HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1976-03-04, Page 4GLASS TREES — hung over the streets of Exeter, Tuesday,
scene on Andrew Street, looking north from James Street,
after the ice storm. The above picture shows the
T-A photo
Can't Do Without Hospitals
The Bachelor Life, Not Bad
is no problem. I can put a load of
socks through the washer. I can
shop better than most men, and
as well as most women. I can run
a vacuum cleaner, do dishes, feed
a cat, make a bed, scrub a sink.
And I can whip up a gourmet
meal with the best of them. Let's
see. Last night it was baked
potatoes, a fat chicken leg, and
artichoke hearts. The potatoes
were crisp-skinned, fluffy inside,
with a big pat of butter drooling
over the edges. The chicken was
so golden outside, tender inside it
would make Colonel Sanders
• weep. The artichoke hearts were
hearty. I'd never had them
before, but with a cheese sauce,
pretty doozy.
Night before it was onion soup
with golden croutons, baked
haddock balls stuffed with
shrimp, asparagus tips swim-
ming in butter, a glass or two of
Beaujolais, a light dessert of
creamy rice pudding with
mandarin oranges and real
coffee with a dash of cognac in it,
Tonight it's going to be
something simple because I'm
writing my column. Perhaps a
little lasagna with meat sauce,
after hors d'oeuvres of fine liver
pate, Camembert cheese, and
smoked oysters on onion thins,
Don't worry. I haven't.gained a
pound in 30 years, unlike some I
could mention. And I would be in
bad shape without a can opener, a
bottle opener, and the frozen food
counter. But I'm not suffering.
And there are other com-
pensations. Last Friday af-
ternoon, I took part in a sym-
posium after work with some of
the chaps, at the Legion Hall. Got
into a few games of shuffle-board
and Russian billiards with some
old students of mine, after all the
hen-pecked husbands had left,
and didn't get out of there until 11
p.m. For some reason, when the
Old Battle-axe is home, I don't
normally do that on a Friday
afternoon.
Late Saturday afternoon, after
watching the Olympics, I went
into the kitchen, looked at two
days' dishes in the sink, said,
"Screw this for a lark," and went
out for dinner. Then I went to a
truly dreadful show called The
Gunfighter, which my wife
Wouldn't be caught dead at. I
loved it. I've loved westerns since
I was eight. Got home about 11
p.m., made a big pot of tea and a
sandwich you wouldn't believe
the ingredients of, and watched
not only the late, but the late late,
There certainly are some
bonuses, though I'm running out
of clean shirts, and ironing them
Times Established 1873
Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
C.W.N.A., O.W.N.A. CLASS 'A' and ABC
Published by J. W. Eedy Publicatrons Limited
Editor — Jim Beckett — Advertising Manager
Women's Editor, —Gwyn Whilsmith
Plant Manager — Les Webb
Compolition Manager * Dave Worby
Business Mt:Mager -- Dick Jongkind
Phone 235-1331 kiblished Each Thursday Marrtitio'
at Exeter, ()Atari°
Second Class Mail
Registration Number 6386
Paid h Advance Circulation
September 30, 1975 5,420
Canada $1.00 Pet Year; USA 311.010 SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
4•••••isnmewom
•
TUESDAY'S ICE STORM — caused a lot of problems for many peo-ple. Bob Russell, views the ice coaled steps leading from his parents apartment above Rustelel Electric, T.A photo
March Second Build New Areng.
Government prank will be available to
cover a considerable part of the expenses
although this still will not be nearly enough
to get the job done.
One of the main factors of the success
of campaigning for a new arena will be to
have detailed plans of what will be offered
in the new building.
In these days of tight money and cut-
backs it would be a good idea to proceed
with the concept of building a serviceable.
no frills arena, instead of a larger, more
expensive recreation complex. We believe
this is the way to get support from people
who will be asked to part with some of their
hard-earned money.
A petition taken last week by Alberta
Gregson and Ron Bogart shows there are
quite a few people who are in favor of erec-
ting a new building. These are also people
who have indicated they would financially
support such an undertaking themselves.
With the right combination of organiza-
tion, hard work and enthusiasm it would be
reasonable to assume the community will
readily lend their support behind such an
ambitious project.
We believe that the stoner these works
are put into motion the quicker the young
people of this area will be able to enjoy the
kind of recreational facilities they have
become used to and deserve so much.
