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Times Advocate, 1989-07-05, Page 8Page 4 Tlmes-Advocate, July 5,1989 Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamil d 1924 Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by 1.W. Eedy"Publications Limited T Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario, NOM 150 Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. cn Phone 519.235.1331 ROSS HAUGH Editor. HARRY DEVRIES cc,A IIM BECKETT Publisher 8 Advertising Manager DON SMITH Composition Manager Business Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $25.00 Per year; U.S.A. $65.00 Friends helping friends he Patti Starr affair has rein- forced the public perception that politics never change. When David Peterson led his enthusiastic group of Liberals to power it was expect- ed he would inject a breath of fresh air into a system which had become polluted by the "Big Blue Machine." Recent relevations have shown us the expected fresh air is tainted with more than a hint of the stench of back room politics. Taxpayers are getting sick of the same old scenario which sees a hard-working party volunteer getting rewarded with one of those government jobs we'd all like to have. It's usually several months later when the media or the opposition uncover mo - T tives other than a desire to serve the pub- lic. The enthusiastic party supporter, • surprisingly, has connections to special interest groups or party contributors and is now in a position to look after their in- terests. It happens all the time, in all political parties. The few examples the taxpayers find out about, unfortunately, are just the tip of the iceburg. David Peterson has indicated once the facts are known he will not hesitate in cutting out the rot which has developed in his own halls of power. David....we'd like to believe you, but after all, you're a politician and you know how the game is played. A lot of taxpayers will be watch- ing you on this one. Safety at all times his may be beating the gun by a couple of weeks as Farm Safety Week will not be recognized until July 25 to 31, but it is a topic that should be kept foremost in the minds of farmers every day of the year. While the main theme of the Canada Safety Council for the special week this year is on child safety, it should be prac- ticed faithfully by all ages. Only three weeks ago, the Blyth Citizen reported the death of a Belgrave area farmer who was killed while doing some tree cutting. Statistics gathered by the Canada Safety Council indicate that an unnecessary pro- portion of farmfatalities in 1987 were to children under the age of 15 years. Many of these accidents could have been prevented had action been taken to eliminate the hazard, educate the child on how to behave around machinery, live- stock and farm buildings and enforce safety rules. The hazards for children around any farm are great. Dangerous equipment and hazardous Lessons My first try for elected office, though unsuccessful, has left me '''',a2rafraTilfanairefftedifietrAppieriBrice. I am passing on - free of charge - some of the lessons I've learned during the past month., Campaigning is costly in time, energy and money. The most difficult door to knock on is the first. Most people are very gracious. They thank you for soliciting their vote, and politely shut down their lawn mower, or swal- low the piece of food they had just popped into their mouth WI(Cll CE1t uuuIUE 11 -ialrg. & ilaU only two unpleasant encounters while covering all of Tucker - smith, Hensall, Egmondville, Huronview and Vanastra. Farm dogs are the bane of a campaigner's life. When you see a sign "Beware of dog", you'd better believe it. 1 talked to one person who had made a bid for public office a few years ago. He recalled the time he noticed a large doberman skulking near a house, and left his car door open in case he had to make a quick escape. Unfor- tunately, no one was home. He returned to his car to find the do- berman firmly ensconced in the By Jim Beckett materials such as pesticides should be stored in well marked containers and locked away. Practice good housekeep- ing on farm grounds, both in and around machinery, buildings and within fenced regions. Ensure that all equipment shields and guards are in place and in good condi- tion. One of the most important rules under enforcement are "no passengers ever" for any farm vehicle and this can also ap- ply to riding lawn mowers and garden tractors. Probably the most important message of advice is set a good example. Your ac- tions speak louder than words. If you work safely and follow recommended safety procedures, your child will follow your example. Practice safety in everything you do. Don't let your oversight in safe farm procedures be the cause of an accident involving a child. Remember children are our future. Let's keep them safe. learned front seat. He spend the next 30 minutes trying to gmhe of the ear. However, I have found the se- cret formula for success. It is, like most winning recipes, sim- By Ross hough Solve women promised to sup - 4 ,r� 9.9,45.09,,1y.•lecaase i am. gt. woman. (That's what I like - an informed voter!) Others - primari- ' ly gentlemen of the old school - disapprove of women in public office. My experience has given me more sympathy for politicians than I ever had before. Walking in another's mocassins does give one a whole new perspective. i know how much was involved in covering one township and one village. Imagine campaigning throughout a riding. Or a prov- I learned other Lessons, LOU. Four candidates were all vying for one position on the board of education. Each of us gave it our best effort. You'd think we were trying for the prime ministership of Canada. But we knew there would be only one winner. If coming second in an election for school trustee is the worst thing that ever happens to me for the rest of my life, I will count my blessings and consider myself a very fortunate woman. P.S. All that jumping in and out of the car and walking up to doors knocked five unwanted pounds off my frame. Reynold's Rap by Yvonne Reynolds ple but effective. Before heading into the countryside, gather up all the male dogs in your area, and get each to leave its liquid code on your tires. Then, when you wheel into a farm laneway, you can go about your business se- cure in the knowledge that the householder's dog will be so busy interpreting the messages on