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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1983-06-08, Page 4PAGE 4 —CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, D n3 1P= talaoatot Iiikerage&tecesrd1. fisviba* IliftdismozlovertF0,42/. Dimas &O. absliw , arc®, iragaz,c1t, mai* 111.S. Ve4.: 410-8142. ledeeorliwatous : ,Sr. B:Bifecmo . •1s-� pear !mar l9.14.A. ®e1gre . 'WAS paw ywv By 0e naglotrrred ce easraszd a z=s estrAl by the parer riffs e ender dee gvavvan ve;raaaiar ®17. The lea.o-Roa;avaa 0resevgier®6 d Ire 1§+'a t0• tU¢rravo Cksen,arester L. Barret. -4x3 lar Mei, ®aid Ma C@lratee 6.9eow ere, toondod Dot VMS. %Sol pvq run ®, Mt incorporating THE !MYTH STANDARD J. HOWARL3 AITKEN - Peeietiisteea SHELLEY McPHEE - Whew GARY HAM - Advertising Manager MARY ANKH HOLAfff1REai - office Manager &A MEMBER MEMBER Display advertising rata. available as rc peers(. Aeb lar eooa Cord No. 11 affective Oct. 1. 10111. Strength and confidence We've thanked the people and organizations who gave their financial support to the new Clinton hospital addition. We've thanked the hospital auxiliary and fund raising committee for their ef- forts in organizing canvasses and community projects on behalf of the hospital. We've thanked the doctors and hosptal staff for the competent, warmhearted, excellent service they provide. We've thanked our local politicians for backing this very worthwhile communi- ty project. We've even thanked the Ontario Ministry of Health for finally realizing the importance and necessity of our small hospital. Last, but certainly not least, we must thank the board of governors. Chairman Leen Rehorst, vice chairman Bill Hearn and members Beecher Men- zies, Earl Hilderley, Bob Campbell, Bill Counter, Hugh Flynn, Rosemary Arm- strong, Faye Fear, Marny Walden, Mason Bailey, Dr. William Harrett, Dr. Frank Newland, Dawna Westlake, Esther Wright and Doug Coventry are the members of the board. Essential to the success of the Clinton hospital, this backbone group of men and women have volunteered countless hours, valuable time and energy, in an effort to insure that our hospital provides the best services available. Concerned with the day-by-day operations of the hospital and long-term plann- ing for its continued success, the hospital board members have faced the best and worst of times with dedication and perseverance. They have provided us with the most valuable service in the community, a modern, efficient hospital. Through their foresight and careful planning, people in the area are now served by a hospital that could equal any of its Targe urban counterparts. The Clinton Public Hospital has come a long way since it was first threatened with closure seven years ago. The constant support of the community, the hospital staff, organizations and board of governors have firmly insured that our hospital will remain alive and well for decades to come. The hospital's dramatic history in recent years brings to mind some very ap- propriate words written Eleanor Roosevelt, "You gain strength, courage and con- fidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 1 lived through this horror. J,can take the next thing that comes along." You must do the thing you think you cannot do.'" Clinton Public Hospital supporters have followed this philosphy and will no doubt continue in their achievements and hopes for a better medical institution. -by S. McPhee p and su arspice 9 dispensed by bill smiley The race for leadership As I write, the race for the Tory leader- ship is at the tape, after a cross-country course that would have taxed the en- durance of a kangaroo. Its participants have lurched and shambled and jogged across that rugged terrain, through those bogs and quagmires that make up the minds of Tory delegates. For some, it has been uphill most of the way, owing to a lack of charisma, money, ideas, or all three. Others have taken some dubious short-cuts, hitched a ride when nobody was looking, or floated along on a carpet of hot air. They'll be a bedraggled lot when they get near the grandstand and try to flog themselves into a final sprint toward that finish line. The winner, and he has my sympathy, will be handed the magnificent trophy that goes with the job — a Pandora's box. If he opens it, and he will, politicians be- ing what they are, it will be the Pandora myth all over again. Out will fly all those evil spirits: broken promises, financial disaster, and the cold fury of the losers, who will have him for breakfast as soon as they get their wind back. But one spirit won't pop out — Hope. That peculiar Hope that seems to belong to the Tories will be too tired to leap out of the box. So our "lucky" winner will pick it up, hold it tenderly in both hands), and prepare to do battle against the invidious, insidious hordes of the black -hearted King Pierre, who retire into the swamps and wait patiently, chuckling, licking their lips, each time a new dragon -slayer is chosen for them to devour. On the other hand, maybe, just maybe, the new St. George will be ambidextrous, and with a sword in each hand will be able to fight off his fnends as they help him from the rear, and attack and slay the monster in front of him, who has got a bit swollen with pude, and a bit slow from lack of exercise over the years. Which of these fine, fulminating fellows will be our new champion'. If our fairy tale were to follow its course, it would have to be David Crombie. He has the right name, and is the right size, to stand up to Goliath. He might even knock him off, because the giant is getting old and fat and over- confident. But, even though he wields a mean sling- shot, does little David have the killer in- stinct, the ruthlessness required to get the job? Is he too decent, ton human, too