The Huron Expositor, 1978-06-15, Page 10Books debate
HOME RUN SWING! — Barb Doig, Seaforth, takes
a full swing at the ball during the slowpitch game
between Manley Mashers and Brodhagen, at
Dublinfest on Saturday. Mashers won 9 - 6.
(Expositor Photo)
Odds n' ends
by Elaine Townsheild
Summer
- It was 'the last weekend-tin -Saturday that
otticed the change. Perhaps it was because
\‘‘.• were experiencing our first sustained heat
wave of the summer. Or. maybe it was
because the previous night was the first time
in months that I left my windows wide open all
night.
After the long quiet winter. it was'
suipi'ising to wake up to a hodge-podge of
sounds.
It started with the sunrise when birds of all
descriptions started twittering in varied tones
and rhythms front the treetops. Soon dogs
began barking, and there seemed to be twice
as many around as there was during the
whiter.
b was still early when lawn mowers began
to roar as people took advantage of the
morning coolness to get a head start on
cutting their grass. Hammering came from ,
three different directions as handYmen won
to work on 'their summer projects.
Unfortunately. the neighbours' ambition
didn't affect me. 1 was content to relax in bed.
sleepily listening to the sounds of early
summer.
After being cooped up in school all week.
the children didn't waste any time getting out •
in the unshine on Saturday morning. Balls
thudded into baseball mitts, swings creaked
on tree branches and skippieg ropes slapped
the ground, Bare feet paddled along Me
sidewalk, and. sandals flip flopped on the
cement.
The streets seemed to carry more traffic
than usual. Cars and Motorbikes zipped by,
kid bicycles whirred along.
Since that first do, almost a month ago.
I've 'noticed increasing sounds of sureinter.
From the ballpark, I hear the crack or a hot
and the cheers of "Go! Gol Gol"
At the: beach, a ayes slap the shore and
seagulls scold swimmers. Motorboats putt-
putt through the harbour. and sailboats glide
post the dock. From swimming pools come
9,ainds of splashing. shouting and laughing.
In the country, ti•actors stir Lip clouds ,of
dust as they bounce 013,'r the fields. Horses
whinny to each other while thes clip clop
through fields or along' gravel roods. Honey
bees buzz around Bowers ntui insects -turd
es hum under trees.
Small planes fly leisurely low over farm laud
wfiile passengers lako'Photos orjust enjoy the
•
Vehicles on the road range from large
camping-units to cars pulling tent trailers. The
wind swooshes when they pass. Occasionally i
meet a Volkswagon with a canoe tied on top
and I hear the wind whistling as it
Ps Flags ripple in playful breeies. When the
wind grows stronger, tree branches swish and
bushes scratch against the sides of buildings.
Sometimes a night grows still and black,
until suddenly drum rolls of thunder vibrate
and stabs of lightning,brighten the landscape,
Then gusts of w ind lash: the trees.
Thunder is just another sound of summer,
although it's one some of us prefer not to
hear.
On summer evenings. the sound of traffic
people shouting and dogs balking carries for
miles on the still air. But gradually the noise
diminishes, Birds settle claw n for the night.
and the Intiombig of insects grows fai nt ,
Then the chirping 4)1 crickets. anoth ur \mind
Of summer. takes oker for 'the night
:•77. 'Mr
Win at locai
`7,"7!!".77,•17,r7r.fr''..."7.!"':77,77,177.4T-77,71r:
cros
Jim fieafs$ of Springfield con-
tinued his winning ways as he
captured' his third consecutive
victory in the Open Class of Moto
Cross at ,Hully Bearss,
riding • a Yamaha, ' out•
manoeuvered the field to take the
,,,.a ll •.•••eid ecive of
a 1978 RMI25 Suzuki Motorcycle.
Other class winners were 'Jeff
Sutherland of Woodslea, riding a
Suzuki in the School Boys Small
Wheels "Class.
Mark Baxter of Port BtirwOl
won the Scheol boy.. big wheel4
Class on a Ma bit
In the Junior •125 class, Ken
Avant of Scarborough took the
checkered flag on a Suzuki. Pat
Basted() from Hamiltort,was the
winner in the Junior n 50 Class
riding n Yamaha,
At Big Bend- raceway near
ItIlsonburg, Wayne 4erSea.0010
(.Bitten brought home .0. 1:ii* in
the Senior. pen Class a SAPOAk1 in
the Senior '125. Class.
The grand finale of Clic fittili
Gully Spring Series mill be held
on Sunday, June 25th.
READ FOR PROFIT • USE FOR RESULTS
CALL 527-0240 TODAY
mositor
. .
not get any flack from the teacher
but peer pressure made the
student's, choice a very difficult
one.
Set an example -
One parent who said he was
horrified by the material in the
excerpts said he didn't feel
teachers could use the books and
be example's of good teachers.
The man said a good teacher
shows students hew to live
docent„ honest lives adding that if
society continues the way' it is
parents may have many "terrible
surprises coming soon”. He said
teachers were not setting a good
example "letting children 16 read
material like this".
June Caliwood said she had
been very attentive. throughout
the debate and had watched facial
expressions in the audience.' She
said when someone is speaking
half the audience is "glowering"
and half is "smiling and nodding
their heads". She said the people
in the . audience- didn't • have to.
agree 'with what someone was
saying but should. have ,the
respect to listen to another point
of view.
One young. student' ..began
crying at the microphone as she
described her thoughts on the
'evening. She said . she loved her
parents and respected them very
much but felt there was a severe.
emblem evidenced by the tone of
the meeting. • She said many
parents wanted 'the books off the
book list but pointed out that they
am not listening ,to comments
supporting the books.
