Loading...
The Times Advocate, 2004-12-15, Page 5Wednesday, December 15, 2004 Exeter Times -Advocate 5 Opinion Forum News ROSS HAUGH BACK IN TIME I OYEARS AGO Dec. 14, 1994 — Over the past 130 years, Exeter has grown from a village of a few hundred people to a town of over 4,300. On the other hand the Exeter cemetery in which the first bur- ial of 24 -year-old Honour Gidley took place over 130 years ago this week, has grown to a popu- lation of some 14,000. This "silent city" as cemetery superin- tendent Harry Knip describes it has come to repre- sent an important part of the town's history. The Strathcona Shield was presented to the Huron -Middlesex Army Cadet Corps Thursday evening. This is the fourth time in five years the Cadets have won the shield proclaiming them tops among 24 corps in Southwestern Ontario. The new Zurich village council includes reeve Dwayne Laporte and councillors Nick Littlechild, Barb Jeffrey, Brad Clausius and Marg Holmes. 25 YEARS AGO Dec. 14, 1979 — The recent resignation of Exeter reeve Si Simmons has resulted in some changes in the makeup of council. Don MacGregor is the new reeve, Harold Patterson is deputy reeve and Alvin Epp is the new councillor. Vying for the position of warden of Huron County for 1980 will be Usborne reeve Bill Morley, Goderich reeve Eileen Palmer and Tuckersmith Township reeve Ervin Sillery. London Township reeve Fred Lewis has been elected warden of Middlesex County. The hamlet of Greenway now boasts a popula- tion of 36. Re-elected as Huron County directors on the Ontario Bean Producers Marketing Board were Gordon Hill, Bob Allan, Murray Cardiff and Joe Miller. 35 YEARS AGO Bill Sturdevant is the new president of the Grand Bend Chamber of Commerce. Exeter police chief Ted Day this week reminded parents of a Provincial Statute forbidding any boy or girl under the age of 16 years to loiter in public places between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning. 40YEARS AGO Dec. 12, 1964 — Thomas Ellerington Jr. has been awarded the British American Oil Co. profi- ciency scholarship of $50 at the Western Ontario Agricultural School at Ridgetown. Named to Exeter council by acclamation are mayor Jack Delbridge, reeve Derry Boyle and deputy reeve Ralph Bailey. 45 YEARS AGO Dec. 16, 1959 — Saturday's $200 jackpot in the Exeter merchants Christmas draw was won by Mrs. Lloyd Parsons. The draw was made by police chief C.H. MacKenzie. Norma Geiger of Zurich has been elected editor of the SHDHS newspaper staff. 55 YEARS AGO Dec. 14, 1949 — The students of journalism at the University of Western Ontario staged their annual Christmas banquet Thursday evening attended by over 125. Don Southcott is president of the Journalism Press Club. According to the latest assessment figures, Exeter's population is now 2,401. Bert Borland has been named the new president of the Exeter branch of the Canadian Legion Monday night. 80YEARS AGO Dec. 16, 1924 — Huron County council is in ses- sion this week. In attendance are Exeter reeve W. H. Sanders, Usborne reeve William Coates and from Stephen reeve A. Neeb and deputy reeve John Hayes. At the Exeter market eggs are selling at six cents a dozen, hogs were $9, wheat at $1.38, barley at 82 cents and oats at 45 cents a bushel. 85YEARS AGO Dec. 14, 1919 — Mr. G.J. Dow who had a team of horses at the show in Guelph last week received second prize. I I OYEARS AGO Nov. 30, 1894 — Messrs. Henry and Charles Guenther of Dashwood have lately purchased a new stone chopper and are now prepared to do all kinds of chopping for four cents a bag. Mr. Lough, a Clinton teacher has set a record by refusing an increase in salary, owing to the difficul- ty of raising it. The music department at South Huron District High School held its annual Christmas concert Dec. 8. Proceeds from the event went to the Huron County Christmas Bureau.Above, the choir sings a holiday med- ley. (photo/Mary Simmons) Catholic board acclaims new chairperson By Stew Slater SPECIAL TO THE TIMES -ADVOCATE DUBLIN — Bernard Murray, a long -serving trustee who is vice- president of the Ontario Catholic Trustees Association, will serve as 2004-05 chairperson of the Huron - Perth Catholic District School Board. Murray was acclaimed at the board's annual inaugural meeting Dec. 6, after 2003-04 chairperson Ron Marcy of Stratford declined to let his nomination stand for a second consecutive term. Murray has served as board chair- person several times in the past, most recently in 