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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1973-05-31, Page 44...C1,0111701N MOWS-RECORD, TilitilAPAY, MAY 41, 1913 Editorial comment Onwatched children and water don't mix Formula for tragedy; take children near water and turn your back for a moment. These words may sound all too familiar: "When I looked back my two- year old son was gone, The wind had carried his red and white beach ball some fifty or sixty feet pasethe markers. The shore was full of children, but noinot Michael. I ran to the water's edge. Frantic, I yelled for help. A crowd gathered. Someone shouted 'There he ist' and an arm's length from shore was the motionless body of my son. A lifeguard dashed through the crowd and gave mouth-to-mouth respiration. After what seemed like a century of night- marish waiting, Michael coughed up water and began to cry," Formula for tragedy: take children near water and turn your back for a moment. The formula works. There is a way to prevent this kind of horror. There is a formula for an en- joyable day at the beach: vigilance, more vigilance, and constant caution. Brian Paterson, Director of the Canadian Red Cross Water Safety Service in On- tario has this sound advice: "Supervise stare at -- paste your eyes on -- small children and non- swimmers of any age whenever they are in or near the water. Even in supervised areas guard your children yourself. "If you take family picnics in unsuper- vised areas, or go to a cottage, always check the water and the shore very carefully for broken glass, sharp rocks or holes. Throw twigs in the water to see if there is a strong current. "Swimming lessons under a Red Cross Water Safety instructor will give your child safety knowledge as well as swimming techniques. The badges he earns for the different levels are a challenge to acquire more training." During Water Safety Week, June 3 to 9, and all summer long, remember the formula for an enjoyable day: vigilance more vigilance and constant caution. It won't spoil your day. The high cost of food A new water hazard "Here's something in the price-range you mentioned." we get letters In the last year concern has steadily grown over the high cost of food. Recen- tly housewives boycotted meat for a week in both the U.S. and Canada. Food producers from farmers to supermarkets including manufacturers, claim to be in- nocent of profit. Where has the money gone? On a recent radio interview program, a representative from one of the meat processing companies revealed that despite increased costs in labour, machinery arid other things, profits for his company had gone up steadily in recent years thereby benefiting the shareholders. A research professor interviewed suggested the only permanent solution to increasing food costs is to quit lum- ping food with other consumer products operating on the profit principle. Quality, he said, should be the first consideration of all involved, from grower through to retailer. He suggksted governments may have to buy into food companies to exer- cise control, phasing out unnecessary packaging as well as unnecessary preservatives used in the industry which are not conducive to good health, may be harmful, and add to the cost of production. Those engaged in the food field would have to be compensated for their work but should not expect to make large profits at public expense. It is certainly an encouraging idea. We just might get a return to what was once called "good wholesome food" with a lot more nutrition to it than we get now. Modern chemistry has made possible thia doctoring of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as'processed foods to the extent that we may be eating half- rotten foods and never know it. Con- sumer groups might urge the govern- ment to get a new perspective on food, collaborating with environmentalists, the medical profession, as well as growers and processors for more healthful and cheaper food in Canada. (Contributed) Smiley suddenly aged second class Mail registration number — 0817 'SUBSCRIPTION RATES; (in advance) tAilada, $8.00 per year; U.S.A., $9.50 rHE CLINTON VIEW ERA Amalgamated THE HURON NEWS-RECORD Established 1865 1824 Estiblishicl 1881 Clinton News-Record A member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association, Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association and the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ARC) Published every Thursday at the heart of Huron County' Clinton, Ontario Population 3,476 THE HOME OP RADAR IN CANADA ' JAMES E. FITZGERALO--Editor J. HOWARD AITKEN — General Manager One minute you are a Dad, in your prime, just a broth of a boy taking a breather after raising a family. The next, you are a Grandad, doddering, heading into the lean and slip- pered pantaloon stage. That's what happened to me this week. Over the phone, long-distance, a familiar and dear voice asked with a giggle, "Hi, Dad; how'd you like to be a grandfather?" Immediate reaction was, "Oh, no!" Followed at once, as I realized the enormity of my mistake, by, "Oh, yes!. Great!" The kid then talked to her mother, but for some