HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1978-08-17, Page 4PAGE 4- CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, Af,JGI,JST 17, 1978
Vigilance needed
Complacency can be a very
dangerous thing, and no one, nor
any society is immune to it, not
even the great, modern, western
civilization. _...
Be it our freedom of speech, our
democratic system of government,
or a simple thing such as immunity
to disease, we must always be on
the Iookoyt, always on guard.
Such has been the case in the past
two weeks, when it became ap-
parent that the dreaded polio
disease was on the loose again, and
at a location not too far removed
from our smug homes.
People, like cattle in a stampede,
suddenly found themselves without
adequate immunization against the
disease, and rushed to the nearest
clinic to 9et a booster shot. All this
despite warnings from medical
authorities, through the media,
that we were letting our guard
down and were in danger of turning
an .epidemic loose in our midst.
As of this writing; the panic has
subsided for a time, along with
reported incidents of the disease,
and it appears that unless except
for the small percentage of people
innoculated at the hastily set up
clinics, the rest of us have slipped
back into our complacency and our
lack of immunity.
We should all check and be sure
that our immunity is kept up to
date, and should some unknown
person bring any contagious
disease into the country in the
future, we will be prepared against
it.
Champion of little guy
The announcement this week
that Ontario ombudsman Arthur
Maloney, whose three-year term
has done much for the little guy in
the province, will be resigning this
October will be greeted with moans
and cheers across the province.
That was the kind of man he was.
He was both loved and hated by all
in. the province. He was hailed as
the champion of the little guy and
at the same time condemned by his
critics for building a gilt-edged
empire.
Even though he still had seven
years of his ten-year appointment
still to go in the $6D,000 a year job,
he said in his resignation letter: "I
have discharged the commitment
that was given by me three years
ago to bring into being an office of
ombudsman of Ontario that would
be second to none in the world
Instead of being a worthy
scapegoat for government red tape
and mismanagement; Maloney
became a thorn in the side of
government, and even the op-
position parties didn't like his
barbs.
He will be hard to replace, and
the government will likely pick a
lackey to fill Maloney's shoes, but
he will always be remembered as a
p;oneer in his office.
( sugar andspice
Canadian summers
There's only one thingwrong with
this country - aside from too many
politicians, too much winter, too much
inflation, too little employment - and
that is its summer.
A Canadian summer is sneaky,
seductive, and even sinister. That may,
sound like a paradox, when the sky is as '
blue as John Turner's eyes, day after
day, and the sun is as hot as Rene
Levesques' tongue, day after day. But
it's a fact. Canada's summer is
deteriorating, debilitating and even-
tually destroying our normally sturdy
national character. At least it is mine.
And as I look about me, I know I'm not
alone.
During the other seasons, we know
where we are - or are not - going. We
know where we are at. Through our
magnificent autumns, our basic
pessism prevails. We greet with little
harsh barks of sardonic laughter, and a
knowing wagging of heads, every
doomsday prophet, from ancient
Indian sages to the Farmers' Almanac,
who tells us that it's going to be a long,
tough winter. ' '
When the first snow flies in
November, we are as delighted as a
Bible -thumping, soul -saving minister
dumped into a community of arant
sinners.
We start building up our personal
library of short stories and novels,
entitled such as: "Snow" and "To
Build a Fire" and "Lost in the
Barrens" and "Christmas Eve at
Eighty Below", each designed to make
us chuckle as we sit there with the oil
furnace wafting up, the tropic tem-
peratures from below.
For the next four or five months, we
spin our wheels on the ice and snuffle
through the snow, happy as pigs in
poop, complimenting each other on the
facts that "There's a turrible lotta 'flu
around" and that "She's a long ways,
from over yet", even though it's the
end of February and it hasn't snowed
for three weeks.
From the first of March to the middle
of May, regardless of the mist of green
sprouting everywhere, the ice gone out
DO YOU HIY THE
OOY'1iOW TO SURVIVE
ON A FIXED INCOME'?
I�De� 1,DaE A DIE
'FICTIO
Instant food
My mother recalls boiling, a soup
bone to extract all the beef flavour.
