Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1983-04-27, Page 4?AGE 4 --CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, ,BLUE R,L3BON; A'RD' 1980 moo C01nten I0owo-6o4crrord le puubelme¢od eyed. Iffodneerldop 01 P -O. Erin 39. elloe?on, Ontor3o. C0ru0®o. It ME Tel.. Gin-8t2d. Sobocrepelon 6800: Canada •16.99 Sr Ovine. ' 03.89 pop poor Pov®egtao °98.$0 Por po,ov It 0o rogeeeorod 01 50991.919 elm= r0ec91I pr ply poor etl0eo ander 1110 porn011 renoon®pr 9917. the 880ero-ooeord lnoe poreted lo 1980 Ileo loouron ehowm-Mocord. teavacated In 1991, card moo ClIneon Nero: aro. /aodortod /n 1m88. 7o00e prmna eon 4.14011. Incorporating CTHE BLYTH STANDARD) J. HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher SHELLEY McPHEE - Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manager MARY ANN HALLENBECK • Office Manager a__ A MEM8ER MEMBER Dloplep odeorrleing rote* o0lloblo on re.ruoe, Ater for Moto Cord 190 11 or/oatleo Orr, 1 1961 Food for thought Canada is the bread basket of the world. Canadians have heard that phrase so often, they seem to take it for granted that our farmers rate among the finest anywhere. Yet the nation's food producers have very real problems that are little understood by ordinary Canadians. Consider what's happening at the present time. With spring planting just uround the corner, many farmers are scurrying to banks, seeking loans to pay for the fertilizer seed and other necessities. In the fall when the crop is harvested, the farmer sells the commodity, pays off the bank loan (including the interest), retains whatever is left to cover wages and other costs and (hopefully) earns a fair return on a heavy investment. That's the way the system is supposed to work, but relatively low food prices and high interest rates in recent years have cut profits and in some cases, have resulted in very real losses. Yet the hardy farmer persists, even when governments add uncertainties such as proposed massive changes in the freight rate system that may or may not be costly. Our fishermen are in the same leaky boat. With the low prices they are offered for their products, the fishermen are having difficulty surviving. In fact, things are so bad, it now seems clear that governments will be forced to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to bail out the industry in Atlantic Canada. The winners in this high-cost, low -price equation, of course, are the nation's consumers. While Canadians spend about 23 percent of disposal 'income on food, West Germans lay out more than 30 percent and the Japanese pay out a whopp- ing 35 percent or so of their incom0 on food. It's true, farming and fishing are generally considered risky business where producers can earn big returns if everything goes according to plan. But in many cases, producers haven't been winners in the 1980's. Aside from economics, what's important, but little noticed by Canadians, is the tact that as a country we are indeed self-sufficient in food. And for that, we can thank our farmers and fishermem. Whatever their problems, they always seem to meet our demands for foodstuffs with Tots left over to sell to other countries. They deserve to be treated with respect. by Roger Worth A CFIB Feature Service By W. Roger Worth behind the scenes nights, rights, rights As the guy in the TV commercial says, I'm confused, I'm very, very confused. You see life in the eighties seems to be a continuous battle between right wing thought and left wing thought and 1 can't tell whose side I'm on. In fact I'm not sure the right and left wingers are even sure which side they're on. 11 all seems too simple when you listen to combatants front one side or the other speak : there's the black side and the white side. Everybody who agrees with me is on the good side and the others, poor riemented fools, are leading our world to hell on earth. It all sounds like religion in a wily. And take religion as a first example. Mane of the leaders of centre to left wing thought, from liberals through socialists through Marxists, would sneer at anybody who said they believed in religion. Yet most of the beliefs of these people in a more perfectable human society seem to )e influenced more by the teachings of Jesus, Christ than any other single factor. )n the other hand, right wing thinkers, hail is ularly as demonstrated by the Moral Majority supporters of U.S. President Ronald Reagan, insist on having Christ on their side, vet they tend to ignore Christ's teachings from "Give away all that thou hath and follow nie" to turning the other cheek ills new right wants religion put back in- t()the schools. The left talks about freedom .,f speech arid religion and says we shouldn't impose religion on those who don't want it