Loading...
Times-Advocate, 1978-04-20, Page 4Caught iu trap? There appeared to be a bit of a con­ tradiction in decisions made by Hensail council members at their meeting last week. On one hand, they endorsed a resolution supporting the county board of education in their strike-lockout with the secondary school teachers, while at the same time they decided to stay clear of a request from a group of parents asking for their support in get­ ting the board to ban certain books now used in the English classes in the secondary schools. The reasoning used in the latter decision was based on a contention that educational matters should be left to the board and not something in which council should be involved. Hensall councillors were not alone in that contradiction, of course, although their position was more poig­ nant in view of the fact the decisions were made at the same meeting. The question then arises, as to what policies of the board municipal or county councillors feel justified in hav­ ing some input. What rationale can be used to support one policy of an autonomous group and then to suggest that another policy is none of their business? At the outset of the strike, Exeter council passed a motion urging the board and their striking teachers to reconvene and complete negotiations as soon as possible so the schools could re-open. Those who supported that motion did so on the basis that they were ac­ ting as elected officials “concerned with the future educational success of the community’s children’’. If that argument is justifiable, then as elected officials, they should share the same concern for what the com­ munity’s children learn while they are in school. The situation with area councils supporting the board on the strike issue raises another interesting point. No doubt board members welcomed the support and encouragement. But, will they welcome the same type of input into other matters within their jurisdiction, such as the book issue? They too appear to be trapped in the contradiction. “Mind vou, the service is improving — I sent a letter from Edmonton and it got to Vancouver in two days — unfortunately, I sent it to Halifax. ” BATT’N AROUND ......... with the editor Your input is required Dangerous move Anyone who doubts the fact that non-farming people moving to agricultural areas can bring a whole new set of problems, should have been in attendance at the April 5 session of Howick Township Council. During the session council schedul­ ed a meeting to discuss the engineer’s report on a drainage works petitioned by a number of farmers. It was a routine operation, the kind of thing that is repeated perhaps a dozen times per year in township councils. Normally farmers with concerns attend the meeting and solve their differences within a half an hour or so. But the Howick meeting on the Jensen drainage works report was an excep­ tion. It was an exception because besides the farmers in attendance was We are not saying the husband and wife are wrong — far from it. They are right to be concerned about the en­ vironment. But we wonder if they are right to move into a top-producing agricultural area such as Howick Township and expect time to stand still? We know farmers as a group, they too are concerned about their environ­ ment. But they are concerned in a practical way — they must be in order to survive. They use pesticides and fer­ tilizer, for example, but endeavor to select chemicals which will not have an adverse affect on the environment. They have little patience with people who transport another kind of en­ vironmental concern to their agricultural area. It isn’t often the division is as by Richard Charles a husband and wife who obviously had a much different sense of values as far as their country property is concerned. They made it very clear that they did not give a hoot about the neighboring farmers’ efforts to improve the condi­ tion of their land in order to grow more and better crops. What they were con- Listowel Banner sharp as it was at Howick Township Council last week. But when it happens it drives home the point that if you don’t fit in, unless you learn to con­ form, or live with the differences quiet­ ly, you’re liable to be shut out. And when you’re shut out in a rural com­ munity, you’re really on your own. Boyle, teacher rebuked The committee charged with plan­ ning the development of Exeter’s com­ munity park have provided a good basis for discussion of the needs of the community. The over-all project has been listed at something around $100,000 and is ob­ viously a long-range situation. Now is the time for people to make their com­ ments known to ensure that, as closely as possible, the present and future needs of the community are fully con­ sidered. The park’s use has changed drastically in recent years as activities grow