Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1980-12-18, Page 4,PAG 4 , N `ON NMC E+t ORD, THURSDAY 18.1980 N AV"i ARL 1980 1 hiews-lheattel 1i lephileheil seek I! Aly si P O lox, 3'4 tllntar►..Osl urlo. GM►►rwel+�. 040041111$.11•14 482.3443. tier..'1*tez. tir. Gltla «"14.140pa+r ywtr. U4,A.&Rforollet-*3R.1N1wfYear it le resleteivetw seeett# dem: meg by' the seat ofttoe wnolo+r, the peoett; nunsbar sat/. The tiewe-iteceroi Imetsteriettel. lA f124; the. Buren Iietiv rlr caret. toweled intuit. and The Cll0t0n NOW Era. Taunded in 1I43. Totoi Aran rNn 3,0404 Clinton NewsRecorcI fa„ MEMBER JAMES E, FITZGERALD -Editor SHELLEY MCPHEE - News.Editor GARY HAW - Advertising Manager HEATHER BRANDER . Advertising 4 MARGARET 1.. GI@B - Office Manager 1.0 , Qp� Wn MEMBER Display advertising rates available on request. Ask for Rate Card No. 10 effective Sept. 1, 11711. ets are becoming pests Although it is an admirable attempt to correct a serious problem, the efforts by our staff in the last few weeks to get homes for abandoned. dogs and cats seems almost hopeless, like trying to spit into the wind. The problem gets worse and worse. In North America, for instance, there are as many as 400 peopleborn every hour, 24 hours a day -- and 5,000 cats and dogs! If every veterinarian on the continent spent 16 hours a day, 365 days a year spaying and neutering, the problem still couldn't be controlled. As substitute friends, pets are a great supporters, but in a world were thousands of people starve to death each day, it seems shocking that. ' Canadian ntierid-over $160—million on pet food every year. That's more than we spend on baby food or on the two basic staples of the human diet, bread and milk. Buttm any people tire of their pets as • quickly as they fall in love with them. Ridding society of lost and deserted - gogs and cats has become a serious problem. In 1978, Montreal destroyed 55,000 cats, Winnipeg 12,370 and Calgary 5,000, and yet our present animal disposal systemdoes not even begin to control the problem. In the cities, their disease carrying excrement pollutes thousands of acres of parkland at the rate of thousands of tons a day, and in the country, abandoned dogs running in packs have become a problem in some townships, killing sheep and carrying rabies. . Pet dogs and cats will always be with us, but unless people can be more responsible, a wholesale ex- termination program will have to be carried out. Think about that the next time you say it would be cute to let .little Johnny's cat have kittens. By J.F. Unease on the farm They're edgy, out there on the farrris, worried about escalating land costs and suspicious that it has something to do with heavy in- vestment by foreign buyers. The more vocal among them bemoan farms falling idle and suggest Ontario farmers are on the verge of losing their birthright to foreigners in search of a safe investment, says the Leamington Post. Hard facts, however, are difficult to establish. The Ontario government believes less than one per cent of the province's agricultural property has fallen into the hands of overseas in- vestors, But' that. hasn't dim-ini-shed the uneasiness ' among long-time farmers. The fact is that no one knows precisely how much land is being bought and sold, how much is being used or abused. Although the Ontario government last June passed an act requiring registration of .non-resident interests in farmland, the act has yet to be proclaimed. No inventory, therefore, is available on which to reach conclusions on current fears. Vigorous application of the non- resident registration act is a vitalfirst step. Under the ' act, non-resident owners of 10 or more hectares (25 acres) will be required to file a report with a provincial director of registration, who can then accurately determine what percentage of Ontario farmland is under foreign control. Unlike other provinces; such as Quebec, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, • where legislation demands formal appro-val_to-alter the use of productive farmland, Ontario has been slow to act. Again, however, it is difficult to determine whether alarm is warranted because no inventory exists. So long as the government delays proclamation of the non- resident registration act, speculation will prevail.—Leamington Post. S ugar and spice Family It looks as though the Smileys are going to have a family Christmas this year, for the first_tim-e in quite a few. As I write, son Hugh is to arrive tomorrow from Paraguay. There's no way we're going to get rid of him inside a month. Daughter Kim and the grandboys are going to get out of Moosonee for Christmas if they have to hire al dog -sled. We are 3 very close- knit family, and it should be a • grand occasion. Close-knit. As in pulled together by needles. Hugh, in his inimitable way, has wandered from Paraguay by easy stages, ppending a few days here, a few weeks there. He seems to have friends, more commonly known as "marks", all over North and South America, who will put him up for a few days, and feed him, for the sheer pleasure of his companionship. He started out from Paraguay in September. In October we had a letter from' Florida, saying he was staying with friends and taking a course in massage or something from an ancient Japanese gentleman. A'rnonth later he phones from Toronto, collect, and announces his second coming. Actually, it's about his four th His mother was ready to welcome him with open arms and a half -open wallet. But the more he dallied