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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2004-03-17, Page 5Wednesday,March 17, 2004 Exeter Times–Advocate 5 Opinion Forum News ROSS HAUGH BACK IN TIME 10YEARS AGO March 16, 1994 - Grand Bend council has received word that they will receive a provincial grant of $172,825 to upgrade the harbour, waterfront and parking. The community of Kirkton is being honoured this week with the release of a commemorative stamp by Canada Post. Kirkton was the site of the very first store owned and operated by Timothy Eaton, founder of the nation-wide department store chain that bears his name New drivers applying for a licence after April 1 will be the first to enter Ontario's two-year graduat- ed licencing system that increases driving privileges with experience. 20YEARS AGO March 17, 1984 - The 1984 Western Fair Farm Show was a huge success with one of the largest crowds in its 47 year history. Florence Ryan of Mount Carmel was named Farm Show Princess. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Ryan Jr. Several Huron county elementary school princi- pals and vice -principals will have new locations in the fall. Arnold Mathers, principal at Huron Centennial will switch places with John Siertsema of J.A.D. McCurdy at Huron Park. Clinton public school principal Allan Taylor goes to Usborne Central to replace Bill Lindfield who transfers to Victoria Public School in Goderich. 25YEARS AGO March 14, 1979 - Spring appears to be right around the corner as Reg McDonald of Anne Street spotted a robin on March 3 and four days later Melvin Edwards of 91 Main Street reported three robins in his backyard. For the fifth consecutive year Huron Tractor Limited of Exeter has been recognized as the top John Deere dealership in Canada. The local firm placed orders totalling over six million dollars with the parent company. 35 YEARS AGO March 15, 1969 - The "freedom" of dogs in Exeter may soon be ended. Council Monday night appointed the Exeter Veterinary Clinic to provide dog catching services. A similar agreement was signed a year ago with the London Humane Society but was cancelled when council felt not enough dogs were being caught. Gerald Eagleson of Eagleson Brothers of Grand Bend, owners of the old Grand Bend airport site recently vacated by Found Brothers say three or four industrial prospects have been contacted with regard to the property. 55YEARS AGO March 17, 1949 -Ed Hunter-Duvar has complet- ed the erection of a motel, comprised of four cabins on the property he purchased just south of Exeter on the highway. 60YEARS AGO March 16, 1944 - Travelling by car via Exeter and Elginfield in order to reach St. Marys from his home in Kirkton, Dr. H.Jose, reeve of Blanshard township made a round trip of 122 miles instead of 28 because of snow blocked roads. Charles Salter of Exeter who has been employed as a butter maker at Exeter Creamery was appoint- ed a County Constable and will fill a vacancy at Wingham. Captain J. Maurice Harvey, officer commanding the military hospital at Red Deer, Alberta and son of Mrs. J.S. Harvey of Exeter has been promoted to the rank of Major. Exeter council voted this week to purchase a new fire truck for the sum of $1,090 and provide it with equipment valued at $370. It was also decided to buy a two horsepower siren with remote control for $299. 80YEARS AGO March 18, 1924 - Mr. William Northcott has installed a radio. Mr. Benson Tuckey has secured a position with the Raleigh Drug Company of London and has left for that city. 85 YEARS AGO March 17, 1919 - Mr. Harry Fanner of Stephen township has delivered to Mr. I.R. Armstrong one of the largest hogs ever shipped from the Exeter sta- tion. It weighed 740 pounds and the total price was $114.70. Seniors' Perspective By Jim Bearss ADULT ACTIVITIES C0 -ORDINATOR Upcoming Euchreamas: Exeter: Friday March 26, 2004 at the Exeter Legion 10:00 a.m. A delicious lunch, prizes and a good time are provided. Clinton: Monday March 29, 2004 10:00 a.m. at the Betty Cardno Memorial Centre 317 Huron Street (Hwy 8) Clinton Ontario. Lunch included, prizes and earnings go to Community Support of Town & Country Support Services. Lest We Forget: James Oswald Brown The name James Oswald Brown appears, and is engraved on the War Memorial, located in Memorial Square in front of South Huron Municipal Office and Library. His name appears under the heading "From The Village Of Exeter." James Oswald Brown was born in the town of Kilmarnock, Scotland. Kilmarnock is located 60 miles north of the capital Edinburgh. James immigrated to Exeter Ontario earlier in life with his wife. He then enlisted in the Canadian Army and after his basic train- ing was completed, he was sent overseas and fought on the front lines, where the fighting was taking place in Belgium -France. Pte. James was first wounded in his right wrist. He was sent to hospital, and after his wounds healed, he again returned to the trenches. He then was stricken with trench fever. Following this, he was buried in a shell hole. Since that time he suffered from a leak- age of the heart, owing to shell shock. He was sent home to Exeter from England, and one year to the day from the time he arrived home, he passed away. During that time, he put up a heroic fight for his life. James was survived, by his bereaved widow, two sons, and one daughter. His son Pte. William Brown had been home on leave the week before his father died. He was able to return home -before going overseas -to attend the funeral. His daughter Betty and his son Oswald were also in attendance at his funeral. His sister Bessie Brown of Montreal, Quebec also attended the private funeral which was held Thursday, November 22nd 1917. James Oswald Brown was buried in the Exeter Community Cemetery. Next week information on Pte. Wilson Culbert: Good Advice: 1) Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. 2) Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other. 3) Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want 4) When you say, "I love you," mean it. 5) When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye. 6) Be engaged at least six months before you get married. 7) Believe in love at first sight. 8) Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much. 9) Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely. 10) In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling. 11) Don't judge people by their relatives. 12) Talk slowly but think quickly. 13) When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?" 14) Remember, that great love and great achievements involve great risk. 15) Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze. 16) When you lose, don't lose the lesson. 17) Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions. 18) Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. 19) When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. 20) Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice 21) Spend some time alone. Buddy: An out of towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolat- ed area. Luckily, a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse named Buddy. He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" Buddy didn't move. Then the farmer hollered, Pull, Buster, pull!" Buddy did- n't respond. Once more the farmer commanded, "Pull Coco, pull," Nothing. Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull!" The horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch. The motorist was most appreciative and Jim Bearss very curious. He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times. Well... Buddy is blind and if he thought he was the only one puffing, he wouldn't even try. The Farmer and the Old Mule An old hillbilly farmer had a wife who nagged him unmercifully. From morning till night (and sometimes later), she was always complaining about something. The only time he got any relief was when he was out plowing with his old mule. He tried to plow a lot. One day, when he was out plowing, his wife brought him lunch in the field. He drove the old mule into the shade, sat down on a stump, and began to eat his lunch. Immediately, his wife began haranguing him again. Complain, nag, nag; it just went on and on. All of a sudden, the old mule lashed out with both hind feet, caught her smack in the back of the head. Killed her dead on the spot. At the funeral several days later, the minister noticed something rather odd. When a woman mourner would approach the old farmer, he would listen for a minute, then nod his head in agreement; but when a man mourner approached him, he would listen for a minute, then shake his head in disagreement. This was so consistent, the minister decided to ask the old farmer about it. So after the funeral, the minister spoke to the old farmer, and asked him why he nodded his head and agreed with the women, but always shook his head and disagreed with all the men. The old farmer said, "Well, the women would come up and say something about how nice my wife looked, or how pretty her dress was, so I'd nod my head in agree- ment." "And what about the men?" the minister asked. "They wanted to know if the mule was for sale." Exeter Legion Sunday March 21,2004: Come and enjoy a great Sunday evening Roast Beef dinner. Meal comes with all the trimmings. Sittings are from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tickets available at the Legion and are $10.00 for adults and $6.00 for children 12 and under. Huron -Bruce MP seeks misleading - mailings explanation Dear Editor: I am writing to ask for your help in clearing up a mat- ter that has recently been brought to my attention. Early last week, I began receiving constituent complaints regarding a mailing being sent to residents of Huron - Bruce by Conservative -Alliance MP's Stephen Harper, Carol Skelton, David Chatters, James Moore and Chuck Cadman. The said mailing read, in part, as follows... "Your Member of Parliament, Paul Steckle likes to boast that he voted against the Liberal gun registry in 1995. If Paul Steckle is so opposed to the registry, why didn't he vote against wasting another $59 million on it in 2003? Now, instead of scrapping the costly gun reg- istry, Paul Martin has put Paul Steckle in charge of `improving' this billion -dollar sinkhole." Furthermore, on the back of the postcard -like mailing, printed under the words, "Office of the Leader of the Opposition" was the official logo of the Conservative Party of Canada. It should also be noted I have also been told of a similar mailing advising my constituents that Rose -Marie Ur is their Member of Parliament. While I am not asking you to help forward partisan information to your readership, I am asking for your assistance in clarifying the blatant misinformation that is being circulated by the Conservative -Alliance in this tax- payer funded partisan mailing. • Firstly, I am the Member of Parliament for Huron - Bruce. I know that some residents of Huron -Bruce have been told by the Conservative -Alliance that Rose -Marie Ur is their MP; however, this is simply not true. • Secondly, I voted against Bill C-68 (the gun bill) in 1995 because the majority of my constituents told me to do so. Perhaps Stephen Harper (the soon-to-be leader of the Conservative -Alliance) could explain why he voted in favour of the firearms registry in 1995? • Thirdly, the Prime Minister has not placed me "in charge" of the firearms registry. If I were in charge of it—it would be gone! I would be interested in knowing why Mr. Harper and his fellow Conservative -Alliance MP's are using tax -dollars to misrepresent the facts sur- rounding this issue? In closing, your readership should be aware that I have brought this matter to the attention of the Speaker of the House of Commons. It is my hope that he will instruct the MP's involved that this is an inappropriate use of public resources. In the meantime, all con- stituents should know that I am your MP and that I will continue to work to put an end to the excessive waste of the firearms registry. PAUL STECKLE, MP, Huron -Bruce.