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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1978-08-31, Page 4•w l PAGE 4-CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, AL,TGO5T..1,1978 Too much secrecy Both the public and the press must be partners in keeping politicians honest, and pressure from both groups is needed to force one branch of politics-r'nunicipal councils -to hold most meetings in the open. Stanley Makuch, a university of Toronto law professor, told the annual meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario last week that under existing legislation, municipalities can go behind closed doors for all but a short session to pass bylaws and confirm the spending of money. Prof. Makuch, who is also- a consultant to the Royal Com- mission on freedom of information and individual privacy, said that many public sessions of councils are strictly rubber-stamping exercises, to merely confirm what was already agreed to in private. He found in a study of 11 municipalities in Essex County, Hamilton -Wentworth and Toronto area, that only constant and vocal pressure by the public and press can persuade some councils to come out from behind closed doors and conduct their business in the open. "Where there is a strong public, the situation will change. Where there is a ,strong' local press, the situation will change," he said. But Prof. Makuch also accused some members of the press of being bedfellows with some municipal councils. He said he found in many areas the local press was overly sympathetic with local municipal councils to the extent that reporters were admitted to closed -door meetings mon. the un- derstanding n- derstanding they not be allowed to report any of the proceedings. AMO has proposed new freedom of information legislation , which would ensure public access to all municipal deliberations except those specifically designated to be held behind 'closed doors. The catch, however, says J.C. McRuer, a former chief justice of the Ontario High Court, is defining the exemptions. He says it's easy to define examples of proper closed - door business such as personal matters, labor negotiations, and property acquisition, but a legal definition must be all en- compassing rather than just a list of examples. • The right of information cannot be absolute, because an in- ,dividual's right to freedom' ends where it conflicts with the right to freedom of his fellow, man, says Mr. McRuer. The point remains, however, that too much public , business is discussed in private, much .to .the determent of the public, and any law that can get this situation improved even a little bit, would be a big' help. • • ,Y dispensed sugar ancl$p/Ce bill smiley Highway paronoia Your heading this week is misleading. When this appears, Bill Smiley will be in Rome or somewhere, tossing nuns in a fountain. The per- petrator of the following is Roger Bell, a young English teacher, poet,, motorcyclist and general disturber of the status quo. He is also a wit, satirist of the first order, idealist, lousy golfer, and unusual farmer. His radishes look like red softballs. Take it away, Roger. I am, as Smiley stated in his rather flattering introduction, a novice motorcyclist, recently introduced to this liberating and exhilarating pastime. Lately, however, this freedom and excitement have become tempered by all -consuming fear, and I am falling victim to a psychological malady called Highway-Biway Paranoia. It happens almost everytime I crank up my two -wheeled beast and ramble down the roadways -some idiot, in his four -wheeled, gas -guzzling monstrosity attempts to verify the ' natural law which states that, if struck by an auto, bounce 12 times on his cranium before skidding to a halt on gravel -gouged hands and knees. It has reached the point where I question how most of these pilots of destruction received their licences in the first place. Some, obviously, were given the right to run over anything that twitches, in the days when a driver's requirements consisted only of being able to see the end of his nose, and having the ability to spit and walk simultaneously. Others must have received their permits from mail-order universities or boxes of Crackerjacks. A third group is those having con- nections high up in the Ministry of Transport. The rest, I suppose, were granted licences out of sheer desperation by harrassed examiners who were afraid of further risking their lives with those people in future tests. By now you're feeling I have an overblown ego. "This turkey," you scream, "thinks he is the world's best driver." I am. 