HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2007-09-19, Page 66
Times -Advocate
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Opinion Forum News
Alzheimer Coffee Break
is tomorrow
Several Exeter and area facilities, businesses and service organizations will take part
in tomorrow's Coffee Break Fundraiser for Alzheimer's Disease.
Coffee Breaks will be held throughout the day at various locations in and around
Exeter including South Huron Hospital, Scotia Bank, Exeter United Church and Exeter
Villa. You can also stop by Hansen's Your Independent Grocer or Holtzmann's
Foodland to "donate a buck and sign a cup".
For a complete list of all Exeter Coffee Break locations please call the Alzheimer
Society office at 519-482-1482.
Proceeds from the Coffee Breaks will help fund local programs and services for those
with Alzheimer's Disease and their care givers. A portion will also be designated for
research.
The Alzheimer Society of Huron County is proud to serve the communi-
ties of Huron County and is a nation wide, not for profit health organiza-
tion dedicated to helping those affected by Alzheimer's Disease.
Thank you in advance for making this day a success. "You will be sur-
prised how much a cup of coffee can help."
THERESA WILSON
Events Coordinator
Creationism versus liberalism
merely veiled attempts at completely squashing creational religion. They laugh,
goad and otherwise vilify any who would disagree for religious reasons and yet most
credible scientists will admit science supports intelligent design far more than the
theory that all this organization (the universe, organisms, cells, DNA, etc.) came
from disorganization, like a big explosion.
Many opinion page letters say the theory of creation has no place in our public
schools but they apparently do not use the same argument regarding the theory of
evolution in religious schools. Are they not both just theories? Does science exclude
creation as a valid theory or does science support creation, necessitating and exac-
erbating so much hostility on the part of the liberalist? These letters generally lack
intelligent argument to counteract the creationist view, so they have to resort to ad
hominem attacks. When they have no argument against the message, they attack
the messenger attempting to make people view the messenger as a drooling idiot,
thereby nullifying an argument they are unable to argue against.
It is curious why the creationalist is not terribly threatened by
the teaching of the theory of evolution, but the liberalist
feels frightfully vulnerable of the creation theory. If any
thinks the answer is because religion has killed so
many, then just look at how many the attempt to eradi-
cate religion killed in just the past century — Mao Tse-
tung, Stalin, Hitler and many others killed an estimated
10 to 20 million people.
The liberalist religion is the foundational beliefs of
the NDP, the Green Party and Liberal Party and even
Letters
to the
Editor
John Tory's attempt to fund religious education is a scary concept if you are of the
opinion the state should stay out of the church and vise versa. Religious teaching
needs to be supported by the church or organization who wishes its furtherance, not
by tax dollars of persons who may disagree fundamentally with those teachings. I
cannot speak as to the intent of Mr. Tory whether it be honourable or not but it is
erroneous to pursue this and if successful could have a far reaching negative impact
on all religious faiths (except for the faith in evolution).
The real issue — the religious views of creationist versus the religious views of lib-
eralism is what's at stake. Yes, liberalism has all the earmarks of a religion and evo-
lution is part of its foundational beliefs. The staunch liberalists have and will do all
in their power to demean and demonize persons whose religious views conflict with
the liberalist agenda.
Does science really and truly support evolution? That doesn't matter, the liberalist
still insists it be taught as fact and taxpayers' dollars are to be used in support of
this theory. The agenda of many who attack persons with creationalist views are
some within the Conservative Party of Canada push their
liberalist religion. We all need to wake up because if bigoted
views are allowed to propagate further, the religion of liberalism
will be the only religion Canadians will be allowed. Our Canadian
Charter of Rights guarantees us, "Freedom of conscience and religion," yet that
freedom is constantly under attack. The religion of liberalism will give us all the
right to believe, providing we believe what we are told and do not question it.
If you search out liberalism it sounds not too bad — equality, individual rights and
so on but the real liberalism in our country is a nasty taskmaster which must be
kept from prominence. It will remove individual rights, squash media freedoms,
freedom of opinion, freedom of religion, all our Canadian "fundamental freedoms."
We live in a great country where many of the world's oppressed people would love
to come. This country was built upon a rich religious heritage, which gave us the
laws and freedoms we enjoy and are now in danger of losing.
IAN J TUCK
Exeter
Principal's message
EXETER — This week is Grade Nine Welcome Week at South Huron and through-
out the week we have been holding fun events to get the Grade 9 students
working together to get to know one another and to get to know members of
Students' Council.
These events replace the initiation week that used to be one of the high
school rites of passage, and the emphasis is now on teamwork and cama-
raderie rather than embarrassment and humiliation.
As part of our Welcome Week, we will have our first dance of the year
Thursday night and I would like to take this opportunity to review our expec-
tations and procedures for dances. All our dances, with the exception of the
formal, happen Thursday nights and run from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. We do
not open the doors until 7:30 p.m. and students are asked not to come to the
school before that time, especially if it is cold and/or rainy. The doors close at
9 p.m. and only students who have requested permission in advance will be
admitted after the doors have closed. There must be a valid reason why the
student is going to be late before such permission is granted. Students are not per-
mitted to come and go from the dance: if they choose to leave, they will not be re-
admitted.
