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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News-Record, 1983-03-30, Page 4PAGE 4 —CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDA Y , MA CH 30,1 BLUE RIBBON,' AVti,,ARO 9808 Boum Clanssn 160000-190t061.19 Is pa®19636.0234:1 bravo (Bsodo®md®y of ®. 0. Mom 39. COOretoo. Ontario. Conando. RNA 98.0. toil x198- "3J,98. Subscription Elate. Comatdo - '38-38 9r. coteson '13.88 par ymear 69.9. A. ® foreign 'WM par yeas Dv ie regOmtorod mm mmaorod dams rsm00 ®y tit® pass o®96e0 ondor the permit oo,natkvor 8017. Ol*iows-Mosord tnaorgyorotod an tate tits Moron aeowo-alosord. aoorodod 1n Intl. and Ma COOnton hoar aroemondmd in 9@93. Toe®I pram roa a BBs. Incorporating THE TRUTH STANDARD J. HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher SHELLEY McPHEE . Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manager MARY ANN HOLLERAP>r1ECK - Office Monger A MEMBE k MEMBER Olopiny odos,slring rotor. mrolloblo on ,e®moss Aser for Solo cord No 11 </Nor Mae Oct. 1 1981 Easter and spring both mean rebirth Spring is a good time for Easter, with its resurgence of life - life bursting from every patch of soil, every branch. Spring is a good symbol of Easter, when Chris- tians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and remember that the tomb could not hold Him, that He came alive for evermore An important fact of faith, says the United Church. Proof? It is not a matter of documents of witnesses. Like most important things in life, the answers are not something you know, but something you live. Not something you discover, but what you have a port in creating. The proof of the resurrection is in people living the resurrection, living their lives conscious of the living God. People Irving for others, daily relying on the strength, the insight, the presence of the living God. They are Easter People. Some Easter People are well known, like Mother Teresa in Calcutta, giving her life to the poor. Most are not famous. You can recognize there though! They are fresh, springlike, alive people. people with a touch of the eternal in them now. They ve a great perspective on life seeing beyond themselves, beyond today. Easter People are a breath of spring after a long winter, a light in a dark room. Easter is about being alive and living. behind the scenes We're killing our towns They say the weather is something we talk a lot about but never do anything about. The same thing could be said for the talk about the destruction of our small town way of life. We may bemoan the decline of our towns but few of us do anything about it. In fact, it could be said that if we're doing anything it is to speed the destruction of our small town way of life, not help preserve it. Many off our in- stitutions which were vet up to solve one problem have created others. For in- stance, back when I was in school parents bought many of the supplies children needed in schools. The rest of that first half-day in school was spent on a buying spree through downtown stores in our community buying pencils and erasers and glue and other supplies. In those dark ages of education high school students even had to buy their own text books and the local store stocked books. Be ause our local merchant had a guar ntee of this school business he could aff d to keep a stock of school supplies books, some of which weren't even on the curriculum. Each town and village had something approaching a bookstore. Try and find a bookstore today in most towns under 3,000 population. Somebody in the education system in the narne of universality of education, decided the schools should provide all supplies for students so parents without money would be able to send their children to school and be sure they were properly supplied. Later, somebody else in the school system decided that local school boards were backward and inefficient so along came the county school system. The economies of scale of the county system often mean that bulk orders of school supplies don't bring a cent to the local economy because that money goes directly to the city sup- plier. There are other such instances. The Dear Editor 1 Ontario Milk Marketing Board was set up to save dairy fanners. Under the new set up quotas were set up for both the farmer and the buyers of milk. This quota system has led to the destruction of many sm.. !1 cheese plants which meant local jobs because they couldn't get enough milk for their needs and because their quota was worth so much to a big cheese -maker, they bought whole plants and closed them, using only the quota. Similarly, co-operatives like Gay Lea Foods were set up to help the farmer but when 1 attended a meeting a few years ago and heard the