reason, didn't mention the main item on the agenda. She left that to, me. When I'd picked the Old Lady off the floor, fanned her back into consciousness, and wiped away the tears, the whole thing struck me in its bleak truth. Here we were. Not even mid- dle-aged, except by the calen- dar. My wife still attracts whistles. I still have an eye for a thigh at the beach. And we're about to be plunged back into a World of bottles and nappies and colic and constipation and talcum powder. At first it seemed as though someone was playing a prat' tidal joke. But fortunately, the resilience of human nature tame into play and we bounced back to not only acceptance, but anticipation, "That girl should be right here with me." announced her mother. "If she's as sick as I always Was And wee she aickl She threw up every day, all day, until you could See the insides of her heels. This lasted kit *boa four Months, with MIA of them. It runt in the family. Her mother was the same. • I used to bring my wife tea, and soup, cold drinks and hot, and everything came up. You'd think the babies would appear looking like something out of Belsen or Buchenwald. But then she'd settle down, eat like a hyena for three months, and produce a little fatso. However, maybe the child will escape this. Modern girls don't seem to do anything the way their mothers did. Last night she was eating beef as though the last steer .in the world had been slaughtered, and today she was out raking the lawn. Anyway, I'm now looking at the positive side, I can hardly wait for the kid to arrive. I've been watching the television commercials for those disposable diapers, and am keen to have a go at them, I've told everybody so often about how I won the war prac- tically singlehanded that all I get now when I casually men- tion the Normandy campaign and the Falaise Gap is a rolling of eyes, which then become ut- terly apathetic, }ere comes a new listener. And then there are the bed- time stories., There's nothing finer hi life than to blow and burble in the stomach of a fresh-bathed child, bundle it into its nightwear, then launch into a story, with its eyes wide, the occasional chuckle, then the eyelids falling and the gentle breathing of deep sleep. So I must dust off some of rriy dandies, They were a Mix, hi , re of Mowgli and Tartati ario Kea the Snake and Munkle- Uncle-I./Inky, the oldest and wisest monkey in the whole jungle. They might have been a little confusing to the adults who had read the books, but the kids loved them. Geography got a bit mixed. Tigers turned up in 'Africa, and gorillas in India, but nobody cared. Sometime I must tell you about how Mowgli, the wolf boy, after seeking the advice of Munkle-Unkle-Unky, scattered a band of marauding elephants by swinging through the tree- tops and sprinkling the ground with thumb-tacks. It was a real gas to see those elephants hop- ping around on two feet, trying to pick out thumbtacks from the other feet with their trunks. Then there's going to be the fun of teaching the little blighter all sorts of things. If it's a boy, teach him to fish and swim, If it's a girl, I'll teach her to swim and fish. Their grannie can teach them all the other things, everything from playing Mozart sonatas to making out the income tax return. She's much better at practically everything than I. So she says, anyway. Maybe it'll be twins, I have a vision of the Old Lady and me, she sitting with the boy on het lap, I with the girl on mine, burping them on a Saturday night while their mother is out 'on the town. One thing worries me. What kind of a world is the little stranger going to grow up in? I hope the general outlook im- proves by about 300 per cent in the next ten years, or it's hot going to be a pretty place to be young in, There's only seven and a half months to go, Wouldn't it be a real bummer, after I've ad- justed so well. and made all these plans, if it turned out to be a false alarm? A reader of this column who is a fellow lover of small sailing boats has sent me a newspaper clipping of nearly 10 years ago with this paragraph underlined in red pencil; "If the trend con- tinges the day isn't far off when we'll have nautical traffic cops in control of boating for pleasure and every quiet cove and waterway will know the menace of the sea-going Sun- day driver." Not bad, if I say so myself, as a bit of insignificant prophecy, for my prediction has come all too true. All across Canada the authorities are cracking down on dangerous drivers behin I the. Wheels of the water-born version of hot rods. The war- nings are falling to right and left that the summer ahead could be our grimmest year in drowning casualties. The "trend" that I wrote about 10 years ago is more than that now. Pleasure boating has gone through a revolution because of the improvements and the stepped-up horsepower potential of the outboard 10 YEARS AGO May 30, 1963 It will be "hi, ho, come to the fair" this weekend in Clinton, and judging from the amount of work the directors and of- ficials of the Central Huron Agriculture Society have been putting in, it should be one of the better ones staged in town. Sunday was a "red-letter" day in the life of Wesley-Willis United Church, In the morning, the congregation marked the church anniversary and then in the evening witnessed one of their young members, Donald R. Cornish being licensed to preach in the United Church of Canada. In a move directly contrary to an earlier announcement, councillor George Wonch stated this week he has decided not to resign from his seat on Clinton council. 