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Clinton News Record, 1981-01-22, Page 4PAGE 4—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, 'THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1981 Tine Ck.Iaa le eadt niximoloy et KO.bale 89. fsitataw, �aatscrfa. fes, M ip RAUL; 864.144.3. tiLL _1 Sr.Ottawa -° Mleerpoor U s d6. B farelipo - °Wad per poor It fa rogistened as C44,473M4 clew ncau br that pest office aawd®r tiro planed, monitor MY. Theincorporated In Me tine Huron fiaaro.Reoard, founded in UM. and Th Clinton Plena Era. founded In 1ilCS. iota! prase roan S.M. A MEMBER JAMES E. FITZGERALD - Editor SHELLEY McPHEE - News Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manager HEATHER BRANDER - Advertising MARGARET L Gift - Office Manager MEMBER Display advertising reit®, available on request, Ask for Rate Card No. 14 effective Sept. 1, Me. Equal opportunity One of the big reasons given for Huron going to the county -wide board of education system some 15 years ago was that it would allow equality of education for all students across the county. Although that has been the case with many of the education programs, it hasn't been the case with all of them. Take the music program, for instance. If a talented child in Goderich wishes to take music, they can do so during normal class hours, get a credit on their grade for it, and have their musical instument supplied, free of charge. However, should the student move to the Clinton area, they lose all those benefits, and it becomes a real hassle for them to continue to study music. In Clinton they have to get to the school early in the morning before the buses have started running, they don't get any credit for their study from the school system, and in most cases have to pay to rent or buy their instruments. That is hardly "equality" education, especially for those many talented rural students who have no transportation to the school. But despite all those hardships, there are still 50 dedicated students and a teachers who turn up at the crack of dawn at Central Huron to study music, four mornings a week before classes, so just imagine how many more there could be if the program was made part of the curriculum. The final decision will be a tough one for the elected members of the board of education, who are faced with declining enrolments, ever increasing costs, and demands from the public for more con- straint. By J.F. Biting the bullet.. United Auto Workers in Canada and the U.S. have little alternative than to accept their part in the rescue operation of Chryslter Corp, says the Exeter Times - Advocate. Terming it "the worst economic set- tlement we've ever made," UAW (president Douglas Fisher went onto ex- plain that the only thing that could be worse was the alternative and that was in having no jobs at all for Chrysler workers. The de Asion to make wage concessions to Chrysler was probably easy for 40,000 of the 104,000 workers affected. They were already laid off frau their jobs with the troubled auto manufacturer. While it will be a few days yet before the future of Chrysler is decided, the UAW have taken an obviously necessary step in the bid to get further U.S. government loans to keep their jobs intact. Unfortunately, their plight has not served as an example to other labor groups whcontinue to make excessive wage demaoat the same time watch their ranks being thinned through layoffs created in part by those demands. The UAW at Chrysler constitute only a part of the cost merry-go-rounds and there will be many others who will have to play their part if the company jobs are to be saved. It may be the start of slowing down the entire inflationary merry-go-round which has created a severe blow to the economy of North America and auto industry in particular. Peaceful Hullett farm c remembering our past 5YEARS AGO January 22,1976 Eaton's order office in Clinton, with three part time and one full time employee, will be dosing its doors for good sometime in May, along with all other Eaton's order offices in Canada. The Clinton outlet began 25 years ago when Mrs. Edna Fulford went to Toronto to ask Eaton's to move to Clinton. Mrs. Lenore Sutherland, night supervisor of Huroniew put her feet up after retiring on her birthday, last Thursday, January 15. The staff of Huronview gave her a chair and ot- toman as a gift. 10 YEARS AGO January 28,1971 A storm that will be remembered for a long time crashed its way across Huron County and mestoisouthern Ontario_on_Tuesday and Wednesday. Many homes in Clinton were rather crowded Tuesday night as homeowners gave a temporary home to hundreds of students from various schools in the town who would not reach their homes in the country because of the blinding storm. Other schools such as Huron Centennial at Brucefield had students housed overnight. The 675 students didn't eat well but