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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1978-06-01, Page 4PAGE 4--CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, JUNE 1 1978 Inspection needed Many officials have preached for years that municipalities need uniform enforcement of the building code, and all construction should be subject to regular in- spections during the progress of the building. With a few exceptions, according to Roman Dzus of the Huron County Planning department, unless a municipality has passed a bylaw enforcing the Ontario Building Code, it has no legal basis to charge for, or issue building permits. Dzus told the 26 members of the Huron County Municipal Officers Association at their recent annkMI meeting in Londesboro that the Ontario Building Code Act of 1974, passed by the provincial govern- ment, is the only legislation that can be used to control construction in a municipality. Dzus said the Code stipulated that a municipality appoint archief building official to administer the code and make sure all buildings conform to it. A number of years ago, the then Goderich Township Reeve Gerry Ginn proposed that the township, Clinton and several other town- ships get together and hire a building inspector, but the idea was shelved. More recently, Hullett and McKillop townships have hired a building inspector who carries out several site inspections during the course of a building's construction. But in order to afford a full time man, several more municipalities would have to join. - In the past, there has been little or no actual inspection in Clinton, just stipulations that the new building conform to the town's zoning by-laws. And we have been fortunate in the past that the local builders, for the most part, are men of high integrity and would not knowingly put up a sub -standard building. But what's to stop out-of-town builders from rushing in, putting up poor houses, for instance, and then move on, leaving the poor homeowner stuck with a lemon and perhaps a dangerous house? The building industry is a very complex business and the sooner we get building inspection on an area or county basis, the better for all of us. Come out! Entrants, organizers, and fair- goers alike are hoping, that this weekend will turn out sunny, warm but not hot, as the 124th edition of the Clinton Spring Fair gets un- derway Friday afternoon. While many small town fairs have diminished in size and im- portance, or disappeared altogether, the Clinton Fair has grown and now with $22,000 in prize money, is one of the biggest spring fairs, if not the biggest, in the province. It will be a hectic time for many, including the harried photographers and reporters of this paper, but in the end, there is something for everyone and we hope everyone goes and has a good time. See you at the Fair! "I already know what I'll get for Fathers pay — the bills from Mother's Day." A better chance in life Two weeks ago I wrote about prevention of mental retardation. It should be made clear that prevention means trying to eliminate or lessen the problems of people; it does not mean preventing people with problems from having an equal chance in life. In spite of all medical knowledge and precautions, a certain number of babies born each year will have a mental handicap. What about them? How does society treat them? What does the future hold for them? How do their parents react? Society has come a long way from the 1930s, when the mentally retarded were Got a job Anybody got a job for my kid? She's 27 years old, has three degrees, is three times as bright as her old man, can charm the birds right out of the trees when she feels like it, and is an out- standing fund-raiser (from me). She plays the piano extremely well, the guitar rather rustily. She composes music, racous rock or cdntemporary classical. She can cook up a storm when she's at our place, although I've never had anything more substantial than a cup of weak tea and a burnt brownie at hers. She has an erratic but brilliant academic career, liberally sprinkled with A's for essays and glowing tributes from professors. That's mainly because she can write rings around me, and comprehend abstract theses in one-quarter the time I do. She is completely versed in all the modern psychological jargon of child - raising, but despite that has two happy, healthy children. Despite the fact that she's an ardent Women's Libber, she's still living with a male chauvinist husband and gets along pretty well with a male chauvinist father, or at least what she thinks is one. She can type at a hell of a clip, self- taught. She has worked as a waitress, a bartender, an organist and a helper at a day-care centre. And finally, she's a consummate actress.'You should hear her conning her mother into taking the kids for a week. Now wouldn't 'you think that with all these attributes, she could hack some kind of living out of our economic jungle? But, no. Her problem is that she is ready, willing and able to. go out and conquer the world, but she's walking right into Canada's worst unem- ployment situation since the Great Depression. An added difficulty is that she is specially trained to be one of those pariahs of today's society — a teacher. Being a newly graduated teacher today is like being an undertaker in some Utopia where nobody ever dies. Every occupation has its day in the sun, I