HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1981-09-30, Page 2
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SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, SEPTEMBER 30, 1981
Have your say
a
egmagainwififfilit r
Running for fun at Huron Centennial
(Photo by Campbell)
John St. a mess in 1881
Sugar n spice
By Bill Smiley
He has written for radio and TV. but the
booze was a problem. Somewhere along the
line, he became a Ba-ha-i, and decided to
devote the rest of his life to spreading the
faith.
He went to Paraguay to replace my son
Hugh, who had done a fi ve-year stint there
and may galback.
Dr. Garry is a contradiction in terms. Hugh
assured us that he ate only one meal- a day. I
guess the others were just snacks; juice and
toast and three eggs for breakfast; what-
ever's around for lunch; and a dinner that
would sink the Titanic. Like five cobs of corn,
a pound of potato salad, a whole'cucumber.
some cold meat, and half a pound of
tomatoes.
But that's not the only paradox. His
specialty is putting on "shows" for children.
He did a couple while he was here, and they
were excellent.
This big man, who can scar cely walk with
a cane, psyches himself up. throws away his
cane, and does an act that would baffle many
a 20 year Old.
In Indian costume, he does about four
dances, prancing around like a 20 year old
In the years agone
John Lennon was at odds with his world
from the beginning and so was the man whci
would eventually assassinate him. Why one
man sought to mat so much while, he other
could only destroy is a real mystery.
And though the examples aboued,of great ,
men and women whose early'etistences
were rooted in insecurity, our system by and
large still promotes conformity as the one
sure path to fulfillment. The person who
seems to be following the beatof a ilflierent
drummer is just as much a cause for
bewilderment and fear in our age as he has
been in any other,
In teacher's Colleges, the emphasis of
instruction still revolves around the effort to
mould little bodies and minds into whatever
the mainstream model heppens to be at the
time. Individual thinking in the classroom is
still about as welcome as measles and
"eccentric" students still spend ,a good part
of their time in the principal's office.
Years ago. when I taught high school, one
of my poorest English students used; to come
to me after class with these hilarious car
toons he had sketched when he should have
been parsing sentences. And I used to get so
mad at him.
Some day, I fully expect to pick up a
magazine and read that boy's account of his
younger years when art was his only
interest. No doubt he will relate with relish
what a failure he was in school and how
tough the teachers used to be on hime.
And now that I think of it. there was a
spark in those eyes that was a refreshing
change from the robot-like students who
handed in perfect assignments day after
day.
But, of course, I couldn't doe encourage
his non-comformity. Now could I?
By this point, anyone who's been' following the dilemma about what
to do with Seaforth's arena might very well be tempted to say "the heck
with it" and plump for Seaforth council's alternative #1: tear down the
condemned buidling and don't replace it.
But wait a minute. Hundreds of Seaforth and area kids depend on that
arena as the place to skate, and. learn hockey and ringette skills.
Hundreds of older people, and their contemporaries from all over Huron
and Perth play broomball there several nigpts a week. Roller skating
keeps the arena booked in summer. And the upstairs community hall is
kept fairly busy with dinners and dances year round.
So in all conscience, we can't really say "the heck with it". Seaforth
council knows that and is struggling to get a usable arena at a price we
can afford.
The -key to the problem is-two-fold. How much money can Seaforth and
area raise through private fundraising? How much of the project can we
afford to finance-thrciugh takes?
To quote local resident Marten Vincent at the public meeting 'on the
arena Sept. 9, there will have to be an. awfUl lot of zeroes on the end of the
$5 and-$25 donations that the recent Lions campaign brought in, to pay
for ati arena project. To be exact, either $25,.000, $62,500 or $225,000 will
have to come from private donors, depending on whether council decides
on (see page one story) option #2, #3, or #5. (Those amounts can be
adjusteiligreir -dawn, depending on whit tax money, if any, is used for
the arena project.) -
When we talk taxes we have to consider the implications of township
participation or non-participation in arena financing,. Only one area
township; Hibbert, agreed to help pay for the community's new arena
with tax dollars.
The others, citing their lack of similar help to other neighbouring
arenas, declined.
Now we think it's lime for the public to get back into the act. Do YOU
_think Seaforth and area can mount a fund raising. campaign to raise
S25,000? $225;00? Some' amount in between? That's an awful lot of bake
sales, pledges and knocking On doors, 'folks.'
