HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1971-02-11, Page 2xitsitott Joon
Since 1860, Serving the Community First
sEA.FORTH, ONTARIO, every Thursday morning by McLEAN Publishfs LW,
- ANDREW Y. MCLEAN, Editor
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SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, February 11, 1971
Whether or not the few
hours mild weather we
experiemced last week end
was the January Thaw ar-
riving a few days late is
a moot question.
Authorities tell us
that the thaw usually
comes about the third week
in January but sometimes
doesn't arrive until Feb-
ruary. Sometimes it
doesn't come at'all.-
Regardless of what it
is caned the day or two,
of mild weather was a
welcome respite fter the
rigorous ten da s which
We_had been s•ub'ected.The
balmy weather brought rain
instead of the almost con-
tinuous snow to which_ we
'had beCome accustomed and
was a reminder that des-
pite all evidences to the
contrary- there could 'be
days without snow in this
part of 0.p,tario. It served
to restore Our somewhat
shattered faith tn -'nature'
and to indicate there may
after all be a spring
somewhere :in our future.
The cftange, coming as
it did after days of zero
weather was hard to believe:
It didnt seem right that
in midst of ten foot drifts
while miles of area roads
were blocked to traffic we
should. see puddles of
water on our streets and
highways and find it nec-
essary“to slosh throdah
inches of slush.
Our trsiuble. with, slush
didn't laTt long. By the
week end we .mere almost
tack to normal with temp-
eratures crowding zero.
Within another_day normal
traffic again waS'at a
standstill and schools
once more were cleared of
pupils, as the door,which
the cwe.atherman'had opened
a crack. on spring, was
slammed shut.
Railways Can. Compete
We have lona suspected
that much: of the trouble
that a-ils the railways iS
self inflicted.
'The 'lass of traffic
particularly passenger
traffic- followed reduc-
tion in service and a ,re-
fusal to relate railway
-practises to the require-
ments of the day.
Evidence is at hand in
the case of the Go trains
that a properly scheduled
5et'vtce fil4ina a definite
need, will be patronized
and at the same time re-
lieve badly overloaded
and , costly highways.
, Another example is
almost at our back do
according to the maga
"Materials Management
Distributfon",which s
that the first unit t
to be used in oil tra
portation will 'begin
tlfnq between Montrea
Douglas Point on Lake
Huron next fall.
The 42-tank.-car .train
will riln aroum& the clock';
taking 72 hours to make
the 1,200-mile trip, carry-
ing.over 700,000 gallons.
This will be increased
later-to 63_Lars, '-with a
total capacity of more
than one,million
Oriainally,-it was •
planned to deliver the oil
by'sbip-, a much• less ex 7
pen-live transport system,
but when the cost was cal-
culated of the extra
storage capacity needed
because no winter supplies
dould ipg shipped by yessel,
it was estimated from $3-
S4 million a year would be
saved by the allseason
tank-train method. • •
It's too bad the rail-
ways- had not begun earlier
to think in terms of a
total transportation .pack-
age and developed their
-facilities in a way that
.would reflect demand.
o'r,
zine
and
ays
rain
ns-
shut-
1 and
Sir:
At a meeting of the Huron County Board
of Education held on February 8,-1971, it
' was unanimously decided that the chairman
should write to the weekly newspapers in
the County to convey our feelings of the
manner in which our staff reacted to the
crisis with which they were suddenly con-
fronted on January 26, 1971. ,
January 26 began much like any other
winter Tuesday morning in Huron County.
The` weatherwas cooling off and a few
snow flurries streaked the air. Nothing
to cause alarm or startle people who are
used to living in the snow belt area of
Sollthwestern Ontario. However, it was
sopn to change its average appearance to
one that will be remembered in the .years
to come as the storm of "71. With
scarcely 'no warning, an increasing wind
velocity mixed with furiously falling snow
made Visibility nil. Traffic either slowly
Or suddenly came to 5.halt." Mother Nature
had taken control and man seemed pretty
feeble in the grip.