It doesn't take a highly priced complex
to accomplish this when a modest, efficient
arena will do the job just fine.
Anti Inflation Program
After hearing many comments and dis-'
cussions over the past few weeks on the
pros and cons of building a new arena in
Exeter, this newspaper feels an obligation,
to endorse the construction of a new facili-
ty.
The demand for recreation facilities.
and in particular a decent hockey rink.
will be increasing every year and we
believe the time will come very shortly
when we will have no other choice but to
beild a new arena.
The old building has been closed
because it doesn't meet government safety
standards and the estimates for its repair
have been put conservatively at around
$50,000. Even in these days of rising infla-
tion this is a considerable sum to be spent,
especially when there is no certainty as to
how long these repairs would last. It's en-
tirely possible that the building could be
made structurally sound for the present
time , . . but it's also possible that the in-
spectors could return next year or the year
after and condemn the building again.
If this happened it would be like pour-
ing all this money for repairs down the
drain.
We believe it would be considerably
cheaper and more practical in the long run
to begin raising funds for a new arena and
to be successful it will take a solid effort
from all of us in Exeter and the surroun-
ding area.
One of the major obstacles facing the
federal government's anti-inflation
program is the unwavering opposition of
most segments of organized labour to the
guidelines and the restraints on contract in-
creases.
It is a dangerous over-simplification to
place the blame for inflation on the
- demands of the unions or on the disastrous
strikes in the post office, or on the Ontario
high school teachers or in the pulp and
paper industry.
But, having issued that disclaimer, we
believe that labour must look to its own
house before too long.Itsinsistence on con-
tracts in excess of 18 per cent annually and
a desire to pursue negotiations as if con-
trols do not exist only serves to isolate
labour into a class within society, such as
exists in Britain today.
I knew things were moving
along too smoothly. Second
grandson nicely launched, and I
was nicely along into my second
week of tranquility as a baby
bachelor.
Each time my daughter adds to
the population explosion, my wife
hustles off to give her a hand "for
a few days." This, I have
discovered, stretches into two
weeks.
But I don't really mind. It's
rather pleasant, baching it, for a
while. Nobody to tell you to get to
bed just when there's a dandy
horror movie coming on. Nobody
to tell you that you are a bum and
a loafer if you sleep in Sunday
morning. Nobody to switch your
favorite cops-and-robbers
program to a lousy medical love
story.
Nobody. Nobody to listen to
your complaints. Nobody to
gossip with. Nobody to make you
lake your pills when your bursitis
is bad. Nobody to cook you a
beautiful egg or make your
favorite dessert. Nobody to put
your cold feet on at night. Nobody
to argue with.
Nobody. I guess that's what's
wrong with being a real bachelor.
Or spinster, Nobody. It must be
grim.
But as I said, a couple of weeks
Frank Miller's challenge to
Clinton Hospital officials to show
him how they could save $800,000
ox' prove to him that he had closed
the wrong 'hospital was an
unresponsible statement for any
Minister of Health to make.
The method behind Miller's
remarks could have been to
provoke a battle between Clinton
and Exeter over which of the two
hospitals should have closed,
rather than have them both
fighting against closing of either
facility.
It's doubtful that this ploy
work although you couldn't
blame the people at Clinton to use
whatever means they can in the
desperate and uphill struggle to
keep their hospital.
Nobody could dispute the
government's efforts to save
money, but when the first thing to
go is essential medical services,
instead of some of the frills the
province has been sinking
millions of dollars into the past
few years, it makes you wonder.
Providing medical services to
sick people surely must be more
important than some of the
following areas the province is
still spending huge sums of
money.
How much money will be spent
is one of the few things I'm a bit
shaky on,
However, secure in the
knowledge that my wife would be
home on the weekend, and able to
devote her usual eighteen hours a
day to my comfort and general
welfare, I was happy.
Then the bolt came. Not out of
the blue. Over the telephone. She
informs me that she is bringing
home company. One Pokey, two
years of perpetual motion. For a
month. Or six weeks. In order to
let my daughter try to get her
year al college, and finish off her
degree work.
My response was immediate, A
roar of: "Holy Old Nelly!" a
longish pause, then, in a very
mild voice, "That'll be nice, dear.
Won't it?" The only response
from her was a chuckle that
would have made Boris Karloff
jealous.and, indeed,* did freeze
my blood.
Then she trilled: "You'll he
able to take him out on his
toboggan every day after work.
