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The Times Advocate, 2005-11-09, Page 66 Exeter Times—Advocate Wednesday, November 9, 2005 Opinion kForum News Seniors' perspective Continued from page 5 were Almira Ford, Olga Davis and Jim Bearss. Gerald and Lois McFalls and Elwood and Shirley Truemner cel- ebrated anniversaries . Rally report was given by Jane Dearing and Olga Davis gave the nominations report. June Hodgson updated us on the senior games and Jim Bearss had the Seniors Advisory report. We all enjoyed "The Nursing Home" joke .Donations to the Legion were discussed. Mary Webber chaired the program. She read a poem on "Remembrance" Lois Armstrong entertained us through out the evening with humourous readings." Country Corners" entertained us with toe tapping music. Members in the band were Carl Mills, Shirley Dann, Terry Ward, Harold Echmeyer, Jack Wilds and Harvey Smith Door prize winners were, Doris Sillery, Grace Ballantyne, Harry Dougall & Shirley Truemner. Share The Wealth Winners were Donna Smith (2) Harvey Smith, Terry Ward, Howard Holtzmann, Lillian Mathers, Lynda Hokanssson, June Hodgson, Harold Eckmeyer and Joe Dann. The meeting closed with the Seniors Prayer. Christmas meal tickets for members are still available up until November 25th. Please call Shirley Kirk 235- 0320 or Jane Dearing 235-0757 if you wish to attend . Christmas meeting is December 6th at 6 p.m. for a traditional Christmas supper served by the Legion Auxiliary Ladies Subject: No nursing home for me: About two years ago my wife and I were on a cruise through the western Mediterranean aboard a Princess liner. At dinner we noticed an elderly lady sitting alone along the rail of the grand stairway in the main dining room. I noticed that all the staff, ship officers, waiters, busboys, etc. seemed very familiar with this lady. I asked our waiter who the lady was, expecting to be told she owned the line, but he said he only knew that she had been on board for the last four cruises, back to back. As we left the dining room one evening, I caught her eye and stopped to say hello. We chatted and I said, "I understand you've been on this ship for the last four cruises." She replied, "Yes, that's true." I stated, "I don't understand" and she replied without a pause, "It's cheaper than a nursing home." So, there will be no nursing home in my future. When I get old and feeble, I am going to get on a Princess cruise ship. The average cost for a nursing home is $200 a day. I have checked on reservations at Princess and I can get a long-term dis- count and senior discount price of $135 per day. That leaves $65 a day for: 1 -Gratuities, which will only be $10 per day. 2. I will have as many as 10 meals a day if I can wad- dle to the restaurant or I can have room service (which means I can have breakfast in bed every day of the week.) 3. Princess has as many as three swimming pools, a workout room, free washers and dryers and shows every night. 4. They have free toothpaste, razors, soap and sham- poo. 5. They will even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5 worth of tips will have the entire staff scrambling to help you. 6. I will get to meet new people every 7 to 14 days. 7. TV broken? Light bulb needs changing? Need to have the mattress replaced? No problem! They will fix everything and apologize for your inconvenience. 8. Clean sheets and towels every day and you don't even have to ask for them. 9. If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip, you are on Medicare. If you fall and break a hip on the Princess ship, they will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life. Now hold on for the best! Do you want to see South America, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia or name where you want to go? Princess will have a ship ready to go. So don't look for me in a nursing home, just call shore to ship. BON VOYAGE: PS: And don't forget, when you die, they just dump you over the side at no charge! Five Leading Crime -Risk Factors! There are high-risk factors in crime victimization, just as there are high-risk factors that endanger your health. The following factors greatly increase a senior's crime risks above the normal odds because they play right into the hands of the bad guys. 1. Failing to close up and lock up. Yes, we've all done it. But as many as half of all types of thefts and one-fifth of all crimes against persons result from neglecting to lock entrances, windows and all car doors and not securing valuables under lock and key. Closing and lock- ing won't stop a determined pro. But most amateurs lack either the time or skill to breach a half -decent bar- rier, even a closed purse flap. The days when we could leave our doors and bikes and cars unlocked are now long gone. 2. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Any isolated spot away from public view encourages crimi- nality, while the mere presence of others deters crimes. Also, certain districts will be crawling with crooks, while other districts remain relatively crime -free. The over- whelming majority of crimes happen only in certain locations, at certain times, and under circumstances. Avoiding these is half the battle in crime protection. 3. Failing to look before you leap. Impulsiveness can be a charming personal trait, but when it leads to open- ing your front door to unidentified strangers, returning carelessly to your car in the evening, making offhand investments, blindly following professional advice or haphazardly choosing a retirement community, or a time-share, it can be deadly. Robbers, con artists, and other nefarious characters count on the fact that some people will be impulsive. Much crime avoidance rests on coolheaded "checking it out." 4. Having a victim -prone lifestyle. Frequent intoxica- tion, a perennial chip on the shoulder, a sarcastic con- versational style that provokes ill will, all can increase our vulnerability to crime. Engaging in illegal activities, such as gambling, visiting prostitutes or working shady deals, puts you cheek to jowl with the criminal under- world. Why needlessly ask for or make trouble. 