Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1995-11-08, Page 11Page 10 Times -Advocate, November 8,1995 Your Views Letters to the editor Merchant chooses to stay closed on Sundays ... it seems that we have to put in - longer hours, cover more expens- es, and sell for less .... Dear Editor: 1 remember a time when stores were closed one day besides Sundays when I was younger. My folks owned and operated a jewellery store (and still do) in Listowel and we were closed on Mondays. In the summer we would pack up the boat that day, pick up our cousins or friends with Mom and Dad and go to Conestoga Lake near Drayton and spend the day water skiing or just touring around. We would al- ways end the day with a picnic or bar-b-que with our family and friends. As a kid it was something we always enjoyed, but took for granted. When I first opened the jewellery store in Exeter here we would receive calls form customers inquir- ing as to whether or not we would be open Wednes- days. So the same thing occurred here as it once did in Listowel. Now we have people calling to see if we are open on Sunday. I don't know what hap- pened to the five day work week as a kid, but now that I have kids of my own I realize what I took for granted. This is the only day that I am guaranteed to be home with my family and I wish to keep it that way. Now that the Christmas season is on us again, I look at the calendar and see that the last shopping day for Christmas is on Sunday the 24th of Decem- ber and a dilemma is building up in me as to wheth- er or not I will keep the doors to the store open that day. The 24th of December can be the biggest day of the whole year for the store and if I choose to stay closed we could loose the sales of the "day be- fore Christmas" to our competitors. People have changed since the late '70s and so have spending habits. I remember when the consu- mer cared more about brand names and quality over price. Now it seems to be price first. Back then we could afford to be closed on Monday because the rest of the week would be a good week of business. The roaring 70s... times have changed. Don't get me wrong, the business we do now is good and I can make a decent living. But it seems we have to put in longer hours, cover more expenses, and sell for less. This I can deal with, but I won't give up my Sun- days! My family comes first, my store comes sec- ond. Last December several other local retail store owners asked me if I would be open Sundays just for the month as they mould be. When I replied with a "no, I don't think so" some shrugged and others had comments like "your crazy" or "your not going to get rich that way." Well, maybe that's not the way I want to get rich, my priorities and values maybe a little different than theirs, but at least I still have a choice and as long as I still have a choice this year, the doors will be closed on the 24th of Decem- ber as well. I will stay open late on Saturday the 23rd for the last minute shoppers and I probably will lose business to my competitors for not being open on Sunday the 24th, but I can guarantee you that I will be open in January and this dilemma that has been building for so long will have been forgotten. Also, I cannot not deny what the "Good Book" says to me. I'm not,a preacher so I'll leave that part of it to your pastor or priest. Do you hope to get all your Christmas shopping done by the 23rc this year? I know I will. Just as I do not plan to bK open the day before Christmas, I cannot expect ott, mr stores to be open for me. We all have different priorities or standards, and we are often judged by other people for them. That's tine... it still won't change them. We live our lives by our standards and thank God we still have the privilege of making our own choices. Please don't criticize us, join us. Stay home on the day be- fore Christmas and enjoy your family. Derek Bakelaar Bakelaar Jewellers Limited Harris government applauded for courage Reductions in government spend- ing will eventually affect every citi- zen in Ontario... Dear Editor: According to current media attention, one would think that Mike Harris and his government are the meanest, nastiest government ever. Well, I applaud them for their courage. The "status quo" in Ontario was eventual economic suicide and we need a lead- J;r with courage to try something. different. To direct •'so much media attention on single parents and chil- dren, is also rather simplistic. Reductions in govern- ment spending will eventually affect every citizen of Ontario. We all improved our standard of living through deficit spending. Now its payback time and we must all contribute. We must all do with less. But what about these single parent children you say? Well here the status quo is no longer accepta- ble either. A most basic law of nature dictates that "our eve- ry action has a consequence". It takes two to con- ceive a child, and that has consequences. Also re- sponsibility! Both parents must be the first to be held responsible for a child's well being. If single parents have chosen to be single, there are consequences to that choice. If being a single parent was not by choice, unfortunately there are still consequences. When the courts step in to ad- minister justice to broken families, often only one parent is left to feed and clothe the child. Is this just? Its time we pressure our governments to change social laws, as well as our deficit. The two should go hand in hand. Getting delinquent spouses to pay what they owe their needy children would go a long way to replace cutbacks in social spending. When someone is in need we must all help regard- less of cause. But how long should we help, or for how much or long'? That is what our government is wrestling with, and its about time! Referendum a farce "A more honest referendum would be for the whole country..." Dear Editor: Most Canadian are incensed over the recent separ- atist vote in Quebec. They resent that one province in 10 presumeg to speak for all of Canada! A more honest referendum would be for the whole country, not for the desires of a few overly ambitious French Canadian politicians. Your Views Letters to the editor Lighten up!! Re: B.I.A. Halloween decoration letter... Dear Editor: Just two comments concerning the above lette:r 1. To the Exeter B.I.A. your Hal- loween decorations looked great! 