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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1978-06-01, Page 3Calling all readers! Calling all News -Record readers! In order that this paper may con- tinue to serve the public, with an infqrmative, readable newspaper each and every week of the year, the News -Record is carrying out a readership survey. A telephone survey, conducted in a professional matter, started this week to a randomly selected group of citizens in our readership area. The survey was especially designed to determine the numbers of people in Clinton and area who read newspapers, what newspapers they are reading, what the readers think about the newspapers they are reading, and what improvements could be made to add to their en- joyment of the newspapers they are reading. At the same time, the Clinton News -Record will be running its own printed survey in the paper for three weeks, and readers are encouraged to fill in the survey, clip it out, and send it in to the editor. That survey appears for the first time this week, and readers are urged to make their opinions of their hometown paper known by meads of this survey. Some people may express concern that the survey in the paper has asked for their identification at the bottom of the form. This information is vital since it is the only way researchers have to verify that the survey is accurate. It is possible that a false opinion poll could be the result if some readers, for instance returned more than one survey. -The age of the respondent is also helpful in determining the average age of News -Record readers and perhaps the reason for the responses on the survey. Age and reading preferences do have a definite co - relation. The survey will be published for three weeks, however, we ask you to fill out the 'form and send it in im- mediately. New nursery picks board Enough interested parents turned out Monday evening to choose a new executive and advisory board for the Wesley -Willis Nursery in Clinton. The new executiveis made up of parents whose children will be at- tending - the nursery in the fall. The parent involvement in the ad- ministration of the school as well as the actual operation is part of the nursery's new endeavor of changing from a private group to a parent co-op. Building... • from page 1 that the rights of individuals are being hampered by government controls. Warden Gerry Ginn said that too often, people consider that planning is right for others...but too restrictive for them as individuals. Ginn asked council to consider the situation where a resident wanted a change in the zoning, from residential to com- mercial. Ginn suggested that the same in- dividual who resisted the intervention of planning processes for a simple rezoning problem, might insist that planners do something about the far- mer that wanted to build a hog barn beside his place of business. Rev. John Oestriecher carried out the election and those on the 1978 executive are: president, Dorothy Boughen, 482-7951; vice president, Marie Lobb, 482-9016; secretary Darlene Morgan, 482-7973; treasurer, Bernie Pugh, 482-9584. By coincidence each parent on the executive has two children coming to the nursery which begins on Tuesday, September 5. As well as the executive an advisory board was established to help set up the various committees needed to run the school. These included telephone, membership, social, publicity, fund raising, etc. They will also act as a back up for the executive. . Although there were initially four positions open on the advisory board, six parents accepted the positions. They were: Joyce Cook, 482-7782; Sharon McClenghan, 482-7781; Lois Fitzgerald, 482-3890; Barb Hicks, 482- 9572; Pat Hemingway, 482-9202; Moranne Duddy, 482-3652. Along with the election Mary Carroll, president and Peggy Rowcliffe, treasurer, of the Seaforth parent co-op Nursery attended the meeting to an- swer any questions from the some 13 parents who attend the meeting. The executive and advisory board will meet again in June to set up the various committees. // CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1978—PAGE•3 People in Profile: Merv's a trappingpioneer by Shelley McPhee Pioneers are hard to come by these days. There are special talented men who make new discoveries in outer space, in medicine, in technology as well as other advances, but generally not many people from small Ontario towns are known for their great prospecting skills. Neither is hunting or trapping known as a great field for new discoveries yet Mery Batkin destroys this theory as well as the one that pioneers are rare in