Times Advocate, 1995-03-08, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, March 8, 1995
Publisher & Editor. Jim Beckett
Business Managers Don Smith
Production Manager. Deb Lord
Advertising; Barb Consitt
The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers
'oNI.M co,„,„ M,
providing news, advertising and information leadership
News; Fred Groves, Heather Vincent, Ross Haugh
prxauctlon; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson
Robert Nicol, Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber,
Laurel Miner, Marg Flynn
Transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert
Pont Office & Accounting; Norma Jones, Elaine Pinder,
Ruthanne NegriJn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple
inion
1': 1)1 TOR 1:k1,S
Give budget a chance
ith both Preston Manning and
Bob Rae moaning loud and long about
the negative effects of last week's Lib-
eral budget we should be able to con-
vince ourselves that Paul Martin is on
the right track.
Manning's position that the budget
didn't cut enough to eliminate the defi-
cit is a directly opposite position to Bob
Rae's . The NDP leader, who has been
on a bit of a spending binge himself the
last few weeks, knows the supply of
cash flowing from Ottawa to Toronto
will be greatly reduced. In fact, the fed-
eral budget will play a large part in dic-
tating the type of financial plan pro-
duced by our left-leaning
representatives.
With a provincial election on the hori-
zon it is imperative our provincial gov-
ernment summon the courage to take a
similar stand on finances as Paul Martin.
The citizens of Canada should be
buoyed by the positive reception finan-
cial markets around the world have giv-
en to Martin's budget even though he
waited until the last possible moment to
steer away from a looming financial dis-
aster. It will be interesting to see how
Bob Rae can remain true to his NDP be-
liefs and still do his part in putting Onta-
rio back on the road to financial respect-
ability while running an election
campaign at the same time.
ti
Town beautification
Exeter council could be on the
right track in getting the town involved
in the "Canada in Bloom" town beauti-
fication program which is a country-
wide program to highlight the most at-
tractive town in the country.
If the committee is as enthusiastic as
mayor Ben Hoogenboom and town ad-
ministrator Rick Hundey we could see
a much more attractive town this
spring. Exeter has a long history of us-
ing flowers to add a little seasonal
beauty, particularly in front of the li-
brary and with the genuine potted
plants which appear annually courtesy
of the Exeter Business Association.
By combining the efforts of several ac-
tive citizens with the largest beautifica-
tion project in the town's history, namely
the Lions Club's work on MacNaughton
Park, Exeter will be off to a good start
for the competition. As well, our com-
munity is fortunate to have more than a
few excellent gardeners living here. The
"Canada in Bloom" competition is one
that will have no losers. Exeter's partici-
pation can do nothing but enhance our
town.
What's on your mind?
Letters to the editor
The Times Advocate continues to welcome letters to the editor as a forum for
open discussion of local issues, concems, complaints, and kudos. The Times Ad-
vocate reserves the right to edit letters for brevity. Please send your letters to
P.O. Box 850 Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S6. Sign your letter with both name and ad-
dress. Anonymous letters will not be published.
A View From Queen's Park
The oddest thing about the Ontario election
only months away is that few are prepared to
predict the winner. A lottery on the outcome
would go broke.
This is not because the parties are battling
neck -and -neck in the polls -- far from it.
Polls consistently for three years have shown
the Liberals far ahead with about 50 percent
compared to 30 percent for the Progressive
Conservatives and 15 percent for the New
Democrats under Premier Bob Rae, give or
take a few percent.
These statistics might suggest the Liberals
have it wrapped up, but few whose opinions are
respected, including some Liberals privately,
feel they are carved in stone. There are too
many uncertainties.
The Liberals are in front more because their
government up to 1990 is temembered more
fondly than the Tories' up to 1985 than for any-
thing they have done in opposition.
By Eric Dowd
/146,(
PubheatbniMiff Registration Number 0388
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: CANADA
Within 40 miles (85 km.) addressed to non letter
carrier addresses 533.00 pies $2.31 0.11.T.
Outside 40 mikes (85 km.) or any letter carrier address
$33.00 pia 630.00 (total 83.00) + 4.310.1.T.
Outside Canada 699.00 plus 58.93 WIT
(Includes 688.40 postage)
Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Mab St.,
Exeter, Ontario, NOM 158 by J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd.
Telephone 1.5192351331 • Fax: 519235.0788
e.1.T. /Riosaloe3l
THERE'S NO NEED
To RUSH INT° THE
. REFERENDUM...
Here comes the sap
No, I'm not talking about m-
self for sort of coming out of
semi -retirement and taking more
of an active role with this news-
paper, but that sweet stuff that
comes out of maple trees in the
spring.
Although we haven't had the
right kind of weather to make
the sap run yet this year it isn't
far away. We need frosty nights
and warm sunshiny days.