5. Complacency. This risk usually involves either a "nothing ever happens here" or a "just this once" atti- tude. Seniors who are well settled in their living arrangements and have escaped previous victimization are especially prone to this. Yet the main reason "noth- ing ever happened before" is probably all the good sense precautions normally taken. People often don't realize that it is their routine crime -avoidance habits that have kept them crime -free, so they may let down their guard. Or they get upset or get in a rush and fail to follow their ordinary security habits. Complacency is one of the criminal's best, most reliable accomplices. A Man applies for a job as mechanic. The boss says, "Can you roll your hat down your arm and pop it back on your head?" The mechanic nods, confused, "Can you play light saber with your wrench and another man's screwdriv- er?" "Oh yes," says the mechanic. "Can you bounce your screwdriver off the cement, grab it, whirl it around and put it in your belt like a gun?" "Sir, I've been doing that for years!" says the wanna- be mechanic. "Well in that case, I can't use you. I have 12 men doing that already!" says the boss. Honour our Canadian veterans Dear Editor: A Day for Reflection, A Day for Remembrance: Honoring Our Canadian Veterans From coast to coast to coast, November 11 is a day that gives Canadians time to pause and reflect on Canada's history, as well as what Canada is and stands for in the world today. Above all, it is an occasion to think about the valiant men and women who sacrificed their lives in the interests of Canada. On Remembrance Day, we think about the more than 1.5 million Canadians who fought for Canada in the First World War (1914-1918), the Second World War (1939- 1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953). We recognize the more than 100,000 veter- ans who died, and the enormous sacrifices made by their families who were split apart by war and tragedy. We also think about the men and women who have sacrificed their lives in the ser- vice of peace in such faraway places as Haiti, and those who continue to defend our country and our interests today. At the same time, we recognize the significance of what it is they have fought for, namely the values, freedoms and way of life that we cherish and are privileged to enjoy today. This includes the / liberties that we take for granted, our ability to >_.,.,,; ' 'etterS actively participate in political, social and cultural\ t life in Canada. -40 Edithe Most Canadians are fortunate, in that we have Or not experienced the hardships of war. Today, however, in light of the events that have shaped our world recently, we have some resemblance of the suffering that war and conflict invariably bring. To this end, we can be thankful that Canada has a long and revered history as a peaceful nation - a history that includes a longstanding commit- ment to peacekeeping and peace building throughout the world. As Canadians, we remember those who gave their lives for us by wearing poppies - the flower of remembrance. We recall the poem In Flanders Fields, written by Lieutenant Colonel John McRae - a Canadian - during the second battle of Ypres, hi the spring of 1915. We take part in Remembrance Day services and activities in our local communities. This includes observing two minutes of silence, which offers each and everyone of us the chance to reflect privately on peace, and the forces that have shaped our country's great history. In honour of the Year of the Veteran, Canada will pause to remember Veterans, to reflect upon their contributions and sacrifices, and to pay tribute to those who died protecting the values and freedoms we enjoy today. All Canadians, especially youth and community organizations, are encouraged to participate and to initiate Veteran's Week activities in their local communities. Call 1-800-443-0394 or visit www.vacacc.gc.ca for events in your area. Today we can appreciate even more, our Canadian heroes, their bravery, and the great sacrifices they made. Lest we forget. Sincerely, ROSE -MARIE UR, M.P. Lambton-Kent-Middlesex Thanks from Pink Ribbon Girls Dear Exeter and Surrounding Communities, On behalf of the Pink Ribbon Girls, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for all the love and support you have shown to our Breast Cancer Research Calendar Project. When considering the undertaking of this venture, we discussed the level of support we believed our communities would contribute and you, Exeter and the surrounding areas, have far surpassed our expectations! We thought that our communities would be very receptive to our fundraiser, but we had no idea how much it would be embraced and supported! Breast cancer is a disease that affects everyone. The statistics are that one in nine women will develop breast cancer and this is a really scary fact for women and men everywhere. Thanks to your support, we are involved hi making a difference and aid- ing the researchers in their quest for a cure! Finally, we wanted to express how grateful we are that we live hi small communi- ties. We truly believe that this project would not have been as successful in a big city as they do not possess the bond and sense of community spirit that are found in small towns! It really goes to show the level of care and concern that our communities pos- sess for their citizens! Thanks again, Exeter and surrounding communities, for all your dedication and tremendous support over the past year! We are truly grateful! Sincerely, THE PINK RIBBON GIRLS Thanks for voicing support Dear Editor, I would like to take the time to thank all the individuals and businesses that have taken a moment of their time to voice their support for the letters I have been writing for the last few months. The freedom to comment on our government is one of our most important rights as citizens. It is also our responsibility to do so. Without this important check in the system governments are allowed carte blanche. The govern- ment of South Huron has been left to its own devices for too long. In the last five years we have been subjected to the costs and the embarrassment of scandal after scandal: the library, for which we have still not been reimbursed by the bonding company. (I can only guess as to the reasons for the delay, I would put my money on the expensive last minute change of adding an over -priced second storey for the building department, treasury department and mayor's offices). We have had two floods and only recently has any action been taken, more action is required. We had the Palm Pilot Inquiry, Water Meter Gate, engineers charging us for pondering and hypothesizing, a revolving door of managers in the works and building departments, lawyers who charge $600.00/ letter (but they are very good, I'm told), building permit fees that are "ahead of the curve" (this means over -priced). Not to mention skyrocketing property taxes which are a direct result of the items previously mentioned. Help me people we are drowning! Yours Truly DEAN DucHARME, Huron Contractors, Ltd.