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The Times Advocate, 2007-07-25, Page 66 Times -Advocate Wednesday,July 25 , 2007 Opinion Forum News Outraged at beach behaviour To the couple and two teen girls at the beach in Grand Bend the afternoon of Wed. July 18th, I hope you read this. My husband and I were beside you folks trying to have a nice afternoon when you decided it would be "good sport" to sit and hurl objects at the seagulls who were doing you no harm. After throwing sand and rocks, you sir, picked up your soccer ball and fired it hard into the flock, hitting one hard, breaking its wing and rolling it over and over in the sand ... it managed to limp away but to an almost certain death. We watched as you continued to engage in this "fun event" with the girls picking up their shoes and throwing them at the unsuspecting birds. I went over and told you to stop this and you sat there in total silence while your wife compounded the situation by lying, saying "what ball?" I asked if you knew these birds are protected and that you could be charged ... receiving blank stares from all of you. Now, I am making a suggestion. Next time you feel like an afternoon of so- called fun, please don't clutter up the beaches ... rather, consider staying at home and reserve your soccer ball antics, sandals and stone throwing for each other. That way you won't subject the rest of us to your childish stupid behaviour and you will only be hurting each other. Please stay at home as you clearly don't know how to behave in a public place. We were outraged at the sorry example you so-called adults set for your own as well as others who witnessed this. MARY LYNNE DRZEWIECKI, Zurich everyone in the rest of the province is feeling about provincial politics. Of course, she is going to be looking for the problems each of us perceives in our own home areas. It is very unfortunate that she focussed firstly on situations such as childhood obesi- ty, drinking and drug abuse. But she talked to the health professional who is working on those issues. There are issues with children and obesity, sure. But I've seen those problems everywhere I've travelled, and as a for- mer educator, I have seen more issues related to nutrition and lifestyle than the opportunities for kids to be active. Parents in our area go the extra mile to allow their kids to play on school sports teams. Many rural kids also assist with chores and participate in more outdoor pursuits because those opportunities are more available to them. As for drinking, I feel that statistics may show a disproportion- ate number of young people dying at the wheel because of a need to drive. But most young people, in my experience, ensure that they have a DD, leave their car behind and take a taxi or stay over if they are not able to drive. They are much more responsible than many adults we know. Are there opportunities for our kids? Sure there are. If they are not interested in sports, then there are many opportunities for kids to participate in the arts. Besides the theatre and dance opportunities which abound, Huron County kids get involved and make their own opportunities. There must be more music being played in garages and basements in Huron County than anywhere else around! And these budding musicians have lots of opportunities to display their talents. Often they are entrepreneurial enough to set up their own concerts. Most young people easily find part-time work for the weekends and after school, learning valuable work ethic and skills. They are an asset to their community. Sadly, most kids nowadays head out of the county for post secondary training and education. Opportunities find them -often through co-op experiences -or because there are no jobs in their specialities. It's amazing to see the contribution our Huron County kids are making as adults in other cities and communities. For example, a disproportionate number of Clinton kids work in the media and entertainment industry in Toronto and Vancouver. Go figure! Our young people work in banking, business, publishing, medicine, education, gov- ernment, industry, missionary work and the arts all over Canada and the world. A small number of post -secondary grads -those in more generic jobs such as medi- cine, teaching, trades, etc. have the option of coming back to the lifestyle they cherish, and of raising their kids in our supportive communities. There are a lot more good things to say about life in Huron County. But Ms Blizzard was talking about the election -and when people want more from their government, they are going to talk about their concerns. Unfortunately, that set Huron County up in a poor light. Read the rest of her columns. They are all for the same purpose -and they all make her into a doomsayer, exposing the Achilles heels of communities throughout south- western Ontario. What I will agree with is the fact that the government and all of the parties have ignored the needs of rural Ontario and do need to pay more attention to the needs of this part of the province with policies that directly relate to us. We need improved policies for running rural hospitals and schools and social ser- vices in one of the largest ridings in southern Ontario. We need direction relating to the environment, water safety and alternative energy. With regards to the farm crisis, I am pleased to say that our local NDP candidate and several other rural NDP candidates have been providing input to the party regarding farm policies in our province. Our party has listened and has just announced a new "Grow Ontario" farm policy. Activists within our party and other parties are working together on other issues as well. I, myself, am working with many others to address the need for a CT Scanner for our area, in the hopes of providing this standard of care service and needed doctors to our county. I am glad that Christina Blizzard is educating Toronto and the rest of the province on the needs of ridings farther