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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1978-06-29, Page 4PAGE 4—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, J1.1bM 29, 1978 Ifs Canada Week? ,Clinton is generally not known to break traditions, especially not national ones. For this reason, the last week in June for the ninth consecutive year, from coast to coast, Canada Week will be ignored by this community. Like, many other Canadians, Clinton people seem to have stagnated with a case of apathy, at least on the surface, when it comes to showing some pride for their country and caring for their neigh- bors. Perhaps these people should spend some time in Red China and live with the political rule there. Or they could move to Northern Ireland or Rhodesia and feel the fear, see the violence and the unhappiness of the people. Or perhaps they could visit India and deal with the unbearable living conditions in the overpopulated districts, or move to the wilds of New Guinea where the primitive natives there have little chance of advancement in the future. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world would like to live in Canada. Teenagers in Japan, for instance, dream about visiting this country and presently the number one song in that land, written by a Japanese musician is called "Love Letter from Canada." It seems that the only people who have any pride or respect for Canada is outsiders. They can see its dazzling potential. They value its unique blend of old and new, its combination of many civilizations and its mixture of languages. These qualities do not in fact tear a country apart, or make it a salad bowl but can be effectively com- bined, with fairness and little prejudice and bias to form a Canadian melting pot. However, if the apathy con- tinues, Canada, like the small forgotten town, will fall apart. Clinton's meager contribution to Canada Week, a mention of it during a council meeting, is a clear sign of outright apathy and un- concern. A parade, a dance, a giant birthday party, a special baseball game, even flying a few flags, or saying hello to neighbors in other towns or even other countries, or any small and not necessarily expensive event sponsored by the town, the people or any of the local clubs would help this community foster some pride. Hopefully future councils and future clubs will remedy this un- necessary apathy before Clinton becomes a town filled with cob webs and dust in a forgotten country. There's an entire 365 days until next year's celebrations, maybe we should begin to plan for it. Ah...the good old days, when a loaf of bread cost a nickel and the price of a gallon of gas was a quarter. Or, before that, when the only fuel your con- veyance needed -was hay. When a farm yielded enough vegetables, fruit, eggs, milk and meat to feed the family for a whole year. When non -perishables could be bought on your doorstep from a grocery truck and milk and bread were delivered in Reading habits There are so many things about me that annoy my wife that I could not list them in this space, not even in point form. But I believe the one thing that abrases her most severely is that, "You always have your nose stuck in a newspaper." Well, I retort, if one must get one's nose stuck in something, there are a lot more painful things than a newspaper. She's right, of course. I glom through two dailies, a welter of weeklies, a scattering of news magazines, and a gaggle of other publications, from the Anglican to Canadian Literature. When I'm not reading news, I'm reading books, from fiction to history to biography, from children's books to spy stories to pornography. It must be irritating to her, when she's trying to tell me what a scramble she had with her music pupils, or why the dart she put in her new blouse makes her look like Mae West with one breast shot off. It must be maddening' to her, when, after fifteen minutes of wailing about our daughter's unemployability, groaning about our grandsons' powers of destruction, or worrying about our son's safety in the purlieus of Paraguay, to have me look up and say, "Hey, sweetie, did you know that Dennis Braithwaite (a columnist) has the gout? Or, "Guess what that turkey Trudeau is going to do next?" She is, however, not without a modicum of realism. If she were a general's wife, she'd know that I had to be off to the wars, or at least to some cosy place within fifty miles of the front lines: If she were a doctor's wife, she'd know that you can't make $100,000 sitting around watching TV. If she were a lawyer's wife, she'd know that your ears do prick up, like a hound dog's, when you hear an ambulance siren. So, she's