Clinton News-Record, 1977-07-14, Page 4PGE 4,C,i;.INTON NEWS-RECORD,.THURSD;AY, JULY 14, 1977
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What security?
Monday morning's mock invasion of
She Bruce Nuclear project by 'three.,
members of , the Greenpeace
organization serves to show how easily
security atthenuclear power plant can,
be breached, thus raising' some very
serious questions .about the safety of
the plantwhich, in' the past, already
has had many people w,prried. •
Nuclear fission for the production of
power is, at its best, .a sitting time
bomb, waiting for a disaster to happen,
and even though the Bruce plant is 50
miles 'from here, it has serious im-
• plications for the people in this area.
We, .as a Canadian society, have
become the most • wasteful energy
users in the world. No one on this earth
can top us for consumption of non-
renewable energy resources, and
because of this squandering of
available supplies, we, or our govern-
ments, have been forced to build
• nuclear plants to keep up with the
gluttonous 'fuse of electricity. •
• ...r
Qntario Hydro, and the policicians
said that `the Greenpeacers proved
nothing, and that even if a terrorist
group did raid the nuclear plant, it
would take a great deal of explosives -to
cause any real damage, or a raidiation
leak. But can we be sure?
Both Ontario Hydro and the
politicians have lied to us in the past
so who really knows what the
-safeguards are? Ha.s.there ever been a
real sabotage attempt at a nuclear.
plant?
, The mock invasion Monday also
raises the question that has bothered
many in the area for years: what if the
proposed nuclear plant is built in
tturon?
Our first goal, albeit a nearly im-
possible one to a,chieve, should, be to
cut our power consumption, use what
'we have more efficiently, and hence we
wouldn't need any more nuclear power
plants.
Sugar and Spice/fir Bill SmIey
The real Mafia
You were probably surprised and a bit
shaken by that recent CBC television show
"Connections," all about the permeation of.
Canadian society by organized crime: the
.Mafia, the French Connection, the Hong
'Kong Connection, and so on.
It neither surprised nor disturbed me.
I've known all about it . for about four
decades. In fact; I'm amazed that the CBC
didn't interview me, if they warnted.
something authentic about the beginnings
of organized crime in this country. I was
there.
Of course, at the time, I didn't realize
what I was getting in to. I was in my early
teens. But the pattern, looking back, was
obvious.
There were • two• I amilies in my home
town, the Salvatis and the Guaracchis.
Showing little originality, both operated
behind the front of a fruit store. They were
both from Sicily, and they were bitter
enemies. If Sammy Salvati ran a special on
fresh asparagus, you can bet your armor -
plated _vest that Joe Guaracchi, after
sending one of his boys down to check the
prices in the store window,wivould undercut
him by a dime.
Back and forth went the skirmishes, but
we ordinary small-town punks caught only
once in •a while the" savage internecine
warfare that went on behind the fruit store
fronts.
The Salvatis, for example, tried 'to
assimilate. They joined the United .Church,
to set up. another . front, and it's been
rumored that they "laundered" a lot of.
their gill -gotten gauss by syphoning them
through that organization as donations-.
On the other hand, the Guaracchis went -
on speaking Sicilian, threatening to murder
their kids if they didn't work harder, and
muttering about their "connection" with
- Rome.
At the time, I belonged to a gang of young
hoodlums who hang about in the town's two
pool rooms, those ofBob Loblaw ' and
Sylvester O'Toole. of our gang, the
Chinese connection, was Joe Hoo, scion of
the only Chinese family in town. As you can
see, it was quite a cosmopolitan
municipality, although the population was
only'4,000.
We- were a. pretty vicious crowd, but it
was Depression years, so that ° we didn't
have the opportunities of today's punks. •
There was no point in scratching purses
from old ladies; there was nothing in them.
No point in mugging elderly gentlemen for
the same reason: broke. We didn't drink,
.,, because our fathers couldn't afford to have
it around the house to steal.
Helling around on motorcycles, of
course, was out of' the question. But we did
terrorize a few neighborhoods by riding our
second-hand bicycles on the sidewalks and
occasionally right across someone's lawn.
I don't want you to think for one minute
that we weren't taking out our subliminal
frustrations and latent aggressions against
society. We were.
