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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1984-04-11, Page 2A3 -* THE HURON EXPOSITOR, APRIL 11, 1984 EHHuron xpositoeN SINCE 1860, SERVING THE COMMUNITY FIRST Incorporating • Brussels Post 10 Main Street Published In SEAFORTH, ONTARIO Every Wednesday morning JOCELYN A. SHRIER, Publisher RON WASSINK, Editor KATIE O'LEARY, Advertising Representative Member Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc Ontario Community Newspaper Asaoclatloh Ontario Press Council Commonwealth Press Union International Press Institute Subscription rates: Canada $18.75 a year (In advance) Outside Canada $55.00 a year (In advance) Single Copl s - 50 cents each SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY APRIL 11, 1984 Secgnd class mall registration Number 0696 527-0240 Inform kids Nothing Is more frightening toa parent than the violent death of a child. When the body of a five -year -o/d boy was found 25 miles from Seaforth two days after he was abducted last week, local parents were shocked into thinking about what could happen to their children. The Incident prompted parents to once again warn children about the dangers of accompanying strange adults and to teach their children how to react to people who could harm them. It also reminded both parents and children of Seaforth's approximately 35 Block Parents whose red and white signs signal a haven for children in trouble. Now is a good time to point out the locations of Block Parents in town so children know where to go in an emergency. Knock on the door and Introduce your child to the Block Parent on his ( her way home from school; It may be easier to ask for help from a familiar and friendly face. It is also the right time to consider becoming a Block Parent. Co-ordinator Marion Clark says while 35 Block Parents is a good number, there Is always a need for more. "it doesn't hurt to have a lot of people involved," she says. Talking about child molesters may be frightening to both parents and children but it's a topic that must be discussed. Nothing you say or do can guarantee your child will never be harmed but by preparing your chlidren you are putting the odds in their favor. - S.H. Get fit Challenging race THE BA YFIELD RIVER water level was low for the Optimist Club canoe race, but the 16 km course proved to be scenic. A couple of canoes required repairs enroute due to damage and two canoeists battled a leak by dumping accumulated water. As summer proceeds, the search for a tolerable way to exercise begins. One of the most popular winter and summer exercise programs is aerobic dancing. The reason such exercise is so popular Is because It's a lot more fun to join a roomful of people and exercise together, than to dodge angry canines while jogging. But as the weather Improves, fitness on the street become more evident. For those who don't join aerobic fitness programs, there's cycling, walking and jogging. And all of these are dangerous. Street exercisers should use safety precautions, especially on a bicycle. You may have all the reflectors In the world, but cutting In front of traffic is deadly. Kids, especially, should make sure their bicycles are road worthy, and they should obey all traffic laws. School bound children should know their traffic signals and when crossing streets, dismount and cross at an Intersection. This summer, get fit, have fun, but stay healthy. TO THE EDITOR Thanks for the coverage Dear Sir/Madam: Throughout 1983, the news media has been most supportive in bringing the message of UNICEF's work to the attention of its readers and the public in general. Your active involvement has been invalu- able. Thanks to you, your staff and to Ontarians from all walks of life and of all ages. UNICEF Ontario is able to announce the completion of another successful year. The news coverage received from you for our two major fundraising campaigns and the interest thus generated will mean that the forward thrust of one of UNICEF's main objectives - the breaking of the vicious 'cycle of infection and malnutrition, which is a major cause of infant deaths in the developing countries - will be carried on. Throughout the past year, Ontarians contributed more than $1,000,000.00 to - ,wards UNICEF programs in health, nutrition, education and community de- velopment. This amount, matched by CIDA (Canadian International Develop- ment Agency) will help lessen the impact of the current economic setbacks facing so many of the developing countries. When stringent measures must be taken in these countries it is the social services affecting the welfare of women and, in turn, the children which are the first to be cut. These services are essential in spreading the message of better health and nutrition to those in most need Of it • health and nutrition which could save the five million young lives lost to the world each year through lack of this knowledge. With kind regards. Elizabeth Gordon Edwards Provincial Chairman Ontario UNICEF Committee want Dutch immersion My knowledge of the French language is very limited. Sometimes i wish 1 could speak more than the usual phrases such as "bond jure" or "parlay view front say" and "merry, mercy mon sewer" but as far as I'm` concerned that's mere thap enough French.�l There's been a move do try and convince �. school board officials in Huron County to start up a French Immersion program. And if it works out, introduce such a program to all elementary schools in the county. But no such luck. For once. 1 agree with the decision made by the board. The Huron -Perth Roman Catholic School Board also turned down a French Immersion program for their school system. Good move. Unlike the boards of ed., my reasons for opposing an immersion program are two -fold. One is money, and the other is we don't need it. First of all, we have to be realistic. Why do we need a French Immersion program? Where are we going to use French? If. for example such a program was started in the Seaforth Public School kindergarten class this fall, the kids would spend at least half a day speaking only French. No English. The program would then advance into higher grades with each new school year. Kids would be doing studies in French, speaking