Then she cubed potatoes, carrots and
beef and added other leftovers. She let
the ingredients simmer, stirring them
often and waiting for the thick, hearty
broth to reach its peak of flavour.
Now what do we do? We throw the
bone to the dog and open a can. Or, we
snip a foil packet. Dour crystals into a
of the bay, and the thermometer rising
to the gasping point, the boys in the
coffee shop and the girls at the hair-
dresser's keep reminding each other
merrily of the year we had eighteen
inches on April 12th and the time we
had a killing frost on the 24th of May.
Suddenly it's June. Lilac scent.
Strawberries, Flowers . popping.
Mosquitoes humming. Temperatures
soaring. But we don't give up. We still
know the score. "We'll likely have a
cold wet summer." or "The dam' grass
is growin' too fast. Hadda cut her twice
this week," or "Too many squirrels.
That means a long, hard winter."
And then, without our realizing it,
we've slid into the miracle of July and
August, and our dour national natures
are completely fragmented, alienated.
We don't know who we are, where we
are going, or where we are at. We go to
pieces.
We forget all about our ten-month
love affair with Survival and begin
acting as human and normal as those
despised Mediterraneans we want to
keep out of the country.
Elderly gentlemen with legs like
grasshoppers and guts like a member
of the Hell's Angels, go sauntering
along the beach in shorts and shades,
shameless.
Grandmothers, who the rest of the
year preach probity, purity and good
posture, slither into bikinis, grease
themselves all over, and lie around like
starlets at the Riviera, soaking up the
sun and any glances that come their
way.
Young executives, normally suited,
shirted and tied, wander about
backyard barbecues, corsets aban-
doned, bare bellies, hanging over
slovenly shorts, downing gin and tonic
as though it were the medicine to end
all ailments.
Male teenagers suddenly emerge
with more macho than a Mexican,
chests bared, shorts cut right back to
the pubic hair line, swaggering, bare-
footed, constantly brushing or combing
their other well -shaped hair, saying in
effect, "Here 1 am, girls. Ain't I
gorgeous? Better grab before someone
else does."
Young ladies who would not be
caught dead in anything but .jeans the
The Clinton News -Record Is published oath
Thursday at P.O. los », Clinton, Ontario.
Canada, NOM 110.
Member, Ontario Weekly
Newspaper Association
H 1s registered as second class mall by the
post office under the permit number 6111T.
The Newt -Record Incorporated In 1924 the
Huron News -Record, founded In 111111, and The
Clinton New Ira, founded In 1$43. Total press
run 3.3e0.
Member Canadian
Community Newspaper
AssacMflon
Display edvertlsing rates
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Editor-Jen+esrt,Ylfz erald
Advertising Di/attar • Clary L. Heist
News orator - bhelie#'Mcphee
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Clea' y eliN
other ten months of the year, stroll
down main street in outfits that would
have been considered scandalous a
couple of decades ago in a hootchi-
kootchi show. (If you don't know what
'that is, ask your dad.)
And tiny children are probably the
worst, because they don't know or care
anything about that Other Ten Months.
They go ape, pointing at birds, plucking
leaves, chasing squirrels, splashing,
running in the sun, and tearing off their
clothes the moment no one is looking.
'I'urn to page 7 •
cup, add boiling water, stir, and we
have soup in a flash.
Recently, I saw a commercial for
spaghetti or macaroni dinners that can
be made in mugs simply by adding
water and stirring. We have instant
coffee and instant potatoes. Some
people can cook roasts in minutes due
to the magic of their microwave ovens.
-We buy bread, that is already sliced,
and cabbage, that is already shredded.
Even .pastry comes in a plastic bag,
and I have decided it's better to take
pie ,paste from a bag than to bend one's
fork on my homemade stuff.
We dump a cake mix into a pan, add
water, stir, bake and serve. Some
,, cakes are so moist they, don't need
icing; others supply their own ready -to -
spread frosting. We can refrigerate
rolls and doughnuts. When we want
them, we place them on a cookie sheet
and bake for 15 minutes.
To avoid all the above work, we can
move a TV dinner from the freezer to
the oven.
Cooking has become 'simple and fast.
