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Clinton News-Record, 1983-04-20, Page 4PAGE 4—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WIEDNESDAY, APRIL SLUE RIBBON.' AnyARD; 980' t2oo CIBro9eoo leo osSomamd Am ®etelkebed emelt of P.O. Hass M, 6NBenrenoe. oraomfee, Ceratede. 6022391 20.lel..9011-8.093. StIb srfg ilo n wee: Cemee the - °20.00 Sr. CAYf¢ew - °60.60 ger roar 29-5.A. 6 tear eters • 'M.M per rear Af Om oe sbeterme cm =seed Game aeras W fite peer entice anucke the gueneefig enerl@ea MO. 6foa reeeseete¢e rel Oeesergeneeoreed Aae BVSO lite (Balsas Otlleiorm-Roesood. foondoed In 2636. mot Ma Clioreoe 00ouo Soo. Souredod Bee 2623. Total woos leen 4. . Incorporating (Tii E[,YTH STANDARD J. HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher SHELLEY Mcf HEE - Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Mer MARY ANN! HOLLEMRECi( - Office Manger A MEMBER MEMBER ®imp Oor odoorrlslwgf roles mooOle®Oo on regooee Och for Sore Cord no. 06 offoetOoo mer. 1. 1901 Pigeon problems When walking down the streets of Clinton do you suddenly become paranoid of being bombarded by the ammunition from one of the many hordes of pigeons in the town° The feeling isn't one that's easy to warm up to but it is becoming a problem in Clinton's downtown core. Those short -legged, stout -bodied nuisances are becoming a real bother to the citizens of this town. No one enjoys walking down the main street and getting pelted by pigeon dung. It's definetly a problem that should be rectified. The town has taken moves in the past to eliminate the overpopulation of the pesty pigeons. According to Clerk Cam Proctor the pigeon problems have plagued the town for a number of years. In the mid 1950's the problem got so bad that the town had the best hunters in the area come in and shoot dozens of them. That remedied the problem but only temporarily. Last year the town installed a pigeon trap on top of the town hall. The trap was supposed to lure in the irritants and catch them love. This system proved to be useless in the battle of the birds, catching only three over the course of a month. Clinton es not the only town to experience problems with the pigeons. St. Thomas invested $3,600 on trying to get rid of them last summer. The city hired a Cambridge -based company called 8irdstrike that effectively removed 408 birds from the downtown area. A year later the pigeons are returning and the project appears to have accomplished nothing. 8irdstrike seems to think that a winter control program should have been car- ried out along with monthly followup visits to remove nests and eggs. If the pigeon population grows much more in Clinton it will be threatening to overrun the town's business district. As it stands now the birds are creating a mess. Their droppings are dirtying the sidewalks along Albert Street and some pedestrians have reported that the pigeons have dumped their waste in their hair and on their clothes. Clerk Proctor had no immediate solutions to the pigeon problem but said that the secret .of getting rid of them is to keep your buildings in good repair thus keeping the birds out.- by R. Hilts. 1 behind the scenes Tories may dance the right wing swing One of the reasons the Progressive Con- servative party has been on the "outs" in Canadian federal politics for so long is that they always seem to be able to pick the wrong leader at the wrong time. Could they be doing it again? A look at the list of candidates for the P.C. leadership shows that the party cer- tainly seems to be jumping on the right wing bandwagon. The Conservatives have looked across the ocean to Britain and seen the success of Margaret Thatcher, they've looked south and saw the landslide win of Ronald Reagan and they've decided, apparently, that it's time for a move to the right to catch the interest of the Canadian public. Less government, more foreign invest- ment, the return of the death penalty, all these have become issues in the leadership campaign. The thing is, is this really what the public wants, and even if it is now, will it be by the time another election rolls around. Now I know that the fashions of California usually take a couple of years to seep north to Canada, but by the time an election comes in Canada it will be nearly four years since Ronald Reagan rode the right wing mood to power. Already in a lit- tle more than two years, the bloom seems to be off the rose of right wing thought. Mr. Reagan is deeper in the polls than any president has every been at the same time of his first term. Across the pond, it took a war over the Falkland Island to win Mrs. Thatcher popularity again, that and an opposition party that's in a total shambles. Even with the Labour party in a mess, if an election had been held the day before the Falklands was invaded, Mrs. Thatcher would likely have been moving out of No. 10 