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We welcome your comments and letters Treating visitors to Huronia royally DURING A RECENT '"Up- Date 80" project spear-headed by the Simcoe East Liberal Association in Midland, it was noted tourism is Ontario's second largest industry...as a matter of fact it is a $6 billion dollar business in the province and a $12 billion one federally. During a discussion period during "Up-Date 80" which was staged by local and area Grits at the Highland Motel, the topic of Ontario's "We Treat You Royally"' campaign came under fire. Most agreed the idea was good but that it didn't go far enough. It was suggested in no un- certain terms that there should be more training programs related to serving the general public. "Wearing a "We Treat You Royally" badge isn't enough if the person who is wearing it doesn't treat you royally," observed guest speaker John Eakins, MLA for Victoria- Haliburton, Liberal critic of the Ministry of Industry and Tourism. And of course the man is correct. The training program of which he spoke doesn't have to be on a grand scale either. Here in tourist country store owners might want to devote an hour or two a week with their staff to go over the best way to meet and serve customers. The key is to serve them properly, to make them feel welcome and to invite them to come back again. We all can take a lesson from our Florida cousins by adding, '"'Have a nice day. And won't you come back again." It sure can't hurt and chances are it will help make visitors and shoppers to this part of the province feel they are truly welcome. "Mike' Asselin was a remarkable man "MIKE"' Asselin of Perkinsfield is dead. He died in his 97th year last week in Midland after a short illness. The former clerk and reeve of Tiny Township led a wonderful, colorful life. It is no exaggeration to say that he knew more about North Simcoe than any other living person. He was alive with stories from the past but took a keen interest in Huronia's future. Basically a self-taught man, "Mike" gave everything he did his best shot. We can still see him sitting under a chestnut tree near Lafontaine one summer's afternoon meeting with scholars from other parts of the nation. He thrilled them with ac- counts from Tiny Township's past prior to and just after the turn of the century. He told them how, as a very small lad, he saw a "Red Coat" for the first time....a British soldier in uniform. His listeners' eyes widened as they pressed him for more stories out of the past. 'Mike,' was a man of vision. He had a love for life, a respect for it, if you will. He was one of a kind. Keen of mind to the very last. Those who knew him have lost a great friend. "'Mike"' Asselin demon- strated to many, if you care enough to do your best you can succeed no matter what the odds. We shall miss him dearly. The Midland Times Second Class Mail Registration Number 3194 The Penetanguishene Citizen Second Class Mail Registration Number 2327 The Elmvale Lance Second Class Mail Registration Number 0991 -- Published every Wednesday by Douglas Parker Publishing Ltd -- 521 Bay Street, Midland, Ontario. 526-2283. Publisher - Douglas Parker J. Douglas Reed, managing editor Rod Deacon, Penetanguishene editor Christine Mackey, Elmvale editor One Year Subscriptions (carrier delivered) $13.00 One Year Subscriptions (by mail) $14.00 U.S.A. and Foreign $30.00 per year Member, Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association and Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations Page 4, Wednesday, June 25, 1980 'Hey, dad, you just missed seeing the Governor General drive by...!' Your help is needed now Dear Sir: Last evening, the members of Huronia Per- forming Arts for Children met with the co- producers for Upstage 1, the children's theatre group from Bayview Elementary School. Upstage 1 is attempting to raise $2,000.00 this year in an effort to take their production of 'Peter Pan' to a theatre competition in New York. In an effort to help them raise money, Huronia Performing Arts for Children agreed to hire Upstage 1 as part of our 1980/81 series. Unfor- tunately, all we could afford to offer them was $300.00, an average artist's fee we generally pay performers and our break-even point after expenses are met for most shows. Any 'excess' we have made in the past has been the grant we receive from the Ontario Arts Council for one-third of any professional artist's fee. Nor- mally, this serves to cover general operating ex- penses and provides a cushion as we approach a new season. We would be more than willing to turn this over to Upstage 1, but unfortunately, they do not qualify for the grant. ' We feel badly that we could not offer more to this most enterprising and talented local group. Our format and limited resources are not set up to realize a large amount of money. Upstage 1 feels badly that they cannot be part of our 1980 / 81 series, since $300.00 is not nearly enough to hire a bus for New York. What is desperately needed by this group is someone to publicize and promote several per- formances for them. One dedicated person is all it takes to organize this very important aspect of their production if they are to realize their dream of New York. This community has proven itself to be very supportive of local initiative in the past, and will most certainly support this group in the future if it knows the when, what and where of their produc- tion. Some enterprising, concerned person needs to step forward and fill this position for Upstage 1. Our group is heavily booked for 1980 / 81 and to handle more than one performance adequately would over-tax our resources. Nevertheless, Huronia Performing Arts for Children is behind this group one hundred per cent. We will be selling their tickets and helping to promote them in any way we can, and we are certainly looking forward to including them in a future series when a trip to New York is not their goal. Sincerely, The members of Huronia Performing Boat safety isamust: OPP Dear Sir: Safe Boating Week runs from July 1 to July 7 this year and Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner H. H. Graham is asking Ontario citizens to take a hard look at their boating habits. The OPP takes safe boating seriously. The provincial police has a fleet of more than 80 boats patrolling the province's lakes and rivers. Boats have to be well maintained and their crews must be well trained. Although the police crews spend more time on the water than the average recreational boater, they face the same hazards. Any boater must learn the rules of the road and those elementary safety practices which can mean the difference between life and death. While some of the marine officer's training will relate directly to law enforcement, they are also instructed on items like fire precautions, man- overboard procedures and boat handling which should be at any boater's fingertips. Many recreational boaters overlook navigation and chart reading as parts of their defensive boating knowledge. OPP marine officers know of many mishaps simply caused by a lack of knowledge of how to read the buoys in a marked channel. "With greater knowledge and awareness of the pastime's pitfalls, many accidents could be prevented," said Commissioner Graham. With hundreds of thousands of lakes in this province, the recreational boater will never have to look far for an ideal lake or river. What is too easily forgotten is that the skill of boating and a knowledge of the waters you are using must also be thoroughly learned. P.M. Caney Inspector for the Director Community Services Branch Telephone - 965-4474 @ More letters on Page 6