management brag about all its accomplishments, over and over these seemed to include the closing of small town operations and the moving of these operations to new plants in large cities. The Fifth Estate television program recently had an excellent item on the destruction of the Maritime Provinces' way of life by shopping malls. Shopping malls are nearly all owned by Toronto developers. Because the hanks financing these projects want guaranteed in- vestments, the sante companies fill these snails from coast to coast. Local merchants, because they can't meet the kind of guarantee for the banks, are usually excluded from the malls. People in the communities all flock to the malls to shop and send their money directly to 'Toronto. These same people may complain about the domination of Toronto but they are only happy to give their money to Toronto-based mall companies rather than to local merchants downtown. What's more, by taking business away from the downtown merchants they hurt their community more because local merchants are more apt to help with the hospital fund drive or work with the Lions Club on Easter Seal drives than hired managers of stores who are looking ahead to promotion to head office in Toronto. Little by little, each in his own way we're destroying our smaller centres. We can't go on hlaming hig government or big business. We've Kot to accept the blame errs -selves. Thanks, but no thanks Dear Hon. Agriculture Minister Dennis Tim brell Thanks for the offer Mr. Timbrell but i'll pass on your new 100 percent. rebate of taxes on agricultural land and agricultural buildings. 1 believe there is no such thing as something for nothing. 1 am very happy with things the way they are now. 50 percent total rebate of all landtaxes paid I see no reason to change things and desire no change. From my experience with government rebates and subsidies such as the Ontario Farm Adjustment Assistance Program Interest Reduction Grant the odds are certainly aginast you on this plan. I will pay my agriculture taxes and keep my pride of ownership and my land use rights. tinder no circumstance would I give up my farm rights to police protection, fare protection, and road use, aside from my pride of ownership. We need police, fire and road use, we should pay our fair share for all of these services. We have it pretty good using the highways to move our machinery and our ;,priciilture crops to other farms and to sales yards and elevators My taxes have always been a small part of my farm expenses. I consider your plan a Socialistic move and a Violation of F anners Rights 1 agree with Huron ('aunty Federation of Agriculture stand of apposition against the 100 percent rebate Don't covet the other fellows r ights if NMI are not pi. parer; to accept the responsibility that goes witn it. l'letiLR Dalton, K ingsbi adge, Ontario. Big ears and friend su a r and spice ice � . . er"!+64J Open the windows This is a time of year that tries a teacher's patience. The animals come out of hibernation, kick up their heels, and go snorting about like young colts, or frisking about like new-born lambs. And that is one of the craftiest mixed metaphors since Shakespeare. For four or five months. the students have been in a torpor. This is not some kind of tent, and has nothing to do with tar- paulins. It is a human condition induced by lousy weather, ]tacking colds, overheated classroorns, and droning teachers. The past winter has been tailored for tor- por. Lack of snow, lots of rain, and a plenitude of ice have prevented adolescents from indulging in their usual winter pastimes: splintering a leg on the ski slopes: smashing around on a snowmobile: piling up the o1(1 roan's car in a snowdrift 18 miles from home. The kids have been positively rowed by the endless dreary days: they have slumbered secretly through the most thrilling math, science and English lessors, they have coughed and blown and sneered until there seemed nothing lett in- side but a dull emptiness. But. I,et them hear one crow caw. i.et them kick off their winter boots. Give them three sunny days in a row. And look out. The calendar says winter has barely ended, spring is a figment of the Canadian imagination. 