HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2004-02-04, Page 5Wednesday, February 4, 2004
Exeter Times—Advocate
5
Editorial Opinion
ROSS
HAUGH
BACK IN TIME
I OYEARS AGO
February 4, 1994 - The Exeter
junior precision skating team
brought home the silver medal
from a competition on the week-
end in Fort Erie. Coach of the
team is Zurich's Kathy Merner, a
former member of the Ice
Capades and a professional per-
former with many shows.
Bob O'Neill of Granton has
been providing a popular service
for the past 17 years. With a stable of 16 purebred
Percheron horses, O'Neill provides rides especially
at Christmas and New Year's to couples, small
groups or more than 70 people at a time.
Vern Postill has retired from the Exeter PUC
after 36 years of service. Before starting in Exeter
in February of 1958 he worked for Ontario Hydro
and the Clinton PUC.
20YEARS AGO
February 4, 1984 - South Huron District High
School teacher Joanne Young will have to wait
until March to find out what decision a judge has
reached in her trespassing charges during nuclear
demonstrations. She was suspended for 12 days
in December but is now back on duty.
Permits valued at $64,585 during December
brought the total value of building in Exeter for
1983 to $2,286,000, an increase of 125 percent
over the previous year.
Toronto Argonaut coach Bob O'Billovich and
American baseball league umpire Marty
Springstead were the main speakers at the 1984
Exeter Lions Sportsmen's dinner.
25 YEARS AGO
February 3, 1979 - The executive of the Exeter
Agricultural Society for 1979 includes president
Roy Pepper, secretary Garnet Hicks, ladies presi-
dent Dolores Shapton and school fair president
Agnes Aunger.
At the annual meeting of the fair board a long
service award was presented to a past president
Gerald Dearing.
Bob Swartman is the new chairman of the
Exeter Central Business Improvement Association.
35 YEARS AGO
February 6, 1969 - More than 125,000
Americans are expected to attend the Mid
America boat show in Cleveland this week and
Hughes Boat Works of Centralia have 25 and 38
foot sail boats covering the largest show area in
the Cleveland hall.
New Exeter police chief Ted Day in his first
week on the job is tackling the problem of double
parking. He suggests five minute limits in front of
the post office and two unloading zones for trucks
elsewhere on Main street.
40YEARS AGO
February 3, 1964 - David Robinson won the
Home and School prize for the best designed crest
for Exeter Public School.
Local motor vehicle licence issuer R.G. Seldon
was rescued by fireman Gary Middleton from his
burning home just as he was becoming overcome
by smoke.
Rev. John Boyne told his Presbyterian congre-
gation Sunday that there is ample evidence for the
cynic to shout that public morality is "going to
hell". He cited examples of political, business and
moral corruption supported by the people.
45 YEARS AGO
February 3, 1959 - The new Hensall post office
on Wellington street opened Thursday. Cecil
Kipfer is the postmaster.
Harry Strang, R.R. 1, Hensall is the president of
the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement
Association and is presiding at the annual conven-
tion in Toronto this week.
Huron's new MPP Charles S. MacNaughton took
his seat in the Ontario Legislature Wednesday
after being introduced to the speaker and mem-
bers by Premier Leslie Frost.
55 YEARS AGO
February 5, 1949 - Dr. Stuart Stanbury, a native
of Exeter has been named national commissioner
of the Canadian Red Cross Society.
Fred Darling, Jack Doerr and Norm Walper
have been initiated as members of the Exeter
Lions club.
I I 0 YEARS AGO
February 5, 1894 - The blacksmith shop of the
Handford estate has been disposed of to Mr.
Henry Jones at a figure of $1,065.
Seniors' Perspective
By Jim Bearss
ADULT ACTIVITIES C0 -ORDINATOR
SENIOR PROGRAMS Municipality of
South Huron:
For Fall & Winter 2003/2004
Euchre: 1:00 Alternate Mondays Crediton
Restaurant & Malibu Restaurant Suppers available
Solo: Wednesday Afternoon at Lions Youth Centre,
Carpet Bowling: Monday & Friday 9:00 a.m. to 12:00
p.m. at Lions Youth Centre, John Street West Exeter
Dining For Seniors: Tuesday 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
at Lions Youth Centre, John Street West Exeter,
Entertainment follows.
Exercise For Seniors: Wednesday 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
Lions Youth Centre, John Street Exeter
Shuffleboard: Tuesday & Wednesday 1:00 p.m. to
3:30 p.m. at Exeter Legion 316 William Street Exeter
Ladies Bowling: Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
at Zurich Bowling Lanes
Skating for Seniors: Free Family Skating, Sunday
afternoons from 1:00 to 2:20 p.m. and Seniors:
Tuesday 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. and Wednesday and
Thursday 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Senior's Monthly Meetings: at The Exeter Legion.
First Tuesdays of every month except July & August.
Enjoy a Pot -luck supper at 6:00 p.m. sharp followed
by a short meeting with entertainment following. New
members welcome.
ROADS CLOSED:
Here's where to get up-to-date info
With winter weather here and the likelihood of road
closures, you may find this website useful:
www.mto.gov.on.ca/englisliltraveler/conditions/rdclo
sure.htm
<http ✓/www.mto. gov. on. c a/english/traveler/condi-
tions/rdclosure.htm>
Secondly the Ontario Provincial Police is not in the
business of providing weather and road information
to the public.