the wife of a teacher and a writer. And she knows darn well that this is part of the price. The man has got to read. At least this is the picture I draw for her, in many a heated discussion. Sometimes I manage to convince her, until the next lapse. The truth is something else. I read the news for nefarious and numerous reasons. One is for pure laughs. Often this is '-at the media themselves, and the seriousness with which they take themselves. Did you ever see, since cousin Elmer was left standing at the altar, such a disgruntled bunch as the media when the Prime Minister refused to call the election they had got themselves so engorged about"? Another reason I peruse the papers is to ipdulge my taste for irony. In an effort to keep the peace, the Yanks are selling fighter planes to both Israel and the Arabs. They would prefer to sell only to Israel, because there is a veritable host of Jewish votes in the U.S. But they need oil, so they sell to -the Arabs, too. Shades of the days when they sold scrap iron to Japan, before WWII, and had it returned with in- terest in the form of shrapnel. I study the 'media as a sort of ego trip. Doing so makes me aware that I am not as obnoxious as Pierre Berton, nor as arrogant as Pierre Trudeau. It works the other way too. I learn that I'm not as fearless as Borje Salming, not as, colorful as Muhammad Ali. But then I'm not as silly as Elwy Yost or Howie Meeker, so I really come off fairly well. Studying the news makes rhe aware of the darkness of the human condition. Two little boys in England, six and four, beat an old lady of 84, bed -ridden, to death because she gave one of them six -pence, and the other nothing. I wonder about my grandboys. I.read a story, and wonder at the lack of a sense- of humour among our politicians. Recently a professor hired to do a study of falling enrolment in schools, came out with the first part of his report. With tongue in cheek, he suggested women should start staying home and having babies, or. perhaps test-tube babies should be produced ; otherwise, our educational system would fall apart for lack of clients. The pols, fanned by the media, accused him of racism, anti -feminism, and everything else short of doing to the bathroom without having to. I know the feeling. Sometimes I make a joke in this space, and I'm appalled at the reaction of humourless people. I'm attacked as a libertine, an atheist, a monarchist, a war -monger, a peace -monger, a perverter of the The Clinton News -Record Is published each Thursday at P.O. Ross 30, Clinton+ Ontario, Canada, NOM ILO. Member. Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association 11 Is registered as second Bloss mall by the post office under the per it number 0117. The News -Record Incorporated In 1024 the Huron News -Record, founded In 1001, and The Clinton New Era, founded In 1116. Total press run 3,300. Meal ie. Canedelen CoMmunAssociation Newspaper Display advertising rata avallaida on request. Ask for Rate Card No. 0 offacHve On: 1, 1077. Goners' Manager . J. Howard Aitken Edith,. Jamas 1. Fifsgeratd Advertising Director - Gary L. Heist News editor • Shelley McPhee Office Alai taoer • Margaret Olbb Circulation . Freda McLeod Subitription Rotes Canada .'13 per yehr U.S.A. • '17.00 Other . '20.00 young, a denigrator of the elderly, a male chauvinist, a female apologist, a rotten husband and father, a lazy bum, a teacher who should not be allowed within hailing distance of our young. It doesn't bother me much, because I get all this jazz at home, long before the letter -writers get at me. I'm not any of those things. I'm just old Bill Smiley, trying to keep his head above water in the stream of life, without swallowing any of the sewage that seems to infest it. Finally, I enjoy that old enjoyable known as "I told you so." I get a real kick out of looking back and realizing that some cause I espoused years ago; to the great indignation of my friends and foes, is now the in -thing. Thirty years ago I said we should recognize Red China, a fact. Horror! Now'they're our buddies. They buy wheat. the same way.' When nein" - - " hail nor snow kept the mailman from making his rounds. The mailmen were the only ones who thought those weren't the good old days. When the telephone didn't ring as soon as you stepped into the bathtub. When a quilting bee sewed a large coverlet and rounded up a month's gossip in one afternoon. When a barn raising bee erected a building in one day and the crew devoured 20 pounds of meat, potatoes and vegetables and dozens of homemade pies and cakes. Ah...the good old days, when students didn't have to worry about the batteries in their calculators going