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Page THE HERALD January IKS Safety first even on the snow Snowmobiling seems to gain popularity in Ontario with each passing winter From to 1968 for example there has been an in crease of more than 100000 snowmobiles registered in this pro vince alone With more and more Ontarians involved in snowmobiling it is im portant to establish safety guidelines for the sport The most common factor in snowmobile accidents is alcohol consumption In 1967 of 15 ac cidents investigated by the Ontario Provincial Police in which 20 peo ple were killed alcohol was a con tributing factor in approximately half those accidents Snowmobiling in unknown areas and inexperience in handling the machine also play a major role in accidents It is imperative that research unknown areas before venturing into them Ice and snow conditions may not always be apparent rocks or tree stumps may be covered by snow Researching areas and weather conditions in advance will also allow the snowmobiler to avoid thin ice another common cause of accidents Speeding causes snowmobiling accidents Unlike a car or truck a snowmobile offers little protection in the event of a sudden stop or col lision and the driver and passenger are usually thrown from the vehicle Snowmobilers should be sure to drive at a speed at which they can still maintain control of the vehicle no matter what the weather conditions Motorists should be prepared Every year the first snowfall seems to take Ontario drivers by surprise This year however by preparing ahead motorists can en sure safe driving throughout the winter Having your car properly tuned and fluid Levels checked is the most important step The gas tank level should be at least halffull in cold weather to avoid gasline freezing resulting in stalling Snow tires should be used if the car is not equipped with allseason radials to alleviate slipping on snow and ice A kit containing ice scraper shovel booster cables flares blankets and a firstaid kit should be stored in the trunk When parking run the car back and forth to make a track that will make it easier to get out later Allow ample space between cars During rough weather condi tions headlights should be on at all times and windows kept clear of snow and ice If the car should begin to skid release the accelerator and steer in the direction of the skid Do not brake because this will only in crease the skidding action As the car responds straighten out the front wheels Allow more following distance to give yourself plenty of room to stop It takes three to twelve times more distance to stop on snow and ice than on dry pavement Finally be sure to drive at a speed at which you are comforable handling road conditions even if it is half the posted speed limit Safe driving no matter what the road and weather conditions is every motorists responsibility Trying to make things better OTTAWA Ive forgotten her name but not her face Dorothy and I were going doortodoor in Burlington meeting people and asking them to think about the election coming up on November 21 It was a quiet street so the van with the holes in its muffler was hard to Ignore The truck pulled over and a woman got out a slim blonde woman who walked over to us She said she wanted to thank me for be ing in the election and would sup port me because you will stand up for us She was very pretty and spoke clearly from the heart But she stood there in this affluent neighborhood and looked out place in her worn clothes Wher she talked you could see that hei teeth were mostly black or miss ing She told us how hard it was to make ends meet and that there was never enough money to look after herself and her kids But if I was her MP she said then she knew I would work to make It bet ter Weil here I am now a Member of Parliament now trying to be the person that she wanted me to be I think about this because its the holiday season and thats a time of expectations for all of us During Christmas and New Years we expect families to come together men to live in goodwill hostilities to end and life to sink into some kind of perfection Usually it doesnt happen but that doesnt mean we shouldnt keep trying Ive been here for a couple of weeks now coping with my own expectations of what it was going to be like to be an MP The learning experience has been intense especially as we in Parliament have been tussling over passage of the Free Trade legislation The government wants to get on with things after the election vic tory The Opposition MPs especially the new ones want to continue opposing it and they want to get their objections on record Of course those of us who sup port free trade also want our voices raised and I made two speeches during the first six days of the session Im not sure the world was a better place after I finished but I had a few things to say on your behalf The deal is now passed and were waiting for the Senate to ap prove It next week Getting to this On The Hill With Garth Turner point has meant some late nights and some fascinating moments One of them came early last Thursday morning After sitting in the Commons for more than hours we launched into a series of votes on the legislation It involved supporters and opponents standing and being counted many dozen times When we started it was on in the moming people were tired testy and thinking about how little time they would have with their families