small towns. "They call me the father of the fox trappers," this little man laughingly explained. He modestly explained that he was one of the first men in the area to begin trapping foxes. Other men were still hunting the animals with the use of hounds. Mery has also discovered that a wolf could be caught in a fox trap. "I've spent my whole lifetime hunting and trapping, I don't really know how I got started," explained the 68 -year-old man. Mery said that his grandfather, William Jervis got him interested in hunting and trapping as a boy. In fact, Mery trapped his first skunk and weasel when he was seven. He shot his first jackrabbit in public school. "I used to be able to sometimes turn around quickly and throw myself on a sitting cottontail and catch him," he proudly noted. Now if those recommendations aren't adequate, there's more to prove Merv's knowledge of the outdoors, hunting, trapping and animal life. One year he shot 1,050 groundhogs. In 1957 he trapped 134 foxes, 176 coons and 95 skunks in an eight mile radius of Clinton. In 1958, before the rabies hit the foxes, Mery trapped 210. Like many other conscientious hunters and trappers, Mery is aware of the fact that his hobby is a con- troversial topic as well. "The hunting, following tracks, the animal habits is what I'm interested in mostly," he admitted. "As for leg hold traps, they're the only kind you can really use. People are overstressing the cruelty of the traps. Maybe it cuts off the circulation but I've come across foxes that have been sleeping while their leg's caught in the trap. As for muskrat and beaver they're usually drowned." Mery went on, "Nature is much crueller than we are. Have you ever seen a wolf attack a deer, tear out its back end and then leave it?" Along with the actual hunting and trapping, the gun control issue is closely related to Merv's hobby. He presently owns six different guns but said, "I can only use on gun at a time." He plans to sell some of his rifles and noted that probably in the future there will be regulations on the number of Mery Batkin, Clinton, may not be the discoverer of hunting and trapping, but he surely Is a pioneer in that field around here. In 1936 Mery shot the first wolf in Huron in over 80 years. Since then he has hunted and trapped over 70 wolves and well over 3,000 foxes in his lifetime. Hunting, trapping and the outdoors has been a hobby with Mery since he was a boy. (News -Record photo) The topic of gasoline prices and efficient service from the station's staff can always raise a few tempers and bring a lot of complaints from users. With today's varied prices, in Goderich for example a gallon of regular gas is selling from 79.9 to 88.9 cents, motor vehicle drivers are developing eyes like hawks. If there's no large sign stating the price of gas, you can be sure that the driver looking for gas has slowed down to a crawl and is straining to see the price on the pumps before he fully commits himself. "In the States, gas is only 59 cents", report many Canadian tourists and travellers to the amazement of their fellow coun- trymen. But, there are other, not so complimentary reports about the gasoline service in the States. Leigh Robinson, editor of the St. Marys Journal Argus told his readers that in a recent trip to Washington, D.C. he stopped in at a self serve gas station. Now in Washington, the pumps don't work until you've given the attendant. who sits behind a bullet-proof shield, your money. Then the pumps only let out the amount for which you've paid. In Leigh's case, he asked for $5 worth, not realizing that filled to the brim his car would only hold $4.65 worth of gas. Rather than cause any trouble, he let the attendant keep the 35 cents extra. Now maybe they have such stations in Canada as well, but I found this story quite a bit different from my last encounter with a service station. I pulled into a station in Goderich, and just as the attendant came to my window to ask how much gas I wanted, I realized that I didn't have my wallet with me and no money. "Forget giving me any gas, I don't have any money," I said apologetically as I gazed at my gas gauge which sat below empty. "Oh no," replied the attendant, "I wouldn't want to see you run out of gas." 1 had to agree with his logic, and UNITED KINGDOM TOUR 1978 Followir our arrival at STAINES We may see SLOUGH On our way to WILTS Via BUCKS And BERKS Later we will pass through OXON And WORCS To SALOP And CLWYD Why not join two old country types Touring a Britons Britain, we leave on September 8 for an intriguing FORTNIGHT! FOR DECIPHERED DETAILS BEQUEST OUR BROCHURE, SERENE SEASON UK LOUR '78 COACH NOOSE TRAVEL SERVICE HAMILTON STREET, GODERICH 524-8366 Government Approved A.C.T.A. Agency / with that he gaVe me $5 worth of gas and told me to bring in the money whenever I was driving by again. I'm not sure whether I have an honest face, which I guess I do because I returned later and gave him his money, or whether he's just a nice guy but I was really amazed with that little incident, especially since I just read about the Washington story. Now, that's what I call service. Businessmen • from page 1 designed to live in pots. As well, the money may be used towards the ' purchase of new decorative garbage containers for the downtown area. "People use the planters for garbage dumps," said Mrs. Ross, despite the fact that some garbage cans are situated around town. However, no decision will be made on the use of the money until the business association meets again on Monday, June 12 at 8 p.m. at the Clinton News - Record office. guns a man can own as well as the amount of powder he can have. "It isn't the guns that kill people, it's the people themselves," he em- phatically noted. "You can still kill a person without a gun or they can get guns from other countries." Mery is slightly displeased with the thought that the amount of gun powder could be controlled since this would interfere with his operation of the Vanastra Gun Club. Merv, along with two other men, began the shooting club some five years ago and has been holding trap and skeet matches ever since. Mery noted that the club has had as many as 34 shooters at once but a good size club has 12 to 20 players. Along with the gun club, Mery was also responsible for starting a supply shop at his Princess Street home in Clinton. Batkin's Trapper Supply House began in 1945 and has since been sold to Elmer Trick. As well, Merv, who had some training as a meat butcher, had a locker business at his home for five years. Although the business is long gone, Mery still makes use of his skill as a butcher and the locker itself. Presently, the locker is filled with racoon and muskrat carcasses. This frozen meat is sent to the St. Marys area were the meat is used on the mink farms for food. "There's not much money in it," Mery admitted, "and the gasoline and ammunition are expensive. I don't know why I save them but I can't see shooting the animals without making some use of them. I guess it was in the way I was brought up that I feel like this. , "When I was a boy on the farm, we ate a lot of wild meat. We were hard up and dad would bring in a box of shells and we'd have to produce meat," he remejnbered. "To me black squirrel is the nicest wild meat. My wife Doris boils it for me. She doesn't like the taste of wild meat too much, but she does like partridge." Actually, none of the family has developed the interest in hunting and trapping that Mery has. Doris his wife of 43 years, has her own interests and refers to all Merv's supplies as "junk." Their son Bob, 31, showed a brief interest in hunting. Mery claimed that he was a good shot and the first day he hit three running jack rabbits. As for his daughters, Ruthann and Jane Groves, the feeling was very much the same. Mery recalled, "Jane couldn't say certain words when she was little and when I'd come home from hunting she'd say, daddy's got 'nother 'toon (instead of coon)." Perhaps Merv's family does not hold the interest he does in the hobby, but he noted, "This is my hobby so I'm going to enjoy it in the years I have left. I'm financially stable now and I can afford some of the things I want." Besides, if his family as well as many others had the feeling for the outdoors that Mery does, then Mery probably wouldn't be much of a pioneer. A Proud Attack Against Mediocrity. Six pieces starting at '500.00 Individuals from '55.00 each Custom made in a large colour selection "More than a decorating resource, The Raintree is an attitude." LIGHTING, AVAL L( (AIRING, FINE ART & A(( TENTS One Twenty Eight Albert, Clinton 482 871 I TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MONEY SAVING BARGAINS when Seaforth Merchants join in .marking the Seaforth Optimists' 10th Anniversary and Mardi Gras with Friday - Saturday, June 2 - 3 These participating stores are sparing no effort to make shopping on Sidewalk Days a profitable adventure for you. Hetherington Shoes Keatings Pharmacy Stewart Bros. Crown Hardware Seaforth Jewellers Sills Hardware Seaforth Record Shoppe Larones Shinens Piet's Place Jack & Jill Stedmans Pulsifer Bob & Betty's Variety Hildebrand Paint & Paper Frank Kling Ltd. R. Plumsteel Interiors Seaforfh Kitchen Centre Canadian Tire h11uron Expositor