car- ing" Could be. Let's go on with our fairy story and look at the other hopefuls. Joe might startle the big fellow by shaking his jowls and stabb- ing his finger at him. He did once before. But the giant quickly realized that behind that mastiff's mien lay all the terror of a spaniel, uttered one roar, and sent him scuttling. What about Brian? He might try to cow the big guy by jutting a massive chin at him, pointing toward massive rein- forcements in Quebec, and hurling some insults in French. But a couple of massive shrugs and some fat subsidies toward Francos would squelch that threat. There's Jolly Jack the giant ,killer from the Island. He might huff and puff and stick out his not inconsiderable belly at the giant. But unless he made the creature in -- capable of action by some witty remarks that sent it into paroxysms of laughter, it would have him for lunch. Last time he tried it, with a perfectly honest 18 -cent tax on gas, the critter laugh- ed all the way to the next election, then charged twice as much. That creature can out -tax anybody, any day. How about the others? "Puck" Pockl- ington has the right nickname for a fairy story, but what chance has he, an en- trepreneur, against a monster that goes to bed with sick corporations, gobbles up others, and washes them down with oil companies? It's just possible that Michael Wilson, far too honest and logical to win anything, might put the dragon to sleep long enough for some of its own mini -dragons to devour it. But that's a long shot. That leaves John Gamble. All he's got is a looping right swing that is telegraphed all the way. The giant, dragon, creature, will merely counter with a few sharp, left jabs, and John is no longer even a bet, let alone a gamble. Well, i hope I've sorted things out for you, with this melange of myth, analogy and fairy tale. i really don't care who wins, since the Tones have no way to go but up. Is Joe a loser? Is Mulroney too smooth and untested? Is Crombie too tiny? Is Crosbie too far away? is Wilson too dull, Pockl- ington too business -oriented, Gamble too neanderthal? I'd be more comfortable with Crombie than any of them, with Crosbie as second choice. But nobody ever listens to me. i told them Mackenzie King was a charlatan, Diefenbaker a dope, and Trudeau a cynic, but they wouldn't listen. Too bad Flora McDonald didn't run, i'll bet she'd poll a huge vote. But being raped once is enough, I guess. See you at the polls. Honoring the board behind the scenes Bouquets for teichers There are few times when I feel the urge to return to my youth but early June each year might be one of them. Those were the best days of school as I recall, days where the drudgery of the long winter was giving way to a new sense of liberation. The summer holidays were tan- talizingly close and both the students and the teachers seemed to feel them. It was sometimes difficult for the teachers to hold the attentions of youngsters whose im- aginations were already romping in the sunshine beyond the school windows and often they didn't really seem to want to try too hard anymore. They too were tired from the winter of work, looking forward to the time of freedom ahead. And so school became fun. Sunny days of May became excuses for trips to some nearby farmer's bush to see wild -flowers and on return, draw pictures of them and study their parts. June brought warm afternons of ball games against other schools from the area out on the school ball diamond. It brought trips to visit local industries, to see how things in the real world applied the theories we learned in the book world. Thinking back on those days I recoil the bouquets of lilacs and peonies that we used to almost bury the teacher with this time of year. Students seemed to vie with each other to see who could most reward the teacher with whom a bond had been bunt up over the last long months. There haven't been a lot of bouquets for teachers from the general public in recent years. As teachers a decade or so ago became more militant in their demands, as education costs soared, respect for teachers on the part of the public often plummeted. Teachers had once been held high in public esteem but their dedication by Shelley McPhee ke i th rou is ton was taken advantage of to keep them working for far less than they should. The new generation decided it would no longer be taken advantage of monetarily but in doing so, lost a lot of respect. People no saw the teachers as dedicated pro - finals, but as people who cared more au ut the money they took home than the job they did. And it is `h' shame because there still are teachers who are just as dedicated as the teachers of the old one -room school house days. There are people in the classrooms who would be teachers even if the salaries were still low because they feel there is nothing more important in life than being a teacher. You can see that kind of teacher even through the smokescreen put up by county boards of education, centralized schools and teachers' federations. They are the teachers who are excited about their job and by being so, excite the children they teach. They are the ones who don't merely teach what they have to teach but go the extra mile, work that much harder to give their students a good school experience. For many years there the school system got carried away with bricks and mortar, with fancy teaching aids, with a bureaucracy which was supposed to bring about efficiency in the system. The simple fact that education is an interpersonal relationsnip between the teacher and the student got mislaid. If your child has a dedicated teacher who is excited about the job of imparting knowledge to children then the education will be far better off than a child who has a teacher who is bored with the job and just