HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1978-05-25, Page 4PAGE 4—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1978
What we think
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We're changing
Like just about everybody, a
newspaper can get in a rut, get
tiresome and boring, and fail to appeal
to its readers week after week.
The News -Record is just like a
person; every once in a while they need
a change of clothes. It's the same old
person underneath, but a change of
dress seems to breathe new life into
her.
Over the past several months, the
News -Record has been changing our
layout ever so slightly, trying to im-
prove the readability, looks, and ap-
peal of the paper. So far, all those
changes have been very well accepted.
And beginning next week, we will be
making one of our more obvious
changes when we switch from what is
called in the newspaper business eight
column format to nine column format.
Basically, it allows us to put more
news and advertising into the same
Good service
The Clinton Kinsmen Club, like most
of our service clubs, long ago proved to
us their worth to the community. The
club's undertaking last year of the
building of a new grandstand, at no
cost to the town, will go down as one of
the highlights of Clinton's history.
So it was especially pleasing this
week to learn that their feat had been
recognized by the District Kinsmen as
the outstanding project undertaken by
a Kinsmen Club in Southwestern
Ontario last year.
At the district Kinsmen convention
last weekend in Sarnia, the Clinton
club won the Sinclair Service Shield,
space, and changes little else.
The newspaper is a business, and in
the last few years has, like most other
business, been faced with astronomical
increases in costs, including labor and
materials.
In order to stay in business and still
continue to offer our readers the best
paper possible, as we have been doing
for the past 113 years, we must become
more efficient, and try and put more
into less space.
Even though the paper will boast of
an exciting new look •next week, one
thing won't change, and that is our
coverage of events in Clinton and area.
It will be the same news, just packaged
a little differently.
There will be no rate increases, no
newsstand price increase, nor any
increase in subscription prices.
We hope our readers will enjoy our
new look, and continue to patronize us
as well as they have in the past.
beating out 85 other clubs in this part of
Ontario for "a project deemed by the
Kin organization to be of the greatest
need, in a community."
The citizens and the Kinsmen can be
proud of this award in recognition of
the financial commitments and per-
sonal involvement they made to the
grandstand project.
The winning of the award proves
again that we, do indeed have a com-
munity of people, not just a town full of
houses, and when things are down and
out, we can all work together and
overcome any difficulty.
Sugar and Spice/By Bill Smi
ey
That was some b
What with Chretien's
budget and the hockey
playoffs, it looks like a long,
dull spring ahead.
That budget came sailing
out with all the buoyancy of a
wet sock. I can't help
agreeing with the braying
opposition critics, who
labeled it a cynical, pre-
election budget.
So the sales tax was cut.
Big deal. It (means that if I
want to go out and buy a
$6,000 car, I can save $180.
Brother, if I could afford that
kind of money for a car, I'm,
not going to let $180 worry
me, one way or the other. And
that $180 is sure going to go a
long way in providing jobs for
the more than 1 million
unemployed, isn't it!
There wasn't a single iterp
in the budget that will
remotely affect our sickly
dollar or our sorry unem-
ployment situation.
Something that truly
amazes me is that the federal
Liberals, despite their
horrendous record over the
past decade, have a very good
chance of being re-elected.
They are leading by a fat 11 -
or -so percent in the polls.
How do you figure that,
with the whole country mad
at the government for
inaction lack of leadership, a
monstrous deficit, and a
dollar in the doldrums? It
must only mean that we think
an alternative would be
worse, and this is a
depressing thought. How can
anything be worse than
dreadful?
1 think perhaps the reason
for the Liberal lead in the
polls is that a sort of apathy
and cynicism has affected the
Canadian voter to the point
where he just doesn't give a
diddle any more.
The lack of credibility
among politicians has
deepened, rather than the
reverse, since the CBC began
telecasting House of Com-
et
mons debates. Nowhere was
it more evident than on
budget night.
On one side of the House, as
the finance minister followed
cliche with platitude, one
group of trained seals flapped
their flippers on their desks
every time he stopped for a
drink of water. On the other
side of the House, another
group of equally well-
groomed trained seals
flapped their flippers on their
desks when their man was
cutting up --'the finance
minister. Perhaps the name
sho.uld be changed from the
House of Commons, to the
Common Zoo.
