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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1977-11-24, Page 4PAGE 4--CLINTON NEWS -RECORD. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1977 Should we pay? There has been a great deal of debate in Clinton recently whether com- mittees of the town should be paid. The debate started after council was asked by the Cemetery Board for pay for attending meetings. Now it is not our intention in this debate to take sides on the issue of paying volunteers, because each side of the argument has merit. First of all, volunteers have done so much for this town and the area over 'the years, that their worth, if added up in dollars, would be literally worth millions. They have built hospitals and arenas, raised money for crippled children, helped the poor, the sick and the elderly, coached sports teams, and countless other things that makes a community as strong as ours work better. There/ is no question, then that volunteers, are an invaluable part of the town, the question iswho do you pay and who don't you pay. Many unpaid volunteers argue that it is a person's civic responsibility to help in his community, but there is no law tor or against this. They do the job, some of them involving long hours and some involving even personal sacrifice. But, it is argued, many committees and jobs that were once done by unpaid volunteers are now paid jobs and some of them very nicely paid. Most municipal councillors now receive a stipend for each meeting they attend, before the county board of education system came in, all board trustees were unpaid. Now they make,, $3,600 a year, and the Public Utilities Commissionaires, who once worked for nothing, now get $300 a year. So the precedence is there, and there is no question that if one committee gets paid, then all would want it, but where do we draw the line. The town would collapse without all the committees running it, many of them highly qualified people who would earn thousands of dollars doing the same job for industry. The answer, we feel, lies in your conscience. It will indeed be a sad day when the volunteer worker passes into history. Let's hope it never comes. A telling question Employers are being asked by the Unemployment Insurance Commission to report untidy job seekers who do not appear to be serious about finding work. "They're encouraging a fink men- tality. They want people to be stoolpigeons and fink on each other/' said one leader of a union. "It's just another gimmick they have come up with to disqualify people," declared another. We're convinced the large majority of those who are unemployed are not at all happy about it and would willingly accept reasonable employment. But we're also convinced there are a few who like the idea of receiving unem- ployment insurance rather than working. Because the few damage the reputation _ of so many honest job seekers, it doesn't seem unreasonable at all to seek out the few. No one wants to be a fink or a tattle tale or a, stoolpigeon but those who work regularly to contribute to the unem- ployment insurance fund should have some rights i,n reducing the .number of fakers who benefit unfairly. We can continue to pass the blame for unemployment to someone else and achieve nothing, or we can all recognize that no problem is defeated without co-operative effort and get to work on it. It's the same with detecting those who take advantage of a system designed to protect us all. We can say it's the government's job to catch the culprits or we can all be involved in the task. We dislike the mentality that looks to government to do everything — solve the inflation problem, solve the unemployment crisis, solve the dif- ficulty of regional disparities, solve the unity crisis — the list is endless. But the country was not built by those who depended on government to do things for them. Individual responsibility needs to gain some new status and when it does we might find our problems have diminished con- siderably. Maybe ;.it's time individuals were tattle tales on those who abuse. a system designed to protect a . great many. Maybe then, more would have some respect for the rights of others. —from the Canadian Champion Sugar and Spice/By Bill Smiley Have a nice clay If you read in the papers one of these days about some middle-aged guy' going berserk and punching a pretty young waitress or bank teller right in the mush for no apparent reason, you'll know it was I, driven finally, over the brink by that inanity to end them all, "Have a nice day." It may happen in a restaurant. It will be just after that waitress has served me lukewarm soup, followed by filet of sole. The filet will turn out to be of the boot variety, rather than the sea variety, and I will just have broken a tooth on it. As I am fumbling fragments of bone out of my face, she will sashay off to serve another customer, hips twitching and toss over her shoulder at me a gay, "Have a nice meal now." That's when I will let her have it. .. Or it might occur on a Friday afternoon in the bank. The weather forecast is for blizzards, I have 300 miles to drive tomorrow, my wife is in a snarky mood, I'm on my way to have two teeth extracted and my arthritis is giving me a fairly lively foretaste of hell. And this young teller, her feet aching, slaps down my withdrawal, summons an exhausted smile from down around her pantyhose and chirrups, "Have a nice weekend, eh?" It's not the grammar or the verbiage I object to. It's the utter insincerity of the suggestion. It means just about as much as if the speaker blew his or her nose and spat into the wind, And it's pretty obvious where it came from. It's one of those .American imports that