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Home My WebLink AboutThe Times Advocate, 2006-12-13, Page 44 Times–Advocate Wednesday, December 13, 2006 ocna =CNA Editorial Opinion TIMES ADVOCATE PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511 We acknowledge the Financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing casts. Canada Jim Beckett – Publisher Deb Lord – Production Manager Scott Nixon – Editor 4 Published by Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Metroland 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850 Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 • 519-235-1331 Peter Winkler -General Manager, Southwestern Ontario Division EDITORIAL Let your light out is fair to say that at this time of year, we're obsessed with light. Just as we're getting used to the sun setting at 4:30 p.m., it's time to begin untangling those strings of Christmas lights and tracking down the festively scented candles to be strewn about our homes in a somewhat vain attempt to brighten up the new winter landscape outside our windows. The theme of `light' is familiar to Christians every- where. God, appearing as a mere mortal, changing the world forever — and it's especially heartening to hear in a church filled with warmth and candle glow on a cold, snowy night. But the notion of a small light affecting the world in a positive way can so easily be extended to the world at large, especially at this time of year when peo- ple of every faith and culture are encouraged to open their hearts and spirit and try to make the world a bet- ter place to live in. Often, the desire to do good comes with a misconcep- tion that a lot of time is required. Sure, those who donate countless hours — or dollars — to their cause may make the headlines, but we all know these people are the exception. And while we appreciate and admire those who have this monumental devotion, we also have our own obligations to concern ourselves with. Recent issues of the Times -Advocate have had exam- ples of simple acts of kindness — the Huron County Christmas Bureau, toy, coat and canned food drives — and you can expect to see more leading up to Christmas. It truly doesn't take much work to do a good deed, other than remembering to track down the items required and making a point of delivering them to wherever they're needed. This time of year, however, isn't just about shining a light on concerted charitable acts. When malls are over- crowded with shoppers, when sidewalks are slippery and when holiday parties are more mirthless than merry, it's easy to become disenchanted and disgruntled with the whole notion of a holiday. But, instead of turn- ing Grinch -like, why not turn a stressful situation into something more positive — open a door for a harried shopper, thank a sales associate for their politeness after endless hours on the job, or even just smile at peo- ple on the street. It's not about the faddish "random acts of kindness" where people obnoxiously hand out candy on the street; rather, it's about being a generally nice person to the rest of the world. A little positive light goes a long way these days — these little displays of light can have a domino effect, causing others to do the same, and suddenly, a world that once seemed a tad dreary and dark is made a little bit brighter. —from the St. Marys Journal Argus It's a jolly junky Christmas Jolly, joyous and junky? Yes, it's true, although there are definitely many perks to the holiday season, the holiday season also produces huge amounts of pre -and post- Boxing Day waste. According to Earth Day Canada, through its EcoAction Teams Program,a non-profit organization, Canadians already generate more waste per capita than any other country in the world. And during the holiday season there is a signifi- cant increase. The EcoAction Teams Program is asking Canadians this year to think twice about the environment when making plans for the holiday season. If Canadians reused paper and gift bags for three items, enough paper would be saved to cover 45,000 hockey rinks, according to the EcoAction Teams Program. They also say if every family produced one less kilogram of waste during the holi- days, there would be 34,000 fewer tonnes of garbage produced. Some suggestions compiled for Canadians by EcoAction Teams Program for trimming waste during the holiday sea- son are; • Gifts from the kitchen — for little gifts, give edible items such as homemade cookies, cakes or nuts and dried fruit in reusable containers like jars or pottery; • Give them green — for the person who has everything, support a cause they believe in and make a donation in their name; • Give quality, not quantity in a gift of presence — give a certificate for time spent together such as reg- ular visits to an outdoor skating rink, theatre or lunch dates; • Green decorating — when decorating use mate- rials that can be composted, such as popcorn and cranberry garlands for the tree, homemade wreaths of pinecones, evergreen branches and berries; • Green hosting — if you have a big group coming over and not enough plates, bowls or cutlery, ask a friend to bring an extra set over or rent dishes from a party rental company. Disposable cutlery takes 100 years to break down; • Light up the holidays — if you are considering buying new holiday lights, buy LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights. They use about 99 per cent less energy than regular holiday bulbs; • The gifts that keep giving — give member- - ships to a gym, art class or recreational activi- ty for a gift that keeps giving throughout the year; • Keepin' it green —this New Year's make a green resolution and keep it. For example, resolve to walk more and take the car less often; • Wrapping it up — get creative and reuse gift bags, ribbons or bows. Use the comics from the newspaper or tins and pottery to wrap edible items. • Holidays with a conscience — consider organic, local and fair trade items when choosing gifts, like environmentally friendly chocolate, coffee, clothing, stationary and NINA VAN LIESHOUT KICK THIS AROUND more; • Peace, joy and goodwill — give the gift of time by volunteering at a local organization or by making a donation; • Share the wealth — plan your menu and meal portions to avoid drowning in leftovers. Ask guests to come prepared with reusable containers so they can bring home extras. Also try calling the local food bank — some are equipped to accept perishables such as breads and meats. About the Times -Advocate Address & Office Hours Times -Advocate, 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Closed on Holidays. 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For example, Jim Beckett's e-mail address is <jbeck- ett@southhuron.com> Our general e-mail address is ads@southhuron.com. The Times -Advocate Team Publisher Jim Beckett ext. 109 ext. 112 ADVERTISING Deborah Schillemore EDITOR Scott Nixon ext. 105 REPORTERS Pat Bolen ext. 113 Nina Van Lieshout ext. 107 CUSTOMER SERVICE Sue Rollings ext. 101 Elaine Chipchase ext. 102 PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Manager Deb Lord ext. 103/114 Heather Bilcke ext. 103 Kelly Gackstetter ext. 103 ACCOUNTING STAFF Anita McDonald ext. 104 Ruth Slaght ext. 106 MargPertschy ext. 111 Heather Clarke ext. 206