What is developing in this
country is a deep festering
sore based on a mistrust of
Ottawa and everything that
emanates from it.
And somebody had better
start paying some attention to
it, at some other time than
election time, or there's going
to be hell to pay in this
country.
Surely, the Ottawa man-
darins, the "expert"
economists, and the $50,000 -a -
year civil servants have had
their innings. They have
made a complete hash of
things in the three decades
since World War II, when
Canada emerged as a vital
country with everything
going for it, and has slid
steadily from a strong
secondary power to a
whining voice in the
wilderness.
Surely it's time for a leader
to emerge who has a gut
feeling of what this nation is
all about and what its people
want. But where is he? Or
she? John Diefenbaker had it,
but his own ego blurred the
mirror. Robert Stanfield had
it. But in this TV age, he
didn't have "charisma." He
wasn't sexy enough.
Joe Clark sexy? Ed
Broadbent charismatic? It is
to laugh. I'll bet I'm sexier on
a Sunday morning with a
hangover and no shave.
Oh well, we can't solve the
nation's problems here every
week. Let's turn, for comic
relief, to the National Hockey
League. It is to laugh again,
uproariously. It is not
national, it is not hockey, and
it is not a league, but a
conglomerate of big
businesses.
Despite the sport's page
flacks who keep flogging us
with "big" stories about
hockey, hockey stars, big
salaries, folding franchises,
and such garbage (if I read
one more story about Derek
Sanderson I'll puke.), the
hockey playoffs are becoming
a big yawn.
A couple of decades ago,
hockey fans in North America
were that -- fanatics. I knew
guys who wouldn't go to the
funeral parlor where their
wife was laid out, if they were
going to miss a playoff game.
Nowadays, when
everybody makes the
playoffs except Aunt Mabel
and the Peewee team she
coaches Saturday morning,
ennui sets in early in April
and continues until almost
June.
Baseball i's in full swing,
football is gearing for sum-
mer training, and the golf
tour is half over before the
greedy owners will let their
sweaty slaves hang up their
skates.
When those sweaty slaves,
most of them Grade 12
dropouts, are driving
Cadillacs and the like, and
play is held up for TV com-
mercials, and fourth -rate
teams make the playoffs, the
game has about ass much
integrity as a poker game
with two's and geights and,all
red cards wild.
I'd just as soon watch
reruns of I Love Lucy as
waste my time watching the
NHI, playoffs. At least Lucy
is funny.
The Clinton News -Record 1s published each
Thursday at P.O. Sox 30. Clinton, Ontario,
Canada. NOM 111.
Member, Ontario Weekly
Newspaper Association
it Is registered as second class mall by the
post offici'under the permit number 0011.
The News -Record incorporated In 1924 the
Huron News•Record, founded in 1001. and The
Clinton New Era, founded in 1065. Total press
run 3,300.
Clinton NewsRecord
Member Canadian
Community Newspaper
Association
•
Display advertising rates
available on request. Ask for ,
Rafe Card No. S effect lve Ott. 1,
107/. -
General Manager ..I. Howard Aitken
Editor • James E. Fitzgerald
Advertising Director . Gary L. Heist
News editor • Shelley McPhee
Offits Manager • Margaret Gibb
Circulation • traria M flood
Accounting • Marian Willson
Subscription Rate:
Canada •'13 per year
U.S.A. • '17.00
Other . '21.00
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"Here goes — I'm turning on the news!"
Odds 'n' ends - by Elaine Townshend
Back-seat drivers, part 2
About five years ago, I wrote an essay
entitled "Back -Seat Drivers". Since I
didn't have a license and since I wasn't a
back-seat driver myself, I just sat back
and observed the nervous habits of other
riders.
For example, I noted the subtle ap-
proach used by an elderly lady, who kept
her fists clenched and her eyes glued to
the highway ahead. With her feet, she
applied imaginary brakes, but said
nothing. Finally she peeked over the
driver's shoulder to check the
speedometer and asked if he'd mind
slowing down so she could enjoy the
beautiful scenery.
Then I observed a man who was too
nervous to teach his wife how to drive.
