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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1977-01-13, Page 4• PAGE 4--CLINTON NEWS-RECORD,•THURSDAY, JANUARYO3, 1977 .What mie think 1•{�:\: •%.,�74•;'s��t••k• X•i}:•L :vv {::: L• : v; }••{ti : ti• �: {.•{ {.v}• \ r :: r.y�.•,n, ,.L :.{.•:iY: •:.{fi. •:�: kiC{{tip::.?::.1:1ti :`vL.v.Lv.1C•.•:e1vti.:•:?:+. a..'Li+L.`:..�. A dedic4ited lot While people`in Windsor and, London complain of having to ciig out from , under six inches of snow, residents in, Clinton and area have taken this week's 12 -inch snowfall well .in stride. ' When. you live inthe snow belt, you come to expect the consequences and prepare to deal with them. . Looking out the window at the newly plowed main street, we can only commend the work of our public works crew here in town and of similar crews in the townships and highways who are doing such a tremendous job in keeping our arteries open. Despite the problems of working .1. around moving traffic and cars in- considerately parked At the side of the road, the crews have been coping with the almost seven feet of snow to have fallen in the area since October.. Help, don't hinder the snow removal crew in their work. Don't park your car on ina'ih streets from 12 to 8 a.m., to allow the plow to clear the snow. i If you're one of the people com- plaining that the . roads haven't been cleared well, the chances are that • you're also the one whose car has been _parked out on thestreet overnight and prevented the snow removal. The disappearing land Squatting amidst the lush farmland north of Montreal is the latest example of the misuse of agricultural areas of Canada. Mirabel Airport, with more than 80,000 acres set aside for its questionable purpose of moving Canadians overseas more efficiently, has forever put out of commission arable land that could be better used to grow food for a hungry world, says the United Church. The airport itself is the object of considerable questioning, both by the travelling public and the international airlines it was meant to serve. But more important is the question of the stewardship of the earth's resources, particularily the resources of agriculture and food. "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof," the Bible tells us, yet what government and profit -motivated developers are doing .to the land and" the natural resources that belong to a l I people seems to us to deny this most basic of premises. There are many such examples. The Edmonton international airport was built on farm land, while only a few miles to the west almost totally, unusable land from an agricultural point -of -view lies ,vacant. Superhigh- ways, expressways, parking lots and all the so called necessities of a highly - consumer oriented society cover more land, usually the best land, leaving Canada forever poorer if slightly more comfortable. The question we must ask our - governments is whether . short-term answers to the problems of crowded highways, airports and cities should be allowed at the long-term risk of leaving ,us dangerously low on arable land. It is a problem that not only affects today's farmers -and food producers, but also has important implications for our children and grandchildren as well as for less fortunate nations than our own. We must demand stewardship• of resources. We must end short-sighted exploitation. Sugar and Spice/By Bill Smiley In defense of doctors THERE WAS a grand foofawraw in Ontario recently When the Toronto Globe and Mail, which rather grandly calls itself "Canada's National Newspaper," and is nothing of the sort, perpetrated a piece of journalism that Was irresponsible, to say the least, and yellow, to say the truth. It published a list of more than 800 Ontario doctors who had billed the provincial health plan for more than $100,000 in the past year. What's wrong with that? Shouldn't these money-grubbing medics r be exposed? Wasn't the Globe doing a public` service? Answer: no. . The Globe was dong what it professes to despise in some of our racier newspapers: acting in collusion with some pretty dubious politicians to titillate the public with half-truths and .embarasls what to me is still a noble and honorable profession. The action was worthy' of some of the muckier British tabloids. What surprised me was the _reaction of the public. Setting aside the doctors and their well-heeled medical association, which was naturally outraged, most.of• the letters to the editor attacked the newspaper for its action. t Whatever demurres advanced by its defendantsafter the event, the fact was that• the news was slanted, through omission: The doctors named were presented, through -innuendo, as money- gougers, with one hand on a scalpel and the other in the government's (read tax- payer's) hip pocket. Publication of the names and addresses of those doctors who had billed the health plan for more than'a hundred grand wilt almost a blanket indictment of them. What the newspaper }did, not stress was that the figures were for gross, not net incomh, and Il'f many, many cases, the net income was, a' long, long way belowhe published figures. I , don't. hold any brief for doctors. 