and then disappear. No doubt the whims of the public will require more changes in the future, but proper plan­ ning now should ensure that those changes can be made at a minimum cost and with the least amount of dis­ ruption to other facilities as possible. A community “buzz session” would possibly be worth considering before any plans are finalized. Allow people to let their imaginations run wild and then glean from them those which appear to be most practical. As the energy crisis nears, there is little doubt that home-made recreation will take a giant leap forward as people may be unable to hit the highways as often for inter-community acitivities, entertainment or sporting attractions elsewhere. * ¥ ¥ One of the major changes being recommended for the park is the removal of the grandstand. This is not particularly surprising in view of the limited use made of the facility, its costly upkeep and the basic question of its anticipated longevity. Similar grandstands in other com­ munities have been condemned by ministry of labor officials and it has been assumed that the local facility would receive the same verdict. However, that may not be a correct assumption, and it would appear to be of some merit to have the facility in­ spected by ministry officials before the drastic step is taken to have it remov­ ed. With proper planning, the grandstand would be a viable asset for the sporting attractions that take place at the park, such as baseball and soccer. It has served a useful purpose for many special events in the past, such as for the fair, musical programs, tractor pulls, hell drivers, etc. and its removal would terminate such activities in the park ‘due to a lack of seating for spec­ tators. The grounds development committee have appeared to overlook entirely the use of the park for special events of that nature, and even if the grandstand is determined to be unsafe or too costly to maintain, it would appear worthy of some consideration to have an area where portable seating can be es­ tablished to provide seating for special attractions or to combine it in such a way to provide seating that would be utilized for the various field activities. Suitable accommodation for fans is as necessary as suitable playing fields if teams are to generate the support they need to keep them viable from a financial aspect. If the grandstand is to be removed, positioning of the playing surfaces to alleviate the necessity for an over­ abundance of portable bleachers which eat up valuable parking or playing spots is advantageous and should be given major consideration. However, one of the first steps appears to be a professional assess­ ment of the condition of the grandstand and a study into its anticipated renova­ tion and upkeep costs. To our knowledge, the condition of the facility to this stage has been purely speculative. ★ w * Another major question that arises in the recommendations is the age-old debate about softball and hardball. Because it is difficult to design a dia­ mond on which both can be accom­ modated, particularly from a lighting standpoint, a decision will have to be made as to which will be given the priority. Preferences in the past 10 years would tend to indicate that softball will be the one which would generate the most interest, particularly in the matter of participation when all age groups are considered. However, there has been some resurgence in baseball, particularly with the birth of a professional team in Toronto, so it can not be entirely dis­ missed. But it would appear that the softball diamond should get the prime location, which would indicate the committee’s proposal on the two diamond locations should be switched. If all the existing lighting on the dia­ mond has to be moved, then it would be a logical time to consider the position­ ing of the diamond in relation to the sun for evening games. The layout should take into con­ sideration the fact most of the play centres around home plate and first base and these, positions should be protected from the sun as much as possible. It may be that by using the rec centre itself as a block against the sinking sun it would overcome some of the problems normally associated with certain playing positions on the field, although future development of the rec centre could negate this if it is to con­ tain many windows on the east side. Parking should be considered in terms of foul balls as well as this has been a perennial problem with the existing layout. * * ★ The main addition proposed by the committee is an 8,000 square foot utili­ ty building to replace the existing sheep and cattle barns. The report suggests the building could serve as an indoor show ring for the fair board ac­ tivities and house various small games and sports facilities. The committee gives no indication of what