• Or alternatively, how do.-you feel about your taxes being increased to
Paylova TinfiVatett le-aSt -MS n councillor said' hid
municipality had heard very little from ratepayers on the subject. If you
favour a tax increase, private fund raising or some combination of the
two, let your town and township councillors know how you feel.
A point that perhaps should have more.empahsis than it's been getting
is that whatever happens with the arena, here in town, it's a community
building. And municipalities who helpfinance it should have some say in
how it's run. Perhaps townships who gave a flat "no" to using their
funds to help pay for the,prOject would feel differently if they had votes,
proportionate to their contributions, on an arena board of management.
That proposal Is certainly worth consideration by all .the councils.
No matter- what alternative is chosen for Seaforth's arena, we the
people will pay, one wayor the other: If you'd rather-your share be in tax
money, say so. If you have fund raising-Ideasill-pledge.to-contribute
number of dollars and/or are' willing to be part of a fund raising
committee,. tell your locat council.
If we don't speak up now it will be hard to complain later that Seaforth
council, or Our local township council, took the Wrong route out of the
arena dilemma.
One day at a time
by Jim Hagarty
Beginnings
I like reading about people's beginnings,
about their early lives and the events and
people which shaped their life choices.
And the more I learn about the youthful
perceptions of people who today are
well-known and "successful". the more I
detect a common thread running through all
their memories. To great or lesser degress,
the pop singers, politiciahs"writers, actors,
and business executives we read so much
about teem to have all been insecure as
children. They knew only vaguely what they
wanted to be when they grew older. They
had trouble fitting in with the "normal"
social circles about them. They felt
intimidated when in the company of the
schoolyartl bullies.
And 'they all foupd comfort in their
dreams.
Last night I read about the early life of
'Pierre Berton and discovered, to my
surprise, that hews extremely shy as a boy. I
would have thought that the opposite would
hive been true. There is certainly not a trace
of the introvertin his public personality.
Far front saggestinc that shyness is a
virtue, I still Wender, however, if I3erton's
lack of self-confidence may have been one of
the motivating faetors that led him to make
such a signifigant contribution to Canadian
life. Would he have been so productive if he
hid seen self-assured and confident as a
youth?
We all have mountains to climb and the
struggle to cross that bridge from trepidat-
1001 to emotional security his; in so- many
led people to make More than an
mark on the world. It has produced
the Odd wild . Aberration, such as Adolf
Hitler, but it hes also gi4en us wise and
benifIcent leaders in all field.
SEPTEMBER 30,1881
David Sproat of Egmondville intends going
to Trowbridge to take care of the flouring and
'saw mills in that village. These mills are the
property of John Thompson of McKillop,
John Murray. shoemaker, has engaged
with Wm. Logan of Seaford) who intends
resuming the manufacturing business again.
It would be largely in the interests of
humanity and sole leather if the town
authorities who have charge of the sidewalks
would take a promenade along the walk on
the south side of John street the first dark
night that comes. If they succeed in
accomplishing the journey without some of
them getting their legs of neektrpte. they ,
will do well.
• • .0n Monday, -night 'last-about -I+ tectock-.•
three men in a buggy drove up to John
Leyden's hotel in MeKillop and professed to
be looking for a pail with which to water their
horse. Mr. Leyden had taken the pail into the
house and was just in the act of. opening the
doer to give it to them when they took a stick
and smished in three windows and then
jumped into the buggy and drove rapidly
away. •
Hugh Mowbray has purchased the farm of
Life isn't easy for the people cit
country, living, beside one of the two great
giants powers of the world. Daily the threats
come from the giant: get back in line or else.
That "or else" brings frightening thoughts.
Canadians have been cheering the courage
of the Polish people to stand up to the might
of the Soviet Union but we could stand back
and see a lot of similarity in our own position
living beside' the -other great power. We
aren't hearing the rumbling of Russian tanks
massed near our boarders but we are hearing
the rumbling of massed Ameridan economic
generals and their friends in high places in
Washington who are, in their own way,
giving Canadians the same kinds .of com-
mands the. Russians are giving the Poles.
One shouldn't belabour The similarity too
much but like the Poles wewelcomed our
neighbours at the end of the Second World
War. The Russians brought liberation from..
the Nazis with their armies and stayed to
control the couterrthretigh puppet govern-
ments. The Americans came to Canada after
the war, at our encouragement. to help
develop our resources and soon owned so
much of the country that they too had more
control over our government than we did.
. Everyone knows that big business has 'a
great deal of influence with government so
when big business is owned in the majority
from outside the country the influence on the
government is going to come from business-
men who are not part of that country.. '
WARNINGS COME TRUE
Thus we are seeing with the present dire
warnings coming from south of the border.
The Canadian government is changing the
rules of the game. saying that after 35 years
of encouraging outsiders to buy up our
country it's timeto buy it back. That is not the
way-the-Americans-see it. To the . Amer-le-an
multinational -Coiiipanies the idea that the
Canadian Government should make it ap-
pealing for our busineSsmen to buy back
American firms. that the Canadian govern-
ment should actually set up an oil company to
do some of that buying, that Canada should
actually aspire to owning 50 per cent of it's
own oil companies is unthinkable.
So the bosses of the multinational com:
panics start exerting their influence on
American politicians. Execut ives and direct-
ors of hug companies like Exxon or Sun Oil
have a good deal of influence in Washington
anyway but with a pm-business President
such as Ronald Reagan the clout is bigger
than ever. When, on top of that.Reagan's
economic plans are in trouble and he
desperately needs the support of the business
community and the irate right-wing. nation-
alistic Representatives and Senators of
Capital Hill, then the power of business
letiders is immense.
W.J. Skimmings on the 8th concession of
McKILlop for the sum of 52,600 cash. The
farm contains 50 acres and adjoins Mr.
Mowbray's present farm. This will make one'
Of the best 100 acre farms in this section of
McKillop.
OCTOBER 5, 1906
Nellie McDougall of Egmondville left this
week for Portland. Oregon where she will
visit her sister, Mrs. Chas. Stewart.
The new station in Walton is now receiving
its first coat of paint. The work is being done
,by J.G. Crich of Seaforth. who has the
contract of painting all the new stations along
'the "GtielPii WW1 the
exception of the Guelph and Goderich
stations.
Mrs: F.J. Kerslake, Reta Kerslake, and
Wm. Fell, Mri Kersiake's brotherhave
to Detroit and Grand Rapids to visit their
sisters Mrs. McMillan and Mrs. Hall.
W.A. Ross has sold his farm near Winthrop
to Thos. Broom. The price is about 57.500.
The farm contains 150 acres with about 1,5
acres cleared and the rest well wooded There
We didn't have a very exotic summer, but
we did have one visitor who was unusual, to
say the least.
He was only with us for about 48 hours, but
he left a lasting impression, especially on one
of my wife's favorite white bed-spreads, from
which she has been trying to extract a stain of
tar ever since.
It seems that he set down on the
bed-spread a large suitcase, which had
recently been resting on an asphalt road on a
hot summer evening. Thus, the tar spot.
Anybody got a recipe for getting tar out of
'white spreads?
Dr. Garry, as he is called, is a large man Of
60. He is totally deaf, but can lip-read better
than most of us canhear, lie arrived with my
son Hugh, who knew him in South America.
He leans heavily on a cane, but lugs a
mysterious, huge case full of mysterious
things.
According to.him, his mother was a Dogrib
Indian, and he was born in Xllowknife,
father unknown.
Over the yehrs, he has had T.B.. syphilis,
spinal meningitis and alcoholism. He has
spent time in jail. He was in North America
to be treated for some kind of South American
parasite that has got into his bloodstream.
Withall, he is a man of great charm, and
strong convections. He is a pioneer for the
Ba-ha-i faith in Paraguay, and will go back
there to die. He reckons he has two years.
are good buildings and it is an excellent farm.
When Mr. Ross settled on it a few years ago it
was in a pretty rough state, but by industry ,
and good farming. he has' ;made it a most
comfortakle homestead,
Maggie Bell of Hensel! was the guest of-her
niece, Mrs. Robt....tIgie of Kippen, the fore
part of the week.
OCTOBER2719
The Expositor has..t.o.„,thank Mrs. Charles
Eggert of McKillop for the gift of a beautiful
big pumpkin.
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hays. Jessie Tucker
and William Weizer of Detroit were weekend -
guesfs'afthe Wettient Mr: an retvirs..-C .P Silts -
of'Seaforth. '
John Armstrong of London is holidaying at
the home of his daughter Mrs. l: erg Bullard
of Winthrop.
John C. Doig, son of W.M. Doig of
Tuckersmith who graduated from the Detroit
College of Law last June and who wrote this
month at the -State Bar Examination at
Lansing, has received word that he has
successfully passed the same. He expects to
They have by economic domination, dimish-
ed our self-respect as a nation as much as the
Russians have in Poland"by military occupa-
tion. There is more freedom in Canada to be
sure but a large extent, the amount of that
freedom has been indicated by foreigners.