they did eat. The younger students had soup and milk and the older students did withust pop until some food got through from Brucefield about 9:45 pm Tuesday. The huge snowfall was made worse by winds that gusted up .to 55 . mph at the Goderich weather station on, Tuesday af- ternoon. Temperatures Iilummeted from by Jim Fitzgerald a Zook through the news -record files more than 30 degrees on Tuesday morning to near zero in the evening. With the snow still continuing as this is 'written, it is unknown just when the area will begin to dig. itself out. One story we heard was of a corporal at CFB Clinton who walked to Huronview and back through the storm to procure insulin for a diabetic civilian worker. Tales like this are heart-warming in such a cold world. Mrs. Don Pullen was elected president of the Horticultural Society of. Chnton at the group's annual meeting held on January 15. A lively skating party was enjoyed last Saturday afternoon by the Youth Group of the - Salvation Army Citadel, London, held at Stewart Middleton's pond. • 25 YEARS AGO , January 26.1955 Miss Bonnie f•larniltcn' f Clinton;--Egbert Bakker of SS 8, Hullett Township and Jim Alexander, SS 11, Hullett Township were the three best spellers out of 22 competing yesterday afternoon in the auditorium of the Clinton Public School. A milestone in the history of the McKillop Municipal Telephone System will be passed. on Thursday at the bowie' of Mr. and Mrs. Willis Van Egmond, RR 1, Clinton, when the first new dial telephone will be connected for common battery service by John Kellar, lineman, Seaforth. Scott Hawthorne, also .of Seaforth, who . installed the syystem's first ' magneto tdlephone intthe Cdintpn area will; be present,. .to .remove the original set which he had in: stalled for the late James Van Egmond in 1911. Editorial Should make policy It's obvious that Clinton council is fast losing the confidence of the general public, and they should act immediately to straighten up their act. Out to get you? Ever have the feeling that someone is out to get you? Society, or God, or somebody? When I was an airman, an intrepid fighter pilot, I was quite superstitious. I knew that bad things came in three's. And they did. Two times I came back to my squadron badly shot up. The third time I was shot down. There were three guys in my tent in Nor- mandy, July of 1944. The three of us were shot down (two killed-). in, three weeks. But I'm beginning to think that three is not the only bad number. Seven and nine are no hell either. Right now I'm about the seven stage. When I hit nine, I'll be writing you from that Great Typewriter in the Sky. It all began last airmen mer. On a fine, sun- ny day in August, someone lifted my wallet while I was on a visit of mercy: seeing my kid brother and trying to assure him that he still had a few years, despite a spine fu- sion, several yards of intestine removed, and a head condition that was driving him blind. Not long after, the Infernal Revenue peo- ple told me I owed them eight hundred bucks. We're still battling back and forth, but since the post office needs three of four weeks to get a letter from me to them, and them to me, we have a Mexican standoff. But I know who's going to win. And it ain't me. They have the computer. All I have is honesty, decency, integrity and good citizenship. Up goes the price of oil and gas. This is not a: personal tragedy, but it doesn't help, that Trudeau presents his unbelievable ar- . rogance, and Alberta cuts back oil produc- tion by 15 percent, and begins talking seriously about separation. Then the Liberal government, smug in its majority, starts railroading its own ver- sion of the Constitution through parlia- ment. I was perfectly happy, like most Canadians, to leave that -yellowed docu- ment in Westminster. Who needs a con- stitution, when we have no poltiical ties with Britain? But petit Pierre wants a monument. Not a bronze one, or a stone one, but one in the history books, which -w)61I show that he, almost single-handedly, established a con- stitution for Canada, liberally (pardon the expression) sprinkled with things the Liberal Party deems important to its con- tinued existence. Everybody is mad. Me too. Then I head off to make a speech for an old friend. A bit late because of highway construction, I went over the speed limit, just a little. A cop nailed me, gave me the old, siren, and when he carne up to me, hit me with $28, not for speeding, but for sit- ting there like a big dummy without my seat belt fastened. I didn't' have enough brains to step out of the .car and lie like a trooper that I'd had it fastened. My wife went slightly out of her mind and ordered aluminum storm windows for the whole house. The money we spent will never be recovered by the oil we save. And I have ten huge, wooden storm windows sitting in my tool shed, which I'll probably