HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1980-10-09, Page 4or
Citizens Now:October 9, 1910
A non -wavering fisherman
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No simple solution
The acknowledgement that alcohol is the major
drug abuse problem in Huron County should not be
viewed as a lesser of two evils problem.
As stared at thepublic meeting held recently un-
der the auspices of the Huron County Council for
Action on Alcohol and other Drugs a change in at-
titude by the adults who have school age children is
necsssary if there is to be any advancement made in
the fight against drug abuse, including alcohol.
On a large scale society as a whole must change
their attitudes towards the use of mood behavioral
drugs.
Too often the public is exposed to opposite ends
of drug use such as the young and healthy people
who cavort on beer commercials or the picture of a
youth who's mental development has been severely
hampered by the over -use of drugs.
There is the middle road where moderate use
of, for example, alcohol helps a person to relax and
to lesson the tensions which life today imposes.
Education is the key, not only in the schools but
outside of the traditional areas of learning.
South Huron District High School teacher Jim
Gladding capsulized the problem in the following
sentence: "When you have a double standard it
makes it difficult to deal with children on the
matter."
The media has a very important role to play in
both the problem and the development of the solu-
tion. Television seems to be the primary
"glorifyer" of alcohol thanks to the beer commer-
cials which invade the household at practically
every hour of the day. On the other hand, the print
media seems to impart a negative attitude towards
drug abuse as the result of the covering of accidents
where drug abuse may have played a factor and in
the court reports which details the abuse of drugs as
viewed by the law.
It's a problem where there is no simple answer
but where an answer mustbe found.
Regional force worth looking at
The suggestion made by Ontario attorney -
general Roy McMurtry that the Ontario Provincil
Police should take over the policing in non -urban
areas is a line of thinking which is worth looking in-
to.
Although there will undoubtly be crys of out-
rage from the small urban municipalities which
have their own police forces, communities the size
of Zurich might welcome an investigation into the
matter.
While the statements made by McMurtry
followed the disclosure of problem's with Tillson-
burg's police force the review of policing in non-
urban areas goes significantly deeper than an
isolated incident, such as which took place in the
tobacco belt community.
What could work in Huron county would be a
regional police force which could replace both the
OPP and town cops.
The words "regional government" are akin to
deleted expletives to some politicians in the county
but the fact of the matter is that this county is one
of the most advanced in the province when it comes
to providing services for its people. A county police
force would seem to be a logical extension of ser-
vices fo~ the county to undertake.
Already, the police forces of Huron are cen-
tralized to a degree with all calls for the town police
dispatched from Goderich.
A county force would avoid the duplication of
services such as those that exist in both Goderich,
Seaforth and Exeter where offices for both the OPP
and town police are located.
As for the contention that local autonomy over
policing decisions would be lostthissimply isn't true
as a regional police commission based somewhat
along the lines of county council could be set up.
On the contrary, a greater degree of autonomy
could take place as the commission could be em-
powered to establish detachments where they
believe the need exists. For example a small
detachment could be located in Zurich to service
Hay and Stanley townships and the heavily housed
area along the Lakeshore between St. Joseph and
Bayfield.
In recent years Zurich has been served well by
the local OPP detachment but In the past there have
been problems and there continue to. be problems
primarily in . the area of bylaws which the OPP Will
or will not act under. •
A Huron county regional police- force would
allow for greater input into policing activities by
small communities..
This could be and should be a ma or.Item for
discussion for the new county council : which will
take office a few months from now:
Mornings are
okay but...
One of the wonderful aspects of being a
newspaperman on a weekly newspaper is knowing that
you never know where you will be on a given day -at a
given minute. The nature of our business is .that we
respond to an action which is taking place or which
will take place at a given time.
"Outside influences" can include the members of
the community -making a request.for a picture or' anti.
cle, other staffers at the newspaper asking for a help-
ing hand or in the case of the writer, the editor of the
T -A informing him that he is to be at such and such a
place at such and such a time.
As many readers are aware, this involves working
some rather unusual hours which can at times be a
strain, but not a pain since it's an integral part of the
job, if the area which the newspaper serves is covered
in the best possible way.
which has both merits and dificiences. One of the
merits is that the writer is not exactly what one could
be described as a morning person. Oh sure, he enjoys
mornings just. as well as everyone else but likes his
mornings to begin a little bit water In the day.
As -a result, the writer finds it a great strain on his
system at the beginning of the week when a semblance
of a 9-5 job routine is required. Thankfully, around this
office once Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday have
gone by the boards, little or no clock watching takes
place which is a relief to the Citizens News editor.
Using an economic form of analogy the editorial
staff's performance is judged by the "bottom line"
providing that we get the job done on time when we do
it and how we do it is up to us.
Many a Thursday or Friday afternoon the editor
may be a difficult person to find but by the same token,
he's damn easy to find on a Sunday, Monday or Tues-
day night; behind the keys of a portable, Smith -Cordata
electric typewriter in a barn -boarded office at 424.
Main Street, Exeter.
So the job has both plusses and minuses but
thankfully, the minuses are in the minority.
Although we do work some wierd and wonderful
hours newspaper people are human beings (what a
great discovery!) and as such, are creatures of habit.
The first days are the only "normal" days of the
week which the writer really enjoys since they are
one of the few times when he can determine what day
of the week it is without looking at a calender.
Monday mornings are usually devoted to cleaning
up the weekend assignments which could include the
writing of stories, the writing of lines which explain
photos and the selecting of pies for the week's paper.
The first two hours of the afternoon see the writer
hit the roads as he picks up the news from our cor-
respondents, ads and mail. The remainder of the after-
noon is spent on editing the correspondence and work
on material which was left over from the morning.
Monday evenings are either spent covering
meetings of different sorts and taking part in an activi-
ty which goes by the name of "ketchup'. This last
word translates roughly as "catching up" on what
should have been completed in either the morning or
afternoon sessions.
Tuesday is much the same while Wednesday is
devoted to the assembly and printing of the Citizens
News.
• When the writer first assumed this position almost
three years ago breaking the Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday routine was viewed in the same light by
the writer as stepping on the foul line while bowling.
As a result, the writer missed .a few stories which
were certainly worth covering. These days, he's a lot
more flexible which is better for all parties concerned.
Published Each Wednesday By A.W. £sdy PubllaatiOnN Lid.
Member:
Canadian W.Nlly Niwlpapon` Associations
Ontario Weekly Nowspaihars • As iciati.
News Editor,= Tom Crebcit
Second Chas Mail Apistration Number 1388
•RUklfriptibn Rat.i, $8:30 per ylar in edvinct in Canado
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