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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2004-02-25, Page 5Wednesday,February 25, 2004 Exeter Times—Advocate 5 Opinion Forum News ROSS HAUGH BACK IN TIME I OYEARS AGO February 23, 1994 - Carol Bryan was named Queen of another successful Kirkton- Woodham Winter Carnival. 25 YEARS AGO February 25, 1979 - Ivan Hearn of Lucan is the chairman of the Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority for 1979 and Bob Austin of Arkona is vice-chairman. Outgoing chair- man is Roy Westcott of Usborne township. A visitor at the Lucan Legion on Saturday was former NHL star Eddie Shack. With a theme of "Saturday Night Fever", the annual Exeter figure skating club carnival was a huge success. More than 1,000 were in atten- dance. The guest skater was Lloyd Eisler. Lisa McKenzie of Biddulph-Lucan public school was the winner in a five Middlesex schools public speaking contest. At the annual meeting of the Hay Township Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company it was revealed profits for the just concluded year were $181,686, up by $56,000 over the previous year. 35 YEARS AGO February 27, 1969 - Bryan Bonthron of Hensall left this week for Nassau where he has accepted a position with Trust Corporation of the Bahama Islands. 40 YEARS AGO February 24, 1964 - Two area leap year chil- dren will celebrate the fourth anniversary of their birth dates on February 29. They are Elaine Powe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Powe, R.R. 2 Centralia and Alvin Lavery, son of Mr. and Mrs. Milton Lavery, Hensall. Two plaques commemorating those who served in both World Wars were unveiled in con- nection with the organ dedication at James Street United Church. Edward Lindenfield and Luther Penhale were chosen for the ceremony among those who lost members of their families during the conflicts. 45 YEARS AGO February 25, 1959 - The Main Street building owned by John Ward has been purchased by William Parker who recently bought the barber shop business from the late Norman Hockey. Mr. and Mrs. Harold Whyte and David, who move to Bracebridge soon were honoured by the Lucan community at a presentation euchre and dance last week. Mr. Whyte served 12 years as hydro manager in Lucan after serving a number of years in Exeter with the HEPC. The Riverview Park project received a major boost this week when the Ausable Authority agreed to purchase the Ray Frayne property and assist the town in the development of the area. 55 YEARS AGO February 26, 1949 - Saturday morning the stu- dents of Eden School (S.S.4 Usborne) with their teacher Miss Elaine Mitchell were heard in a pro- gram over CKNX radio in Wingham. Harry Strang won top honours at the Huron County Seed Fair held at the Clinton Collegiate Institute. Mrs. E.A. Follick was the only living charter member at the 60th anniversary of the James Street and Main Street Women's Missionary Societies. Al Scholl of Hensall is making extensive improvements to the interior of his meat and grocery store. 60YEARS AGO February 24, 1944 -A dual purpose shorthorn cow owned by Wesley Johns and his son Howard gave birth to three calves. Veterinarian Dr. Jose of Kirkton said in his 30 years of experience this was only the third time for triplets. The Exeter War Savings committee is asking all residents to buy at least one 25 cent War Savings Stamp each week. Exeter high school enrolment for this year is 177 and the number at Exeter public school is 150. 80 YEARS AGO February 24, 1924 - Pitch -holes are bad on many of the area roads. There are many deep ones on the London Road, just south of town. They were ploughed out on Monday. Mr. Roy Goulding was in Toronto last week taking in the Mendelssohn choir concerts. Seniors' Perspective By Jim Bearss ADULT ACTIVITIES C0 -ORDINATOR Upcoming Euchreamas: Exeter: February 27, 2004 at the Exeter Legion 10:00 a.m. $5.00 & lunch provided. Lucan: (Leprechaun Day) March 18, 2004 at the Lucan Arena Exeter: March 26, 2004 at the Exeter Legion Internet & e-mail ComputerTraining: The Community Access Program at Exeter Branch Library will be finished in March. This program is fund- ed by the Federal Government and has been very popu- lar with local residents. The last day for student trainer, Zach Dougall, will be March 9th 2004. Anyone wishing to learn about e-mail or searching on the Internet should call the library at (519) 235-1890 to make an appointment. February is Heart & Stroke Month: Soy Rich in both soluble and insoluble fatty acids, soy also contains natural estrogens and phytoestrogens which may serve as anti -oxidants. Be careful to avoid soy with high levels of salt. Although sodium is essential to protect the heart, scientists agree we already con- sume high levels of sodium in prepared food and drink and do not require supplemental sodium. Red Wine Studies have shown that the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than other European nations. This phenomenon has been linked to red wine consumption. Red wine contains flavonoids, mentioned earlier as a potent anti -oxidant. Moderate amounts (one glass per day) may be beneficial. Omega-3 Quest Triple Fish Oil contains the Omega-3 essential fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are important for cholesterol reduction and brain function. Research has shown that fish oils can help in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, dyslipidemia, arrhythmia and hyperten- sion. Recent evidence links fish and fish oils to the pre- vention of ventricular arrhythmias (life-threatening abnormal electrical conductivity in the heart) and sud- den cardiac death. Fish oils are also thought to increase the elasticity of blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more readily. Studies sug- gest that fish oils can produce "thinner blood" allowing it to flow more easily through blood vessels. This helps reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes from blood clot. Now I know why, now 60 years ago, "why I had to consume that darn "cod liver oil." Old Barns Disappearing: Big old wooden barns are gradually disappearing from the countryside. Many