have to pay somebody to cart away. Then she left me, my wife. Not for good, just for two weeks to visit my daughter in Moosonee. Thanks again to the postal ser- vice, the column I wrote about her being away appeared three weeks after she'd got back, confabulating a lot of people who kept saying, "I hear you're going to Moosonee." Next, an old veteran of my English staff had another attack of angina and decided to pack it in. This meant an entire re- arranging of English classes, about as simple as sticking your finger in a chain saw. My English department has been decimated by the 'flu. Nobody knows who is teaching what, when or why. `('hen I get the greatest mother of a head - and -chest cold that anybody has suffered since the Middle Ages. Antibiotics don't touch it. We go on another mission of mercy: to see grandad, who is 88, and a little frail but full of beans. My wife gets a horrible cold, the kind that makes her ugly as a Gila monster, emotionally, and I get a seized - up knee. I don't know whether or not you know what a seized -up knee is, Imagine your throat seizing up so that you can't speak. Imagine your bowels seizing up so that you can't. Well, that's what my knee was like. It oc- curs every few years, but this was the worst. I couldn't get into the car. I couldn't get out of it. I couldn't climb stairs. I couldn't. descend them. In bed, I had to put one foot under the bad knee and shift it, so that I could turn over. It ached like a tooth. Oh, I got a lot of sympathy. An old col- league, an old friend, a veteran, said, "1 see you're practising up for Remembrance Day parade." Oh well. The knee is some better. I'm still coughing up stuff that would make you seasick. My wife is actually asking me how I feel, instead of telling me how she feels. The new storm windows are on. The Infer- nal Revenue department is silent.. The English Department is functioning, sporadically., Maybe there is a God, and he's in Heaven, and all's right. Maybe. It's all over the debacle over paying or not paying volunteer members of com- mittees of the town. Council has changed its mind so many times in the past two months on the matter, that taxpayers will need , a scoreboard at the main intersection, just to keep track. The problem of a stipend for volunteers has been with us for years, but the back and forth decisions of the past weeks border on the edge of silliness. Last December, they voted not to pay anyone on any committee, then Deputy Reeve Frank Van Altena introduced a motion in early January asking that he and the other two representatives on the fire area board be paid for all the -meetings they had attended in the past two years. That was passed by a 5-2 margin. Then at the most recent meeting on Monday night. council again reversed their decision on a motion introduced by Ron McKay to pay rec committee mem- bers. So there it stands. df you're on fire area board, y.ou. get paid. If you volunteer for any other committee, no pay! It's time for a firm policy. By J.F. odds 'n° ends A new snowflake In this space, I am going to try to turn over a new leaf or maybe I should say .a new snowflake. It all started with a recent letter from a friend, who lives near Windsor. She was overjoyed because it had been snowing for days. She and her husband no longer had to pack up the kids and the snowmobiles to head north to enjoy their favorite winter sport.' They could enjoy it at home. Her exact words were: "I hope it snows Like this all winter. I love it!" Winter cynic that I am, my immediate response was: "I'd ship you a couple more tons of the white stuff if I could." Today I found a verse in an old Farmers' Almanac. Stephen Schlitzer wrote "Morn- ing Report: The sky is dull and cheerless, The clouds are black and many; The day looks like a dismal flop, And I''m not help- ing any!" I realized my attitude toward Winter is no better. If I consider only 4he negative parts of the season, the January -and February Blahs are bound to get me. But, if I count the positive aspects of winter, I might even find it enjoyable. Christmas kindness 50 YEARS AGO January 22, 1931 The electric current was turned on between Clinton and• Granton Corner, including Dinsley Terrace and the County Home, on Friday last. Anyone who says Clinton is not a sporting town doesn't know it very well. In spite If the stormy state of the weather, a local medical man and an automobile dealer motored to London on Tuesday evening to see the Cleveland -Landon hockey match. They no doubt enjoyed the match, but coming home the road got so heavy on account of the fast falling snow thatthe gasoline wagon refused to go and the two sportsmen were obliged to rouse up a farmer and procure a span of horses•to tow them home. They got along all right, taking turns at sitting on the radiator and driving.theteam, and arrived home early enough for breakfast. After a feed anis wrest the team was sent home, the poor beasts no doubt wondering somewhat what it was all about. 