem to bother our goats. They can tolerate quite low temperatures, provided there is no draft. On frigid days when my husband walks into the barn, the nannies eye him wari- ly. No one wants to be first on the milk- ing stand. Don collars Colleen, locks her neck in the stanchion, and turns his atten- tion the udder way. As his cold hands touch her warm body she stands on tip- toe and he swears he distinctly hears a shocked "wheeeeewwwwww" whistled through clenched teeth. Speaking of animals, remember the dog days of summer when the temperature is exceeded only by the humidity, and you lust want to sprawl prostrate beneath a eafy tree and pant? Winter's canine couterpart is the dog night. Picture the scene. The wind is besieg- ing the house like some malevolent enemy. The furnace Is running con- tinuously and you're afraid the motor will burn out before morning. You forgot to take your Geritol. The electric blanket is at its highest setting, and you are still cold. It's time to order faithful Fido into bed with you. Dog thermostats run doggie bodies a few degrees higher than humans' setting of 98.6. Besides, unlike hot water bottles, dogs stay warm all night. The only pro- blem is my husband complains I get our dog's soft furry back, and he gets four scratchy feet. In my opinion, weather forecasting is still more art than science. Many of the predicted storms never materialize, and we are invariably caught unprepared by ones that hit without warning, like the one that stranded trhvellers around here at Christmastime. A few years ago a friend was caught in a blinding snow storm on an unfamiliar highway. As the only objects he could see ahead were two red tail lights, he faithful- ly followed his guiding beacon. After half an hour of white -knuckle driving the lights ahead made a left-hand turn and so did our friend. The lights ahead stopped mov- ing. Our friend applied his brakes, put his vehicle into neutral, and waited. And waited. The car ahead remained stationary. Our impatient friend jumped out into the storm and approached the other driver, who was standi beside his car with the block heater plug in his hand. "What are we stopped for?" our friend asked plaintively. "I don't know about you, but I am in my garage", was the reply. Take heart. Spring can't be too far away. Both Sears and the seed houses have already issued their spring catalogues. In the meantime, endure. Sorry — the PM's Conferring with his most loyal, devoted, and trusted party members rye 7 This is the time of year when we get rid of all the undesirables in the com- munity. By undesirables, I mean people with more money than I. They leave our northern community, for Florida, Mexico, the West Indies. In one fell swoop we get rid of all the softies, the cowards, the sybarites. In short, the rich white trash. It's as much a part of our heritage as the Satur- day night bath, or spring cleaning. And I think it's a good thing. When the last barber or bricklayer has bragged about being off to the Bahamas whep the last druggist or doctor has in- formed me pompously that "We'll probably take in Acapulco this year," I feel a sense of relief. . The rats have left the Freezing ship, and there's only the _hard core, the sturdy pioneer types, the rugged individualist and the poor people left in the temperate (hah!) zone. The rest of us, the best of us, can get down to the real glory of winter living, without stumbling over a lot of sissies who are bet- ter off down there getting sand in their navels. As one of the old true- Softiesgo south blue breed, fighting it out with the elements, I am in- clined to scorn them. As a humanitarian, I can only pity them. Think of what they're missing. What is there in the soft Mexico, just getting up at 10:30. He hasn't paid last year's income tax yet, but he's borrowed $1,500 from the bank to make the trip. He has a hangover from those six -ounce, forty -cent Sugar and Spice Dispensed By Smiley and sensuous south to equal that crunch of toes breaking off, that crack of bursitis in the shoulder when you throw that first curling stone, that snap of thigh bones on the ski hill? Let's take a look at a couple of these hot - weather hounds. Look at this bird in Florida. Gets out of bed and there's that same old crumby, monon- tonous sun blazing down, just like all the other days. Same old routine. The in- evitable patio; the in- evitable trip to the beach with the inevitable obscenely fat softies lying all around. Or the in- evitable sweating it out on the golf course with a lot of other middle-aged liars. And here's our pal in Mexican drinks, and a twisted back from trying to tango. His wife, in the other twin bed, looks like an in- mate of Belson, because she's had Mexican com- plaint, commonly known as dire rear, ever since they crossed the border. She whines, he snarles. They totter out into the muggy heat. And another horrible day in Acapulco has begun. It's not like that around here. Down to a jolly breakfast: vitamin pills, cuppa tea and half slice of toast. There's the thrill of variety as you prepare for the day. When dawn comes, will the sun be shining, the snow falling, or a blizzard howling? W Out into the wild white yonder. Grab the shovel and make the snow fly, chuckling heartily all the while as you think of those poor slobs in the south, with nothing to do every- day but the same old things. The clean, fresh, nor- thern air hits your lungs like a dum-dum bullet. Bark seal -like greeting to neighbour, whose head is just visible over his snowbank. Off to the garage. Ex- citement of wondering whether the car will start. The sheer, demonic joy of belting out the driveway backwards and trying to smash through the bank the snowplow has thrown up. Sometimes you make it. The skidding, slithering adventure of the drive to work. Wheels spinning, visibility twelve feet, every man for himself. And, another day of glorious winter living has begun. Don't try to tell me about the seduction of the languous southland. Just give me the crisp, virile challenge of living where men are men. And you can tell them from women. When they get them thaw- ed out. All must be served One of the things of in- terest that has come about in the educational com- munity of late and that may well affect you if you are a parent of a child is an act passed by the On- tario government called Bill 82. Most school boards have provided services for children who are excep- tional (and that doesn't necessarily mean that the child is very bright '- rather that he/she has some special problem with a regular school pro- gram.) However, now it is compulsory that school boards must provide such services. The provincial government is saying that each child has to be serv- ed, preferably within his abilities and needs of the pupils so that if special programs have to be 'set Perspectives By Syd Fletcher own school community if that is possible. Also, the board has to set up careful procedures to identify, as soon as possible in the child's school life, the learning up they will be. For children who have to be put into a special education program, boards are required to establish an "identifica- tion, placement nd review' committee" (usually call- ed an IPRC - amazing how governments love these acronyms, isn't it). In Order for a child to be deemed 'exceptional' he/she must be referred to this committee. Parehts are •always notified in writing and are invited to this meeting of the IPRC when their child is to be placed and there is a definite appeal process if they don't like the ruling or plabement. As well, the placement must be reviewed every twelve months. I would hate to think that a child was locked into a special education class for life if it wasn't necessary.