At least once a week, we'd lean out the
third -floor windows of the local Chess,
Chowder and Cribbage Club, which we
were allowed to use, as junior members,
from nine to . 11" on Sunday nights, in ex-
change for janitorial duties, and spit on
passersby below. There weren't many —
passersby, that is — on a Sunday evening in
a small town, but occasionally we'd hit one,
shout "Tally -ho!" and toast each other in ---
Pepsi.
But it was through our other thuggish
(yes, I admit • it now) activity that we
became deeply involved with The.. Mob.'.
This activity was stealing from the outside
stands of you've guessed it -- the town's
two fruit stores.
From the outset, it was obvious that we'd
come under the wing of .one of the two
Families. •1't didn't take long to see where
we were heading. The Salvatis kept a good
lookout, shouted loud, in English, and
would chase you all the way to the river to
get back a lousy peach.
But the Guaracchis, although they too
shouted, in Sicilian, were fat and couldn't
run. And we had an ace in the hole. One of
our gang was one of their boys, Phil
Guaracchi. We terrorized him into utter
submission by threatening to expose his
membership in the club to the Godfather,
Joe Guaracchi, who would have thumped
him into a very small pizza, indeed.
So we had an inside main He'd tip us off
- when his old man was off with the truck to
Buffalo,' where he -had a close connection
with the Bananas gang. We knew exactly
when he'd arrive back with a truckful of
bananas, grapes, you name it, and laid our
plans as carefullyas the. IRA.
The minute the new fruit was put on the
outside stands, one of our gang would go
into the store and ask Marna Guaracchi if
Phil could come down to the pool room.
While she was haranguing him, the rest of
us would stuff our shirts and head for the
park for a gluttonous gorge.
It was .only a step from there to getting'
into the Godfather's cellar and homemade
wine when he was out of town. Next thing
you know, a couple, of us were running
dances, at 50 cents a couple, with beer in
the back room in a tub of ice. We used to•
promise the orchestra $25- and then beat
them down to $15. The money just rolled in.
Some weeks we made enough to pay a little"
off on our bill, at the pool room, where we
habitually played on our "nerve." That is,
without funds to -pay for the table, if you
lost.
There was only one direction we could go,
and we'd have woundup more debased and
debauched than the Duboit brothers of
Montreal, if the war hadn't come along.
Some of us got killed. Some of us had a
worse fate. We`.'stayed alive and got
married. The old gang broke up. But don't
tell me about the Mafia. I was there.
•
Member, Ontario Weekly
Newspaper Association
The Clinton News -Record is published each
Thursday at P.O. Box 39, Clinton, Ontario,
Canada, NOM ILO.,
it is registered 'as second -Class mail by the
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Huron News -Record. founded in 1881, and
the Clinton New Eri, founded in 1885• Total
press run 3,100.
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Odds 'n' ends, — by Elaine Townshend
A short trip
When 'a week-long trip shrinks to
three -and -a -half days, you have to cut
some corners. Nevertheless my recent
jaunt to Ottawa with friends proved
most interesting.'
We spent the first night in Kingston,
and in the morning, we took the 9 a.m.
boat tour of the Thousand Islands "to
enjoy the refreshing morning scenery
before the heat of the day, as the
brochure'suggested. When the sun
disappeared behind some clouds shortly
after we started, we realized we
wouldn't have to worry about the heat of
the day. Fortunately we had sweaters
and jactcets with us - one•of the few times
I've been prepared for a weather
change.
By evening, we were in Ottawa: we
spent most of the night trying to make
the air conditioner in our motel room
work and browsing through brochures of
the city.
uphill All the people on the sidewalks
looked squat, and we were sure we'd clip
some stop lights.
We became accustomed to tree
branches brushing the top of the bus, but"
our muscles -tensed again when we
approached a low underpass: The guide
assured' us; . "We've got two inches
clearance.",
We drove around Parliament Hill and
past the •Chate'au Laurier, the mint and
several foreign embassies -and the
homes of foreign diplomats. We ,drgve
through Rock cliffe Park and along the
Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal.
We passed the Governor General's
estate and the° Prime Minister's house:
We couldn't see much of'the latter for
trees, but I'd settle for the chauffeur's
house.
Halfway through the trip, we stopped
at the Central Experimental Farm to
stretch our legs, and' to wander around
the flower gardens. When we returned to
The next morning we took a tour on a the bus, the guide asked in a not -too -
double -decker bus.. Our view from the confident tone, "Does everyone seem -to
fop tier was excellent, but it took some be here?."
getting used to, For awhile, we had the In the afternoon, we returned • to
queer sensation' we were always going Parliament Hill on foot just in time to
picture
of
snap a a se
Parliament was in session, we were
allowed in only the library and the
Memorial room.
