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Times Advocate, 1999-12-29, Page 77 Opinion&Forum 1 OYEARS AGO December 27, 1989 - Archie Gibbs said it made an excellent Christmas present, but to Grand Bend council, the decision to award Gibbs ownership of what was previously considered a public beach arrived like the grim reaper. While council is considering an appeal. 'This will stand up" insisted Gibbs. If the fistry system of Ontario is an' Id, that's the way it should have been." Gerry Sanders who .s Sanders on the Beach and Hotel Mainstreet says the village should have fought harder for its beach. Sanders sees the loss of the beach as a devastating blow to the local economy. Jeffrey Finkbeiner, age 10, of Crediton returned recently from a five-day vacation to Disney World in Orlando, Florida with his family, arranged by the Sunshine Foundation of Canada. Mike Burke and Scott Rundle were always con- vinced their company, Beyond the Screen Doors Inc. had a great product and now they have proof. Their old fashioned style screen door walked away with the best new or improved building sup- ply product at the prestigious Canadian Home Show. 20YEARS AGO December 26, 1979 - A federal election has been called for February 18, 1980 and Huron - Perth MP Robert McKinley suggests there may be problems encountered in a winter election, but didn't think it would be as tough for him as his opponents. McKinley added, "I know the riding pretty good and have always been able to cover it faster than anyone else." A hole -in -one on any golf course at any time of the year is big news. But, one in December 'sounds a little unusual, you might think. This rare feat was accomplished a few days ago by a Grand Bend resident. No, he wasn't showing off his golf- ing abilities on the Oakwood course in Grand 't Rend. Emerson Desjardine, better known as "Nig" recorded this rare golfing feat on the 2354 yard `par four hole of the Holiday Country Club in Lake Park, Florida. Nig has three witnesses, his wife Ethel and Karen and Doug Courtney. Holiday specials at A&H Superior market include three loaves of white bread for $1.49, Jello jelly powders five for $1, butter at $1.49 a pound and weiners at $1.23 a pound. The American Gem Society of the United States and Canada has announced the appointment of Michael Anstett of Anstett Jewellers Ltd. as a reg- istered jeweller of the American Gem Society. Thanks to the generosity of Fleck Manufacturing of Huron Park, the South Huron Association for the Handicapped received a bus •which had been used to transport Fleck employ- ees across the picket lines a year and a half ago. 40 YEARS AGO December 26, 1959 - This week at Darling's Food Market in Exeter you can buy pork sausage for 39 cents a pound, Jello jelly powders at three for 25 cents, two pounds of mixed nuts for 85 cents and orange juice for 35 cents a tin and blade roasts at 49 cents a pound. The man who officially led Zurich in a bid for incorporation was elected reeve of the new village of Zurich. Lloyd O'Brien was named to that post by acclamation. Other council members are Harold Thiel, Lloyd Thiel, Hubert Schilbe and William Siebert. All members of Hensall council were returned to office by big majorities in the recent election. They are reeve John Henderson and councillors Lorne Hay, John Baker, Mrs. Minnie Noakes and 'John Lavender. Other reeves elected in the area were Chester Mawhinney in Exeter, Valentine Becker in Hay township, James Dalton in Grand Bend, Harvey Coleman in Stanley township. Mr. Roy Goulding, music director at the Zurich Public School while returning to Exeter one day last week saw seven deer cross the road. SO YEARS AGO December 27, 1949 - Ed Chambers of Crediton has been reappointed as a trustee for the Exeter District High School Board for another two year term. ROSS HAUGH BACK INTINE OPINIONS AND LETTERS Rural Ontario knows how to make things grow -1,4g, Dear Editor: Were Huron county farmers sleeping last May when the provincial budget was tabled? According to Frank Ingratta Deputy minister OMAFRA we must have been because we were told that there would be 5.2 million taken out of the service delivery part of the OMAFRA budget. Now the implementation of that budget cut has come home to roost with the closing of all the OMAFRA field offices that rural Ontario has come to know and use. Frank Ingratta and Jim Wheeler, an assistant deputy minister from OMAFRA explained the cuts to almost 90 people at the Seaforth Agri-plex on Mon. Dec.20,1999. Although the ministry budget continues to grow because of ad-hoc programs and the increased fed- eral safety net dollars to which the province must add an additional 40% top up, service continues to decrease with the virtual elimination of all face to face farmer - staff relations. The ministry has eliminated one assistant deputy minister but senior individual salaries won't take a hit in the area of administration cost savings. The UofG has lost 3.5 million out of their 54.5 million budget. Contrary to rumours circulating in the rural com- munity that the diploma programs or research would be cut, those attending the meeting were told several times that the diploma programs would be kept. That the questiqn was repeated showed the value put on these schools. Programs under review include the drainage pro- gram, the $500,000 administration costs for the farm registration program, the meat inspectors program and the $300,000 support to the local sales barns. The support for ag and horticultural soci- eties is to be cut by $500,000 from a 1.2 million dol- lar budget. Agricor should be more efficient and cut $400,000. from their budget and finally the Farm Product Marketing Commission will be $100,000 short. The good news is that ad-hoc programs will be increased with the Healthy Futures program announced on Thursday. Jim Wheeler stressed that the ministry Is attempt- ing to provide what the rural community needs with diminishing resources. It is clear that face to face