They look on religion as superstition and the only time they can get worked up anout protecting religious rights is if they are protecting the rights of some African tribe against attempts by Christian missionaries to convert them. The right wing generally is supposed to believe in the rights of the individual over society, calling for less government, fewer laws. Yet the right wing is pushing the return of capital punishment claiming society has the right to be protected from dangerous individuals. Liberal thinkers, meanwhile, who often argue for the rights of society over the rights of individuals, argue for the rights of the individual in this case. The arguments go the opposite way on abortion. Liberals, who argued that by put- ting convicted criminals to death society is becoming a murderer itself; suddenly come down on the side of the right of in- dividual people to end lives. Right wingers, who before argued the death penalty for the good of society, now come down on the side of the right to life. As mentioned in an earlier column, cen- sorship has always been an anathema to liberal thought, until the women's move- ment decided that pornography was directed against women. Now censorship may go from the black to the white side of liberal thought. Of course there are still plenty of people out there who want blue movies on Pay -TV and they will adopt an anti -censorship call for the rights of the in- dividual which sounds like a right wing argument except for the fact that many on the right wing are religiously oriented and have been calling for censorship for years even though that goes against their normal cries for the right of the individual. Wait a minute. My head's spinning from trying to follow all these flip-flops. i've got to rest A parent questions education i)ear h ditor April 24 :t0 is Education Week. In honor of this event. Central Huron Secondary School has sent out a flyer headlined in big letters. ( >AN( -F NFWSi.ETTER," to parents. Inviting them to visit the school ane tame during the week and hospitahlc adding that coffee will be available in the cafeteria "most times". (if the seven highlights offered, three are musical choir, with and without band), two are soccer- games The only event reiaren rot,mita nee is a Monday morning session called Financial Aid for College and I nn ersits A Geography Seminar on Huron County r one hour, 1' rimy morning) is number 7, the only feature that sounds the least bit educational. The wall that is usually erected between parents on the one hand, and teachers and what goes on in the classroom on the other hand, is evident in this pathetic sentence, one of our counsellors would be happy to help you find your way to the classes if you would like to sit in " The whole sheet is quite a commentary on the priorities of education as defined by our 'educators" and the non -participation of parents in the process --except to foot the hills, of course A parent Lake Huron hovels Lsugarand spice Drop me a line THIS is neither an Old Home Week nor a Remembrance Day column. It is merely a desperate attempt to catch up with my correspondence, triggered by a week's holiday, in which 1, at first tentatively, then frantically, pawed through the unanswered letters on my desk. Oh, yes, I have a secretary. But she's not worth a diddle. She's great on emptying ashtrays, sorting my desk until I can't find anything, and telling me I'll never be a writer until I learn to change a typewriter ribbon. She also serves a great cup of tea when I am scriptorially constipated, and fending off phone calls when I sit before the in- fernal machine in a catatonic state. But she simply won't get down to it, and write my column for me. What's the point of having a secretary if you have to do the dirty work yourself? Especially when she's practically a blood relative: your wife? Back to the letters. We'll work from about now back through a year or two. A letter from Orest Woychuk of Wain- wright, Alta., hit me where it hursts. He'd read a column in which I referred to his brother, Roman, "Chuck", an old P.O.W. buddy. Chuck is dead; flew into a hill down in Quebec in 1957. We'd planned, in our by Rod Hilts young romanticism, to go to Yucatan, Mexico, when we got out of prison camp. Chuck was reckless and violent. I could have predicted his end. I was reminded of hiro when I read a dedication to a novel: "To the victims of the Great War; among whom are the survivors." One of his favorite sayings was, "If you sleep fast enough, you can get five or six hours sleep in two hours." Orest says, in understatement, "He was very restless on his return from overseas — there's no need to explain why — you both were there and went thru it all." Chuck had three wives, and