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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1976-02-26, Page 22IT WAS FUN TIME IN CLANDEBOYE — Friday when many neighbours of Mr. and Mrs. James O'Connor dropped in for coffee and to meet with Bill Brady of CFPL radio who was broadcasting his first "Breakfast with Brady" show from their home. Shown above are Mrs. Ken Carter, Henry Crellin, Mrs. Arthur Hodgins and George Simpson. T-A photo PAUL VAN ESBROECK of South Huron District S.S. and Diane Mitchelmore of Goderich DCI shake hands and breathe a sigh of relief, after placing first and second in the Huron District Oddfellows and Rebekahs, United Nations Pilgrimage for Youth public speaking con- test, in Clinton last Friday night. Paul will be on his way to the United Nations in New York, July 21. News-Record photo. WORKMAN'S ALLIS-CHALMERS LET US ENTERTAIN YOU ASee the Three Big New Tractors AThe Unbeatable GLEANER Combines AThe new Air Champ Planter... and Tough New Implements A Entertainment by one of the Allis-Chalmers Eye Opener Girls A Lunch on the House ACome one. Come all. I Workman's Farm Equip., St. Marys and Allis-Chalmers invite you to BRING YOUR FAMILY! To Kirkton-Woodham Community Centre Friday, February 27 at 8:00 p.m. FOR FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT! • Page 2 Times-Advocate, February 26, 1976 Helen Allen to speak at Children's Aid meet Helen Allen, known for her work in the field of Child Welfare adoption through the "To-day's Child" column in many daily and weekly newspapers throughout Ontario, and the "Family Fin- der" television show, will be the guest speaker at this year's annual meeting of the Children's Aid Society of Huron County. Affiliated with the Adoption Co- ordinator's office of the Children's Services Bureau of the Province of Ontario, Miss Allen has been a prominent spokesman on behalf of the older and so-called "unadoptable" child in the province and Canada, and was active in the Vietnam crisis efforts of the province and Ontario's Children's Aid Socieites in 1975. The sixty-fifth annual meeting of the Society will be held in the Board Room of the County Assessment Building, Gloucester Terrace, Goderich on • Thursday , March 4 at 8:00 p.m. The annual The following is a public letter to each member of Council suggesting a way out of the morass in which we presently find ourselves. Dear Councillor: I am using this means of ex- plaining a problem with you so that you will have time to con- sider its impact before a final decision is made, and it must be made, on MARCH 1st. The Town Hall question has proved to be as debilitating an issue as any faced by us this term. It appears to me that there are two distinct sides to the matter. The first, in effect, states that the Town Hall is a mon- sterous piece of architecture with no historical or practical value whatsoever. The building has deteriorated drastically over the past twenty years, and any money spe,nt at this time, and eaesia_lly 11 a time of economic restraint, would be irresponsible if not criminal. Granted, we can't tear it down immediately because we house our police force in the building, but we should be looking around for other quarters and alternative facilities. The second side of the coin runs through the following argument. The building is unique for our Town and represents a time which is lost to us forever. The building, if restored to its original character, would be ar- chitecturally pleasing and func- tional as well, It has character and charm found nowhere else. Government and County opinion has suggested that there is ar- chitectural value in the edifice and that, with careful planning, it reports of the Society will be presented along with the election of the Board of Directors for the year 1976. All residents of the County who are members of the Society are entitled to vote at the annual meeting, and to be nominated for the Board. Membership cards are available at the office of the Society, 46 Gloucester Terrace, Goderich or the office of the Clerk-Treasurer, Court House, Goderich, and may also be ob- tained the evening of the meeting on payment of the annual one dollar fee, The Board of Directores has extended a cordial invitation to all residents of the County to attend the annual meeting, and to avail themselves of an op- portunity of hearing Helen Allen, and the work of the Society in adoption and related children's services activites, can be made functional. As well, government grants are available for financing. Besides, at the moment we have a gift of $11,400 from Ottawa to spend on the building with no obligation from the Town of Exeter to make a financial commitment to the restoration. In addition, there has been a poll conducted which says that, generally, people are 4 to '1, in favour of restoring the 'Old Town Hall'. Undoubtedly, there are points I have missed on both sides, but essentially these are the positive features of both arguments. As Mayor, I see additional, divisive opinions unfolding that will infuriate some of our citizens and divide our Council. For that reason, it is well that we face facts and find a solution that is reasonable, fair and, at the same time, recognizes the honest, divergent opinion in Exeter. The existing situation is ap- pearing like a comic opera: the Property Committee is displeased with the action 'of the Special Committee established by Council and issues a stop-work order. The Special Committee then modifies its plans and ignores the order. Both sides have legitimate cases, but cannot see the worth on the other side, The Special Committee needs capital money to supplement the labour funds that have been provided, but Council can commit only $2,500 (ap- proximately) because of the economic restraints facing us now. We are at a point when reason is gradually being replaced by