2. To Ms. Blommaert - lighten up! Ron Cottrell Exeter ATV stolen AILSA CRAIG - An ATV was stolen from John Street on Friday. In Hay Township Thursday, ster- eo equipment valued at S6,500 was taken from a residence at Lot 8 Concession 10. The stolen equip- ment included a VCR, speakers, equalizers, amplifiers. a CD player and a receiver. A large amount of fencing was taken from the yard of the Ilderton Co-op on Oct. 31. That night, thieves stole cigarettes from Darlings Food Mart in Lucan, setting off the alarm in the process. On Thursday a male teen stole four packs of cigarettes from the Kippen General Store. Jerry De Boer Exeter Ontario There are several shady details about the vote for Quebec sovereignty. The separatists say they were Neaten by only 50,000 votes. There were 87,00) spoiled ballots. Do they really think that many citi- zens would line up with the aim to spoil their votes'? Stories persist that any voter wearing a red poppy would be turned away from voting! Does that mean all veterans and their families are not Canadian? The whole effort was a farce, making Canada look like a banana repulic - without the bananas! Yours truly, J.M. (Gibby) Gibson CLINTON COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION LIMITED is pleased to announce that a DIVIDEND has been paid on members Life Savings Accounts (formerly shares account) plus a $5.00 dividend payment will be credited to each members Membership Share Capital account. Credit Union assets have grown by 9.3% to 95 Million. Board of Directors, Credit Committee and Staff wish to thank their loyal members for contributing to the success of the Credit Union. :f = Clinton Community CREDIT UNION 48 Ontario Street 118 Main Street North CUNTON 482-3467 EXETER 235-0640 'Where Afembera and Service ere Si" NEMMONIala Pyjama party: A group of girls have fun with their barbie dolls at a Kids' Club pyjama party at Hensa School on Oct. 27. Mickle to study municipal reform EXETER - Exeter Council learned Monday night that Reeve Bill Mickle has been appointed to the Advisory Group on Municipal Government Reform. The task force, chaired by Ernie Hardeman M.P.P. for Oxford, has been as- signed the job of advising the Min- ister of Municipal Affairs what shape a new Municipal Act would take when it becomes law in Janu- ary 1997. The committee will assist the gevernment in deciding how it will re-engineer government and deliver services, what form the shift of de - Allen Stubbs offers to match donations of -r customers THEDFORD- Entertainment re- tailer Allen Stubbs and his staff are encouraging their customers to help less fortunate people this year by collecting non-perishable items for the food bank. In fact, by supporting this pro- gram customers are able to double the amount of their donation be- cause the staff is hoping to match, pound for pound, the amount cut- omers give. Items may be given to the Coun- try Cable representative or tech- nician betwen Nov. 13 and Dec. 15 or they can be dropped off at any Stubbs location. cision-making from Queen's Park to municipalities will take anhow municipalities will be re -structured. The aim is to have the structural changes well in place for the No- vember 1997 municipal elections. Wingham education trustee resigns for clerk position CLINTON - The Huron County Board of Education will he advertising for a new trustee to replace the Town of Wingham representative. Trustee Liliane Nolan submitted her resignation effective Oct.24, 1995 as she has accepted the position of municipal clerk -treasurer for West Wawanosh Township. According to the education act, a person is not qualified to act as a member of a board who is a clerk, treasurer or deputy clerk, deputy treas- urer of a county or municipality. The board is required to fill a vacancy either by election or appoint- ment. Under normal circumstances the board is not permitted to reduce the number of trustees unless such action is taken through a regular elec- tion. SCOUTS CANADA SAVE THIS PAPER SAVE ALL YOUR PAPER Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Venturers of the First Exeter Scouts will pick up paper at your doorstep for a fundraising PAPER DRIVE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18th, beginning 9:OOam. Help us to meet our goal of SAVING 150 TREES! For information call 235-0529 or 228-7121. In co-operation with the Town of Exeter and Bluewater Recycling. Customer Appreciation Day Tues., Nov. 14 Morning Special 99° Egg McMuffln (with beverage purchase) ey Kids! I'm Coming to Visit You! Afternoon/Evening Specials Cheeseburger 590 Hamburger 49 (with beverage V Our Wayo Saying "Thanks". Free cake -ice painting. "Draws tbroughout the Day" Lots of fun for everyone. Grand Prize draw, Wed. at 7p.m. 2 Tickets to Toronto tx Maple Leafs Game A Special Visit from our friend Ronald McDonald at 4:30 p.m. 261 Main St. N. Exeter, Ont. • 2354227