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Huron Expositor, 2002-02-06, Page 4Commentar y Opinion Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 Terri -Lynn Hart - Publisher Pat Armes - Office Manger Scott Hilgendorff - Editor Dianne McGrath - Subsaiptions/Classifieds Susan Hundertmark - Reporter Katrina Dietz - Sales Anne Roden - Distribution Bowes Publishers Limited Sukdrry o/ Sw Mafia Cwprrtam - A Qud+rw CMNs, E-mail us at seaforth@bowesnet.com Visit our home page at www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES: LOCAL - 32.50 a year, in odvorce, plus 2.28 G.S.T. SENIORS: - 30.00 a year, in advance, plus 2.10 G.S.T. USA & Foreign: 28.44 a year in odvonce, plus $78.00 postage, G.S.T. exempt SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Published weekly by Signal -Star Publishing at 11 Main St., Seaforth. Publication mail registration No. 0696 held at Seaforth, Ontario. Advertising is occepted on condition that in the event of o typographical error, the odvertising spoce occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typogrophicol error, advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell and may be withdrawn at any time. The Huron Expositor is not responsible for the toss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproduction purposes. Changes of oddress, orders for subscriptions and undeliverable copies ore to be sent to The Huron Expositor. Wednesday, February 7, 2000 Ikliteriel and Sestwess OMeas - 11 Meta ftreot.,Soefortts Telephone (519) 527-0240 Fax (519) 527-2858 Mottles Address - P.O. Sex 69, senteels, Ontario, NOK 1 WO Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association, Ontario Community Newspapers Association Publication Mail Registration No. 07605 "We acthe financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications Aisistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing costs." Editorial All parents can do is pray their kids will. make the choices It's a little bit scary to hear from kids that they automatically expect to start drinking when they get to high school. Especially when they express those sentiments only minutes after hearing gruesome stories of drunk driving accidents and watching a video where tearful parents tell of finding their children dead after binge drinking. Huron OPP community services officer Don Shropshall has been speaking to children at area schools about the dangers of drinking, smoking and other drugs in an attempt to encourage them to refrain from any dangerous habits or activities with drugs and alcohol. He shared with them personal stories of family members killed in drinking and driving accidents. He also shared a story of rescuing a 16 -year- old boy who was passed out and choking on his own vomit. While the problem of teens abusing drugs and alcohol has existed for decades, efforts like Shropshall's are directed at not convincing the kids to never touch the products. Instead, they are attempts to arm the kids with the knowledge they need to be mare responsible and safe when drinking and drug -using opportunities present themselves. Still, it's somewhat disturbing to watch young children, although attentive, not bothered or moved to tears when they hear horrifying personal stories of lives lost. Parents, police and educators can do all they want to warn children of the dangers that are out .there but kids can't be protected and watched all the time. They're young, curious and more importantly, unafraid, no matter how many frightening stories they hear. All parents can really do is pray that the knowledge the kids have been given will keep them safe and that, Shropshall will never come knocking on their door early some morning down the road. Scott Hilgendorff How to access us Letters to the Editor can be made to us fit. seaforth �iorth All letters and subrnisss Must and accompanied number. All submi for both length and aq. Aon tt forget to w .bOW • ,Y. Farmers continue to struggle with little pay for their efforts By Jack Wilkinson, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Canadians enjoy some of the safest and best tasting, yet cheapest food in the world. The farmers of this country have become' extremely efficient food producers; primarily because economics has forced them to do so. As an example of this efficient food production, statistics show us that by yesterday, Feb. 6, the average Canadian household will have earned enough money to pay for their entire year's food supply. For the farmers, the next statistic isn't good news. By Jan. 8 the average Canadian household had earned enough money to pay the farmer all he or she will get for the year's supply of food they have produced. I would like to give you another situation that provides proof that Canadian fanners get very little for their work. Consider a banquet meal offering devilled eggs, barbecued chicken breast, roast beef, roast turkey, roast pork, French bread, baked beans, mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes and milk. The price tag for such a buffet would be in the range of 24 dollars. Guess what the farmer's return would be from selling the produce to provide that meal; one dollar