Even after she had learned from
someone else and had passed her driving
test, he was reluctant to ride with her.
When he finally gave 'in to her coaxing
and let her behind the wheel, he fastened
his seat belt tightly, sat with his back
stiff and straight, tapped his fingers on
the dash and allowed his eyes to dart
from one side of the road to the other. He
made sure the trip was a short one.
Later I listened to a woman who in-
sisted -on telling her husband in advance
every move he should make. She warned
him of lights turning red, cars slowing
down and children riding bikes along the
side of the road.
For awhile, he ignored her or just
answered her with a grunt, but suddenly
he pulled the car onto the shoulder of the
road, turned to his wife and said, "If you
think I'nu're a better driver, you get
behind the wheel."
That's one way to cure a back-seat
driver.
Six months after writing the essay I
began driving and became even more
aware of back-seat drivers. I
congratulated myself on having
correctly observed their antics and the
irritation they caused some drivers.
I noticed that people, who had never
driven, were usually the most relaxed
passengers. They seemed to think the
driver knew what she was doing; at least
they thought she knew more about
driving than they did.
But people, who were accustomed to
driving were more liable to notice
mistakes. Many of them felt compelled
to point out the errors and to explain
what they would have done if they had
been behind the wheel.
Now, when I drive, I find back-seat
drivers to be either amusing or an-
noying; it depends on my mood. But,
when I ride with someone else, I note a
terrible truth.
Other drivers drive too fast. Other
drivers tailgate. Other drivers don't turn
on their signal light soon enough. Other
drivers do dumb things.
In an effort to help, I give tidbits of
information, such as the light is red, that
car is turning left, this is our corner and
the speed limit is 50 kilometres an hour
not 50 miles an hour.
In other words, as much as I hate to
admit it; I am turning into one of those
comical, annoying busybodies called
back-seat drivers.
From our early files .
• • •
• • •
5 YEARS AGO
May 24, 1973
Nearly $1,500 was raised last
Satrurday and Sunday by 69
Clinton and area people who
participated in a bowling
marathon.
Beginning at 10 a.m., the eager
youngsters, who ranged from
eight to 20 years old, bowled until
they could bowl no longer. Some
bowled a few hours, but many
bowled all night and a few bowled
more than 30 hours.
A group of young men with Bud
Sturgeon as spokesman, ap-
proached Bayfield Council at
their regular meeting Monday
evening, with the request that
they be allowed 'to use the arena
one night a week for lacrosse.
Council could see no reason why
they couldn't be arranged, but
will meet with the Arena Board
for their approval and the fee to
be charged.
Roberta Neil of London broke
the traditional bottle of cham-
pagne on the bow of a 43 -foot
Newfoundland schooner which
was launched at Bayfield last
week. The boat, valued at up-
wards of $40,000 was built at the
Bayfield Boat yard and is owned
by Calvin Jervis of Clinton. ,
A hand gernade found at
Clinton Public School last
Thursday was not armed, the
Army Bomb Squad from CFB
London disclosed Monday.
The bomb was found in the
playground at the school by
children and turned over im-
mediately to Clinton police.
Although the gernade was not
fused, experts didn't know
whether or not it contained ex-
plosives. Origin of the gernade
has left police scratching their
heads.
10 YEARS AGO
May 23, 1968
Prime Minister Trudeau
stopped off briefly in Clinton
Tuesday afternoon, but spent
more time getting from the
platform to his car than he did
speaking to the massive crowd
assembled in the library park.
An estimated 5,000 people lined
the streets, many elbowing their
way into the park to gets a closer
look at the Prime Minister. '
Mr. Trudeau unruffled by the
noise and confusion in the streets,
, slowly made his way from his
police escort convertible to the
speaking platform, smiling and
waving to the thousands of eager
onlookers.
Accompanying Mr. Trudeau
were Malt Edgar, Huron Liberal
candidate and several newspaper
photographers and reporters.
Robert Beavers, of Exeter has
assumed reporting and editorial
duties with the Clinton News -
Record for the summer, begin-
ning this issue.
Ted Davies, second vice
president of the Clinton Lions
Club, volunteered to act as the
one-man committee responsible
for transporting the eye bank
container (when required) to the
eye bank of Canada in Toronto.