passion and the accompanying loss of objectivity, What is the answer, then? To remove ourselves from the situation completely might seem like a `cop-out' but we are not competent to supervise any renovation or even take honest, serious issue with the report of the committee. I suggest that we make a five-year agreement with the Exeter & District Heritage. Foundation whereby they pay us $1.00 per year for the building. We, in turn, could rent ac- commodation for one police force from the Foundation for ap- proximately $1,500 a year. With this proposal, we have accomplished three specific goals. We have not ploughed any money into the upkeep of the `derelict' - the general rate- payers should be happy •Secondly- we should'' have satisfied the special committee, because it will be able to proceed with its plans uninterrupted by Council. Lastly, we have demonstrated that although we may not agree with the project, we still encourage a large number of our citizens to un- dertake community betterment on their own. If too much government is bad, more citizen involvement is good. The only arguments to this proposal must be based on pig- headedness and die-hard illogic. I trust that this letter will be received in the spirit in which it was intended. Please come to Council meeting on MARCH 1ST to discuss this proposal. Paul Van Esbroeck of Exeter won the public speaking contest sponsored by the Independent Order of Huron district Odd- fellows and Rebekahs last Friday night at Central Huron Secondary School, Clinton. Paul's prepared speech, a satire on the union of Canada with the United States, made him the zone champion and, won him a trip to the United Nations in New York. The contest is sponsored by the Oddfellows and Rebekahs of North America and is called the Pilgrimage of Youth for the United Nations, So far 54 students from Ontario have won the trip, Once in New York, the students, aged either 16 or 17, from all over North America, are taken on a tour of the U.N. and are met by ambassadors from different countries. The ambassadors present the pro's and cons of the U.N. and each StUdeht is expected (.0 speak to the group about what he has learned and how he feels about the ti N. A winner will be chosen, one from the girls and one from the boys, after all the speeches have The town hall is one of the most impressive buildings, shining white on the outside and inside gleaming with that rich, polished, aromatic cedar woodwork that one sees throughout the country. The clock of the town hall is unique in that it tells the direction of the wind instead of the time. Transportation is easy in Bermuda. If you're daring enough, and most are, you can rent a motor bike to scoot down the many side roads that twist and turn through the island. Should ybu care to travel more luxuriously, and perhaps more safely, you may hire a cab for $7 per person per hour. Each cab driver is a friendly, qualified guide who will make sure you see all the interesting places. If you're holidaying on a shoe string or just want to mix with the natives you can use the excellent bus service to great advantage. Without exception, the drivers are polite and helpful and it's a good way to get to talk with the Bermudians who are the among the friendliest people in the world. The native population is 50,000 and consists mainly of African, British and Portuguese descent. They are about three-fifths black and two-fifths white and none of them hassle the tourists as is done in some other countries. A trip aboard one of the ferries which provide service around Hamilton Harbour is an in- teresting thing to do because it gives you such a good view of the small islands clustered in the harbour and the shore lines of the main island. And something you can't do in Canada is take a ride on William's Bottom Peeper (or any of the many glass bottomed boats) and sightsee out over the coral reefs and over the old tramp steamer deliberately sunk to block the entrance of the harbour during World War I. The beautiful coral in colors of yellow, green and purple withlhe thousands of tropical fish swimming among it is a sight not likely to be forgotten. If you've a mind to, you might clig for ancient and valuable bottles. One man we met said he had dug up several in a few weeks, one valued at $50 and the other around $7. The beaches are superb, especially along the south shore where you can walk for long distances on pink and white sands or climb over the craggy volcanic rocks that jut out into the sea. We ate our box lunch one day in the shelter of one of these been presented in the U.N. Every week throughout the summer, students from different areas in North America will be present at the U.N. - For the past seven years, a winner or runner up in the speeches, has been from Ontario. Runner up in the zone contest was Diane Mitchelmore from Goderich. Her speech was on the "Twins" in her family. He sister arid the family dog. Paul and Diane competed against seven other students from Clinton, Wingham, Exeter, Goderich and Seaforth. Judges were Mrs. Joyce Monteith, Exeter; Mr. Bruce Delbridge,Woodham and Rev. Taylor, Varna. After the contestants presented their five to seven minute prepared speech, they gave a one minute impromptu speech. Paul's impromptu speech was on "My little brother" and Diane's was on "A week at our cottage", These topics were given to the contestants two minutes before they presented them, Last year's zone champion was Lorry York of Clinton. Dear Editor: I was reading about our arena and the financial questions. One. question that bothered me was "Where will the money come from?" What about Exeter? Has council no faith in the people of the town we're so proud of? Why must so much valuable time be spent sending and waiting for replies to loans, grants, etc.? We don't want our taxes to go up because it's