over the holidays Suddenly over the drone of the Speakers voice came the sounds of a Chrismas carol It was almost imperceptible at first then grow ing stronger It started off to the right side of the government ben ches then spread to the centre of the Chanber then across the aisle to where the Opposition sits By the time the current vote was finishing there were almost 300 people singing loudly and together O Little Town of Bethlehem then God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen then Jingle Bells The public gallery was empty The press gallery was empty All the countrys federal politicians were here voting on a historic bill knowing most of Canada was asleep and the rest werent wat ching the proceedings on televi sion For a minute the wrangling debating namecalling and heckl ing was gone For a moment there was just a bunch of Canadians together in a gilt hall thinking about home and hearth and what nursery furniture accessories maternity fashions infant wear gifts toys 211 Guelph St N0RTHVIEW CENTRE Georgetown 8732448 Across from Canadian Tire these days mean The expectations of Christmas were there and this time they were met As I write this the session of Parliament is ending and we can come home Later in January Im looking forward to starting our Town Hall meetings across the riding I also will enjoy the Trade seminar weve got planned and sending you a copy of my first newsletter Now that the business at hand has been done here I will be work ing hard to do what I promised dur ing the campaign Listen Only after listening to your concerns and ideals can I come back here and hope to do what you want me to So I look forward to seeing you at our meetings to speaking at ser vice clubs and other groups around the riding and to showing up on your doorstep Meanwhile Dorothy and I want the very best for you and your family We wish you health peace and hope And to the blonde lady in Burlington Thank you for your support for your trust I will not forget Community mourns loss By KAY WILSON Norval Correspondent Ashgrove Community has been shocked by the tragic accident that has taken the life of Elizabeth Liz Bird who passed away Dec 29 at Sun- nybrook Medical Centre Toron to in her year Beloved wife of Doug Howden of Milton Loving daughter of George and Verna Bird of Georgetown and daughterinlaw of Arnold and Marie of Milton Dear sister of Marilyn Charles David and Ronald and sisterinlaw of Paul Miriam and her fiance Terry Gracey Also loved by grandparents Vernon Picket of Georgetown and George and Wilda Marshall of Milton Funeral service was held from Hillcrest United Church on Jan 2 at 1 pm Interment was in Evergreen Cemetery Milton Liz and David were just mar ried in September in Hillcrest Church Sincere sympathy is ex tended to her husband Doug parents and family at this sad time Concert held The Sunday School Concert of St Pauls Anglican Church was held on Dec following the church service The teachers Lyn Donna Downey and Luke Bertrand combined all classes for a Christmas Carol presentation and skit A potluck luncheon was enjoyed by the con gregation and pupils Carol service St Pauls Anglican Church held their Carol Service on Christmas Eve Rev Rick gle conducted the service and Frank Howard was organist The ageold Christmas Scriptures and story along with beautiful Christmas carols highlighted the service New Years party George and Marilyn Smith of hosted the New Years Eve Party for the Couples Club of United Church A total of people enjoyed games followed by a supper Euchre planned The biweekly euchre of the Pinegrove Community Club will be held on Jan 9 pm in the school Strange birth Clifford and Allan Cook RR4 Georgetown dairy farmers on Winston Churchill Boulevard north of had a freak Herford calf born with its heart in its throat They were bottle feeding the calf when they felt the heart beat and looking down its throat could actually see the heart beating They called Guelph Veterinary College who picked up the calf for observation purposes Thinking drivers are safest According to a Ministry of Transportation spokesperson the safest drivers this winter will be thinking drivers the ones with their minds in gear for winter highway and road conditions There are six essentials for safe winter driving Think Safety Avoid abrupt ac celeration braking or lane changes that can cause skids on slippery roads Anticipate Look ahead as far as possible Try to anticipate stop signs traffic signals or traffic ahead Slow Down Reduce your speed in less than ideal conditions on slushy snow covered or icy winter roads Keep your Distance Increase the distance between you and the car ahead by three to four times to leave a buffer zone for safe brak ing Use your Lights Turn your headlights on in bad weather con ditions as well as on dark winter days to make you vehicle visible to other drivers Dont Rush Allow an extra minutes to drive to work to go shopping or to arrive at social gatherings Check the weather forecast before you leave With some forethought common sense and a bit of courtesy all drivers can Increase their margin of safety Doing so will make it safer for all road users this winter 77 Main Street South Downtown Georgetown 8731470 jack up your cash supply With a Classified Ad in The Herald Easy Sell Ad 5 Insertions 17 Words ONLY PREPAID Billed the HERALD Home Newspaper ot Hills Established 45 GUELPH ST GEORGETOWN 8772201