Life was going on normally in most of
' the schools of Huron County that morning.
There had been no problem getting pupils
there on time with the many buses used for
transporting students each day. The roads'
were in' exceptionally good condition con-
sidering the e time of year. 'It was "a good
winter to date" the old timers said. Maybe
. it had just been the calm before the storm.
BefOre buses could be remobilized and
students *Spared for home everyone knew,
it was futile to try to send busloads of
students out in the blinding snow. Maybe
it would slacken a little in the afternoon.
Classes continued as usual. As noon came
and, went everyone realized it was no
average storm. The storm of '71 was
on and before it was over people would
knows each other a lot better. That old
"one big happy family" feeling of the one-
room school would return but this-.time
the "family size" would be multiplied
many times in the centralized schools of
the County.
The reason for this introduction is to
try and show the futility of returning
pupils home under such rapidly' changing
weather conditions.
As one who was driving concession
roads at the time I might point out that
it closed in so quicklye that I could hardly
believe what was happening. ' Familiar
roads became en unknown world of snow.
Out of these conditions came an in-
crease in stature. of the staff members of
the Huron County Board of Education. I
would like it made very clear that these
Pupils and teachers were not used as
pawns in a game to collect per diem
grants for the Board of Education. Per
diem grants as such have not been paid
for three years now. Grants are based
on enrolment partly for this very reason
so schools in- snow belt areas would not
suffer due to lack of attehldance. Every-
one would certainly have sooner had these
pupils safe in their bonieS; ilbweVer, the
The :-Weather Is Back to Normal
It's one of those wild, Canadian nights,
• with the wind howling like a pack of
wolves, on an LSD trip, and snow seeking
out every crevice. My wife came down
today and found a little kid trying mantilly
to shut our front door, which had been blown
open. There was about eight inches of
snow in the vestibule, and the furnace was
grunting away like a -hippo with a hernia.
It's the sort of night when you think
with awe of our ancestors. In their draughty
log cabins, and their sod houses on the
prairies.
They were giants, compared to us
pampered, doughy creatures, who whimper
about and get sick at the thought that we
might not be able to get the car out of
the drive in the morning. We simply cant
imagine getting up at five In pitch dark,
lighting a lamp, building a 'fire, breasting
it through three or four feet of snow to
the barn or lean-to to see whether the
animals have survived, feeding them,
numb to the bone, and coming back in
to make porridge.
A tough life, but in some ways we must
envy them. They didn't have to worry
about too much cholesterol in the eggs, too
much fat in the bacon. They didn't have
that demon of today, the alarm-clock,
to tear their tender mornIIg nerves..
And maybe, because t weren't
, geared to the clock, they missed some"of
the joys of modern life. They didn't have
ulcers, because they, had to do something
about their problems, not just worry about
them.
' They weren't constipated, because they
didn't have time, in that cold. Their
.'omen weren't so neurotic, because they
didn't have time' to worry about nerves,
cancer, gray hair and wrinkles.
It was a hard, brutal life, no question.
But were they worse off than we? Maybe
their kids had to walk three miles to
school through the snow. But when they
agnategniMUM
Sunday will be St. Valentine's Day, a
time for lovers. I'm ready for the event
but My husband isn't. He's angry with me
at the present time and certainly not in
the mood for, hearts and flowers.
The reason? No, it isn't another man.
And it isn't a girls' bridge club. Or
• even an argument.
* My husband is jealous of our new sewing
machine. That sounds a little far-fetched
I know, but it happens to be true.
"If you can tear yourself, away item .
that sewing machine," he'll tell me with'
that npbody-cares-abbutrme tone in his
voice, tO play a -game of crib-
bage."
It all started about one month ago when
my daughter announced that some of .her
friends were learning to' sew. Slie asked
me if I could. teach her something about
e the art, and While 'I'm not a professional
• -by any means I can stitch together a very
'passable garment if you give me enough
time - and a half decent sewing machine.