guess. Fifteen years ago, it was the turn of the teacher. If your body was warm and you were still breathing, you were likely to be snatched off the streets or out.of an office, and propped up in front of a classroom. With the post-war baby boom over and out of the schools, and the reluc- tance of so many young people to have children, for whatever reasons, school enrolment has shrunk drastically and will go on doing so for several years. The huge educational empires created during the boom years are shrinking, and attrition is - fairly savage.Thousands of young teachers are unable to get jobs. Hundreds are losing their jobs because they are redundant. It's nobody's fault, particularly, just a matter of execrable management by our leaders. Nothing new in that. They're the people who study all the charts, examine all the facts and in/ variably come up with the wrong an- swers. Day in the sun for the teachers is over. Morale of those already in the profession is low, for various reasons. Morale of those trying to enter it is depressive. I reckon doctors got the next day in the sun. For years, along with the dentists, they carried thousands of dollars on their books, of people who could not or would not pay their medical bills. Then came health in- surance, and suddenly young doctors were making a fantastic living, because they were paid for everything they did. Now they've had their day too. They work incredible hours, often in rotten little offices where they scarcely ever see the light of day. But their expenses The Clinton News -Record 1s published each Thursday of P.O. Boa 30. Clinton. Ontario, Canede, NOM ILO. Member/ Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association • It Is registered as second class mall by the post office under the permit number 0117. The News -Record Incorporated In 1924 the Huron News -Record, founded In 1141, and The Clinton New Erb, founded In MS. Total press run 3,300. Mamber Cenadalea ComeraMty Newspaper Association Display advertising rates available on request. Ask for Rate Card No. S iMed lve Oat. 1. tr». General Manager - J. Howard Aitken lditor • James E. fit:gerald Advertising Director • Gary L. Heist News editor • Shelley McPhee Office Manager • Margaret Gibb Circulation • Freda Mcleod Atcounting . Marian Winson • Subscription Rete: Canada .'13 per year U.S.A.. '11.00 Other 10.1111 have shot up, they pay a whacking income tax, the government is always creating more paperwork, and sud- denly it's become a grind. Who's having his day in the sun in the sick 70's. I'd say the service people: garage mechanics, TV repairmen, plumbers, electricians. It certainly isn't nurses or construction workers. So be it. But there must be something awfully wrong with a country when thousands of highly dedicated, highly educated young people simply cannot find employment in what they were trained for. Maybe my son Hugh had some psychic foresight. He took off for Paraguay, as a Bahai pioneer, three years ago and is living happily, hand to mouth, without having to go through the humiliating search for a way to put food in his mouth. Max Braithwaite, whose Why Shoot the Teacher has been made into a popular movie, perhaps should have stuck a "not" into his title. Shoot the poor young devils and put them out of their misery. Or shoot a bunch of us old codgers with our stale ideas and antiquated teaching methods, and give the jobs to the young ones. Anybody got a job for my kid? called "mentally deficient" and were divided into three categories - idiot, imbecile and feeble-minded. Most mentally retarded persons were in- stitutionalized. In the 1950s, parents began forming associations to share their common problems and to raise community awareness. In the 1960s, the public realized it owed the retarded an education, and by 1969, the department of education had undertaken a program of special schooling for educable retarded ' children between the -ages of 6 and 18. Since then, the age has been extended to 21, and nursery schools are also operating in some areas. In the 1970s, much' of the public has become aware that many mentally retarded persons can learn to cope in society. Workshops are helping han- dicapped adults to reach their full potential, and more people are able to move out of institutions. Some associations sponsor residences for small groups of mentally retarded adults, who can live together with the supervision of a hostess. It gives them a feeling of independence, and for some it is a steppingstone to even more independence. Workshops are also helping some adults in their quest for job placements. Society has come a long way, but it still harbours some 'misconceptions. For example, mental illness and mental retardation are often confused. Mental illness results from psychological and emotional problems that . require special medical treat- ment. Mental retardation is neither an illness nor a disease; it is a condition of life. A retarded person has impaired mental ability. Thus his rate of lear- ning and h -is capacity for un- derstanding is lower than that of other people. Many people seem to think the mentally retarded have no un- derstanding and no feeling, but in most cases, a retarded person knows more than the so-called "normal" person realizes. One thing he recognizes is rejection, and it hurts. Integration into society would give the mentally retarded "a feeling of acceptance instead of rejection" ... and would help both the handicapped and 5 YEARS AGO May.31, 1973 Clinton council at a special meeting last Monday night cut-t.