and dillied, the hotter she grew. By the time he -phone -4d, collect, she had a full head of steam on, and the conversation went something like this: "I suppose you have no money, as usual." "Right, "I don't suppose you have a winter overcoat?" "No, Mom..' "Well, I'm saki and tired of you kids (he's 32) coming home without a penny and expecting to he taken in and coddled." And' more of the same. Hugh hung up. My wife, in an agony of guilt, promptly phoned everyone who might know where he'd called from. No luck. Then she called her daughter, who retorted, "Do you want to hear another of your children hang up on you?" And promptly did. I was quietly watching the Grey Cup game, and wondering why I should he interested in a lot of burly young •Americans smashing each other around. About 24 hours later, Hugh put through another call, this time not collect. He was' sticking somebody else for the phone ca -I1. He knows his mother. She apologized all to heli. He said, Christmas Magic What is this magic in the air That fills the glad earth everywhere? What is this happiness I see In faces of folk who wave to me? The ringing, singing of glad bells Their joyous wealth of love foretells The angel -message, clear and strong That came to earth in their glad song. It's sweet remembrance - love's close bond With nil ft-, nen whn h 1,c. rr..*,r, hevnnd, It's loving thoughts of those away - As greetings go to them today. Our old home ties will be renewed, Past memories will be reviewed. How we rejoice in this glad,time Because of mystic things divine - It's Christmas magic in the air! It's Christmas magic - everywhere! — by Ethel Ballard Terry 5 YEARS AGO December 24, 1975 Christmas doesn't seem quite as bright this year for about 300 employees at Gode.rich Psychiatric Hospital who received word on Friday that the facility Mil be closing on April 1, 1-976. It is even less bright for the patients in the 230 -bed facility who will, be moved from their present residence to hospitals in London or ,Owen Sound. Brucefield United Church will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of their church next year with various activities beginning on March 7 when Harold Wright, a former minister of the church will 1- preach at the Pioneer Sunday service. 10 YEARS AGO December 24„1970 Professor J.W. Church of Conestoga College tcdld members of Huron County Council that CFB Clinton was much too large to be fully utilized by the College but indicated that the College would par- ticipate with the federal and provincial governments in any plan to use theformer base base as an educational complex. Conestoga College will he introducing four courses here after the new year for the benefit of interested Huron County citizens. 25 YEARS AGO December 22, 1955 A vital step in the extensive preparatory work for the introduction of dial telephone service in Clinton - the installation of the dial equipment - is underway in the recently -completely dial exchange building on Rattenbury Street. The dial system will go into operation next spring. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis Hor- ton, Hensall, will be the setting on typically, "Mom. you could have bought me a winter coat with all the money you spend on long- distance calls.” It made her -mad again. but she couldn't help laughing. • ; I mean. We're a close- nit family. With needles. All I do is hold the wool and try to stay out of needle -range. not always with success. I remember when i used, to tell the kids stories about what happened to me in the war. They liked them Netter than the usual bed- time stories and fairy tales. Most of them were fairy talcs. coma to think Of it. I can see what w r11 happen this Christmas Hugh will he regaling us with stories of swvmming a barracuda • infested river. struggl.ing in the coils of an anaconda, being shot at with poisoned blow -pipes ;VI, wife will he wide-eyed Kim will he regaling us with stories of the tough Indian kids she's teaching, who arrive spaced out. drunk or pregnant, and the horrors of the unreliable taxi service into town My wife will he absorbed, terrified, fascinated. The grandboys will he eating peanut -butter and honey sandwiches all over our brand -newly - recovered chesterfield suite. Their grandmother will, be just plain furious. And I'll be sitting in a corner, relegated to • getting some more wood for the fireplace. taking ,cluealing, furious Balind off to bed. and wondering Turn to page 13 Christmas Day for Yuletide festivities and an added attraction will be the celebrating of the 64th anniversary of the latter's parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Mitchell, Hensall. Direcit'ors of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture -.have endorsed a resolution requesting that all public in- stitutions in the county use dairy products exclusively. Secretary-fieldman Gordon Greig, Bluevale stated that the resolution was submitted from the Huron County Farm Forum rally, recently held in Blyth, which protested against margarine being used in public institutions within the county. All public institutions as well as the Huron County Council will receive a copy of the resolution as endorsed by the Federation. Nearly 100 needy children in the town of Clinton and district will be remembered by re -finished toys this Christmas as a result of many work -hours by the members of the Kinsmen Club of Clinton. For weeks work bees.have been held in the old public school building on Ontario Street. 