should be banned at the border. It has crept across via the airwaves, issued in treacly tones by signing -off disc jockeys and game show MCs. And it has been copied by Canadian media people, who ape automatically the mispronunciations of their U.S. counter- parts such as eggsacution for "execution" and noshus for "nauseous." From there it has spread like the Black Plague into our airlines, hotels, restaurants, and even our sacred in- stitutions like the banks. I haven't been in a bordello lately, but I'd be willing to bet that when a customer totters off shaky and unshaven into the cold dawn, the madame will coo after him in dulcet tones, "Have a nice day, now." I have a strong suspicion the damn thing originated in the deep south, along with such heart -felt maxims as "Y'all come back real soon, Y'heah." Which means, roughly,. if you want to be ripped off again in our joint, we'll be.happy to oblige. .1 teluse to believe all those waitresses, air stewardesses, bank clerks are spouting this. garbage from deep in their hearts. Those gals are tuckered out. They don't give'a diddle whether we drop dead as long as we do it in front of somebody else's wicket. No, they've been coerced into this phoney farewell by the Simon Legrees they work for, the type who think that if the clerks utter such slop in the Holiday Inn in Texas, they should do the same in the Holiday Inn in Toronto. And they're the guys I have it in for, not the poor underlings, forced to soil their lips with an artificial, cynical so -long that raises the hackles on the likes of me, At first I responded to this silly utterance with a reluctant and very concise "Thanks. You too." ,,As I became more disgusted with the obvious falsity of such as the dentist ab- sentmindedly muttering "Have a good day" just after he'd drilled two and yanked one, my response subsided to a grunt. Next step will be to look one of the idiots who issue this insanity right in the eye and calmly ask : "Are you kidding? Who told you to say that? Do you mean it? What do you care what kind of day I have? I don't really care what kind you have." This might make a few of the more sensitive ones blush. But most of them would just drop their jaw and wonder whether old Smiley had got into the sauce, to make him so snarly. It may take stronger measures and I hope many of my readers who agree with me .will join in putting a halt to this per- nicious poop. If it happens in a public place, perhaps we should call the manager and say "This young lady or man is interfering in my private life, in my democratic right to have a rotten day or weekend if I feel like it. Now you, buster, -just tell her never to insult another customer with that silly saying or I'll take my business elsewhere." This is the only language understood by the type of turkey who thinks such garbage as "Have a good day" is good public relations. Hit him where it hurts. In the P.P. panic pocket. Perhaps I am overreacting. I have been known to do this in connection with Celsuis, metric, politicians of every hue, greedy unions, misleading advertisements, town engineers, school administrators and about 12,000 other things including the highway robbers known as garage mechanics. Maybe it will pass away, along with other such worn -to -the -heels expressions as "That'll be the frosty Friday" and "All righty" and the current ubiquitous "Turkey" whieh seems to cover a multitude of mental and physical ab- errations. But in case it doesn't keep your dukes up, you purveyors of "Have a good...." Odds 'n' ends - by Elaine Townshend Farmers versus the rain "At least I'm getting to know my neighbours," a farmer remarked recently while discussing the problems of this year's harvest. The only good thing about the wet fall - and most farmers will take little comfort in it - is that once again neighbours pitched in to help each other. It has been4a long time since I've seen a bevy of men and equipment working together in a field to remove a crop. When a ,farmer got stuck, he didn't hesitate to run over -to the neighbour, and the neighbour came willingly because he knew he might need help tomorrow or maybe he had asked for assistance yesterday. Everyone had the same problems and they discovered they couldn't get along without each other. For the passersby, it was fascinating to see two or even three tractors pulling a harvester and a wagon around a field, and another two tractors towing a small wagohload of corn. For the workers, it was a. trying time. Often they spent a whole morning retrieving machinery from a muckhole. First, they unhooked the tractor, har- vester and wagon; then they pulled the tractor out. Next they freed the har- vester and finally the wagon by pulling forwards, backwards or sideways, whichever way showed most promise. They sometimes hauled stones that they had spent days removing from the field in the spring, back to fill a hole. Often they had to use planks or poles for leverage and they broke more chains and ropes in one week than they had broken in two years. By the time they rescued the im- plements, rain was usually pelting -down. They trudged to the barn or the house with their overalls so muddy they could have stood alone and with their boots sc caked they felt as though they weighed a ton. Many farmers lost complete bean crops, but most of them managed to get the corn off. If it became too ripe for silage, they picked it. A group of neighbours worked on the dryest land and then moved on . to the next farm, until all their crops were off. If they couldn't harvest beans or corn, they plowed land that was already bare. Farmers ,.are a hardy bunch; they have to be and most of them have discovered that a bit of humour never hurts. 