I almost felt sorry for the guide. Our
group included about 30 schoolchildren;
you can imagine their dismay, when she
stopped us at the elevator leading to the
Peace Tower and announced the Tower
was closed for repairs. Above the
groans, she quickly added, "I'm sorry,
but that's the way it is." Then she beat a
hasty retreat.
Later -we toured the .mint. 1 wanted to
bring home some souvenirs, but they
wouldn't let me - at least not without,
pay ingfor them,
M
ount
ie.
Beca
u
whet you-
thi►k
Eye -sore
Dear Editor:
- Could I make a suggesti.otr
to the,Gllnton Council throng!'
. VVe Cie. -to keep otir "town
looking nice and we 'don't
have many parks here.
I wondered why not buy the. --
corner house on William and
•Victoria Streets. It his been
an eye -sore for a long time,
and is a real old house;
We could hav • a nice' 'ttle.
park there with a, co of i
benches for those, who h tQ'
walk uptown and would be an
asset to the town. • ,
Just something to think
about. .-
Signed, .
A reader
War
Dear Editor.: •
It may be a surprise t
many people to learn thJi.
recent poll of "Redbook
magazine-. surveying ' 65,00
women's views 'on ho'
religion affects their five
revealed that only 14 per cer
believe "it's a sin to take par
in any War."
"Redbook" ,also noted
"Very religious women sa.
thzt "taking part in a war is
sin"' far ,less often than rr��r
religious or slightly religitdu
women." Hence
magazine remarked: "Iii$
government were to becom
more pious, that might nc
herald an era of peace o
earth."
Similarly, the "NationE
" Observer" published a poen
that commented on th,
religious conflicts in Irel c.
and the HanafiMuslim sir
of buildings in ' Washingtot
Q.C. ,It concludes: "Hove
historically constant, yei
unseemly odd, This hatrec
and gore in the name of God."
Throughout history, worlc
leaders have seemingly been
blind to worldly , relii.ion's
role both in fomenting wars
and in fostering blood '1u4
during political' wars. Will
such religions always escape
responsibility? NO.
''h may also be a surprise to
many that Bible prophecy
pictures the world's
politically meddling religions
as being like a "great
harlot... with whom the kings
of the earth committed for-
nication" and who bears
responsibility for the b14d
"of all those who have been
slaughtered on the earth."
Soon, the prophecy shows,
these same "kings of the
earth will hate the harlot...
and will completely burn her
with fire," ending her bloody
career , -(Revelation '17:
1,2,12,16,, 18;, 24)
Religion has tacked the
name ` "Christendom" upon
those nations succumbing to
her wiles. Religion also
proclaimed 'the now defunct
League of Nations "the
Political Expression of God's
Kingdom on earth•" But Bible
prophecy says "of His
government and peace there
will be no end." (Isaiah 9:
6,7,)
'Finding our way out of the city proved
more difficult than finding our way in,
but we escaped before the rush hour.
That night we' stayed in a small town
east of Algonquin Park. On our last day,
we drove through the southern part of
the Park, through the Muskoka Lakes'
Region, elver to Georgian Bay and
Collingwood, where we stopped to find
out how Blue Mountain Pottery is made,
and then home to good old Huron County.
From our early files .
10 YEARS AGO
•
•
•
' ' community. His fraternal in- bag and ivory clock and jewel returning home on ' Friday
July 13, 1967 teresc was shared with the ' case. Master Wilson Little read evening, but not without ex -
The four hour session,of Clinton Masonic Order of which he was a the address and Miss Margaret periencing considerable pain on
town council, Monday evening • member at the time of his death Montgomery made the presen- the trip. Most people would be
was pel-haps the fieriest in the and for many years previous he talion. satisfied to remain in bed with a
two year term of the . present was an honorary president of the Mr. Fred Heard had a rasher .broken leg, without doing any
administrators. --The public works Canadian Legion Clinton Branch painful accident on Dominion ' travelling. At present Mr. Mason
department indirectly was No. 140. Day at Grand Bend when the arm is quietly resting at home.
responsible for most ' of . the It seems'- that the Bayfield of the merry-go-round on which A large plate glass window, to
bickering and at times broke out Village Trustees' efforts to tidy,he was enjoying, a trip broke, replace the broken window in the
up the -south beach, ,and. all our throwing him and dragging him store of J.W. Irwin, by the storm,
pleas to picnickers to leave the around with it. Before it could be some time ago, Was put in on
beach clean so that others might ' stopped he had received a cut in Wednesday; it had to be imported
enjoy .it, .have been "wasted like the scalp ' wlircli- necessitated from the old country specially, by'
sweetness on , the desert air" at ' several stitches being put in. the Hobbs Hardware Co. owing to
its length. .
