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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1977-01-20, Page 4PAGE 4--CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1977 at we think Nobody care about fathers anymore For years womenirs magazines and books have helped women meet the changing demands e't motherhood. They still teach techniques of child care. They examine the needs of children and of mothers. They offer advice, sympathy, humot=,_ 'and counselling - they provide challenge and inspiration -- for being,a mofher. Now Zook . at • men's• magazines: sports, business, investment, seduc- tion, hobbies - . but nothing to help' a man be a father to his son or daughter, says the United Church. So where does a man learn to be a father today? The old techniques just don't apply. Once upon a time, a son worked by his father's side, sharing the satisfactions and the frustrations, the successes and the failures of the field, the barn, or the shop. What model does a father follow today? Some fathers choose the -army model, demanding discipline and whtit you think ? . -• .,r�rrrirrii:r�ff :%?r jrn:4rY ??i::r?r,?,ry ...: ? }ii • •S?�:•.::�r �•[r ;t'r;:r,..•w•.vr .{•.{•: :ffr}f f.•.....y}i •..J.{:(::::yi7r:• obedience. Others choose to be `pals, playing street hockey or swapping teenage jokes, being- just one of the boys. Jesus described ' Goll primarily as Father -- and father doesn't mean much any more. Who wants to be a disciple to a Fattier -God preoccupied with sexual prowess, or constantly' chasing investment opportunities, or pursuing popularity, or a God who's a frustrated sergeant -major? For every mother, there's a father. Fathers have roles and respon- sibilities, just like mothers. • But how does a father fulfill what's expected • of him? Fathers need help too. It's time our society took fatherhood seriously. Service clubs, community and business meetings, church groups - all should be discussing this subject. Why not? Dad! Where were you? We've certainly had -a very bad winter in these parts, but we should enjoy it far more than we do, quit complaining,and quit fighting it, It's really not so bad that we have to go into hibernation for six months untie the warm weather returns. The meteorologists say our future winters could all be like this one, so we might as well get used to it, and 'roll with the punches. Winter Carnival was a good (or bad) example. of this hibernation principle. While organizers were pleased, with a few exceptions, with attendance at the events, this observer would say that this was the .poorest turnouf, however, in the nine-year history of the Carnival. There were some bright spots, thanks to the Snowmobile club and their torchlight parade and their Poker Rally, both which were very, well at- tended, but overall, the people were conspicuous by their, absence. The,Iist of excuses for not attending even one event is as long as your arm, ranging from "it's too cold",.to "it was too soon after Christmas," or "there was something better on TV." Most other years, we've desperately hoped for even a little snow and cold weather to bring out the Carnival -spirit, and then when we get the right conditions, few take advantage of them. - Ruth Lombardo and her small crew of organizers had a tough time even getting help from the public to get the Carnival going in the first place, and then all their weeks of hard work seem to go nearly unappreciated. We suggest that if this is their reward - poor support - than this should be the last Winter Carnival. Sugar and Spice/By Bill Smiler Civil war?. I was glad to hear, in his end -of -year news conference, that Prime Minister Trudeau had no plans for keeping Quebec within the Dominion of Canada by force, should separation of that province be ap- proved by its people in a referendum. I'm sure many another old sweat of my vintage who is still on the reserve list also breathed a sigh of relief. One of the Many things we old vets don't need is a civil war. One war in one lifetime is enough for 'any man Most of us would have trouble completing thecZleshabille of a stripper 'in a burlesque show, let along stripping a machine gun. And I think we might have a little trouble completing a route march from, say, Kingston to Cornwall, to repell an invasion strike from La Belle Province. Personally, I am puffing like a grampus after scraping a bit of'ice off my windshield: -i have to lie down for five minutes after carrying out the garbage. Can any '51—"You guys of my vintage imagine being sent out on a night patrol, probably on skis, to -take a few prisoners? What we'd probably have to do is dump the skis, hail a cab, head for a bilingual bar across the border, and bring back a couple of go-go girls. Might be,fun at that, if they'd let us use some common sense, which, of course, the military will never allow. If the feds re-enlisted a brigade or two of old kriegies (prisoners -of -war) they'd have their hands full. First of all, the kriegies would steal, just out of habit, everything that was not nailed or bolted down. Secondly, kriegies are trained to escape and head west. Stick two brigades of them on the Quebec border and in a couple of weeks, after stealing a train or two, they'd windup in --Alberta. - Ancient naval persons