his brother says they, "Had a hard time catching up villus him", because, "My home is where I hang up my hat for a few moments." Poor girls. Poor Chuck. Another old ghost turned up recenty: Don McCuaig, former private in His Majesty's forces; former newspaper editor, the scourge of the upper Ottawa Valley. For some reason, this idiot and I have an affinity that transcends almost everything. We can meet after ten years and thoroughly enjoy each other's corn - 1,:r ny. Silly duffer is in France, living in a village, taking an immersion course in the language. I can just hear that Ottawa Valley Irish coming through the French. For example, "Terrible". In French it comes out, "Terreeb", with a little gut- tural on the "r". In Ottawa V ley it comes out, "Turbul." Here's one from Jack Seeley, Hay River, N.W.T. Yes, Jack, I'm guilty. 1 am the guy you worked with on the old Hamonic on the upper Great Lakes in 1937-38-39. But I am no longer the fellow you recall as "A handsome and intelligent young man from Perth, Ontario by the name of Bill Smiley." We were both stupid to be working for one dollar a day, 12 hours a day, 30 days a month. And I am not han- dsome, merely distinguished. You were the handsome one, with your lean face, blond hair. Remember Peachy diving off the hurricane deck? Remember Capt. Bill Taylor flouncing around like a French gigolo, wooing the lady passengers in an aura of sweat and booze? He wound upas a bar -tender, after the S.S. Not•onic burned. And another from Bob love, somewhere in Alta ( envelope lost), a long and friendly and warm letter ot reminiscences and shared experiences. And another from Mrs. Jay Webster of lake Francis, Man., wh:eh tells a lot about the state of Canadian publishing, book- selling, and Winnipeg as a cultural centre. „Would enjoy reading the books you mention, Boys, Bombs and Brussels Spx outs by Doug Harvey, and Terror in the Starboard Seat, by Dave McIntosh. After asking on the average of once a month in the Cole Book Stores in Winnipeg, 1 was told it wasn't on the order form so couldn't be ordered. Somebody must be failing in their job if these books aren't available west of 'Toronto." Somebody is, lady Canadian publishers, notoriously tiniorous, would rather spend money on public relations for their name kaleidoscope We're not alone. There's Clinton, B.C.; and Clinton, Illinois. There's Clintons in Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and in at least 18 other States. But the one that's real interested in us is Clinton, Connecticut. The town with a population of more than 10,000 is preparing for its 10th Annual Clinton Bluefish Festival from August 19-21. Organizers of the event are attempting to set up a display from all other Clintons in North America. They have written to our Clinton council asking for support. Some ot our councillors and mayor jokingly volunteered to make a personal appearance, all expenses paid, at the Festival. But it looks like we'll send along a flag, town history book, lapel pin and than pushing books with merit, but without a big-narne author. Canadian book -sellers are generally subsidiaries of American or British chains. Most of them couldn't name ten Canadian writers to save their souls. In line with that, I recently received word, via my principal, that the school board wants me to write a "rationale" for two fine Canadian books I put on my list: "Lives of flirts and Women", by Alice Munro, and "The Wars", by Timothy Findley. Both of these have been widely ac- claimed. Both are works of art. Both were printed and written in Canada by Canadian writers. And I must write a "rationale" for their acceptance. The Board doesn't have to write a "rationale" for questioning thein. I do, for suggesting them. So inuch for supporting Canadian writers. More letters A card front my daughter, almost three years old. "1 was thinking of you a lot as your 60th birthday ap- proached. I love you a lot. Always have. Always will. I have just begun to be aware of the things you have taught me: strength, perseverance, tolerance -and humour." Thanks a lot, baby. Just went through the old cheques. Sure enough. And eleventy-seven other letters. I'll get at then, during the summer holidays. But don't let that stop you. I need nourishment. Drop a line and let rite know that my secretary is not the only one who reads this column. other special souvenirs of the town. + + + Talking about souvenirs, we're in the midst of preparing the special booklet for the third annual Klompen Feest. If you have any story ideas, photographs or special memories of Holland please let us know by Friday. The edition will be published on May 9. + + This weekend's calendar is full of special events. Of the musical variety, the CRSS