The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1968-12-12, Page 4The first attempt by a resident of
Centralia's. Huron Park to become a
member of the Stephen Township
Council failed in the municipality's
elections last week,
Joseph "Robbie" Robichaud, the
Industrial Park's. Fire Chief was the
candidate and was defeated by the
incumbent slate of council meMbers,
Surprisingly enough, Robichaud
received some support from all corners
of the township and failure of eligible
voters at Huron Park to exercise their
franchise was one of the reasons for his
defeat.
He gained 110 votes from the 117
that cast ballots at the Huron Park
polling station and picked up 205 more
from the balance of the municipality,
The fact that most residents of the
Centralia complex are fairly new was
blamed for the small turnout of 117
from an eligible voters' list of 445.
With, the entry of Robichaud in the
recent election, Stephen officials are
now aware of the interest in municipal
affaits by Huron Park residents and
industry at the Industrial Park,
At the nomination meeting a few
weeks ago, Robichaud said he was
attempting to create a link between the
farmer and industrial development.
In the near future, a good portion
of the Stephen tax dollar will be coming
from the converted Canadian Forces
Base and the housing complex. It would
be expected another representative from
Huron Park will be in the running when
nomination time rolls around in the fall
of 1970.
We would hope that in the next try
at municipal politics by a Huron Park
candidate, residents of that area get
behind him and show they are interested
in the affairs of the community,
This continued lack of interest is
bringing regional government that much
closer to reality.
Please, dim those headlights
It's a beautiful time of year. The
fluffy blanket of snow which has fallen
in the past few days adds just the right
touch to this Christmas season.
It's a treacherous time of year.
Though highway crews keep the roads
clean and safe for winter travel, there is
the natural hazard of early dusk on top
of monotonous snow.
Motorists are well advised to be
especially alert during the winter
months. Miles and miles of colorless
landscape can cast an hypnotic spell on
drivers without their knowledge.
Of special concern is the darkness
which lifts late in the morning and falls
early in the evening. Lights on motor
vehicles are ablaze for more hours each
day. Often motorists seem more careless
now about dimming. those headlights,
because they have been lulled into a
completely relaxed state by the snow
and the darkness and the oncoming
traffic.
The highway traffic act makes it
compulsory to dim headlights 500-feet
before meeting another car or 200-feet
before overtaking a car, unless passing.
In other words, it is an offence against
the law not to dim headlights.
Let's all be more considerate this
winter and all year long. Please, dim
those headlights.
Guards fall at Christmas
At this time of giving and getting,
the best gift of all is Christmas itself. For
a few brief days we shed the coat of
cynicism and dare to be ourselves. What
is deep in our hearts, comes to the
surface.
Perhaps the world of steel girders,
roaring traffic, flashing lights and
pushbutton controls accounts for our
fear of any sort of sentiment. Though we
come in constant contact with masses of
people, and can summon every corner of
the globe with a turn of the television
knob, psychiatrists see our core personal
problem is a sense of isolation and
loneliness. We are afraid to open the
barriers we erect about ourselves and let
others in.
Witness how, on those occasions
when we do give voice to faith or trust
or affection, we preface them with
dodgy phrases. "I don't want to seem
maudlin. Maybe it's old-age creeping, up,
I know this sounds square."
At Christmas we can drop the
guards as we let our hands, lips and pens
communicate the goodwill and empathy
that usually struggle below the surface,
strangely muzzled.
In this short season of beauty, we
listen to the carols, send out greeting
cards winged with grateful memories,
dwell again on the age-old story of
earth's renewal through a Babe whose
advent brings a breath of hope and
healing to a hard-boiled, ailing world.
GODERICH SIGNAL STAR
My Christmas Carols
6€4a0 ette4geeita Amy
To the Ratepayers
of Grand Bend
Sincere thanks to
those who support-
ed me and also to
each and everyone
who came out to
vote. Special thanks
to those who
worked and assisted
my return to office.
SEASON'S
GREETINGS
ORV WASSMANN
REEVE OF GRAND BEND
class
community iter;,spaFibtl
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Times Established 101 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924
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Paid in Advance dirculation,
September 30, 1968, 4,520
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9
111
IOCG
ciAntique More
and Corti illuseunt
•Antiques Of All
Descriptions Available
IDEAL CHRISTMAS GIFTS
• Clock Restoring Centre
• Complete Recaning
Service for chairs and
benches INCLUDING GERMAN RUSH
MAIN ST." CREDITON
(2 Doors East of the Bank of Montreal)
WINTER HOURS
Noon to 9:00 p.m. Saturdays & Sundays
•
0
0
0
11E10121M0I I 1 i i 01
SEPARATE' SCHOOL
OF .HURON 'COUNTY
A lack of :municipal .interest
I love to sing. Just as some
crows do. Have you ever stopped
and felt a pang of pity for that
crow who was trying to get a
little vibratto into his
"Caw-aw-aw"? I have. I know
exactly how he feels.
