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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2005-09-14, Page 66 Exeter Times–Advocate Wednesday, September 14, 2005 Opinion Forum News Seniors' perspective Continued from page 5 and since then Bruce had cash crops. The original Shapton home farm was Lot 20, Concession 3 Stephen Township, now on the west side of Airport Line. That farm has been in the Shapton name for five generations. Bruce has one brother Robert, service manager for Vincent Farm Equipment in Woodstock. Dolores has three sisters: Margaret Andruski of Regina, Saskatchewan, Betty Hodgins at McGregor near Windsor and Barbara Winegarden of London, Ontario. Bruce has used different farm equipment in his farming career. He and his father had a D John Deere tractor. Bruce then farmed with an H, AR, MT John Deere tractors. Then he purchased a Ford Super Major and a four -furrow plow from Larry Snider Motors for $3000 and has had Ford tractors ever since. His first combine was an older style pull -type, after that he purchased a 40 S.P. combine and now has his present machine, a John Deere 4400. Bruce has also contributed to society as a mem- ber of the United Church member, on various boards within the church, Exeter Fair Board, member of the Huron County Plowman's Association, Exeter Co-op member and Stephen Township Federation of Agriculture. Bruce's interest in plowing allowed his son Bevan to do his first competitive plowing in 1978. Bruce also delivered Meals on Wheels that was started by the United Church and now is currently operated by the Town and County Support Services. Bruce retired this year. Dolores's contributed to society as a United Church member, United Church Women, past board member of the Women's Institute Branch District Area Level, Ag Society, Exeter District 8 Perth Huron Ontario Association of Ag Societies and was home craft president. Dolores always wanted to be a teacher and she got her satisfaction from teaching home crafts. Dolores reminded me that when quilting Mennonites purposely make one mistake. Their belief is the world is not perfect. Bruce said, "Our farming operation would not be as successful as it was, but for the fact that Dolores and I worked as a team. She always helped with chores morning and night, cattle feed- ing and operating the one -row forage harvester cutting corn until the cattle were sold in 1992." After Bruce and Dolores went out of cattle, Bruce started a woodworking hobby, building cupboards, chests etc. One of his main carpentry projects was doing work for the United Church and until recent- ly built small cabinets, shelves and more. Dolores is still interested in the Women's Institute and of course helping Bruce. The Shaptons have come a long way from meet- ing at Junior Farmers and Young Peoples, to pur- chasing a 1949 pickup, to raising their family. They enjoy country music and attending musicals like "Hello Dolly" at Stratford and watching movies. They both enjoy Millionaire and Jeopardy on television. Bruce has been a longtime volunteer for Town and Country Support Services and is very support- ive of the work and care they provide to a large clientele. Dolores would like to see a support group for sufferers of Parkinson's disease. In summary the community has been a better place with Bruce and Dolores Shapton and their contributions. Thank you Bruce and Dolores for allowing me to to profile you and your accomplishments. Legion news Exeter Legion Branch 167 is sponsoring a Five Lucky Couples Draws at Eddington's Fine Dining. Draw date is Oct. 22 at Exeter Legion. Cost of tick- ets is only $5 (a $60 per couple value). Grandma's apron! The principle use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that it served as a holder for removing hot pans from the oven; it was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken coop the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks and sometimes half - hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came those old aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids; and when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot stove. Chips and kindling - wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled it carried out the empty pods. In the fall it was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unex- pected company drove up the road, it was surpris- ing how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out on the porch and waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields for dinner, not lunch. It will be a long time before anyone invents something that will replace that old-time apron that served so many purposes. Why can't I get a CT scan in Stratford? Dear Editor: In the past 21 months, I have had Stratford surgeons perform four surgeries on me, all in Stratford Hospital. In addition to above surgeons, I have been in consulta- tion with three additional doctors in Stratford Hospital. My own doctor is in Exeter and he is the one that has set up all of these surgeries and consultations. At present, I have a CT scan scheduled in London on Aug. 3, 2006. Please tell me, Why can't I get a CT scan in Stratford? V.I. THOMAS, Exeter, ON Writer suggests contacting premier Dear Editor: Although not flattering to certain members of South Huron council, it was encour- aging to read Dean Ducharme's letter in last week's Times -Advocate with regard to Huron Park. I would suggest other South Huron residents take an interest in the sale and planning of this economic gem. As a concerned resident, it has been my privilege to be invited to meetings of the