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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1997-11-19, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, November 19, 1997 Publisher & Editor: Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith •. Production Manager: Deb Lord Advertising; Barb Consitt, Chad Eedy Heather Mir, Kate Monk, Craig Bradford, -• Cbantall Van Raay, Ross Haugh Procluctiort; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Brenda.Hern, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner Transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert Front Office & Accounting; Sue Rollings. Carol Windsor Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple. Ruth'Slbght, Sheila Corbett The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information leadership EDITORIA 1. They are all winners T. he votes have been counted, the campaign • signs are down and the names of the winners have been an- nounced. Municipal election '97 is over. , Now the real work begins. The initial task will be to weld the new council into a working team. Traditionally, the first year in a municipal council's term is devoted to breaking in rookie coun- cillors, and letting the various, members of council get used to each other and staff. This is not tosay, that nothing gets decided or done in the first year. But like everything else, municipal govern'ment has its own rhythm and timing, and major projects and deci- sions often take place during the second year of the three-year term. - Not this round. Ontario is in the midst of a.massive restructuring, and munici- palities -are awaiting additional figures ' for policing. and other new costs. This .council will not have the luxury of a slow few months. In fact, restructuring will compress this coming term to only a single year for many communities in- cluding those in Bruce County, before there is a new municipal election. Decisions will have to be made right ' away, and they will not be easy ones. Our new cquncils will be determining -where-to-draw- he-line--on-taxation-and--- services, flow to maintain an acceptable standard of living inour communities -withput creating an onerous tax burden on the ratepayers. Some of their decisions *ill be' un- popular. Some will'create hardships for - the very people who voted fpr therm Some decisions will Lead to lengthy meetings and d heated discussion. Some, may cause sleepless nights. Publications Mail Registration Number 07511 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One year rate for Canada subscribers - $35.00 + OST Two year rate for Canada subsedben - $63.00 + GST QTHERRATEE 1,MAp=,«�,w,,,,h�ry OYtilde Canada 5102.00 1919 - 1084 ,,t •rsi A$SOc%`, Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S6 by I.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Telephone 1-519.235-1331 • Fax: 519-235-0766 G.S.T. 48105210835 This is no time to be faint of heart or to sit back and bask in the glory of past ac- complishments. Each and every person who ran for office knew that, understood what challenges the coming three years will bring. Oddly, the difficult task ahead - adapt- ing and responding to. restructuring and downloading .of services from the prov- ince - did not discourage people from seeking office. Instead, it led some ex- cellent candidates -to step forward and place their names on the ballots. Some were successful in getting elect- ed or re-elected; some were not. In gaz- ing down the list of names in this and many other municipalities, one thing is apparent. We, the people of this commu- nity, could not lose. This election was nota matter of selecting a good team to run the municipality, it was a matter of choosing the best team from a lengthy list of excellent candidates. Some hard-working, valuable mem- bers of council will not be returning this term, and we will miss them. It is one of the misfortunes of our political system, that when two or three experienced, highly qualified people run for a single seat, the municipality loses the services of the unsuccessful candidates. At the same time, there are new faces' --on council' =-people with-freshtdea: and" different ways of lookingat things. This municipality can only benefit. We wish all those brave souls who "put their money where their mouths were", so .to .speak, and stood up for what they believed, the bestof luck. St}ccessful-or.itot, they are:all, people of, great courage and determination - win- ners in anyone's book. Reprinted jroni Sarugeen City New' Your Views ' Letter to the editor 'Dear Canada The, letters will be complied for use in a book. Dear Editor: • , I would like to invite your readers to participate in a novel event. ' l'm.asking people across the coyntry to compose a letter beginning with the simple salutation "Dear Canada". • It's an opportunity to tell the country what's on your mind. what's going on in your life. your hopes, letters your fears. your dreams. , The letters will be compiled for,use in'a book. ' The guidelines: (I) keep the letter under 500 words, (2) supply your name (anonymous letters yvill not be used), age and occupation. } Submission deadline is Canada Day. July 1. 1998. Letters should be addressed to: Dear Canada, P.O. Box 5102f, RPO Tyndall, Winnipeg, Mb. R2R IS5 , Mike D'Amour NewsWorthy Communications Winnipeg, Mb. • That's my opinion By Chantall Van Raayr , How do you remember Christmas as: a child?. I .remember Christmas vividly as a child. I, remember exactly, what our Christmas tree looked like. and Santa Claus is, he is different in ents and children to turn if ;they some children's eyes. Their Santa have a difficult time making Christ - doesn't give presents. "He can't af- mas an enjoyable. one. Many organi- _the�lativit scene my -mother and I ford to.