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Times-Advocate, 1980-05-07, Page 4Pedal safely With the advent of spring and warmer weather, old and young enthusiasts will be thinking of getting out their bicycles. The Ontario Safety League offers a few steps you should take to make biking safer and more fun. Ride a bicycle that fits you. The size of your bike affects your balance and ability to reach the steering and braking controls and pedals. You should be able to reach the ground com- fortably with the ball of your foot while sitting upright on the seat. Parents should supervise the selec- tion of a bicycle for a child, and periodically they should inspect the bike to see that it is in good working order, until the child is responsible enough to do so himself. Check the tires for wear and tear. Also check the wheel spokes, chain, lights and horn. Make sure the bike is well oiled, and tighten any loose nuts and bolts. Check braking ability on both wet and dry surfaces before taking the bike een. onto the street. Your bicycle also should be in good alignment. If it veers to one side when pushed forward, it is out of line and needs adjustment. No child should be permitted to ride on roadways until he has mastered all aspects of the bicycle and this mastery has been observed by a parent on the roadway the child will travel. Bicycle skills that must be taught to children include safe starting, the abili- ty to ride in a straight line near the curb, rules about right-of-way, turning corners, and rapid stopping. Remember that bicycles are con- sidered drivers under the law and that traffic rules, signs and signals apply to the cyclist just_ as they do to the motorist. You're traveling on one of the smallest vehicles on the road and it's not always easy for motorists to see you. High-flying flags are a good idea at any time, and at night you should have lights, reflective tape or reflectors, and light-colored clothing. Perspectives r . By SYD PLtTCHER Listening to the news of the past few Weeks with regard to Russia invading Afghanistan, has reminded the of a friend I made in high school days. We played soccer together, at least he played soccer and I kicked the ball around. As our coach Was the typing and business education teacher and had little real knowledge of the game, this boy's brother offered to coach us. He was a Hungarian lad who played semi-pro soccer in the old country and knew the game inside out. Despite his able coaching we were not so able and never won a game. Despite our losses he never grew angry at us, realizing our deficiencies. He talked to us sometimes, after the practices, let us know that we had a great country and should be proud of it. He said it often enough and with such intensity that we often wondered his reasons for coming here, when he also spoke Of Hungary with the same feelings of respect and admiration. The revolution. That was when he had come over. He and his family had escaped shortly after it, knowing that their lives were worthless if they stayed. He spoke of the Russian tanks coming in. Twelve years of age at the time he and many of his friends had run up to the tanks carrying "Molotov cocktails", bottles of gasoline with wicks in them, and put the bombin the tank treads, disabling some of the mighty vehicles. Even then they knew it was a useless fight, that the 'Russian bear" was too strong. He spoke bitterly, knowing that he would never be able to go back to his mother country. I can still see him, his eyes full of tears though ten years had , gone by, Now with Afghanistan being cut down to her knees, I wonder how Many more countries will fall in similar fashion es the years go by and the rest of the world sits by and watches, apparently helpless. Paint 4 Times-Advocaat, May 1930 limes Established Ilitee Advocate estaelehecil eat %locate SERVING CANADA'S SOT FARMLAND C.W,N,A,, Wand ABC Published by J. W, fedy Publications Limited. KANE EERY, POLISHER Editor — Bill Batten Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh. Advertising Manager — Jim 'lleckett Composition Manager, ee Havre 0004 +CNA Business Manager —Dick Jongkind Phone 23431311 1!),Vi 111961)% •AARO 19/4 Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario second etass moil Registration Number 0186 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $14.00 Per Year; USA $35,00 Costly venture . The 25 area residents who have their summer vacation plans changed by the federal government's boycott of the Moscow Olympics could find alter- native accommodation at Minaki Lodge. It's an example of one of the "games" played by the Ontario govern- ment and even the best runners in the world would have trouble keeping up to the pace with which taxpayers' money is being spent on that project. Minaki Lodge, located north of Kenora, has been the source of'govern- ment funding for several years. In an attempt to recover a $550,000 loan and avoid default on a $500,000 mortgage, the government in 1974 began sinking money into the lodge in the hope of tur- ning it into a major tourist attraction. By the time they're done, they'll have spent a total of $23 million, An American hotel chain will operate the lodge, but only on the condi- tion that the government shield it against potential losses. If the firm's management is up to government standards, the operating losses