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Times Advocate, 1989-08-02, Page 5n the Street By Jim Beckett fter conventioning in Ottawa for several days recently the conclusion was reached that I have wasted the first 40 years of my life. I could have been a civil servant or a politician....or anything that would give employment in our nation's capital. Liv- ing in Ottawa has to be the closes thing to heaven we have in Can- ada. Hundreds of millions of dollars has been poured into dozens of projects which have been combined to make this city one of the most beautiful places you could ever visit. Anytime you can blend breathtaking scenery and still never be more than five minutes away from a beer and a Big Mac you have achieved perfection in city planning. No pollution (unless you count all the hot air from the hill) and one of the largest gardening budgets in the world make Ottawa a world-class city. We stayed at the Chateau Laurier for four days of meetings and discussions with fellow publishers from across the country. Perhaps it's because publishers are known for their frugality...or perhaps it's because we're not used to the luxury of huge expense accounts....I'm not exactly sure what it is but I do know we can't pull out our credit cards with the same unconcerned look that bureaucrats have devel- oped in "Nirvana on the Rideau". But publishers are an ingenious bunch who quickly learn how to adapt and survive in posh surroundings. I'm going to pass on a few tips on how you can live it up with the rich and powerful without blowing your budget all in one day. Patience If you're hanging around the bar area talking about important things with someone who actually thinks media people are impor- tant...just keep listening and appearing really interested. Chances are the person you're with thinks he's made a "connection" which is the reasons his company has sent him to the convention: Cultivating and gaining the ears of media people is an industry of its own; if you wait long enough they'll actually spring for a drink to help ce- ment )Sour relationship. Hospitality suites Why go the bar and buy expensive drinks or hors d'oeuvres when it's all free in a variety of hospitality suites. You see, sales represen- tatives have been ordered by the companies to hand out snacks and booze in order to attract more business. Do they actually think peo- ple will buy thousands bf dollars worth of equipment because some- one invited them up to their suite? Do you think publishers would be stupidtnough to discourage this type of thinking? . Last resort A few hundred people were milling around the lobby in front of our banquet room with several of them complaining about the $4.00 price of drinks. I wandered down the hall a few yards and quickly re- turned with two champagne cocktails courtesy of the bartender at the wedding reception in the next banquet room. I'll never know how close I came to starting a sde. It's hard to believe that cutting your lawn and taking out the gar- bage is only a few hours away from room service and people who actually call you "sir". You can be referred to as "sir" in the real world too, but usually it's from one of our police officers who has just given you a ticket. * * * * * * * * * * Kathy Seip,.homemaker president of the Exeter Agricultural Soci t ety is taking riding lessons in preparation for the annual fair parade. * * * * * * * * * * Anyone who is thinking about speeding along the new Huron Street West should think again. Exeter police have been setting up their radar on several occasions recently. .Back in time - 10,ye!WS age ",, . K.oncem for the needs of Vietnamese refugees, known as "boat people" led the Christian Reformed Church congregation to agree to sponsor two families to live in the area. •Engineers were saying that the installation of sewers in Grand • -' r;•.1 tibp:.winrakar. iii 'str?reciule: •According to the Hensall and District Community Centre fund raising committee, $21,000 was still needed towards offsetting the 1, final cost of the $200,000 facility. An appeal for donations through the mail was termed "quite disappointing'.' . 20 years ago •A flash f tcxxi swaiiipcd Exeter with bctwcx.0 five aud ten sm.lres-ol` rain. The ensuing deluge carried cars and trucks as far as 100 feet down Ann Street. Downtown businesses werehard hit as stock stored in basements was ruined. A disasmfiznd,a zreaAr teiniRVTbIIMEr severely affected' t4tltiett —0141Mugh town council did not yet have final figures, damage had been estimated at around $250,000. Hundreds of acres of MPS were reporter >?o t,Q.,t',''^^r " _.=•• rs .' p •.-v-iii= a mlti'J epiien1ownshiPS. Corn and grain were ripped into shreds by the hail which was as large as marbles and in some locations completely covered the ground.' 50 years ago •Charles Ford of London was filming footage of Exeter's "old swimming hole", to compare it with the! lore "up-to-date city pools". The area's popular swimming hole was east of Exeter running through J.G. Dow's farm on the Aux Sable River. •An advertisement in the Times Advocate trumpeted the strength of the Massey -Harris Company, "the largest maker of farm implements in the British Empire." 