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Times -Advocate, August 16, 1995
Publisher & Editor: Jim Beckett
Business Manager: ton Smith
Production Manager: Deb Lord
td^Bdlsing; Barb Consitt
News; Heather Mir, Chris Skalkos,
Ross Haugh, Brenda Burke
Production• Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson
Robert Nicol, Brenda Hern, Joyce Weber,
Laurel Miner, Marg Flynn
jransportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert
Front Office & Accounting; Elaine Pinder, Sue Rollings,
Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple
The Exeter Times Advocate !s a member of a family of community newspapers
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inion
EDI 'I'()Il1:11,
Cash crop failure
Local marijuana growers saw
their dreams of a lucrative crop go up
in smoke slightly ahead of schedule last
week as harvest time came premature-
ly.
RCMP and OPP officers teamed up to
dash the hopes of those who were un-
doubtedly counting on cashing in on
the high value crop. Police estimate a
large plant is worth up to $2000 on the
street. Marijuana is obviously a high
profit crop....but along with high profits
come high risks.
The police have the technology to
find, from the air, the illegal crops and
every year succeed in discovering the
odd patch. This time they found a few
hundred dollars worth of the controver-
sial plant growing right in our own
backyard, in an area that could only be
spotted from the air.
Their actions Friday will do no more
than put a small dent in what is becom-
ing a huge and extremely profitable
type of farming. Marijuana use has
been regarded as a small crime for
years with only a very limited effort to
put an end to its use. Recent newspaper
reports claim growing marijuana is the
largest single agricultural activity in
British Colombia.
There are many who firmly believe it
is time to take the use of a "soft" drug
like marijuana out of the criminal code
and allow it to be sold legally as a con-
trolled substance, perhaps in liquor or
beer stores or in pharmacies.
Others believe the use of marijuana is
the first step to becoming involved with
"hard" drugs like cocaine or heroin.
It's an issue that will come up for dis-
cussion time and time again and eventu-
ally it may be decided by lawyers and
judges who may have used this sub-.
stance themselves.
We can't help but wonder what the law
would be today if liquor was a recent
discovery. Would the sale of this prod-
uct be allowed once all the medical
problems and deaths and injuries by im-
paired drivers were factored into the de-
cision?
In the meantime, anybody who sees a
quick dollar in growing this lucrative
crop, should be aware that there is al-
ways a chance their crop will never get
to market. Many criminals weigh the
odds and make a conscious choice that
the drug business is worth the risks.
That's probably what our Hay Township
growers thought as well.
Your Views
Letters to the editor
Cemetery grounds well -kept
"The lawns, trees and flower
beds were all in top condition..."
Dear Editor:
A visit to Exeter Cemetery this past Sunday
proved once again how fortunate we are to have a
dedicated. hard-working staff in charge. The lawns,
trees and flower beds were all in top condition, at-
testing to an on-going effort. The extras provided
each year are always tasteful. For example, the new
multi -use benches/flower planters/trash containers
are excellent. I understand they were designed and
built by Harry Knip, and financed by various service
clubs. All should be proud of their contributions. I
have heard many people, both local and out-of-
towners, comment on the beauty of our cemetery.
It's time to give credit where it is due. Harry and
staff, congratulations on a job well done.
Sincerely,
Helen M. Hodgins
Speak Out! LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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.
A View From Queen's Park
TORONTO - Ontarians are ready to march as
never before, but they may run up against a
brick wall in the Mike Harris government.
Demonstrations against the Progressive Con-
servative premier and his cuts in welfare, hous-
ing and other services have been everyday oc-
currences since the day he was sworn in and
civil disobedience is now being threatened.
That first demo greeting new ministers with
signs like 'the only good Tory is a suppository'
broke tradition, because critics normally give a
government more time to prove itself.
Among many demos since, disappointed pub-
lic housing applicants pitched tents at a can-
celled project and childcare workers and par-
ents
ar ents angry at lack of funds took their toddlers
to picket a car dealership owned by Transporta-
tion Minister Al Palladini.
One 'embarrass Harris' rally featured a cari-
cature of the premier as Hitler and a bystander
who thought this exaggerated was hit with a
sign.