And give him his bath every
night, And tell him his bed-time
story. And look after him all day
on weekends, while I have a rest,
Won't that be lovely? I know how
crazy you are about him."
I sputtered "Yabbutt. Yab-
butt," a couple of times and gave
up. Twenty-four hours later, I am
somewhat philosophical about it.
After all, families have to stick
together, don't they. Lots of
grandparents look after their tiny
grandchildren in times of stress:
war. famine, earthquake,
Yabbutt. There's no particular'
war on. Famine is scarcely
stalking the land, And the only
earthquake is the one in
Ouatema'la.
I have a feeling, for the en-
teenth time, that we've been had.
by Kim.
I know Trudeau has three boys,
and I'm younger than he. But,
dammit, he has flunkies, and he's
their father. 'Are there no civil
rights for grandfatherly?
on provincial parks tins year?
What will be the cost of
operating Ontario Place?
Why can't Wintario grants be
used to aid medical services
which certainly must be con-
sidered more important than
cultural or recreational pur-
poses?.
These are just a few of the
questions shocked people are
asking in areas where they have
heard the news their hospitals
are getting the axe,
Some people in the Medical
profession believe the end isn't
over as far as shutting hospitals
clown is concerned.
Ten hospitals have been given
the bad news by Miller that their
services won't be required and
according to one doctor in Exeter
this week, there may be as Ynany
as 17 more on a list to be closed
next year.
Many people in Exeter
breathed a sigh of relief when
they heard that the 10th and last
hospital to be closed this year"
was to he Clinton although I
wonder how people in this
community would have reacted if
it had been South Huron Hospital
that would have to close the doors
in a few weeks,
In Clinton the whole area has
joined in the fight to save their
hospital. A public meeting held
last week drew over 2,000 people
and dozens of other meetings
have been held to see what can be
done to stop Miller's plan.
In Clinton's case, the hospital is
not only important for medical
reasons to the community, but it
is also the largest employer.
Many of the people who could
be out of work for a long time will
undoubtedly be collecting
unemployment benefits.
Thousands of dollars will be spent
paying these people to do nothing
when only a short time before
they were productive wage
earners who had every reason to
believe they were working at
steady jobs, '
I was talking to -a doCtor this
week who was naturally upset
over the recent cutbacks in
Medical care.
Ids opinion was after the
hospitals close there will be
adverse side effects that will
result in a decrease in whatever
medical services are left,
He believes doctors will not
remain in communities where
they have no hospital to refer
their patients.
In most parts of the country
doctors are extremely busy
people, and if even one or two left
a small community, can you
imagine the pressure it would
put on the others who remained?
Doctors now are available only
on an appointment basis and in
many cases they already have all
the pal lents they can look after,
In fact, it's getting to be a
common thing for doctors to have
closed practices where they are
not accepting any more patients.
The same situation applies to
this area.
When you meet people on the
street these days most of the talk
seems to lean towards the arena.
What will our young people do
without a place to play hockey?
When is a decision going to be
made about building a new one?
Why don't we build the complex
now ... because it will be
cheaper in the long:run?
The questions go on and on, and
rightfully so, because recreation
facilities are important,however,
this writer believes that if you
were to consider recreational
facilities important, you would
have to use the word "vital" to
when talking about the servides
provided at a hospital.
In many areas where hospitals
will be closed the residents are
justly worried about what they
will do for 'medical care.
If South Huron Hospital was not
operating you would have to go to
London for hospital treatment
•and in most cases this would be at
the least an annoyance or an
inconvenience. In other less'
frequent instances it would be a
matter of life and death.
The availability of quick at-
tention is one of the most im-
portant reasons why it is
dangerous to have hospitals too
far away.
A recent occurrence in this
area prove's this statement to be
true.
The same doctor I was
referring to previously told of a
man who was working on his car
with the garage door closed.
The result was carbon
monoxide poisoning which
usually results in death or brain
damage, although this mail was
revived because he was able to
get fast attention at South Huron
Hospital.
The doctor stated the victim
could hav,e been "a vegetable" if
he had to be taken the additional
32 miles to London before he
received treatment.
Nobody can predict when in-
stances like this will happen and t
it's certainly impossible to put a
dollar value on human lives.
Numerous other people in this
area will be able to relate stories
of how their lives were saved at
South Huron and these are cer-
tainly people who do not take
hospital facilities for granted.