Far too often, members of the public tie up phone
lines to police detachments and the Communications
Centre looking for what the weather
is like between home and their
planned destination.
The Winter Road Condition number
is 1-800-268-1376 Info from Focus.
The Centre for Employment
& Learning:
In Exeter, located in the South
Huron District High School 92 Gidley
Street, offers on-line computer train-
ing for seniors. The courses are
offered through a partnership with the Computer
Training Academy. The response has been very posi-
tive. Several participants have been successful in
completing courses in the comfort of their own
homes. The most popular so far are "Windows" and
"Internet and e -mailing". If you are interested in
viewing the wide variety of computer courses avail-
able on line, please visit the following website:
www.ctacanonline.com
<http://www.ctacanonline.com/>
Please call Gloria Kyle at the Centre (235-4079) for
details or to register.
Note: Gloria told me some of her best students are
the older age group.
"Take Heart" February is Heart & Stroke
Month in Canada:
Your heart
The normal heart is a muscle slightly larger than
your fist. On average, it beats 100,000 times a day
and pumps about 8,000 litres of blood. In 70 years,
the average human heart beats more than
2,500,000,000,000 times. The right side of the heart
receives dark, bluish blood from the veins and pumps
it to the lungs where carbon dioxide is removed and
oxygen is picked up. The oxygen -rich blood, now
bright red, returns to the left side of the heart where
it is distributed to the body through arteries. The cir-
culating blood brings oxygen and nutrients to all the
organs and tissues of the body, including the heart. It
also picks up waste products from the body's cells.
These waste products are removed through the kid-
neys, liver and lungs.
Government Business:
Once upon a time the government had a vast scrap
yard in a rural area. The politicians said, "Someone
may steal from it at night." So they created a night
watchman position and hired a person for the job.
Then the politicians said, "How does the watchman do
his job without proper instruction?" So they created a
planning department and hired two (2) people, one
person to write the instructions, and one person to do
time studies. Then the politicians said, "How will we
Jim Bearss
know the night watchman is doing the tasks correct-
ly?" So they created a Quality Control department and
hired two (2) people. One person to do the studies,
and someone to write the reports Then the politicians
said, "How are these people going to get paid?" So
they created a time keeper and a payroll position,
then hired two (2) people. Then they said, "Who will
be accountable for all these people?" So they created
an administrative section and hired an administrative
officer, and a legal secretary. Then they said, "All of a
sudden we're $18,000 over budget, we must cut back
overall cost." So they laid off the night watchman.
Those who spend today boasting about the wonder-
ful things they will do tomorrow probably spent yes-
terday doing the same thing.
Education Matters
Randy Wagler,Trustee, Huron Area 4 - South
AVON MAITLAND DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
"Why have our schools been closed so
much?"
This is a question that I know a number of parents
and community members are asking. A follow-up
question is also, "What are we going to do about all
the missed school this year?" I'd like to try to respond
to these questions.
First, let me be very clear - the safety of our stu-
dents and staff is our number one priority when mak-
ing decisions about bus cancellations and school clos-
ings due to weather. While our primary purpose as a
school board is to provide a quality education for all
of our students, we must ensure that education is
delivered safely.
The decision about bus cancellations and school
closings is made by a team. Our bus operators check
roads by traveling them between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00
a.m., check with the Ministries of the Environment
and Transportation, and municipal road superinten-
dents, and then in consultation with school principals,
make a decision about the buses,
usually between 6:00 and 7:00 am.
Both the current condition of the
roads and the forecast for the day
impact the decision.
The problem is that conditions can
change quite quickly as we all know
very well. Weather conditions may
be very poor at 5:30 am, and then by
9:00 am, the conditions may improve
and some are left wondering why the
buses were cancelled and the school
closed. The opposite can occur,
where weather conditions unexpect-
edly deteriorate during the day, and children could be
sent home early, or even stranded at the school. In
cases where children are sent home early on buses,
phone calls are made to ensure that an adult is ready
to receive the child when they arrive home.
As far as closing the school goes, the principal
makes the decision when the bus cancellation deci-
sion is being made. For our rural schools, where all
students are bussed, if the buses are cancelled, then
school is cancelled. For our urban schools, where
there is a combination of walking and bussed stu-
dents, the issue is whether it is safe for students to
walk to school, and whether or not enough teachers
can arrive safely to provide a safe, learning environ-
ment for our students. Sometimes a high school is left
"open for study purposes" when the busses do not
run. This scenario recognizes the fact that high school
students do not require the same level of supervision
as elementary students, and some students in urban
settings can drive themselves safely to school to study.
Finally, let me address the question of what will be
done to make up for the unusually large amount of
lost study time that we have experienced this winter -
and we have two months to go! At this point in time,
we are formulating the options and plan to deal with
this unusual situation. Our Board has asked the
Ministry of Education about their recommendations,
and we are waiting for feedback. Also, the Board's
Curriculum Team is examining aspects of the curricu-
lum to determine what must be covered in the
remaining school months. As soon as decisions are
made in this regard, so will be communications to stu-
dents and parents about how this issue will be
addressed.
Again, in conclusion, let me stress that bus and
school cancellation decisions are made with our stu-
dents, and staff's safety as the primary concern.
If you have questions or comments, especially about
how to make up some of the lost time, please feel free
to contact me at 235-4445, or email me at
rwagler@fc. amdsb. ca.
RANDY
WAGLER
EDUCATION
MATTERS