You don't need a lot of trees to
simply become a maple syrup
producer. Three or four trees
can produce enough syrup for a
family of two or three. It's esti-
I mated that it takes about 40 gal-
lons of sap to make one gallon
of syrup.
With ideal weather conditions,
each tree would spout out about
a gallon and a half of sap each
day and if that maximum
amount is achieved for half of
about the usual three week peri -
1 od, four trees would get you at
least one gallon of the sweet,
sugary liquid.
You don't need expensive
equipment to do your own tap-
ping in a small way. All you
need is a hand or electric drill
with a seven/sixteenth of an
inch bit, a hammer to drive the
spikes into each of the holes you
drill and sap buckets or any con-
tainers that resemble a bucket.
When the sap comes out of the
tree it looks like water., but it
contains sugar which is stored in
the bark and wood of the tree
during the winter. It was created
the previous summer when sun-
light, carbon dioxide and chloro-
phyll in the green leaves com-
bine.
Two tablespoons of maple syr-
up, (that's about one pancake for
me) contain about 100 calories.
It contains no protein, fibre or
fat. Its mineral content which in-
cludes 41 mgs of calcium. and
70 mgs of potassium , makes it
a healthy food compared to
white cane sugar which has
none.. It also has some traces of
some vitamins, where cane sug-
ar has zero.
Well before the time immi-
grants came to Canada, our na-
tives used the sweet sap as a
cure for "spring sickness" now
known as scurvy caused by a
lack of vitamin C.
Our pioneers were quick to
take to syrup making, although
their methods were slightly dif-
ferent. The sap was usually
boiled longer to produce maple
sugar. This was used to replace
expensive, and often scarce,
cane sugar.
On a particularly cold night,
you may find the sap in the
buckets is partly frozen. This is
not a problem, but to your ad-
vantage. Only the water in the
sap freezes so just get rid of the
ice and keep the rest of the liq-
uid. Nature has already started
the process of concentration.
Now to boiling the sap you have
collected. In a small operation,
similar to the one we did a few
years ago, the sap should not be
kept fo more than a day or two.
Althoull we did all of our boil-
ing in the kitchen, that is not an
ideal situation. The early boiling
should be done outside and then
the final boil can be done on the
kitchen stove., when most of the
water has already evaporated.
If you have, only a few trees to
tap give it a try, but don't call if
some of our preceding advice
proves to be less than perfect.
The Liberals have protected their lead by
avoiding announcing policies, saying this
would only give opponents a target but they
will have some by the campaign.
But it is difficult to be sure whether the Liber-
als will have enough pt,licies to satisfy growing
scepticism of their reluctance to take stands or
be castigated for last-minute vote -buying or
even continue committing themselves as little
as possible, which also would have risks.
The public will lose some enthusiasm for Lib-
erals as their federal party taxes and cuts pro-
grams to reduce debt, but it it early to assess
how much.
Liberal leader Lyn McLeod has not led in an
election, has had difficulty making herself
known, is the first woman leader and lacks ag-
gression, so there is uncertainty as to how she
will compete against the articulate Rae and
pugnacious Tory leader, Mike Harris.
In two of the last three elections, the Tories in
No sure bet in coming election
1985 and Liberals in 1990 started with similar-
ly huge leads in polls, but wound up heavy los-
ers and voters since have become even more
noted for volatility. There are legitimate ques-
tions as to whether the Liberals can hang on to
a lead that is fragile.
The Tories are pictured often as a strong
threat to close the gap and Hams has a claim to
the most appealing issue, cutting spending, be-
cause he pushed first and talks toughest.
Harris also is assertive enough to make his
voice heard, as he did in 1990, although he had
been leader only months.
But he has a lot of ground to make up. He
alsiahas moved far to the right and there is
doubt whether he can attract enough voters
who kept moderate Tories in government for
42 years up to 1985. Some Reform Party mem-
bers still have not made up their minds whether
to run candidates, who would take votes from
Tones.
There also is a chance that Harris will make
more gaffes such as suggesting Rae stutters and
pointing to a woman quitting a job to take wel-
fare and seeming to some to favor it -- Harris'
team will keep its fingers crossed.
The one sure bet might seem that the NDP
will not win again because of anger at its
spending, taxes and laws.
But Rae is not totally a spectator as he pushes
huge construction to create jobs and education
reforms and contrasts his intellectual talents fa-
vorably to opponents' shortcomings.
One big questions among many for Rae for
which there are no precedents is whether he can
win back disenchanted unionists, who say they
will not vote for him but in the end may feel he
is better than the alternatives. which would take
votes from Liberals. There are so many uncer-
tainties dull bettor's tnay be safer sticking to
their sports pools.
1