Unfortunately mud' of the creativity
has been lost. I try to avoid using
"instant" foods, preferring, plain
homecooked meals. But I can't con-
demn the new convenient methods,
because I take advantage of many of
them and appreciate the time they give
me to do other things.
Remembering my growing -up years
at home, I sense that I'm missing
something.
I recall the spicy scent that filled the
house when Mom made chili sauce. I
can see home-made rolls and cinnamon
buns rising on the stove. I attacked
them while they were still warm and
smothered them with butter; they
never lasted long.
In the summer and fall, I sampled
fresh jams and preserves - strawberry,
raspberry, peach. In December, I
watched Morn dice fruits and nuts and
blend them into the colourful batter of
her Christmas cake.
I enjoyed the look, aroma and taste of
homecooking but gave little thought to
the work involved. If I tried some of
those recipes now, I bet I could satisfy
a whole. baseball team. They could use
my rolls for balls and my cake for
home plate.
Many women have retained their
cooking expertise. 'A walk through the
bake booths at any fall fair proves that.
But more and more women,"especially
in my age bracket, are turning to
canned goods and freeze-dried
products.
I, for one, admire the ladies with the
flour on their hands and the good
smells in their kitchens. The only thing
I don't envy about them is the hours
they spend leaning over a hot stove.
remembering
our past
25 YEARS AGO
August 20, 1953
More than 20 picketers, members of the
teamsters union which is presently striking
in South Western Ontario for higher wages,
have been picketing the premises of
Hanover Transport on Albert Street since
early Tuesday evening. Owing to the strike
and its effect on the larger cities, drivers at
the local Hanover branch have been off
work since last Tuesday but no pickets were
stationed until this week.
Members of the Clinton Cemetery Board,
meeting last week, decided to purchase
three acres of land adjacent to the present
cemetery in Hullett Township from Willis
Van Egmond. Cost will run around $500 per
acre for the property.
Nearly 900 persons visited the flower show
sponsored by the Clinton Horticultural
Society and held in the council chambers of
the town hall. Hundreds of lovely blooms
were on display in every sort of
arrangement from a simple one in a left-
over Spice bottle to elaborate ones involving
sparkling crystals, ribbon and candles.
The winner for the best table arrangement
for adults was won by Mrs. Clifford Epps.
The first prize winner in the table bouquet
was Miss Heather Winter.
"Wet weather again delayed harvest
operations in the County," reports G.W.
Montgomery, agricultural representative
for Huron County.
"Many farmers took advantage of the wet
days to refill silos with second cut grass
silage."
Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Falconer celebrated
their 50th wedding anniversary at the home
Of their son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and
Mrs. Erlin Whitmore, RR 3, Seaforth. Mr.
and Mrs. Falconer have lived most of their
life on the homestead of Mrs, Falconer's
parents, on Highway 4, near Brucefield,
with the exception of the few years they
spent in Clinton just after their marriage in
1903. n
50 YEARS AGO
August 23, 1928
The gully on the Bluewater Highway one
mile north of Bayfield was the scene of what
might have been a serious accident last
week. Three American tourists, who had
been on a fishing trip in the north, were
returning to Detroit when a guinea hen flew
in front of the car smashing the windshield
and causing the driver to lose control of the
machine. The car plunged over the edge of
the gully, turned over once and landed on an
abutment ten feet below. No one was hurt by
the fall, although the car was badly dinged.
It seemed as if luck were with the tourists
until one, in getting to safety, fell 20 feet to
the river bed breaking three ribs and an
ankle. The car was removed and repaired
by Walter Westlake.
Negotiations for union of the two United
Church congregations having filled the
WeslevAillis ward met on Thursday
evening and passed a unanimous resolution
to rebuild the church which was destroyed
by fire two months ago for the ac-
commodation of their own congregation. A
building committee was appointed and S.B.
Coon and Son of Toronto will submit plans
and the work will be rushed forward, as
speedily as possible.
The foundations and walls of the church
are practically perfect, although it is in-
tended to make some alterations, more
Sunday school accommodation being
needed, and it is hoped to get a good start
before winter comes on.