French and doing whatever they were supposed to do in French for probably 1 Help for 'lost' families Dear Editor, it has been with great pleasure that 1 have seen the number of 'Letters to the Editor' in your paper from people seeking help in locating 'lost' families. Many of your readers are already aware of the increasing "addiction" to -searching for one's roots. But how often one reaches a dead end in trying to ferret out their ancestors from piles of dusty records or from the memories of elderly relatives. How often i have heard. "How do 1 start?", "Where do i look?", "What do i do now?". So all you new "addicts" take heart) Help has arrived! The Huron County Genealog- ical Society is sponsoring a 'Beginners Workshop" April 7 from 2.5 p.m. at the Brussels Arena. There is no charge for this workshop and anyone wanting the answers to the above questions should come with pencil and paper in hand and bring all their genealogical problems. The learning exper- ience will be unique) Thank you. Sincerely, Carole Robinson, Press Secretary and Past Chairman SENSE AND NONSENSE by Ron. Wassink half a day, every week. Half their school year would be dedicated to the French language. CORE -FRENCH However, Seaforth kids, in both • the separate and public schools take French language lessons in what is called a core -French program. Seaforth public school kids, from grade three and up, get 60 hours of French a year. The separate school kids from grade four to eight get between 20 to 40 minutes of French a day. Since we live in what government calls a bilingual country, 1 can live with kids taking a French class just like they take history, math, science and English classes, English class, what's that? Sometimes 1 wonder. That's another reason I'm against French Immersion. 1 often get the impres- sion kids can't read or write. i've seen some of the stuff they write and some can't spell worth a darn. And that's English I'm talking, not French. Let's teach them the basics of the universal language in the world - English. They should learn to use proper grammar, spelling and punctuation, before we go hog -wild about this French thing. I WANT DUTCH And, what about other ethnic groups in Canada? The French aren't the only people placed on the face of the earth, If people want French immersion, then I want Dutch. There's also German, Spanish, Chinese and let's throw in a bit of Hebrew. Some European countries tench kids three languages, inelyding English, besides the language of their ome country. And that's in addition to regular studies such as the boring arithmetic, history, geography or whatever. And getting good grades in such countries is tough work. School is a place to learn. it's not all fun and games. Summer holidays in Holland are only six weeks in length - kids are back to the books in August. , My last beef is taxes. Right now about 40 per cent of our total tax bill goes to education. The Huron -Perth Separate School Board estimates the cost of a first year French immersion program to be $43.000 and $62,000 for the second year. Though the board still qualifies for a Ministry of Education grant. the grant money still comes from Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer. Others say French Immersion is the most cost effective method of teaching French, that it's a substitution program, and not an add-on program like core -French. So what happens after the eighth year of French Immersion? The English speaking teachers will be out of a job because they're not bilingual. Then again, we can keep these teachers on staff and hire extra French teachers for each class. Or we can stay with core -French and only have the one or two French teachers in each school who rotate their classes and tontinue teaching about the "Leduc familie". Sounds more cost effective to Inc. And besides, all the unilingual teachers will be happy and employed. As one chap said to me a few years ago, "1'm bilingual. I can speak English and my second language is profanity.' Hot damn, that means 1 can speak four including English, Dutch and French. 1 must admit my "front say" is only a smattering of phrases. But then. when am I going to use my French? Most foreign countries know English even Holland. So much for my Dutch. "Come on say va" and how are you today? Go three miles and turn left at the corner Sometimes it's hard to figure out which is the easier way to get lost when you don't have directions how to get somewhere or when you do. The lady was being very thorough in her instructions on how to reach her place out in the country near a strange town. "Now you come south on the highway until you tome into town. There's a stoplight beside the hotel; itis the only stop light in town, but you go right through the light, unless of course it's red. Then you go about two blocks down and there's a big white house on your left. i used to live there when I was a kid You keep going south but the highway turns to the left so you're actually going east but don't worry because you're really going south. You go about three miles and there's a little white house on your left and a half -mile later there's a sideroad. You turn left now is that left or is that right, no that's right,...and you go down until the road ends but you turn left Parents should choose To the Editor, 1 would like to comment on the French Immersion program that was proposed to the Huron County Board. My nine year old is in grade four French Immersion in Kitchener. it is an exciting and stimulating program. She takes English in the morning and French in the afternoon, so that i feel she is getting the basics in each subject. She takes Arithmetic, French Language Skills and Environmental Studies in French. Although some parents might be appre- hensive about their child taking Math in French, tests of the children have shown that they achieve as well as "English only" students in all subject areas where French is used as the language of instruction. Learning a second language will certainly be an asset in the future of this country. i realize French immersion isn't for every child, but every parent should have the choice for their child's best interest and for their future. Sincerely Judy Reith Kitchener BEHIND THE SCENES by Keith Roulston