The Huron Expositor, 1995-12-06, Page 11GREGOR CAMPBELL PHOTO
SANTA STOPS IN SEAFORTH - He is really busy these days, but Santa and Mrs. Claus were in town with all the elves
Friday night to help light Seaforth's big Christmas tree on Main Street and do some checking on who has been naughty
and/or nice in preparation for all the tough sledding that will have to be done Christmas Eve.
Santa still commands attention
BY GREGOR CAMPBELL
' Expositor Staff
"You're being paid to sing -
now sing!" a somewhat testy
Mrs. Claus muttered to the
elves while Santa, who had just
arrived, said "Ho, Ito, Ho" and
dispensed candy canes to go
with hot chocolate to a throng
of boys and girls in the lobby
of Town Hall.
This was early Friday
evening in Seaforth and Santa
was on a tight schedule, here
briefly before heading off to
Mitchell for a command perfor-
mance in that town's parade
later that night.
The elves were weary and
young, a bit shy and not accus-
tomed to spgn.laneously
breaking into song, no matter
what the season, in public
places. ,
It had started to storm and
the temperature was dropping
fast, with the roads turning into
one big sheet of ice in
Seaforth. Things were a wee
bit harried and disorganized, an
extention cord was missing,
nobody knew exactly where
they were supposed to be or
do, and the elves had to be
prodded into the spirit of
things.
Sometimes Mrs., Claus just
has to take the bull by the
horns and gel things organized
at this time of year.
Somebody's got to do it. .
Santa and his jolly red
retinue were only here briefly
to help officially light the big
Christmas tree on Main Street
and help with the wagon rides
Ag budget trimmed
The Ontario government has
trimmed its' agriculture budget
by another $13.1 -million,
which will affect mainly farm
safety, net programs and en-
courage "more self-reliarice" by
fanners according to Agricul-
ture Minister Noble Villeneuve.
He made the announcement
to about 300 growers at a
soybean conference at Chatham
Friday.
The minister said no
programs were axed and the
agriculture department has
taken a proportionately smaller
hit than other ministries in the
government's recent deficit -
fighting belt -tightening.
The agriculture department's
$438 -million budget took
another S13 -million hit five
months ago, he said, but for
the "ministry to be part of the
solution" farrncrs have to
prepare for the well running
dry.
"And, that may be closer
than we think," Villeneuve
said.
"The over-all intent is to help
farmers prepare for times
ahead, for lower crop prices
and for when federal and
provincial governments will
have actually no money to
contribute to safety nets."
He said when this day might
come is "very tough to predict"
and depends on "the
availability of public dollars."
Last July's citts were also
detailed by the !minister: 120
people will lose( their jobs at
tits ministry o, agriculture,
food and rural affairs. Five
field offices will close and four
others will be amalgamated or
move.
and carol singing, put on by
the local business improvement
association.
They couldn't put the cus-
tomary big real Christras tree
in front of Town Hall this year
because it would have blocked
access to the 'new OPP station.
But that didn't stop the creative
types at the Seaforth Works
Department, who fashioned a
large phoney tree for the lawn
across the street. it blew over
in the high winds late Monday
night or early Tuesday morning
a week ago, but the boys had it
up again and ready to roll first
thing the next morning before
anybody was the wiser.
The wide-eyed kids couldn't
have cared less where the tree
was Friday. They had, come to
sec Santa, and as ugual the
jolly rotund fellow did not
disappoint.
Try as they might, the elves
couldn't get the children's
attention and convince anyone
to cross the street for the of-
ficial countdown before the
tree burst into' light at 6:30,
until Santa himself suggested
it.
Kids will do pretty well
anything Santa says at this time
of year.
Sure enough, everyone was
across the street before you
could say "Dancer, Donner and
Blitzcn," in no time Ilat.
It was getting a wee bit nippy
out so Mrs. Claus had to grab
her coat. Santa brought his box
of candy canes, for any small
stragglers.
At a signal from the Town
Hall steps the countdown went
like clockwork and the tree got
lit.
The elves found the fresh air
bracing and were by now a bit
more bouncy and pepped up,
so then led the children on a
charge to the big old wagon
nearby, complete with bales of
straw where, after a bit of
good-natured jostling, everyone
found a place to sit.
Santa and Mrs. Claus were
abandoned so had a brief
moment to themselves, still
over at the tree, before coming
over to see the packed wagon
off.
"Mr. Christmas!" the father
of a large and happy area
Mennonite family, relatively
new to this country, shouted -
and a slightly -startled Santa
found himself once again cap-
tured for posterity by the lens
of a point -and -shoot.
Then the local newspaper guy
had to get into the act with his
bigger camera, getting the
littler ones to the front and
posing everyone he could get
into a picture for the paper on
the steps of the hay wagon,
with Santa as the star of the
show, front and centre, and
everyone saying "Merry
Christmas" on the count of
three.
That out of the way, things
were starting to rock as the
wagon, which was by now
chalk full of children, got ready
to roll.
While Santa waved goodbye
to the wagon -load, the.
newspaper guy asked what his
odds were of finding a Mer-
cedes and hot tub under the
tree on Christmas mom.
"Have you been good?"
Santa asked. "We'll sec what
we can do."
Then off into the dark
December night the wagon
disappeared.