sports facilities could be included in the facility, but with the availability of the rec centre and three school gym­ nasiums, this is a rather questionable need. The building of a $20,000 structure for a one-day fair is also questionable, par­ ticularly when such a large facility eats up a considerable amount of land. Livestock exhibits at the fair have dwindled in recent years and the main Please turn to Page 7 Oh, you shouldn’t have! Scene I: There it sits on the breakfast table or under the tree or in the hands of the presenter at the retire­ ment party. It’s beautiful - that acre of brightly coloured paper and those tricky bows of ribbon; and inside there’s usually a box, and inside the box there’s probably scads of tissue paper, and inside that perhaps a plastic bag - and there at last, like the mysterious idol in the inner sanctum of the temple, sits the gift itself. “Oh,” she (he) cries, “you shouldn’t have!” Scene II (a little later): There it sits, probably screwed up into a handy ball now - the bright wrapper, the ribbon, the tissue, the plastic bag, with the flattened box inside it - already forgotten in the garbage can. But who’s saying “Oh, you shouldn’t have!” now? It’s a shame to spoil the party by talking about waste. But does it really spoil the party? Or have we been oversold on the need to impress each other with all the tinsel, when what counts is the gift inside and the affection that it represents? Maybe we don’t want to go so far as trying to hold unwrapped gifts behind our backs until the last second, or telling auntie to look under the chesterfield for a surprise. But surely we could do a bit less wrapping without making life unbearably dull; and then make sure that the wrapping, after its brief but merry life, doesn’t go into the municipal incinerator. Of course, we’re up against some pretty strong forces. This is the age of super-packaging. It’s not easy to buy anything, even small items like make-up or razor blades, without bringing home (and paying for) some eye-catching display card or mount or container that we usually have no earthly use for. Prepared foods and household products are particularly striking examples of packaging gone wild, because they’re competing with one another on super­ market shelves. And we all know where the fancy package ends up. Does it really matter? Unfortunately it does, because this is how we throw away money, resources and energy - none of which we can afford to lose - on essentially trivial purposes. The money and resources are obvious, but the energy waste is something we don’t see: it’s the energy used in producing and transporting the paper and plastic and wood and metal and glass that are quickly discarded and disappear with a crunch into the jaws of the garbage truck. And speaking of garbage trucks, they run on energy too, and so do the landfill and incinerator operations that the trucks feed. This isn’t peanuts. More than one-third of the garbage coming from Canadian homes is packaging material, and it’s getting worse. One thing we can do to slow the pace of destruction is to buy things that come without a lot of built-in garbage. We can shop at places where they pack goods in simple bags or reusable containers. We can set aside the materials, like paper and glass, that can be recycled. We can put pressure on local authorities to have these materials collected separately, if they are not doing so already. And we can keep a closer watch on our own wrapping habits. There are so many ways to fight back, and the best way to start is by reading The garbage book, obtainable from Box 3500, Station C, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 4G1. It’s full of good, down-to-earth ideas from the Office of Energy Conservation. Scene III: There is sits — and the next move is ours. The Exeter Times Advocate, Exeter, Ontario. Attn: Mr. Bill Batten - Editor It is with some hesitation that I feel obliged to com­ ment on the recent statement by Councillor Derry Boyle. The statement to which I refer was in reference to having a by-law repealed which designates downtown Exeter as a “Business Improvement Area ’’ (Exeter T-A April 13.) Once again Mr. Boyle is assuming the role of spokesman and “great white father” of the Exeter business man. I wish to make it clear to Mr. Boyle that even in his great wisdom, he does not speak for me, or a lot of my colleagues. I also wish to inform him, that I operate a business which probably has one of the higher tax assessments in the down­ town area, and I do not ob­ ject to any additional levy which is going to directly benefit my business and my community. Mr. Boyle’s comments are once again indicative of his stale and outdated attitudes in both business and municipal affairs. Ron Cottrell. * * * Dear Editor: Teacher Doug Ellison is to be commended on his