convenient to borrow the money. Instead of sitting on their fat behinds wasting precious time writing for these "hand-outs" why not give "the people a chance?" The _arena effects all of the people in the area, be they news media, merchants, organizations, etc. for the fall fair and all the other activities. Without all the' people helping together, the town we're so proud of would just slowly fade away in the sunset and everybody woilld suffer, I feel certain that young and old alike would be only too happy to do their small or large bit to help. The Mennonites don't sit around waiting for replies to letters for loans, grants or a miracle from God. They just roll up their sleeves, accept the problem (no matter how great) and the young and old dig in and get the job done. I like this poem and will pass it on to you, Success is never final, Failure is never fatal, It's courage that counts. I. strongly feel that. romp. r d Exeter have I his rr>lgagr nut ha ., council? Come on council stop looking for "other means" and give us the support and en- couragement we do badly twill and watch us go. Do it now, not next week or next month, There is no limits to fund raising ideas. If the arena roof has to come off and roller skating is permitted then why not have a roll-a-thon? How about three or four open air dances? What could he healthier and more fun? What about being the first in the area and have an Exeter Easter Parade to kick off such a drive? What about a dinner like the one they had for Timmy? Maybe a tag day or corn roasts or a bingo like the one that raised nearly ten thousand dollars in one night for the floor to cover the ice? There is no limit to what the people will do to raise funds for their town. Try having faith in the mustard seed as nothing is impossible, We had faith when we elected you. Have you lost that faith in us? With your help and blessings plus a tremendous amount of hard work on our part, we will be able to give back to our town, its arena, with great pride. Thank you, Albert G regson c.c, Council Mayor Shaw , Like paradise Bermuda has it all! magnificent overhanging rocks when it started 'to rain. The Bermuda Steel Band playing at a nightclub offers a concert that superlatives cannot describe. These colorful young men combine their artistry on steel oil drums that makes for an exciting evening. Completely versatile, they go through a' repertoire of modern and calipso music before ending with the William Tell Overture and The Marriage of Figaro. A standing ovation brings them back many times. The limbo dancers also offer a night of enterainment not common in our part of the world, Bermuda packs into its small size a surprising number of things to do and see, and while it takes great pains and pride in preserving the past, it also provides the visitor with com- forts without being overly commercial about it. And it is Beautiful. One of the ladies who joined our table for breakfast one morning looked out past the tropical trees and exotic flowering shrubs to the turquoise sea that changes to emerald, aqua, deep blue and violet, and sighed, "If Paradise is anything like this, it's enough to make you want to walk the straight and narrow!" As The Mayor Sees... Town hall question MEMBERS OF THE HURON PERTH CURLING CONFERENCE championship team are preparing for WOSSA. The lost time SHDHS won the curling championship was 1971. From left to right: Lori Lynn Stewart, RR 1, Kirkton, Diane Hodgert, Woodham, Ted Davies, coach, Laurel Hodgert, Kirkton, Carol and Jayne DOugall, RR '3, Exeter. T-A photo By GWYN WHILSMITH If you're looking for searing daytime sun or hot tropical gayety-filled nights Bermuda is not for you. Not that it doesn't have its nightlife but that isn't part of its scene, really. What beautiful Bermuda offers with its 21 square miles of islands are pleasantly warm days, a relaxed atmosphere in which to rest, play golf on the excellent courses, enjoy a game of tennis on the many courts, or just , meander around on the pic- turesque roads and quaint streets that „remind you of a miniature Britain set in a tropical sea. St. George, situated at the north eastern tip, is one of the oldest English speaking com- munities in our hemisphere and some of the names of its wan- dering streets ring of old London. Shinbone Alley, Featherbed Lane, Printer's Alley and Pet- ticoat Lane speak of the long ago past. You may feel you are frozen in the past as you walk through old St. George enjoying scenes which have remained ' practically itp- changed for over 300 years. There's St. Peter's church, the __oldest .anglican church in the western hemisphere where you can see the priceless silver communion service, a gift from King William III in 1698. This small church is built from the magnificent cedars which the first colonists found flourishing on the islands. The sweet smell of it invades your nostrils as soon as you enter its doors. King's Square is the centre of the town and at least one day a week, the mayor is there to shake „ your hand and welcome you. If you plan it right you can be there on certain designated days to witness the sounding of a cannon proclaiming the hour of noon. This ceremony includes a band and a town cryer all bedecked in colorful costumes. In King's Square, also, you will find replicas of the stocks and pillory where the early mischief makers were sentenced to public humiliation. There, too, is the dunking chair, a device that dunked nagging wives and gossipers into the sea for the looseness of their tongues. Hamilton, the largest town and the capital, is where most of the action is at. Front Street running along the harbour looks like it's been lifted from a picture post card with the pastel colored buildings, their white lime- washed roofs, horsedrawn buggies for tourists and English looking helmeted police. Exeter boy wins contest