choir and band will be holding a concert on Saturday night at the high school. The students have been working very hard this year in preparation for the concert and other events. Their efforts have been reported in special features which can be found elsewhere in this edition. f + -f Sunday 1s the day for the (treat Hike Ride For lancer. It's being billed as a family affair, so join in the afternoon fun. It gets underway at 1 p.m. at the Clinton arena and travels a 15 kilometer ( seven mule) route around town. The route will be clearly marked with bright yellow arrows and refreshments will be served at the halfway point. The Ride F or Cautcer is fur men, women and (lolciren, although children under 12 years must be accompanied by an adult. Sponsor sheets are available at Becker's, C'opie's Red and White, Mac's Milk, Triangle Discount, Bartliff's and Kuenzig IGA. You can help to raise funds by getting financial support from your family and friends, ,.r -Imply take part in the ride and snake a donation to the Cancer Society. Red Cross appreciates the community's Dear Editor, Please convey to all the generous folk who contributed, canvassed and worked in various ways to make this year's Red Cross drive the best in four years of effort. Sincere recommencing an appeal for the Red Cross a few years ago much time and effort and so-called "missionary work" has been done. The old myths were revived by the few (K insmen Club please note) and thanks be, have been largely dispelled by the truth. We have permission to print names of industries and organizations who con- tributed. Some of these this year gave to the general appeal. Others were: Huronic Rebekah lodge, Summer Hill Ladies' Club, Clinton Ladies' Auxiliary to the Legion, Blyth Enterprise, Men's Clinton Legion Branch. To all of whom we owe a debt of gratitude for their generosity in sharing their own fine work with that of the Red Cross. Every ward was up this year as were the towns around, Varna, Holmesvi7le, ian- desboro, Goderich Township, Vanastra, Blyth, Zurich. Captains of the wards in town were Garnet Harold, Mrs. Galichuick, Ed Godkin, Joan Bell, Marg. Allan, Helen Cooper, Marg. Caldwell, Wynn Homuth, Bess Fingland and Ken Flett. The Red Cross is run 95 percent by volunteers. You hear and see them everywhere. More and more calls are being made by countries in distress. There is no organization which gets to all regardless of race or creed. The need is greater than ever. It can get in where no other has access. last year a call of distress from Greece suffering from lack of supplies of all kinds due to floods and avalanches, received the help needed from i,i)ndon Red Cross receipts. So it goes on. We would particularly like to stress with gratitude the work of the youthful volunteers who gave so generously of their time and energy. Blyth and i,ondesboro are good examples of these Their efforts were truly wonderful and they are early learning that doing for others is after all what life is all about. Bavfr('ld and Elensall will be canvassed Tri May 1 who may have wondered please note I utal thus far $4,412.10 which will be sent un at once to the London Red Cross iiia\ Set lx' higher. Tins is the first Our ii i take 11 was rncor r ei t l5 1 (ported 111 last week s ,'(1111 n t fiat agriculture minister Itennns 'Firnbrell was involved with the prulrosed (losing of the Clinton Public Hospital Frank Miller, not Mr 1'imbrell. wrls health minister at that tune rhe Signal StarNet;s Record apologi7cs for this inad- vertent error and any in- conveniences it may have caused + 1 _+ The Clinton Independent Order of Oddfellows sent in a note of thanks to all the people who purchased tickets on a draw for a quarter of beef. John Dykstra of RR 1, Bayfield was the winner of the March draw. + Are there any McQuarries out there? Christie McQuarrie of Komoka is invited all clan members and related families to a McQuarrie Clan (lathering. The family affair will be held at the Cookstown Community FairgrountLs on August 20, beginning at 1 p.m. At 5 p.m. a giant picnic will be held Cost is $5 per family to regi'.L'r and you can write to Mrs. F. McQuarrie, Box 302, Oak Ridges, Ont. i3O(; 1.1'(1. Or call Gord McQuarrie at 705- 456-5400. support we' hake reach(sl indeed overreached our goal and we ( an't express the gratitude of ('hnton Red ('rocs committee deeply enough to all those willing and generous people who made this possible Sincerely, f: i) Fingland, Clinton /)n Neu hap,• ;fru I,//Hi II/ n 11 Iii Aril llrlrr u. a /r•l/rr/ /n illi c(111r,r• .en11 14'1 el1/1 letter. .Ire /luhll.herl. pt,,, ,Ire Ino' allltictitlr ,ft('(/. 4,4(1 /,.r (lllr,,,1 (111/4 are all„(ler/ 111 1,tl,,.. r,rrr•rr•r, are .ul,/, r r Ir, , ,/1l,nl I„r 1r ill /h fir 111,1/