1 watched a picker working in a cor- nfield and I remarked to my father how large it looked. "It looks a lot bigger when it's stuck," he replied. A group of mefh spent hours trying to rescue a huge combine from a bog, Their efforts seemed in vain. Finally they leaned against a tractor to discuss possible alternatives. One of them came up with what he termed a "perfect solution." He said to the owner, "You traded in your old combine last year. Why don't you trade this one in this year? Tell them they can come and get it anytime." On a Friday afternoon, another far- mer stared out the window at the pouring rain and decided, "I'm going to find a nice, warm, dry bar and get drunk." But the next morning he was back in the field. It was encouraging to note that far- mers didn't lose their determination or their sense of humour despite all of their set -backs, and it was good to see neigh- bours helping one another again. But it's too bad it took swampy fields and ruined crops to bring it about. FromourearlyfileS.... 5 YEARS AGO November 23, 1972 Clinton Council recommended last week at the council meeting that Jabez E. Rands be given an award in recognition of his more than 40'years' service to the town. The motion came as a result of a letter from the Good Roads Association that asked the council to suggest names of people in'Clinton who had served for good roads for 40 years or more. Mr. Rands was manager of the PUC until he retired some years ago. The award will be presented at the Association's Annual Banquet. Clinton Firemen were called to the scene of an oil spill last week and were forced to wash about 100 gallons of fuel oil off Isaac and Mary Streets. The oil went directly into the Bayfield. River. The . mishap occurred when' ventilation hole at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food building was left off. • Mason Bailey of Blyth was re- elected president of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture on November 8 at the group's annual meeting in Clinton. "The Revivals" with their exuberance, modern music and unmistakable sincerity provided the liveliest, highest decibel service held in St. James Church, Middleton during its centennial celebrations. It would be safe to say the most audible one held in this quietly traditional church in the last 100 years. The Revivals "are six young people from Woodbridge, featuring electric guitars, drums, organ and singers. Next Tuesday, the recently - formed Clinton chapter of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire will receive its charter. 10 YEARS AGO November 23, 1967 Students of Central Huron - Secondary School' were attacked for "lunch-hour joyriding" by Deputy Reeve George Wonch this week, but firmly defended by principal R.J. Homuth. In a strongly worded letter to the Clinton District Collegiate Institute Board, Mr, Wonch charged that students racing cars and Motorcycles in lunch periods were a public danger. "I cannot see why students must drive cars or motorcycles to school," the deputy reeve wrote, One of the newest publications on town is "Shades of Black and White" the official newspaper of Central Huron Sedondary School. Published every two weeks, the little news sheet is one of the finest ventures we've seen in a long, long time. At 10 -cents per copy, this paper packs a real punch for the kids, their parents and teachers and residents of the community. Thebig red brick post office in the heart of Clinton is being demolished this week. Hubert Miller, R.R. 1, Dashwood and his crew began last Thursday to take . down the former federal building piece by piece. The job is ex- pected to be completed by the weekend "if the weather holds out," Cost of wrecking the structure is $2,100. Huronview, the county home near Clinton, has the largest number of residents, 254 in its history, Harvey C. Johnston, superintendent, informed Huron County Council at its November session. The total is n'lade up of 102 men and 152 women. This is the first time the number of men in the home has exceeded one hundred. Cost of operation per diem is $5.49, Mr, Johnston also stated. 25 YEARS AGO November 27, 1952 The position for Reeve, Public School Trustees and PUC of- ficials received acclamations at the official nomination meeting held on Friday evening last. Deputy Reeve for 1952 J.W. Nediger advanced to the post of Reeve by acc'lamation. N.W. Trewartha was nominated but did not qualify. Leslie Ball, Clayton Dixon, George Lavis and Royce Macaulay were also elected by acclamation. The two PUC posts were filled by Hugh( R, Hawkins and A.J. McMurray. Two of last year's council members, Reeve W.J, Miller and Alderman S.W. (Bert) Gliddon are opposing each other for the position of Mayor. G.W. Nott, who was also nominated, has decided to retire from public office. Alvin Betties, R.R. 2, Bayfield, for two years president of the Huron County Soil and Crop Improvement Association, is succeeded by Russell Bolton, R.R. 4, Dublin, who was elected to the position at the annual meeting of the Association held in the Agricultural office board room, Tuesday afternoon. Clinton Trojans, this town's new entry to the Intermediate basketball league, made an auspicious debut on Monday evening when they defeated the favored Clinton RCAF cage team 65-56 in the opening game of the schedule. 