might be better off in a civil war. They don't have to walk to work. They could charge up and down the Ottawa River, fir-i.ng broadsides of bilingual propaganda into the streets of Hull. Ex -airmen wouldn't be of much use. Most of them are �so portly they wouldn't be able to get through the escape hatch if their aircraft were hit. Perhaps they could be re- organizeda's a specia14ow-flying force, equipped with snowmobiles, and sent out to harass the enemy by driving all over his farmers' fields on the snow,thus ruining his crops for the next season. Former paratroopers wouldn't be of lnuch,use, either. Most of them have grown so heavy that they'd plummet like bricks, - and the screams of'arthritic agony when they hit the ground would destroy any element of surprise. Thinking it over, we must conclude that a 'civil war in Canada, using nothing but reservists, would certainly be comical, but not too dangerous. Most of the casualties would be in the 'Legion halls, each night after the "fighting" was over. And speaking of the Legion halls, a civil war would certainly add a little spice to the rather dreary dialogue that is the norm. Instead of monotonous mutterings about the last bingo game or the next shuf- fleboard tournament, you'd hear stuff like this: "Ja hear what Quebec Cora said on the TV tonight?" "Ya. She said the frogs captured a whole battalion of the. Canadian Army today an there wuzzen a man in it below the rank of sergeant. Eighty-five colonels, 150 majors an so on." "Right. And 50 per cent of the officers was French-Canadian." "It figures. But she's a good lookin broad, right?" If it does come to civil war, you can in- clude me out. And that goes for all my old friends, including a few Germans who fought on the other side in WW II and are now happy.Canadians. But that doesn't mean we wouldn't make our contribution, our sacrifices, if needs must. My contribution would be to over-all strategy, which has always been my strong point. You should see me plotting to get someone -else to mow my lawn, put on my storm windows, shovel my walk. Hereby some -suggestions. First, if the feds want a short, swift victory. Muster every aircraft in the country, Ioad them with every scrap of paper in Ottawa, man them with civil servants under the com- mand of Otto Lang, and bomb. Not only the separatists, but the entire province of Quebec, would be obliterated for a , generation. An alternative -to -this would be to build -a. fence right around the province, con- structed of all the red tape in Ottawa. It would take the Quebecois 10 years to cut their way out, and they'd have forgotten referendums and such. If these methods of•an easy solution are not dramatic enough for you, here's my final offer. Muster all the politicians, lawyers and =Women's Libbers in the rest of Canada. Fly them to a remote section of Newfoundland. Muster all the politicians, lawyers and Anglophobes in Quebec. Fly them to the same place. No conventional weapons for either side. Then let them beat each other to death wfith • unveiled innuendoes, deliberate misinformation, absolute ambiguities, legal torts, trial balloons, and shrill cries of "French male chauvinist pigs," and "Maudites Anglais abl3?t'fonistes." It would be lovely and eaceful in the rest of the country. And Ili—breeding, battered winners could have Newfy, where the locals would hunt them down for sport, as they did the Beothuk Indians.. Odds 'n' ends - by Elaine Townshend ALPHA Huron; H Last week I described several barriers that physically handicapped people encounter in Huron County, and I also mentioned a group of people that is trying to do something about them. The barriers include sidewalk curbs, that prevent persons in wheelchairs from crossing streets independently; pedestrian signs, that are useless to the blind; steps into public buildings, that ban people in wheelchairs and cause difficulties for the elderly and for heart, stroke, em- physema and arthritic patients; public telephones, that cannot be reached from wheelchairs or by short persons; and telephone receivers, that the hard of hearing can't use. ALPHA Huron has learned of a few ' solutions. For exainple, curbs can be replaced by curb cuts, which are sections of sidewalks sloping, gradually from the sidewalk to the street level. Corrugated surfaces or one -inch lips at the tops of the slopes allows the sightless to detect the ends of the sidewalks. Also for the blind, bells can be synchronized with the traffic lights and the pedestrian signs at in- tersections. An experiment with traffic bells in Hamilton proved successful. , • Ramps cart be provided .n�addition to or in place of steps` into public buildings. On the inside, ramps, lifts or elevators can offer alternatives td the • steps. Handrails along the stairways and abrasive surfaces on the floors can aid persons who are unsteady Of their feet. Moreover, differing floor textures help to guide the blind. Public washrooms can be equipped with one larger cubicle to accommodate wheelchairs and grab bars can be vwo,F • installed as a safety precaution. A •row of public telephones can include one or two that are lower than the others. Likewise, the old receivers can be left in some of the phones. These innovations incur little or no extra cost when