'AI least, I have to feel that I am, in order to survive the army of motorized assassins who lurk in the, asphalt jungle surrounding my home. This army has all types of killers, each 'trained, in his own special method of annihilation. There are the snails, those decelerated demons who poke along, waiting for some unsuspecting victim to hurtle into them from behind and get a mouthful of taillight. At the opposite end of the spectrum are the quicksilvers, who feel that dogs, kids and little old ladies are hindering them in their attempts at setting a new land speed record. • The gawkers usually inhabit country roads. These are rubberneckers who, slackjawed at nature's beauty or in- toxicated by the aroma of fresh cow dung, allow their vehicles to meander drunkenly across centre lines, onto the shoulder, wherever. There are also the creepers, those timorous souls who halt at stop signs, then nose forward into traffic, and their black -ship cousins the ignorants, who feel that God put them on earth to be aggressive. Why should they yield the right of way? Let the other slob stop. We have the opposites, a curiously contrary, bunch who signal a left turn, then swing right, catching unwary fools who follow the rules by surprise. Occasionally they will cross up potential victims by not signalling at all, then abruptly changing direction. Finally, we examine the just plain malicious, those loonies who delight in scaring the hell out of others by ap- proaching at Warp Factor Five from behind, then tailgating for five miles. They gleefully speed up when someone attempts to pass them, leaving the passer stranded and fair game for oncoming cars. They slobber with joy when they can run a cyclist into the ditch or squash someone's family pet. They are the most formidable and dangerous road opponents, because, instead of being incompetent, they are irrational. What frightens me more is that, instead of declining, this horde of motorized maniacs is proliferating. In view of this, I have some solutions for self-defense. I could mount a recoilless 30 mm tank cannon on my handlebars. Whenever the need arise, I could blast the offender to Kingsom Come, and sail obliviously onward. I could buy a war surplus tank and clank fearlessly The Clinton News•Record Is published each Thursday at P.O. lox 39, Clinton, Ontario, Canada, NOM'/LO. Member, Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association If Is registered as second class -41 by the post office under the permit number 0117. The News -Record Incorporated In 1924 the Huron News -Record, founded In 1881, and The Clinton New lra, founded In 1863. Total press run 3,3110. MOMbottr ONOM9unity NmMspa er Aealocratlb l otrpjitry . ddvlrrflstn r+ries •Ir"rdllrbiG 00 tootudistr, Asst itife tlaitdr rd Nib. /' 0.0,10114,0til, Cieeeeral laineger. J. Howard Aitken ltdhor •J.mss t. bt syeraldr llivrrtlslet Iltt�eior. Gory itaisf 14* edllo0.1h 11l ti Mcfrh iw itiffielimanotore.104401Mtallib • Clr4iikiloir.:Ye1lder Mit.4011 lubsc'tipflon Oates tatte`dr i''13 per year U.lt�A. •'tf.lp Otheo,„„A N along, crunching snails and opposites undertread, secure in the knowledge that whoever ran into me would suffer more than I. The government could come to my aid and institute a new licensing system with only two categories -Good and Bring in the ' Ambulances. Those drivers in the latter category would be required to have flashing neon signs on their car roofs to warn good drivers of their presence, giving us time to seek sanctuary. It is unlikely, however, that these solutions will prove acceptable to the powers that be, so I will continue my present tactics • of self -defense -riding along with fear in my mouth and a wall of profanity around me so thick that a jet -powered Mack 'truck couldn't penetrate. Bring'em back alive This week's paper carries an- nouncements of special events taking place in our community 'this weekend. If we want to trayel., farther afield, daily papers, TV and radio give ad- ditional information. There is,no end to the places we can go and the exciting things we can do to make this last holiday of the summer a memorable one. Amid our happy anticipation, we will hear warnings. We will be urged to practice safety in whatever we do. Referring to the number of fatalities recorded on previous holidays, predictions will be made about how many Canadians will die on this Labor Day weekend and the estimates will remembering our past 25 YEARS AGO September 10, 1953 Dr. and Mrs. P. Yates are leaving today on the first leg of a journey which will take them via New York and an ocean voyage aboard the Queen Mary to England for a five month course in tropical medicine at the University of London and from there to Nigeria, Africa, where they will be engaged in missionary work. The doctor and his wife came to Clinton just ode year ago on September 15 and since then, Dr. Yates has been working as an assistant to Dr. W.A. Oakes. Before coming to town, he and his wife had lived in Van- couver for two years. Dr. Yates is a 1950 graduate from the University of Western Ontario Medical .School and his wife is a graduate of Victoria School of Nursing, London. They have one son, David'Paul. From our Bayfield correspondent...A scream rent