Downing _l. duudl Ula: 131130 leiC 1t,1 VIM- nians moved into Port Stanley. Mr. Reagan too has tried to build his populari- ty by playing up the threat of the Soviets, realizing that nothing builds unity more than the fear of the unknown outside enemy. But who will a Conservative leader send us to war against to build support for the right wing policies? The fact remains that while Canadians may talk a good game about smaller government, etc., they haven't really shown thay want it. Joe Clark found out when he tried to dismantle Petro Canada that Canadians aren't such free enterprisers as he thought. John Crosby may find out that Canadians really don't trust American businessmen enough to totally let down the borders and bring free trade between the two coun- tries. We've seen too often where American firms which are supposed to be good Canadian co-porate citizens, have been ordered by the U.S. Government to help institute American foreign policy. And in a nation that is already made up of a majority of people who have little con- trol over their lives through working for someone else and living as tenants in somebody else's homes, Canadians may not want to become renters of their own country too. Yet there seems to be little choice but a right-wing swing for the Conservatives. Only Joe Clark and David Crombie repre- sent moderate, centrist views of the leadership contenders. Mr. Clark seems unlikely to be able to stand up to the fact he's already had a crack at the leadership and few give Mr. Crombie a chance. The Tories just may end up with a right- wing leader just at the time the rest of the world is moving back toward the political centre. And Liberals, picking their leader after the Tories, may win again. Did somebody say lunch? Dear Editor. There has to be something seriously wrong in a kids head when he ( or she ) throws away a perfectly good lunch, day after day in the alley behind The Arbor gift store. Today i found a couple of egg salad sandwiches and a banana in a "Garfield" bag. it must be' that "chips and gravy" are more acceptable to a growing teenager than what his mother lovingly takes time to make for him. He probably wonders why his acne and pimples are so hard to remove even whith skin clearer and creams! I he economy cannot be all that bad, if anyone pitches good food away and gets junk food instead. it is possible that there is a mental problem that should be looked into before further "weird" and un- fathomable antics occur. On another note, shoplifters are around again. I'm missing a couple of crystals from the window of our store. It only makes for more surveillance and mistrust. Some throw away and others pick up, but the findings are never as valuable as the livings. ALAN GALBRAITB, Clinton- • Sunday singers sugarand spice To bee or not to bee Humans, though not as tenacious and purposeful as the ant, nor as busy as the bee, have much in common with them. Ants, of course, can't swim. Or they can, but they can't hold their noses when they go under, so they drown. Who'd want to be an ant? Bees, on the other hand, can fly, and we can't. But they are unable to jump, even to a conclusion, and we can, so that evens out. We don't have the single-mindedness of ants. They know where they are going, or *hat they are doing. We don't. We ga • 9 wandering about and get squashed. They do too, of course, but at least they were headed somewhere. Bees bumble, but never on the scale that we do. They zero in on a flower. We stag- ger into a cactus. They go, "Vr000m, vr000m!" We flood our motors and go, "Ka-whuck, ka-whunck, ka-a-a-glunk!" There are other similarities and dif- ferences, none of which prove that humans are superior. Ants don't have sexual hang- ups. They know that they are workers, or soldiers or whatever. Humans don't, half the time, know whether they are punched, bored, or kicked in with a frozen boot. Bees also know who and where they are. Like us. they have a Queen, but theirs by Shelley McPhee doesn't have to consult the Labour Party before deciding what to do about unemployment. She wipes out the workers. That automatically creates new jobs. Imagine a world in which bees had unemployment insurance. You'd not only have a bee in your bonnet, but a bee in your bum, your brain and your bra. Unlike us, ants don't worry about their ants. We have poor aunts who must be kept under cover, rich aunts who must be toadied to, and crazy aunts who threaten to come and stay with us. Bees don't bother much about other bees. They just buzz about, sucking honey. What a life. They have no rotten kids, ,rigid wives, drunken husbands, goofy grandchildren, aged parents. So far, it looks as though we've got the short end of the stick, and the ants and the bees are in clover. But there's one thing that drags them down to our level. We all live in cells. You didn't know this? You say