will probably be astronomical. If ever there was a case against government dickering in the marketplace, Minaki provides the shin- ing example. In less than two weeks, residents of Quebec will be heading to the polls to make known their intent on Premier Rene Lavesque's referendum, The question, as it appears to in- terest area residents, is "so what?", That, of course, is the plight of residents outside La Belle Province. Few understand what the vote will ac- complish, regardless of the outcome. If the answer is "yes" then it appears likely that greater efforts will be placed on the residents of the other nine provinces to give Quebec a better deal in Confederation. If the answer is "no" it appears likely that greater ef- forts will be placed on the residents of the other nine provinces to give Quebec a better deal in Confederation. Somehow, it appears that Quebecers can't lose, regardless of how they mark their ballots. Mea'Aies'r ER I Mainstream Canada Ottawa finally sees. the light By W, Roger Worth Finally the federal govern- ment has eliminated one of the great injustices in the Canadian tax system. By allowing more than 100,000 hard,working hus- i)and and wife teams running independent businesses, farms and fishery operations to de- duct salaries paid to spouses for tax purposes,, Ottawa has halted a massive ripoff that cost small entrepreneurs S160 million per year, It's about time. Roger Worth is Director, Public Affairs, Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Until the change was an- nounced, the deep thinkers in the tax department had effec- tively concluded that spouses (husbands or wives) working in a proprietorship did not really contribute to the well- being of the enterprise. Ottawa ruled that, from a tax point of view, these people should work for nothing. Since most of the spouses are women working with their husbands, the tax measure also eliminated the discrim- ination that turned these fe- males into second class citizens. The wonder is that it took so long to get the policy changed. John Bulloch, president of the 55,000-member Cana- Elign Federation of Indepen- dent Business was elated when the tax measure was announced: "We've fought a six year battle with the bureaucrats and politicians on this issue," he said. "It's important to know that changes in the sys- tem are possible if you have enough patience." What's perhaps more im- portant is that governments are starting to understand the crucial role of independent business in the Canadian economy. With the small business sector creating a majority of the new jobs in the country, any moves by Ottawa or the provinces to make life a little easier for entrepreneurs will undoubtedly result' in more employment. What's unusual about the spousal tax change is that the move was supported by all three federal political parties. After years of procrastina- tion, Canada's politicians have finally seen the light. 45 Years Ago Miss Mildred Walker of the Institute of Public Health, London formerly of Exeter, was one of the recipients of the King's medals on Monday. The McCall-Frontenac Oil Company of Toronto, have purchased the corner property of Mrs. E. Willis Main Street, South, Exeter, on which they intend to erect a new and up-to-date service station. J.J. Knight retired last night after 51 years with the Canadian National Railways. At the ageof 17 he entered the railway service at Exeter as an apprentice to learn the telegraph "key". In 1900 he was made agent at Exeter and served as such for 12 years, The Silver Jubilee of the accession to the throne of King George and Queen Mary was fittingly observed with an impressive celebration on Monday Morning. 30 Years Ago Joyce Chambers of Crediton and student of Exeter District High School won highest honors in solo class at the Tri-School Music Festival held in the gym- torium of the school. More than $2,000 has been sent to help the homeless people in the Red River district, driven out by floods. Don Southcott has com- pleted his final. year in journalism at the University of Western Ontario. Contract for the addition of six classrooms and a playroom was let to McKay Crocker Construction Company to be built within a year. The Huronia choir sang before a large audience Sunday evening and netted $100 for the Manitoba Relief Fund. The South Huron District Annual will be held in Grand Bend church on June 9. 20 Years. Ago Carfrey Cann and Gerald Godbolt attended the provincial ACTS convention over the weekend at Glen Holme. Mrs. Richard B. Etherington, RR 1 Hensel', was. elected president of Hurondale Women's Institute for 1960-61 at the annual meeting recently. Tenders will be called immediately for the con- struction of an Exeter curling rink. Close to 60 shareholders of the local club voted unanimously on the river bank site. 15 Years Ago After 25 years of service, clerk C.V. Pickard dropped a bomb-shell in the laps of Exeter council Monday and could provide them with one of their biggest tasks of the year; that of finding a replacement for his position as clerk-treasurer. The severe-but brief-wind that hit Exeter late Sunday afternoon didn't result in serious damage for many individual property owners, but a large number were hit with minor damages that totalled hundreds of dollars. On May 29 the Ausable River Nomads camping club is looking after