dead. When imaginations thought of more ways for people to entertain themselves than switching on a TV set. And when you didn't have to worry about being a "partner in crime" if you left the keys in your car or if you went on a vacation without leaving sortie lights on in your house. Of course, I'm 'not old enough to remember all those "good old days," but I've heard people talk about them. Some folks even say they'd like to go back to those days. The list of memories grows, and other people recall different aspects. Ah...the good old days, when the bathroom was 20 feet behind the house and neither rain nor snow nor dark of night nor hurricane kept people from making the trip. When a person's bath ended with a pail of water being thrown over the head and the water was always too hot 5 YEARS AGO June 28, 1973 Tomorrow will be the final working day for Clinton News -Record staff member Marg Rudd. Mrs. Rudd will be leaving the newspaper after five years as an employee. Mrs. Rudd, accompanied by her husband Ron Rudd, came to Clinton in 1962 when he assumed duties as a senior instructor on the staff of the School of Instructional Techniques at Canadian Forces Base Clinton. Marg joined the News -Record staff in January 1968. Mr. and Mrs. Rudd will now be residing in residential quarters at Canadian Forces Base Borden. Huron County officially has a new judge with the swearing in on Friday of Londgn lawyer Francis G. Carter fills the post left open by the death of Judge R.S. Hetherington last April . Officials of Vanastrn Developments an- nounced at a press conference Monday that deeds will be going out to home owners on the former Canadian base beginning in one week to 10 days. 10 YEARS AGO `< June 27, 1968 The staff of A -M Hugh Campbell public school CFB Clinton, honored their retiring principal, C.A. Trott at a special dinner at the Maitland Country Club last week. The thought of hoeing a seven acre field of beans is enough to tire most people. But not Robert Thompson. Mr. Thompson' who celebrated his 91st birthday on Monday hoes his bean field almost daily. He has com- pleted the seven acre plot twice this year and is working on his third round. Mr. Thompson, who neither smokes or drinks, travels to his son's farm, three- quarters of a mile from his house in Kippen, every day to help with the farm chbres. He was raised on the farm his son now occupies and resides there until he moved to Kippen 16 years ago. Swimming against the Liberal tide which engulfed the rest of Canada Tuesday, voters in Huron riding, re-elcted Progressive Conservative Robert E. McKinley, with an increased majority over his Liberal op- ponent in the last two elections. Mr. McKinley polled 14,534 votes to carry the riding, compared with 10,747 picked up by Grit Maitland Edgar. 25 YEARS AGO July 2, 1953 Highway 8 between Seaforth and Clinton, a 7.7 mile stretch, is due for improvements this year. The right of way is to be widened and tenders have been called for the work of or too cold. When sleepyheads woke up on winter mornings with icy water bottles in the beds beside them and they stepped gingerly onto cold bare floors. The fire had to be lit in the kitchen stove every morning before mother could cools breakfast. In later years, the furnace in the cellar had to be stoked several times a day. Ah...the good old days, when the country roads weren't plowed in winter, The horses and cutters ran over the snow, packing it down and the level of the road grew higher and higher. When the snow began to melt, ruts appeared in which horses could be lost. When bricks were heated and placed in the bottom' of the cutter to prevent anyone's feet from freezing during the two hour ride to church on Sunday morning. When sugar and gas were rationed. When young men who were in the prime of their lives, were marching off to war. When there was no protection against diseases, such as measles and polio; when there was no way to battle diabetes and when an attack of ap- pendicitis could cause death. Regardless of when we grew up, most of us tend to look back and say "those were the good old days." We recall the good times, because those are the things we want to remember and the bad times are best forgotten. But in reality, there is good and bad in all times. For each of us today is a personal gift and what`re make of it is up to us. a look through the news -record files grading and installation of culverts. When everyone but the grdceful waterhird on top of the fountain at Clinton Library Park was searching for the coolest spot to be, these young lads set themselves on the cement block at the foot of the flagpole at the park and commenced a business of their own. Wayne Grigg and Robert Addison, both nine years old, and newly released restrictions of public school life, were selling handmade pot holders. "We're using noodles," said Robert, and Wayne added, "a lady up north taught him and then he taught me." Soon after their picture appeared in a daily nespaper, this week, we heard that they had received orders for 18 pot holders. Proof positive that it pays to advertise. William James Chowen and Beverlie Jane Smith took their wedding vows on June 27 in St. Paul's Anglican Church, Clinton. Rev. R.M.P. Bulteel officiated at the ceremony. 