A few years ago one of the
platforms of the Conservative
government under Bill Davis was
to provide equal opportunities
across the province for anyone
who wanted to get an education.
Now the same government is
taking away the opportunities for
people to get quick medical aid.
Somehow it doesn't seem fair,
especially when there is an ex-
pensive new hospital under
construction right now in Frank
Miller's home riding,
It seems strange to take away
established hospitals from
communities that have been
depending oh (hem for years and
at the same time be spending
money elsewhere increasing
medical services.
Somehow these decisions reek
of political motives Let's hope
not , , because there's another
election just around the corner,
The postal strike and the teachers'
walkout in Toronto, both originally deman-
ding settlements far above the guidelines,
served only to alienate supporters of
labour, to exacerbate relations with other
segments of society and to destroy the
credibility of unions as responsible to the
whole of society,
Canadian social structures are under
severe strain. No segment can set itself up
as the tail that wags the dog. If the tail
feels it deserves priority over all the other-
parts then the operation fragments.
And if the tail insists that if it does not
get what it wants, it will shut down the dog,
then without warning we find ourselves fac-
ing the ravages of New York, Italy and
Great Britain.
The Listowel Banner
I've finally taken the Christmas cards
out of the big glass bowl
where they've been gathering dust
and put them away
I intended to throw them
in the trash can
but on re-reading them
my heart was warmed
all over again
by their wishes
Maybe some of them
were signed hastily
with little thought
but [ think most of them
were sent with love
So I couldn't throw them out
I tied them up with some grocery cord
placed the bundle of love in my desk drawer
where I'll see it every day
I pray
it will help me
keep Christmas in my heart
right through
the year
Things are going too good
Things are going too good, Lord,
I have this uneasy feeling
I'm in the awful quiet of a cyclone's eye
or in the lull before a storm breaks
I tense and wait for something
to crash down on me
smothering me
battering me
killing me
Why can't I accept this serenity
as a gift from you?
Why can't I just let go and enjoy
the harmony surrounding me
at this moment?
Is it because I'm afraid
to trust you
to believe
with the hurting and
bangs of life
there's also joy,
love and blissful quiet?
Help me to understand, Lord,
life is composed of both
Help me to savour
and not waste
this lovely a
interlude
of peace
right
now
I,
50 Years Age
Mr. E. C. Harvey has taken the
agency for the Mutual' Life
Assurance Co. of Canada for St.
Marys and Exeter.
Mr. & Mrs. ,Victor Snell are
moving to Lucan where Mr. Snell
will take over the Ford agency,
About 20 young people gathered
at the home of Mr. & Mrs. E.
Wethey last Friday evening, the
occasion being a surprise for
Miss Helen Wethey who leaves
shortly for Orange, N.J., on
probation as a nurse.
25 Years Ago
Twelve years ago, a prime rib
roast was 25 cents a pound.
• Today, prime rib roasts were
featured in local butcher shops at
89 cents per pound.
A nevi price record for good
grain in Huron County was set
Saturday afternoon when $33 was
paid for the champion bushel of
oats that had been shown at the
1951 Seed Fair by Harry Strang,
RR 1 Hensall,
This week The Times-Advocate
adds news of Lucan and district
to its coverage of the area.
Corespondents are Miss Line
Abbott and Mrs. Clarence Lewis,
RR 2 Penfield.
The roar that rocked UWO's
Thames Hall Saturday night was
made by local fans when the
SHDHS senior boys successfully
defended their WOSSA "B" title
in an exciting match with
Kingsville.
20 Years Ago
Bonnie Doerr was the winnerof
the public speaking contest of
Grade 7 pupils at the Home &
School meeting. She chose for her
subject "Wonders in the World of
Science."
George Shaw of Thames Road
told the T-A he {Mans to press his
court action against the town
over the operation of the dump.
Yeggs, who pried open the safe
of F. A. May & Son early Monday
morning, made off with ap-
proximately $1,500.
10 Years Ago
An Exeter Legion rink made up
of skip Presley Lavier, Glenn
McTavish, Bob Wragg and
Charlie Atthill took top honors in
Saturday's Legion Curling
el at the Exeter Club.
Mrs. Rhude of the Exeter
Pentecostal Church was the
speaker at the World Day of
Prayer service, Friday, at Caven
Presbyterian Church.
Mrs. William Schaefer was
crowned Sorority Sweetheart at
the sorority Valentine dance held
in the Legion Hall, Friday night,