We've watched in awe the courage of the
Poles. Will Canadian show the same
courage? We aren't likely, to be putting dur
lives on the line to stand upto the American
threats, just,our lifestyles. So fat Americans
threats have been carried out only by
controlling actions of Canadian companies
inside the U.S.. to prevent our businessmen
from buying up American companies. More
power to them. We shouldn't own their
country anymore than they should own ours;
But if the American threati of economic
retaliation against Canada are pushed
forward we will be in a similar position to the
•
Poles. It would be the equilavent of-a_
declaration of economic war, forcing us to do
the bidding of a foreign government against
our own best interests.
If Mr. 'Reagan. under pressurefrom U.S.
• business leaders, takes reprisals we could all
suffer economically. Under similar pressures
before, Canadians have buckled. While the
poles are willing to throw themselves in front
of tanks, we aren't willing to do without the
perks of the good life.
If we ever want to get out of the vicious
economic circle that sees our economy so tied
to that of the U.S. that every time the
American economy sneezes, we catch cold,
then we have got to be willing to bite the
bullett. We must back our government in its
plans on this one issue at least. We must
confront our own inferiority complex that tells
us we can't do it alone. We can. We must. If
we back down no .v we might as well forget
about calling ourselves an independent
nation.
brave. He switches to a Chinese outfit, and
does a mime that would turn green a 14 year
old geisha girl .Another switch, and he's a
clown, cavorting around, delighting children
and adults alike; his feet flying like feathers.
Hugh, with his customary fecklessness,
though "we" could put on a show at the local
park with no problems. Guess who ran
around lining up equipment: mikes, amplif-
iers, 100 feet of extension cord, and finding a
reasonable location for the exhibition?
One of the amazing things about Dr. Garry
is that, despite his total deafness, he does all
his dances to music, tapes, San Hugh beats
out the time with one hand, and Dr. Garry
only occasionally looks up to see whether he's
on time, and get a reassuring nod from Hugh.
When it's all over, the good Dr. is like a
sack of potatoes, can barely struggle back•intc
his -street clothes, and scarcely walk, ever
with the cane. Hugh is exhausted, of course
from beating out the time.
However, they are able to make it back tt
the house and eat enough for a threshing
gang. And guess who takes all the electric;
gear back to the stores in the morning, whiff
they're both having a little lie in?
But the man was charming, erudite'
convinced of his faith: "Every little bi
helps," end has a real sense of humour
When Hugh and his Mom started their, usua
Please turn to page 3
•
44 so we have the warnings, first from
individuals Senators and Representatives,
then from committees, now from 'senior
government officials. The warnings are
everybit as strong as the warnings the Poles
are getting from the Kremlin except that .
in our case it is the threat of economic
retaliation not military intervention that
backs up the harsh words.
CANADA CUP
During the recent Canada Cup hockey
tournament once again Canadians looked on
beating the Russians as the ultimate victory.
They are our enemies. Yet the Russians have
never really done us any harm. It is the
spectre of the harm they could' do that has
kin Os On edge for three decades. But the.
Americans, who we always look on as friends
in such tournaments, have actually done
much more against us -than the Russians.
Behind the scenes
by Keith Roulston
begin the general practise of law in a short
time, either in Port Huron or Detroit.
Dorothy Thomson of Kippen is attending
the Western University in London this' year.
OCTOBER 5, 1956
Donald J. Stewart who has been called to
the bar at Osgoode Hall, has graduated as a
barrister and solicitor. A son of the late Mr.
and Mrs. Charles Stewart, Seaforth, he is
associated with .the local legal firm of
McConell and Hays, Seaforth.
Long a landmark, the two-storey &dine
building which housed Seaforth Lumber Ltd.
has been wrecked. The remaining frame
building on the property has been sold to
Charles Reeves and is• being removed.
When the sulky he was racing at
rhingannon Thursday, low., Johnciirophell,
.McKillop was dragged along the track and
suffered a fractured leg. It. was, his first
accident in 12 years of rating. Mr. Campbell
is in Scott Manorial Hospital and is
progressing fav,ourably.
Mrs. Tom Butters, Mrs. E. Stapleton
conveyed the Dublin Altar boys to the Altar.
Boys' Congress in London on Wednesday.
David, Haase. ,David, Holden and, Miles
Little of Winthrop are building a playhouse at
the rear of Glenn Haases' residence.
Will we bite the bullet, and stay independent?
An unusu.al, visitor at Smiley's
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