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Times Advocate, 1996-08-21, Page 10Page 10 Tines -Advocate, August 21, 1996 Art sale Grand Bend artlst Barry Richman couldn't help but purchase a work from Josy Britton, left, at the Huron Country Playhouse Art Show and Sale on Sunday. Richman said the water color titled "Driftwood" was the best priced piece in the show. The fundraiser for the Theatre Guild featured many original works from 25 artists and has expanded to include jewelry and hand painted fumiture. Are we going too far and/or too fast? No area of common -man exis- tence is untouched by high -flying super sophistication and refine- ment... Dear Editor: Is the tempo of life getting you down or wearing you out? Can you keep up with all the develop- ments and changes that multiply themselves as rap- idly as rabbits and fruit flies? Such questions were posed to the listeners on a recent Canadian radio phone-in show. Most callers based their opinions on specific instances and made little attempt to general- ize. Agreement was quite general, however, that the common people were hanging on to the tails of soaring kites flown by science and commerce and were unable to let go. Our schools and John and Mary Public are mak- ing a good effort to keep up with advances in the computer world. The writer visited an otherwise or- dinary township school some time ago and found both teachers and pupils in the computer department asking for help or recording information important to themselves and/or others at that time. But the in- terest with its global outreach is one of those fast and far-out things that boggles the minds of the un- exposed. But the conversant amateur can play along and cnjoy it at his level while the greater minds and powers can serve it or be served in return at their levels of need and contribution. No area of common -man existence is untouched by high -flying super sophistication and refinement. It seems unlikely that such minds as those of Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, the Wright Brothers, Henry Ford and the like had envi- sioned the "big bang" that is still in its mushroom cloud stage with unknown fallout yet to come. Some after effects are confusing and exasperating and oth- ers worthy of awesome wonder and praise. I shall mention one of each that I experienced or heard about recently. Banking institutions are always coming up with new service gimmics, the better to serve and chal- lenge their clients. This writer lately called a special "Easyway" number to take care of a simple transfer of a payment to a creditor. For fifteen minuets I spoke with detached recorded voices only, which continually gave me series after series of optional responses to give on my way to operational level Lost in the confusion I gave up and called the local branch, asked to speak with someone I knew who also knew me and the job was done through cour- teous human exchange in about three minutes. Conversely I report a happy and wonderful story of high science, medical, fall -out that involved a long-time friend who has been suffering from Par- kinsons disease for some years. Late developments. were such that he opted for a new discovery in neu- rological surgery that had proved successful in 50 per cent of the cases tried. The others were non sur- vivors, my friend came through in the top half, with his symptoms regressed by seven years. He recently played his first round of golf in many years. So, as in the case of the proverbial pudding, our degree of acceptance of what our new world has to offer de- pends upon the sampling. Gerry Dobrindt Exeter General faces criticism "Many are disgusted with the per- formance of the present Chief of Staff, General Jean Boyle." Dear Editor: Exeter, and the area around this lovely town has many citizens with a military background. Some are war -time veterans, others served in our peace -time services. Many are disgusted with the performance of the present Chief of Staff, General Jean Boyle. This general has misled the press, and while contending he accepts responsibility, in the same whining speech, blames those junior to him for his woes. Those with military experience know the person in charge is always responsible or he or she should not be in charge. A corporal knows that fact and ac- cepts it, and here we have the overranked, highly paid Chief Honcho making an idiot of himself on T.V. and the papers. Of course his predecessor was rewarded by the Liberals by his appointment as Canadian Ambassa- dor to Washington, until he was removed to make a post for -the nephew of our P.M. Chretien. So per- haps General Boyle expects a similar reward. Hence his shilly shally and less than noble behavior. If he had any guts he would resign! Yours, J.M. (Gibby) Gibson Letters to the editor In praise of small towns There if one attends a meeting, one meets at least a nucleus of known names and faces that are the same throughout... Dear Editor: Are the small towns of Ontario slowly but surely losing a measure of status and identity as municipal- ities? The writer feels that there is much to be said and that should be said in their defence. 1 am one of a common host of individuals who sprang from and out of a rural background where any urban contracts were limited to nearby villages and towns and to whom the city, large or small, was a place to be avoided excepting in cases of necessity. In spite of a wish to do just that, I spent seventy years as a city resident and in only this last year did I return to town living and away from the maddening throng - to borrow a phrase from Thomas Hardy. Until my recent escape the only relief from urbanization came in the summer when a gradually increasing portion of the season was spent in a Huron lakeside town. The status of villages seems to be less threatened than that of towns as they cluster about central inter- sections or other convenient locations or surround- ing areas. But regionalization and amalgamization have taken away a measure of identity from the towns which long have been left with a real sense of self realization. Certain municipal services can and are being shared between and among neighboring towns with satisfying and less costly success in those cases where distances between are minimal. Regional government and county school boards are providing efficient and costly administration in rural Ontario and have done much to promote equal op- portunity, particularly for school children. But the centralization of control and service has inevitably led to a diminishing of local authority to meet local needs. As is the case with so many things in life, you can't have it both ways. Let me cite a few "for instances" that the writer has found present and appealing in life in a small town. There if one attends a meeting, be it civic, church or even senior citizen in setting, one meets at least a nucleus of known names and faces that are the same throughout. So, if things are dull, at least there is someone to talk to. Even the daily trip to the nearby post office can scarcely be made at any open hour without running into a friend or neighbor. A trip to the barber shop or the super market sends one home with not only a bag of table fodder