humans have free will? You think we can call the shots, be masters of our own destiny, choose between good and evil, live as long as we like, go to heaven or hell, decide what to have for dinner? Nonsense. You are sitting in a cell as you read this. I am sitting in a cell as I write it. Maybe your cell has a refrigerator and an electric stove, and mine has an ashtray and a filing cabinet. But they are cells. At night, we move from the TV cell to the kaleidoscope It may not feel like spring outside, but on Sunday we technically say goodbye to winter. It's time to spring ahead, so remember to turn your clocks forward one hour. + + + Bicycle riding is not quite the order of the day, but it's time to get your tires filled and your brakes checked in readiness for the Clinton Bike Ride For Cancer. To be held on Sunday, May 1 starting at 1 pm from the Clinton arena, the fund raising effort will support cancer research. The ride will cover a 15 kilometer route through town. Sponsor sheets may be picked up at Bartliff's, Becker's, Corrie's Red and White, Kuenzig IGA, Mac's Milk and the Triangle Discount. a 4 - Clinton Clinton will be a busy spot on May 1. The Clinton Legion Ladies' Auxiliary will be hosting the Zone C-1 convention with Legion ladies attending from 12 area clubs. The day will begin with a parade and cell with the platform where we, for no reason, expect to go to sleep. We wake up in the same cell, after nightmares about being in a cell, and pro- ceed to a smaller cell where we peer at ourselves, shake our heads gloomily and remove various normal blessings. Can you imagine a bee shaving his God-given whiskers? Then we romp down through a vertical cell with no windows to another cell with orange juice and coffee. Ants and bees get spilled sugar and honey. No coffee, no tea, no caffeine problems. Next, we leave this cell for a mobile one, with FM radio, window wipers, and automatic knees, legs, windows. Mean- while, the ants and the bees go about their business, getting exercise, fresh air and a keen curiosity about what's going to hap- pen today. We know nothing new is going to happen today. We go to a big cell, where ladies type in a little cell within a bigger cell. We pick up our little cellular pieces from the ladies and go off to our individual cells, where we spend the entire day convincing other people that they should be happy to even have a cell. Sometimes we are happy. We go to a big cell and browse around, humming and snuffling things and touching the un- touchables. But it ends all too soon. We are brought to a tiny cell, where a young woman punches out some tentacles that drag us hack to the big cell, where the Queen Bee informs us that we have no taste, no common sense, and less in- telligence than a bee or an ant. While this tirade is taking place, what are the ant and the bee doing? : iting, stinging? No, they are anting around and beeing around, with no sense whatever that they are the lowest of the low, dumb slobs, cretins. The words don't mean anything to them. Someday, humans will rise to the level of the ant and the bee. They will accept their cells, instead of trying to kick the sides out of them. They will do what they are sup- posed to do, without a lot off ifs, ants and bees. Someday, humans will stop gossiping about each other. Ants don't. Someday humans will stop stinging each other. Bees don't, except when you bug them. Someday humans will stop asking, "Why?" The word is not in the vocabulary of ants and bees. But humans must have a care. If they don't, the theme song of the 'Twenty-first Century might well be, "My cell is your cell. Your cell is my cell. And our cell is our cell ..." On the other hand, perhaps we are not lost in the cells. Ants can multiply, but they can't divide. Bees can buzz, but they can't beam. Maybe there's a future for us, if we can just get out of those cells. wreath laying ceremony at the Cenotaph at 1 p.m. The meeting will follow at 2 p.m. and guest speaker will be Mary Desjardine of Kingston. At the evening dinner the Legion Pipe Band will entertain. Last year the convention was held in Goderich and more than 100 attended. t + On Monday, April 25 the Clinton Hospital Auxiliary will be holding the provincial spring conference. Be sure to welcome the more than 250 auxiliary members to our town. + + + The Harbouraires will be receiving a big welcome in Grand Rapids, Michigan this weekend. Our excellent men's choir will be taking part in the Big Sing event with more than 1,000 men. + + + Hugh Flynn was in this week to report that the Clinton Lions held a successful Rural -Urban night. More than 51 attended the evening dinner on April 12 and Doug Puffer of Kinburn, a biologist at the Hullett Wildlife Area, was the guest speaker. The evening was also a fund raising event and the Lions thank local merchants who donated prizes for the