75 YEARS AGO . January 26, 1906 Mr. Will Reynolds, one of the popular young farmers of the 6th con. of Hullett, concluded that he had been living alone long enough and/ last week went down to McGregor where he was married to Miss Pinsonneault. The bride is well known and very popular here, she having kept house for her brother, Rev. Fr. Pinsonneault when he was in Clinton. On the 191h of January 1905, the Hotel Normandie was formally opened, so that. Friday last was the conclusion of its first year. We are informed that the business during that time has been very well established for itself the reputation of being one of the bestcommercial hotels in Ontario, the travelling public speaking most favorably of it, and being of the opinion that Mr. Lewis knows how to keep a good house. Mr. Scott, the popular clerk, has been with the house for ten months, and a more obliging or efficient clerk would be difficult to find. 100 YEARS AGO January 27,1881 We understand that an American theatrical company have applied for the use of the town hall for four consecutive nights. as soon as it is ready for use. From the Inland Revenue returns of last year, we find that five illicit liquor stills were seized in this district, in seven months. In two of the cases. fines tothe amount of $500 were imposed. For some time. past stories have been circulated about the movements of a mysterious light that has made its ap- pearance at different intervals for a year past, on the farms of Messrs. W. Morgan and J. Mailman, of the 5th con. of Goderich Township. The light is said to be about the size of an ordinary lantern, and moves around at pleasure, sometimes going as high as,the tops of large trees and disappearing as if by magic. A great many persons, whose word can be relied, upon. have witnessed the "spectre," and have even made attempts to reach it. but, so far, without success. The farmers in the neighborhood have become somewhat accustomed . to the strange visitant. but still regard it with a degree of • curiosity. It is not unfrequently the case that water sends forth a phosphorescent light, but this phenomena can scarcely he attributed to water. as it soars around apparently irrespective of any controlling element. The question arises "What is it?" The Clinton Methodist. Sabbath School library now compromises nearly 900 volumes - a pretty la rge l i ra ry for a rural town. tont' on all )uu stuvermk have we forgotten the challenge of protecting from intruders the snow fort we had built ourselves? Have we forgotten the ex- uberance of sticking Dad's old pipe into a snowman's face? I At least, we always thought it was Dad's old pipe. ) Have we overlooked the thrill of those downhill toboggan runs in the fields behind the barn? Have we forgotten the fun of clearing off the pond on the neighbour's back 40? Of course not: We may have Iost some of the energy and enthusiasm, but we haven't forgotten the fun. It was the best part of be- ing a kid in winter. Society has become sophisticated, and kids have indoor rinks for ice skating and hockey now. We still see a few back yard rinks, though, complete with bumps. We also find some kids playing street hockey, but in today's traffic, it hardly seems safe. In the Almanac, I also read a story that described Canada as a winter wonderland. Corny as it may sound, it's true, and this part of Ontario is no exception. We are blessed with hundreds of kilometres of natural and manmade trails for snow inobiling, cross' country skiing and snowshoeing. If downhill skiing is your sport, the length of drive required depends on the height of hill you want. ( For some of us, the drift in the back yard will suffice. ) The ice fisherman, who wants to _get away from it all, can find a perfect spot within a three to six -hour drive. He can rent a hut, pitch a tent, drop his bait and think about nothing but the delicious fish supper he'll have. I wonder if ice fisher- man sometimes resort to cans of pork and beans the same as summer campers. Those of us, who are less involved winter participation, can still savour he beauty of the season. One day, for exam- ple, not a breath of wind stirred the snow that laced the tree branches from the night before. On another day, brilliant sunshine sent frosty crystals dancing in the air like the fireflies of summer evenings. The nights of winter may be long, but they don't seem as dark as other times of the year. How could they with a blanket of white on the ground and moonlight and stars reflecting frosty gems in the fields? The more I think about it, the more con- vinced I am that winter is not such a bad season. Of course, 1 haven't heard any weather reports today; I've only admired the view from indoors, and I haven't measured the amount of