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The Times Advocate, 2006-08-02, Page 7Wednesday, August 2, 2006 Exeter Times–Advocate 7 Mason receives highest honour EXETER — On July 19 in Toronto, South Huron Masonic Lodge member Ross Ferguson was sur- prised to receive the highest honour that can be bestowed on an individual Mason. Ferguson was dec- orated with the Grand Master Distinguished Service Award for his volun- teer work helping blood donations in the area. Ferguson said he has never been able to give blood due to Jaundice, although he tried several times. In 1972, when his house burned down and Ferguson lost everything, the Masons held a bene- fit for him. Ferguson said ever since he has tried to do his part to help others. In 1992, Ferguson was appointed dis- trict chairman of blood donors for South Huron Masonic District, which he filled until 1995 when he was elected district deputy Grand Master of South Huron. Ferguson said he met Susan Barron of the Canadian Red Cross in 1992 through area repre- sentative of blood donors Gary L. Atkinson and the late Grand Lodge Chairman of Blood Donors Committee, Robert McKibbin. According to Ferguson, because of Barron, another blood donor clinic was started in Exeter with a report of 200 donations for the district. Currently, Atkinson is the Grand Master and Lea Shea is Grand Lodge Chairman of Blood Donors Committee, while Ferguson is area representative for the North and South Masonic Districts. Their report for South Huron said there were 800 donations of which 450 came from clin- ics in Exeter. Ferguson says through the years he has helped the Canadian Blood Services whenever he was asked, in pro- viding volunteers and helping set up new clinics. There are now six clinics in Exeter yearly,of which the Masons look after four, and Ferguson says he is happy to say there are about 150 donations on average per clinic. "My thoughts on this is that this area really turns out to give blood and we try to make them know how well we appreci- ate them by treating them as well as pos- sible and to some giving them awards of merit from our Masonic Order whether they are members or not." Ferguson said at the clinics the Masons look after, they get cookies, juice, water and sup- plies from local mer- chants and the Lebanon Forest Masonic Lodge. Ferguson says his duties are to make sure all the items get to the clinics and that there are volun- teers to help, for which there are a POLICE BRIEFS Traffic stop leads to court appearance SOUTH HURON — Huron OPP conducted a traffic stop on Huron Park Road in South Huron July 10. A 1991 Hyundai was stopped as the license plate attached to the vehicle was registered to another car. The officer approached the driver of the vehicle, seeing several bottles of liquor available to the driver. A 34 - year -old woman of South Huron was issued a Provincial offence summons and will appear in Goderich Provincial Court Aug. 17, facing one count of plates unautho- rized in the Highway Traffic Act and one count of liquor readily available. Exeter traffic charges EXETER — On July 8 Huron OPP stopped a motor vehicle on Main Street, north in Exeter. The driver, not having a license attempted to use identification of another family member. The officer knew the unli- censed driver and as a result sever- al charges were issued. An 18 -year- old Hensall male was issued provin- cial offence notice for driving a motor vehicle with no license, fail- ing to give identification and failing to wear a seat belt. South Huron Masonic Lodge member Ross Ferguson recently received the Grand Master Distinguised Service Award, which is the highest honour the organization can give to an individual member. (photo/Pat Bolen) number of Masonic brethren to draw from. In 1999 Ferguson was chairperson of the Masonic display at the International Plowing Match in Dashwood where there was a blood donor display looked after by local Masons. During the week, Barron helped at the display, and there were a large number of Masonic and Canadian Blood Services handouts given away. Also present was McKibbin as well as several Grand Lodge officers and Paul Hooper, chairperson of the Grand Lodge Blood donor commit- tee. Ferguson says through the years he has helped organize many events and made sure the Grand Lodge recognized donors, as well as raising money for projects he believed in. He adds to do the work he has been credited for could not have been done without the help of his wife and family, the members of the Masonic Lodge and especially everyone at Canadian Blood Services. He thanks them all. Capsule Comments by Ernie Miatello Sun and smoking are the biggest cause of skin aging. To increase the long-term health of your skin, certainly stop the latter and reduce exposure to the former. During the warm weather of summer, be sure you drink enough water. The body tries to cool itself through sweating and you have to drink enough water to replace it. All age groups can be affected. Staying out of the sun and drinking adequate fluids can prevent heat -related illnesses. When applying sunscreen lotion, many people apply too little. To give you an idea, 30m1 labout two tablespoonfuls) is