The Times Advocate, 2004-01-14, Page 44
Exeter Times–Advocate
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
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Editorial Opinion
TIMES ADVOCATE
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Jim Beckett
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EDITORIALS
Good news for
South Huron
Fxeter continues to grow and develop as a
community. Two recent examples of this
4 are the recent opening of the Relouw
Early Childhood Learning Centre and the upcom-
ing opening of the Exeter Youth Centre this
Monday.
Both projects provide services that were lack-
ing in the area.
As South Huron council heard when it was
originally reluctant to go ahead with the child-
hood centre, child care was something this area
needed. In a time when most families require
two -income earners, child care is increasingly
becoming a necessity. In fact, those communities
that don't offer child care will be left in the dust
as child care is one of the first things young fam-
ilies look for when looking for a place to settle.
New companies also look for child care when
deciding whether or not to set up shop in a town.
Now, Exeter can offer that service.
Of course, not everyone in town thinks the ser-
vice is necessary. Without fail, those are the
people who don't have young children and don't
understand the reality of needing child care. For
those with young children, the new childhood
centre is welcome.
Another development is the new youth centre,
which opens Monday at the back of Trivitt
Memorial Church.
Youth have long complained there is nothing
for them to do in Exeter and honestly, who can
argue with them? Not only will the youth centre
provide a place where youth can play games and
give them a place to go after school, it will offer
important services like employment training,
referrals to community agencies and programs
in arts, culture and recreation. This is certainly
a positive addition to the community — let's
hope the centre is used. Again, if you don't have
children aged 16 to 24, you probably don't care
about the youth centre. But for those who fall in
that age category, it's exciting news.
What's next for Exeter? A movie theatre would
be nice. Other towns of a similar size, such as
Listowel, are able to support one. Opening a the-
atre in Exeter could help prevent South Huron
residents from spending all of their entertain-
ment dollars in London on weekends. The arts,
in general, are often overlooked in small com-
munities like South Huron.
About the Times -Advocate
Life in the Monster Garage
Reality shows aren't something I ever really had an
interest in. I didn't care who got kicked off the island,
which golddigger was dumped first or who got married
to who. But one that has caught my attention is the
Monster Garage because it's a show with a simple
idea. Take your average kid hauling suburban vehicle,
rip it apart and make it do something useful such as
being able to pick up golfballs on a driving range and
fire them back at the golfers or a vehicle which
can not only deliver donuts but also bake them
on the way.
Monster Garage is run by a tattooed motorcy-
cle outlaw by the name of Jesse James who runs
a custom motorcycle design shop in California.
The rules of the shows are simple. James picks
a team of the best automotive designers,
welders, painters and whomever else he needs
to design, build and race the monster machine
in seven days with a budget of $3,000 and the
vehicle must appear to be stock when it is fin-
ished.
The reward for a successful design is a high
end tool set for each team member, but the real
reward is making sparks fly as metal and machines do
what they weren't built for. Besides making the vehicle
do whatever James has decided, there is one constant
goal. Make it go fast.
Failures are few in the Garage but when it happens,
the penalties are severe. Not for the team but the vehi-
cle. The first design to fail was loaded with propane
tanks and ran through a crusher, making a spectacu-
lar end to its life. The second failure was introduced to
a military sized galling gun by James, proving there is
no room for failure in the Monster Garage.
But the successes have been just as spectacular, from
a 1973 Corvette Stingray capable of four-wheel-drive
through mudbogs, to an ambulance that could pop
wheelies on its way to calls. Other creations from the
guys with too much time on their hands have been a
dragster that can do 0 to 130 mph in three
seconds as well as serving up hotdogs and a
Ford Mustang that cuts grass.
Day one of the week is design day, when
ideas are thrown around, trashed and resur-
rected until a plan comes together. Vehicle
parts fly as unwanted items are removed
with the aid of the nearest wrecking bar. As
the week progresses sparks fly off both
metal and team members as obstacles arise
and are pounded back down. As the hours
wind down, tempers and welding torches
heat up as metal is sculpted into art by
human will and a 20 pound sledge hammer.
With the deadline upon them, the team rolls their
new monster out of the garage for its test run.
Hydraulic pumps activate, a Delorean style door flips
open, two mechanical arms emerge to gently snag a
garbage can and empty its contents into the vehicle
and an SUV is turned into a garbage truck. Another
success for the Monster Garage, but James is already
looking at his next vehicle/victim. Because there is
metal to burn in the Monster Garage.
PAT
BACK 4
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