the darkness. The city gal, wending her way home fled back in terror to the home which she was visiting gasping her breath. The local constable was summoned. Four stalwart men stood at a respectful distance while the constable turned the sods by beam of a flashlight. Expertly he drew the intruder of the domestic scene, caught in the trap over to the pit. Bang, bang, bang, three shots in quick succession failed to lower that tail poised for action. A shovel full of earth, two more shots and thus one of Bayfield's skunk population was dispatched from this world but he was buried with his flag up. Wes Holland, 1-ligh Street, Clinton, smilingly receives the keys to his new car from Mrs. Don Kay, vice-president of the Kinnette Club of Clinton, who sold him his winning raffle ticket. Proceeds from the car raffle and from other projects, at the car- nival 'will be used for community projects, including the Kin Park development on the Bayfield River. 50 YEARS AGO September 8, 1928 A curious little incident occurred here recently, resulting in a Woodstock lady recovering her car, which had been stolen in Stratford, by the prompt action of the Clinton police chief. Chief Strong got wird' a car which was standing on the side of the road near Mr, Noble's in Hulled. It had been standing there for a day so the chief had it towed into town. He then wrote the department to find out who it belonged to and on learning the name, notified the owner. At high noon on Saturday, September 1 at the /Ontario. Street parsonage Mary Ella. daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Wright was united in rnarriage to for tnaa Clifton Mair, probably turn out to be low. But we won't pay much attention. Who wants to think about such sombre things? Why should we worry, anyway? -Things like that can't happen to us. - Unfortunately tragedy can strike any of us. Pretending danger doesn't exist will not protect us from it and neither will staying at home, afraid to do anything. We can still have fun and keep safety in mind; taking safety precautions doesn't mean being a `spoil sport.' The most frequent causes of traffic accidents are drunk driving, fatigue, speeding, tailgating and general recklessness. How many ,of us are guilty of some or all of' these in- fractions? How many of us have passed a slow- poke on the highway and 15 minutes a look through the news -record files son of Mr. and Mrs. George Mair, all of Goderich Township. The Rev. A.E. Doan officiated. The bride was prettily gowned in white georgette with satin trimmings with shoes and hose to match and wore the groom's gift, a handsome string of pearls. Kippen is glad to claim once more an exceedingly clever young scholar. The young man is Mr. Clarence McLean, son of J.B. and Mrs. McLean, who recently won a scholarship and we believe a gold medal at Exeter High School. We extend our hearty congratulations to Clarence. Mr. George Brogden in Londesboro has had a telephone put in his home. Quite a number from Constance took in the sights at Seaforth and Clinton on Labor Day. The 'celebration on Monday night along the Huron Road was an unqualified success. At all points were special services which held vast numbers present to witness and take part and very impressive ceremonies were conducted. A very large number gathered for the unveiling of the cairn of St. Paul's Church lawn, Clinton. The cairn, a solid stone base topped by a white cross, bore a tablet with the inscription: Erected in -memory of the Pioneers of Clinton. This marks the site of the First Church. erected A.D. 1835 and the Burial Grounds of the Pioneers of the district. "They only die who live their lives for self alone." September 3, 1928. The hospital board was delighted recently with the gift of a handsome dining table from two graduates of the institution, Miss M. Trewartha and Miss McTavish. Chief Welsh's collie "Scotty" passed in his checks on Friday last, a victim of distem- per. "Scotty" possessed an intelligence that was almost human and was a great favorite. The Chief received many offers to ,purchase him, but refused to consider them at all so attached had he become to his canine friend. Friday last at the hospital there wereno less than five major operations performed. The patients, who came from all parts of the county, are now doing well. Mr. H.P. Coombe has let the contract to Mr. Thomas McKenzie for the erection of a fine two storey brick block on the corner of Victoria and Optario Streets. Ifi the corner will be a banking office in which it is expected the Sovetrlgn Bank will locate. In rear of this will be a suite of of- fices,. Facing Victoria Street will be a large store in which Mr. 