� a tax rate for 1973. All taxpayers wijll benefit from the move. Residential taxpayers who are public school si pporters will have their taxes cut by four mills or about $8 for a $2,000 assessment. Separate school residential supporters will be paying $17 less in taxes on a $2,000 assessment, a reduction of nearly nine mills. Walking a 100 pound great dane is no easy task. Most of the time the dog ends up walking the owner, but Peter Brown of Vanastra has solved the problem. While driving his car very slow he can "walk" his dog several miles each day. 10 YEARS AGO May 30, 1968 Clinton merchants Thursday night voted 18 to five in favor of closing all day Monday for a trial period from June first to November 30. The three month trial period for all day Wednesday closing terminates at the end of May. One merchant said that a survey taken by a traveller showed 30 area communities closed all day Monday, while only eight were closed on Wed- nesdays. Huron County.Junior Farmers chose their first king and queen at Lon- desboro Saturday evening. Contestants from four clubs were judged on three minute speeches, personality and non -handicapped "to be more at ease with each other," says Ann Klungel of Hen'sall, whose 12 -year-old daughter, Eloise, is mentally handicapped. Eloise attends an integrated elementary school in Huron Park, and Ann believes if integration begins in today's schools, it will help to break down many of the barriers that have afflicted society. Ann recalls the stages she and her husband, Harry, went through after they learned Eloise was. mentally retarded. First came denial and a search for a medical opinion that would oppose the diagnosis. Later came acceptance, and with it, anger, depression and self-pity, for in the beginning, they saw only the negative side of the situation. They did not realize Eloise would become their "sunshine." "She has taught the whole family a lesson in compassion," says Ann. The Klungels have three older children, and Ann and Harry knew it was important that they treat Eloise in the same way they treated the others. In some families, brothers and sisters are ` embarrassed by a retarded member, but that is not the, case in the Klungel household. Through Eloise, the older ones, aged 16, 20 'and 22, have acquired a better understanding of the problems of all handicapped persons. Ann and Harry feel they are for- tunate to live in a progressive area where many opportunities are available to the mentally handicapped, including the South Huron and District Association for the Mentally Retarded with which Ann has been involved for seven years; a nursery school and integrated elementary school for children; and a workship and two residences for adults. "Eloise sees our older children leaving home, and it's only natural for her to want to do the same thing," Ann admits. "I would never try to stop her, if she decided she wanted to move into a residence." "People tend to underestimate the ability of a mentally retarded person ... to pity him ... to overprotect him," continues Ann. "But we should always see the person first and his problem second, his potential first and his "imitations later." a look through the news -record files appearance. Fred Uhler, RR 3, Walton Princess of Huron County, Miss was named king and Barbara Watkin, Donna Tiylor, Brucefield, was chosen RR 3 Londesboro won the honors for and proclaimed at the town hall front queen, steps. Douglas Thorndike presented Retired school principal, James A. her with a lovely bouquet of roses and Cameron taught a bus -load of students J.A. Anstett made the presentation of a in his own "laboratory" last Thursday wrist watch. afternoon. In a setting, made colorful with The unusual school room was his 21- spring flowers, Miss Audrey Baird acre efitate on which he started his re- assisted by her mother Mrs. Norman forestation plan in 1931, behind his Baird and her fiance's mother, Mrs. home, on Highway 21. C.L. Stanley, Clinton received friends The students were from Huron on Coronation Day, June 2, for her Centennial School, Brucefield and trousseau tea at the home of the bride - came to further their study of Canadian elect on Concession 2, Stanley Town - trees. Mr. Cameron told them many ship. facts of interest about his 50,000 trees. Jayne Mary Snell won second prize in He has 21 varieties, with a prepon- the girl's vocal solo class, open at the derance of Red' and White Pine, Huron County music festival held in Spruce, Ash and a few Maples. Goderich last week. 25 YEARS AGO Jane McCool, Auburn, won the Maple June 4, 1953 Leaf Chapter IOOF $25 scholarship Two young ladies born in Clinton award for the competitor chosen from Public Hospital on Thursday, June 2 the girls' vocal solo class of 14 years will bear the name of Elizabeth in and under. honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth Jim MacDonald, Clinton, won third II.Joan Elizabeth is the daughter of Mr. prize in the piano class for children 10 and Mrs. Douglas Clow, Albert Street, years and under. Clinton. Judith Elizabeth is the 75 YEARS AGO daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morris June 4, 1903 Riddell, Blyth. One of the best known men in the Once again, though this is the age of County of Huron is Mr. William Cud - automotive traffic, the shed at the more whose fine farm and cosy Ontario Street United Church, is today residence is situated on the London packed with horses. The officials of the Road about a mile north of Kippen. fair board have seen fit to hold the Mr. Cudmore came to Canada in 1855 horse show there, rather than at the 4and to Huron two years later. About 30 muddy fair grounds. 