Times-Advocate, 1988-06-15, Page 5n
the
Street
By Jim Beckett
a.r
We had a lot of fun with' the column a couple of weeks ago where
readers were asked to match the nicknames with their owners.
The winner of the lucky draw for a $25 gift certificate at MacLeans
was Jack Fuller of Exeter. I'm surprised at the numbcr of names that
were matched by those who entered. In some cases a nickname is
shared by more than one person.
**********
With the July 1 holiday falling on a Friday this year, I have been
asked by the B.IA. to remind retailers that most stores will be open-
ing Thursday until 9 p.m.
**********
Gene Seller, recently employed at the Royal Bank's Ag Office, has
been transferred to Tobcrmory where he manages that branch and the
one at Lions. Head.
**********
Bank of Nova Scotia manager Brianillman will be leaving Exeter
for a position with the bank in St. Catharines. Inman will be the
senior assistant manager at the main :dbwntown branch.
**********
Doug Ellison of Ellison Travel reports he has sold his Wingham
office to Wingham Travel effective May. 30. This will give Ellison
more time to concentrate on a rapidly growing part of his business,
the arranging of school trips for students across the province.
**********
Several people around town have been fighting a losing battle in
saving their birch trees. Last Thursday's big garbage pickup was the
fate of many beautiful trees. Apparently the leaves contain some type
of insect egg which in turn devours the leaf when they hatch. Any
reader who has suggestions on how to save these trees is invited to
share the information with our readers.
**********
We received two complaints last week within minutes of each oth-
er. The first person 'suggested we could put a lot less sports news in
the paper and allow more space for other news. Moments later anoth-
er person called to advise us we could have devoted more space to the
high school sporting banquet. When you combine the story and the
four photographs, the event receivedmorethan a half page of space.
Actually, we're pretty proud of our sports coverage, having received
many positive comments from people who follow a variety sports.
The T -A has a new service to offer area businesses beginning this
week. A new Fax machine has been installed in the office enabling
us to.contact any other Fax machine in the world. We're offering the
use of this machine for a cost of $4.00 per printed sheet for the first
one plus $1.00 per additional sheet. Benefits include reaching your
customers or suppliers instantly, in writing,•which will eliminate er-
rors. You can also give our Fax number to people •who need to reach
you and we will receive your messages for $1.00 per sheet.
Times -Advocate, June 15, 1988
Page 5
Importing fun and games
By Adrian Harte
EXETER - The last time you
saw one of those foam rubber cad-
dies for a can of pop or beer, did
' you wonder where it came from?
It came from Hong Kong actual-
ly, but how it got here might in-
terest you.
Patrick Knight, who operates the
area's Star Time Video outlets, has
created a new company, Shoreline
21 International, to import novelty
items for distribution.
"Shoreline is a gadget company
really," said Knight, explaining he
is ready to import anything inter-
esting or unique.
So far, Shorelinehas only a
handful of products, but will ex-
pand as soon as new products ar-
rive. The foam drink holders, all
emblazoned with a variety of logos
and designs, are selling like hot
cakes as stores stock them for the
summer season. Gardeners' knee
mats from the same foam rubber
are also selling well.
Another item of which Knight
says he has sold 3,000- are Lazer-
lights: a pair of flashlights worn
like glasses.
"There are a million uses for
them," hesaid. At Hallowe'en, he
sells them with a matching mask
to make a futuristic costume which
is clearly visible at night. Howev-
er, Knight says many pairs of La-
er trivia games for additional ques-
' tions. This game is not imported
but, like many other successful
board games, is made in Canada.
Knight gets in touch with the
manufacturers of these novelties by
keeping his ears open and by attend-
ing some of the trade shows where
the gadget makers converge to find
IN 1 tRNATIONWL
inc
zerlights are sold to worm pickers
as a hands-free light source.
