HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1977-09-01, Page 4PAGE 4--CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1; 1977
Preserving Needed
Clinton town council's action last
Thursday 9up night to set an ar-
chitectural conservancy branch in
town, or attempt to start up one, will no
doubt be greeted with applause by
many of the more historical minded
citizens of the area.
Council has made a slow about face
on the matter in the last several years,
and particularly since the new council
was elected last pecember. Councillor
Ron McKay seems to be spearheading
the effort.
Just a few years ago, council had
little or no interest in preserving any
historically valuable• buildings in town,
and even wanted to tear down the qld
town hall, one of the focal points of our
past.
But the people of town rejected the
idea in a 1974 referendum, and the town
hall is still there, slightly broken down
and uncared for.
Perhaps now under McKay's
prodding, council with the advice and
consultation of an architectural con-
servancy society, will find out what it
would really cost to fix. the old town
hall, if indeed it h?sn't deteriorated too
far to be restored. •
The first step, however, is to show
enough interest in McKay's proposal,
and get behind him• and council by
submitting your name as an en-
thusiastic party in the founding of a
society.
Is football dangerous
From the Wingham Advance-Tir>ries
The. other morning a chiropractor
from Sudbury appeared on the CTV
national network and right there,
before all those millions of dedicated
mothers and fathers and
schoolteachers, dared to say that in his
' opinion football should be abolished
as a high. school sport.
the chiropractor stated his opinion
that the injuries which are suffered by
teenage football players are much
more serious in their consequences
than similar accidents suffered by
older players, such as those in the
professional ranks. The 'speaker
contended that a teenager's bone
development is not complete and that
what may seem to be only a minor
injury may -develop, in later life, into a
serious and untreatable condition.
Not being a bone specialist we don't
have any firm convictions one way or
another. What the discussion did bring
to m i rid was the fact that a person
takes his life in his hands to dare public
criticism of any of our sports which fall
into the sacred cow category.
Similarly with the boy who has the
fortitude to say that he doesn't want to
play one of these games. Even his
parents are likely to su99est at worst
that he is a coward and at'"the least that
he is proving to be a disappointment. In
many schools the same attitude is
prevalent. The kid who happens to like
working with his hands or reading
history may not be openly criticized
but he gets the message when all the
hero worship is poured on the young
muscle man who has scored the most
goals or touchdowns.
Some parents — and particularly
some mothers — can take the cake
when it comes 'to building poor sport-
smanship. They may be a small
minority but we have often heard
parents screaming from the sidelines
to a favorite son and the message is an
unqualified "get the kid, never mind
the puck."
Harsh words yes. They are not in-
tended to condemn sports, but rather a
plea to keep games in proper per-
spective. They are a useful and .usually
pleasant adjunct to the process of
growing up — but they are not the be-
all and endtall of a child's develop-
ment. Glance back at the life stories of
the world's great leaders and you will
find little or nothing of athletic
prowess. Most of them were too busy
with their brains to have any great
amount of time for the playing fields,
The old phrase which referred to "a
keen mind in a healthybody" is the
concept which should be operative in
the development of any youngster. If
the sport contributes to bodily well-
being and if good sportsmanship on the
field or the ice teaches the merits of
fair play and good citizenship — all
well and good. But if there is any
chance at all that the game can leacrto
physical, injury of permanent nature it
deserves a careful examination.
Sugar and Spice/By Bill Smiley
The boys came!
This is being written from a hospital,
bed, where I am in traction and under
heavy sedation. Don't worry. I wasn't in a
car. crash. I just had a five-day visit from
my grandboys:
It seems that my daughter was moving
andsi,t,,was going to be awfully difficult with
the boys underfoot and it was a great
chance .for Gran and Grandad to really
have a good visit with their favorite people
untrammeled •by the interventions of
parents.