'tombe will carry on the drug business. Between this and the W. Cooper Co.'s establishment will be another store. The contractor is to begin work at once and have the building ready for occupancy in December. This new building will much improve the appearance of our front Street. Mr. Thomas Jones, who had his hotel burned at Leadbury some two or three years ago, has been unfortunate in getting burned out of Brucefield. The families of Bankers McTaggart, Tisdale and Brewer have returned home from Bayfield where they spent the months of July and August. "Uncle" David Cook left on Tuesday to attend the Toronto Fair and visit his many relatives including his two sisters who are too far advanced in years to undertake the trip to Clinton. Mr. Cook who will be absent a week or more, will be gladly welcomed back, by none more heartily than that group of friends who gather at his place of business in the evenings- to discuss the questions of the day, political and theological. Miss Lillian M. Andrews leaves on Tuesday next for Alma College, St. Thomas, to continue her musical studies and will pay special attention to the pipe organ and vocal culture. 100 YEARS AGO September 5, 1878 The first gang plowing match ever held in the county of Huron took place yesterday on the farm of Mr. S. Andrews, contiguous to this town, under the auspices of the Hallett Branch of the Agricultural Society. There were four entries of gang plows and one ordinary plow entered for trial. They plowed little over half an acre, Blyth has a tame weasel that makes itself useful killing rats and mice. On WednesdaT, Mr. Chas. Van- volkingburg of Hensall perfbrmed a feat, the equal of, which we have seldom heard, binding 6,400 sheaves of spring wheal in,the most incredibly short time of two hours and, a quarter. The wheat was cut with a reaper on the farm of Mr. J. Stewart in Tucker - smith. Mr. A. Gorrell and wife of Toronto drove all the way from that place to his father's residence on the Base Line and back again, for the benefit of his health. On Monday last both the High and Com-, mon Schools of this town were opened all the teachers being present, except Mrs. Preston who has not yet returned from the European Exhibition. 'two' new teachers in the Common S`ci+iool commenced their duties at the opening, Mr. Taylor taking the p'iace of Mr. Fraser and Miss McCulloch that of Miss Croley. The attendance of the Children was later, while waiting for a red light or following a string of' cars, glanced into the rear view mirror and spotted the slow -poke on our tail? We didn't gain much, did we? How many times have we hurried someplace, when leaving 15 minutes earlier could have avoided the rush or arriving 15 minutes later wouldn't have mattered? Besides being fun, swimming is one of the best ways we can exercise. Inexperienced swimmers may under- estimate the danger of swimming alone or venturing out too far in the water while experienced swimmers may become over -confident and ignore the safety rules Overloading a boat or ignoring. weather signs can cause boating ac- cidents. To strong swimmers, wearing life jackets may seem bothersome, but someday they may owe their lives to them. Camping is fun for the whole family, but all that `Smokey the Bear' talk is kids' stuff. We know what we're doing. Or, do we? Do we stop to consider the consequences of carelessness in a forest? Do we always take a few extra minutes to make certain the fire is out? Do we watch small children closely and try hard to impress upon the older ones the importance of safety, whether they're, bicycling on the street, playing at the beach or swimming in a back yard pool? We all make mistakes and take needless chances, and sometimes we argue: "It's my life; if I want to take a chance, that's my business." But innocent people can suffer because of our daring, stubbornness, stupidity or whatever you want to call it. Life, theirs and ours, is too precious to be gambled with. Let's make sure the happiness of this `Labor Day weekend continues next week by keeping safety in mind and "bringin' 'em back alive." What's your Opinion? Write a let- ter to the editor today and let us know too. good and most likely would have been better if the day had not been so wet. Mr. J.D. Ronald with two assistants from Chatham, gave an exhibition of his steam fire engine to the members of council and inhabitants of this area at what is commonly known as Whitehead's pond. From the time of starting the fire to commencing to work was about eight minutes., After testing it with one stream, two were tried and then 1,500 feet of hose was attached and the engine was put to work. In all the trials it worked well, throwing the water clear over the briek mill, and about 130 feet horizon- tally out of an inch -and -a -quarter nozzle. All who witnessed its workings appeared to be entirely satisfied. The old Farmer's Hotel building is un- dergoing repairs. They were much needed. Several of the verandahs along the brick block are being removed. When the remainder are likewise treated, the hp- pearance of the buildings will be much better. S.C. Gilroy has adopted the cash system in business. re 1 l