In response to a letter, the
Lions are purchasing a thermos -
type container for the Clinton
Public Hospital. The cost will be
about $35. When a person gives
his eyes to the eye bank of
Canada, this container must be
rushed to the eye bank at the
Banting Institute in Toronto.
This is the first time that
Clinton area persons have had
the opportunity to will their eyes
to the eye bank project.
25 YEARS AGO
May 28, 1953
Coronation Day next Tuesday
in Clinton will be something for
us all to.. remember. Without
going to the coronation itself, the
next best thing for all Clintonians
and district residents is stay right
here in Clinton and put all they
have into making it a gala day.
The CDronation Day committee
has done a good deal already
toward providing for a special
time both for children and for
adults. Because most folk will
wish to remain close to their
radios and television sets if they
have them, there will not be too
much active program before
lunch. •
There was a large attendance
at the opening of the new dine and
dance hall at the Old Forge,
Bayfield on Friday evening May
15. About 300 persons enjoyed the
dancing or snack in the
restaurant. Lloyd Pease's or-
chestra, London, played for the
dance. The enterirising
proprietor and his wife, Mr. and
Mrs. Thomas Blackie led off w th
a fox trot.
H. B. Manning, Clinton,
represented the Ontario Tem-
perance Federation appeared at
the morning service on Sunday,
May 24 at Brucefield United
Church.
Clinton Spring Fair, with a
grand total of $4,000 on the prize
list promises to be the biggest
fair yet seen in town. A. 3.
McMurray, secretary of the fair,
reports that already he has
received more entries than ever
before .
The class of sheep added to the
prize list for the first time this
year has -150 entries, from places
as far distant as St. Ann's near St.
Catharines, Paris, Tara and
Denfield.
Owing to the recent outbreak of
hog cholera, there will be no
swine shown at the fair.
50 YEARS AGO
May 31, 1923
The Toronto Daily Star carried
the news of the marriage of Miss
Muriel Sissman, daughter of Mrs.
Sissman of Chicago and gran-
ddaughter of the late Thomas
Tipling of Clinton and Horace E.
Dodge, a son of one of the foun-
ders of the Dodge Company car
manufacturers. The marriage
took place in London, England
last week. Mrs. Sissman visited
Clinton during the semi -
centennial celebration and
renewed acquaintances with
many old friends here.
Misses Beattie of The Vogue
entertained to dinner at the
Rattenbury House in honor of
their father, Mr. James Beattie
of Watford on May 24th. A
number of relatives from Wat-
ford and Seaforth were present
and a very pleasant day was
spent.
Mr. Jack Smith, son of Mr. Ed
Smith caught a six pound shad in
the river at Stapleton the other
day with a hook and line. When
the lad sighted the big fellow on
his hook you may be sure his eyes
bulged, but he managed to land
him safely.
75 YEARS AGO
May 28, 1903
The Sons of England paraded to
St. Paul's church on Sunday last
at 3 p.m. for divine service. The
interior of the church was
decorated with flags and
presented a fine appearance. The
choir was in full voice and ren-
dered the musical portion of the
service in a very creditable
manner.
Brucefield had quite a lively
appearance last week, so many
men putting in long distance
telephones. The head office is in
the post office.
One of the largest funerals
witnessed by many in Auburn fdr
some time attended the body of
Richard Waite to its resting place
in Ball's cemetery on Monday.
The service at the house was
conducted by Rev. Small of
Auburn while the Canadian
Po7rester brethren of the
de'eased held their service over
the grave, he being a member on
the Londesboro court of the or-
der. The concourse of rigs ex-
tended from the Baptist Church
corner to Ball's church burial
ground when in line.
100 YEARS AGO
May 30, 1878
On Thursday night an old man
lay across a salt barrel on Albert
Street and between his hic-
coughs, lamented thus:
"Morrow's races day. "Morrow's
Queen's birthday. Blame fool to
get drunk so quick's to spend my
money, so's can't bet. Mis'r lend
us a quarter; hang me if 1 don't
pay us" - He did not get the
quarter and the last sounds we
heard from him were, "Queen
Victoria's a fine old woman.
H'rah for Queen."
