Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1995-05-17, Page 5Page 4 Times -Advocate, May 17, 1995 Publisher & Editor: Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Production Manager: Deb Lord Advertising; Barb Consitt News; Heather Mir, Chris Skalkos, Ross Haugh, Ingrid Nielsen Production; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Robert Nicol, Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner, Marg Flynn transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert front Office & Accounting; Elaine Pinder, Sue Railings, Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple The Exeter Times -Advocate Is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and Information leadership • • inion . Publications Mail Registration Number 0386 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: CANADA Within 40 riles (85 km.) addressed to non letter carrier addresses 933.00 plus $2.31 O.S.T. Outside 40 miles (85 km.) or any letter darner address $33.00 plus $30.00 (total 83.00) + 4.31 Q.S.T. Outside Canada 888.00 plus 88.93 GIT (Includes $88.40 postage) PrdIlsbed Each Wednesday Morro M 424 Main St., Exeter, Oiled NOM 138 by J.W. Eedy Pabti6adons Ltd. T:Nplrons 1,519-235-1331 • Fax: 5192354780 Q.S.T. #R105210835 1,1)1'l'( )Ill ‘i.s Worth discussing ouncillor Roy Triebner's sug- gestion the town of Exeter should have a look at whether or not the next chief of the Exeter and Area Fire Department should be employed full-time or part- time is certainly worth serious discus- sion. Gary Middleton, who has been Fire Chief for 27 years is doing and has done an excellent job. When he decides to retire is anybody's guess, but it will present an excellent opportunity to re- evaluate the need for having a full-time employee in this position. Middleton was a part-time chief himself for all but the last nine years of his long service. If investigation shows the Exeter and Area Fire/Rescue Service will be capa- ble of meeting the same standards as re- quired of all similar departments across the province in the areas of pre- planning, inspections, fire prevention, communications, etc. as outlined in the chiefs job description, perhaps the job could return to a part-time or even a volunteer position. With hands-on training being the re- sponsibility of the Deputy Fire Chief, it could be reasonable to assume the du- ties of the chief could be carried out un- der a similar arrangement. The chiefs wage of $39,931 should not be the only criteria for considering taking a step back to how Exeter's Fire Department was operated in the past, and indeed, how many other fire departments across the province are running today. How can a dollar value be placed on inspections and fire prevention? The question that must first be answered is, "Can the Fire Department operate as ef- ficiently and continue prevention and in- spections as well if there is not a full- time employee to perform the duties? Will there be a system in place where in- dividual responsibility will be taken when it becomes necessary to assess performance under a wide variety of possible circumstances? If, after careful study and analysis, there is a reasonable chance the same ac- complishments could be made with less than a full-time chief or by returning to a total volunteer department it will be proven that Triebner's suggestion was a valid one. The Exeter and Area Fire Department might very well have the manpower, the dedication, the administrative skills and the time among their volunteers to de- vote to a variety of additional tasks. Cer- tainly the members should be consulted as to whether or not they feel they are willing to assume increased responsibili- ties. By spreading duties among more peo- ple it might be practical to return to a point where volunteers would do the job. It would then create the opportunity of using any portion of the $39,931 for other things our fire fighters need to im- prove their level of service. Annual sav- ings become more significant over time making Triebner's idea to take a look at what might happen at some point in the future exactly what elected officials should be doing. Apathy and ignorance not ingredients of good electorate ith the election call Premier Bob Rae made recently, the time has come for Huron County residents to be- come familiar with all candidates run- ning for the local riding. Too many times in the past voters have gone into the voting booth blindly - not knowing anything about the can- didates or who they were. As well, some use their civic power to send mes- sages to the government of the day. While these messages may have been deserving and just, using spite is not a way in which to base an electoral deci- sion. And then there are those who don't take advantage of the voting right - a right many in this world don't have. Though some can't find the time to cast their vote, they certainly have the time to complain about the activities of the government they had no hand in elect- ing. So it might be worth the electorate's time to go and listen to what the four candidates have to say at any all - candidates meeting on May 30 to help voters make a well-informed vote. One person can make a difference if they make an informed decision. Clinton News Record A View From Queen's Park TORONTO - Premier Bob Rae is trying to win an election on the claim that Prime Minis- ter Jean Chretien is treating Ontario unfairly, but it is doubtful that he can make a federal case out of it. The New Democrat premier has been telling voters their main concern should be that the Liberal federal government is reducing funds to provinces and threatening services like medi- care, post -secondary education,and welfare and reducing funds to Ontario more than to other provinces. Ontario will lose $1.4 billion in 1996-97 and $2 billion in the following year. Rae says the federal Liberals are 'picking on Ontario -- there is no way in the world we should be getting Tess than other provinces.' The Premier claims that 'the real stake in this election is who is best able to defend medicare and other programs on behalf of the people of Ontario? By Eric Dowd On the road again... 