• For trivia buffs a new game will
soon be available through Shoreline
21. At a relatively inexpensive
$4.99, it can be kept on hand for
rainy vacation days, or added to oth-
Back
in time
10 years ago
•Noted Canadian author Alice Munro sparked an emotional reaction
when she used passages from the Bible to prove the point that, when
taken out of context and highlighted by suggestions of pornography,
excerpt's from many books — including the Bible — could be grouped
with three Lrtglish textbooks put on trial by the Huron County Board of
Education.
Munro, who later made it clear that she was not suggesting the Bible
was pornographic, was part of a pang) of writers invited to a public
debate over the banning of Catcher in the Rye, The Diviners and Of
Mice and Men.
The debate, held in Clinton, drew 500 people — most of whom
expressed strong opinions on one side or the other of the censorship
issue.
Dunlop Industrial Limited was fined 55,000 as a result of a Novem-
ber explosion which injured three men at their Huron Park plant. The
plant was charged with failing to ensure safety measures.
20 years ago
•In order to deal with an increasing student population in Stephen
Township, the Stephen school board purchased
J.A.D. McCurdy school at Centralia. Students from Huron Park who
were going to Stephen Central were transferred to the four classrooms
in Centralia.
•The SHDHS school board approved an $8,000 expenditure to build
a new quarter -mile track on the playing field.
•On the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, Bill Bauen wrote in June
1968 "Expressions of grief and concern have come from all corners of
tlic world and there are few words left to produce any new thoughts in
the way of an eurogy for this great leader.
"However, it must be said that Robert F. Kennedy died in vain if the
effect of his death is nothing more than a "time out" front the circum-
stances which erode the sanity of the world."
50 years ago
•"Excter is to have a new rest room," the Advocate proclaimed i n June
1938. The new building was to be built on "the new street west of Main
Street. It will be a one story building that will be a credit to thc
municipality and Will cost in the neighbourhood of $1,500 to $1,800."
•"... there arc Canadian merchants and United States merchants who
arcsending materials to Japan to make bombs that ruin cities, slaughter
little children and old men. How can merchants engage in trade so
bloody?" asked a local editorial. "What Japan. has done`for ahton, she
is eager to do for Vancouver and Halifax. How can mer`c�ts provide
Japanese militarists with the iron that may pierce the hearts of Huron
County and Exeter children?"
•"A band conccrt was held in Victoria Park Sunday afternoon of last
week. The weather was fine and a Targe crowd enjoyed the outdoor
70 years ago
•Trying to paint an optimistic picture for the parents of enlisted men
in the First World War, the Advocate ran the following statistics:
"Well informed military men say that if your boy goes to the front:
He has 99 chances of coming home to one chance of being killed.
He has 99 chances of recovering from a wound to two chances of
dying.
He has one chance in 500 of losing a limb.
He will live five years longer because of physical training.
In othcSwars from 10 to 15 men died from disease to one from bullets.
In this war one man dies of disease to every ten from bullets.
This war is less wasteful of life than any other in history."
• History proved the final statement tragically false.
It's Your Business
distributors. A valuable part of the
deals Knight makes is the rights to
exclusive distribution in Canada.
In the search for more warehouse
and office space, Shoreline 21 is
moving into the Agripress building
in Hensall along with the head of-
GADGETS LORE Patrick Knight of Shoreline 21 International is on the lookout for the unique and
Here he holds some of the items he is importing for distribution around Ontario and the Maritimes.
GA
Pine pollen scum
resembles pollution
TORONTO - The Ministry of
the Environment reports that an in-
creased number of complaints are
received at this time of the year re-
garding the accumulation of a mus-
tard yellow scum on inland lakes
and along the shore and bays of
Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.
The scum becomes most preval-
ent during the month of June and
floats in large masses on the water
surface and accumulates along
shorelines and beaches. The un-
sightly scum is pine pollen and
should not be mistaken for algae or
pollution material such as paint or
petroleum.
Pollen from.coniferous trees usu-
ally appears yellow while from
some of the deciduous trees, thc
materia: is sandy brown or grey.
The pollen is transported to water -
bodies from the surrounding forests
by high winds. Being extremely
buoyant, the windblown -pollen
easily drifts across the lake surface
and enroute, traps floating algae
and other aquatic debris.