50 YEARS AGO December 25, 1930 The Christmas tree entertainment of the Sunday School at St. James' Church, Middleton, was held in the basement of the church on Monday evening,- when there was a good attendance and a very pleasant evening was enjoyed. A fine program of songs, recitations, instrumental selec- tions, dialogues etc., was put on by the members of the Sunday School Section No. 10. At the close of the program, Santa Claus appeared to distribute gifts from the laden Christmas tree, which had been the attraction for all youthful eyes during the evening. A splendid bale of clothing was packed by the Londesboro Women's Institute last week which consisted of clothing, shoes and bedding, valued at $94. It was sent to the neighborhood association, Toronto, for distribution. Lost - one Saskatchewan robe, large size, and one black horse -hide robe unlined. These robes were used at the Thomas Sampson's funeral and have not been seen since by the owner. Reward offered for their recovery - John Fingland. 74 YEARS AGO December 20, 1906 An individual in Brucefield "butted" into a' conversation being held by the News -Record over the telephone yester- day to say that Local Option will be defeated in Tuckersmith. Perhaps he knoWs or it may be that the wish is father to the thought, but at any rate he is old enough to have learned the telephone rules and to have heard how the Company sometimes deals with "butters in." Mr. E. Butt of Summerhill has sold his sawc'nill to W.H. Lobb and Dave Burns, who are moving it to one of the former's farms in the Maitland. Mr. Lobb has -.about 40 acres of bush and Mr. Burns about half that amount. There is as well much more bush in that section, so considerable benefit will be derived from the erection of the sawmill there. The mill was erected on Base Line y Mr. Butt about 15 years ago. Previous to that, it was located on the 16th on the site of the school house on that concession. 100 YEARS AGO December 23, 1875 Our carrier boy wishes to remind his patrons that next week he will be around with his customary "New Year's Address," when he trusts to meet with the generosity and liberality that usually characterizes this fe3tive season of the year. . We hear complaints that the harness of farmers, who have put up their teams at hotels, is sometimes damaged by portions of the lines being cut off, or the holdbacks stolen. It is supposed to be done by boys in need of skate straps. If such is the case, they -should bear in mind that their action is acrirpinal one, and if found out, they will be apt to pay pretty dear for their straps. Presents for the old, the middle aged and the little folks. Messrs. Wright & Foster have received expressly for the holidays, Silk dress patterns, 'stuff dress patterns, warm jackets, fur sets, fine shawls, clouds, hoisery and gloves. The other day a person in town attended one of the churches here, leaving in the entry, during the service, a good silk umbrella. When they came out, they found an umbrella there, not the one they left, but a cotton one, considerably the worse for wear, and worth about 25 cents. FOR ADOPTION - Two very interesting boys, aged respectively Ten and Four years. For particulars address J. Cook, Box 22, Clinton. Grandpa's smile A chapter of history in our family closed last month when my grand- father died at the age of 87. He used to entertain us with stories about a bygone era.• One of the stories took place when he was 13. He and his eight-year-old brother drove cattle for miles from one farm to another over a hilly winding stretch of road. Before the days of truck transport, it was a job neither boys forgot. He recalled the family moved with trepidation into a lowly -looking house, but as fate often prescribes, it was the home that contained the best memories for him. Grandpa often reminisced about working for relatives for a few months in the fertile Qu'Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan before he was married. He liked it well enough to stay, but for some reason, he ended up back in Ontario. On one of the train trips between Ontario and Saskat- chewan, he said he had only enough money to buy a bunch of bananas to eat. Even after 60! years of marriage, my grandparents were still kidding each other about who. proposed to whom. On their first date, they went to hear bell ringers. "Courting" has changed- in many ways, but some things stay the same. In my grand- parents' day, the vehicle was horse and buggy, but the custom was familiar - driving up and down main street on a Friday or Saturday night. After their wedding, they were driven around town in a wagon much to their chagrin and Grandma's sisters prepared the wedding dinner. In the first 50 years of marriage, they moved nine times. Although they stayed within the same township and moved only a few miles each time, the work was heavy. There were no movers., van lines or welcome wagons. Threshing crews filled Grandma's kitchen every year at harvest time. I remember hearing about a 'house with a large balcony on which the hfred men slept in good weather. Grandma recalled one man was so tall that his feet stuck out between the railing. Grandpa called himself a gypsy and always grinned when he said it. I took a long time to fig*ire out what he meant. He bought and sold property, livestock, machinery, equipment and anything else you can name. Sometimes he travelled to five or six sales in a week. He transported other farmers' cattle and bought and sold livestock for thein as well. Many