they 4 are included in the original plans -for construction or renovation. ALPHA feels the physically handicapped are discriminated against by the environment in Huron County, not by the people. For this reason, our main job is public relations: We identify the problems, gather data on solutions that other communities have tried and notify the proper authorities as well as the other members of the public. Our faith in --the people of Huron is supported by the favourable response we have received. A few architectural changes have already taken place. Several towns have installed curb cuts; new malls are accessible to wheelchair customers via curb ramps and wide doorways; and many local arena boards that constructed new buildings or • repaired 'old ones, included accessible washrooms and ramps to heated viewing areas,in their blueprints. When the disabled can function independently in their communities, more of them will take active roles in society. Non -handicapped persons will come in contact with them more often. The non -handicapped will soon recognize them first, as "people" and secondly, as "handicapped people." Attitudes.E.i11 change; the awkwardness on both sides will disappear. The disabled will be integrated into society, and ALPHA's ultimate goal will be realized. - Of course,. this utopia will take time to evolve, but the movement has already begun. Groups, similar to ALPHA Huron, have made accomplishments in cities and towns across Canada, and we believe -positive strides will be taken in ourcounty as well. Incidentally, you don't have to be handicapped or know someone who is to join ALPHA Huron. If you'd like to ex- perience handicapped and non -handicapped persons learning from each other and ,working together to improve our communities, ALPHA is the group for you. From our early files . 10 YEARS AGO ' January 19, 1967 At ' the meeting Monday evening of town council and members of Clinton and District Community Centre, council's finance chairman Par Noonan advised the D groups to raise as much money as possible before the tonn issues., debentures to construct the new community centre and arena. Council gave third reading to a bylaw authorizing ex- penditure for a new com- munity centre. This bylaw was given i-ts first two readings at a special meeting of council on November 22. The town has received approval from the Ontario Municipal Board to issue debentures up to $175,000 on a community centre. Huron Central Agricultural Society again set the first Saturday in June (June 3) as the date for Clinton's annual spring fair. . Also ,at the annual meeting in the board room of the Department of Agriculture and Food office here Monday evening.,__the..nine...dire.c_•to `s present returned President Jack Van Egmond--for another year. Other officers elected were: first vice-president, William Gerrits, second vice president, James Snell. T board of directors met after the annual meeting and again appointed William G. Riehl as secretary -treasurer and Paul Aggerholm and Ken Flett as. auditors. Past- president - Frank Falconer was chair- man for the election of of- ficers. ' - • Ovei•-83 Clinton and district girls are taking advantage of arena manager Doug Trews offer to give them hockey instruction. Every _Wednesday af- ternoon from 4 to 5 o'clock,' Mr'. Andrews instructs a group of girls under 12 years old, then in the evening .he' coaches a smaller group of over12 year olds. He works ip. other instruction periods. as. his arena schedule permits. 25 YEARS AGO January 18, 1951 Clinton Colts are still .un- defeated in OHA Inter- mediate "B" group 2 hockey having won their fourth straight Saturday evening in Clinton Lions - arena from New Hamburg by a 9 - 2 score. The_Colts have scored nine goals in each of their vic- tories. This Saturday evening they take on Milverton here. Remember last year's play- • off series with Milverton when the Colts were finally put out in the fifth gamer Saturday night's game was , a real crowd pleaser for the more than 600 gans. They saw good fast hockey, lots of hard body checking and • one out- break of fisticuffs. • Clinton Junior Farmers have formed a hockey team, and on Monday evening 16 enthusiasts turned out for practice in Clinton Lions Arena in preparation for the coming schedule. Plans are under way for a 'home -and- home series of games with Seaforth and 'Exeter Junior Farmers' Clubs. The winner of this- series will play the winner from the norththree clubs in Seaforth at the Junior Farmers'- Sports Night which is planned for the first week of February. Following the usual custom, Clinton Lions Club will celebrate Robbie Burns Night at the next dinner meeting in St. Paul's` Parish Hall, Tuesday next, January 22. Special speaker will be Rev. Alen Nirnmo, Scottish - born Presbyterian divine of Wingham. As is the -usual custom, the nominee of a political party caucus within Huron County Council elected. the Warden for 1951 - Arthur 'Allan Nicholson, Reeve of Tuckersmith Township since 1944. . - It .was the Liberal caucus, with its 14 members out of 31, which chose Mr. Nicholson at the opening of the January session at Goderich Tuesday afternoon. His Worship Arthur Allan Nicholson, Warden of Huron County for 1951, 'is the first Reeve . of • Tuvkersnri°thr