afield. Torontonians need to be less egocentric and to realize how much they do depend on the rest of the province for food, raw materials, services and markets. However, I do wish she had found a way to be more positive about our lifestyle and the good things we have to offer in our corner of the province. While the "trouble in paradise" theme gets the issues across, it doesn't tell the whole story. We know a travel editor would give us a glowing report! WILHELMINA LAURIE President, Huron Bruce NDP By the way, Ms Blizzard also wrote one very positive report in the Sun. This featured the challenges Walkerton, also in our riding, has faced since its water crisis, how it has risen above the crisis, and the positive impact it has made on the province's policies. s Letters to the Editor Program offers so much Dear Editor, When you think of 4-H, what comes to mind? Is it the variety of livestock shows, the countless number of opportunities available or is it the thought of driving your kids to 4-H meetings and attending awards days to see what your child has accomplished? All of these things display what 4-H is about. 4-H has been a part of our community, our culture and our life for decades. Generations of 4-H members have passed though the program, developing confidence, time management, work ethic, responsibility as well as leadership skills and numer- ous other life skills in the process. In reality, there is virtually no other program that offers lessons on how to cook, sew, survive in the wilderness, build a business, train a pet, gain agricultural awareness and learn about farm machinery, horticulture and photography, all in one program. As a program which has so much to offer, it is important to ensure that it remains stable and prominent within our county. With few to no sponsors, The Huron County Leaders Association finds it difficult to guarantee the future of 4-H within this county. Financial struggles continue to put the 4-H program at risk. To maintain the 4-H pro- gram within Huron County, fundraising is a must! The Huron County Leaders Association is in the process of planning a fundraising event which will include a Roast Beef Dinner, a Silent Auction and Fun Activities for the kids. The date is set for Aug. 12, at the Seaforth Agriplex. Activities begin at 3 p.m. and supper runs from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Bring your kids, family and friends for what should be an exciting day and a great way to promote 4-H while raising funds, making certain that this program remains for a long time to come!! You can do your part to ensure that your 4-H program maintains the status it deserves. By attending the event, donating a silent auction item or monetary gifts to 4- H, you will be contributing to a program that does so much for young people. Lets make sure that 4-H is available to youth for generations to come! To make further inquiries, purchase meal tickets or donate to this event, please feel free to contact Kim Higgins at 887-6102 or Lorri Ann Moore- 527-2817. Sincerely, NICOLE MooRE - 10 Year 4-H Member - 2005 4-H Ontario Ambassador Writer upset with `city' view Like everyone else in our county I was rather incensed by the article published in the Toronto Sun recently about Huron County. This is the wonderful area in which I chose to raise my children -and I will never look back with regret on that decision. I never had to worry about guns and gangs with my kids. I never had to worry about the kind of education they received because I knew first hand that it was top-notch because of the dedication of both the kids and the teachers. They never lacked for self development opportunities and their lives were richer for the opportunities to commune with the natural world as well. Our kids had the strong support of all the people in our church and in our communi- ty throughout their lives, and they are better people for that. And when my kids were sick, I never had to wait long for medical attention. So I was somewhat insulted when Ms Blizzard chose to focus on the negative in her article. But Ms Blizzard is not a travel reporter. She is a political one. I went back and read the whole series of articles by her in the Toronto Sun. I understand that the writers mission was to get out of Toronto and find out what Office ready to assist EXETER — The Service Canada Centre for Youth (SCCY) - Exeter/Goderich will participate in the Exeter Sidewalk sale Thursday. The office is ready to assist businesses and young workers with their summer employment needs. This event will include face painting and free stuff and will promote student employ- ment by providing free information to youth on resume writing and interview skills, as well as to businesses on our free services. This event is just one way to highlight the impor- tance of getting that first job for some students, or finding career -related work experience for others. SCCYs link youths and employers and pro- vide young people with job postings, inter- view advice, resume building and job search strategies. SCCYs also provide employers with a location to post job openings and offer valuable information on health and safety in the workplace. Employers interested in using our ser- vices and students looking for summer employment can contact the SCCY-Exeter at 235-1711 or the SCCY-Goderich at 524- 8342, ext. 225. SHAYE REINHARDT YOUTH SERVICES OFFICER This is one of our Younger Little Brothers. He would like a Big Brother who has a truck. He is looking for someone to play lego, tractor and kinex with him. He enjoys shooting hoops and kicking around a soccer ball. He would also be a police officer when he grows up. This Little Brother is one of the many children waiting to be matched within a mentoring friendship. For information on becoming a Big or our other volunteer programs, call our office at 519 -235 - like to play hockey and go for drives. He would like to 3307 or visit our website at www.shbbbs.on.ca.