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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1973-08-08, Page 9News of Huronview Blind : 'piano tuner family, move to Clinton nd; John iachan; McCall. utledge; /heeler. Le Hall, ad; Jill mpson, Watt; Peters. lmpions Jacque itcheon; g. Cou. ess and to the xi gusto. but a Is Post locket. ussels The residents were favoured with a second visit this month of the congregation of the Clinton Christian Reform Church as there were five Sundays in July. Mr. Aire Van Der Ende led the song service assisted by Robert DeMoor a student minister of the Church. The "Opportunity for Youth" group, `''The Band"? played their concert in the auditorium on Monday. During the program, Happy Birthday was played for those cele- brating birthdays during the week which included Mrs. Bailey who will be 93. Five new residents were welcomed to the Home, Miss Gilkinson, Miss Bush, Mrs. Coo, Leo Eveland and Henry Godkinson. An event which is looked forward to each summer by all of the residents took place on "Family Night" with the Brussels Legion Pipe Band providing a concert. The band under the direction of Tom McFarlane used the circle driveway and front parking lot as a parade square so that everyone had the advantage of both seeing and hearing the music. There were 2 special numbers during the evening, a highland dance and a bagpipe dret. READ and USE POST CLASSIFIED DIAL DIRECT Elmer's Summer Safety Contest N Working in Clinton and travelt, ling to Guelph every weekend by bus' to see his wife and 12- year-old son, Herbert Sootheran had plenty of time to consider whether he liked his new job tuning pianos enough to uproot his fatnily. Bert, 46, and Helen lived in. Guelph since they were married 16 years ago. Could they start again? - leave familiar surroundings, settle in a new town and a new neighbourhood, make new friends . . Could they make a go of it? Any man would ask himself that. But Bert is blind: He lost, his sight as a boy in Niagara Falls, through an eye infection when he caught the measles. His wife has partial vision. There were other things to consider. Guelph, with a population of 60,000 had public transportation. Clinton, a town .of 3,200 people, did not. How would they get around? And what about shop- ping? They would have to find a place close to the stores. He often thought on those bus trips hciw different conditions are today, particularly the high cost of living. And, when he was 20, he definitely had more nerve. Now, more settled in his, ways, a move would be difficult. Hut did' he have a choice? He had been out of work for over a year. He had a family to support. He, trained as piano tuner at the Ontario School, for the Blind in Brantford. When he graduated in 1946, he travelled around On- tario for five years tuningpianos with a blind friend who did re-' Pairs. A sighted, salesman drove them from town to town and set up jobs for them in piano stores. Many's a time he thought about those days- steady work and good pay. He never forgot one lady whose piano he tuned. She had the police Search him because she misplaced her cheque. Turned out her husband picked it up. When Bert gOt married, he and Helen settled in. Guelph. He soon grew tired of being away from home so much and even- tually gave up tuning pianos on the road. That was 21 years ago. Lately he had been thinking about how hard it had been on the, family since he was laid off his motor packaging job in an elec- trical coMpany. He had worked there Jor 16 years. He never thought he would be out of a job. In 1970 the company decided to move to its other plant inSarnia. Bert was willing to move. His job was protected, under the terms of a union contract with the Guelph plant.' But the Sarnia plant had a' different union which only guaranteed him a 50-50, chance of a job. In the • meantime, with the help of employment officers from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Bert looked around for other employment. He lined up a`job in a manufacturing firm that was willing to hire him when his job terrninted... Word got around he had started this job already and he was laid, off in July "71. He remembered when the manufacturing job fell through too. The company shipped, to the 'United States and when P reSi- dent Nixon levied the excise tax, business was cut in half and Bert was out Of a job. CNIB employment officers spent the next year in every factory in. Guelph and arett in an attempt to find suitable employ- ment. There were no jobs avail- able. In October '72, CNIB heard that a blind piano tuner, employed by Sherlock Manning in Clinton, was retiring. Bert went for an interview. He was hired on a three-month trial basis. During that time he boarded in Clinton and visited hiS family on week- ends. He liked his new job tuning pianos in a factory and the company was so satisfied with his work that, after the assess- ment period, it gave him an in- crease in salary. And then Bert decided. In February,he, Helen and their son moved to Clinton. "It was a big step," says. Bev 'Powell, CNIB ' employment officer. "There were' sacrifices. Both of them were active in the community. Bert was on the employment opportunities com- mittee of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB), an odd turn of events, since .he could not get a job himself. And Helen had to give up a small business sel- ling cosmetics." "We've made a lot of new friends in Clinton," says Bert. "It seems easier in a small town. ' People always stop to say cliello'." Bert has been spending a lot of time fixing up their house. He likes woodworking. He is also ,a ham radio operator. Some nights, he may be in touch with Europe, other nights Australia or Africa. "When we lived in Guelph, I used to talk to a young man in his twenties who worked in a weather station in. Alaska. His family lived in Guelph. At a predesignated time his Dad would come over to talk to his son. I finally met him a year, later." Since the Sootherans have moved to Clinton, they have been back to Guelph twice to visit friends. But Bert has no plans to retire there. "I'll just have to see how things go. If 'we continue to like 'Clinton as much as we do now, we'll probably stay put." 1. E LMER'S 6 RULES Look all Mays be fore street Youo cross the, 2. Keep from between parked cats. 3. and ob Ride your bike safely ey all signs and signals; 4. Play your games in a safe place away from th e street . 5. Walk when you leave the curb. 6. Where there a r e no sidewalks walk on the left side o f the road facing traf The Elmer rule broken here is number. Editor's Quote Book "l'm opposed to million- aires, but it would be danger- ous to offer me the position." —Mark Twain r- Box 1040, Station B, Toronto, Ont. M5T 2T8 1%! HOW TO ENTER 1 Show which Eimer rule is being broken above and colour the picture. 2. Fill out entry form. Print clearly. 3. Cut out along clOtted lines` and mail to address ShoWn. 4. Any Canadian child between 6 and 14 may enter. Ali entries becorrie property Of Eimer the Safety Elephant. Judges deci- sion final. ONTARIO SAFETY •LIEA.01E. NAME ,.3„. 44i1' 11401 ADDRESS ii4 ..... • • • • 41 • .... • .. • ............ h..i (town or city, postal Code) TELEPHONE THE BRUSSELS POST Sinew line of ,Simpliclimq weishers&dryers at MIDFIELD'S HARDWAEg $1741151 BRUSOLS „tilt BRUSSELS • kilt AUGUST 'Si 103.4 ", •