15 YEARS AGO May 29, 1958 Strange animals are about Lorne Jervis shot a por- cupine in-the backyard of his home at R.R. 3, Clinton The animal was grey with white quills, large eyes and heavy padded feet The porcupine is not very common in these parts, Many track and field cham- pions were discovered cluiing the Field Day competitions held by Clinton District Collegiate Institute, Boys' champions were; seniors, Clayton Groves, with 25 points; intermediates, Grahli McDon- nell, 14; juniors, David Naish, 28 and juveniles, Donald Elliott, 18. Girls' champions are: senior, Marion Turner; in- termediates, Jean Booth; junior Carob Oattinger, Russell R. Holmes was dee- tett president of the Clinton Lions Club, Vice-presidents are J.B. TVIeneies, Miteheal McAdams and William MOJA; treasurer, F.B. Pehuebaker; Lion tamer, Leslie Hall; tail twister, Hugh Hawkins; motor. Go to any marina on salt water or fresh water and you will see gigantic parking lots for souped-up water-bugs, frail plastic hulls propelled at speeds that are bound to make a few widows ere the summer ends. The grand old sport of boating has clearly fallen on evil times. Certainly the prospect of traffic patrols, some already in operation, is cause for gloom. Ordinarily I'd concede that anything that attracts people into the sun and to the water playgrounds with which this country is blessed would automatically be. e' good 'thing.' But even a cursory 'ire- vestigation' reveals that the great majority of the new boat- ownere are novices who have the joys of yachting all mixed up with ' a desire for more knots-per-hour than the next one, It is not so much recklessness or thoughtlessness that have caused the police to move in. It is more a blissful unawareness that even protected waters secretary, John Livermore; directors, Herb Bridle and John Anstett. 25 YEARS AGO May 29, 1948 Fifteen war veterans with one or more children have been leased local "war-time" houses by Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Crown-owned company which operates them. Of the fifteen men, nine are Clintonians and the remaining six are members of R.C.A.F. Station, Clinton. The Clinton group consists of the following: Kenneth W, Coiquhoun (the first man, an R.C.A,F. fighter veteran, to secure a house); Elliott Bar- tliff; Richard Dixon; Donald Colquhoun; Thomas O'Con- nell; Joseph Murphy; Arthur Woodcock; Jack Stein (Bell Telephone London); Wilfred Denomme. Gliddon's Press Shop has moved to a new modern shop on King Street, east side, south of Wesley-Willis Church. 40 YEARS AGO June 1, 1933 A very severe storm just before one o'clock on Monday had its centre in the vicinity of Stapleton. On Bert Gibbings farm, the old frame building formerly used by the salt manufacturers was blown down. The building was old, of course, but it was a solid frame structure and had weathered many a storm in the past. The hail also did considerable damage oh the Gibbings' farm, cutting the tender leaves from the alfalfa until the field looked like a field ofstubble, The local boys have begun to practise lacrosse. The A,Y,P.A. of St. James, Middleton, St. John's, Varna and Trinity Church, Bayfield, enjoyed a banquet in the Town Hall, Bayfield on Friday May 26th, Taking part in the program were Mies Ethel Cook, Hoes Middleton, Carl Clayton Elliott, Mies Lucy demand respect if they're to be enjoyed safely. The idea, encouraged by some of the motor and boat manufacturers, that taking to the water is just as simple as taking to the open road is, I fear, lining up some highly likely candidates for Davey Jones' Locker. The simple fact is that the potential of excessive speed, which is threatening to make boating a pursuit of thrills in- stead of a. pursuit of relaxation, can turn the grandest of pleasures into a fatal one, as we saw only too graphically last summer. The ,present discm4nary action and the . warnings: are' prelude to a wider recognition of that. To those who've never owned a boat before and are contemplating buying one I'd tell them to look for comfort, seaworthiness and reliability and to forget all about how fast she'll go. I'd tell them to look at every boat in terms of what will hap- pen to her if she hits a Woods, Miss Nina Heard, Stewart Middleton, Miss Marion Forbes, E.W. Patchell, Wm. Cameron and Rev. F.H. Paull. 