letter which appeared in the Times-Advocate last week. His comments were frank and honest. However, he did make some statements that I find difficult to understand. Perhaps the one that troubles me the most is the following: “I do not believe the board should be able to dictate the direction of education when we (the teachers) are the people who deal directly with education.” As a parent, I find that an abrasive statement. When we (the public) vote the board of education members into office we do so believing they will look after our interests in the teaching of our young. If we disagree with their actions we can voice our complaints, and if these are not acted upon we can campaign to have the members removed from office at the next election. When we disagree with teachers it is like arguing with God. They give the impression they are above reproach; that they, and only they, should have any input into the education system; that their decision as to what goes on in the schools should never be questioned. In years long since gone by, the board hired the teachers, supervised the classrooms through in­ spectors to insure the public they were getting their money’s worth, and they fired those teachers who did not meet certain standards. Please turn to Page <7 Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Times - Advocate Huron, North Mlddleset Wk A North UmMon Since 111] SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND C.W.N.A., O.W.N.A. CLASS 'A' and ABC Published by J. W. Eedy Publications Limited LORNE EEDY, PUBLISHER Editor — Bill Batten Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh Advertising Manager — Jim Beckett Composition Manager —■ Harry DeVries Business Manager •— Dick Jongkind Phone 235-1331 .. .is:;-.-; . - . .v .:v j - Amalgamated 1924 (*CNA SUBSC Published Each Thursday Morning | at Exeter, Ontario I Second Class Mail I Registration Number 0386 I Paid in Advance Circulation I September 30, 1975 5,409 I SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $11.00 Per Year; USA $22.00l BlUI RI8SOM aWARO IV4 If you were broke and out of a job, and deeply in debt, and your family was squabbling bitterly, and your house was falling apart, and you had a fairly meaningless birthday coming up, what would you do? Somehow, I rather doubt that you’d plan a birthday party, to be financed on borrowed money, and invite everybody. That may be a little shaky in spots, but it’s a fair analogy to the government’s plan to spend 4.5 million dollars on Canada’s birthday this com­ ing July 1st. The late C.D. Howe’s famous bit of arrogance in Parliament, “What’s a million?”, almost brought down the government of the day. But at least he was taking about something solid, a trans-Canada pipeline. But this present outfit in Ottawa is all set to fork out four and a half million greenbacks for a BIRTHDAY PARTY, It fair boggles the mind. Talk about Nero fiddling while Rome burned! Unemployment is the highest since the Depression, The Canadian dollar is the lowest since the Depression. Infla­ tion merely stopped to take a deep breath before zooming off again. Government expenditures and the national debt increase simultaneously and ominously. Quebec has cut out from the rest of Canada in every way except con­ stitutionally. The Maritime provinces are a disaster area, economically. The prairie provinces hate the East, and with reason. Ontario can’t understand why those greedy Albertans want a fair price for their gas and oil. B.C. looks with an alien eye at the whole country east of the Rockies, and with a flir­ tatious eye south of the border. By all means, then, let us have a birthday party. And why not make it a decent one? Why not spend 4.5 million, which was probably the gross national debt about 40 years ago? After all, you can’t take it with you, and at the rate we’re going, we’re not long for this world, as we know it, so why not blow 4.5 of the taxpayer’s money? There’s no question about it: a birthday party may be just the ticket to solve all the problems I’ve mentioned. It’s a sure sign of becoming ancient, but I can’t help remembering the July 1st celebrations of my boyhood. That, of course, was when the occa­ sion was known as Dominion Day, rather than the July First Weekend, as it is now usually called. Man, they were simple times, look­ ing back. It wasn’t the occasion for a mad exodus to the beaches, with hun­ dreds of thousands of irritable, perspir­ ing motorists jamming the highways and polluting the atmosphere. It might surprise you to know that in those days the average worker didn’t have a car. There were no rock concerts, no clashes of cops and motor-cycle gangs, no massive assaults on the beer and li­ quor stores the day before. It was just a nice summer day that happened to be a holiday. For an adult, it might be the beginning