What can you say? "Sorry, but we like:to
_play ..go1£_.i:n .the _afternoon,, send a quiet
evening, and get up when we feel like it in
the morning, during holidays"? ••
Of course you can't. You burble
something like: "No problem, dear. We'd
love to have them. It'll be a real treat." And
then you hang up the phone, look at your
better half, and mutter mournfully, "Good
Gawd, the kids are coming."
They came, they saw, they conquered.
And that's why I'm writing from hospital.
As soon as I get out of traction, they're
moving me, permanently, to a place called
Autumn' Daze, a home for chronic gran-
dfathers to eke out their last few months,
exchanging senile horror . stories about
grandchildren.
Oh well, it may not be so bad. My wife
says. she'll, come and visit me regularly,
except during the golf, skiing, fall and
sewing seasons. That means once in March
and once in November. She promised to
bring me a drink on each occasion, because
my nerves are shot to hell, too. But -that's a
long time between mickeys.
It isn't that my grandsons are bad kids.
They're not. It's just that they are three
and a half and one and a half years old, and
their favorite sport, indoors and out, is
tormenting the living daylights out of each
other.
First few days weren't bas, The Old Lady
has a way with them. She can change a
diaper on one and carry on an incredibly
complicated conversation with the other
without getting a hair out of place. She can
sit at the sewing machine, with one on each
knee, and actually sew, as they try to poke
their fingers under the needle. When she's
cooking, she plops them up on the counter
beside the stove, where the older one asks
84 questions, all beginning with "why," and
the little one opens the cupboard doors and
bangs his eye on them and shrieks.
During this period, my role was a fairly
passive one, All I had to do was get them
their breakfast. Nothing to that. I give
them each a can of yoghurt and half a
banana. For dessert, I open a can of
peaches and get the ice cream out.
It fid ay not be your standard,
unimaginative, cereal breakfast, but the
boys go for it and seem to thrive on it.
And then, of course, 'when they've
finished breakfast and are in a great mood,
there's not much for me to do. except let
them play around, on, and over me, break
up eight fights over whose ball or shovel it
is, and serve as a trampoline when they line
up at the far end of the, living room, run as
hard as they can, and hurl themselves
head -first' into Grandad's lap, almost in-
variably knocking heads together, with
subsequent recriminations, howling, and
both of them on my knees being comforted.
But before you know it, lunch is over and
it's nap time. No. 2 goes down happily with
a bottlb No. 1 requires six stories. If I read
the one about Flicka, Ricka and Dicka one
More time, I'll gp out of what is left of my
- - - ---.—
But it works. He gets groggy. Just as he's
drifting off, No. 2 hurls the bottle out of his
crib, leaps up, rattles the bars, yells for
action and both are wide awpl a ready for
More Fun And Games With Grandad.
Afternoons in the backyard are com-
paratively peaceful, except for one thing.
For .some misguided reason, I have only
one lawn hose. Did you ever see two boys
with only one hose between them? Older is
stronger. He wrests hose from Younger and
squirts him with ice-cold water. Younger
bellows, runs to Grandad, soaking from
head to foot, and jumps up to be loved and
petted.
Older forgets hose and starts to climb
gate. Grandad yells. Meantime, Younger
has picked up hose and gleefully squirts
Grandad.
Grandad yells again•, unprintably.
Younger drops hose and runs, square into
square corner of picnic table. Great welt on
forehead. Gran will be furious with
Grandad for not watching boys properly.
Those were the goo\d days. Carne
Tuesday, and Gran was committed to a golf
tournament. Dubiously.
"Are you sure you can cope?"
"Who me? Course rcan cope. No sweat. I
can handle these two with one hand tied
behind my back."
"Well, maybe..;but..." • -
"Gawn, away wid yez. It'll be child's
play."
And it was. Six hours of it. During which:
eight fights were broken up; the boys ate
all four of the chicken legs I'd prepared for
the three of us; we went shopping and I lost
one for 60 panic -filled seconds in the maze
of the supermarket; the Younger
discovered how • to unfasten the buckle of
the seat -belt; the Older started yelling for
his Mommy when I smacked his ass for
clobbering his little brother with a ping
pong bat, which for some reason unknown
to man or God, he had found behind the car
seat.