100 years ago ."Everybody in this neighbourhood are confident, that should Mr. • Happel, the popular Reeve of Hay, contest the election for the Ontario Legislature in the riding, that he will carry everything before him. Mr. Happel is one of the strongest men in the riding and is man of sterling ability, and one who can be relied upon as he is an old tried servant. •The Lucan Gossip began publication in that village. The Advocate judged it to be a"newsy sheet" And no doubt admired its Conservative polities. The Exeter Times was the local Liberal paper. Times -Advocate, August 2, 1989 Page 5 Two bed and breakfast open to South Huron travellers By Adrian Harte EXETER - The idea to open a bed and breakfast operation in Exet- er nearly fell through for Trevor and Wendy Boyle, but in March their project became a reality and travellers now have a place to stay in town. The White' Squirrel Inn has not yet celebrated its grand opening be- cause some renovations are not yet complete, but the idea which the Boyles got from watching Newhall on television is now reality. When asked if there was a bit of a hassle involved in setting up Ex- eter's first bed and breakfast, Wendy replied: "No, it was a lot of has- sle." Before buying the house, the Boyles polled the neighbours on how they felt about a bed and breakfast on Carling Street. Most gave their support. Council was also essentially in favour of the idea, but approval from town committees was hard to come by. Concerns over parking and the number of rooms allowed nearly caused the Boyles to give up the project altogether. But today the house with four guest rooms - one is for children - is accommo- dating salesmen, visiting profes- sionals, the families of Exeter resi- dents, and the occasional tourist. "For word of mouth, it's been good," said Trevor, considering that the couple have not yet seriously advertised their services. One visitor looking for a place to stay was even escorted to the Inn by a police cruiser at midnight. Both Boyles hold other jobs. Wendy is a financial planner, which allows her. the flexibility needed to look after the Inn. Tre- vor is a carpenter, which meant the couple were able to take care of renovating the house themselves. The Inn doesn't run itself though, observes Wendy. It is hard work. "It's like having guests coming every day to your home," she said. "We're not quite used to it yet," agreed Trevor. The couple wanted something unique as their own business and a bed and breakfast filled the bill. While its name is obvious enough to the Exeter resident, the Boyles say their guests often ques- tion it. "People ask 'Is there a legend?"' said Wendy. She says they have trouble convincing visitors white squirrels are actually alive and well in the back yard. The couple anticipate most of their business will be generated by guests of families in Exeter. The 11 -bed house doesn't have enough capacity to handle a sports tourna- ment, and they say there is little in Exeter to attract tourists. Neverthe- less, they were surprised two cou- ples stayed at the Inn to take advan- tage of the recent sidewalk sales. To stay in the colour-coded rooms, all complete with TV, costs $50 for a double, $30 for the sin- gle. Toddlers and babies stay free. Unlike the Boyles, who bought their house with bed and breakfast in mind, Herb and Donna Klopp found themselves with extra bed- rooms in their farmhouse west of Zurich and decided to open them up to the public. "This is strictly a country atmos- phere," said Donna, explaining that tourists in the region can, at their Cedar Villa, experience life on a genuine farm. Like the Boyles, the Klopps per- ceived a demand for a bed and break- fast service in the area. "There just hasn't been any place to stay around here within 15 miles," said Donna, who has stayed • at bed and breakfasts in Britain where some streets in popular tour- ist towns literally sport B&B signs at every other house. However, Donna says that with only two rooms open at the mo- ment, and'maybe another in the fu- ture, she can afford to be more flex- ible than the larger operations common in Europe. "Without so many guests here I don't have to be so rigid," she said. If a guest prefers an earlier or later breakfast; Donna says she can usu- ally accommodate them. Since Cedar Villa opened on July 1, the hostess says she has had newly-weds stay with them, an ex- change teacher from Japan, and a couple from Montr&al. "The interest has been super," she said. The Klopps plan to decorate the house festively in December, with the aim of giving guests a taste of a rural Christmas. If anyone is inter- ested in cross-country skiing in Jan- uary or February, Donna says she will consider taking reservations. The rooms cost $35 for a double, $25 for the single. The Klopps don't expect to get rich running their bed and breakfast. In a way it's almost a hobby. "I've just always liked people," said Donna. "It's nice to meet peo- ple from other cultures." Asked if she thinks bed and break- fast will become a popular phenom- enon in Ontario, Klopp's reply was enigmatic. "1 think it has," she said. "And I think it will." Your Business • 1 tL • .;.0gl444144 t7f104.- .-....rarur.�4.04i1,i1Wu 400 r+ ..40.1042.4.140•44.4',,, ,00r.C.,st.s40. White Squirrel Inn - Wendy and Trevor Boyle, the proprietors of Exeter's only bed and breakfast establishment. Cedar Villa - Donna Klopp makes sure the guest bedrooms are al- ways ready for unexpected visitors. ' • 1 • iiafl • • . esTsmall,maidr, and dental Continued from page 4 compost heap. Elizabeth won't tell me how many times she has "found" it, and Alex himself doesn't keep track of such things.- In addition, version 3 had to be mended twice after being sat upon. But version 3 has been in and out of his mouth for over a month now (knock on whatever wood -substitute happens to be near). At present, the appliance is sitting on Alexander's desk in- side the (third) shiny -blue box. Alex is at camp for a week. With unappiianced teeth. Sending the appliance to camp would have been like tossing it into the ocean. We have two other kids who will be ready soon to make their Mvt J. MclMS sro gR}.,,Ptemo Metropolitan Lite se Pam mar stn., Nowt calf, wri. 1 fr( o11Y• (51St 771.1541 IIMOde et 15191 527 t2&I agreements with the dentist. As because we already own two ex an incurable optimist, I've tried tra shiny -blue dental appliance desperately to find something boxes. positive in all of this. I just tt. it uncap and Stephanie, we'll save ten bucks thought of ' W' h D .r orlirge NEED A MORTGAGE? 1st, 2nd, Multi Family or Com- mercial, flexible terms, fast, confidential service, Call "The Mortgage Mart" London - 433-6666 1-800-265-1508 WE GET RESULTS!