She said she did not feel "filthy
. language or sexual acts corrupted
• people'' but were examples of
life. She said the issue of the.
books -was, not the fault' of the
novels but the4ault of the parents
and students because .of ', a
gun.' ation cap"
Another 'student said parents
wanting the • books taken off, lists
may be "surprised and disap-'
pointed" when they discovered
that . students, .00'1 . sit. in
Plans are being forniulated for
the beginning of a Men's summer
basketball league. The league is
open to •. men who • are sixteen
years of age. and older. .
The games will be played at the
Seaforth District. High School
.starting Tuesday, June '27th and
will run 'twice. a week., until
Thursday, July 29.
It is hoped that there will be
enough interst to run four teams
in the league..
Interested players can register
• now 'at the:recreation office or at
the Lions Park. Registration fee is
55.00
Get your name in now se that
teams can be drawn up Monday,
June 19th. Final date to pay
• registration fees'is July 4th.
Co-eonvcnors of the league arc
Men's basketball
league planned
that material but was willing to
keep an open mind and
investigate the issue, She said
she•is in the middle of the issue
and came to the -meeting to hear
Viewpoints from both skies.
She asked audience members if
they were willing to "write off
people who swear". She said she
taught in a Toronto neighborhood •
where street language was made
swear words. She, said at
first she was offended by the
language, but realized it was,
second nature to the students and
that they didn't realize• they were
swearing.
She said she took the time to
look past the language and found
a group 'of good kids with
something to,. offer society. . She_
said she felt people had to work at
tolerance to be able to listen to
another person's point of view
without, writing them off.
ClassifiedAds pay. dividends.
Terry Johnston.and Eugene
Todd.
• Lawn
bowling
First tournament of the Season.
Commercial Hotel Trophy.
Winners: Ist.-Mr. A. Gledhill
and May Dodds, Elwood Club,
London „3W + 48. 2nd.'-Charles
Hendy & Tillie Lamport, Exeter,
3W + 41. 3rd. Don & Bea
Clendenning, Ingersoll; 2W +
48. 4th. Ron Jones, London and
Shirley Otis, Woodstock 2 + 42.
5th. Lloyd & Evely n Dundas,
Thamesford, 2W + 39_.
' 10 greens in play. Excellent
greens. •
(Continued from Page 1)
their beliefs". He said he felt
people that, were speaking on the
subject were speaking from their
hearts and was concerned that the
audience wasn't listening. He-
' asked the meeting ,to calm down
and listen to the beat of their
hearts before they spoke and,
listen to the hearts• of others. He
held a Bible aloft and challenged
anyone .to refute its teachings
claiming no one in history had
been able to prove the Bible
wrong.. •
Mr. UnibachiiSkeirthe.crowd's
indulgence while he lead them
in prayer and after a brief'
devotion began to strain the
crowd's patience.
"I'm going to , lose my
babysifie'r in Wye minutes. Sit•
down 'and let someone* else
speak," one man shouted.
Nut that easy
, A young student told Mr.
Low:ides, who earlier had said
that if a student or parent
. ebjected to a textbook used in' a
classroom they can be exempt
•
from reading the book and be
given an alternative, said it
wasn't as easy as that. She said
she felt schools should' offer
- students alternative. lists to allow
them to choose their own books.
She added that the list of books
should be accompanied by
• review of some sort that outlined
what subject the book dealt with.
She said that at least movies "had
the decency" to let viewers know
what th6y'll see and books should'
let readers know what they. will he
reading.
Another student said it wasn't
as easy to refuse to read a book as
. Mr, -Lowndes described. She said
she read the books and would like
,to say •she found then very
'educational. But she said she
didn't think one of • the books
supported giied. Christian moralS
. and really didn't give a. realistic
view' of society. She
.
- Said she
didn't think .I'00 percent. of society
• • was. "promisetions".', .
The student said; it was very,
hard to, refuse te,,read a book in
class. She said the student may
Sea forth
Manor
Happenings
Mr. Harvey Hillen of Kingston
who is visiting with Mrs. Peter
Dunlop, Scaforth also visited his
aunt Miss Bessie Davidson at the
Manor.
Mr.. Randy Alexander of
Egmondville visited his
grandfather, Mr. Art Nicholson.
' Mrs. Geo. Leach and Mrs.
Alma ,Dewitt visited with, Mrs.
Mary Carter.
Michigan tales
A championship
The visitng West Branch.
Mchigan team played three
weekend games and won all three
to come away with the new
Trophy presented by the town for
the Tournament between i the
sister centres. West Branch was
held in cheek for seven innings
In their first game when the Turf
Club foreed.the game to the extra
innings. The teams played to a
1-1 tie for the regular tiniebut the
West Branch squad finally broke
lose for 4 runs to nip the Turf club
5-1. The visitors second game was
no contest when they completely
whipped the Firemen by a 26.1
score.
The 'A' final however ,proved
More interesting when Main-
Street With their big bats stayed
With the . visitors only being
edged out in the final innings
dtupping a 7-5 decision.
classrooms and-- lgrovel over
obscenities". She said the books
are read and discussed in
classrooms both for the literary
value and grammar.
, . 8 Year Old
'If parents have a bone to pick
they should do it with 'the teacher
and go to the school and find out,
what's really happening instead
of doing it here in an atmosphere
of hostility.''
She said the manner used to
pick obscene excerpts from the
novels appeared to be "on .no
more mature a level than an eight
year old picking up a copy of
Playboy for the pict ures". '
Intolerance Distressing
A young woman who said she
was a former teaeher said she was
more distressed by the apparent
intolerance of the audience than
bythe material in the books. .She
said she had read the excerpts
-and felt that she wouldn't want
her children to be subjected 'to