At a late hour on Thursday
night Chief of Police Paisley,
with two assistants, made a raid
on a house of ill -fame situated
below the railroad. The inmates,
male and female, endeavored to
escape by jumping through the.
windows but the police managed
to arrest three men and two
women. They were brought up
town, the mayor aroused from his
slumbers, before whom they
were at once tried and each fined
$10 and costs, thus adding $50 to
the town's treasury.
A written notice, stuck up on a
telephone pole in town and the
following speciments of spelling
therein: 'bin, 'ingaged,
allreaddy. Any green one might
do better than that.
Lattice fences are becoming
quite numerous in town.
A few bottles of eau de cologne
sprinkled about half -a -mile out on
the Base Line would not be
am miss.
news
Dear Editor:
Next month, I will be
leaving Stratford to accept a
position with Bell Canada
International in Saudi
Arabia.
I appreciate the fair
treatment given my company
and me by your paper.
Although we did not
necessarily agree always,
you listened to1'rr side of any
story too and Wrote it as you
saw fit. That's great!
Thanks for your help and
interest over the past few
years.
Yours truly,
J. M. Scott,
Manager, Bell Canada,
Stratford.
What you
think
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Blood
Dear Editor:
Once again time has rolled
around for our Blood Donor
Clinic in Clinton at the
entral Huron Secondary
School Tuesday, May 30.
Time 1:30 to 4:00 and 5:30 to
8:30 p.m.
Blood is in great demand at
this time of year with warm
weather and holidays ap-
proaching. Traffic,
recreational and farm ac-
cidents also increase an
more people need bloo
transfusions. When we were
faced with the loss of our
arenas, grandstands and
hospital, we all got together,
and gave of our time, work
and money to see that we kept
these going in our com-
munity.
Now we're asking for blood,
which costs us nothing and
only a few minutes of our
time. Maybe we do not realize
that it takes over 225 pints of
blood each day for our
hospitals supplied by our
London Branch of the Red
Cross. This is your blood
donor clinic so let's come out
and give to make sure blood
there when needed.
We don't know who may
need it next; it could be a
friend, a neighbour or even
yourself. .. Hope to see you
Tuesday.
Mrs. Gladys East,
organizer
Blood Donor Clinic,
Clinton
Dynamite
Dear Editor:
It has come to the attention
of this Force that old
dynamite or blasting caps
lay around homes, garages,
farms, gravel pits, or other
areas once used.
The potential danger of
these items is great. Persons
not knowing what dynamite
or blasting caps are, par-
ticularly children, could be
playing with an item which
would surely kill or maim
them.
One should never un-
derestimate the explosive
ability of dynamite or
blasting caps no matter if the
material is old or wet and
decaying. Accidents have
occurred through ignorance
of the capabilities of these
items.
Play it safe. Report any
knowledge of these dangerous
items to your nearest OPP
Detachment. We have a bomb
squad prepared to remove
explosive devices on your
request.
Your police force can serve
you better with the help of
information given freely by
you.
R.W. WILSON, Prov. Const.
Community Services Officer,
Goderich, OPP.
Generous
Dear Editor:
The Huron County Unit of
the Canadian Cancer Society
would like to express their
appreciation and gratitude to
all the residents, industries,
business firms, and
associations of the Clinton
area who contributed so
generously to the 1978 Cancer
Campaign for funds. You,
have helped the Clinton
Branch to attain, as of May
15, the remarkable total of
$7,200. This achievement
combined with the other four
Branches in Huron has
enabled the Huron County
Unit to exceed its 1978 goal of
$40,000.00. The excellent,
results of this fund-raising
will help the Cancer Society
to continue its great work of
assisting the residents of this
area, as well as countless
other Canadians, through its
programs of service to cancer
patients, research and public
A special "thank you" to.
education.
the Clinton Branch Co-
chairmen, Chester Archibald
and Leen Rehorst and all the
other fine volunteers, cap-
tains and canvassers who
have marched on the
sidewalks, knocked on doors
and covered both the hard
surface and dusty sideroads
in order to achieve this
wonderful result.
Sincerely,
Ross McDaniel,
Jim Remington,
Campaign Co -Chairmen,
Huron County Unit,
Canadian Cancer Society
More letters
on page 19