Times-Advocate, 1988-06-01, Page 4Page 4
Times -Advocate, June 1, 1988
Times Established 1873
Advocate Established 1881
Amalgamated 1924
Ames
dvocate
Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S0
Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386.
Phone 519.235.1331
ROSS HAUGH
Editor
HARRY DEVRIES
CCNA
BM BECKETT
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DO% SMITH
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Success -again
The Dashwood Community Centre is
now 25 years old and the persons on the
management committee are to be con-
gratulated on a recent fund -rasing cam-
paign for necessary renovations.
The spirit which existed in Dashwood
to allow establishment of the much need-
ed community centre hall back more
than 25 years ago is still running strong.
At Wednesday's 25th anniversary cele-
bration, one of the co-chairmen �f the
original committe, Jim Hayter who now
operates an auto dealership- in$oderich
said it was real desire and hard work that
made the facility possible.
The idea for a community hall was first
put forth in 1957, three years after a fire
hall was built and anew fire truck pur-
chased. The project came about as sort of
a challenge between the firemen and the
Dashwood men's club.
Each group promised donations • of
$2,500. Total costs were first estimated
at $20,000, but ended closer to $25,000.
Besides that, a lot of volunteer labour
went into the project. ,
Hayter tgld the anniversary crowd that
75 men assisted with free labour and he
named a number of them. Only four .oth-
ers of the original committee remain and
were at Wednesday's banquet.. They are
Dear Sir:
Harry Hoffman, Lorne Kleinstiver, Har-
old Schroeder and Harry Hayter.
Wives of the first board members were
in attendance and cut and served the anni-
versary cake. They were Maud Hoffman,
Helen Kleinstiver, Freida Hayter, Jean
Schroeder, Hazel Snell, June Hayter,
Edith Baker and Aldene Wolfe.
When the hall officially opened in 1963,
Agriculture Minister Bill Stewart and
Highways Minister Charlie MacNaughton
were on hand for the festivities.
At that ti-Erte-;-MacNaughton initiated a
change in provincial legislation which
would allow for the first time, grants for
a community centre which was being sup-
ported by two municipalities, the town-
ships of Stephen and Hay.
It was fitting that the present Minister of
Agriculture Jack Riddell. was there as
master of ceremonies for the 25th anni-
versary.
With the same community spirit exhibit-
ed by Dashwood and area residents over
the past 25. years, the community centre
will continue to be the centre of activities
for the police village.
Again to the present committee headed
by Maud Hoffman, your efforts are
really appreciated.
Letters to the Editor
It is sad to see how some of the
recreation grounds in the Town of
Exeter look to a visiting team, its
supporters, and to the referee who
must file a game report which in-
cludes field conditions. It is even
worse when the home team is•
ashamed of the condition of the
field.
The Exeter Centennials, the arca
senior soccer team plays in the -see-
- and division of the Western Onta-
rio Soccer League. This Division
includes teams from London, Chat-
ham, Nairn, Arkona, Strathroy,
Wataccburg and Wallacetown. It is
goodto sCe that the local team can
compete in the same calibre as
most of these teams, in their own
performance anyway. What is lack-
ing is the responsibility of the per-
sonnel responsible for the upkeep
of the fields themselves.
In our home game on Sunday,
May 29, the grass on the pitch was
in very much need of a cut. It was
certainly not a bad .week for getting
the job done weather wise. It
seems when the weather co-
operates, the grounds people do
not.
At the end of the week, May 28,
the goal posts were in need of re-
pair. This was looked after by soc-
cer -involved people. The field was
also marked out by soccer -involved
people.
We don't mind helping, but we
By Ross Haugh
do ask for some co-operation.
Personally, I have been involved
in senior soccer in Exeter for 15
years, and I must say there has not
been an improvement in the.atti-
tude of the people responsible for
the fields at all.
In my opinion, not only the
players involved losc•face, but the
whole soccer club, groundskeepers
and the town does. I don't under-
stand why there is no pride shown
in the upkeep of these fields
whether for looks or mainly for
safety reasons.
Dick Lord
Exeter Centennials
Senior Soccer Club
Computer developments
Two developments in the com-
puter world have really caught
my interest in recent weeks.