the yearly Red Cross Blood Donor Clinic in Exeter. On looking over the telephone lists of previous donors for the town of 3,600 people and surrounding area there are very few who make an effort to attend these donor clinics. The Red Cross is always in need of blood and if people like yourselves don't attend many operations have to be cancelled, people who require blood are limited to the amount of blood available. Do people realize that 1 average open heart operation requires blood from 10 donors, that a hemophiliac (bleeder) can use between 80 and 100 units of cryoprecipitate (which is a component of your blood) for a simple extraction of a tooth. The gift of life "Blood" isn't manufactured but has to be given by people like ourselves. If there are no more donors than there has been in the last few years the Red Cross Clinic will be cancelled for this area. There are some people who can't give but More who can. Just think, how would you like to be on the list waiting for more blood to be donated Share your health, be a blood donor and plan to attend the blood donor clinic May 29 at the South Huron District High School. Marie Brunslow and Ruth Haist bathwater of your regular life, righter pilot's reunions were the best and the worst. They were fairly small, quite exclusive, and the entertain- ment was great. But a reunion that begins with Bloody Mary's for breakfast can change a man, literally. Last time I came home from one of them, my wife met me at the bus. She walked right by me. Didn't knew me. 'Thought I was some old chap who should be in a wheel chair. She was right, as-usual, Well, this shindig in. September will probably be the last chance saloon for many. As long as they don't invite the wives, it'll be OK. When they started doing that, I stopped going to reunions. There are four thousand hotel rooms put on hold for the event. If one twentieth of the air forte vets turn up, it will be the greatest.geriatric convention ever held in the world. C Can they lose? • -.:munv, ,-*ftt Vvosm c•ge?,,,aVek • JAM" ' • • SEVVIAMIE 014/6"Vilpti "Why should the government have all the fun of being fiscally irresponsible?" MY WIFE'S VERY Puttcruhl..- tVERYIRRiR qN 11ME ugar and S Dispensed by Smiley It's difficult to understand all the fuss being made over Rosie Ruiz. Rosie, is in case you're not in the know, the gal who was disqualified as the women's winner of the Boston Marathon. It wasn't that she was on some illegal drug or that her sex was called into question, two aspects of in- ternational sport that often result in disqualification of female athletes. No, it was found that while Rosie finished the race ahead of all the other women in the gruelling 26-mile dis- tance, the had not in fact covered the, entire distance. There appears to be some question as to how she actually did complete the feat. One photographer suggested she had seen her getting onto a subway train, Other suggested she merely stationed herself about two miles from the finish line and then entered the field unnoticed as the leading male runners reached her vantage point. Race officials studied videotape of the race and couldn't find Rosie anywhere in coverage of the first 24 miles of the event. Medical experts who saw her after the race testified that her physical condition at that time was not in keeping with someone who had just completed a 26-mile marathon. While the writer certainly can not condone Rosie's actions, the point of the entire matter is that she was, in many ways, merely exhibiting the type of conduct which is all too much in evidence in today's society. * * Perhaps the great oat-cry resulting from Rosie's cheating will be heard by the hundreds of professional athletes who do the same thing on many oc- casions, but who escape the title of fraud. Man, that's going to be some party, if it comes off. I'm referring to a massive reunion of airmen slated for Toronto next September. That's one I plan to take in, even if I have to lock my wife in the bathroom to get away, The occasion will mark the 40th an- niversary of the Battle of Britain. Ninety-nine per cent of us were not in that particular affair, but it's a great excuse for a party. Everybody "who wore blue" is in- vited, That means all air had ground Crews of Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.A., who spent his war years in the air force blue of the allies, according to an official news release. Americans"' if course. Thousands of H.S. youths headed north and joined the RCAF before their own country was in war. And some of them stayed in air force blue until the end, though they were given the opportunity to switch to the U,S.A.F. when the Yanks gotinto it. But the list doove would scratch only the surface. The Royal Air Force con- tained the greatest potpourri of nations since the Foreign Legion was es- tablished. I wonder if all the others who fought on our side are invited. Poles. Norwegians, Belgians, Free French, Dutch, Czechs, West Indians, South Africans. Rhodesians. Maybe my old friend Shigh Thandi will be there. He's probably a general How many hockey games have you seen during the Stanley Cup playoffs where each of the high-priced athletes went out and performed consistently in the manner for which he is being so well paid? Even at that, their perfor- mance is usually of a higher calibre than they give the paying