100 YEARS AGO
Julyl2, 1877
week Amos Cartwright met with Someone appears to be
appears to have poen a an unpleasant accident. He was systematically poisoning some of
g' good party,, Not only —driving-- to- Blyth -by way of the dogs in this place, as we have
was the only stretch of sand- sideroad 20-21, and had a mower
between the steps at Bayfield on the wagon and in going down , and othiseweek Mr. sSmith's
th f is
Terrace and the pier littered with the- hill to the river, there 'is no
broken bottles and water glasses. pitched forward off the wagonadded to the list of losers. All that
Neer• bottles, but was full of bridge- here, the mower was have been killed were harmless
, animals and the reason for
Even at the water's edge sharp Cartwright being thrown off atputting them out of the • way
splinters of glass glistened. the same-tiine.• The mower was remains a mystery. If discovered
50 YEARS AGO badly'smashed, while Cartwright the perpetrator of these acts is
July 14, 1927 was somewhat badly bruised. It not likely togo unpunished as the
The death occured in Clinton, is thought a 'bridge should be sufferers placed considerable
Hospital on Wednesday of last , needed'"at this point, as there is value on their animals.
week of Robert -Smith of Glasgow considerable travel by this road A dressed figure standing in the
Scotland, a lad of seventeen,who - th BIyth, ' doorway of Jackson's, Tailor
landed in Qanada on June 27th. Thiscanmcertainly not be called Shop, has doubtless received
Coming out -to engage in a dry, season so far, but the more bows of recognition and
agricultural work under the prophecy of the weather man of w sold more people than any
auspices" -of 'the Department of Toronto Observatory is that ' "person" in town. The figure has
Colonization of the 'Canadian warmer weather is in sight, and a very life -like appearance and
National Railways and of the days of sunshine are coming with coming upon it suddenly, people
Governemnt, he was placed with relief from the long period of suppose it is someone standing. in
Mr. John Barr "near Blyth: The rain. Mr. George Hin'chley, the doorway and therefore they
lad got a chill on the boat coming writing from Alberta says the nod their head, only to feel as
over and had a cold when He. rainfall there has been enormous, 'cheap as possible when they
landed. He did not complain of trains. having been delayed for
P Y . discover their mistake.. _. ._
being ill until he arrived at Mr. days at a time. �
1.3arrs, where he was nursed and Last Thursday afternoon a About taree weekso since a
cared for until July1st, when he couple of rather mature age youth appeared atone of our tovea
g barber shops"and "spoke"for a
was brought to Clinton 'Hospital,' drove up to a certain hotel here i`n hair Cut in' time for the- 12th of
Pneumonia.having developed. He town about four p,rrl. and after July. The "hair cut" is ready, but,
lived Sive days'after reaching the the landlord had ushered them in hasn't yet been called for.
hospital, and had their horse .put away, ._ Last week we made mention of
The pathos of the case appealed they next - enquired where a the less at this station of over $500
to the sympathies 'of everyone minister could be found. A in money and notes by a Mrs.
and before he came to hospital messenger was• immediately Porter of Blyth. We ' have
and after he was nursed with the dispatched and it was not long pleasure in announcing that the
`greatest care and sympathy. His before the joyful news was same has been recovered. It
parents are dead but a sister, proclaimed that they wished to
with whom he lived in Glasgow, become man and wife, The
was notified ,ok his illness and minister, who could not proceed
later of his death, by cable, without witnesses, looked around
About $2,500 worth of goods for that much needed article and
finding a young lady,,not dressed
to attend a marriage feast and a
married man, in''"his shirt sleeves,
in a cussing match.
Stumps, dirty streets, fire
protection, street lights and a
stolen litter: bin were tile main
° items discussed.
Another motion authorized the
mayor and clerk to sign an
agreement with Duncan Parking
Meters 'of Canada Ltd.,.. for 174
parking meters. This figure in-
cludes :approximately 25 extra
meters. Parking meters will be
paid for on a 50-50 basis with half
revenue .going to the town and
half to the Duncan Company until
the meters are paid for.