draws. F -+- 4 We received a letter from D.A. McKenzie recently. Many will remember Mr. McKenzie when he attended the Clinton Collegiate and played in the Blyth Lions Club band. Today he is living in Ottawa and has just completed a book Death Notices from the Christian Guardian, 1836-1850. It is based on the weekly paper that was published in Toronto by the Wesleyan Methodist Church for nearly 100 years. The United Church Observer is it's suc- cessor. The book summaries numerous obituaries published in The Christian Guardian and Mr. McKenzie says that if anyone had Wesleyan Methodist ancestors who died in the earlier -settled parts of Ontario or in Quebec, there is a good chance that his book contains information about them. Poverty and illness make life difficult Dear Editor: i have written many letters to various newspapers and individuals regarding poor Canadians who are living below the poverty line. Children in Winnipeg, for instance, between the ages of 5 and 13 queing in the Salvation Armies soup line...Old age pen- 3ioners having to purchase dog food to ex- ist. But one factual case proves to be the worst 1 have ever come into contact with._A Diabetic woman aged 48, living in Clinton, separated from her husband, was pursuaded to sign a document three years ago by her husband's lawyer in accepting the sum of $400 per month. Recently her Doctors, Steele and Waters of Exeter, made written declaration this woman is not fit to work due to her failing health. She has applied to all of the services for help, and even been told by a H.i) Hackwell, Social Service Worker to buy her own medication, present the bill to his depart- ment and they would reimburse her for certain items. Facts: Her income is $400 per month; rental of one bedroom apt, $225 per mon- th; i heat and utilities included). Medica- tion over $100 per month; leaving $75 per month for food and incidentals. I would think Mr 1-1.1) Hackwell would easily spend that amount on a Sunday restaurant dinner with his wife and family if he is married). Fact:–Dr. Steele issued a prescription for this woman dated March 31, 1983. This was not filled due to the fact she has no money. On Thursday April 14, she visited her doctor for routine examination. Result was, she had to go into hospital in Exeter on April 18 because of the deterioration of her health, for possibly a lengthy stay. i personally phoned the hospital to find nut the charges for general ward, but was refused any information of any kind...i did this to keep this letter as factual as possi- Death notices are also covered in the book, as well as news items. These tell of deaths by such causes as drowning, fire, murder, excessive use of alchohol and work-related accidents. Two of special interest to this area are: "An inquest was held on the 27th ult. into the death of Edward Conway of Goderich Township, who was killed by a limb of a tree he was chopping." -April 28, 1847, copied from The Galt Reporter. "We are informed by a letter from Mr Robert Ellis of Goderich, dated Aug, ]9th, that John Gregson, age 35, ,Joseph Ellis Jefferson, age 18 and Roderick McKenzie, age 20, were drowned in the water of Lake Huron, ,July 30th." - Aug. 27, 1895, from The Toronto Colonist. For genealogists the book, containing information about nearly 3,000 people who died between 1836 and 1850, niay be very useful. For more information contact Mr. McKenzie at 246 Holmwood Ave. Ottawa, K1S 2P9. for Canadians hue. So i snooped around and was informed the rate was an unbelievable $135 per day. Simple arithmetic shows this to he close to $4000 per month. i if true this is incredible Which the taxpayer has to pay as against $100 for medication. in ending this letter niay 1 point one or two more facts. i am led to believe it costs taxpayers b>ri per clay to :,111,8 -,'vise In- mates of institutions. Prostitutes who con- tract various diseases, drunks, southeast Asian immigrants, drug addicts. even the girl who, inadvcrfantly becomes pregnant, are all taken under the wing of .some social service or other. Where is the help for this woman to come from"' Frederick ti Jackson Helping students find work i)ear Editor Please accept my thanks for the article printed in the Clinton News -Record nn March 30th, 1983 As supervisor of the Canada Employ- ment Centre for Students, it is my job to in- form the public of the summer employ- ment programs and services available to them, through the federal and provincial governments. By publishing your article, you have not only made my job much easier and hopefully, increased the pro- ductivity of this office; but. you have also increased the public's awareness of the (Canada Employment ('entre for Students, and enabled your readers to make full use of these services Thank you for yoiir assistance Sincerely, Angelina Arts, Supervisor, ('anada Employment Centre for Students