your tires he will leave you alone. I have also become an expert at reading body language. Tone of voice, gestures, and facial ex- pressions are all clues as to whether a person will or will not vote for you. "WELL IFYoUWON'T SAYANYTHINGToMEM our lT, vow" Times have changed A couple of interesting para- graphs appeared in a recent Looking Over Western Ontario column by Les Bronson in the London Free Press. In the column, a writer in 1889 described Exeter as "the most English place in Canada" with the "broad dialect of De- vonshire and Cornwall" heard from all sources, the street la- bourer and the merchant includ- ed. What residents thought of the description isn't known, nor were their views when the com- munity was called a "northerly suburb of London". In 1889, the Free Press writer came to Exeter by train,. but found the Huron and Bruce rail- way station too far from the business area. Once on the main street he found signs of evident prosperity, comfort and enter- prise including piles of brick and lumber where buildings would soon be erected. Although the reporter termed his visit to Exeter as casual, he actually was here to study the new Trivitt Memorial Church. It is all Elizabeth's fault. If she had been satisfied with me taking the family pictures, we'd still be a one -camera family. But no, she had to have her own single-lens reflex, with telephoto and wide- angle lenses and the whole bit. Just like me. It was therefore only natural that Alexander, as soon as he his own camera, too. Of course I rushed to the nearest drugstore and bought him one of those Sleezy 13 mm idiot -proof click boxes. It produced picture al- right, but you needed a magnify- ing glass to recognize anything. For his sixth birthday, I think it was, I u)graded the poor boy to a 35 -mm auto -focus job. I have been encouraging (and heavily subsidizing) his artistic efforts ever since. Now he wants a sin- gle-lens reflex. I told him: when you're twelve. And he said last weer~: oi`uj E, _ ,. _ et 7 nn Counting the non -shopping days. The situation didn't really be- come critical until the twins were out of diapers. A few years ago, Duncan cornered me at bedtime one night: "Daddy, do you know what I would really like. to have?" "Another teddy bear? A new pelican bib? A rubber ducky?" "A camera like Alexander's". "Maybe when you're six, Dun- can. Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbug, bite." I was positive he would forget. Not Duncan. As his 5th birthday f About the church he said, " It's massive tower and gables rise up picturesquely from the rail- way and are a'central point for miles north, south, east or west." At that time 100 years ago, Exeter with a populatin of 2,000 From the ,`editor's disk by Ross Haugh was satisfied to call itself a vil- lage and go on its steady way while places of half the popula- tion and about a quarter of its wealth call themselves towns and flourish in grandeur style with a mayor and full array of councillors. Times certainly have changed in the 100 years since this previ- ous information was printed. Gone are the predominant Eng- lish accents, being replaced with a wide range of nationalities making up the more than 3,800 Pictures came around, he reminded me: "Next year, Daddy, I'm going to get a camera, right" You prom- ised me." "Maybe If you're a good boy". PETER'S 1101.110. • by Peter Hesse! Needless to say, Duncan has since joined the family's camera - wielding majority. And yes, you've guessed it: Stephanie doesn't want to be the only one who doesn't own a camera. Her 8th birthday will be coming up shortly. Purchasing a simple 35 -mm ntn-lens is no big deal these days. I ney i anger and 100 dollars. And as far as birthday presents go, they're not any more extravagant than com- puter games or remote-eontrol cars. And I refuse to buy the kids one of those terrible flat disk cameras that are a colttplete waste of time and moncy. It's the fallout that kills me. The films, and the developing, and the albums, and the stickers, and the enlargements, and the frames. 1 think for Christmas I'm going to give the kids noth- residents of town. * * * * Crime Stoppers is becoming a fairly popular anduseful method of catching criminals iwho seem to be getting away with their foul efforts' in Western Ontarioand this newspaper frequently pro- vides a column when it has local connotation. Channel 10 in London ran into a rather unusual incident -recent- ly. A camera crew was out at a London convenience store re- enacting a crime of a few weeks ago. Before the shooting begins, they put a sign out front saying that a crime isn't actually taking place. But, this time a lady comes along and doesn't see the sign. She calls the police. A squad car comes roaring up to catch the culprit as does another crew from the television station ready to catch the crooks on film. The moral of the story appar- ently is, "Be safe, rather than sorry." Pun of the Week - He who consistently throws dirt, may eventually lose ground. Duncan's specialty at the mo- ment is hips, knees and feet. He has an interesting collection of hip, knee and foot portraits. They're accidental art. He must be moving the camera down just as he pushes the little button. Maybe when Stephanie gets her camera, she could specialize n the upper part of the torso. and we could join hers and Duncan's pictures together. 'Bless their little hearts, the kids are learning something. But what an expensive course! A week ago Sunday we went to have tea at Calabogie Lodge, a half an hour's drive from here. Gas: $4.00; tea and desserts for 5: $30 including tip; photo- graphic expenses: $37. For this we got five pictures that 1 took of Elizabeth and the kids in front of a lake and in front of a clump of birch trees. Plus six pictures that Elizabeth took of the lake and the birch trees with us in front. Plus • . r :. 41^.ander took of the sky, the lawn, the laKc;'meT'-- sky and the lake, the sky and the lawn, and the lake and the lawn. Plus one picture he took of the family in front of the birch trees (a very good one it was, tooL Plus seven portraits Duncan took* of his own feet, his brother's and sister's feet, his father from the knees down, and his mother from the hips down. Plus three still=lives he produced of the lake and the sky. Plus one picture of his fingers in front of the shutter. ing but gift certificates from Su- land seven that he says "didn't perior Photo. tum out".