Arrangements are being made for a
general celebration of the opening of the
Huron Tract on Labor Day, celebrations
being held at all points from Stratford to
Goderich. Clinton's part will consist of a
band tattoo in the evening, seven bands to
take part. The town will be decorated
suitably and just before the concert, a cairn
erected in memory of the first settler in this
town, will be unveiled.
75 YEARS AGO
August 20, 1903
About 2:30 Tuesday, morning, fire was
discovered in the stables of the American
Hotel, Brucefield. The alarm was at once
sounded and the villagers flocked to the
scene and fought the fire fiend vigorously.
The women, too, assisted but there were not
enough workers and no fire fighting ap-
pliances so the flames soon destroyed the
stables, hotel, Campbell's blacksmith shop'
and residence, Snider's harness shop and
Mrs. Baird's store, the best of the business
part of the village. Very little of the contents
or the buildings was saved and though, with
the execption of Mr. Campbell, all carried
insurance, it will not by any means cover the
loss.
In last week's paper we noticed an item
about a young blacksmith at Clinton, but
here in Varna we have a still younger one.
Ivan McNaughton, son of D. McNaughton,
general blacksmith here, is not only able to
take off a shoe and use many of the tools of
the shop, but is also quite familiar with the
hammer and tongs, being able to take casts
off shoes, straighten and hammer them into
bars and weld them together quite nicely.
Ivan is only a few weeks past his 12th bir-
thday.
The new pastor of the church at Taylor's
Corners, Rev. W.H. Graham, has already
become quite popular and large
congregations attend at every service.
A number of weddings are expected to
take place in Clinton within the next month
and during the first fortnight of September,
four Rattenbury Stre' ladies will change
their names.
In order to still further increase, the
circulation of the News -Record it will be
sent to any address to Jan. 1904 for 25 cents.
This is a trial offer and the price quoted
contains no profit for the publisher but 1`t
sends the People's Paper into 'many more
A
homes where its merit wins favor and
renewed subscriptions.
Reeve Middleton of Goderich Township
has 140 acres of oats and as the yield is good
his bins will be fairly full.
100 YEARS AGO
August 22, 1878
We are always pleased to chronicle the
establishment of new manufacturers in our
town, and particularly so when the same
give good intentions of being successful. A
short time since Messrs. Soules and Wor-
thington commenced the manufacture of
Cotton and Woollen Hosiery, having ob-
tained considerable machinery , for this
purpose and have thus far succeeded ad-
mirably. .
On one or two recent Sabbaths, someone -
supposed to be boys - has removed the
coupling pins from cars left standing on the
L.H. & B. and had it not been that the act had
been discovered in time, serious results
might have followed. If detected the per-
petrators of these pranks will regret they
ever had anything to do with them, even
"just for fun."
On Monday, Mr. W. Graig dumped a load
of hay in front of Coats' store, himself falling
partly beneath it. He was unhurt, and the
load was soon replaced on the rack.
On the 1st of July last a gold watch was
stolen from the room of Mr. E. Doherty in
the Commercial Hotel. Suspicion at the time
rested upon some of the members of a
baseball club from London who were here to
play a match. A detective was com-
municated with the hope of recovering the
article, but up to last week not the slightest
trace of it was found. Last week a person in
town receivgd the article from London,
together with a letter, requesting it be given
Mr. Doherty, on condition that he dropped
legal proceedings. The watch was returned
to Mr. Doherty unconditionally and he is
glad at the unexpected recovery of his time
piece.
Mr. Geo. Baird Sr. and Mr. Geo. Baird Jr.,
have been re-engaged in their respective
schools in Stanley Township, each at a
salary of $500 per annum.
One who has 'reckoned' says there are
3,400 geese in Goderich. The council should
offer a' bonus to start a joint stock feather-
bed company.
On September 6 farmers of Goderich
Township will congregate at McCurdy's
grove near Holmesville to inaugurate a
"harvest home" after the good old style.
The committee in charge are preparing an
elaborate program and are pushing forward
to make this one of the most successful
gatherings of this kind that has ever been
held in Ontario. A number of speakers are
expected to be present to deliver
agricultural addresses and the Clinton band
' will supply music. Several baseball matches
-will be played during the day. Ladies are
specially requested to" bring baskets well
filled with good things.