About 130 school officials from
the London area and Western
Ontario toured -Canadian Forces
Base Clinton on July 5. The tour
formed part of the curriculum of
a ,..5 -week . guidance course
sponsored by the' Ontario
Department of Education.
The visitors were given an,
insight into military career op-
portunities and- methods of in-
struction for the purpose of
preparing them to Acounsel their
students regarding a career in
the Canadian Armed Forces.
Jim Maloney who was picked
as the best cadet at Central
Huron Secondary School cadet
inspection, left on July 4 for a two
month stay at an all -Canada
cadet camp at CFB St. John,
Quebec. Cadet Major Pialdney
and three cadets will visit Expo
'67 every day of the two month
camp.,
25 YEARS AGO
J,
1 rior to theuly 17depart1952ure of Mr,
and Mrs. R.S. Atkey to Arnpt'ior,
where they will make their home,
and where Mr. Atkey has`pur-
chased The Chronicle news -paper
and job printing shop, they were
made the subject of several
presentations.
e of Cfin'ton's oldest citizeps, were stolen from R.J. Gibbs
Lieut. -Col. Harry Tor Rance clothing store some time after 2
passed away early Saturday o'clock on Sunday morning and
least as far as some persons are
concerned:
On Sunday night, June 29, there
was a merry party, in fact it
75 YEARS AGO
-• July 11, 1902
On Wednesday morning of last
seems that a young man from.
Colborne, named Dodd, found the
money on the train just at ,this
station and 'informed the agent at
Goderoich of it. The latter sent
word to Mr. Straiton who at once
telegraphed to Blyth when the
loser came and recovered the
morning, July 12 at his home on disabvered the clothing missing; well known in town, he went back money and notes entire, The
Ratten,bury. Street th his 89th also the cosi?' register, which to make the once married man railroad officials deserve praise
year. contained about $40. The doors happy and his maiden bride. for their promptness and
He was born in Clinton in 1864 and windows showed no signs of After a light supper, which can Assistanc: and the young man for
the son of the late Mr. and Mrs, having been forced. The.door had only be accounted for by the his honesty.
SH Rance, and
the grandson of a Vale lock. No clue to the theft excitement they had undergone,
William Rattenhury,'the founder has been found. On the same , they took the 6:45 train for a
of Clinton. In 1896 Lt, -Col Rance night 'Nprman Nicholl's garage norf,hern town.
was married to Eva Farran who was brbken into, evidently with While loading- cattle at the
died in 1941. the intention of getting a truck station on last Thursday, Thos. i
In the war of 1914-18 he served • which was there; but it was partly Mason was kicked in the leg. by
as an officer in His Majesty's dismantled • and could not be one of the animals and had the '
Overseas Forces, with the 33rd remol,ed. • small bones thereof broken. The
Battalion. He was an ardent On Tuesday afternoon before injury was dressed by a doctor
Britisher, a devoted member,nd the close of school term the pupils and suffering very severely as he
supporter' of St. Paul's Anglican of S.S. No. 10 Mc><Cillop, presented was, Mr, Mason determined to go
Church and an interesteid citizen their teacher. Miss dna on-to'roronto with his cattle; he
in all good movements within the ,l,rn°rirson ,. iib.;. h;rnclSorine club went 'and.disposed -of the load,
News:Record readers are
encouraged to express their
opinions in _ "toilers 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
will be published unless it can
,be verified by phone.
C.F. Barne.
Clinton
Cathpaign
Dear Editor:
May I express the 'ap-
preciation of the South Huron
and District Association for
the `Mentally Retarded for
your support again this year
for our Flowers of Hope
campaign.
We'd like you and your
readers to know that through
your cooperation and the
diligence of many volunteer
canvassers the 'results are
most gratifying. To date
$8,500 Has been reported.
This is a further increa
over last year. and we ar
encouraged by the area's
increasing interest ,in the
mentally handicapped. All
donations will remain with
the local association now
involved in ARC„ Dashwood,
the residence in Exeter and
the nursery at Grand Bend.
In closing, may I.again say
"thank you" for the won-
derful area support and also
suggest to those that ttiay�`
have been missed in the
canvass your tax ,deduction
gift may. be mailed to the
association, Dashwood. A
very special thanks to all our
dedicated canvassers.
Donna Greb, chairman
Flowers of Hope
Association for.
Mentally -Retarded