Dutch immigrant farmers dealt with him when they moved to the area. He didn't understand their language and most of them didn't understand his, but he knew what they needed . to start farming in Canada. With a smattering of English and a flurry of sign language, they carried out transactions. In the last few years of his life, a heart condition? restricted his ac- tivities - a hard `tiling to tolerate for a man accustomed to being so active. A visit from family or friends, though, was sure to bring a grin and •a story of the old days. But his most difficult trial was yet to come when 18 months ago a stroke plunged him into a world of silence. No one expected him to live through the first night, but as usual, Grandpa surprised everyone. - lhe next 17 months were spent in hospital chronic care wards. Anyone who has had a relative or friend in chronic care knows it is an experience one doesn't forget. It gives us a whole new perspective on life. It reminds us how fragile life is and that we are not in charge of our destinies, even though we like to think we are. Although Grandpa couldn't speak, the old familiar glint in his eyes usually flashed when visitors arrived. It was his way of showing us he knew we were there and it is one of the things we will remember most about him. en tuber Bail Dear Editor: • In the early ntQrning of Noverhber. 15, a 42 -year-old itcheli area man was killed when his t cls left the road near Vanastra, struc a tree and burst into flames. The news of Bill Col elssudden death came as quite a shock'to, the~ , many people in this community *h� I) had come to know and love him over -these --__- past few years. Hardest hit by the tragedy, • of course was Bill's family -- his wife and eight sons and daughters. Many of us live with the illusion that we'll have time to put our affairs in order before we pass on. Often we're given that time. Occasionally, we're r== • no A talented musician, Bill had played guitar and sang with various groups across the province since he was 18 years old. When they heard of their friend's death, many of those musicians wanted to do something in his memory and for his family. On Sunday, December 21, from 2 until 8 p.m. more than 40 of those musicians and entertainers will perform a country music benefit concert in the auditorium of the high school in Mitchell. There is no set admission fee. Raising funds for the family is only one reason for the concert. Remembering Bill is the other. A friend, Jim Hagarty, Mitchell Action needed Dear Editor: On December 11, the Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food announced a conference which he is convening in Toronto in February. The theme of this conference is to be "Growing with Agriculture in the 80s". This latest announcement is just another in a series of conferences that this Ministry has hosted, designed to make• the public believe that his Ministry is actively promoting agriculture in this province. The fact is, however, that the Agriculture and Food budget is only half of one per cent of the total Ontario Budget when one discounts the land tax rebates which should not have been collected in the first place. It is abundantly clear that there is no solid commitment by this Con- servative Government to an ex- panding agriculture industry in this province. At last month's Annual Convention of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, an Agriculture, and Food Strategy for Ontario was recom- mended—to the -government. '£h -is - strategy pointed out the great op- portunities presented to Ontario by our agriculture and -listed a number of proposals for its development. The Minister forecast a doubling of corn production in the next 20 years. This would require the drainage and - or clearing of 2 million acres of land. Much.of this land would be difficult to drain and it could cost $1,000 an acre to clear and -or drain. That acreage would require $2 billion of capital financing. Over a 20 year period with the ' present tile loan formula the government would have to triple its present $25 million a year ceiling to $75 million a year. And that money would require constant increases to match inflation. We need more research to cope with the problems created by one crop farming systems. We need grants and loans to farm groups anxious to operate cold storage_plants.r_We-need more processing plants ,, and grain handling facilities. We need a lifting of the present 3 - year limit on research projects funded by the government. We need to restore morale and confidence in our agricultural scientists, in the future of their work. We need to plan now so that our rivers an4 dams can handle the in- creased drainage waters. We need planning and legislation to prevent the erosion of land and the silting of our rivers and streams which will be caused by increased cash -cropping on Ontario soils. We need a recognition on the part of the Ontario government to the im- portance of agriculture in this province and a commitment to food self-sufficiency. We don't need a series of government financed con- ferences just before a provincial election. We need action and commitment from this government to the future of Ontario Agriculture. Jack Riddell & Mark McGuigan, Liberal MPPs. Do you have an opinion? Why not write us a letter to the editor, and let everyone know. All letters ,Itkt. published, providing they can be authenticated, and pseudonym* «... allowed. All letters, hole,, are• subject to editing for length or libel. • •