wants to get through the day no matter how much is spent on teaching aids. So sometimes I'd like to go back to school and take a big bouquet of lilacs to some teacher who deserves it. kaleidoscope What a week! Anyone who says, "But there's nothin' to do around here," should really have their ears and eyes thoroughly examined. The week's events started off with the highly successful Clinton Public Hospital out-patient, emergency wing opening. More than 200 people were on hand to take part in the opening and tour the hopsital on June 2. I'd personally like to thank the Hospital Auxiliary for the great sandwiches, desserts and coffee they served. i caught the tail end of the luncheon and all the left- overs. Thank you for supper ladies! + ++ On Friday it was over to the Clinton Community Park for the Spring Fair. As usual the skies were overcast and there was the odd drop of rain, but the crowds still carne out to take part in the various livestock judging competitions during the early part of the day. Don Watson, secretary for the Huron County Holstein Club said he was more than pleased to see the record number of entries from 4-H members, Friday evening was demolition derby time. Our own Debbie Flynn, the only female competitor, placed third in her heat. She faced her seven other com- petitors with the determination and e31 - Su port of Branson s lace Dear Editor: I personally give Thomas Fowler of Branson Place credit for standing up for what he believes Ls right. He has my support in opening his business in or out of any residential or commercial property of Clinton. It's just about time the little guy is allow- ed to operate a business even if his name isn't what some people would like it to be. Yes it appears to me, more and more fre- quently that it isn't what you are or where you want to operate, but plainly just who you are that matters. Wake up Town Council! As far as I'm concerned you may as well bury your bylaw book, because they were never real- ly enforced anyway. Clinton is bylawed to death. For every problem occurring, so- meone makes a bylaw. None of which any of these are ever revised to suit the needs of the people living here. Clinton is a town, it really is. We may pay city taxes here, and it costs more to live here than in the city, but it's still a town. This is one reason small businesses should not be pushed into operating out of a property which is not suited to their needs. They can neither all be asked to locate on the main street, or in the big place down the street because it's in a commercial zoned area. I'd really like to know how Clinton can afford to be so fussy. Town Council please take note of the want ad section of the paper, and after doing so let us know how many of these are operated out of com- mercial zoned property. On top of this there are In times this number who don't advertise, but still have incomes from work done out of their homes. Another thing that bothers me is the unemployment in Clinton. Each time a business is refused here, it's one less chance for a person being employed in the town. Very few businesses I've seen can operate with only a manager, each time Clinton decides they want to rebuild or add to the town, they largely rely on the tax- payers to help. This is done by donations, taxes, fund raising. I presume businesses pay a tax. If this is so there is an awful lot of money escaping us. These businesses are allowed a claim for part of their residence at income tax time, so why shouldn't they have to pay a business tax to Clinton? I'in definitely not against a residential business, and feel the pros and cons on it must fall on the pro side. If there must be a bylaw then it should not just matter where the operation is to be located but con- sideration on what type of business it will be. I realize no resident wants to have a scrap yard in the middle of town. On the other hand 1 don't think anyone is going to mind anyone cutting hair there. The town's people could do more about situations like this if they were to make their opinions known. Some may feel I'm right and others may think I'm wrong, however if you don't speak up you won't be heard. They also say rules are made to be broken. I wonder if this applies to bylaws too. Mrs. M. Bezzo Clinton Family unity is vital Dear Editor, This May, for the eighth consecutive year, the Government of Ontario has declared "Family Unity Month". No doubt many families who are already -struggling to "keep it together" in what often appears to be an uncaring and frightening world can take comfort in this sign of recognition and support. Whether we realize it or not, we live in an age when the whole of mankind is strug- gling to become unified, not only in the family, race or nation, but on a global scale, to recognize its oneness as a human family. In the light of this universal scale, the vital importance of the family as an in- stitution becomes even more evident. We are probably aware, at some deep level - and the celebration of Family Unity Month heightens that awareness - that the family is the nation in miniature. Enlarge the circle of- the household and you have the nation. Enlarge the circles of the na- tions and you have all of humanity. If the family really is the foundation of a growing world civilization, as many now recognize, then we can see ourselves as the "bricks" that go into building that founda- tion. Like the firing of bricks, however, if takes heat and light and pressure for the members of a family to develop the qualities of compassion, courtesy, respect and reverence for one another needed to build that world. Despite the protests that "anything goesv. in this so-called modern world, there is a still, small voice in every individual and in every family that intuitively recognizes