to occupy that position since the Skaters Dear Editor: Up until four years ago, the Clinton Figure Skating Club put on lavishly produced skating carnivals which attracted f capacity crowds over two performances. Those shows had everything except excellence in skating. -Thatis' not to say that we didn't . have some talented skaters, most of them have since joined the ranks of the girl's hookey team, but their talents as figure skaters had not been developed to any, great extent. It was decided to allow more time for our young skaters to develop into ac- complished skaters rather than using our limited ice time to produce skating shows. These young girls have grown up a great deal in four years and have dedicated much of their time, including part of their summers to their sport. The skating show put on last Sunday featured some of the best skating ever seen in this town and most of the skaters are Clinton girls. It is really too bad that the crowds of people who turned out four years ago did.not show up on Sunday as they missed a real treat. Having watched these4girls ,progress" over the past four and a half years, I for once, am very proud of them. They are truly good representatives of our town not only as skaters, but as sincere, happy, helpful and dedicated youg people. • I only wish that the town- speople. would take as much interest in them as they do in their hockey teams, but I guess we will have to produce a champion before that happens and -the way they are going, we just might do that. ,...__.... Yours truly, Mrs. Carol (Thomas) Fox, Clinton_ • • • • • late Robert McKay was the incumbent back in 1913 that is, 38'years ago. 50 YEARS AGO January 20, 1927 ,The Markets: Wheat, $1.20; Oats; .4A cents to 50 cents ; Barley, 60 cents ;' Buckwheat, 75 cents; Butter, 34 cents to 35 cents; Eggs, 30 cents to 45 cents; Live Hogs, $10.75. The fire alarm which rung about midnight last night was not '•a false alarm,a fire having been discovered in the foundry., It was soon under control but not before it had done a lot of damage to the interior of the building. Amongst other things, all the patterns which Mr. Aitken has been accumulating since he started business were burned. It is not just clear how the fire originated. The loss is partly covered by insurance. - It was, well the fire was so soon controlled, as Nediger's garage and Jenkins' planning mill are under the same roof and great damage might have been done had the fire spread. 75 YEARS AGO January. 17,..19.02. (continued on page 5) Save Dear Editor: "All About Us" and Heritage Canada" invite the people of your community, and especially the students, to join the "Great Canadian Heritage Hunt." ' February 21, 1977 is Heritage Day across 'Canada, a day to appreciate' the surviving accomplishments of earlier community builders, and to talk with the' people who were young when our country was young. Each community has its own heritage visible in the buildings, craftmanship, customs and values of older times. These treasures can be discovered, -particularly if our young- people will lend their considerable energies to the search. We invite school- age Canadians to record their findings in original drawings, paintings, stories, poetry and interviews, and send therm to "All About Us." They will be 'published and exhibited across Canada.. , "All about Us and 'Heritage • Canada- , are. both non- government, non-profit organizations working together 'to encourage the appreciation of Canada's heritage, and ,the con- servation of the best of our built and natural en- vironment. , Please send materials about your ' community's heritage or write for an in- formation kit to "All About Us," Box' 1985, Ottawa, Canada, KI P 5R5,. We want to discover how our young people view their country, for it is they who will carry the good things of the past and present into the future. Heritage Day is a time when people of all ages can share in appreciating their own heritage. Join the celebration! 0 The Clinton News -Record is published each Thursday at P.O. Box 39, Clinton, Ontario, Canada'NOM ILO. Member, Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association It is registered as second class mail by the post office under the permit number 0817. The News -Record tncot'porated in 1924 the Huron News -Record, founded in 1881, and the Clinton New Era,. founded in 1885. Total press run 3,100. Clinton News4co1'( 1 lM CNA • Member. Canadian Community Newspaper Association Display idvertising rates - avaliable on retitled. Ask for Rate Card No. 7 effective Oct. 1, ISMM. General Manager -1 IfowD$ d Aitken Editor - James E. Fitzgerald Advertising director - Gary L6 liaise Assistant tailor -Chris Zdeb Office Manager - Margaret Gibb Circulation' Freda McLeod 'Ateountling- Marian Winton Subscription Rates: Canada - $12'per year U.S.A. • =15,50 Other -$18 Single Copy - 25c AOC Y , ► • Betty Nickerson, National Coordinator, All About Us; Pierre Berton, Acting Chairman, Heritage Canada. News -Record readers are encouraged to express their opinions in letters to the editor, however, such opinions do ' not necessarily represent the opinions of the News - Record. Pseudonyms may be used by letter writers, but no letter vyill be published unless it can be verified by phone, 4 1,1