50 YEARS AGO July 5, 1928 The baseball game played at Exeter on Thursday last between Clinton and Exeter was a fast and evenly contested game and a most interesting one to spectators. The score was 4-3 in favour of Clinton. Pitcher Gordon Stock of Clinton did some ex- ceptional work, cmly allowing three hits during the game. Guy - Hicks is taking charge of Mr. Charles`worths' store during his absent e°on a little holiday. The taxes collected thus fa.- amount to the tidy sum of $19,500. At a special 'meeting of the Blyth school board on Friday night, Norman Garrett, who has been principal of Wroxeter con- tinuation school for the past six years, was engaged as principal of the Blyth con- tinuation school. Mr. and Mrs. William Shaddick and Miss Helen spent Dominion Day with Petrolia friends. 75 YEARS AGO July 2, 1903 About 50 of the London Road people drove over to Byfield on Saturday and picnicked in Jewett's grove and of the pleasant days spent' in Bayfield this year's outing Will always be remembered as a record breaker. One Wednesday evening of last week, the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Oke of Goderich Township was the scene of a very pretty wedding when their.daughter, Laura F. becape the wife of Mr. David Easom. The parlor and dining room were beautifully decorated with flowers and evel>ereens. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Husser of Archie was here Dear Editor: 'Archie Bunker' was in Clinton on Tuesday night (June 13) ; his strident "stifle" rang raucously throughout the high school auditorium: "Ban the books; don't corrupt our youth!" The best known contemporary bigot and anti-intellectual paraded his fears, his intolerance and his hostility before four famous Canadian writers of distinction; English teachers, senior students. and parents and citizens opposed to the grade 13 curriculum. Probably the most baffled and frustrated were the students. They had known that 'Archie' had existed throughout the ages, but they had not before met a completely closed mind, face to face. Deeply involved in.having their own minds opened up through th� educational process, they could no understand an 'Archie' whose only response to liberal and rational con- cerns was "M,eathead." Unable to see beyond hils own self- righteousness, he labelled dissent as blasphemy. The 18 year old student said, "We can handle dirty words, trust us, trust our judgement." Archie said, "I can't trust you." The 'Archies' of this world however, can't protect themselves by professing to protect their own children. They can't push onto them their own anxieties and insecurities, in an at- tempt to cope with their own per- ceptions of threats. The threats that Archie perceives have been accepte for many years by 18 year olds as pa of the normal verbal world of growing up. Secure in his own fantasies, Archie has blocked out the reality of the elementary school bus and schoolyard, where in a few minutes he could hear more four letter dirty words than are printed in the three novels he is con- cerned about. We don't completely disapprove of children because of the dirty words they use. To ban good books because of dirty words is to ban good children for the same reason. To condemn these books is to condemn an eight-year-old child. 'Archie Bunker' the adult and parent has insulted the school trustees and teachers, his own children and perhaps most of all himself. If students are going to be corrupted by dirty words they will have been corrupted long before grade 13, and if so, only poor parental training would permit such corruption. In our free society, we must tolerate the 'Archie Bunkers' of this world. but we must not run scared from their fears. The young people in our high schools are free of such weaknesses: they have the strength of good judgement. Let's trust our young people. Holmesville in the presence of some 79 guests and the wedding march was played by Miss Maud Goodwin as the bridal party took up their positions. The .hair bride was becomingly attired in cream brocaded lustre and carried a bouquet of orange