55 YEARS AGO May 30, 1918 ' A recent provincial order-in- council increases the fees of county constables. The order provides that county constables will receive $2.50 a day for at- tending high and county court sessions and $2 a day for atten- dance at county magistrate's courts. This is an increase of 50 cents a day for each court. In future the fee for serving sum- mons will be 50 cents for the service of each document in- stead of 25 cents, the present charge made by county con- stables. William Moon had a hog delivered to him by Mr. Taylor the other day which tipped the scales at 690 pounds and for which he paid the handsome price of $117.30. Don't let anyone say it doesn't pay to raise hogs. 75 YEARS AGO May 27, 1898 S,S, Cooper completed his work in connection with the new Doherty factory yesterday. There were about 30 full working days, making allowance for wet weather, oc- deadhead or runs into those surprisingly sudden and unex- pected storms that so often hit the most serene of waterways. I'd urge them particularly to investigate the small and reasonably-priced sailing boats that, with a five-horsepower outboard as auxiliary, seem to me the best of all combinations for those of us with moderate means. Sailing gives what the slap- bang, hang-on-for-your-life bombs can never give. Under canvas, embraced in the whim of the wind, a man gets that affinity with the elements, the .tranquillity and unhurried Invitation to enjoy the sun and the water, the true pleasures of being afloat. Go to any bay where small boats are berthed. Size up the people you see coming and going on craft of all descrip- tions. And you'll find that what I say is true, that there's more fun at five knots than at 30 and that the difference between the water as a gentle friend or a cruel enemy may be determined by the hand on the throttle. cupied in getting the buildings up. The machinery is beginning to arrive and some of it in position. The brick chimney, which is nearly 100 feet high, required nearly 60,000 brick for its completion. Mrs. Pennebaker, of Goderich township, left some rhubarb here on Thursday that beats anything yet grown hereabouts; it was of mammoth proportions. Cantelon and Wallis shipped a lot of hogs on Monday; the price was $4.75 to $4.80; Messrs. Mitchell and Elliott also shipped a car on Wed- nesday afternoon. "When we do it, we do it well" was the motto adopted some time ago for a celebration here, and it has been lived up to for each succeeding event of a similar nature. The obser- vance of the 24th of May here was voted by all who enjoyed it, as a "mighty good show - in fact too much for the money." A number of old Clintooians were here, among them being W. McTaggart and H.R. Sharp, of Toronto; Dr. Newton arid wife, Lucknow; Joe Holmes, Sharon; Jas Rennick, Kincar- dine; George Emerson, Goderich; J.H. Worsell and family, Goderich; Frank Turn- bull, Waterloo, Dear Hell*: "All's well that ends well!" These are my feelings concer- ning our series of Folk • Square Dance Workshops held at St. l3oniface School, Zurich, St. Patrick's School, Dublin, and Northwestern Secondary School, Stratford, There are so many people to thank and I hope that I will miss no one. My appreciation to Sister Louise Lowry, St. Booiface School, Zurich, Mr. Francois Lavictoire and his Ecole Ste Marie Square Dancers, Miss Pat Rowe, South Huron District High School, Exeter, Mr. and Mrs. David Zyluk, Precious Blood School, Exeter, Sister Florence Kelly, St. Patrick's School, Dublin and her class of square dancers, Sister Jean Doyle and her Grade 2 and 3 Folk and Square Dancers, Mr. Peter James, Nor- thwestern Secondary School, Stratford, Mr. Peter Catania, Perth County Board of Education, the Public School Teachers and Stratford Teachers' College Skidents that attended, Mr, Lawrence Mitchell, Professional Square Dance caller, St. Marys, and all the teachers in the Huron- Perth Separate School system. In conclusion, but certainly not least, the communication media, for the fine coverage: Zurich Citizen News, Huron Expositor, Seaforth, Clinton Record, Goderich Signal Star, Exeter Times Advocate, Strat- ford Beacon Herald, London Free Press, Stratford, CJCS Radio, CKNX Radio and Television, CKCO Television, and CFPL Television. Thanks to everyone who heard the call - "To Dance Is To Live", Yours sincerely, J.B. McCarroll, Physical Education Consultant and Public Relations, Huron-Perth Seperete 13,o,erd. Dear Editor: You are cordially invited to attend the Official Opening of our Headquarters. This building was purchased in 1972 and we took occupancy in July. During the past winter it has been renovated to suit our pur- poses. Open House will be from 1 - 5 p.m. on June 9th, 1973, with the official opening ceremonies taking place at 2 p.m. The program will include, besides the official ceremonies, a tour of the buildings, a con- tinuous slide presentation, a tree planting demonstration with the Authority's tree spade, plus other displays and exhibits, Light refreshments will b served. We hope you will be able to attend this Open House to learn more about the Authority's programs and ac- tivities at 175 Thames Rd. West,—(Highway 83) Exeter. Elgin Thompson, Chairman AUSABLE- BAYFIELD CONSERVATIO AUTHORITY Opinions n order that News—Record readers might express their opinions on any topic of public interest, Letters To The Editor are always welcome for publication, But the writers of such letters, as well as all readers, are reminded that the opinions expressed in letters published are not necessarily the opinions held 1:0, The News—Record.