'By Ross Haugh When a weed isn't Spring is sprung, the grass is riz Who knows where the birdies is? We are not sure where the birdies is, but we do know where another sure sign of spring is. Anyone cutting grass during the last week or so will know that we are talking about dandelions. But before anyone gets the wrong impression there are some good things about that cu- rious little plant that bestows upon us some beautiful yellow flowers. When these little yellow flow- ers are approached by a lawn mower they appear to duck their heads to bloom another day, usually the next day. When we were a youngster back in the late 1930's's one of our favourite salads was made out of dandelions. For this purpose the root of the dandelion should be lifted when it is white and crisp before the bloomin' flowers appear. Dandelions were considered to be a natural spring tonic and were dug up in the spring before the buds had opened. To get support for our recol- lections of the good old dande- lion days, we checked with one of Edna Staebler's Mennnite country cooking books and will quote from her book and pass on one of her dandelion recipes. "Any old timer in Waterloo county will tell you that dande- lion greens will purify your blood, grown sluggish and thick through the winter. As soon as spring comes I have a compul- sive hunger for dandelion salad.. I could and should dig the dandelion out of my lawn the moment it appears, young and tender, but I lazily buy the long, bleached stems with yellow - green leaves that some Mennon- ite farmers cultivate under saw- dust or straw and sell at the Kitchener market, though they say the natural green dandelion that is slightly bitter is much better for you." Here is what is needed for a good dandelion salad. One quart of dandelion greens, four bacon slices, one cup of sour cream, two teaspoons each of sugar, vinegar and flour, two hard boiled eggs and salt and pepper. Keep the dandelion crisp. Pick it over and wash it. Cut the ba- con into bits and fry it unitl crisp. Remove it from the pan and drain it on paper. Pour all the bacon dripping from the pan, but two tablespoons. Then add a well -blended mixture of the flour, sugar, salt and pepper, vinegar and sour cream. Stir over very low heat till it thickens slightly. Don't let it boil. Just before you are ready to eat, and while the dressing is warm, pour it over the dande- lion greens and mix well. The greens should be well coated. You might need more cream. Add the bacon bits and the sliced eggs, saving some for the garnish. Serve immediately with baked or mashed potatoes, farmer's pork sausage, fried ham, smoked pork chops, any kind of pork, and as soon as you taste this wonderful salad your sap will start flowing." So, take your choice. Is a dan- delion a weed or not? • • • WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND? • • • The Times Advocate continues to welcome letters to the editor as a forum for open discussion of local issues, concerns, complaints and kudos. WE ASK THAT YOU KEEP YOUR LETTERS TO A MAXIMUM OF 300 WORDS, The Times Advocate reserves the right to edit letters for brevity. Please send your letters to P.O. Box 850, Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S6. Sign your letter with both name and address. Anonymous letters will not be published. 'Who is hest able to defend your children's bridge to a better future and stand up for Onta- rio's interests when it comes to fair treatment?' Rae argues the NDP is best qualified because the Ontario Progressive Conservatives for a long time have seen cuts as their overriding pri- ority and the Ontario Liberals recently jumped on the bandwagon. Ontario Liberal leader Lyn McLeod also is 'a mere echo' and unlikely to quarrel with her fed- eral party, Rae says, and the federal Tories when they were in government up to 1993 showed no sympathy for and started the trend to getting tough with Ontario. Rae recalls former Tory primer minister Brian Mulroney calling social programs 'a sa- cred trust' and then reducing funds and weak- ening them. Rae is appealing to voters for 'a strong mandate from the election to deal with Ottawa.' The two provincial opposition parties natural - Ontario being treated unfairly ly are dismissing this as trying to distract atten- tion from his own party's financial record. Rae; s claim that the federal Liberals are shortchanging Ontario has some validity, be- cause Ontario will bear more of the cuts than its population warrants, as even independent fi- nancial agencies have noted, although the argu- ment against is that Ontarians are wealthy enough to sustain them. But Rae will have difficulty convincing vot- ers this is not just another technical argument between governments because, whichever level raises or spends money, it all comes in the end from the pockets of taxpayers. Polls also show most Ontario residents thor- oughly support the federal Liberals' cost- cutting so that it is difficult to whop up a cam- paign against it. The real impact also will not be felt in re- duced services or higher provincial taxes to compensate until 1996, so relatively few people are worried now. This skirmish over cost-sharing also may seem pale to many compared to concerns over NDP policies including adding $10 billion a year to the province's debt. Some earlier Ontario governments tried with- out much luck to make major election issues of quarrels with federal governments of opposing political stripes. Tory premier John Robarts in the 1960s pro- tested against the federal Liberals' version of medicare, calling it 'Machiavellian.' Tory premier William Davis in the 1970s fumed against federal Liberals allowing oil prices to rise and Liberal premier David Peter- son in the 1980s tried to fight an election against the federal Tories' plan for free trade. But the premiers never were able to make these issues dominate an election --Ontarians usually have voted on matters closer to home. • 1 ,`