blossoms. After the company wished the newly -wedded pair a happy and prosperous future, the wedding feast was partaken of. It consisted of the season's choicest viands as befitted the happy occasion and testified to the skill of the hostess. Afterwards a few hours were spent in various amusements when the guests departed for their respec- tive homes. The esteem in which the bride is held was shown by the large number of useful and expensive presents. Mr. and Mrs. Easom ' will take up their abode on the groom's farm on the' 16th concession. Mr. and Mrs. John Nicholson were in town on Thursday last. This was the date of Sweet Auburn's holiday and a goodly part of the population spent the day out of town. It is only on such an occasion as this that Mr. Nicholson takes a day off, his Targe and growing business demanding close at- tention. 100 YEARS AGO July 4, 1878 On the first of July, a young man and woman, from a neighbouring township started from home with the intention of proceeding to a picnic at Benmiller, but, changed their mind, they concluded to drive on to this place and get married. Proceeding to the house of a friend in town, a marriage certificate and minister was procured and they were soon declared man and wife, the bride, as soon as the ceremony was over, turning round to her husband and ex- claiming, "Now what will Miss think." They had only known each other two weeks previously and were not yet out of their teens. It is to be hoped that the marriage so hastily entered upon will prove all that is anticipated. For ,the half year ending June 30, the following were recorded with the Registrar here: births, 33; marriages 14; deaths 16. • On Friday a 3eitiy large wedding party drove through town. After getting outside the corporation, as is frequently the case, a couple of the parties commenced racing and 'they succeeded so well that when near Alma one ran into the other's rig, turning it over into the ditch and damaging it considerable. A certain farmer in Hullett Township has an interesting family of nine boys and no girls. Now he wants,to find a family equally as large, comprising, entirely of the opposite sex. Sincerely, C.Ken Lawton, Exeter Book banning Dear Editor: I am not a high school student, teacher or parent - just a reader who has been observing with interest the controversy over certain hooks which are evidently being taught in high schools in Huron County. I was interested to discover in the May 18, 1978 edition that, "The defence of free thought and speech is basic to democratic and Christian philosophies." Now it may he true that 'democratic' philosophy supports the defense of free speech and thought to the extent implied in the article written - to include "so-called 'dirty hooks, but it cannot he called 'Christian' philosophy. Tradional CHRISTian philosophy begins with the pre-suppositicin that if there is a God. we cannot know Him apart from Him revealing Himself to us - and maintains that Ile has done just that fully in the historical Person of Jesus CHRIST, and in what we commonly call "The Holy Bible". The Bible (which also hears the historical record of Christ), then, is the entire basis of Christian philosophy and it has a lot to say about what yo can say and cannot say. One of the most basic tenets which almost anyone knows if they know the Bible at all is, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." ANY speech, therefore, written or verbal, which uses God's name either blasphemously or carelessly is prohibited by Christian philosophy. Call it democratic if you like, but it is not Christian. Secondly these seems to he a great deal of furor over "censorship" and "freedom of speech" - neither of which is really the issue involved. I have yet to read anyone advocating that these writers not be allowed to write what l, they please, or that their books b banned by the government. The rea issue is - do parents (the ones who really started all this a year ago) - even if they be in a minorithave any right in a democractic society to have any say in what is taught to their children in the public school system? If anything can be said to be very basic to Christian Philosophy at all, that has to be one - , that parents have the right over their children and over what they learn. And, if we are talking about freedom of speech, why is it that many of those who take the time aid interest to speak about this issue are scorned, reproved, and encourageld to keep silent rather than to speak freely? Whose freedom of speech are we defending? Nor is the question one of social acceptability within a given society of a given cen- tury, but rather a moral question. And Turn to page 9 •