The Times Advocate, 2004-07-21, Page 44
Exeter Times–Advocate
Wednesday,July 21, 2004
zkxna
=CNA
Editorial Opinion
TIMES ADVOCATE
PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications
Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing casts.
Jim Beckett
Publisher and Editor
Deb Lord
Production Manager
Published by Metroland Printing,
Publishing & Distributing Ltd.
IMetroland i 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850
Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 • (519) 235-1331
EDITORIALS
Patients need
answers
patients in the South Huron area deserve
some answers.
As reported in last week's Times -Advocate, Dr. Bill
Steciuk's replacement, Dr. Helen Frye, isn't seeing
patients and apparently won't be for at least a couple
of weeks. South Huron Hospital is now in negotiations
with Frye on what schedule she will work once she
starts taking patients again. Why weren't these negoti-
ations done before it was officially announced Frye
would be taking over Steciuk's practice? Right now
there are more questions than answers.
In the meantime, Steciuk's former patients, who
thought Frye would be their new doctor, are left won-
dering what's going on. The situation with Frye was
supposed to be clarified by the end of last week; now
the latest word is that things won't be settled for
another two weeks.
To its credit, the hospital has increased hours at the
medical clinic, but going to a medical clinic isn't the
same as going to your own family doctor.
Exeter isn't alone in its shortage of doctors — small
communities all over southwestern Ontario find them-
selves in need of physicians. Let's hope the negotia-
tions with Frye are indeed settled within a couple of
weeks and local patients get their doctor back.
Hensall wants out?
Wednesday's "deamalgamation" meeting in Hensall
should prove interesting. The meeting at the United
Church will discuss whether Hensall residents are
happy with amalgamation and whether or not the vil-
lage has an option to pull out of Bluewater.
While it's clear there is unhappiness in Hensall over
the belief it is being ignored by the rest of Bluewater,
it's not terribly surprising not everyone is satisfied with
amalgamation.
From the start, the amalgamation of Hensall, Zurich,
Hay, Stanley and Bayfield didn't seem to make sense.
Zurich, Hay and Hensall should have joined an amal-
gamation group with Exeter, but some of the powers
that be (hello, Hay Twp. council), were against that
idea. Hensall and Zurich simply seem to fit better with
Exeter than they do with Bayfield.
Now, only a few years into amalgamation, some in
Hensall want out. Is it a realistic desire? Can Hensall
afford to pull out? Will Hensall go on its own or join
another municipality?
About the Times -Advocate
Akii4ay
2004 bistributed by Canadian Artists Syndicate Inc.
Summer isn't summer anymore
If Michael Moore really wanted a story to uncover,
instead of trying to smear one of the greatest men of
our (or any other) time, there is a conspiracy that real-
ly is a threat to our way of life. (At least as far as kids
are concerned.)
Summers used to be simple, at least down on the
farm. The last bus ride home from school was the time
to open the window, toss the notebooks out the win-
dow one delicious page at a time and let all the knowl-
edge that had been crammed into your protesting
brain drain away.
If you were lucky, you could dodge dad wait-
ing at the lane with whatever
tool/implement/manacles/yoke he had waiting
and be free for the summer.
Staying out of the parents' line -of -sight was
all that was required not to either get put to
work or dumped in a summer camp for howev-
er long they could afford or until they forgot
why it was they were sick of you.
But the luxury of months with simply nothing
to do but enjoy the summer is rapidly becoming
a thing of the past.
Along with the oh -so -earnest finger wagging
warnings telling kids not to throw rocks at a
hornets nest while standing in poison ivy eating an
undercooked burger without sunscreen two feet away
from a six inch deep wading pool without a fence and
no parental/caregiver supervision, their time is rarely
their own in the summer.
Summer schedules for kids have become meticulous-
ly organized with every possible type of camp parents
can imagine. If men from 16 to 60 use the Internet for
only one reason, parents use it for another which is
finding every possible type of summer camp to dump
their heathens/loved ones in.
Archery, dirt bikes, hockey, ringette, crafts, wilder-
ness adventure, computers, arts and language are
merely the first weeks activities for some high pow-
ered kids. And somewhere there is probably a camp
for kids to teach other kids about going to camp.
But while the offspring are occupied, some-
thing else threatens what used to be the
sanctity of summer, or at least July. The bar-
gain used to be the words back -to -school
weren't mentioned until at least the last two
weeks of August. At that point the unwilling
participants were cattle prodded to the local
department store to try on whatever darling
outfits Mom figured would be most likely to
get her son beaten up in.
But back -to -school sales, with the full
knowledge and collusion of parents, has over-
flowed the August borders and are half way
into July. Parents are all too aware nothing
can drain the energy from their unruly mob faster
than a back -to -school sale sign. And it's cheaper than
Outward Bound.
PAT B
BACK 40
VIEW
Address & Office Hours
Times -Advocate, 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850,
Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6. Our office is open Monday to
Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Closed on Holidays.
Contact Us By Phone or Fax
Classified ad & subscription sales (519) 235-1331
24-hour automated attendant (519) 235-1336
Fax number for all departments (519) 235-0766
Subscription Rates
One year rate for addresses in Canada: $37+GST
Two year rate for addresses in Canada: $68+GST
One year rate for addresses outside Canada:
$104 Call (519) 235-1331 to order a subscription.
OLEN
Classified Rates
Word ads: $10.00 for 20 words, 20(c for each addition-
al word+ GST. Notices (births, deaths, announcements,
coming events, memoriams, cards of thanks): $15.00 +
GST for up to 50 words, All ads must be pre -paid. The
classified ad deadline is Monday at 10 a.m.
Display Advertising
To place a display ad, (519) 235-1331 weekdays 8:30
to 4:30 p.m. or evenings (519) 235-1336 (leave mes-
sage) or toll-free at 1-888-270-1602. Deadline: Fri. 4
m.
-mail Us
Website: www.southhuron.com
TA e-mail addresses consist of the person's first initial
and last name followed by @southhuron.com.
For example, Jim Beckett's e-mail address is <jbeck-
ett@southhuron.com> Our general e-mail address is
ads@southhuron.com.
The Times -Advocate Team
Publisher/Editor Jim Beckett ext. 109
Advertising Barb Consitt ext. 110
REPORTERS
Scott Nixon ext. 105
Pat Bolen ext. 113
Mary Simmons ext. 107
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Sue Rollings ext. 101
Carol Powe ext. 102
COMPOSITION DEPARTMENT
Manager Deb Lord ext. 114/103
Sharlene Young ext. 103
Diana Hardy ext. 103
ACCOUNTING STAFF
Anita McDonald ext. 104
Ruth Slaght ext. 106
Patty Case .ext. 111
Christina Scott ext. 108
Marg Pertschy ext 208