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The Times Advocate, 2005-07-20, Page 66 Exeter Times -Advocate Wednesday, July 20, 2005 Opinion Forum News Seniors' perspective Continued from page 5 reserves that they, and the pumps they feed, are run- ning dry, turning fields that have been fruitful for generations into desert," the magazine said. "When the balloon bursts, untold anarchy will be the lot of rural India," said Tushaar Shah, head of the International Water Management Institute's ground water in Gujarat. He said Indian farmers are taking 200 cubic kilometres of water out of the earth each year and only a fraction is replaced by the monsoon rains and the same revolution is being replicated in Pakistan, Vietnam, and Northern China. In China's breadbasket, 30 cubic kilometres more water is pumped to the surface each year than is replaced by rain. Source Reuters News Voice and The Rural Voice. What do we mean by water quality? Water quality is defined in terms of the chemical, physical, and biological content of water. The water quality of rivers and lakes changes with the seasons and geographic areas, even when there is no pollution present. There is no single measure that constitutes good water quality. For instance, water suitable for drinking can be used for irrigation, but water used for irrigation may not meet drinking water guidelines. Canadian water quality guidelines provide basic sci- entific information about water quality parameters and ecologically relevant toxicological threshold val- ues to protect specific water uses. How can we be sure that our water is safe to drink? Municipalities in Ontario have the responsibility to provide their citizens with safe drinking water and to provide sufficient warning about pollution risks relat- ed to recreational uses. Samples are regularly collect- ed and analyzed to check drinking water quality. The results of these analyses are compared with the Canadian drinking water quality guidelines to decide whether or not the water is safe to drink. It should be noted that there is a difference between "pure water" and "safe drinking water." Pure water, often defined as water containing no minerals or chemicals, does not exist naturally in the environment. Under ideal conditions, water may be distilled to produce "pure" water. Safe drinking water, on the other hand, may retain naturally occurring minerals and chemicals, such as calcium, potassium, sodium, or fluoride, which are actually beneficial to human health and may also improve the taste of the water. Where the minerals or chemicals occur naturally in concentrations that may be harmful or displeasing, then certain water treat- ment processes are used to reduce or remove the sub- stances. In fact, some chemicals are actually added to produce good drinking water; the best examples of chemical addition are chlorine, used as a disinfectant to destroy microbial contaminants, and fluoride, used to reduce dental cavities. Their marriage was good Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, t -shirt and a hat and Mom in a housedress, lawn mower in one hand, and dish- towel in the other. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep. It was a way of life and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re -fixing, eating, renewing I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more. But then my mother died and on that clear sum- mer's night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more. Sometimes what we care about most gets all used up and goes away, never to return. So, while we have it, it's best we love it and care for it and fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage, old cars, children with bad report cards, dogs with bad hips, aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some things we keep. Like a best friend that moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special and so, we keep them close. Good friends are like stars. You don't always see them, but you know they are always there. Keep them close! Ten things God won't ask on that day 1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove. He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation. 2. God won't ask the square footage of your house. He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home. 3. God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet. He'll ask how many you helped to clothe. 4. God won't ask what your highest salary was. He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it. 5. God won't ask what your job title was. He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability. 6. God won't ask how many friends you had. He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend. 7. God won't ask in what neighbourhood you lived. He'll ask how you treated your neighbours. 8. God won't ask about the colour of your skin. He'll ask about the content of your character. 