.My daughter walked in with a cheery
"Hi, • Dad!" and found me on the phone
trying to call the .Rolrce department, the
fire department, anybody.
She looked at pie, =shook her head, took
the' phone from my shaking fingers, Witt
called an ambulande.
rt.w
1.
Ilkekl %1.4
0
"Do you have anything that will give him enough energy to mow the lawn on weekends?"
Birds
x
Odds 'n' ends - by Elaine Townshend
I have often watched a bird in flight
and envied its gracefulness and
freedom. I have seen it perch on the edge
of a bird bath, dip its body deep into the
water and come up shaking the spray
from its soft, clean feathers.
In the early summer mornings, I have
listened to the 'distinctive cry of a robin
and marvelled at its contentment. In the
early autumn evenings, I have heard
hundreds of twittering birds gathering in
a grove of trees and wondered at their
joyousness. On the long winter days, I
,have noticed the quiet, the absence of the
birds.
I• have seen a small bird battling
'against a raging wind, its wings beating
hard and fast just to keep it aloft`. It hung
in mid-air waiting for a lull in the wind;
then it crept forward an inch or two;
then it braced itself against the next
angry blow. I wondered „Why' the bird
kept trying. Why didn't ie retreat to the
nearest .shelter and wait until the storm.
had passed?
In her book "To Those Who See,"
Gwen Frostic describes birds this way:
"Intensely they live
each hour of the day ...knowing that somewhere there is a
In purposeful waiting mate that understands...
and purposeful flight - a low clear call in the night
They burst into song - a joyful melody at dawn
or soar with the winds - or a vesper lyric at sundown love
A deep sense of urgency songs. thrown to the sky...carried by the
prevails through their lives winds...
They have their limitationsas all And so they mate...and build their
things do... homes and while the young ones chirp
yet they live so fully within their ...they feed them well, and show each
sphere that birds shall one the wondrous way of birds...for soon
ever seem to be... the young will leave the nest to sing their
wild"' own songs...find their own food...and
beautiful..• know the freedom of independence...
and free
The keenness of their eyes gives them
vision to spot the tiniest bit. of food...and
with alacrity and precision of motion
, they pick .it up...Theirs is a world of
instant decisions and quick ac-
tion They • know. each wind...the
sound of rain.,.
the beauty_ of their own soft feathers
...They 'know the sun...the starry
nights
and clouds that ever come and
go...They sing songs without words
They may pass from . time to
time...and travel together across the
miles...each to himself...yet...bound by
common ways...
When the south wind begins to blow...
and the earth turns green with life...
Love springs anew...
and the ancient songs are heard
again...
Songs of the
wild...
the beautiful...
and free...
From our early files .
0 -
4 h A
10 YEARS AGO
August 31,1967
Defence Minister Paul
Hellyer Tuesday expressed
increasing optimism over his
armed forces unification
program.
At a press conference at
Sky . Harbour Airfield, Mr.
Hellyer said recruiting was
up 70 per cent over last year,
despite adverse publicity in.
the initial ' stages— of the
program.
Asked about recent defence
department announcements
that the school of food ser-
vices would be moved from
Canadian Forces Base
Clinton to Camp Borden, Mr.
Hellyer said he didn't see this
as a move to phase out the
Clinton base. He said it was
just another step in the
consolidation of services
within the framework or
reunification.
With the official retirement
of Arthur M. Knight today,
the office of the Ontario
Hydro in Clinton has an-
nounced the appointment of
Walter Palmer as 'Clinton
area manager. •
Mr. Palmer is a native of
Perth, ,Ontario where he
began his career with Hydro
23 years ago as a construction
crewman.