and sixty seven cents. That's right, less than two dollars; less than the tip to the server, and half of the PST and GST paid to governments on that meal. Our farmers take pride in the work they do; producing food, caring for crops and animals, striving to protect and improve the environment, and building a stronger rural community. While pride goes a long way to justifying the effort, economics enters into the picture at some point, and when it does, it becomes a very critical element. Being able to feed Canadians with such great produce has made this country strong and recognized around the world as one of the best places to live. I think society owes a great deal to the fanners of this country. I think society should take a serious look at what it needs to do to ensure the next generation of farmers will be able to continue the tradition. The average age of fanners in Ontario is approaching 60 years. This tells me a lot of young people aren't interested in producing food for less than it costs to produce. People owning and operating other businesses know they have to make a profit to stay in business. Fanners know that too, but much of what affects their bottom line is beyond their control. For the past two years, as an example, our farmers have seen prices drop for the grains, oilseeds and horticultural crops they produce. This is happening around the world because the United States is providing rich support programs for its farmers to guarantee they stay . in business. Our farmers have asked our federal and provincial governments to increase the funding for the safety nets programs set up to protect them from such situations, but those requests are being ignored. Input costs for farmers -everything from fuels to crop nutrients- have increased dramatically in recent years, but farmers have little opportunity to pass those costs along when they sell their produce. Society needs to be aware of these circumstances and work to make sure the country's political leaders are prepared to protect the future of Canada's ability to feed its people. Fear of other drivers new phobia for the roads Until about a month ago, I thought I'd just about gotten over my fear of winter driving. It used to be, just the thought of having to head out on the roads when it was snowing was enough to cause my stomach to twist itself into some kind of sailor's knot. I'd had a few bad experiences early in my driving career where I'd head out after weather reports said "a chance of flurries" and ended' up crawling in zero visibility after dark trying to get home. But gradually, I learned how-to winter drive and to understand the maximums and minimums of my car and the road conditions. I also learned not to feel peer pressure when a truck or faster moving car comes up behind. and tries to "push" you into going faster than you know your car can handle on ice and snow. I became more relaxed and calm which, until this year, had made winter drives much easier. While I learned not to be afraid of the winter weather, I now have a real fear of other drivers sharing these wintery roads. That fear first developed not long before Christmas when I was taking The Huron Expositor pages to Goderich on press day. There had been a ton of snow and high winds were causing drifting and whiteouts. I made it to the Harpurhey intersection outside of Seaforth where there was a total whiteout covering about a 100 -foot stretch of highway. It was then that a driver, unable to see because of the whiteout, pulled into the road in front of me. Because I had adjusted my speed for the poor roads, I was able to stop my car without going into a skid and crashing into the other car's back end. But the driver stopped. There we were, in the middle of a whiteout, sitting there. All I could think of was the long line of tractor trailers I had passed coming into Seaforth a few minutes before and wondered if there were any coming up behind us. I'd already had a truck come up behind me in similar weather conditions on my way to work that morning and knew they weren't slowing down for the snow and ice. At that moment, thoughts of self-preservation kicked in and if I had the four-wheel drive truck of my dreams I would have pushed the other car onto the shoulder or right out of the whiteout, only a few more feet past where we had stopped. Sadly, I am the proud owner of a rusting Thunderchicken with barely the ability to get out of a snow covered driveway, let alone the power to push another car out of the way. In seconds, the old knot was back in my stomach only this time, it had tied tighter than ever before and I can honestly say I was scared. I just clenched, waiting for a truck or another car to come up and cream us without being able to see us until the moment of impact. I don't think I ever disliked another driver more than at that moment and that anger almost overrode my sense of self-preservation. It kicked in. It may not have been smart. In fact, it may have ended up causing an even worse accident but I wasn't willing to just sit there and wait for it to happen. Without being able to see anything but a wall of white and the other car as a frame of reference for where the road