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The Times Advocate, 2004-02-11, Page 5Wednesday, February 11, 2004 Exeter Times—Advocate 5 Editorial Opinion ROSS HAUGH BACK IN TIME I OYEARS AGO February 10, 1994 - Tony and Marlene Bedard, owners of Town and Country Bowling Lanes in Zurich have been awarded the "Proprietor of the Year Award" as presented by the Ontario BPA. This past weekend, hundreds of visitors of all ages travelled to Grand Bend for the annual Winter Carnival to watch dog sled racing, play a little slo-pitch and enjoy the large snow sculptures. Former Seaforth Huron Expositor publisher and editor Andy McLean has been named editor of the Huron county Atlas. Stephen township council has decided to build up Concession road 2-3 north of the Crediton road through to Highway 83. 20YEARS AGO February 11, 1984 -More than 250 persons crowded into Hensall Public School in an attempt to keep it open. Appointed to a review committee were John Tinney, Doug Cook, Sharon Wurm and Harold Knight John Kinsman has been named president of the Hensall South Huron Agricultural Society. A Canada Works grant in the amount of $22,249 will take care of about half the cost of a new fire hall for the village of Ailsa Craig. A committee has been named by the Huron County Board of Education to review J.A.D. McCurdy public school. It consists of Harold Sissons, Jim Parker, Norm Hyde and Ian Russell. 25YEARS AGO February 10, 1979 - The Exeter branch of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce opened this week in the shopping centre at the intersec- tion of Highways 4 and 83. The manager is Phil Cant. The new office building of Hay Township Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company in Zurich is now completed. Secretary -manager John Consitt and his staff moved into their new quarters recently. The first automobile policy written by the company was issued to a former director Mel Webster. 35YEARS AGO February 9, 1969 - Harry Burgin retires this week as Postmaster in Kirkton after serving for nearly 26 years. He will be succeeded by Mrs. Wilson Derbecker. The Kirkton post office was opened in 1856 by Timothy Eaton in the store operated by he and his brother. The new school for the mentally handicapped at J.A.D. McCurdy school at Huron Park will be named Huron Hope. Teacher Miss Ella Morlock now has six students in her twice -weekly class. The Harlem Aces travelling basketball team defeated the South Huron senior Panthers 95-84. Bill Fairbairn of the locals playing opposite clown Rip Collins scored 12 points. Heading for the Massey -Ferguson curling final in Brampton is an Exeter curling club rink com- posed of Lee Webber, Gord McCarter, Ross Hodgert and Lloyd Ballantyne. Keith Wonnacott and Albert Vandeworp have purchased the service station at Devon from Ted Chaffe. 40 YEARS AGO February 11, 1964 - Ray M. Creech, a native of Exeter took over as manager of the Canadian Canners Ltd. plant here this week. He succeeds Donald Graham who becomes manager of the company's major fruit processing plant at St. Davids, in the Niagara area. 60 YEARS AGO February 10, 1944 - Exeter tax collector W.C. Pearce has announced a two percent discount on first installment taxes paid by February 15 and four percent discount on second installments paid by the same date. In an attempt to ease the severe shortage of wood in the area, four carloads containing 80 cords of wood arrived in Exeter Monday. The demand was so great that only part of the orders received could be filled. The wood is in four foot lengths and the merry tune of the buzz saw can be looked for. The supper and program held in conjunction with the burning of the mortgage at Grand Bend United Church was a great success and all mem- bers are pleased to have the burden lifted. Seniors' Perspective B� �,m ems. By Jim Perspective ADULT ACTIVITIES CO-ORDINATOR Senior Citizens meeting Tuesday February 3, 2004 51 members and guests enjoyed a bountiful potluck supper January 3rd at 6.p.m. at the Exeter Legion Hall. President Shirley Kirk welcomed all and presided for the business meeting at 7 p.m. Birthdays were cele- brated for December: John Horn, June Hodgson, Shirley Truemner, Cecil Squire and Chester Dunn. January birthdays: Jane Dearing. February birthdays: Frank Cawthorpe, Sam Skinner & Genene Tucker. Correspondence included an appeal from The United Senior Citizens of Ontario with an urgent message that all seniors register their strong opposition to our local MPP (Carol Mitchell) that there be no changes to the Ontario Drug Program. Jane Dearing, Secretary has the form and anyone wanting a copy, just let her know at 235-0757. Upcoming events are Euchreama March 26th at the Legion. June Hodgson reported on the Senior games and Jim Bearss on the Trade Fair. Jim had lots of information and pamphlets were handed out to members. Gerald Dearing was chairperson for the program. Lynda Hokansson read" A Valentine For Grandma: and "The Bricks Of Life". She also intro- duced Jean O'Rourke, Service Coordinator for Home & Country who updated us on available Senior programs .She was thanked by Jean -Anne Guenther. Marilyn Dykeman of St Mary's provided the entertainment with music and some fun. Audrey Bentley read "Golf' and " A Seniors Prayer", Shirley read "Grand -parents" and the meeting closed with The Seniors Prayer Upcoming Euchreamas: Kirkton February 19, 2004 Exeter February 27, 2004 Lucan (Leprechaun Day) March 18, 2004 Exeter March 26, 2004 What's Happening in Grand Bend: Feb. 14th "Heart Ball" The Grand Bend Area Community Health Services committee wants you to bring your sweetheart to the event of the year at Oakwood Inn Saturday Feb. 14th at 6:00 p.m. This gala event will include cocktails, dinner and dancing to an orchestra in the beautiful Terrace room. You may bid on auction items and have a chance on the door prize: a cruise for two! Tickets are $100.00 per person with a tax receipt given for $50.00 Proceeds will support the Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre. Call 243-3682 for tickets. Feb. 