what is good for them. We are aware that those habits and fashions in to- day's society which foster alienation and disunity: between men and women, between children and their parents, between the nuclear and the extended family, between people of different background, faiths, races, between na- tions, are in fact, not what we really need- ed. It is a challenge to recognize how closely the individual's sense of well-being and in- tegrity depends on that of the family, however small it may be. And that, in turn, if we want to have unity in our families, we must discover that integrity and wholeness within ourselves. In other words, our thoughts, our feelings, our ac- tions, must be in harmony. Anything doesn't go in the realm of human emotions. There are indeed some sacred universals. We can, as individuals and families, respond to the pressures both outside and inside our families by becom- ing strong yet interdependent, the world in microcosm. Thank you Ontario, for the encourage- ment to respond to the challenge! The Baha'i Community Odds 'n Ends by Elaine Townshend Storeroom of surprises A house is incomplete without a place to stash articles that are too good to throw away but not good enough for visitors to see. Some people need only a drawer or a cupboard for their "treasures"; others fill an extra closet, and a few are lucky enough to have a whole room to spare. A closet in the guest room provides ex- cellent storage for seasonal clothes; that is, if you can find space beside the tennis by' Shelley McPhee pertise of a pro, and loved the whole thing. Debbie hopes to repair her car in time to enter the Seaforth Demolition Derby later this month. Go for it, Born to Kill Flynn. I had the opportunity to watch the ladies' division judges hard at work. I don't envy their work, but I do commend each judge for the careful and thoughtful con- sideration they put into each entry, whether it be a loaf of bread, a quilted pillow or a handmade birdhouse. These judges deserve special mention. They were: arts and crafts, Vernetta O'Rourke, St. Marys; sewing, needlework, knitting and crocheting, Verna Sealey, St. Marys; baking, Helen Thompson, Seaforth; flowers, Marion Powell, Clinton; woodworking, Eugene McAdam, Clinton ; amateur photo contest, Allison Scott. The many excellent entries really in- spired me to try my own hand at sewing and needlework. Usually my plans are mightier than my actions, but 1 received an added push this week. I was one of the lucky winners at the Ladies' Day Out Fashion Show in Clinton. My prize was a length of material from Marv's Sewing Centre. 1 wonder if 1 can talk Mary into stitching it up here and there. just a nice little sun dress would do? We'll have more on the fashion show with photos and stories next week. + + + And Blyth was a busy spot on Saturday and Sunday. The Centre for the Arts held their annual book sale, and what a sale it was. Name the topic and the book was there. They had books on everything from poetry to psychology, mystery to mathematics, ecology to etiquette. The two-day event was highlighted with puppet shows, an art and pottery display, refreshments and a special reading given by our own Harry J. Boyle. One of Canada's favorite authors, Harry came back to his grassroots and met all sorts of old school chums, aunts, cousins and neighbors - all folks from Harry's home, East Wawanosh, St. Augustine way. + + All in all it was a very busy, very ex- citing week and by the looks of our calendar it appears that this trend will continue . Remember that if you have some special event that you'd like more people to know about, please come to the News -Record and jot it down on our Community Calendar. The Community (:alendar not only promotes events but also helps in deter- mining whether your event will conflict with others scheduled for the same rlat racket, baseball bat and glove, skipping rope, skateboard, hockey stick and pucks, football and assorted toys and games and abandoned stuffed animals. If you find a shoebox witli holes in the lid, open cautiously. Many a frog has leaped from a closet and sent a cleaning lady into a panic. On the shelf might be a sewing basket, turned upside down, of course, and three sheets of wrapping paper that you forgot you had when you were looking for paper for Ed's birthday present. During spring cleaning, you're likely to find one wool scarf and five mitts. During fall cleaning, you'll discover one silk scarf, one lost running shoe and three and a half shoe laces. Between cleaning seasons, a sign "Open At Your Own Risk" might help to absolve you from responsibility if someone is hit on the head by a curling broom. Some lucky homeowners have a room that may be described as "the extra bedroom that no one can sleep in because they can't get near the bed." If the broom closet is too small to hold the vacuum cleaner, shove the machine in- to the spare bedroom. If the dining room table is too large for every day use with the extra leaves in, lean them against the bedroom wall. If you stock up on detergent and bathroom tissue at bargain prices, pile them behind the door in the bedroom. When you find a handsome but weatherbeaten table at an auction, set it in front of the dresser until you have time to refinish it. While you're waiting for hubby to put a new cord on the living room lamp, it might as well sit on the old table. if you need an out-of-the-way spot for that drapery material you bought two months ago, why not lay it on the bed' As boxes of memorabilia - your school books. your kids' school books, photograph albums, cards and letters, souvenirs from trips, magazines and paperback novels - fill up, stack them in the bedroom. if you try to walk in one day and can't, just hack out and envy the people who have attics 1