fans and their employers during the regular season. But then, the lack of honesty is evi- dent in many other people in addition to athletes. Just recently we were told that many of this nation's federal civil servants were performing at 60 percent efficiency. The examples could be extended ad nauseam to point out that very few peo- ple can honestly stand up and say they fulfill the criteria of an honest day's work. There's a touch of Rosie Ruiz in each of us and while it may not be a flagrant or premeditated, it is nevertheless, still there. For many people, of course, the Rosie Ruiz in them comes out an an act of omission. The lack of honest effort is not " undertaken consciously. On the scale of one to ten, people seldom per- form consistently at a ten, whether it be the professional athlete or the production line worker. It can even be argued that it is physically and mentally impossible to perform at a ten day in, day out, However, the greater sin is the fact that all too often the Rosie Ruiz in us is not an act of omission, but rather one of commission. Everyone enjoys being able to cross the finish line, but not all are prepared to put an honest effort into attaining that goal. When it is done knowingly, then to some degree we join Rosie. eeeekee];.;:emee, in the Indian Air Forte by now. Or dead. Or my old sidekick Mohammed Rai. Who is likely a general in the Pakistani Air Force. Or dead. Will Nils Jorgenson make it from Oslo? He was a mate in prison camp, and feared he Would be courtmar- tialled when the war ended. It's a long story, but he was shot down while on leave, quite an accomplishment. Will Don McGibbon_ make it all the way from Salisbury, Rhodesia, or has he been purged? We were on the same Typhoon wing, and were shot down within days of each other. These are the questions that a lot of eieekir Force chaps must be asking themselves. And the answers will probably be disappointing. I doubt if I'd fly to New Zealand for a reunion. Too much money. What would make the reunion a slamdammer would be every nation with W.W. 2 airmen sending them all free of cost to Toronto, on government aircraft. That would swell the ranks, Put for too many, there will be too many obstacles: lack of money, sick or nagging wives; troubles with grandchildren; failing health. Por those poor devils, I have some advice. Beg, borrow or steal the money. If your wife is sick, get a babysitter; she'll probably last WI you get borne. If she's a nag, tell her to stuff a sock in it, for once in your life. Porget your rotten grandchildren for a week, they appreciate nothing you're 73- So, while there can be little sympathy for those similar to Rosie who get caught in the act., the fact remains few people could claim an impeccable record. Perhaps when you take another look at Rosie and condemn her actions, you'll plan to turn over a new leaf yourself? One of the other interesting aspects of Rosie's predicament is the fact she entered the Boston Marathon on the basis of having finished 24th in a New York Marathon last October. She has been defrocked of that honor as well, again on the basis of not having com- pleted the entire distance. Commenting on the New York race, the director of that event, Fred Lebow, was quoted as saying, "What she did in New York was bad enough, but what she did in the Boston Marathon was a sin. That has so much tradition behind it." Again we see some of the thinking that is associated with cheating. It ap- parently has some qualifying degrees and depends to some extent on who is doing the cheating and who is the vic- tim. Most people would argue there should be no distinction, but in reality there is for many. They would think nothing of trying to "beat" the govern- ment out of some income tax or twist a claim against a big business, while at the same time would be honest to a fault with a neighbour or friend. Yes, apparently there is a difference and it is that double-standard which makes fools of so many people. doing anyway. If your health isn't good, go to the reunion. You'll either die there, and your troubles are over, or you'll be so sick when you get home that your present failing health will seem petty stuff. Reunions are great for the ego. You go to one and see all those old, fat, bald-headed guys, and you marvel at how you kept your youth, strength and good looks, even though they are think- ing the same when they see you, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. No man who looks in the mirror while he's shaving has jowls or bleary eyes or a shiny pate. What he sees is a steely gaze, a firm jaw, and he doesn't let his eyes wander higher than his eyebrows. I've been to a few reunions over the years, and come home feeling and look- ing like a skeleton, but wondrously re- juvenated, A good smasheroo with a bunch of other guys allowed off the leash for a weekend, a mutual exchange of whoppers, a little sentimentality about old So-and-So who brought it over the Channel: this kind of stuff puts your wife and kids and your dull civilian life into proper perspective. For a week or So you're a real fire-eater, issuing orders, refusing to do things you hate doing, and generally smartening everybody up to the fact that you were once young and brave and carefree, before you sink back into the cold A bit of Rosie in most people A great excuse for a party