17th "Port Franks Garden Club Meeting" 7:30p.m. Port Franks Community Centre. Speaker Eric Jacobson from Parkway Gardens. New members and guests welcome. Don't forget our trip to Canada Blooms Friday March 5th. Everyone welcome to attend, for info call 243-3974 The Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre is looking for Seniors ages 65-75 to participate in a study with Smartrisk on prevention of falls. If you are inter- ested please call Cindy Maxfield at the Wellness Centre at 238-1556. The study will be held in February and early March. Wasted: Canadian landfills absorb more than 140,000 tonnes of computer equipment, phones, stereos and home appliances each year, a weight equivalent to 28,000 African elephants. Uncrushed that's enough electronic waste to fill the Toronto Sky Dome every 15 years. Personal computers and TVs alone contain approxi- mately 4,750 tonnes of lead and at this rate, by 2005, discarded personal PCs will result in an estimated 4.5 tonnes of cadmium and 1.1 tonnes of mercury being leached into the environment every year. Info from : Report on Business Under Pressure: February is Heart & Stroke month: When reading your blood pressure, you will see two numbers. The systolic blood pressure (the "top" num- ber) represents the pressure generated when the heart beats. The diastolic blood pressure (the "bottom" num- ber) represents the pressure in the vessels when the heart is at rest. Hypertension or high blood pressure is diagnosed when the systolic pressure (top) is consis- tently higher than 140, or when the diastolic pressure (bottom) is consistently over 90. When the blood pres- sure is elevated, the heart has to work harder. Over time, the heart muscle expands. When the heart pumps against high pressure in the blood vessels, the left ventricle expands, the cardiac output (the volume of blood pumped by the heart) drops, and symptoms of heart failure may result. Hypertension is associated with arteriosclerosis. This is characterized by the accumulation of fat deposits, causing thickening and hardening of arteries. Knowing Jim Bearss that the main cause for strokes and heart attack is high blood pressure, we understand how important it is to monitor blood pressure. Rent a Grandpa/Grandma: South Huron Seniors Group wants to help you. Services we can provide are: • For your special event, you want to supply a meal and you need to entertain at home give Rent a Grandpa/Grandma a call to help you. • Will make real cooked foods in your home with your advice and your recipes for hot or frozen meals. • Help with preserving, pickling or freezing food. • Yard work, gardening, painting and repairing fences etc. • Rubbish removed from your basement. • Help you in preparing walls for painting, papering etc. • House sit, or pet sit. • Help you fill out forms or contact government services, • Car wash. Car waxing, or car cleanup. • Help you grocery shop • Changing light bulbs, minor plumbing repairs etc. • Buyer -seller finder. • Elderly employment. • Small farm jobs If you are interested in providing or want any of the above services, within the Municipality of South Huron, contact Jim Bearss, South Huron Seniors Group @ (519) 235-0310 ext. 239 or home @ 235-4243 j.bearss@town.southhuron.on.ca Chocolate Chip Cookies: An elderly Irishman lay dying in his bed. While suf- fering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cook- ies wafting up the stairs. He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort, gripping the railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs. With labored breath he leaned against the door casing, gaz- ing into the kitchen. Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favorite chocolate chip cookies. Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted Irish wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man? Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself towards the table, landing on his knees in a rumpled posture. His parched lips parted, the wondrous taste of the cookie in his mouth was bringing him back to life. The aged and withered hand trembled on its way to a cookie at the edge of the table. When his hand, was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife " What in heaven's name are you doing here, eating those cookies?" she said, "they're for the funeral." Canada needs strong rural communities Dear Editor: In late December a six -and -a -half year old dairy cow was diagnosed with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, or "mad cow disease") in Washington State in the U.S. The origin of the cow was traced to Canada. I wanted to write and update your readers on what this means to the Canadian beef industry. While the diagnosis was a surprise, it was not entirely unexpected. The international panel that reviewed Canada's investigation into the cow diag- nosed with BSE in Alberta last May had indicated a few additional animals might be found with BSE. The dis- covery of this second animal doesn't change Canada's status as a country at minimal risk for BSE. According to international guidelines, provided all necessary pre- cautions are in place, a country can have up to 1 case of BSE per million head of cattle and still maintain a minimal risk status. The cattle population in Canada is currently 15 million head. We remain cautiously opti- mistic that the U.S. will soon re -open its borders to live cattle from minimal risk regions, including Canada. Much has been written in the media lately about Japan's insistence that all cattle slaughtered be tested for BSE. The purpose of BSE testing is not to ensure food safety. Other food safety regulations, especially the removal at slaughter of parts of a carcass (Specified Risk Material) that could pose a risk if the animal were infected with BSE, ensure the safety of North American beef. The purpose of testing is surveil- lance. It determines the prevalence of the disease in Canada's cattle population and ensures that regula- tions to prevent the disease from spreading are work - See COMMUNITIES page 6