That was the hang-up. My sewing
machine was about as dependable as a
snowmobile on a patch of ice. Many times
when I sat down to 'mend a seam I would
have to give the old relic the once-over
and then, more often than not, I would have
to abandon the project because the temper-
mental gadget just simply would not
function even halfway properly.
When my daughter' began to show an
interest in dressmaking, it re-kindled a
hidden urge within my breast to "whip
up a little something". I soon convinced
myself that if we had a new sewing
machine - one that would actually sew a
neat seam - we could save a great deal of
money, own much larger wardrobes and
have enjoyment out of it:
I spoke to my husband about it. He
recalled the pair of perma-press trousers
in the closet upstairs which remained with
a gaping hole in the rear end because I
had , been unable to coax • the Old sewing
machine into performing the task of clos-
ing-the breech.: ' He aim remembered the
cost of the last outfit we purchased for
our daughter. It did n't really take much
effort to have him agreeing with me .that
decision to have them remain in the
schools or billetted in homes was made
in preference to having them stranded in
buses on clogged concession roads. That
decision haS never been regretted.
' The Huron County Board of Education
wishes to commend every member of our
administration, teaching and non-teach-,
ing staff who were involved for the
excellent, unselfish manner in which they
organized and performed beyond the call of
duty..- I am afraid to single out any
members for individual attention for fear
of missing 'someone but I sincerely believe
that each, in his or her own way performed
more admirably than can ever be fully
recognized with words. Our board office
administration were on duty night and day
throughout the entire storm and offered
moral support and encouragement to the
principals and staffi in the schools by
maintaining regular 'contact with them,
Certainly the most critical outsiders
could find small errors in judgment to try
and• condemn the actions of those forced
to Make decisions under tense 'circum-
stances of responsibility, but as a•larent
I am well Satisfied with the way, the
• situation was handled.
As chairman, I feel all our staff
members should-know the feeling of pride
' the • hoald has in every member who
helped to avert tragedy in a serious
situation. 'It is the board's feeling that a
teamed citation should be placed in each
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got there,. there wasn'tanybody 4714. to
convince them that sniffibg nail polishWas
the greatest.
And the same kids, when they hit their
teens, were young men and women; capable
and independent. My grandmother died at
33. Fatigue and child-bearing, common,
enough in those days. „Tture.,were nine
children. And my mother, the oldest girl,
reared the lot of them.
Most of our kids today couldn't raise
a guinea pig without the help of two
parents and a veterinarian.
I am presently trying to convince my
daughter that the free-enterprise system
has its points. She has some piano pupils.
She thinks it is atrocious that she gets only
half the fee the kids pay, a mere $g a
half-hour
'
while the studio owner takes
the other half, $2.
I point out to her that he picks her up
and deliverS her home, that it is his studio,
his piano, his advertising, his overhead.
None. It is a - cleat" case of vicious
capitalistic exploitation of the- young.
And my mother hitched up the horse-
and-buggy, -or horse-and-cutter, and drove
all over Calumet Island and half of Pontiac
County, giving, lessons at fifty cents an
hour. And drove the long, dark, lonely
road home.
It's not the money. Half .a buck then
was probably worth more than four dollars
today. It's the attitude.
There's' nobody te be blamed. They
grew up in an era of comparative peace,
when a strong back and a strong will gave
you a life-that was rewarding. We grew up
through a depression and a world war'and
sought security'. Our kids are growing
up in 'an era of violence and fear and .
rapid change arid insecurity.
And perhaps the last are more
idealistic than any of • us, closer to the
truth, with their slogan of "Love and
Peace."
a sewing Machine would be a worthwhile
investment for the family's financial
future.
That's how it came to pass that we
purchased a new sewing machine - a beauty
which goes backward and forward with
equal ease, sews on buttons , makes button-
holes, darn socks, zigzags every which way
and makes sewing pleasurable ,once more.
Then the big snowstorm, hit - and my •
daughter and I joined forces to fashion
a new outfit for her. Three days we were
confined to barracks and three days we
sewed and experimented and stitcheclancl.,,
' explained. At the end of that time We had
a most attractive ensemble - and the urge
to begin another project. More material
was purchased and the whole process.
began again.