but a chronicle of the late news of acquaintances whom you didn't happen to meet. A week ago the writer experienced a phone call to the nearest city advised that it would be necessary to go in to the city and visit Sears, the only place where Remington shavers could be serviced or purchased. Visits to two recom- mended departments provided no help with my problem, although one clerk tried very hard. Return- ing to town, we stopped in at the local drug store where the managing pharmacist checked the delin- quent shaver and suggested that it might need a new cutter, which he came up with, right number of vin- tage, in two minutes. Today during a re -visit for an- other reason, he called over to me to ask how the shaver was working. In the cities a clerk, after you find one, is usually concerned and affable and cannot be expected to know more than the occasional customer. There is usually an inborn show of human kindness that is awakened, especially if the customer is young, old or disadvantaged and this writer belongs to two of those categories. I don't mind admitting or being told that I have a small-town complex - in fact I feel flattered. Gerry Dobrindt PUC explains Macdonald Report In June, the government of Ontario released the Macdonald Report on the potential for competition in Ontario's electricity industry. If implemented, many of the report's major recommendations could form a solid basis for the reform of the electricity industry by breaking -up the Ontario Hydro monopo- ly on the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. The Macdonald Report recommends the introduc- tion of competition in generation. This could pave the way for the privatization of existing generation plants if that is determined to be in the customers' best interests. In addition, it would allow for addi- .tonaLgenerating capacity to be built by the private sector. At the same time, Macdonald suggests that fi the public safety concerns would be recognized by keeping the province's four nuclear generating sta- tions in public hands. The generating plants at Niag- ara Falls would also remain in public hands to rec- ognize heritage concerns. Since the generation of electricity accounts for 70 per cent of the cost to consumers, the introduction of competition and multiple suppliers could ulti- mately reduce costs and benefit consumers. The monopoly transmission grid would be separated from the rest of Ontario Hydro and could remain in public hands. Ontario Hydro would cease to be in the retail distribution business. The resulting retail activity would be decided locally. Throughout the course of the Macdonald Commit- tee deliberations, it was made clear that Ontario consumers are interested in a safe and reliable sup- ply of electricity at the lowest possible price. Only the largest industries have expressed a strong inter- est in having the freedom to choose suppliers. By al- lowing large users to self -generate their own elec- tricity or to enter into their own arrangements through private deals with electricity suppliers, the Macdonald Report recommendations could leave residential and small-business customers with the onerous burden of picking up the tab for stranded debt. Instead, through the Municipal Electric Associa- tion, municipal electric utilities across the province have recommended that there be a single central purchaser for all low-cost power that is produced by public and private generators. This way, all consu- mers could benefit from the reduced costs that could result from competition in the electricity industry. However, the Macdonald Report also suggests far- reaching40'iuitested changes to the buying and selling of eifetticity which could leave the residen- tial and small-business customers at risk. The Macdonald Report has made a number of rec- ommendations that can form a solid basis for the fu- ture reform of Ontario's electricity system. Howev- er, the government must recognize that the very reason that Ontario Hydro was created was to give everyone in the province access to a safe, reliable and inexpensive supply of power. The reform of Ontario's electricity system must put the best interests of consumers first. Many of the recommendations of the Macdonald Report will move reform in the right direction. But, as Donald Macdonald, the c irman of the Advisory Commit- tee noted, th, report's recommendations should mark the beginning, and not the end, of the debate on the future of the electricity industry in Ontario. In its presentations to the Macdonald Committee, the Municipal Electric Association and its member utilities put the interests of their customers first. In considering its response to the Macdonald Report, the Ontario government should do the same. Submitted by The Exeter Public Utilities Commission WhereAre Now? Heather Joynt: human resources Where Are They Now? is an extended series on South Huron District High School graduates and their career choices SOUTHAMPTON - "I find everything that we do is very challenging," said Heather Joynt, a team leader in the human resources consulting department at the Bruce 'B' Nuclear Power Station along Lake Huron. Her work involves supervising, internal hiring, policy work and job evaluation as well as working out agreements between employees, managers, supervisors and union representatives. While she helps to interpret and administer the collective agreement, it's challenging for her to get a consensus on how to apply certain policies. "What keeps things running smoothly," she explained, "is anticipating problems," between "so many different parties," explaining it helps to find common interests between groups. Joynt has dealt with downsizing and corporate direction changes during the past few years. "People have had to make some decision on whether to stay or leave," she said, adding it's difficult to help people make such choices at the same time she's making her own decisions. "We've had some hard times." Despite the challenges her career presents, Joynt enjoys "working with the people and helping with the problems that confront them (in) their jobs." While working for Bruce Nuclear Power Development for the past 15 years, she's held various human resources positions. After graduating from South Huron District High School in 1976, the Exeter native studied labor relations and sociology at the University of Waterloo. In the summer of 1980 she worked at the human resources office of GM Diesel Division in London through a government student training program called STIR (Student Training Industrial Relations). She was then employed as an assistant personnel officer of Scholar's Choice in Stratford, a school supply business. When that company relocated, she was hired at the head office of Ontario Hydro in Toronto where she rotated for eight months through various personnel staff jobs in human resources. This was followed by a transfer to the BNPD site. Joynt lives in Southampton with her husband, Pat, where they have two children, Kelsey and Tommy. In her spare time she golfs, surfs the Internet and makes flower arrangement gifts, a hobby that dates back to a job she had in an Exeter flower shop while she was a student at SHDHS. i 1lr,illhi't Irk\ til. n''cl� itt 1