There are strong, rugged men
throughout the British
Commonwealth today who turn
pale and shudder every time
they remember my trying to get
through such intricate melodies
as Knees Up, Mother Brown, or
There Was An Old Monk of
Great Renown.
There are tenors and altos
and sopranos and contraltos, and
all sorts of other singers. I sing
bass.
As a lover of singing, and the
possessor of a bass voice. I am
particularly obnoxious at
pre-Christmas parties where
everyone, after a few belts of
Christmas was gdini, lo turn into
orange juice or something, start
warbling beautiful descants to
the carols.
I just caw away at them, and
they all come out sounding
much the same. Good King
Wenceslaus comes roaring out on
a Silent Night, decks the Herald
Angels with Bows of Holly and
goes back in for another bash at
the wassail bowl.
After a lot of thought, I've
decided that it's the words that
are wrong, not my voice. I know
the first line of all the great
carols and Christmas songs, but
after that, I just sing, "Ho Ho
Ho and Yah Yah Yah and
Something Nice and Something
Else."
New words; that's what we
need. We must remember that
these lovely carols were written,
for the most part, by people
who didn't . realize that
the biggest cash-register-ringing
season of the year.
They were monks and priests
and reverends and musicians
who thought that Christmas was
a time of joy. They weren't with
it. They didn't even know that
the turkey was a sacred bird.
They didn't know that an
atom-bomb toy was just the
thing to make sparkle the eyes
of your little boy. Or that a
necklace of real pearl was just
the thing to make sparkle the
eyes of your big girl.
And that's why I decided our
carols and Christmas ditties had
to be brought up to date, with
words that relate to the 1960's.
Thus, we'll remember the words
better, and won't have to fill in
with stuff like, "Di Do Dee Dah
Dee Dum Dum."
These songs are both sacred
and secular. But enter into the
spirit and you'll see how
Exeter council's decision to
bypass Cpl. Harry VanBergen for
the chiefs position will be
difficult for some local residents
to understand, and the actual
reasons why the veteran of the
local force wasn't given a chance
at the job will probably never be
known because council chose to
hide behind closed doors to
make their decision.
They may argue with our use
of the word "closed", but there
is little else one can use to
describe it when in fact they
held a meeting on other than a
regular night and didn't inform
the press or the public that the
meeting was taking place.
Obviously, there are matters
discussed at such meetings that
should not be included in press
reports. However, this news-
paper has always attempted to
cooperate fully with council on
business involving personalities
and there have been few times
when anyone has been able to
charge that a complete
discussion was impossible,...)
because the press was in7.1.
attendance.
There have been numerous
matters in the past few years
that have never made it into
public print and we doubt that
any members of council can
honestly say that because per-
sonalities were being discussed
that it was a legitimate reason
for the press not to be notified
of the meeting.
One member suggested that
last week's meeting was really a
committee meeting, but this was
not the case as the clerk was in
attendance, minutes of the meet-
ing were kept, and in fact many
other important pieces of busi-
ness were discussed and action
taken.
For example, council pur-
chased a new police cruiser at
the meeting and this can not be
considered a trivial piece of
business.
While council members may
well argue that attendance at
nomination meetings may sug-
gest the ratepayers are not
interested in the affairs of the
municipal council, those same
'important the up-dating is. Now,
I haven't the time, energy or
talent to write complete
versions. just give you the
first verse. Then you're on your
own, and the whole family can
join in the game.
All together now. The first is
to the tune of Jingle Bells. From
there on I won't give you a clue.
And don't mind the odd spot
where the stanza has a few extra
words. That's half the fun.
Jungle war, jungle war,
Jungle all the way.
Oh, what fun it is to shop
On a mad December day.
God rest ye merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay.
You'll have your Christmas
bills all paid
By the 24th of May. * *
Good old Stanislaus looked out
At the Czechs all beefin'
And the Russ stood all about
Deep and Crisp and even a
little ashamed of themselves.
* * *
Hark, the Herald's ads all sing,
Big, fat gifts are all the thing.
Don't be seared, to ask for:lots,
Cheaper junk will please the
tots.
* * *
Oh come, all ye faithless,
Hopeless and on acid,
Oh come ye to Yorkville
And worship the grass id.
* *
Deck the dolls with poison ivy
Then you won't be tempted to
Get all warm and sort of live-y
And end up in a cold, domestic
stew.
See what can be done? We
Three Kings of Orient are ,
What rhymes with "are'?
That's right. "Car," not
"Camel," GO to it.
ratepayers still have the basic
right of knowing what council is
doing on their behalf.
We are of the opinion council
has a responsibility to notify the
press when meetings are sched-
uled. * * *
Getting back to our original
statement, we think council
members may have difficulty in
explaining to some people why
Cpl. Harry VanBergen was not
offered the position of chief of
the local force.
In our opinion, Harry has
been the backbone of the local
force for some time now, and it
is interesting to recall that no
member of 'council had any
hesitancy in naming him acting
chief when C. H. MacKenzie was
ill.