The first one -is thc link be-
tween computers and laser video-
disks. Instead of the common
video -cassette playback units, the
laser disks use a large metal disk
about thc size of a phonograph
record. Thc beauty of this type of
video machine is that it is able t0
move almost instantly to any
place on the disk as opposed to
the slow search which is neces-
sary using tape machines. .
Thc dcmonstration disk I saw
was of the National Art Gallery`
in Washington. On the one disk
were all of the major works of
the gallery, almost 5000 of them.
Through thc computer which was
hooked up to the video disk, a
person could ask for any artist or
any painting and i would appear
on the screen almo t instantly.
For example, I as interested
in Rembrandt (the 'only major
painter 1 could think of, off the
cuff). On the computer screen
was the picture of a telephone di-
rectory. I pointed my cursor at
By the
Way
Syd
Fletcher
thc "r" and a list of all the paint-
ers whose name started with that
letter appeared, including Rem-
brandt. 1 pointed to his name and
there was his first picture. 1 hit
the 'return' button on the com-
putcr and each time there was a
new picture by him. I was able to
then ask Mr paintings by artists
of the same time period and of
the same style. Insfcad of making.
my. fcct weary by searching
through an enure art gallery 1 was
abl to increase my knowledge
significantly in a short period of
time.
Think of thc potential of this
for students. They will he ahlc to
go into a library and access infor-
mation of all sorts very quickly
and easily. They could call up a
picture and sound sequence of a
chemical experiment which might
be far too dangerous for a young-
ster to do in a high school labora-
tory yet might be ,vcry worth-
while for illustrating the
characteristics of, a certain de-
ment. They could hear a Frenal'
conversation and then instant' '
replay it and compare it with an
English translation on the com-
puter screen.
In the last twenty years the
amount of knowledge which is
out there for students to !cam is
almost overwhelming. If we can
make that knowledge.easily avail-
able for them then we will have
gained much.
Next week 1 will talk about the
other computer discovery which
is equally exciting.
1
Y
Serving South HurgQn,dNorth Middlesex
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" STOP WORRYING, THEY'LL FIND US — 1. HAVUNI.T PA19 MY TAXES."
Crossing the great divide
Question. Why do Exeter pe-
destrians cross Main Stream
Answer. Because they feel so
good when they get. safely to the
other side.
Exctcr residents must like to
live on the edge. Why else
would they choose a town
which is cut in two by a busy
highway?
People trying to cross High
way 4 during peak traffic hours,
arc confronted with more haz-
ards than those faced by the Is-
raelites crossing the Red Sea.
Which would you rather deal
with - an army of chariot -borne
Egyptians closing in from- be-
hind, or 18 -wheelers bearing
down on you from both sides at
30 miles an hour, spewing their
diesel exhaust in your face?
It takes thc faith of a Moses to
step out in late afternoon into the
midst of a stream of vehicles
proceeding bumper to bumper
•along Main Strcct after workers
from Dashwood Industries and
the plants in Huron Park head
for home. Some step authorita-
tively into the traffic flow,
pointing imperiously with out-
stretched . finger, and striding
across confidently as ounces 6f
flesh and blood defy tons of
moving metal. Others cower tim-
idly on the shore, their eyes fixed
on the promised land so near and
yet so far.
Reynold's
Rap
by
Yvonne
Reynolds
I can -understand why Exeter
needs a highway through its
middle. A bypass would take a
lot of business away from one of
the most bustling and prosperous
towns in Iiuron County. If that
happened, a Main St. crossing
would be more like crossing the
Dead Sca than the Red Sca, and
no one wants that.
Could thcre_not be a compro-
mise? What about a heavenly
skyway or walkway above thc
traffic? This could encourage a
whole added layer of businesses
one storey up.
Has anyone thought of excavat-
ing a tunnel beneath the street?
Exeter could then be the first mu-
nicipality for miles around to of-
fer underground parking. My
hopes that such a solution was
imminent have been raised more
than once while observing the
PUC and other agencies busily
excavating huge holes on Main
Street, only to be dashed later.
The council could also consider
hiring a crossing guard, someone
with leadership qualities who
could part the sea of vehicles with
a wave of his staff, and herd his
charges safely across, all the
while humming a few bars of
"Let my people go".
Perhaps the exertion, acumen
and alertness required to cross.