of his one or two week vacation. For a kid, it was school out and a feeling that the holidays were forever. In the morning, you got up early, yearning to be out in that boundless, golden day. Maybe you went fishing. If you caught a sucker, there was a cer­ tain party who didn’t give a diddle that sewage flowed into the river, and would pay a nickel for it. That was a real nickel, good for a bottle of pop or an ice cream cone. If you caught a pike, you had struck; gold. It was good for a dime, which translated into a movie, a hamburger, or ten tailormade Turrets, if you were one of the delin­ quents who smoked. About 11 a.m., there was usually some kind of ceremony down at the park, and half the town was there. Town band with a couple'of rousing marches, windy speech from the mayor extolling our fair land, ceremonial planting of a tree or some such exotic symbolism, God Save the King, and home for dinner. In those days, we didn’t have lunch at noon, we had dinner. Meat and taties and the works. In the afternoon, everyone went to the ball game, or went swimming, or went for a picnic, or went for a drive, or, among the elderly, went to sleep for a couple of hours on the old divan in the screened-in porch. Suddenly it was supper-time. Pea soup, green onions galore, home-made bread and flagons of cold milk to wash down the chocolate cake or rhubarb pie. Bingo! After nine hours on the trail, you were born again and ready for another five or six exciting hours. In the evening, there would be a street dance or a tombola with gambl­ ing games, or at the very least, a band concert. Many a life of married misery was begun strolling around the park, arms around, while the band played Strauss waltzes. Bed time. Exhausted but too excited to sleep. Clop-clop of hooves as farmer heads home after the big day. Low voices drifting up from the street as late-nighters ambled home. Peace. Sleep. That was how much it cost and how we celebrated our national birthday day way-back-when. Couldn’t Trudeau and company be satisfied to plant a tree, or even a thousand trees? Better still, how about planting Mr. Trudeau? And/or Rene Levesque? 55 Years Ago Mr. Theodore Gray, who for the past few months has been organist at James Street Church has resigned to take a similar position in Centennial Methodist Church, London. The Student Quartette of Victoria College, Toronto, gave an entertainment in James Street Church on Friday evening. Messrs. R. Ferguson and R. N. Creech were in Teeswater Tuesday enjoying a day’s fishing. Rev. H. J. Armitage, of Elimville, has received and accepted a unanimous in­ vitation to become pastor of the Methodist Church, Summerland, B.C. Mr. and Mrs. John Wright have moved into their new residence in London. 30 Years Ago Miss Dorothy Forrester and Miss Marie Melville were among the graduates of Victoria Hospital school of nursing. The fiftieth anniversary of the Women’s Missionary Society of Caven Presbyterian Church was observed Thursday evening. Beavers Hardware are opening in their new location today. Mr. Frank Fingland, K.C. of Clinton, was the unanimous choice as the Liberal standard-bearer in the forthcoming provincial election. The Exeter District High School students held their annual commencement exercises in the arena Friday night. Past president Lion J. Albert Traquair was elected Deputy District Governor of Lions Clubs of Zone 2. 20 Years Ago Al Pickard, a native of Exeter, was one of 21 hockey greats selected for the Hall of Fame at a meeting in Toronto this week. The Regina Leader-Post named him “the real Mr. Hockey”. Carol Brown 13 and Nelson McClinchey, 16, of Hensall were winners at the Huron County Music Festival this week. Nelson had to forfeit a scholarship because he won one last year. The Exeter Branch of Canadian Canners has an­ nounced that it would not can any vegetables here this season. Harry Penhale, manager, has been tran­ sferred to Aylmer. Rev. N. D. Knox, spark­ plug behind the restoration of Trivitt Memorial Anglican Church, preached his farewell sermons Sunday. He moved with his family to his new parish at Lambeth. 15 Years Ago Linda Hunter-Duvar was chosen SHDHS posture queen by judges during an assembly Friday afternoon. The three runners-up were Shirley Hern, Sharon Lawrence and Susan Dinney. Excavation of the lagoon for Exeter’s sewerage project is expected to begin this week. OPP Constable J. A. Wright, Guelph, has been transferred to the Exeter detachment to replace PC D. M. Westover. Constable Wright has been with the force seven years. Grand Bend Chamber of Commerce has won the Ontario body’s “Gavel of the Year” award for com­ munities with populations under 3,000 for the second straight year and the third time in five years. Survey and drilling crews have moved onto the Parkhill dam site for pre­ engineering work.