Between the two of us, 'we managed to
keep hot meals on, the table, the beds
drawn together in some semblance of
neatness, 'the floors dusted, the washing'
done and the main debris picked up
throughout the house; Mit there was
.little other time to spare = certainly no
time for frivolities such as card playing
and visiting and television viewing and
the usual pastimes.
While my daughter and I thoroughly
enjoyed the hours inside the house during
the snowstorm' when .we could work to-
gether on a sewing project, my husband
didn't appreciate 'the fact that he was
being ignored. After a couple of days
he grew tired of reading and playing
snakes and ladders with our youngest
and watching women's programs on TV.
It' was then he wished that new sewing
machine'-would become overheated and •
non-operable for the length of time it
would take to, play a game .of cribbage.
-Needless to say, I love my husband
enough to forego my personal pleasures
long enough to play cards for 'an 'hour
or so, but when the games were over I
returned to my sewing project. Even ""
now I can see the resentment in his
eyes for my wonderful sewing machine.
What am I sewing on? A bright red
car-wash mitt in the shape of a heart
inscribed "Be My Love's
school citing the names and actions of the
staff of such school for a' job well done.
Until this can be done, may I say on
behalf of the board, those words which
are on the lips of practically every parent
whose children were cared for, a sincere
',Thank You".
An ad of appreciation has already been
placed in tire local papers thanking all
others whe-assisted in this time of need.
May reiterate to those also a heart-
felt "Thank You".
Robert M.Elliott,
Chairman,
Huron County Board .,
of Education. ,
Thanks
Londesboro, Ontario.
Sir:
On behalf of the Huron Coillity Board
of Education, its Executive, and the Stiff
of Hulled Central School, I wish to publicly
thank all parents for their understanding,
the villagers of Londesboro for billotting
the children, -the snowmobile operitors
for providing transportation, Mr. Gordon
Radford and his bus drivers for their
co-operation and all the individuals who
so kindly' offered their services-during
"the school's longest day."
Ron McKay
Principal.
n the Years
Agone
oplummegir
"-,
FEBRUARY 14, 1896.
Mr. Sanderson, who bought Mr, Braith-
viaites farm in Hullett, is EUicing exten-
sive improvements to his barn. He is
alSo getting material on hand .to build a
new house.
• Quite a number of the young people of
Hensel" continue to visit P.D4lell's mill
dam for skating.
Miss . graham, of Egmondville ' is
having the paper which was read on the
occasion of the semi-annual services in
connection with the Egmondville Church,"
written by her, printed in pamphlet form. James Archibald, well known horse
buyers• of this town, accompanied by Wil-
liam Cudmore of Tuckersmith, left for
the Old Country. They took with them
two car loads of horses. Mr. Archibald
intends visiting France and Belgium:
Wm. Copp has the contract for the
brick work and Joseph Keating for the.
carpenter work of a new residence to be
erected by John McMillan in Tuckersmith
next season.
A load of ladies and gentlemen from
Seaforth and Egmondville drove out to
James Dorrance's at Grieve's bridge,
MpKillop. They were entertained most
hospitably and returned home ere yet
the great luminary had wakened up a
new day.
A. Cardno has moved tq' the store
one door south of where he formerly was,
acid the store he has vacated will be
thoroughly renovated and will be occupied
by I. V. Fear.
Wm. Chapman of the 3rd concession
of Tuckersmith intends erecting a fine
two storey" brick house in the spring. "'
Frank Gutteridge has the contract for -
the, bripk work and Messrs. Wright and
Edge the carpenter work.
Two sleighs laden with young people
from the 10th and 11th concessions of
McKillop and Brussels, drove to the
residence of A. Carter of 'Morris. Early
in the evening dancing commenced with
Messrs. Fulton and Rands wielding the
bow' and accompanied on the organ, by
Misses Scott and Henderson and Mr..
Henderson.
A decided contrast to the remarkably
fine winter of the past few weeks, was the
storm which has set in.