13ut these pallid droopy, borer-, leihargic creatures t'ur.' out of their cocoons and fly A few bright, warmish days in mid- March, and they're babbling like seagulls, bunting like youne eeh :; Their blood Shelley McPhee photo begins to burble. They hurl costly, textbooks out the open windows. They fall in love. There's color in their cheeks. They get into fights. They drive their teachers, whose blood is barely simmering, and a long way from burbling, right up the nearest blackboard. If the fine weather holds, by the end of March they are dashing about in shorts and would be barefoot, if allowed. A feverish tew would wear bikinis to school, if they could get away with it. And that's why this is a tough time of year for teachers. Our blood is thin. We are still huddled in our winter coats. And we look on these exotic creatures, for whom the very bottom line, and I mean the bot- tom, is schoolwork, like aliens from another planet. We try to cope. We mildly reprimand. We say, "Listen, you people ..." Nobody. listens. We shout, "Shut up, animals!" The decibels increase. We threaten, "If you don't pay attention ... ya, ya, ya." Nobody nays attention. Must I admit that, behind the stern con- tours of my countenance, I envy them? Must I confess that, once upon a time, I drove my teachers, in the spring, even ntflier than these birds are driving nee' It's a few years back. Sometimes it seems like last week. Sometimes like aeon: ago. But I once burbled with the best of them, fell foolishly in love with the fondest of them, and caused my teachers to break into stutters and spots and tics of the jaw -muscles like the "worst" of them. Falling asleep over my physics, snoring over my science, muttering over my math, and failing my French during those long, Clark winter months. I too crystallized and emerged in March. iMY teachers shook their heads dolefully. kaleidoscope i.ately i've Ilelti a tittie nervous to walk dowu 100111 slcBet Clinton. There's no threat of falling icicles and no t rnublo wil h the towel hall collapsing, but up above there's an equally horrifying men:ir•e. piltrlu,. Any day 'how I expect to hear of soa.,eone who's been divetxur- bed ' cr been ao rnwilhng target ter pigeon .ir.nppings As 11.1s. the sidewalk; are a mess and the pigeon uesis in downtown huudings are eery unat frac tri e. In ,tit 1 hornas the unpopular pigeon population was controlled last summer by a company called Birdstrike. They trapped more than 400 hints in a joint project with the chamber of commerce, the downtown development board and the ity The effort lost $(,F00 hetin- fortunartely the pigeons are hack, as many -1s ear Needless Pn _.,,y ii e reined anti resident ice .liin'11 i' i ' th the nuisance tl is it ..eeml their ; no simple way to eentr,,rl our pigeon population. But how come no They couldn't afford a March break in Hawaii in those days, so they had to be doleful at home. They predicted ruin, a useless life, a futile job in a factory, and other dire straits, if i didn't shape up. In one ear and nut the other. There weren't any jobs then, just as there aren't any now. What was the point of a piece of paper, that, with a dime, would buy you a cup of coffee'' My inner car was tuned to finer things than the soliloquies of Hamlet, right- angled triangles, and la plume de ma tante. I could hear the moose -tike bellow of steam -boats firing up and blowing off. I could feel the inner excitement of heading up The I tikes with a fair sea runn- ing, and a cutting breeze blowing. I could smell the familiar scents of • •soogie" and engine oil and honest sweat. I could see the hustle at the Sault, and the bustle at the Lakehead, as we pulled in- to port. My summer job was on the Great bakes, (01 0 steamboat, and it was a love -hate relationship. I hated it whilt• 1 was doing it, and levied it \Olen I wasn't. But it was 'the (=rear Escape from the chalk -dust and the tiresome, timid teachers, and the constant reminders that I'd never amount to anything unless i ... So. I may be driven into a convalescent home by the high spirit of my students. i may bewail their lack of responsibility. I may be driven to scold, shout and threaten. But it's just an act. I'd give an arm and a leg r preferably my arthritic ones i, to feel the way they do, when the sun slants into the elasereom, and the windows are open- ed wide. one complains about the pigeons in I an - don s Trafalgar Square' Could we make ( lint on's pigeons a tourist attraction too'' t h- i Do you hate your Easter bonnet ready for Sunday church? Every church in our readership area is planning a special service to honor Good 'relay and Easter Sunday. ter al stores. banks ..and government „fflces will honor the religious holiday by ,-losing nn Friday, but will be open for regular business on Saturday. + + + Saturday will also be a good day to think of spnng elean-up around your house The f .nndesboro Lions will he around Saturday morning to pick up your old newspapers. loss bundle them up and have them by the rill: first thin Saturday morning. 