'Turn to page 7 • 4 Books need study Dear Editor: Dear Mrs. Munro, I love mystery stories, especially the clever ones of Agatha Christie's and possess nearly all of them. There's splendid English for you. I even like Edgar Allan Poe's but there I forgot he is of the 19th century and rates with such master scholars as Scott, Dickens, Thackeray and Jane Austin. Like Queen Victoria, our young friend Philip Street was not amused. Yes, Philip, I have read all three books under discussion. I would not have had the temerity to discuss them otherwise - a matter which didn't deter you. As for the editorial on "Good and Evil", (May 18) I think I have not read anything so far off the mark in some long time. Who said we are trying to shield our young people from the evils of the world? Not I Mr. Editor and neither I am sure were the ladies of Kingsbridge. The young people of today are much more knowledgeable on many matters than their forebearers ever were. How could it be otherwise with radio, TV, magazines and daily news? It never occurred to me, nor I am sure to others, we should keep from our young people historical facts, hideous as many of them are. I have long ad- vocated the placing of "The Diary of Anne Frank" as well as Ernest Schnabel's, "A Portrait in Courage". in the hands of every student. These should never be forgotten. With racism rearing its ugly head in Canada, fomented by the young, led on by their elders who should know better, it should be fought with all the tools at our disposal so that never again will six million innocent people, two million of them little children, be done to death by one wicked man and his followers. Who said we should hide all this? Not I Mr. Editor nor I am sure did the ladies of Kingsbridge. Who said we should hide all this communism, fascism, Natzism or past history of evil deed's done by evil men in many lands? Not I Mr. Editor nor I'm sure did the ladies of Kingsbridge. R.J. Thompson gives out the clarion caV we must oppose the enemies of free speech. What he fails to see is freedom to do as you please, talk as you please, write as you please is not freedom, it's license. If it is offensive to others it fails to be permissible freedom and must be subdued. If you think men fought the forces of evil in two great wars so your children could talk like gutter -snipes you are sadly mistaken. So it's "sniffy literary snobbishness" to give your children some guidance in good reading. How does any child know unless given some guidance when young? Thompson goes on to say "The Diviners" left him "farther on than when he took it up." If so, I feel sorry for him. He, with little experience in any of the many facets of life, seems prone to set himself up as a literary light, though I find it hard to find the grain amid the chaff of his literary drivel. To quote him, "what garbage." So the best books chosen by Maugham are not Canadian. Then let me give you Munroe Scott's "McClure." Incidentally did you hear him speak when in Clinton? I dare say not. Yet he is one of our greatest living Canadians. There's a book for every classroom for you. What are we striving for? A revival to good English. some purity of thought and speech in our English language. A desire to not let it become a mongrel language either in the spoken or written word, less perverted with slang and indecent phrase. Let it become a scholarly language once more as it deserves to be. "Who are the ladies of Kingsbridge?" Mr. J. Fremlin asks. They are women with the courage of their convictions, desirous of more suitable literature of which there is plenty, even Canadian, desirous of less of the crude, the lewd and the vulgar. More power to them and may success attend their efforts. Sincerely, E.D. Fingland, Clinton. Tuckersmith ta�C°es Dear Editor: We wish to thank your paper fcn''N having the privilege to answer James I. McIntosh's letter. We were very surprised and disappointed to see your letter after being clerk -treasurer for the Township of Tuckersmith for 16 years. You know very well the job of clerk -treasurer is not easy and it is a tough life to be a member of council. After reading your letter several times, the only answer we can come up with is that you are trying to prove to the people of Tuckersmith that the clerk -treasurer doesn't know how to handle the books and that members of council are not capable of running the business of the township. The press reporter attends all our meetings and the notes she copies down go to the paper and we have very little say in it. Due to the fact that fortner clerk - treasurer James McIntosh of the township had made' a mistake in bringing in recommendation to council and the county mill rate was set too high in previous years, we were able to lower the county mill rate by seven mills. Pertaining to the first time grant of $600 to the Vanastra Recreation Association we were elected to represent the people of Tuckersmith and not to be a rubber stamp for the Turn to page 7 • • • • •