newly -formed Huron Park Industrial Tenants Association. Through these meetings, I have met most of the employers and managers of Huron Park businesses. We in South Huron are blessed to have these diverse, quality companies employing many residents of our community. Currently, these businesses are entering into negotiations with Ontario Realty Corporation to pur- chase the properties they now rent from the Province of Ontario. As reported in past issues of the Times - Advocate, the privatization of Huron Industrial Park includes a few bumps in the road such as infrastructure and environ- mental concerns. We the residents of South Huron need to have some input in the future planning of Huron Park. Although the tenants of Huron Industrial Park are negotiating to pur- chase the facilities they now rent, the remaining college, houses and airport runways need to be considered as well. Area residents should press for a public meeting as soon as possible to ensure our considerations are included in the planning process. I would suggest local residents contact Premier Dalton McGuinty and encourage him to visit Huron Park. Like me, I'm sure the premier will be impressed by the busi- nesses located there and the potential for future growth and development once these businesses have ownership of their properties. Don't forget to remind the premier to bring a cheque along to smooth out the "bumps." Contact Premier McGuinty: Dalton McGuinty, Premier, Legislative Building Queen's Park, Toronto, Ont. M7A 1A1, Fax: (416) 325-3745, e-mail: Dalton.McGuinty@pre- mier.gov.on.ca W. PETER FYDENCHUK Crediton Letters �► tO the Editor Principal's message EXETER — Another summer has passed by quickly and school is back in session. I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the new students in Grade 9 and to the new students who have transferred in this year from other high schools. I hope you are enjoying life at South Huron, and I encourage you to get involved in all that this great school has to offer. I would also like to welcome several new members to the staff at South Huron. Ms. Eleanor Salmon, who has been vice-principal at Mitchell District High School for the last two years, joins our staff as vice-principal. Eleanor is a graduate of South Huron herself and so this is a kind of homecoming for her. Also joining our teaching staff are: Mr. Stephen Arenburg in the Science Department, Ms. Jeanne Melady in English, Ms. Danielle Black in French, Ms. Tracy Marshment in Special Education, Mr. Ian Peck in Tech Studies and Ms. Amanda Magill in Business and Co-op. In addition to these new staff members, we also welcome back Ms. Donna Garvey in Special Education, Ms. Stacey Park in Canada and World Studies and educational assistant Lynn Farquhar. Parents are invited to stop by the school to meet our staff tonight (Sept. 14) at our Open House. This will be an informal event, starting with a "meet the teacher" ses- sion in the cafeteria from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and followed by an information ses- sion in the small gym from 7:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. In the first hour parents will have an opportunity to meet their children's teachers in the cafeteria and/or tour the school to see the classrooms and facilities of South Huron. We are proud of our excellent facilities and equipment and this open house will give us a chance to show off our most recent renovations, including a beautifully refinished floor in the large gym, new locker fronts, ceiling and windows in the Tech Hall, and new classrooms and equipment in Tech Studies (a new classroom for Manufacturing, new work spaces for Tech Design, and a refurbished Communications room, including a recording studio with state-of-the-art equip- ment). We are pleased with the changes and think they will greatly enhance the learning experience for our students. At 7:45 p.m. I will host an information session for parents, particularly for parents of Grade 9 students. This will be an excellent opportunity for parents to learn about the high school experience and to ask questions about our policies, procedures and programs. I hope that the information presented at this session will enable parents to help their children make a smooth transition from elementary school to high school. While this session is aimed primarily at parents of Grade 9 students, all parents are welcome to attend and ask questions. On Friday, SHDHS students will join approximately three million students across Canada in a simultaneous nationwide Terry Fox Run/Walk. This is the 25th anniver- sary of the Terry Fox Run, and we would like all our students and staff to partici- pate in this walk, whether they raise funds for cancer research or not. While we will be aiming to raise just over $5,000 in pledges, our main goal is awareness and a celebration of the tremendous accomplishment of this great Canadian. Please encourage your children to get involved and take part in this important event. Finally, I would like to remind parents that we really do value your input. If you have questions or concerns about any aspect of high school life, please contact us and let us know your thoughts. Our goal is continual school improvement, and parental, student and community input are vital components of the process. Please feel free to call us, to e-mail us, and to visit our school website at: www.amdsb.ca/SHDHS/current/ The start to this school year has been very smooth, and I am looking forward to another great year at South Huron. JEFF REABURN PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE