HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1971-12-23, Page 4Editorial commeitt
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Clinton has reasons to be merry this
Christmas.
Few of .us a few short months ago
would have thought the prospects for our
town would be quite so bright when
Christmas, 1971 came round.
But suddenly the town and district is
filled with optimism instead of gloom.
Santa Claus, or some other supernatural
personage, has sent us John van Geste!
with his ideas and money and the former
air forces base, which was beginning to
look useless, will soon be brimming with
activity again and pumping money into
the economy of the county.
What better Christmas present could
we get?
The best thing about the marvelous
turn of events is that change in the
attitude of the people of the county. The
feeling of optimism will do more for the
county than the work of Mr. van Geste!,
in the long run, for it will cause people of
the area to invest in their own future and
only by doing so can we ensure a long and
steady period of prosperity. And only by
invest)ng in our own future can we ensure
that the kind of community we most
want is built.
For these reasons, we should be
thankful this Christmas because we have
receiyed• a precious gift, one which we
didn't do that much to bring to ourselves.
And as Christmas passes and the New
Year nears, we should each resolve to do
our best to use our new found prosperity
to improve our community so that it will
not only be well off financially but well
off as a community.
Your driving is
Medical science has tackled many, and
conquered most major diseases but there
is no immunization against Traffic
Accidents. The Dominion Automobile
Association is joining with other Safety
Organizations and Government Agencies
to ask the members of the motoring
public to be alert to the dangers on our
highways.
This campaign for highway safety is
most important, especially during this
Christmas and holiday season.
Country-wide acceptance of the slogan
"Safe Driving is a Family Affair" will go a
long way in bringing down the tragic
death total that occurs each year.
The Dominion Automobile Association
reminds drivers that although the main
responsibility • for accident prevention
relies on the safe driving habits of the
person behind the wheel it is also of vital
importance that the vehicle itself be in
a family affair
top mechanical condition. Icy, wet roads,
poor weather conditions and visibility
problems all combine to complicate the
job of driving safely.
If there was any particular time of the
year when we should be at our peak in
safe driving habits, it is now. No family,
no matter how loosely knit can bear the
burden of a traffic death during the
festive season. Each member of the family
must accept his or her responsibility in
preventing accidents. From the smallest
youngster who should practice the
common everyday safety rules as taught
to him by his parents and at school, to the
' man or woman behind the wheel, whose
responsibility it is to not only watch his
own driving habits but must be prepared
to allow for the mistakes of others.
The Dominion Automobile Association
reminds all drivers at this time of the year
that "Safe Driving is a Family Affair."
HE CLINTON NEW ERA
Established 1865
Clinton
Amalgamated THE HURON NEWS-RECORD
1924 Established 1881
ews Record
A member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association,
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association and the Audit Bureau
of Circulation (ABC)
second class mail
registration number — 0817
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (in advance)
,Canada, $8,00 per year; U.S.A., $0,50
KEITH W, ROULSTON * Editor
Jr HOWARD AITKEN General Manager
Published every Thursday at
the heart of Huron County
A Clinton, Ontario
Population 3,475
THE HOME
OP RADAR
NCANADA
for Santa
4 Clinton News-Record, Thursday,, December 23, 1971
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Letter to the
The Editor,
Re-Farm Posts
As a private bulldozer
operator I get the feeling, one
side of the story is being aired
and nobody has bothered to
listen to others,
I do not believe these so
called "private operators" were
bent on destruction or
carelessness. At the time, I had
the impression we were helping.
This operator thinks the
Federation's fears are
groundless, and will not be
caught On the fence again.
A Private Operator
Looking forward to
Christmas has become something
less than unadulterated joy. The
thrice-blasted tree with its'
inevitable crooked stump, the
ever-increasing cost of gifts:
these and other aspects of the
festive season have turned the
festive part of it, at least, into an
exercise of hectic futility.
I think many will agree when
I say that there's a huge sigh of
relief on Christmas night when
the last of the wrappings have
been put away, the last of the
dishes washed, and we can sit
back, look at the lights„ and
listen to thusic. It's a lot easier
on the nerves to looks back on
Christmases of the past. They
were probably justas frantic, but
in retrospect they have a sort of
rosy glow about them.
There's one that still causes
me a pang of remorse and
shame. My mother was making
the usual huge turkey dinner,
with all it entails. We were to eat
about four. Around two p.m.
my kid brother and I sneaked,
yes, sneaked off to the matinee.
About the same time, my older
brother and sister went for a
long walk with a friend. None of
us got home until about 5:30,
and there was Mom stuck with
the ruins of a magnificent
dinner, on which' she had toiled
for hours. She didn't say
anything, but I, for one, felt like
a rat.
I was about ten, and it was
the first time I ever realized how
thoughtless and selfish kids can
be. Which reminds me that my
own two thoughtless, selfish
brats will be home this
Christmas. Hugh's a vegetarian
and will have his little bag of
whole brown rice. Kim's on
R6ses
If I had even a small talent
for fiction writing I would sit
right down and make a tender,
well-rounded Christmas vignette
of the incident at Counter No.
One of an F. W. Woolworth
emporium last Saturday
afternoon at approximately 3:30
o'clock.
Not having the talent, I will
just have to set down the details
without embellishment and hope
that they will convey to you
something of the pleasure they
gave to me.
Counter No. One is the
jewelry counter. I Was Standing
within five feet of it, leaning
against a penny weighing
tnachine, waiting for my wife
who was somewhere in the
crowd purchasing worthless
trinkets to be stuffed into
children's stockings.
There were three girl clerks
Working behind the jewelry
counter and one of there was
beautiful, She would be 18 of
20, I'd guess, I was struck by her
resemblance to the younger
Eli zabeth Taylor. "A
million'dollar baby in the
five-and-ten-cent store," I
thought,
I guessed that she would be
part-time Christmas help for She
some kind of a crazy diet. By
some strange coincidence, the
vegetarian becomes a carnivore
and the diet goes out the
window, when they're home. It's
tempting to think of making
them a nice nut salad, and
cooking a small duck for their
parents only.
Another Christmas I'll never
forget was that of 1944, deep in
the heart of Pomerania, behind
barbed wire. We didn't have to
worry about buying gifts,
sending cards or making
long-distance calls to relatives.
Maybe that's why it was so
much fun. Not even a tree to
wrestle with.
We exchanged gifts. I gave a
pair of gloves to one of the
artists, and he gave me a
caricature of myself. Someone
else gave me a pack of smoke'S
and received a• razor blade that
had been used only once.
And there was the Christmas
dinner. We had saved every scrap
we could from the last of the
Red Cross parcels, We had two
tins of salmon with delicious
creamed sauce made from
powdered milk. There were
potatoes au gratin (we'd hung
unto a hunk of cheese.) And
there was that fantastic
cake...crumbled Graham
crackers and mashed turnips
held together by a bit of marg,
with two melted chocolate bars
stirred in. It was cooked on top
of the stove, and weighed about
18 pounds, one pound per man.
With dinner went kriegie
brew. We'd saved enough prunes
and sugar to make a potent
potion (just add water and let it
ferment for a couple of weeks).
After scoffing the lot, we lay
around on our bunks, with the
turned occasionally to one of
the other girls to ask about
prices and such.
As I was speculating idly this'
way a messenger boy in a gray
uniform came through the
swinging doors. Under his arm
was what obviously was a flower
box. It was at least four feet
long. He looked up over the
heads of the crowds at the signs
which mark the counters by
number and went directly to the
jewelry counter,
"Linda Webster?" he asked
the beautiful girl.
"That's me," the girl said.
And he handed her the box.
The girl was so clearly
astonished by this that I
couldn't resist moving in closer
to satisfy my curiosity. I
pretended to be studying some
earrings a foot away from her
and watched her as she opened
the box.
They were dark red rotes, six
of them, long-stemmed in a nest
of lacey fern. The girl looked
down at them, gasped and gave a
low, crooning sound of pleasure.
She looked up at the other two
girls Who, of course, were
Watching her closely and
beckoned to them to cotne and
look,
firelight flickering from the
battered stove. Did we talk
about home and loved ones? We
did not. We just lay there and
groaned, like 18 pythons who
had simultaneously swallowed
18 goats.
Most of us were sick half the
night, but it was worth it. It was
the only time for months that
we hadn't been hungry, and the
only time for months that we
wouldn't be.
Other Christmases swarm into
memory. I'll not forget the one
when my wife was having the
family, for the irst time. She
fussed all day and had
everything just so. She was going
to show her mother and aunts
that she was no slouch of a
housewife. Her eyes were darting
everywhere, making sure that
everything was in order. The
atmosphere was about the same
as that at Cape Kennedy when
they're going to fire at the
moon.
Finally, the supreme
moment. She ushered everyone
to the table and rather grandly
ordered me to take the turkey
out of the oven. I did, but the
dam' pan was red hot and I
dropped the whole works, gravy,
grease, dressing and turkey, on
the shining kitchen floor. I'll
spare you the details, but I've
never come closer to sudden
death, even during the war.
In parting, I have three wishes
for my loyal readers: that your
Christmas tree doesn't fall over
just after you've finished
decorating; that you don't drop
the turkey; and that you have
the best and happiest Christmas
you've ever had, with people
you love.
Both girls instantly left their
customers and came up to
admire the flowers.
"It's that fellow who tried to
talk to you this morning," one
of the girls said.
"I'll bet that's him," the
other said.
The girl who had received the
flowers now took a card from
the box and read it: "To Linda
Webster, Counter One."
"Isn't that cute?" the first
girl said.
"How did he know your
name?" the other asked.
"Gee," said Linda Webster,
Counter One, "that's cute,"
The girl who had received the
flowers stood a moment,
admiring them, While the other
two returned to their posts,
smiling inscrutably to each other
with the eternal wisdom of the
female, Then she placed the lid
on the box, reverently, and put
it under the counter,
I returned to lean up against
the weighing machine and when
'my wife came from out of the
crowd we went to the coffee
'counter where I told her what
I'd seen.