By Eric Dowd
Publications Mall Registration Number 0386
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O.L.T. IRi0112.0I15
Hold off on post -game beer
People often overlook the
most obvious. This is cer-
tainly the case when it comes
to drinking enough water dur-
ing the dog days of summer.
All living things consist
mostly of water; the human'
body for example is about
two-thirds H2O. Water is the
most common substance on
Earth, covering more than 70
per cent of the planet' s sur-
face. Perhaps it is for this
reason we take water for
granted and forget how im-
portant it is to maintaining
our good health.
Although it is often recom-
mended people drink be-
tween six and eight glasses of
water each day, few people
manage to consume this
amount. Especially on these
hot, humid days it is impor-
tant to replenish our body's
water level.
Many of the drinks we con-
sume deplete our store of
fluids. Caffeine and alcohol
act as diuretics in the body,
drawing water out rather than
replenishing it. The tradition-
al post -game beer may have
to be postponed until you've
had a chance to rehydrate.
Many people believe beer is
a good drink after exercise
because it's full of carbohy-
drates and vitamins. This is a
myth. Actually, of the 150
calories found in a bottle of
beer, only 50 are from carbo-
hydrates and the rest from al-
cohol. Also, you would have
to drink 11 bottles of beer to
get the recommended daily
intake of vitamin B or ribo-
flavin.
Drinking fruit or vegetable
juice within 15 minutes of ex-
ercise and eating pasta or
grains will replace the carbo-
hydrates your body stores in
the muscles as glycogen.
A good tip for how much
water you require is to weigh
yourself before and after each
workout. For every lost kilo-
gram, drink a litre of water.
If the exercise is light such as
walking quickly for up to an
hour, a glass or two of water
should do the trick.
Waiting until you feel
thirsty to drink is also a mis-
take. The sense of thirst is
slow to react to dehydration
and once you feel thirsty,
you're already dehydrated.
Keep a bottle of water handy
and take water breaks during
activity. Drinking a glass or
two of water in the hour be-
fore activity can also help
prevent dehydration.
The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty is call-
ing for a 'provincial day of action' when the
legislature resumes on September 25 on which
it hopes residents will walk off their jobs.
Its members will get a glimpse of how the
well-heeled live by marching on the swanky
home of multi -millionaire Lieutenant -Governor
Hal Jackman because he signs the order which
cuts cheques, the first holder of the largely cer-
emonial office to be subjected to pickets.
The coalition also warns it will `do what it
takes' to prevent cuts including storming the
legislature, making the province ungovernable
and going to jail if necessary.
The environmental group Earthroots sayslt -
will try to stop logging and mining in the Tem-
agami wilderness, which Harris favours, by 'in-
ventive tactics' that may include harassing and
blocking access.
The Ontario Federation of Labor is urging 'a
groundswell of opposition' and offering to
work with similarly -minded anti -poverty
Demonstrations
groups, farmers, students, churches which have
complained, environmentalists and others.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees
warns it will not allow a repeat of Alberta,
where a right-wing government knocked out
the unions before they knew what hap-
pened...be prepared for some big fights down
the road.'
The Public Service Employees Union will
fight 'government by amputation' and the Pub-
lic School Teachers Federation cuts that 'de-
stroy teacher morale.' A man has been arrested
in Harris's home city of North Bay and charged
with threatening the premier's life, early in a
govemment's•existenee for such animosity. •
• The protesters are more numerous than a gov-
ernment normally faces because of the wide
range of residents affected joined by others
who say they will not lose personally but can-
not stand by and see the poor and services hurt.
They have been urged on at times by striden-
cy including the Toronto Star's claim Harris is
But Harris also is getting a lot of encourage-
ment to stand by his cuts. His popularity in
polls has risen as he has spelled them out and
many have written to newspapers urging him
not to back down.
Some recall their own tough times when they
managed on little money by being thrifty, de-
plore current 'whining and self-pity' and even
propose Harris supporters stage counter -demos.
Mass demonstrations have not much swayed
recent premiers including New Democrat Bob
Rae who was harassed oddly by both Bay
Street brokers and disappointed unionists and
Tory William Davis who watched four union
, leaders who crossed him go to jail.
This time they will be challenging a premier
who has swept an election and since grown
even more popular - they may hardly put him
off his golf swing.
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