RCAF club
Dear Editor:
In recent months I have been in
conversation with several persons who
were stationed at Air Force Base
Clinton. All of these people have shown
an interest in a private club formed
from the former RCAF members,
servicemen, senior N.C.O.s, officers
mess retirees, honorary members,
visitors and guests who still reside in
the immediate area.
If I can receive a favourable
response from a majority of these
people, I would be prepared to suPp
my licensed premises every Saturda
evening. These dances would not be
open to the public but would be a
private affair for the above mentioned
people and their invited guests.
Hoping to hear from you in the near
future, I remain,
Yours truly,
Stewart Cassils
The Sandpiper Inn
RR5 Clinton, Ontario
482-3644.
Divisive Force?
Dear Editor:
I am always interested in what my
fellow man has to say about religion,
the most interesting and maligned the last couple of weeks area paper*subject of our time. On two occasions i
(Signal Star, . Clinton News Record)
have carried an article from one sect of
Christianity in which the speaker
explains how he feels religion is the
most divisive force on earth; that it has
caused human disunity, bitter hatreds,
prejudices. I have heard it said many
times before in documentary reports
on 'religion' that Sunday morning at
eleven o'clock is the peak period for the
surfacing of such destructive forces as
bigotry, condemnation, prejudice etc.
This may be true but it's not religion.
Religion is knowledge and faith in the
word of God. It originates from God
and has been given to us in strict
conformity with out ability to com-
prehend. True religion has the potency'
to change the direction bf men's lives.
Man is created with the potential to
reflect the attributes of God. All these
qualities lie hidden within us as the
fruit lies hidden within the seed and can
only become evident with the help of
Divine Messengers as they help us to
know ourselves.
Mankind is perverse. In every age
when God sees fit to send His word to us
we scorn that word and rise up against
the Divine Bearer. Centuries later we
clamourously defend that same
Bearer, clamourously assert . the
uniqueness of the small portion of that
overflowing Grace we recognize and
perhaps worst of all add much in the
way of man made theory and dogma
and call it religion.
In another segment .of last week's
Signal Star yet another writer remarks
"How comforting to the Christian to
know God walks with him." It's time
we acknowledged and stated God walks
with mankind. This awareness is
equally comforting to the Jew, Hindu,
Buddist, Muslim, Baha'i and to those
who in rebellion turn away. God's love
is constant. It does not depend on our
acceptance but rather like the rain falls
on each of us in equal measure. No
creature is left alone or hopeless no
matter how low he may feel his station
has sunk. Sometimes, however,
through ignorance or indifference we
blind ourselves to this bounty as the
umbrella deprives us of the sun.
The purpose of religion is now, and
always has been the unification of the
entire human race in the awareness
there is only one God, that his
Messengers are the sarrie spirit. To
deny one is to deny them all. They all
teach love, growth, tranquility. The
intensity of that message has increased
in this day with the healing medicine of
Baha'ullah, the Glory of God. The
latest but not the last of these
Messengers, because the world has
matured and we can follow, on our own
behoof, God's blueprint for the
promised day of peace.
This is a peace and unity not based on
lead soldier; conformity, but the
freedom of the recognition of all the
cultures and colours of the world as
equal co-workers in the building of a
world Commonwealth, whose life is
sustained by the universal recognition
of One God who has revealed to us His
continuing guidance in every age
culminating in our knowledgeable
allegiance to that common revelation.
Such is the 'goal toward which
humanity agonized by its own
waywardness, but impelled by the
unifying forces of life is moving.
They whose hearts are warmed by
the energizing influence of God's
creative love cherish His creatures for
His sake and recognize in every human
face a sign of His reflected glory.
Let us free ourselves from the
strangling cage of manmade disunity.
Do not let selfrighteousness, apathy,
fear and indifference prevent us from
experiencing the joy of being able to
say to our fellow man wherever he
may reside "I know you know God,
because I too know and love that smile
God," Let us strive together to fulfill
His purpose.
Sincerely,
Jeannie Seddon,
Goderich
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