He will have charge of this
area comprising the part of
Huron County bounded on the
south by a line from Staffa to
St: Joseph, on the west along
the shore of Lake Huron from
St. Joseph to Kingsbridge, on
the north from Kingsbridge
through Belgrave, Brussels
and Ethel and south along the
Perth. County boundary to
Staffa.
25 YEARS AGO
September 4,1952
Barbara Brandon, a dark-
haired, 17 -year-old, Bayfield
girl, Monday night was
crowned Miss Huron County.
Daughter of Harold Brandon,
and the late Mrs. Brandon,
the fourth -form Clinton
Collegiate student won her
award at theZurich Lions
Club beauty contest in con-
- junction with the annual
Labour Day celebration.
,ntered in her first beauty
dontest, MASS braadon, who
defeated four other con-
testants, will compete later
for the Miss Western Ontario
title in Windsor.
Local dairy authorities
have informed this column
that there is a "milk bottle"
thief prowling the streets of
Clinton during the wee hours
of the morning. Whoever it is
seems to be doing alright
from reports of milkmen who
-are Inding quite"a nuiber o -'f
bottles ertiptie.d• of their
money and in some cases
strewn over the lawns, The
two dairies in town wish that
their customers would pur-
chase milk. tickets • and
thereby avoid em-
barrassment both to them-
selves and -the dairies.
"Above average tonnage of
good second • qualilty cut
alfalfa hay was harvested
this week," reports G.W.
Montgomery, agricultural
representative for Huron
County. "In a like manner,
exceptional yields of alfalfa
seeds are being reported. The
stringless bean crop is now
being harvested with yelds of
up to four tons of beans
harvested to the acre."
"Despite smut and corn
earworm, there has been fair
yields of sweet corn. Warm
sunny weather, coupled with
ample moisture should make
for an,above average crop of
white beans, soybeans, and
grain corn."
"Turnips and sugar beets
will be slightly below
average."
50 YEARS AGO
September 1, 1927
Some excitement was
caused last Saturday mor-
ning when a team of horses
belonging to Mr.T. ' , . Cook
dashed across Albert Street
and crashed ,into J.P.
Shepherd and Co.'s plate
glass window. Mr. Cook was
putting hay into his barn
when something frightened
his horses which were • at-
tached to the hay fork. They
made a spring, the rope broke
and they dashed across the
vacant lot facing. the News -
Record office, jumped up
onto the sidewalk, which is a
foot nod a half high, broke the
Sheppard's window and
brought up in "a heap before
the News -Record door.
Fortunately the horses Were
not injured. But if the News -
Record office inmates hadn't
had good nerves and good
consciences - they'd have
best three editorials bearing
on the - subject of Con-
federation:
We did not win any of the
medals, but, considering the
excellence of the editorial's
winning, these we feel that it
been a bit scared. • is some honour even to come
Some people are inquiring within hailing distance. of
about the Provincial' law them. The gold medal went to
'requiring all wheeled the Wolfville (N.S.) Acadian
vehicles to carry lights. This (those bluenoses are a brainy
.IaW • corhe '"triter-effect–"un -tot); thmedai---eom'es
October lst. All drivers of to Huron, Editor Robertson,
horsedrawn vehicles are then of the Goderich Signal win -
required to show lights. White ning it, while the bronze
in the front and red ,in the medal goes to the Orillia
rear. It would be well. to be Packet -Times.
ready as the law will 75 YEARS AGO.
probabiy,be enforced strictly. August 29, 1902
Although a few more weeks A man stole a horse from
will elapse before the law Goderich. on Wednesday
comes into effect, there is no evening and rode it towards
law against showing such Bayfield. Word was sent to
lights now, and such a, the village constable at
precaution may prevent Bayfield to intercept him and
an effort was made to catch
him before he crossed the
bridge. They caught the
bridle but he broke away and
urged his horse up the, hill
toward the village, two Shots
being fired after him, but,
without. effect. He went
straight on towards Grand
Bend followed by Constable
Gundry and others.