aha our farm is the first on the right." And you're trying to write all this down on the phone. You're writing down about the hotel then you realize that isn't going to help you at all so you cross this out and write about the big white house, then realize that's only going to confuse you so you strike out that and of course after a while you've got so many things crossed out you can't be sure what's still there and what's been deleted. Then you try to follow the directions and you get to the light by the hotel (it's green so you can't take time to think) and you remember there was something about the hotel in the instructions and you have this nagging feeling you were supposed to turn back there. Then you look for the little white house and you find three. And the little white house that was supposed to tell you where to turn, turns out to be yellow. And you drive on wondering if you're really on the right road of if you're going to end up in Louisville. Kentucky. But 1 found the place. I figure it's all because of four little words the lady didn't say: "You can't miss it", As soon as somebody says that, 1 know I'm lost. They could be right: the highway may run right to their doorstep and stop. but 111 still manage to find some way to end up in some little dead-end sideroad with my wheels slaking slowly in a quick -sand bog. But if there's one thing worse than getting directions from someone, it's giving them. A lot of tourists pass through our town. Most of them are going to a couple of specific tourist attractions but now and then you'll have someone stop you on the street to ask how to get to some place on a backstreet. Now our town doesn't have numbers on the houses (when i first came here we didn't even have street signs) so it takes considerable ingenuity to put people on the right track. So you try to remember that street pattern that's as familiar as your own face and you can't (come to think of it have you ever tried to describe your own face?) is it three blocks or it is four? is that house on the corner red or brown? And you know that the poor stranger is going to get totally lost and will be cursing his luck in having picked the village idiot of all people on the street to ask for instructions. Let's try 'Switching Jobs Week' I'm not much of a one for special weeks. It's not that 1 don't approve wholeheartedly of National Cat Week or National Sauerkraut Week. Though I'd just as soon tickle a snake's belly. 1.11 scratch a cat's ear if I have to, and i'll choke down a forkful of sauerkraut, though Pd enjoy a mouthful of mouldy moss equally well. it's just that i don't become aware of them until they're all over. By the time i realize it's National Fireworks Week, and have written a hot editorial about it, we're right into National Fire Prevention Week, and there i am, telling everybody to run around with a match in his hand, sending off rockets. A11 this preamble, as any idiot child could guess with one head tied behind his back, is merely a crafty way of leading up to. my nomination for a special 'week. I'm fed up with everybody being fed up with his job, and wishing he, or she, could do something else, that looks twice as rosy. For example, a butcher wants to be a surgeon because he believes he was cut out to cut up, there's more money in it, and anyhow, it's easier. A dentist thinks he'd make a dandy politician, but he hasn't got the pull. A SUGAR AND SPICE by Bill Smiley street cleaner wants to join the air force, because he knows how to pilot. If you are now whimpering for mercy, i'11 tell .you about National Switch Jobs Week. , Here's how it works. Once a year, for a full week, each of us has a chance to tackle that job we know we should be doing if an evil fate hadn't tossed us into our present rut. it might be a mite confusing, but look at the fun we'll have. Best time to have this special week would be right about now, when everybody is completely browned off with winter. Say you're a hydro linesman, and you think teachers have it so much better. Nice warm •classroom, when you're out in a piercing wind. Snug in bed at night, when you're called out to fumble with a broken line after the sleet storm. Hours nine to four, and two months' holidays. We11, all you do is take over a classroom during National Switch Jobs Week. There'll be no trouble getting a classroom, because all the teachers will have switched jobs with truck drivers, because the latter make more money, according to the teachers. And there'll be no shortage of truck driving jobs• because all the truck drivers will be working in factories, as they're sick of being away from home so much. And there'll be no lack of factory jobs, as all the ordinary hands will be moving into the executive offices, where the work is so much easier and the money so much better. Naturally, there'll be a lot of executive vacancies, because all the bosses are sick of the tension and responsibil- ity and all they want to do is have a little farm of their own• where they can get back to the simple life, sleep nights without sedatives. and conquer their ulcers. Farms? There'll be lots of them. The farmers will all be taking over stores, so they can sit around on their fat butts all day like the merchants, and watch the bank balance grow. The stores will all be available, of course, because all the merchants will be away sailing on the Great Lakes where the REAL easy money is. See how simple it is? it works for women, too, All the housewives would become models. all the models actresses, and all the actresses would be able to revert to being the simple little housewives they are at heart, with eighty -dollar aprons tied becomingly over their bullfighter's pants. Personally. i m going to put in for a preacher's job during the grand switch. Work one day and spend the rest of the week drinking tea and shooting the breeze with jolly ofd ladies who are only too glad to help you run the church. You can't beat that for an easy living. 'Well, how does it strike you? Myself, i think it's the greatest idea since psychiatry was invented. One week's dose of the other feilow's job, once a year, would sweep away all the envy, malice and boredom that afflicts the human race. i can just see them at the end of their week. 1