9. God won't ask why it took you so long to seek salvation. He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven and not to the gates of Hell. How do you tell the difference between a Liberal and a Conservative? Easy. Watch a man drowning 50 feet offshore. The conservative will throw out 25 feet of rope and shout, "swim for it!" The liberal will toss out 50 feet of rope, drop his own end and go off to do another good deed. Driver's licence Martin had just received his brand new driver's licence. The family troops out to the driveway and climbs in the car where he is going to take them for a ride for the first time. Dad immediately heads for the back seat, directly behind the newly minted driver. "I'll bet you're back there to get a change of scenery after all those months of sitting in the front passenger seat teaching me how to drive," says the beaming boy to his father. "Nope," comes dad's reply, "I'm gonna sit here and kick the back of your seat as you drive, just like you've been doing to me all these years." Drainage problems, questionable crops cause concern Improper grading: drainage woes This is a copy of a letter sent to public officials To: Municipality of South Huron, Exeter, Ontario Attention: Larry Brown, Chief Administrative Officer Dear Mr. Brown: For years now I have been petitioning the building department for their policy regarding grading bonds. Throughout the Municipality's parade of recent building officials, I have questioned the way that these bonds have been handled. I have even gone so far as to send a letter with my grading bond cheque describing what I believe to be fair terms for this bond. Through all of this I have been stonewalled until recently a municipal employee finally admitted there is no poli- cy or bylaw regarding these bonds. If there is no policy or bylaw regarding grading bonds, and if this practice has not been duly debated and accepted by the municipal council in an open meeting with the input of the local citizens that it will affect, then the municipality has no right to be demanding or holding such funds. There are many outstanding bonds in this municipality and a full audit is required. If the town has been collecting money with regards to having grading certified and not pursuing landowners to rectify this situation, then what is the purpose of the grading bond? The town should be responsible for correcting situations where grading is not as per plan. This has not been the case; the Municipality has been holding these funds indefinitely. This problem predates the current council and now it is their problem. There has been a lot of lip wagging regarding solving the drainage problems that are prevalent in this municipality. By ignoring this issue the council is missing a cheap and easy fix to the majority of the municipality's drainage problems. Water trapped in backyards of homes due to improper initial grading, or the addition of driveways, landscaping, pools, etc. after grades have been checked, significantly contributes to this community's drainage woes. In closing I would like to make it clear that I have been an advocate for the mandatory certified grading plans that were established by a previous council and the previous building and planning managers, Rick Hundey and Dave Moyer. This should have taken the politics out of property drainage and left it to the unbiased professional opinion of an Ontario Land Surveyor. The current practice of withholding the funds for political leverage and the neces- sity of the builder/owner having to petition to have these funds returned, even after the grading has been certified by an Ontario Land Surveyor, is frustrating and mad- dening to say the least. This practice is unacceptable. Pride catches on Dear Editor: Re: "Proposed Dashwood severance draws objections from neighbours," July 6. Respectfully, I was amazed at Councillor Armstrong's short-sighted statement, "no business owner would invest in a site to make it look bad." Maybe he should visit property owners, both "41111111111.11/ residential and commercial, in Centralia or Crediton to see if they would agree with that statement. Several commercial properties in those towns are kept in a far from tidy manner. Perhaps the first owner of a commercial property does respect the neighbours; but, there is no way of knowing, no guarantee, how subsequent owners will treat a property. Properties that fall into the category of unsight- ly frequently mushroom, distracting from the many well -kept properties. This situation is not exclusive to small towns and villages in South Huron; as a matter of fact, with a tour around the municipality Armstrong might be inter- ested in the `crops' of used and derelict cars, farm machinery and building materials which seem to be `growing' on many rural properties in the area. Pride in one's surroundings and property is a very positive factor in attracting others to do the same. Letters to the Editor DEAN DUCHARME Huron Contractors Inc., Registered Home Builder Exeter, ON DREW ROBERTSON, Crediton, ON Splish splash EXETER — So far this summer the South Huron Playground has been a blast! To finish off this week's festive themes we will be creating Christmas crafts as well as going on a New Orleans tour on Thursday. Also, get ready to make some noise at our New Year's Party Friday. Next week (July 25-29) is our "Splish Splash" week, so it is especially important to remember bathing suits and towels everyday. On Thurs., July 28, we will be going to East Park in London to visit the water park as well as play some mini golf. For questions or concerns regarding the trip or anything else, please feel free to contact us at 235-2361. MAGGIE MILLER EXETER PLAYGROUND LEADER