was, I pulled into the oncoming lane, around the car and back again. A few feet further and I was out of the whiteout and on my way, hands shaking and stifling expletives that popped into my head when I realized if the driver had only kept going a few more feet, we would never have been in any danger. That's when I learned to be scared of winter roads again. Not because of the weather but because of other drivers who can't be trusted to make safe decisions. _ Already since that incident, I've dodged a van that came into my lane, not once but twice, after sliding on ice because the driver was going too fast. I've been passed by trucks leaving a shower of slush in their wake because they're flying too fast and I have been forced off the road by another, also going too fast to be able to stay in the proper lane. All it took were two close calls this winter to bring the old fear back every time it snows and I know I have to go out there. Having said all that, I wonder how many lives I'll threaten during the next snowfall when Murphy's Law kicks in. Horses spooked by passing train February 11,1876 Joseph Brownell of Seaforth met with an accident. He was coming from Egmondville and when he reached the railway track, a passenger coach was standing on the track. He tried to go around it and he noticed two other cars were coming down the track. He attempted to back his horse, when the coach was struck by the other cars, he was dragged over the rails. He was not seriously hurt. We learned that David Sproat of Tuckersmith has sold his farm of 70 acres t his brother William for $4,000. Isaac Townsend of Tuckersmith has purchased from John Cox the farm on the 6th concession of Hibbert. The farm contained 50 acres and was sold for $2,500. A young 'lad, son of Thos. Dinsmore of Stanley, was drawing firewood out of the bush when the animals got frightened and in their flight, one horse fell down and injured its shoulder. Nothing could be done and it had to be stmt. February 8,1901 Wm. Lee of Londesboro, who purchased a carload of bugless peas has disposed of them and has purchased plank around. Wm. Sturgeon of Bayfield has gone to the Old Country taking charge of cattle for Mr. Years agone... Winter, Seaforth. Peter McGee, Bayfield, was seriously injured by a falling tree. Frank Norwood of Constance feel from a straw - stack, a height of 10 or 12 feet. He struck the hard ground and was rendered unconsious. Lew Farnham of Constance has sold his Durham cow to Geo. McKee of Winthrop for $100. John A. Jackson of this town has passed his third year examination before the Ontairo Law Society. J.Ross of Brucefield has purchased a blacksmith business in Wellington County. Roy Scott, son of James Scott, met with a serious accident. He was fixing the electric wires in the E. McFaul store when the current was turned on at the power house. He had one hand on the wires and was badly burned. R.B. McLean disposed of 14 head of fat steers to Mr. Ironsides realizing five cents per pound. February 12,1926 The farm of the late Jacob Barrows of Walton was sold to Harry Jackson. Lawrence Cummings of Walton has installed a radio. Hugh Shannon of Walton has purchased a lot from Robt. Ferguson and intends building a house. P.B. Gordiner and John McDonald's team of Walton are busy hauling ice for Fred Miller. Saturday was a hard day on Jack rabbit. Farmers from Hibbert and Kirkton armed themselves against the marauding invaders. The drive was headed by Wm. Colquhoun. Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Bunch, who have. been in Royal Oak for the winter, have returned home. Neil Gillespie has taken over the implement business of the late J.G. Martin. Februray 9,1951 A snow storm of solar proportions swept down on the vicinity of Seaforth. Motor traffic was brought to a standstill. Dr. and Mrs. E.A. McMaster have returned from a trip by plane to Mexico where they spent the past three weeks. T.A. Gordon of town had the misfortune to fall and break his arm. The nurses of Scott Memorial Hospital enjoyed a sleigh ride to the country. On their return they had hmch at the nurses residence. Plans were made for the purchase of a new piano for the sunday school of First Presbyterian Church. The meeting was held at the home of Mrs. JJ. Cluff. Misses Patricia Brugger and Lorna Ellis attended a dance recently at the OAC, Guelph. February 6,1976 Bad weather storm stayed a lot of travellers here Sunday night and gave many Seaforth people who were away from town for the weekend a longer visit than they had planned. There were accidents on Seaforth streets during the storm, caused by zero visibility, icy roads and 10 to 12 foot high snowbanks. Two weeks of heavy snowfalls are going to i ncrease costs in Huron County's roads budget so much that road construction and other projects may be cut in 1976. Spending cutbacks were a common bond in committee reports at Huron County Council last Friday and service cutbacks to residents of Huronview was a major item of contention. Tuckersmith Township council has hired Sander VanDorp of RR 5 Clinton to sell dog tags in the township. He was one of two applicants interviewed at the session of council 'Tuesday night.