'In general, they give, me a pain in the arm. There is a certain pomposity, sometimes arrogance, that is donned along with the letters Mill after the name. This is not helped any , by the attitude of so many of their patients - that the doctor always knows best, that the doctor is a special sort of human being, ,that the patient should practivally tug his forelocks when ad- dressing his doctor. It's a fairly short step from there.•to the point where quite a few .members of the profession begin to feel that they are little , tin gods. This irks me. I've suet toil many little tin gods with clayfeet to be impressed by thetitle-"Doctor." There's something archaic, but very attractive about that title. Bachelors of Art don't go around •calling themselves Bachelor Jim Smith. Masters of Art don't insist that you address them as Master. Same with engineers: But when a guy gets a chance to put _....Doctor before his name, whether his degree is in phildsophy, theology, or chiroprac- tery, there is n% way"you are going to stop him from using it. My personal biases about doctors aside, I have nothing but contempt for those who suggested, ever so subtley, that the profession is out to gouge the public ruthlessly. Sure, doctors make a lot of money, most of them. But I don't envy them. I wouldn't be a doctor for" three times the average salary in the medical profession. Sure, there are a few rotten apples in the barrel. to whom the Hippocratic oath is merely a licence to get rich. Couldn't the same be said about any other barrel, whether it contains union members, merchants, politicans, or preachers? And as for big business, the doctors are almost saintly when it comes to a comparison •of ethics. Let's look at the facts. A doctor works like a dog to get through medical school. He doesn't really begin to make' any money until he- is nearing 30, a time when. most • men are well.settled in their fields. By the time he has established a practice, he is usually well in debt. If his practice flourishes, he works like a dog for 20 or 30 years. During this period, he -IS making a good income. But his family life, his social life and his cultural life suffer deeply. He works hours that would have a, union leader screaming bloody . murder. His scanty leisure time is constantly interrupted. The only pension he can look forward to is what he can save or invest for himself. About the time most men are slowing down or looking forward to retirement, the doctor- is burned out. How many old doctors do you know? And. all along the way he is dealing constantly with pain and misery and fear among his patients. No bed of roses, that. Notato mention all the neurotic women and hyppshondriacal men he must suffer patiently. There are a few crooks and a few quacks, -hilt every doctor I've ever had dealings with Was a Oredit to the profession. Let's have fair .play for our doctors, as well as fair psy. "Before Christmas, we were trying to keep up with the. Joneses -- now we're trying to keep ahead of the creditors." Odds 'n' ends - by Moine Townshend ALPHA Huron For almost a year, I've been involved with a group called the Awareness League for Physically Handicapped Adults in Huron County. With a mouthful like that, it's no wonder we refer to ourselves as ALPHA Huron. We began with seven members and now have_ 25. The membership draws people from several Huron com- munities including Clinton, Exeter, Wingham, Brussels, Goderich, Bayfield and Goderich Township. Although only half of us are disabled; most of the others have handicapped family members or friends. This reiterates the fact, that unless we are handicapped or know someone who is, we don't think about being disabled. All the ALPHA members are devoted to integrating the disabled into society and to making Huron County's coat-" munities more accessible to the physically handicapped. Ironically, many facilities that are labelled "public" are barred to large segments of the public because of con= ventional architecture. For example, the six-inch sidewalk curbs prevent persons in wheelchairs from crossing streets independently. The pedestrian signs, synchronized with the traffic lights at intersections, are useless to the blind. Steps and -or narrow doorways bar people in wheelchairs from entering public washrooms and public buildings, such as stores, banks, post offices, libraries,.town halls, arenas, schools, churches and doctors' and dentists' offices. The steps must also be climbed by senior citizens, by people v t,'" . •�+�M�{{rr;:.?rrrl:> rr::%f'r:'•'��:i:?•f�.rrr%r'�'�ffiif%�':ivey. ��( .. J...:l... f�}r.•.•..r..ri:•.. • r•f..•r!•... rJ. rrl1..• •:f,•:•'.