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The Huron Expositor, 1998-02-25, Page 441—T IE HURON EXPOSITOR, Pieruavy 20, ISIS Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 TERRI-LYNN DALE - General Manager & Advertising Manager LARRY DALRYMPLE - Sales PAT ARMES - Office Manager DIANNE McGRATH - Subscriptions & Classifieds JACKIE FETfON - Editor GREGOR CAMPBELL - Reporter BARB STOREY - distribution A Bowes Publishers Community Newspaper SUBSCRIPTION RATES: LOCAL - 32.50 a year, in advance, plus 2.28 G.S.T. SENIORS: - 30.00 a year, in advance, plus 2.10 G.S.T. USA 5 Foreign: 28.44 a year in odvonce, plus S78.00 postage, G.S.T. exempt SUBSCRIPTION RATE: Published weekly by Signal -Star Publishing of 100 Main 5t., Seoforth. Publicotion moil registrotion No. 0696 held of Seaforth, Ontario. Advertising is accepted on condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising spoce occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable Jowonce for signature, wiN not be charged, but the bolance ofihe advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be"sotd. Advertising is merely on offer b sell and may be withdrawn at any time. The Huron Expositor is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproduction purposes. Changes of address, orders for subscriptions and undeliv- erable copies are to be sent so The Huron Expositor. Wednesday, February 25, 1998 Editorial and Business Offices - 100 Main Street.,Seafords Tel phone (519) 527-0240 Fax 1519) 527-2858 Mono Address - P.O. Box 69, Seaforth, Ontario, NOK two Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association, Ontario Community Newspapers Association and the Ontario Press Council Publication Mail Registration No. 07605 Want to elnait your Lewers Expositor has 'gone igl* It ats�d address Rt'r>ileali her l r r Gt the and havlt a tone>rurt> fate rflnaltcttl. be edited for lwtht length aid Dan'l fozget to cfck u1# homeprageW ww .bow Leo Letters to the Editor Parking fine, morning of funeral Dear editor: The morning of the funeral of our sister (Margaret McIver) two cars parked in front of her residence were ticketed for overnight park- ing. Upon approaching the O'PP to explain the situation, we were advised that we should speak with the Clerk Administrator, Mr. James Crocker. By him we were told that nothing could be done to rescind the amount of the fines -$20. It was not the amount of the fines but the principle of the situation that was insulting. Considering the circum- stances surely a degree of leniency could have been extended! Our family has lived in Seaforth for over 65 years and in the surrounding township for 150 years. A death in the family is a traumatic event but many acts of kindness by obr neighbors, friends and rela- tives have been shown to us. These acts were certainly a contrast to the lack of support we have experienced from The Town of Seaforth-The Friendly Town. The McIver family Not the only senator absent from work Dear editor: Canadians are angry over Senator Andrew Thompson's absence from work. From July to October of last year, this senator attended Parliament for only two days out of 99 senate sittings. The Senate has acted to punish Mr. Thompson, by striping him of certain "perks" such as paid travel and having a secretary. The Senate is in the process of taking away his salary. The trouble, however, is that Mr. Thompson has not been the only senator absent from work. Last year 27 sen- ators missed 40 per cent or more of designated sittings. For example Senator John Buchanan = a Brian Mulroney appointee...showed up only half the time last year. We ask readers: what would happen if we were absent half the time from our place of work? Unlike senators...who are appointed by the Prime Minister and whose jobs are guaranteed for life...we would be fired. We at Watchdog Newsletter have a list of 27 truant Senators and their Senate mailing addresses. We are asking interested people to write to us for the list, and to write to some senators to ask them to attend all Senate sit- tings. To receive our list of truant senators, please contact us at or e-mail us at dmurrell6Punb.ca or fax to (506)-454-8245. David Muriel Editor Watchdog Newsletter 247 Leeds Drive Fredericton N.B. E3B 4S7. Area households to be contacted Dear editor: February 23, 1998 marked the initiation of the Huron County Health Unit's Heart Health Needs Assessment. Within the next three weeks, approximately 750 randomly selected households in Huron County will be contacted by telephone and asked to par- ticipate in the survey. The questions cover risk factors such as high fat diets, physical inactivity and smok- ing. Government looking for opportunities for youth BY DAVID EMSLIE CLINTON - The Ontario government is looking at ways to improve opportuni- ties for rural youths, and Huron MPP Helen Johns will be delivering some local.sug- gestions to a caucus meeting this week. Johns last week hosted a round table discussion with area youths and business leaders to talk about the issue of employment opportunities for rural youth. The meeting was held at the Clinton office of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), the min- istry responsible for initiating the study into rural opportuni- ties. In her opening remarks, the MPP noted that she thinks this is a very important issue, as does the government. The main item of concern, she said, is the problem of finding employment for rural Participants will also be asked where they would like to get Heart Health informa- tion. Results from this survey will be used by Huron Heart Health Network in the devel- opment of future heart health promotion programs and ser- vices throughout the county. If you would like additional information please contact Anne Haley or Tricia Wilkerson, Take Heart Huron Project coordinators at 482- 3416 or 1-8005265-5184. youths, and OMAFRA gave MPPs the opportunity to gath- er data from the areas they serve for presentation to the government. Before _ discussions began, she noted that the ministry needs to know why the oppor- tunities are not out there. "Finding answers is basical- ly asically why we are here tonight," Johns stated, adding that the group would attempt to find a Huron County solution, which could be presented to the provincial government. Noting, "we are losing our brightest and best to other parts of the world," she added that the ministry would like to know how this situation could be turned around, and how they can assist. "The ministry is really interested in this issue. They are going to try -and do some- thing about this," she stated. In a telephone interview the following day, the Huron MPP noted that at a caucus meeting this week, she will be presenting the initial