The Times Advocate, 2004-01-07, Page 44
Exeter Times—Advocate
Wednesday, January 7, 2004
Lk-.)Cna
=CNA
Editorial Opinion
TIMES ADVOCATE
PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications
Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing casts.
Jim Beckett
Publisher and Editor
Deb Lord
Production Manager
Published by Metroland Printing,
Publishing & Distributing Ltd.
IMetroland i 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850
Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 • (519) 235-1331
EDITORIALS
Onward and upward?
2 003 is a year many Canadians would like to
forget. With several crises, including the
SARS breakout, mad cow disease and the
August blackout, it seemed every time Canada
made international news, it was negative. Add to
that list Canada's refusal to enter the war on Iraq
and you have a country that received no positive
public relations south of the border.
While we shouldn't need or want U.S. approval
for anything we do, the truth is Canada relies on
the U.S. for trade and tourist dollars. Toronto, for
one, was hurt badly by the SARS outbreak. News
around the world made it appear as though every-
one in Canada's largest city was either in the hos-
pital with the disease, hiding indoors in fear of get-
ting it, or walking around the city wearing a pro-
tective mask.
And while Canada's decision to not join the
American/British attack on Iraq was correct, it
raised the ire of President George Bush and sunk
relations between the two countries to a low point.
Clearly, it's a year many of us would like to put in
the past.
On to 2004, which got off to a nervous start with
Canadian beef farmers anxiously awaiting results
to determine if a cow discovered in the U.S. with
mad cow disease originated in Canada. It's not the
start to the year Canadians were looking for.
Locally, some interesting projects are on the go.
South Huron council recently made the major deci-
sion to improve the municipality's drinking water
with a $12 million pipeline to Lake Huron. There
could be more big decisions for council as the
municipality continues to try to buy Huron Park
from the province.
Additionally, construction on the new Zurich
arena continues and Lucan Area Heritage contin-
ues to raise money for a new museum. Clearly,
exciting things are happening in the area.
Of course, Canada's national pride took a blow
Monday with the world junior hockey team's loss
to the U.S. in the gold medal game. Canada, going
undefeated in the tournament until the final game,
uncharacteristically choked in the third period,
blowing a 3-1 lead, allowing the U.S. to win the
gold for the first time ever. Luckily for us, no one
in the U.S. cares.
That Canada brought home the silver is of little
consolation to Canadians.
We're hoping 2004 is better than 2003, but with
another mad cow crisis and a heartbreaking world
junior loss, things aren't off to a good start.
About the Times -Advocate
By Shawn
Steckle
Grade 7
Zurich
Public
School
I6DAY
BEC%1U5E Op- THE r AND 5No0.1
WHAT
Now THAT r Do No7 1CNo w .
Now Asoirr A fi oRl
MMOE
S'5 A 5 Now()
6UouLD DD CrGAT
Nova ,
wi'TH Au -
MY
BO* I(C)14 Nod II TILE 63:G
FRIENas •
KSDs erg 1�
�
^o wE OEexPEP 'Yea QEr(MO,
0 THE ` ► vT.21.►v WAS A P.IO '
SNew eSA{,L S
ANA Nov S SNALI- -t`/Vre4QM Yd LI
wriiE Ai& 7-HP6o6 9 HE AIR F
ZT SVPELY WAIN' 1 PAIR
TNREW PLENTY Cr
:EY
AVA
)4ST u s
2N r+ -H8 FACE
Err wE W DA) riE t3tdrrz_E,
AND REbUXI--r THE W1•,J7 ER f3' A J
-r--H 4 T
All the best in the new year
Right off the bat, I'm going to say I don't make
New Year's resolutions.
I've been through a lot of them — resolving to
lose weight, eat healthier, exercise, vol-
unteer more of my time to a good cause
and to generally do something better
with my life.
Unfortunately, I never keep them.
Maybe, I'm too lazy, I don't know, but
January usually isn't even over before
I'm back to my former bad habits.
So, I don't make them anymore. At var-
ious points throughout the year, I'll make
little adjustments to my life and overall I
would say that works better.
In my opinion, you can't change all the
things you don't like about yourself by
making a resolution on one magic day. It's some-
thing you have to commit yourself to a little every
day.
You see, the problem with New Year's resolu-
tions is most of them are a bit too ambitious.
We think about the old year, and how we wasted
so many opportunities. At the beginning of the
new year, we have the opportunity to wipe the
slate clean and have a fresh beginning and we
want to take full advantage of it.
In reality, we want to keep most of the promises
we make to ourselves at the chiming of the clock
New Year's Eve. We feel the hope any new
beginning brings.
But then the party ends, we take ourselves
home, our busy lives continue and many of
us fall back into the same rut, feeling a
sense of failure with every broken resolu-
tion and guilt with every broken promise to
ourselves. All the promise disappears and
we end up with the life we had the previous
year.
And so, this year, as it was last year and
even the year before that, my challenge to
myself is not to try to change one big thing
in my life in one drastic move, but to grad-
ually change the little things in a way that will
leave me happier and not feeling like a failure.
Having said that, I wish the best of luck to all of
you out there who have made resolutions. I hope
you achieve your goal and wish you, and yours,
all the best in 2004.
Have a happy, prosperous, and above all, safe
new year.
•
41,07.
MARY
SIMMONS
PENNY FOR MY
THOUGHTS
Address & Office Hours
Times -Advocate, 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850,
Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6. Our office is open Monday to
Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Closed on Holidays.
Contact Us By Phone or Fax
Classified ad & subscription sales (519) 235-1331
24-hour automated attendant (519) 235-1336
Fax number for all departments (519) 235-0766
Subscription Rates
One year rate for addresses in Canada: $37+GST
Two year rate for addresses in Canada: $68+GST
One year rate for addresses outside Canada:
$104 Call (519) 235-1331 to order a subscription.
Classified Rates
Word ads: $10.00 for 20 words, 20(c for each addition-
al word+ GST. Notices (births, deaths, announcements,
coming events, memoriams, cards of thanks): $15.00 +
GST for up to 50 words, All ads must be pre -paid. The
classified ad deadline is Monday at 10 a.m.
Display Advertising
To place a display ad, (519) 235-1331 weekdays 8:30
to 4:30 p.m. or evenings (519) 235-1336 (leave mes-
sage) or toll-free at 1-888-270-1602. Deadline: Fri. 4
m.
-mail Us
Website: www.southhuron.com
TA e-mail addresses consist of the person's first initial
and last name followed by @southhuron.com.
For example, Jim Beckett's e-mail address is <jbeck-
ett@southhuron.com> Our general e-mail address is
ads@southhuron.com.
The Times -Advocate Team
Publisher/Editor Jim Beckett ext. 109
Advertising Barb Consitt ext. 110
Reporters
Scott Nixon ext. 105
Pat Bolen ext. 113
Mary Simmons ext. 107
Customer Service
Sue Rollings ext. 101
Carol Powe ext. 102
Composition Department
Manager Deb Lord ext. 114/103
Sharlene Young ext. 103
Jacky Westlake ext. 103
Accounting Staff
Anita McDonald ext. 104
Cassie Dalrymple ext. 108
Ruth Slaght ext. 106
Carol Windsor ext. 206