50 YEARS AGO November 24, 1927 A window display of apples were shown in Clinton last week by the Huron County Fruit Growers', Association. It was a fine exhibit and was the product of two growers, Messrs, R.R. Sloan and C.B. Middleton of Goderich Township. T,ie quality was a demonstration of what can he done in even a poor year by care an attention. In lieu of a fruit show, which the small yield rendered . im- possible, the Association put on such exhibits in Goderich and Clinton last week. James Street United Church Young People's, League, Exeter, visited the Huron County Home one eyeing last week, giving a nice little program and bringing a treat of oranges and candies for the inmates. After November 30, every applicant for a Motor Vehicle Operator's License will be' required to pass an examination of fitness and ability before an inspector. of the Department of Highways. This examination will take some time and will cost a fee of$1. Licenses are now issued without examination to those who have driven a car at least six months and for at least 500 miles and also have no physical or mental disability which may interfere with the operation of a motor car. Tenders will be received 'by the undersigned up to Friday, December 2, for the installation of the Batteryless Radio, at the Clinton House of Refuge. Instrument must have an extra loud Baldwin speaker. The lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted. On Victoria Street, opposite Wesley -Willis church, a house. Eight rooms, electric lights and water, stal)le, fruit trees and garden. Also Ford Touring, car. Apply A.J. Grigg. Whatyou think 11111(r11H111i1ill IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIuI011111IIII11111t11hll11111 Canada Day Dear Editor: Hundreds of thousands of Canadians - English, French, Italian, Ukrainian, Scotch, Irish, Japanese and of many other national origins - are concerned about the future of our country, Canada. Their concern is of a nature that encourages them to become more involved in working for the unification of all Canadians. The most frequent question asked is "But what can I do?" It is an honest and fair question because we are dealing with the realization of an ideal involving a gigantic countr and the lack of contact amo the majority of its citizen , which geographic distances create. The Council for Canadian Unity, since its inception in 1964, has been concerned with the challenge of national unity. Founded by a group of 60 English and French speaking citizens, the non- profit, non-partisan Council through its principal activity, Canada Week, offers Canadians from coast to coast and in the territories an opportunity to get involved at the local and provincial levels. The purpose is to get Canadians to celebr. to their country and, in the process, to get to know and understan one another better. Does Canada Week work. Yes, it does. Since 1969 Canada Week has spread to hundreds of communities where volunteer citizens give • of their time, talents, energies and money to stage a tremendous variety of celebrations in honour of Canada-. Their committees, under local and provincial chairmen, have already begun to plan for Canada Week 1978 ('June 25 - July 1). The Council firmly believes that the national unity crisis can only be favourably+ resolved by the active par- ticipation of citizens and organized programmes such as Canada Week. The role of governments at all levels should be to encourage and to support, volunteer citizens' groups the ac- complishment of initiatives which broaden their active participation in unity - creating programmes, We 'ask that you, as a representative of the mass media, personally become involved in Canada Week. A list of provincial and territorial Canada Week . chairmen is enclosed and we encourage you to consult with them on the practical aspects of helping citizens respond to the question "What can we do?" Please help Canadians to help themselves in achieving national unity, There is no other way. Should you require further information, I shall be pleased to respond to your request. Sincerely, Chad F. Bark, National Chairman, 1470 Peel, Suite 925 Montreal 0 • Cut lights Hydro says As winter approaches, Ontario Hydro is asking customers to keep their Christmas displays modest to conserve electricity. Winter months, with shorter daylight periods and colder weather, result in a pronounced increase in daily electricity demands - as much as 2,000,000 t� 3,000,000 kilowatts over those ex- perienced during the sum- mer, according to H. K. Wright, Hydro's Director of Energy Conservation. While not wanting to discourage the Christmas spirit, Hydro points out the need to moderate the size and use of 4 lighting displays as part of Ontario's conservation program. Hydro is once again using the slogan "Off until 7 p.m., off again at bedtime" for th ill use of indoor and outdoo Christmas lighting displays for homes, stores and offices. Hydro does not anticipate problems in meeting power needs this winter. However, electric power consumption grows each year and in order to keep these increases moderate, Hydro asks con- sumers to cut back on their use of electrical energy wherever they can, such as with Christmas displays. The Clinton News.Record Is published each Thursday at P.O. Box 39, Clinton, Ontario, Canada, NOM 11.0. Member. Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association It Is registered as second class mall by the post office under the permit number 0117. The Nows-Record Incorporated in 1924 the Huron News -Record, founded in 1011, and The Clinton New Era, founded In 1119S. Total press run 3,300. Clinton News-Recor 1 Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association Dl splay advertising rates avallable on request. Ask for Rafe Card No. 0 effective Oct. 1, 1917. General Manager • J. Howard Aitken Editor • James E. Fitzgerald Advertising Director • Gory L. Hoist News editor • Shelley McPhee Office Manager • Margaret albb Circulation • frede McLeod ACcounting • Marian Willson Subscription•Rate: Canada • ''S per year U.S.A. •'17.00 Other . '20.55 • 0 0 0 0