The first accident to occur
to any of the excursionists
going to the west, happened
on Saturday, east of
Schreiber, on the CPR. A man
named Martin of Exeter,
accidents.
Miss Izetta Merner and
Miss Ethel Jowett left on
Wednesday by motor for New
Dundee 'to commence their
duties as teachers in the
Continuation School, New
Dundee.
The News -Record is being
congraulated upon the fact
that an editorial published in
its Confederation number
came in for honourable
mention by the National
Celebration Committee,
which offered three medals,
gold, silver and bronze for the
•
Roy
Dear Editor:
As you know, Roy Jewell of
CFPL Radio and Tefevisiorl
his recently retired afte
serving the agricultural
community for 29 years.
.A Committee representing
his friends and listeners,
covering the -eight c,aunties,
has been established to
recognize his dedicated in-
terest and service, and it is
our desire to involve as m
interested groups and
dividuals in this large area s
possible.
Initial plans include an •
evening of recognition, and
presentation of a fund in
honour of Roy's years of
agricultural service. No
doubt Roy will choose a
suitable allocation of this
fund, dependent on the results
of our canvass.
This evening will be held in •
the Progress Building at
Western Fair, on Thursday,
October 20th, with the
reception to begin at 6:30 and
dinner at 7:30. Tickets will be
$10. per Person with dancing
from 9 to 1.
As Chairman of the fund
raising committee, I would
invite your support of t
event with a contributio
• the fund, and your person
presence.
Would you please forward.
your donation to Mr, Derek
Newton, Treasurer, Mid-
dlesex County, Middlesex
County Building, 367 Ridou,t
St. N., London, N6A 2P1. it
If you require further in-
formation, please contact Mr.
John DePutter, Middlesex
Federation of Agriculture,
291 King St., Box 5933, London
N6A 4T7
If your .organization would
be interested in selling tickets
for the Appreciation Night,
please send the name, at -
dress, and phone number of a
contact person or persons, to
your county Agricultural
Representative, who will
supply you with tickets.
Your consideration of these
requests, as soon as possible,
would be appreciated.
Yours sincerely,
Ronald White
Chairman of Sub -Committee
for Organizations
r
aged 73 years, bound for
Winnipeg, is thought to have
walked off one of the trains in
his sleep. He was picked up
by a following train and
brought to the hospital here.
He is in critical condition,
number of bones being
-fractured.'
Rent review
Tenants and landlords
should be aware that only one`,
rent increase is permitted in
any 12 -month period, con-
sumer and commercial
relations minister Sidney
Handleman said today in
statement aimed at cleari
up any confusion that stil
exists over changes in the
rent review legislation.
"Landlords wishing to
.,.increase rents by more than
eight per cent must continue
to apply to rent review for
permission to do so," Han-
dleman said. "This figure will
remain in.effect until October
14,1977,"
Written reasons justifying a
rent increase must ac-
company the 90 -day notice of
increase which the landlord.
must give under The Lan-
dlord and Tenant Act.
A tenant or landlord now
has 21 days instead of 15 in
which to file an" appeal
against a rent review
ficer's decision.
'0
Member, Ontario Weekly
Newspaper Assoclatton„
•
The Clinton News -Record is published each
Thursday at P.O..Box 39, Clinton, Ontario,
Canada, NOM ILO.
It Is registered as second class mall 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 to 1885. Total
press run 3,100.
Meaber Canadian
Community Newspaper
Assot letiop
Display adiertiaing rates
available on' retread. Ask for
Rate CHd No. 7 e1fe'et,t ottetii,:
1$78•
General Manager.J. Howard Aitken
Editor -James E. FittgeraMd
Advertla fig Director • Gary M.. Eike
hlewb editor 4 Sheliey'McPhee
> e, MOittigere Margaret Gibb,
}t'tEdiehtie 1N>irltui 1�►NIu ,
Subscription Mates:
Canada • $i2 per year
U.S.A. • 115.2•
shgte 004 4110
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