Main St. is what keeps the citi-
zens of Exeter agile and youthful.
Returning to the biblical analo-
gy; those who loge to traverse the
great divide can be divided into
two classes - the quick and the
dead.
Family Council
Our kids are growing up in a
democratic society. Right? So we
should prepare them for it. Are
you still with me so far? No use
in teaching them by example that
bullies get.. their way, that
squeaking wheels get the grease,
that those who shout loudest will
be heard longest. Things don't
opera' ha way in grown-up
circles, do they? That's why at
our house we have a family
council at irregular but frequent
intervals.
We had another session last
Saturday, right after breakfast.
Actually we started while I was
enjoying my third slice of toast
and apricot jam. This meeting had
been called by Duncan who
wantcd some of the allowance
chores changed.
Mom - as usual - was the
chairperson, since she knows
Robert's Rules of Order by heart.
Item .1 on the agenda: Getting
ready for school. on weekday
mornings. "How can we make the
mornings a more pleasant time?"
Elizabeth asked? More pleasant?
How do you make Chinese water
torture more pleasant? Can you
find a more pleasant way to have
your fingernails pulled out?
Stephanie suggcstcd that
everybody get up at 7 o'clo&k
sharp instead of ten after 7. Good
thinking, byt then what?
Alexander, who hand.t wanted a
meeting on this particular
Saturday morning in the first
place, decided that poking Duncan.
undcr the table was a good way of
getting attention. But he didn't
have any suggestions. "Duncan,
what about you?" Madam
Chairperson asked. Duncan was
busy defending himself undcr the
table.
1 said: "The number one
problem is that the kids don't gct
out of bcd when we wake them
up, don't gct dressed fast cnough,
start playing pith toys instead of
coming dow'n for breakfast ..."
"You already listed three different.
problc s, Dad," Alexander
object ' Well, at least somebody
PETER'S
POINT
•
was paying amnion.
We resolved that those who
weren't at the breakfast table at
7:30 sharp would be charged a
fine. Those late every morning
would only get 50 cents
allowance that -week. Alexander
' was outvoted 4:1.
Next item: gum. 1 made a
motion, seconded by Elizabeth
that there would be no more gum
chewing in the house or in the
car. Any discussion? "Yes,"
Alexander said. "I think it's a
dumb motion." Far from being.
discouraged by this irreverent
remark, thc chairperson asked:
"Would you Care to explain why
you think it is dumb?" "Because
it is". "Docs anyone else have
anything w say about the
subject" "Yes," Alexander said, "I
think you're all dumb, and I hate
- you all. I want to leave home."
Elizabeth doesn't easily lose her
cool when she's in the chair.
"We'll make that item 3 on the
agenda, Alexander. We'll discuss
it as soon as the.gum business is
e
0
out of the way."
It was resolved - over
Alexander's strong objection -
that the children could spend their
allowance money any way they
wanted, and they could buy as
much gum as their little hearts
desired, but it would have to be
chewed outdoors. Our home has
been declared a gum -free
environment.
1t was getting late. We had .
several- Saturday deadlines to
meet. But we had to deal with this
rather crucial point 3. Duncan
said: "I wanted to discuss
something, but I can't rcmcmbcr
what it was". "It had to do with
your allowance jobs, I think,"
Elizabeth said. "Yah, but I can't
remember which one."
Item 3: Alexander wishes to
leave home. "Have you made any
plans, Alexander?" Elizabeth
inquired. "No. I just want to
leave." "Wliere would you go?" "I
don't know". "Wouldn't you miss
us?" I asked. "No. I wouldn't
miss. anybody except Duncan". I
said: "1 would miss you terribly,
Alexander, because I love you."
Elizabeth added: "And 1 love you
too, and I would miss you a lot."
"And so would I," said Stephanie,
tears rolling down her checks. 1
suggested that Item 3 be
postponed indefinitely and that thc
meeting be adjourhed.
Duncan grumbled: "What about
my item?" "What was it, honey?"
"I can't remember". "Don't
worry," the chairperson said,
"we'll make your's Item 1 on thc
agenda for the next meeting, as
soon as you remember what it
was."
With all eyes now bcing dry,
the 34th meeting of the Family
Council was adjourned.
r