results from the local meeting. From the meeting, she con- tinued, there were three main issues that arose, the first being that there is a need for rural Ontario to be promoted as a place to invest. Business people at the meeting, she said, felt that there was a need for economic development in rural areas. Johns stated that the second main issue was the idea that job skills should be incorpo- rated into education, so that youths who attempt to land a job will have the tools neces- sary. The feeling at the meeting, she continued, was that rural youths need much more infor- mation on such subjects as resumes, how to find jobs, and doing mock interviews. The third main issue to arise, which Johns stated "actually, I was surprised about", was the need for more community links. As there can be more job opportunities in one commu- nity, as compared to another, she stated "There need to be links between communities," so that youths can find out about job opportunities. She added that there needs to be a better flow of informa- tion from the private sector to youths,` and from community to community. Johns also noted that she learned at the meeting from a university student that there are some advantages to rural youths because they have the opportunity to be- more involved in their communi- ties, through such activities as coaching minor sporty, and doing volunteer work. Through these community activities, youths can improve their chances of finding work. Something for the people of Seaforth to think about [The following is an arti- cle from the November 11 1898 edition of the Huron Expositor:] During the past two or three decades, Seaforth has had a good many ups and downs. In the midst of them all it has done considerably more than hold its own, and the town has been kept in the front rank of the provincial towns of its class. We will not gain anything, however, by shutting our eyes to the fact that for the past two or three years we have not been making the progress we should. Several enterprises that were of vast advantage to the town have, for various rea- sons, suspended, or largely suspended, operation. For example, the salt indus- try, which in the past years was of immense benefit to the place, is now almost wiped out. The flax mill, which gave employment to so many peo- ple and put many thousands of dollars in circulation annu- ally, has been suspended for the past two years. Latterly, the foundry has been closed up, with what likelihood of re -opening we do not know. The suspension of these three enterprises, which we have mentioned has caused the removal from town of hundreds of good citizens, and has cut off an annual expenditure in our midst of several thousand dollars. It is true that we have had exten- sions in other directions which have made up in some measure .for these losses, so that we have not felt them so keenly as we otherwise would have done. For example, the Broadfoot & Box company are continu- ally extending their works; Mr. Wilson's important egg trade is year by year extend- ing, and is the cause of the distribution of increased sums of money annually. Mr. VanEgmond's woollen mill is an important and prof- itable industry to the town. Mr. Case has also consider- ably extended his pork pack- ing industry since he took hold of it, and is, we believe, desirous of still further extending it , and other enter- prises have been started on a smaller scale, and besides, the magnificent farming country which is tributary to Seaforth is continually improving and increasing in wealth, while the enterprise of our merchants has, and is continually drawing large volumes of trade from a terri- tory which is more tributary to other towns than to Seaforth. In addition to these, thanks to the enterprise of our deal- ers, Seaforth has long enjoyed, and still enjoys, the reputation of being one of the best stock markets in western Ontario. There is, perhaps, Question of the week more money paid out in Seaforth for horses, cattle, sheep, swine and poultry in a year than in any other town of it size in the province. Our millers and dealers have also done their part in maintaining Seaforth's repu- tation as a grain market. With all these advantages, therefore, Seaforth has not suffered as severely as one might have expected in view of the many heavy losses it has gustained. But, although this is the case, it docs not behove our citizens and prop- erty holders to fold their hands and go to sleep. What are our authorities doing to avert this state of things? We may not be able to revive the salt or the flax industries, as their day seems to have done by, not only in Seaforth but elsewhere. But there is not a better opening in the province for a foundry and machine shop than there is in Seaforth, and for the size of it, a more complete plant and more suitable and conve- nient buildings could not be devised that the Coleman plant and buildings, and it would be a shame to permit such a fine property to lie idle long, while work is daily going to the towns that would certainly come here if it were in operation. We understand the Broadfoot & Box company, are anxious to enlarge their works so as to give employ- ment to thirty to fifty addi- tional workmen, and there is almost an unlimited demand for their products. It is also stated that Mr. Case would greatly enlarge his pork packing and curing business if he received the necessary encouragement. These arc all industries which we now have, which have a business and reputation established and for which the town is admirably adapted. and if we could secure their extension by giving the assis- tance they require, it would pay us well to do so. That, of course is for our town author- ities to ascertain. The time seems to have • arrived when the people must wake up to the situation and look around them. It iswith municipalities as it is with individuals, business only comes to those who hustle for it, while the drones and slow coaches get behind. We throw out the hint, it is for the authorities and others who are peculiarly interested in the town to take action. For any assistance Scalorth has ever given to enterprises, it has received good value in return. Should the Senate e abolished ? "...don't know about abol- ished, but they should be elected and more account- able. They discuss changes that the government in the lower level house has made and are going to be law." Gloria Racho Egmondville "... yes. They don't do any- thing except draw exhotbitant paychecks and pensions." A Bili Mitchell Seaforth "...yes, it should have been abolished years ago." Brenda Dalton Walton "...they need to be more accountable and more strick- ter. Maybe there's a need for them to be voted in and not just appointed."