"We'vt, been shopping alt day
in this mob and that'd the first
thing I've seen that seemed to be
10 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Dec. 21, 1961
Every year we get at least one
peculiar item along with the
Christmas mail, This time it was
a lovely card with bells on
wishing us a Merry Christmas,
but there's no signature at all.
Just a sort of general greeting
one might say. Aside from the
fact that it was mailed in
Scarborough, we have no clue.
A presentation ceremony will
be held in the council chamber
of the town hall on Friday, Dec.
22, at 7:30 p.m. for members of
"Clinton Legion Juvenile bas'eball
`team, which this year won 'the '
oBA Juvenile "B"
championship.
15 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Dec. 20, 1956
There must be something
shaking to a small child's face in
Santa when he drives around at
this time of year, and sees so
many of the jolly old fellows.
They seem to be posed on half
the roofs, in front of many
doors, and in so many store
windows we lose count.
Ron McKay was named
mayor of 'Teen Town' on
election night held for that
thriving youth group. John
Elliott, who was runner-up in
votes for the mayor's chair was
named reeve. Judi Cluff is
secretary and Mary Helen Yeo is
treasurer.
Six councillors chosen for the
coming year are Sandra Addison,
Sylvia Bell, Frank McDonnell,
Jack Finley, Wayne Mcgee and
Douglas Norman.
in the Christmas spirit," I said.
"There is a Santa Claus," my
wife laughed.
"I must write a piece one day
on the use of the word 'cute'," I
said. "This girl made it sound
like 15 other words."
We finished our coffee and
headed for the street, As we
patsed Counter No. One I
nudged my wife and we glanced
across at the girl.
She was standing there,
serving a customer, but her eyes
were lifted over the heads of the
hurrying throngs. She was
Watching the main entrance and
the people who were coming and
going. Like any other nice girl
she was waiting for Santa Claus.
WHAT IN THE WORLD
Is OXFAM?
Travel Agency? -
Baby food? -
Airline?
Detergent?
Development
Agenztyl
OXFAM 444 INTEAN.14110NAL aEVELCOMENT pEopLe
9/ Eglinton Ave., Emit
Toronto 315, Ontario
25 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Dec. 26, 1946
A/13 Robert Step, Clinton's
contribution to the Royal Navy,
permanent status, had the
unique distinction of being one
of those chosen to act as a
member of a Canadian group of
100 to march in the parade at
the inauguration of the new
Mexican president.
George Braithewaite, Clinton
Creamery, operated by Canada
Packers Ltd., was successful in
capturing first prize in ten
entries in one of the classes of
the Butter Quality Competition
of the Ontario Creamery
Associafion.'
Sgt. Everett Lobb; RCAF,
Trenton spent a week's vacation
with his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Clifford Lobb.
40 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Dec. 17, 1931
Cliff Levy was one of th
prize winners at the Winter Fai
at Guelph last week makin
something of a sweep in the Buf
Orpington class.
Duncan Cartwright, who ha
been a member of th
News-Record staff for the pas
three years, has joined the staf
of the Brussels Post.
According to a publishe
report, Mrs. L. E. Doherty,
former citizen of Clinton wa.
again elected president of th
WMS , of Central United Churci
Clinton.
Noble Holland had a fin
display of fox hides in Clinto
last Saturday.
55 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Dec, 28, 1916
The following have qualified
for the electors to pass
judgement on them on Monday
next: Arthur C. Clarkson, Harry
Fitzsimons, W. T. Hawkins, Bert
Langford, Murray McEwan, R. J.
Miller, W. J. Nediger, W. J.
Paisley, J. P. Sheppard, Harrison
Wiltse.
Miss Rudd, the obliging
librarian at the Clinton Public
Library, spent Christmas at
Toronto.
Marriage of Mary Alice
McLaren, only daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Robert McLaren and
Edward C. Glen, only son of Mr.
and Mrs. William Glen, Stanley
Township, took place at Ivanhoe
Farm, Hensall, on Jan, 3 at high
noon.
75 YEARS AGO
Wednesday, Dec. 23, 1896
Heart Disease Relieved in 30
Minutes — Dr. Agnew's cure for
the heart gives perfect relief in
all cases of Organic or
Sympathetic Heart disease in 30
minutes, and speedily effects a
cure. It is a peerless remedy for
Palpitation, Shortness of Breath,
Smothering spells, Pain in the
Left Side and all symptoms of a
diseased head. One dose
convinces.
The children of St, Paul's S.
S., will have a supper in the
school robin on next Monday
evening at 6 o'clock. Froth that
time until 8 o'clock they Will
amuse themselves with games
and amusements, when IVIr.
Brewer has kindly consented to
give them one of his entertaining
half-hours with the magic
lantern,
Christmas is bright with hope The ghosts of Christmas past
Editor.