To be eligible to attend dances, students must have paid their student fees and
they should not have library fines or detentions owing. Students on suspension are
not permitted to attend dances and may, in fact, lose their dance privileges for the
year, depending on the cause of the suspension.
In addition to having teacher supervisors, we also have paid duty police officers in
attendance at all our dances. They are on hand to help us ensure students are safe
for the evening, but they also check backpacks and purses as students arrive for the
dance. Students found to be in possession of alcohol or drugs at school dances or
under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be suspended from school and sent
home from the dance. Parents will be called to the school to pick up their kids in
such circumstances. We also reserve the right to use breathalysers to determine
whether or not students have been drinking before admitting them to the dance.
Students are not permitted to go to their lockers or wander the halls during
dances. Coats are kept hi a room near the gym, and students are asked not to leave
valuables such as iPods, phones, cameras, wallets, etc. in their coats. We cannot
safeguard such items unless they are brought to us by the students. There is a pay
phone outside the gym and another in the library if students need to call
home and so phones, especially, are not needed at dances. At the conclu-
sion of the dance, students are permitted to go to their lockers, but not
while the dance is in progress, unless escorted by a teacher.
Each student is permitted to sign in one guest to a dance, but the guest
must be signed before to the day of the dance. The guest must be a high
school student or a recent grad who is known to us. Again, we reserve the
right to refuse admission to any guest we deem ineligible to attend. Our
goal with all these expectations is to ensure all students are safe while
attending our dances and that they abide by our expectations for behav-
BURN iour.
PAL'S On Friday, we will have an outdoor climbing wall at the school so stu-
GE dents who wish may try their hand at "rock climbing." For a small fee of
$2 per climb, students will be trained on basic climbing techniques and
have the opportunity to climb a 25 -foot wall. They will also be trained on the proper
use of the safety harnesses provided for the climb. Students will also have the
opportunity to try kick -boxing, self-defence and tug-of-war. These activities, along
with some events that the Grade 9 students enjoyed on Monday of this week, are
part of what we hope to be an ongoing series of "Try Me" activities intended to get
our students more physically active and involved. We hope to show them there are
many fun things to do in life that will help keep them in good physical condition.
Finally, I would like to announce a unique fundraising venture that the School
Council will be holding. The event, called the "Parachute Plunge," will see a skydiv-
er parachuting onto the soccer field on Fri., Oct. 19 (weather date will be Oct. 22.)
The field will be divided into squares and prizes will be awarded on the basis of
where the parachutist touches down. First prize is a trip for four to see "Dirty
Dancing" in Toronto (valued at $1,500). There will also be cash prizes of $1,000,
$500, $200 and $100 as well, and tickets will be sold for $20 each. Proceeds from
this fundraiser will be used to support School Council programs including our annu-
al scholarships and awards, Student of the Month awards and community forums.
JEFF
REA
PRINCI
MESSA
Update from South Huron mayor
SOUTH HURON — We are lucky to be living in a country where we have a two-
part health system.
We have the part with doctors, nurses and hospitals to deal with disease and sick-
ness. This is the part sometimes referred to as the two-tier system when service can
be bought with money.
The other part I am referring to is the Health Unit and in our case it is the
Huron County Health Unit. This part of the system works on preventing dis-
ease and sickness. Without the second part of our health system, we could-
n't keep up with building hospitals and training doctors and nurses to look
after the sick, and some people would just lack any sort of proper care.
The Health Unit is mandated by the province to maintain a certain level of
service for the county. This level of service is universal throughout the
province and the Health Unit must enforce these rules. Some programs are
governed by a permit system with some being user pay and others partially
user pay.
Some areas of health concerns the Health Unit is active in are Water, Food,
Addiction Services, Human Relations, and Pandemic and Emergency
Planning. Each of these areas has many programs for our benefit. They participate
in many committees to improve the ground water or water entering in the lakes.
They inspect septic systems and re -inspect them. Plumbing inspection ensures
water is safe to drink. Well owners can have their well water inspected for safety.
Lake water is monitored for safe swimming. Municipal water suppliers are moni-
tored for compliance with provincial laws. Public spas and hot tubs are inspected.
All high risk food premises and institutions are inspected three times a year for
your safety. A certified Food Handlers course is given to food handlers. The good
food box provided at cost supplies a box of vegetables each month with
instructions on preparation to encourage better eating habits.
The Health Unit provides support for the implementation of the Smoke
Free Ontario Act. They provide help for addiction with regard to alcohol,
drugs and gambling.
The Health Unit has consultations with the community so as to be pre-
pared for any emergencies as the result of a pandemic.
Many programs are provided to enhance health for babies, youths and
adults such as prenatal classes, breast feeding programs, parenting class-
es, car seat safety, implementing a healthy snack, breakfast, or meals for
students, dental checks for children, an adult dental program, a youth web-
site, a rabies clinic and many more.
For a complete list, check with your Health Unit in Clinton. Most of these
programs make for a healthier life for all of us.
Ken
Oke