Neither did we hear any
council members make any
statements to indicate he failed
to measure up to the responsi-
bilities of the position when in
fact he' was acting as 'chief of
police in this community.
Harry's work with the youth
Of this community has always
placed him in high regard with
most of them, and this could
well be one of the main reasons
why this community experiences
so little trouble with youth.
He's worked with them in
school safety programs and as an
advisor for their Teen Town
organization and we know he
was respected by most of them. * * *
While this matter may be
considered "water under the
bridge", there is every indication
that the move will prove costly
to Exeter ratepayers.
50 YEARS AGO
After four years of war, this
should be a Christmas to be
remembered.
To win the war has been the
absorbing thought of Canadians.
With the coming of peace at the
Christmas season the spirit of
the gladsome holiday might well
permeate every soul.
A memorial service for Pte.
Thomas Brimacombe, who was
killed in action October 31, was
held in Main Street Methodist
Church Sunday evening. Pte.
Brimacombe enlisted with the
149th Battalion. He was overseas
about two years. The official
message of his death reached his
parents on the same day as the
news came that the terms of
armistice had been signed.
Wedding bells rang in.
Greenway last Wednesday when
Rev. S. A. Carriere united in
marriage Miss Maggie Hudson
and Mr. Lorne Finkbeiner of
Shipka and Miss Cora
Stewardson and Mr. George
Bullock of Greenway.
25 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Vernon Heywood has
received word from her husband
AQMS Vernon Heywood that he
is in Italy and is well.
Andrew F. Hess, clerk of Hay
Township, was honored
Thursday evening at a banquet
at the Dominion Hotel. He has
served as Hay Township clerk 25
years, treasurer for 22 years,
sec.-treas. for Zurich village 25
years and sec.-treas. of Hay
Municipal Telephone for 21
years. '
Mr. J. W. Ortwein of Hensall
will celebrate his 94th birthday
at his home on Christmas Day.
Following the, nomination
meeting at Elimville Monday the
municipal council paid tribute to
the retiring rave Petty Piartiore
by entertaining him to dinner at
the Central Hotel, Exeter. A
billfold was presented him by
the newly eleCted reeve Hugh
Berry,
It will result in a four-man
police force and this alone will
add approximately $4,500 more
than this year's police budget.
The new police chief has been
offered the job at a salary
increase of some 20 percent over
that of the present chief and if
this boost is to be passed along
to all other members of the
force, this will add about an-
other $4,000 to the budget.
Council also .approved a mo-
tion that the 1969 council
consider hiking the salary of all
senior officials so they will be in
line with the new police chief,
and if this is done it will add
another $3,000 or $4,000 to the
town's costs in 1969.
That brings the total up to
some $11,000 to $12,000 for
next year and this will be most
difficult to work into a budget
without tax increases. * * *
In conclusion, we trust we
have not inferred that we are
directly opposed to the appoint-
ment of Edward Day as police
chief in Exeter.
This is certainly not our
intention. While we may have
some indirect opposition — as
previously expressed we think
Exeter is most fortunate in
obtaining the services of such a
highly qualified policeman.
Its qualifications are indeed
high and his references are
likewise.
We welcome him to the
community and look forward to
working with him in the impor-
tant job facing him.
15 YEARS AGO
Postage rates on letters will
be raised one cent, effective
April 1 according to an
announcement from Ottawa.
The pupils of Exeter Public
School are showing the real
spirit of Christmas by decorating
the children's ward of South
Huron Hospital.
Miss Joan Ellerington, 1953
SHDHS graduate, was presented
with the FWI scholarship for
attaining the highest standing in
Western Ontario from
Macdonald College, Guelph
where she is now a student.
Over one foot of snow
covered the ground in a sudden
change of the weather Monday.
This was the second heaviest
snowfall for one day recorded at
RCAF Station Centralia during
the past seven years.
10 YEARS AGO
Eighteen inches of snow have
blanketed this area since
Saturday bringing to 38 inches
the total for the past two weeks.
Temperatures, according to
Centralia's Met Section, have
stayed well below 20 degrees.
-Joan E. Thomson, former
SHDHS student and now a
fourth year . student at
Macdonald Institute, Guelph,
was the winner of the Adelaide
Hoodless Memorial Scholarship
for outstanding proficiency in all
phases of her studies during the
first three years of her course.
Over 1,000 toys, repaired and
painted by members of RCAF
Station Centralia's fire
department are being distributed
to Children's Aid Society,
Coderich and orphanages in
London this week.
Council gave approval
Monday night to establishing
four Wards m town instead of
' three,
first
protect
what you
ave!
Safe from fire—Safe from theft—
Safe from all hands but your own—
that's how you should keep your important
documents and other valuables and jewellery.
The place to keep them is in your
own open-only-to-you
Victoria and Grey Safety Deposit Box.
It costs you only $5.00 a year.
VG
TICTORM and GREY
TRUST COMPANY SINCE 188‘
J. D. Cross, Manager
425 Main Street, Exeter
235-0530
Difficult to explain decision