4- + Also on Saturday the Easter Bunny will he making the special appearance in downtown (9.inton. Last week the BIA held a successful ';uipre c ,,1 Jame - `dreet. clfnton was the lucky e;rater •lf +7e 1100 draw -This •.geek the (1nten I Bans ;1r,, wending rap their Faster Seal fund rai':utt1 ram- paign. To date they ha -at n lIect,•d $1,5(X1 and still need another azir(r to rrleet this year's goal of $1,-00 Please support this worthy cause Spring is hack again and it's time to think gardens and flowers The Garden club of 1410(10 will Ile presenting their 1983 Flower Show on May 6. 7 and 8 To be held at the London Regional Art Gallery this year's show. called Forum For Flowers will feature the wildflower slide collection an impressive display photographed by the late John Pliantree of Clinton Forum For Flowers will also feature arrangements and horticirltiire exhibits Proceeds from the show will be donated to the Parkwood Hospital building fund for gardens the readers Daffodil sales help cancer fund Dear Editor: The members of Beta Sigma Phi wish to sincerely thank all who participated in the daffodil campaign. We appreciate the co- operation of all those who bought flowers, the merchants who cheerfully assisted in the sales and especially Mr. Pugh at the Brewer's retail outlet. The cancer society wo d also like to apologize for any confusion regarding the price of the daffodils this year. The local cancer office and the sorority members both regret the poor communications with the area cancer society. In spite of the small variation in price from $2.50 to $3 around the area, all monies collected have been forwarded to the cancer society with absolutely no expenses retained by either the cancer office or the sorority. Sincerely, The Beta Sigma Phi Genealogist will sponsor a beginner's night Dear Editor: Genealogy is becoming more and more popular of late and during the past few years the number of people tracing their family has grown tremendously. Members of the Huron County Genealogical Society are frequently asked for information on "how to get started". We have therefore decided to hold a "Beginner's Night" in an attempt to assist those who want to start, have just begun or those who don't know where to look next. It will be held on April 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the board room of the Assessment Office, 57 Napier St., Goderich. Entrance and park- ing are at the rear. There is no charge for this workshop and an excellent program has been prepared. Anyone at all interested in finding their "roots" is most welcome to attend. Fur- ther information is available from Alison Lobb, Chairman, 482-7167. Thank you. Sincerely, Carole liobinson Press Secretary Law system is like a time bomb Dear Editor, Solicitor General Robert Kaplan recent- ly confirmed to the Commons Justice Com- ;nittee that, because of the ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeal that "gating" of dangerous prisoners by the Parole Board is illegal, no further ones will be attempted within Ontario until the Supreme Court of Canada decides the issue. In the mean- time, the practice will continue in all other provinces unless their respective provin- cial courts rule against the practice before the Supreme Court of Canada settles the issue for the entire country. From an Ontario perspective, this at- titude must he unacceptable because it may Lake up to 18 months or longer for the Supreme Court of Canada to deride if 'gating' is legal in this prek ince. Mr. Kaplan has already indicated that he will bring in legislation to authorize the prac- tice if that court says it's not permissible, so why doesn't he do so immediately so that the same protection from truly dangerous people will be afforded in the meantime to Ontario residents as to other Canadians"' A study by the Minister's own depart ment has already indicated that the man- datory supervision system in prc,,cnt form is about equally unacceptable to the public at large, police and responsible inmates themselves. It shows, for example, that between 1974 and 1979 fully one third of the 15,627 people pre -released n i mandatory supervision went directly from maximum security to the streets of our cities and towns. in other words, :),300 alma tes who were riot tor whatever reason considered safe enough to be in rninirnurn or medium •security instattitinns were by obeer:011)n of the existing lava nn rcle;�sed nn man- datory supervision The s -.t('ni itself is ;) hear. Li 11)1) urgently in need .i setas r1, '1 Mil .5 :11111'11'6Y El;r.:d 1< lgcur \1.1' . 1•.r1r1i11 0I n -5i rat henna, PC t r, ucu:. ' i;akeslnan on ('rime Prevention 1h r ‘nit /taro' an 1,Irrlrr(,1r:' 11 h' lint wrote us a lel►er Ire ihrr r'rltlnr, 9111/ lel ererl(1111' 1)nr,rr 11/ /cur,. arc lrrll9/i.he•el, I/1r•‘ 1 ire )rtrih('1111r 110.41. ;111(1 1,.1.11(1(111 F ,' are ;r11r11ee(1 111 /(•!l(•r.. 1111111.1 (r arc .ulrlr•r f Ir, ,',1rllrrt: jr,I11 nt'I 1 ,,r hire/ I