%r} Information Dear Editor: In connection with the forthcoming Centennial Celebrations" of The City. of Brantford," Ontario in 1977, The Brantford School of Instrumental Music (for- merly The Brantford Boys_ Band, organized in 1931 j would like to contact all former members, as an Old •Home Week -end . is being planned. If you are a former member . (anytime between 1931 and 1976) of the organization and would like to attend this event, please contact the writer as soon as possible and state the par- ticular time during the .0' summer or early fall, that you would be able to attend, also give your present ad- dress and phone number. • Further information will be mailed to you, as soon as pos8'lble. using walkers, canes and braces, by patients of arthritis, emphysema, ,stroke and heart disease and by people with broken legs. In the future the new receiver, that Bell Canada proposes to phase into operation during the next ten years, will ex- clude people with hearing aids from picking up the sound. Even if these people can retain their old sets, they will be unable to use public telephones or phones in the homes of -friends who do not have hearing problems. Another difficulty with public phones is that the booths are too small to accommodate wheelchairs. Meanwhile the wall models are mounted about five feet high, which is four to six inches out of reach of the average wheelchair user. In addition, water fountains run dry for persons who have no use of their arms, and the spring-loaded taps in sinks cannot be operated by persons who have the use of only orit arm. Incidentally, it has been rumoured that the inventor of the spring-loaded tap had three hands ! Of course, willing able-bodied persons can usually be found to help the disabled, but most physically, handicapped people would rather; not have to ask for assistance. With a little imagination, architects and engineers, can enable the handicapped to function independently in their, com- munities. Public facilities can become truly "public." Next` week I'll explain how this can be accomplished and how ALPHA Huron plans to help. • From our early files . 10 YEARS AGO , January 12, 1967 adopte a -resolution in favour of building 150 housing units. The • Staff' .,�° Clanton Town Council, at its ting Monday evening, Official opening of the $737,423 addition to Huronview, south of Clinton, will be delayed five months because of a shortage of electrical supplies and millwork. • Harvey Johnston, Huronview superintendent, said the opening planr1ed for today, Thursday, January 12 will now take place on June -11. �-- Offices being relocated in the news section "will be occupied next month, and some of the 75 beds in the addition are expected to be occupied by March, Mr. Johnston said. - Former offices will become a tuck shop, a dieticians office and a sewing room. Clinton's three water pumps stopped drawing water from the 350 -foot wells for an hour and a half Sunday. Mayor "Donald Symons said, "It's a mystery." He said the pumps draw water from an underground stream and the town is noted for having one of th'e best sources of water in Western Ontario. • The malfunction / was first noticed about 10:30, but by the time an engineer arrived f om London, a flour and a half ter, the pumps had resumed ping at the normal rate. A London firm will be engaged to inspect the pumps and try to determine the cause of the stop in water flow. . At the first meeting of his second year of the two year term of Clinton town council, •Mayor Don Symons did not have an inaugural address but mentioned some projects .he would like to have continued or carried out. • The big news at Monday vening's meeting was - -that approval has been received from . the Ontario Municipal Board for the town to issue debentures up to $175,000 for the new community centre and arena. Town council is meeting with the building committee, finance committee and promotion committee of Clinton and District Community Centre Centennial Fund on Monday evening, January 16 to work out more plans. The Shantz and Hicks Con- struction firm of Waterloo have submitted a price of $224,660 to build the arena, including an auditorium. Council' and the building committee accepted this tender ih December 1966. 25 YEARS AGO January 10,1C952- Realizing the . overwhelming need for new housing units in Clinton, in view of the tremen- dous *exparisiorr of UtACA1 resolution -fol -lowed receipt of a resolution from —Clinton - and District Chamber of Commerce recommending that 100 units be proceeded with at the earliest possible date. The letter pointed out that lack of housing facilities in Clinton necessitates 84 RCAF families not to live in the' Clinton area at all and approximately 125 families to live outside the"towri, making a total -of well over 200 families. Royce S. Macaulay, partner in Ball -Macaulay, Builders' Sup plies, sustained a painful ac- cident about 10:15 a.m. Thursday last when he lost the ends of the three middle fingers of his left hand down to the first joint." - Operating a planer in the Ball - Macaulay plant, the glove on his hand got caught in the machine and dragged in his fingers. He was taken to Clinton Public Hospital; where he was attended by Dr. J.A. Addison. Ile was removed on Saturday to his home where he still is confined. 