snow and ice on my car windshield. There I go slipping hack into my old negative ways. I'll just have to try a little harder to turn over a new snowflake. Dear Editor: The Huron County Christaaas Bureau, operated by Family and Children's Ser- vices, has completed another successful project of assisting families at Christmas. This is due largely to the efforts of a number of dedicated volunteers in the community who co-ordinate the distribu- tion centers and who are assisted by many individuals and groups in the community who provide facilities, donation of gifts and money. In 1980, the Chriatmas Bureau assisted 200 families and 475 children in having a happier Christmas. Families were refer- red by social service agencies, ministers and service clubs in the county and re- quests were co-ordinated through our of- fice. Each family was given an appoint- ment at the center closest to their own home and assisted with their shopping at the center by volunteer staff there. As a result, each child received one new toy and one new article of clothing under the tree on Christmas morning. In your area we would have been unable to provide this service without the capable assistance of Mrs. Wynne Homuth, the co- ordinator of the Christmas Bureau in Godericlie She gave many hours of her time to bring some pleasure to others and deserves recognition for her service to people. In order to operate the center ap- propriately, Mrs. Homuth spent many hours organizing the requests of specific children, shopping for suitable articles, collecting donations, and then setting up, obtaining staff and distributing gifts from the centers. Her contribution to Family and Children's Services and to her com- munity was immeasurable and invaluable. We must also acknowledge the contribu- tion of service clubs throughout the county to the Huron County Christmas Bureau. In some areas they spent many • hours distributing, collecting and sorting boxes for donations of new toys. Many service clubs made financial contributions to our budgeted almost $10,000 which also provid- ed funds for families to buy Christmas din- ner. Individuals all over the county spent the year knitting so that children coming to the centers could be provided with warm mitts. - .. The Salvation Army in Goderich and Wingham allowed us the use of their buildings and Captain Perrin and Lieute- nant Koops spent many hours working on our behalf. Anstett Jewellers allowed us use of their building in Seaforth and we appreciate that. Overall, the Huron County Christmas Bureau represents a massive effort of dedicated people in the community on behalf of those • less fortunate than themselves. It is a tribute to people caring for other people and we feel that Huron County has shown itself to be a leader again this Christmas. Yours very truly, . ( Mrs.) Peggy Rivers, Co-ordinator of Volunteer Services, Family and Children's Services Special dinner Dear Editor: The Eighth Annual Sportsmen's Dinner will be held on Tuesday, February 3, 1981 at the South Huron Recreation Hall, Ex- eter, Ontario. The 1981 Dinner is shaping up as one of our best ever. Jack Donohue, Canada's Olympic Basketball coach will be Master of Ceremonies and former Detroit Piston coach, Dick Vitale, is main speaker. Other renowned guests include Jean Belliveau, former captain, Montreal Cana - diens, and former Boston Bruin and Col- orado Rockies coach Don Cherry. Baseball will be represented by Terry Puhl of the Houston Astros; Doug Melvin, New York Yankees, and a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. Football is represented by Montreal Alouette quarterback Gerry Dattilio, the CFL's outstanding Canadian last season, and Western Mustang fullback Greg Marshall. Clint Galbraith, trainer, driver and part owner of standardbred horse Niatross is joined by noted harness driver John Camp- bell of Ailsa Craig. Four time world Women's trap shooting champion Susan Nattrass and Toronto Blizzard, Sam Lennarduzzi will also at- tend. Since all proceeds go to the Ontario Society for Crippled Children and the Lon- don Crippled Children's Centre, I regret we cannot provide complimentary tickets to the dinner. These are available at $25 each. Yours truly, Exeter Lions Club Art McKenzie Word power Dear Editor: Where can a plan buy a cap for his knee? Or a key to the lock of his hair? Can his eyes be called an academy Because there are pupils there? Who travels the bridge of his nose? Can he use, when he shingles the roof of the houre The nails on the ends of his toes? Can the crook of his elbow be sent to jail? If so, what did he do? How does he sharpen his shoulder blades? - I'll be hanged if I know, do you? Can he sit in the shade of the palm of his hand? Or beat on the drum of his ear? Does the calf of his leg eat the corn on his toe? If so, why not grow corn on the ear? 'Sent in by John Turner, Clinton.