have stood for 80-100 years, but have outlived their usefulness or have been replaced by modern steel barns, sheds, and grain bins. For decades these barns have stood solidly upon foun- dations of brick or field stones, their foundations dug by pick axe and shovel below the frost line to prevent the barn from shifting and heaving. The large beams in the barn were cut from the bush or from trees cleared from the fields. They were trimmed with axe and adze, which smoothed the sides to a flat finish. The framework of the barn was laid out on the ground and the joints were held together with tenons and mor- tises. The beams were held in place with dowels. Not a bolt or nail was ever used. Once constructed, the framework was lifted into place by a team of neighbours using pike poles and levers since there was no modern machinery to assist. Barns in older times were constructed with huge lofts to store straw and hay as well as grain, which where- upon was flailed out on the floor. The downstairs area was often used for animals. A dirt floor was common in the beginning and later replaced by cement. The original doors were fastened with hand forged hooks and eyes or bolt and latch. The walls were cov- ered with barn boards, which shrank over the years let- ting in air and sunshine. The roof pitch had to be steep to shed snow in the winter. It was shingled or later cov- ered with tin. Lightning rods were installed to ground out the charge. The decorative glass balls on the spike were actually used to indicate a hit. The women and children in those days had their place during barn raising. They ran drinking water to the workers and cooked massive quantities of food, which was consumed at long tables set under the trees. Dances were often held in the newly completed barn and sometimes even later on since the threshing floor with its polished smooth wood surface made a great dance floor. Red paint has been the traditional colour of beef Jim Bearss barns. White paint is more expensive and is more asso- ciated with dairy barns. Barns were often whitewashed inside to reduce flies, and brighten the interior. Sometimes the sides of the barns were used for adver- tisements. Barn renovations often came before home improve- ments. Info from Patricia Weaver Blond "Focus on Farming" want to teach: After being interviewed by the school administration, the eager prospect said: "Let me see if I got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning. And I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their eth- nicity, modify their disruptive behaviour, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt mes- sages and dress habits." "You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and raise their self esteem. You want me to teach them patriotism, good cit- izenship, and fair play, and how to register to vote, how to balance a cheque book, and how to apply for a job. I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe envi- ronment, recognize signs of anti -social behaviour, offer advice, write letters of recommendation for student employment and scholarships, encourage respect for the cultural diversity of others, and oh yeah, always make sure that I give the girls in my class 50% of my atten- tion." "My contract requires me to work on my own time after school and evenings grading papers. Also, I must spend my summer vacation at my own expense, work- ing toward advance certification and a Masters Degree. And on my own you want me to attend committee and faculty meetings, PTA meetings, and participate in staff development training. I am to be a paragon of virtue, larger than life, such as my very presence will awe my students into being obedient and respectful of authority. And I am to pledge allegiance to family values and this current administration." "You want me to incorporate technology into the learning experience, monitor web sites, and relate per- sonally with each student. That includes deciding who might be potentially dangerous and/or liable to commit a crime in school. I am to make sure all students pass the mandatory exams, even those who don't come to school regularly or complete any of their assignments. Plus, I am to make sure that all the students with handicaps get an equal education regardless of the extent of their mental or physical handicap. And I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, newslet- ter, and report card." "All of this I am to do with just a piece of chalk, a com- puter, a few books, a bulletin board, and a big smile and on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps!" "You want me to do all this and you expect me "NOT TO PRAY". On the issue of ringette Dear Editor: I'm writing this letter to the Times -Advocate to express my feelings on the issue of ringette in the town of Exeter and the Times -Advocate. First of all, as a ratepayer in the town of Exeter I believe that the Exeter and District Ringette Association should be given equal ice time and opportunity at the South Huron Recreational Centre. Instead, the Ringette Association is forced to practice and play all of their games outside of the town of Exeter. They play in another com- munity, which is the town of Hensall. Because this association must use another facility, I feel that I should be given a rebate on the portion of my taxes that supports this facility (SHRC). The lack of ade- quate ice time in Exeter for the `Exeter' Ringette appears to be a major problem in this town and there should be some kind of compromise to deal with this issue. One suggestion that I have is maybe it is time to consider Phase II and Phase III of the original plan when we built this fine facility. Phase II from my under- standing was an indoor pool attached to the east side of the facility and Phase III was the second ice pad attached to the pool. As I recall, this was the plan that was proposed to many of our parents years ago and maybe it is time to begin the process of realizing their original dream all those years ago. It must be time to consider this because we have obviously outgrown our current facility. Secondly, as a past subscriber and current weekly See RINGETTE page 6