+- ,— -- -i--' nations-have--a,-Santa--.Claus-Fund; "'� would spend hours on. We would ,Some children remember Christ- cities andViwris are filled with soup mas Eve shivering in the cold. With • kitchens and hostels for families td little, sometimes no heat, no warm stay when they have no where 'else clothes, no food. • to, go. Schools ,collect ,coats, scarfs, There are 'no presents for some ,mittens and, other necessities •for the families to wake up to Christmas , cold winter days `to give tq children morning. The house is dark, it is in need. And there are Christmas cold, and 'a child shivers as he or Bureaus where people fan donate she goes over io rhe window bun= ' clothes. toys and' non-perishiablc dled up in a thin blanket, wearing' goods, ; with age. 1 , Working at 'a food bank or buying a Christmas tree for families who can't afford it. helps a little, and it gives someone the Christmas they would have otherwise have missed. Our nativity scene was immacu- Iate.,Ngt because it was expensive, or it was filled with gold and silver, but because .:we spent time 'on it, talked about what we did during the day, 'sang Christmas carols and en- joyed family. We put our hearts and souls into that scene, and I wish everyone could remember the same things about their childhood Christ- mas as I do. although," know that is not always possible: A nativity scene passed ,on through generations may not change put stacks of books at different lev- els beneath green felt which We covered with moss and pinecones and circles of tinfoil which looked like tiny ponds. We set the three wise men at dif- ferent levels, and•placed cows and sheep by the water. as if they were taking a drink from the imitation ponds. Little baby Jesus was cra- dled in his manger as Mary and Jo- Children peer into the winter sephlooked down upon him. A yel- wonderland on Christrhas Day and low light from the Christmas tree at children like I once was. skip - was nudged through a hole at the ping past: top of the stable. This was the I often walked down a, road that • northern star which beckoned the housed many children living; in wise 'men making their way toward poverty when I was younger. As 1 the nativity. walked past I anticipated the fire - I remember believing in Santa place I would soon sit by. the hot Claus, Christmas Eve I crawled chocolate -my mother would make into bed anticipating when I would for me on the stove. and the Christ - wake up and rush downstairs think- mas carols singing through our ing which present should I unwrap first. I also l•ecall eating Christmas dinner, and stuffing myself with enough turkcy and dressing to last .me a week. My family and' I treasured the Christmas season. it seemed so real to us, and' it told us the .ltory of true happiness. Many children are not as lucky during the Christmas season, Many don't have a nativity scene under their Christmas tree. in fact, many children don't have a Christmas tree at all. , While most children know who house. I didn't know these children, and. they didn't know me. At that age. we didn't even know, tile differenc- es between' our lives, or if there even were differences. , • ,There was a great , difference I . the world. but i hope it can at least wouldn't have known then, and help. Give to those in need this now that I am ,old enough to realize 'Christmas and you will give..a child it. it pains me to think that millions. something to remember for the rest of children around the world will of their life. For me. the Christmas sit in front of a window on Christ- season was something I looked for- mas Day, not knowing the Christ- ward to the most when i was -grow- mas that others do. ing up. and 1 know I'm' not alone Luckily there are gullets for par- wheal say that. A View from Queen's Park TORONTO --' Is a hew Mike Hams -- kinder and gentler -- being manufactured? The Progressive Conservative premier is starting to show signs he recognizes many see him as too harsh, hurried and confrontational and taking a few tentative steps to change this image. • His new health minister, Elizabeth Witmer, moved quickly to try to assure his government will not close hospitals without making sure,adequate alternative services are available. The closings so far have been managed most- ly by the Health Services Restructuring Com- mission of experts which the premier set up to recommend which hospitals will be closed and when, and which he insists operates at arm's length. But Witmer acknowledged that she . has "heard from stakeholders throughout the prov- ince that there is some concern about the speed at which changes are happening." She warned, "it is important to consider just how much we should be doing and how fast we By Eric Dowd should be going," a rare caution from a govern= ment which has been more inclined to brag that it has done more in two years than any in histo- ry• Witmer promised that no one will be setting "artificial deadlines" that -make it difficult to en- sure that alternative services are in place. Another new minister, Isabel Bassett in citi- zenship, culture and recreation, has withdrawn legislation introduced by herpredecessor which, in downloading costs on municipalities, would have made them more responsible for libraries and led to phasing out the province's $18 mil- lion share of funding. • This obviously was a more genteel .quarrel than some that Harris faces. Readers had not threatened to picket bookstacks, but their fears included concern that many municipal politi- cians would give low priority to libraries. Bassett explained that the library community had given its views, but her reversal was a sur- prise ending, because Harris's caucus, including most ministers, voted enthusiastically for the Harris shows that he is listening legislation only a few months ago. Harris has been knocking heads with labor unions since the day he took office and this has been characterized by his reluctance even to sit down and talk with people he calls "union boss= es." The premier admittedly is busy, but his pre- decessors were more willing to talk. • But Harris has surprised again by going to a meeting of chief stewards of the 'Power Work- ers' Union, representing many employees of Ontario Hydro which is having problems and which the premier wants to reorganize, and asked them to work with him doing it. Harris has not pulled punches in belittling teachers, but he told the Hydro employees that they are valuable workers whose skills, experi- ence and ability are esential to the agency's re- covery. "Only through cooperation and sharing of expertise between workers and management will Hydro chart a successful course," the pre- mier said. Possibly this has had some success already, because the union has since 'said it is willing to negotiate changes in'.its contract -that couldhelp Hydro enormously in its plan to restructure. •Since one of the changes would allow exist- ing staff to be redeployed more easily and an- other would' privatize some services with safe- guards ,for employees, Harris may• be discovering that he can get more sometimes with a carrot than a 'stick... . Hams has moved ministers who were in con= • stant squabbles and 'is' seen more often kissing babies, hugging grandmothers and. talking about watching his son play hockey. He also has a new public relations adviser who worked for moderate Tory premiers William Davis and John Robarts and who may be inspiring him to look more human. Harris's concessions so far may be mere cos- metics, and he cannot be as generous as many want because he must reduce services to reach his goal of tax cuts by the 1999 election. But they show that he is listening.