FEBRUARY 18, 1921.
Ernest Adams of Londesboro has let
the contract of putting ,up "a large red
brick house to Mr. Griffiths and is very
busy getting the material on the ground.
The following, officials have been ap-
pointed by McKillop Council' for the year
1921: - Clerk, John McNay, Treasurer,
G. K. Holland; Collector Geo. McKee;'
Assessor, Donald Calder.
The Old Time Carnival held by the
management in the Palace Rink, was by
far the most successful affair of the kind
that has been seen in Seaforth since the
olden days. The following were the
• Kre , vflqq.erasf - Ladies ,character,
M rtha' Reid; 2nd. MaeUc''Geodh; Gents
character, 1st. D. L. •Reid; 2nd. Wm.
Aberhart;" Girls comic: 1st. Mona Sills;
2nd. Mrs. Frank •Sills; Gents Comic,
1st. Nelson Cardno; 2nd. Thos. Cluff;
Best National, 1st. Mary Habkirk; 2nd.
Olive Taman., Boys race, 18 and under,
1st. Thos.
Taman;,
2nd. Elmer Beattie;
Boys race, 12 and under,_lst Russel
Holmes, 2nd. Jack Daly. •
W. Waunkel, who recently sold_ his
200 acre farm at Roxboro, to Mr. Agar
of Lucknow has purchased the residence
of Mrs. G. M. Chesney of Goderich St.W:
' Miss Claka Pinkney and Miss Annie
Baxter of twin are attending the millinery
openings in Toronto.
The Brown Hay Company of Seaforth
have purchased the garage business for-
merly carried on by Lou Aberhait on the
corner of Goderich and Main Streets.
Mr. Aberhart has purchased the farm
of Henry Cash in McKillop.
G. Hudson of town, had his foot
seriously burned at the Bell Engine Works.
He was carrying a load of molten metal
when he stumbled and the metal splashed
'over his foot. '
Peter Eckert of Manley shipped another
car load 'of hogs and cattle and reports
the market holding out very well.
FEBRUARY 15, 1946.
Miss Helen McKercher, of McKillop
on the staff of the Institute Branch of the
Ontario Department of Agriculture has
been appointed head of the home econom-
"its branch. Miss McKercher has only
recently returned to civilian life from
the navy.
'A social-evening was, held in Looby's
Hall, 'Dublin, when a large group of
friends and neighbors gathered for a
welcome home *party for Pte, Patrick
J. 'Maloney. and Cpl. John J. Walsh.
Gerald Holland called the honored guests
to the front and Mrs. A. M. Looby read
an address. A purse of money was
presented by Mathew Murray and Clem
Krauskopf.
One day last week Carlyle•Cornish of
Brucefield received a letter from people
in Holland who took care of him after
he bailed out of his bomber before the
Germans caught up with him. The letter
was Written in Dutch and he took It tO
Exeter to have it translated.
David Papple of Tuckersmith has sold
his farm on the Mill Road- to George
Armstrong of the same line; Mr. Arm-
strong has sold his farm to Lorne Wilson.
Pte. Angelo Phillips returned home
after spending the past two and a half
years in Italy, France, Belgium arid/Ger-
many. He returned on the Aquitania and
reports that it was a very rough trip.
A pleasant evening was spent at the
hoirie of Mr.' and Mrs. Arthur Varley,
Tuckersmith, when friends and neighbors
gathered. Euchre was played and prizes
Were won by Mrs. John,Norris of Crom-
arty and Grant Smith of Kippen. The
Whitler of the lucky chair was Mrs.
'Thos. Meyers, 'Zurich.
A delightful-401r was- held at the
=home of ,Mr. and 'die. Hugh' Dalrymple,
OrOmarty, when:the aunts, uncles and
cousins of Sgt. Bill Dalrymple, recently
returned from Overseas, gathered to give
him a royal welcome home. He was
presented with a cigarette case.
From My Window
— By Shirley J. 4eller —
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To the 'Editor
Co-operation Solves School Storm Problems