enough to cover the whole body. Remember to reapply the lotion if you swim or are perspiring a lot. Obesity is becoming a major cause of illness in North America. If your waist size is greater than 102 cm 140 inches), you are at higher risk. Three words can go a long way to helping this situation: exercise, fish and greens. Diet and exercise are solutions to many human illnesses. It's a personal choice. Part of our job as pharmacists is to look critically at claims made about drugs, vitamins and herbal preparations. It enables us to help you make good healthcare choices. But there is no doubt about the claim that eating a well-balanced diet of wholesome food is good for you. Do it conscientiously and your heart and body will thank you. Huron Apothecary Ltd. Phone 235-1982, 440 Main St. Exeter PHARM ASSIST "YOUR HEALTH CARE PHARMACY" j W.I. visit the lake By Bev Campbell EXETER — On Wed., July 26, the Hurondale W.I. made their annual visit to Marilyn Pym's cot- tage, north of Bayfield. It is a monthly meeting the group always looks forward to attend- ing. The meeting was opened by president Fern Dougall and the Institute Ode and Mary Stewart Collect was recited in unison. The roll call was answered with a childhood summer memory and this was most interesting as indi- vidual's Sunday -school picnics, camping trips and days on the farm were recalled. The London area Tweedsmuir workshop is being held at the Coldstream Community Centre on Aug. 1. The County Fall Rally to be held this year in Dashwood was discussed. There will be two speakers that day: Susan Ferguson from the Ferguson Apiaries and Cindy Reaburn from Curves. The meeting was then turned over to Lorraine Alexander's group for a program of readings, contests and games. The day ended with a great potluck sup- per prepared and served by June Stewart's and Marian Dougall's groups. The next meeting will be on Sept. 27 at June Stewart's home. POLICE BRIEF Hammock stolen in Lucan LUCAN — A hammock was stolen from a residence on Langford Drive in Lucan overnight June 30. It is described as a black and brown tweed cloth hammock on a freestanding cast iron frame, valued at $200. THE CONSERVATION ZONE GET MORE FOR YOUR A/C DOLLAR IPeter Love Chief Energy Conservation Officer of Ontario The dog days of summer are here, and now more than ever, every kilowatt counts. Did you know that air conditioning adds up to 50 per cent to your household electricity consumption? If you replace your old central A/C system with a new ENERGY STAR 14 SEER or (higher) system before August 31st., the Conservation Bureau will send you a $500 rebate. Click on Cool Savings at www.conservationbureau.on.ca for details. SEER Efficiency Saves Money Running an inefficient A/C system is like throwing money out the window. How do you know if your central air conditioning unit is energy efficient? The SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) tells you at a glance. The higher the number, the greater the efficiency. Check your owners' manual or the label on the unit. A new A/C system can pay for itself in just a few years, but only if you choose wisely. Older units with a 10 SEER rating use at least 30 per cent more energy than a 14 SEER -unit. You'll be paying for this extra energy for the next 15 years or more! All newly -manufactured A/C units must have a 13 -SEER rating, however you can still find units with lower SEER ratings for sale. Ask your contractor to confirm the SEER rating and to install an ENERGY STAR unit to ensure that you are getting an energy efficient model. Service Your NC Regularly Make sure a qualified technician services your A/C unit each year. Replace your furnace filters regularly – they're part of most central A/C systems. And keep cooling fans free of debris. My role as Chief Energy Conservation Officer is to ensure that conservation and energy efficiency play a vital role in Ontario's ongoing energy strategy. "The Conservation Zone" helps you find ways to use energy more wisely and become part of Ontario's growing conservation culture. I issue a friendly challenge to all Ontarians to think about how you can use energy more wisely this summer. The Conservation Bureau develops and delivers programs to help Ontario residents conserve energy and save money. Please visit: www.ConservationBureau.com 4%* interest for 9 months! Investing at Heartland Credit Union not only helps you grow your investments, but also helps build a better community by keeping your money at work locally. It's a good feeling for you, and a great investment in your community. Right now Heartland Credit Union is offering an opportunity to invest in the community with this limited time offer — 4%* interest on a 9 month term deposit plus, invest $10,000 or more and receive a $20 gift certificate from Tim Hortons. This offer is for a limited time only. Call or visit us today. Rate subject to change without notice. Minimum term deposh of only $3,000 required. See branch for details HEARTLAND CREDIT UNION a division of UNITED COMMUNITIES CREDIT UNION LIMITED Clinton Branch 519.482.3466 Exeter Branch 519.235.0640 Listowel Branch 519.291.6189 It's a good feeling that just keeps getting better.