The accumulation of material
that reaches the shoreline and pro-
tected bay areas, is unsightly and
can cause malordous conditions
when it decomposes; The pollen
eventually breaks down or becomes
trapped in the' sediment along
shoreline areas.
"The Ministry receives a numbcr
of inquiries and_ complaints about
the pine pollen phenomena each
season," says Willard Page, Dis-
trict Officer for the Owen Sound
Ministry of the Environment Of-
fice. "This indicates the public's
concern and awareness for what ap-
pears to be a major pollutant float -
mg on our waterways," he noted.
DUCKS UNLIMITED - Dave Long (left) is chairman of the newly -formed
South Huron committee for Ducks Unlimited and here he takes delivery of
ticket number 00001 from Don Stephen of Stephen Printing for the Sep-
tember 7 Ducks Unlimited banquet. The dinner will be at the Kirkton-
Woodham community centre. For tickets or more information, call 235 •
-
2633, 263-3010, or 227-4397.
•
unusual.
fices for Star Time Video.
"Shoreline wants to eventually
have a catalog with all the little.
things yuppies like," stated Knight.
Items to watch for in the near fu-
ture are wall. clocks with old-time
movie stars, a "time flies" watch
with a house fly instead of a second
hand, a real camera for less than $4,
Shoreline 21 blank video tape, and
answering machine tapes so celebri-
ties can answer your phone.
• Knight describes the company,
which he operates with London
partner Don Hill, as "fun", but he is
quick to add that "we're serious
about it from a profit standpoint. It
gives us a vent for our different
spirits."
Shoreline also has to keep price
in mind when ordering the items,
since most are designed to be dis-
played near a cash register and
bought on impulse. Knight says it
is best to ship a full container
whenever possible and to keep costs
of duty, exchange rates, and freight
• .low so the article is still inexpen-
sive enough to buy with spare cash.
In order to get the product to cus-
tomers in Windsor, Toronto, Owen
Sound, the east coast and parts in
between, Knight has to order early.
Plastics production in J-long_Kong
is in`sucji demand that delivery
takes a while. It has taken Shore-
line a year to get its first products
off the ground.
Shoreline 21 is also interested in
the advertising/promotional market.
The can holders -can be personal-
ized, if desired, with a business
name for a company picnic. The
printing can be done in Canada but,
again, Hong Kong is cheaper.
"Everything here costs more,"
said Knight. "It's maddening that
we have to go out of the country for
these things."
Shoreline 21 will soon rent
blimps for advertising. The 12 -foot
long and 5 1/2 -foot high balloons
can be filled with helium or air and
floated as high as a hundred feet.
An advertising message is printed
on an attached banner.
Knight .cites statistics which
show 75 perccnt of people will re-
member a message if they read it on
a blimp. Rentals start at $250 a
month and a larger blimp will also
-be available.
Knight says he has to be careful
what he chooses to import. Some
items, which seem attractive at a
trade show, may not translate into
sales in the stores. Once a product
has been bought and delivered, it
can't be sent back to the manufac-
turer.
On the other hand, Knight hopes
• some of his items might attract the
attention of a, chain store and bring
an order for a couple of hundred
thousand units. If that kind of suc-
cess conics knocking, Knight says
he's ready.
TRAINING COMPLETED - Eleanor Blommaert (left) and Sheila Tiede -
man' are congratulated by manager Jim Hennesseyon:completing a two-
day course in cleaning technologies for Image Cleaners. Image plans to
upgrade its facilities in Exeter and Hensall and will make use of the course •
information and the 17 -year total experience of Blommaert and Tiedeman
to carry it out.
G.W. Parsons & Associates Inc.
Management, Accounting
and Computer System Services
50 Hill Street
Exeter, Ontario
NOM 1S0
Doug Denomme
Gerry Parsons C.M.A.
519-235-1304
For complete computer sales and
service
G.W. Parsons & Associates Inc. is
associated with
LAND
SOKTWAIS)
EPSON
COMPUTERS & PRINTERS
Epson +s a rea+stertd Trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation
1