individual farmer consultation will be discouraged. Instead users will be encouraged to use the Internet to make contact. Some field offices have too little staff to make them viable. In order to be fair, every- one will lose their field office. By using that same rational, we should close every library in Huron just because the smallest library puts out less than 800 books a year. Never mind that the largest branch puts out over 80,000 books. Staff have been warned that their positions will be gone, although termina- tion notices will not be sent until Feb. or March. In attempting to dispel myths, Mr. Wheeler admit- ted that there would be gaps, the Internet will not be the only source for contact and that specialists would still spend 20% of their time in the field. New positions in food safety and water quality areas will be created. Questions proved to be pointed. Selection of spe- cialists raised the point that high profile "new tech" people are not what the average farmer wants. They may appeal to senior management just like shiny toys appeal to adults. Grass roots people want practical people who understand their day to day, on-going operations something like the child who spends more time playing with the box that the high end toy came in. In business the customer is always right. Why doesn't OMAFRA follow this rule when choosing specialists? was another person's state- ment. Down loading, whether at the farmgate level or at the municipal level will all add cost to the farmer's bottom line, either in cost recovery programs or with increased municipal taxes. People continually stressed that as primary producers, farmers are unable to get such downloaded costs out of the mar- ket place. It became clear that the ministry is expecting farmers and other local organizations to pick up the cost of delivery that OMAFRA is elimi- nating. Complicated regulations suited for big busi- ness came under attack by supporters of local abat- toirs. Such regulations are driving local businesses to give up, leaving rural communities without a val- ued service. The farmers that we have today learn best by one on one contact. Just how is the ministry replacing this? We need to service those farmers that we have now as well as those of the future. See MAKE THINGS GROW park 8 No clear safe successor TORONTO — Recent actions by Premier Mike Harris are encouraging speculation he may leave his job soon, but don't count on It. Much of the predicting is founded on the Progressive Conservative premier's frequent abseiices from the legislature, which the Liberals drew attention to by the novelty of introducing a bill that would require him to be in his seat more often, although it will never be passed. Harris replied he attends as regularly as earlier premiers, which is untrue. But his poor attendance is not new. Harris has been on a planned, delib- erate strategy for two years of avoiding the legislature so the opposition parties cannot ask him questions that might embarrass him and help their causes. He was equally absent before the June elec- tion when he unquestionably was staying and trying to win, so his absence is no indicator he is tired or attracted elsewhere and ready to quit his role. The premier is seen also as having lost some of his zest and run out of ideas because he is not bringing in as much far-reaching legisla- tion as in his first four years. It is true his pace has slowed. His Common Sense Revolutionaries are taking a breather before storming the last ramparts of the wel- fare state Bastille. His legislation has been slimmer pickings with its continued amalgamations of munici- palities, minor attacks on crime and at last requirement provincial budgets be balanced. But it is still on a par with some previous gov- ernments' and shows he has some goals he wants to attain. Harris is being viewed as planning an early exit because he passed legislation to permit. former MPPs to claim their pensions earlier, but if it was designed for anyone in his govern-, ment, it more likely was Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Ernie Eves, who shows more signs of quitting soon. Harris when he leaves will be deluged with offers of directorships from companies grateful for his tax cuts and weakening of laws that protected labor and will be in no mad rush to cash in his pensions. Harris also is showing enthusiasm for anoth- er crusade, trying to persuade the Liberal fed- eral government to follow his lead and cut taxes, and may want to plug away at it longer before he moves on. The premier tries to shape almost any issue into a criticism of Ottawa, usually winding up offering to work with it in any way to cut taxes. One move he is unlikely to make, although it is being pushed at him, is leaving Queen's Park to lead a united right -of -centre federal party. Harris led in opposition in Ontario for five years, knows its disadvantages and would be reluctant to give up a reasonably secure pre- miership of the biggest province for the uncer- tainties of opposition in Ottawa. Harris also has urged the Liberal federal gov- ernment to use its fiscal surplus to cut taxes rather than improve social programs which particularly help poorer provinces, so they would not rush to welcome him as federal leader. Harris's proudest boast is he keeps his promises, which is not entirely true, but he has kept his major ones like cutting government and taxes. If he quit in 2000 after being elected for a four -year -term in 1999, it would be the equiva- lent of breaking a promise and not a high note on which to leave. Harris also thinks enough of his revolution he would like to leave it in secure hands and he has no clear, safe successor. The most com- monly suggested is Management Board Chair Chris Hodgson, who has demonstrated talent for smothering opposition criticisms but not indicated he can inspire revolutionaries onward. Harris will need to develop a successor and he still could quit before the next election, due in 2003, but not much before.