2002-03. Speaking at the conclusion of the meeting, he said his work with the provincial trustees association has given him reason to be proud to come from the Huron -Perth board. "Huron -Perth is recognized throughout Ontario," the Perth South representative said. "It really is amazing. It's a small board but it's seen as a leader." Reasons for that reputation were on display in the audience at the meeting. Gerry Townsend, the Ministry of Education's London dis- trict manager who accepted an invi- tation to attend, was asked to address the gathering near the end of the meeting. He praised the board's administration and teaching staff for acting as lead regional board in the delivery of updated cur- riculum in Primary reading and math. And he thanked the board and its teachers' union members for organizing a visit by Education Minister Gerard Kennedy earlier this fall. Also attending the meeting — which was sandwiched between an earlier spiritual celebration and a later reception — were a couple of dozen principals. Both Townsend and Murray offered praise for their work. "We are, indeed, fortunate here in this board," the newly -acclaimed Murray said. "We have seen how great (the principals) are over the years but it seems to me that they keep getting better and better. And I don't know how they do that, but they do." Also at the inaugural meeting, other board responsibilities were dis- tributed among the remaining four trustees. Mike Miller of South Huron will serve as vice -chairperson, Vincent McInnes of North Perth/Northeast Huron will chair the management committee, Marcy will chair the edu- cation committee, and Mary - Catherine McKeon of Northwest Huron will chair the personnel com- mittee. Decline in deaths caused by impaired drivers MADD Canada reports a study over the past 22 years is seeing a continu- ous decline in the number of fatali- ties caused by alcohol-related crash- es. The report shows an estimated 25,000 lives have been saved over that time period. The combined efforts of the federal and provincial governments, groups such as MADD, OSAID and other action groups working diligently to stop drinking and driving appear to be having an impact on the mindset of motorists. Although there have been sharp declines in alcohol-related traffic fatalities in Canada during the past 25 years, there isn't a reliable esti- mate of the total number of lives that have been saved. This information is important in terms of documenting the progress that has been made and in determining what additional measures must be implemented to bring about further, substantial reductions in these needless deaths. Dr. James Fell, an internationally - respected traffic safety expert and former Chief of Research and Evaluation for the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), developed a method for estimating the number of lives saved in the United States. Given the similarities in Canada and the United States in drinking and driving patterns, collision rates and other relevant variables, MADD Canada has adopted Fell's approach in estimating the number of lives saved for Canada since 1982. The starting point of the analysis is the 1982 crash statistics. According to Transport Canada, there were 4,169 fatalities on Canadian roads in that year. The Traffic Injury Research Foundation has estimated 60 per cent of the fatalities were alcohol-related and 40 per cent were non -alcohol crashes. Fell's approach assumes that if there were no declines in alcohol-related fatalities, this 60/40 ratio would remain con- stant. Using the number of non -alcohol crash fatalities as the base, MADD Canada calculated the number of fatalities that would have occurred had the 60/40 ratio remained con- stant. The difference between this figure and the actual number of traf- fic fatalities provides an estimate of the number of lives saved due to the reduction in alcohol-related fatali- ties. MADD Canada is extremely grati- fied to see that its efforts, along with those of other organizations and agencies, have contributed to reduc- ing alcohol-related traffic deaths. However, we must be mindful that during this period over 35,500 Canadians were killed in alcohol- related crashes, and that impaired driving remains Canada's number one criminal cause of death. While we are pleased with the progress that has been made, we must redou- ble our efforts if we are to make fur- ther gains in minimizing alcohol- related crash death and injuries in our society.