50 YEARS AGO January I 1927 - Ought Clinton to establish a -tourists' cam.p? ,jteeve Trewartha at the nomination last month expressed the opinion that it would be to the interests of the - town and Community to have such a convenience for travelling tourists. Many towns and cities maintain them. It is a matter -that would need some looking into. That the camping tourist has com© to stay, or rather, to rest a while and go, may be taken for granted. It is an easy, pleasant and Comparatively economical way for the whole family or for a party of friends to take a holiday and it seems to be growing in favor, each year. Whether Clinton would ,attract enough business of this sort to make it worthwhile to establish and maintain a tourist camp remains to be demonstrated. But its consideration will do no harm. When the mayor suggested at the council meeting on Monday evening that the public drinking fountains on the streets would be the better of :a scour, the -scribe who was "takin' notes" was only restrained by the fear Of being hustled out by the constable from rapping on the talile with apencil and shouting "bear, hear!." We'd Tike 'to have seen the Gold Dust Twins' do a stunt on those fotin- tains any' time during thie pest year& two., • • 0 • • 0 75 YEAgS'AGO 100 YEARS AGO ' January 10, 1902 "' January 11, 1877(\_ ..Monday was a quiet election day, apparently very little in- terest was taken as is easily seen by the total polled. Had there been a mayoraltycontest on or even a good hot fight for coun- cillors, the ratepayers might have had some fun and the day been, lively. As it was, His' Worship Mayor Jackson again received the head chair at the hands of the corporation by ac- clamation, J.B. Hoover, who was nominated, having retired. Outnf the. 15 nominated to stand as aldermen, all retired save the necessary six. The council for 1902 will consist of Mayor Jackson, and Messrs. H.B. Combe, ' Thos. McKenzie, Alex McKenzie, J.C. Stevenson, Jas.; A. Ford and Chas. Overbury. There are some 650 ratepayers who have votes, but there was not 200 votes polled. In three wards school trustees were elected by acclamation - F.R. Hodges and T. Beacom in St. Andrew's, W.N: Manning in St. James and Dr. Agnew in St. John's, while • in St. ,George's there was a contest between C.B. Hale and E. Saville, the former being elected by a majority of 6, the vote standing 47 to 41. Considering the few practices our hockey club have had, they did exceedingly well in their first game of the•season on Thursday night last week at Seaforfwith the team of that town. A number of the boys accompanied our team to witness the game and it is said it was one of the finest matches they have seen... The score stood 0 • to 4 in favour of Staforth when time was called. The club are confident that they -carr win easily here in the return match. Yours sincerely, Board of Directors Frank ivlcKinnon, Secretary, 21 Tecumseh Street, Brantford, Ontario N3S 2B3 Is your house insulated? • • • ..Mr. W.T. f -Licks, formerly of Goderich - Township, has just returned from Battle Creek,' . Manitoba, where he has been living the last two years. He says the greatest drawbacks to that country are the grasshoppers and the excessive severity of • the weather; otherwise it ,is a got.d.A agricultural country. The 'High School of this town opened, after the winter holidays, in the new building, on Monday, with nearly 70 pupils. The building, which' was finish,gd last fall by the contractor, Mr. Wm.- Little, m:Little, is . situated in a _ com- manding and very pleasant position, being on the brow of a small hill, so that a fine view from it can be had of the whole town and neighbourhood, and is also yvell situated for drainage. It contains • four well lighted and ventilated school rooms, two large halls on each flat, to be used as hat and cloak rooms; and two rooms, on each flat, that can be used to recite lessons in, so as not to interrupt the studies of the. other scholars, or for any other purpose that the teachers may - deem necessary. The rooms are heated with a coal stove in each, which is found to be much better than wood, as it is cleaner, and there will be no interruption to the school in tending the" stoves, as they are self -feeders. Mr: 'Little deserves the thanks of the community, as he has turned over to the trustees a well -finished school building that is a credit and an ornament to the town. The teachers in this school are Mr. _._..J- .._.Turnbull,. B.A..head,. master; Mr. G. Sheppark, 1st a ssi st ant , teacher ; M -i -ss- M O'Neill, 2nd asistant teacher. Snow melting off uninsulated roofs is creating both beauty and destruction as' this ten - foot icicle on an Ontario Street home demonstrates. The enormous weight of the ice will cause much damage to roofs and eavestroughs if a' thaw doesn't soon come. (News -Record photo) ••Ne„ws, Record readers are encouraged to express their opinions in letters to the editor, however, such opinions do not necessarily represent the opinions 6f the News - Record. Pseudonyms may be used . by letterwriters, but no letter will be published unless it can ,I e__verified by phone_ Member, Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association • 4CW/it NX The Clinton News -Record k published each Thursday at P.O. Box 39, Clinton, Ontario, Canada, NOM ILO. It is registered as second class mail by the post office under the permit number 0817. 'The News -Record Incorporated in 1924 the Huron News -Record, founded in -1881, and the Clinton New Era, founded In 1865. Total Press run 3,100. Clinton News ZE'C'()1'(1 Vi ler'herrrtanadiat► Coan►o` hity Newapappr Association , • Display adivertteing rate. , valiirl►le an requcrt. Aak for t eili OiiirdNo. 7 eftetike oet. 'I, 1676. • beneral A'iilnti`ger � ix Ilow+ard Aitken. Editor-. aures Ev Fitagerahr Ofttce AAssdverttaltttiil►edln fllr�ctor-Gar+yL.I!lalat lantot•'- ,'fir eb Mage r• Margaret job Clrcalt dart-Pieda McLeod Accga ; tivi�rlatt► ti . . • aiibscrtptionSatesa eattada x412 per gear USA. 40.50 . tha $1$ gletcoply - 25c '1 10 110