But you could hear it around
the corner in the distance, filled
with little voices, the elves by
now as merry as anybody,
belting out and leading the
chorus of familiar tunes with
good, old-fashioned Huron
County gusto.
HENSALL
SHUFFLEBOARD
( results Nov. 28 )
6 -game winners:
Jim Davis, 506;
Hazel McEwan, 487;
Russell Ferguson, 397;
Isabelle Rogerson, 385;
Dave Woodward, 379;
Lome Archer, 377;
Pat Davis,; 374;
Dean Gibson, 368.
(PLEASE NOTE: No
shuffling second week of
December.)
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, December s. 1995-11
Blyth paper ups rates
The North Huron Citizen has
raised its subscription rates by
$2 for subscribers within a 60 -
km radius of Brussels, where
the main office of . the
newspaper is located.
Publisher Keith Roulston says
the end of century -old federal
government subsidies on postal
rates for community papers is
the reason, because The Citizen
"can't absorb the increased cost
without putting its future in
jeopardy. '
Clinton cats roam free
Cats can cc ntinue to roam
free in Clinton after council
defeated a feline control bylaw
at a November meeting.
In discussion leading to the
vote, Deputy -Reeve Ron
McKay said that if 100 cats
were trapped and the cost' to
the town was an estimated
$100 each, the total cost would
be $10,000.
"Who's smart enough to
come up with a method to raise
the funds? "he asked.
If you wish to secure a
lifetime income from
an RRSP
or are interested in other RRSP
investments at very competitive
rates, call
Arnold J. Stinnlssen
527-0410.
Sun Life
WEST WAWANOSH MUTUAL
INSURANCE COMPANY
Dungannon, Ontario
INSURANCE FOR FARM, RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL & AUTO
YOUR LOCAL AGENTS
Frank Foran, Ludmow 528-3824
Lyons & Mulhem, Insurance Broker Ltd.
Godedch, 524-2664
Donald R, Simpson;
Ripley, 395-5362
Chapman Graham & Assoc.
Owen Sound, 376-1774
Delmar Sproul, Auburn529-7273
' Cfintorl 4823434''
City Insurance Offices Limited
Sarnia, 383-0044
Kenneth MacLean, Paisley, 368-7537
McMaster Siemon Insurance
Brokers Inc. Mitchell, 348-9150
John Nixon, Brussels, 887-9417
P.A. Roy Insurance Brokers
Clinton, 482-9357
Banter, MacEwan, Feagan Insuranpe
Goderich, 524-8376
Georgian Bay Insurance Brokers,
Owen Sound 378-4049
Miller Insurance Brokers,
Kincardine, 3983465
Chapman Graham Insurance Brokers
Walkerton, 881-0611
Orr Insurance Brokers Inc
Stratford, 2- l 4340
'NEIGHBOUR HELPING NEIGHBOUR" SINCE, 1.R%'
SDCC HOCKEY POOL '95/96
NOVEMBER LEADER
Primetime 01 - Tony Greidanus
Seaforth
Set of Hockey Cards
Prize donated by
ARCHIE'S SERVICE Centre
Random Draw Winner
Randy Whtte - Brussels
Prize donated by
PIZZA TRAIN
Seaforth & District
Community Centres
HOCKEY
POOL '95
RANK STANDINGS Pts.
(as of Nov. 30/95)
Primetime I (monWy leader) 364
362
362
380
360
358
357
357
357
353
352
352
352
348
348
347
347
347
346
346
346
345
345
345
345
344
344
342
341
340
340
340
338
338
338
337
337
337
337
336
335
335
335
335
334
334
333
331
331
331
1.
2. Bach I
3. Yzerman
4, Dale Kennedy 2
5. Gull
6. Bob Henderson
7. G&DTII
8. John Wilson
9. Key. C. I
10. Bob McNaughton #3
11. Billy Boy (3)
12. Doug Small
13. T.N.L. 09
14. Brett 2
15. Leafs=Cup#2
16. G&DII
17. Pens I
18. Tammy Martens
19. Couch Potato 3
20. M.H.R.R. + S II
21. T.O. 01
22. C.M.M.S.F.
23. Dutch Trio I
24. Hammer Them I
25. Mouse I
26. Angel Two
27. Roy's Raiders
28. Cooner #2
29. Bob Wilson
30. Habs Miss Playoffs
31. M.H.R.R. + S I
32. Regan
33. Marty Bedard
34. Randy Whlgham
35. Rip M.
36. Billy Boy (2)
37. G&DI
38, Glen Carter
39. Ice Hogs
40. Ault's Milk Men 03
41. Gary Hestesi ll
42. Leafs + Cup #1
43. Team Electric
44. Trevor Price - 1
45. Cooner #1
46. Knight's
47. First Place
48. NANA II
49. Pens Rule
50. Stormin Norman
This ad sponsored by
1g¢Clt[B 6
Service Centre
527-0881
24 Goderich St. E., Seaforth
HUDSON'S OF STRATFORD
Thank -you to the hundreds of
you who came through our
doors and made our
Open House so successful...
Our NO GST / NO PST sale
struck a nerveand until
Christmas Eve there will be
NO GST / NO PST on
everything in Ladies' and
Men's Fashions and our
Furniture departments.
ALSO - NO t
(lit , \1)1)Iiances and Home Entertainment!!!
(We're fed up with taxes too!)
Hudson's 141 Downie St. Stratford 271-9520