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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 1981-01-29, Page 4PAGE4 NE RG, THURSDAY, 1991 riiiRwagkiry 40 FLEA, ram' 34 . gym. esawaSe, MR est,W..; eiwismi11>r� a-`fiD - U. .: -° wnavivailiawrod ®n slizetali awe ma 1¢q Sie pea asface ager fla® cif aszadittar 6613, fa alrs4 OKI ileums , *arso fw Wit. mud ?kap CliS98ue fizau Ere. Scanted Pim ISM Titre.fcusa amw LSI*. et 11® MEMBER JAMESL FITZG *LD - Eater - News Editor GAY $?JST - Advertising Meneger HEATHER BRANDER - Advertising MARGARET L. G - ice Menteger t0 0 � m•Q ` MEMBER Duplay embre bola® memos aaaalaile ace avilttsss9. As& for Bats card N. VS dfeeNw Saps. 1. As the farms go... • ID SP We've all had hints, a gut feeling orin some individual cases a sad certainty that the past year wasn't a terrific one for says the Seaforth Expositor. Now along comes the Landon Free Press with a first-time look at Ontario's farm bankruptcy statistics and the bad news that 75 per cent more fanners officially went broke in 1990 than in the year before. Yes general bankruptcies are up too, by 35 per cent and general business bankrupt- cies ankruptcies by 41 per cent but 75 per cent is a drastic rise. Though the numbers involved aren't huge (112 compared to 64 in 1979) and it's true that going benkrupt ha4 not quite the same terrifying social stigma it used to, we should pay a lot of attention to the trend the statistics reflect - That's because here in Huron County, as the farm economy goes, so goes life for the rest of us. We were interested in the cots of former area residents Gail and Alex Glan- ville in a recent story on their new life as farmers in Saskatchewan, which seems more of a faimers' province than Ontario. While they weren't critical at all, that set us wondering how many of us here ap- preciate how much our well-being is con- nected to the health of the farms around us?, says the Expositor. We've been reading and hearing for the past year of what high interest rates and production costs have been doing to some area farmers, especially those in livestock. For every farmer who's declared bankruptcy, OFA president Ralph Barrie estimates 10 have gotten out of agriculture voluntarily because they're losing so much money. Others have been able to avoid bankruptcy only by selling everything to get out from under their debt. So, times are tough. They're tough for small business, for car plants, for lots of workers in lots of industries. And perhaps there isn't much the average person can do to stein the tide but cut back, try to hold on and hope we as a country can work our way out of the mess. But next time you're tempted to .put down fanners or decide all Seaforth needs is some big new industry, spare a thought for that crucial industry we ,have right now, agriculture. And bad times for farmers are bad times for us all Everyone's concern This year is the 35th anniversary of White Cane Week, an education week from Feb. 2 to 7 co-sponsored by The Canadian Council of the- Blind and -The Canadian National 1ns6WRe"fo the Blind "CNBB is a volunteer organization which continues to expand its services to people across Canada . who are experiencing vision problem," said Robert F. Mercer, Managing Director of the CNIB. "During White Cane Week we would encourage you to give special thought to blindness prevention, learn more about blindness and how you can assist visually impaired persons." Take the opportunity to find out more about CNIB services and the many ways a blind person can benefit, from them. You might also hie to help by devoting some of your spare time to volunteer work, such as driving a blind person to an evening's entertainment, 'going"shopping with a visually impaired person, or reading important material to a student, and getting really involved with blind people. Remember, too, the Eye Bank of Canada. By signing a pledge card you can donate your eyes and help somebody to regain eyesight through a corneal tran- splant. The slogan for this year's White Cane Week is `Blindness Is Everyone's Con- cern'. Make it yours. Winter's icing 5 YEARS AGO • January 29, 1976 A strange looking, snow -gobbling monster appeared in the Clinton area last week for the first time in five years. The monster, really a giant snowthrower owned by the department of highways, was in the area widening the roads, nearly plugged by the 80 inch snowfall that has hit the area this winter. With over 200 horsepower, the machine cuts into the nearly eight -foot banks and throws the snow back 200 feet. Some schools in Clinton area have missed up to one third of their classes since the beginning of the new year because of the poor weather, The severe snowstorms have resulted in the loss of up to nine teaching days in some ruralareas of the county. -..... - .. _.....—r0 V£-ARSAGO February 4,1971 One thing is certain, we've got the snow for the winter carnival next week. The third annual Clinton Winter Carnival will ,begin on Monday, February 8, with a bingo at the Legion Hall. . The chop-chopof helicopters was a familiar sound in Clinton last week as several helicopters operated in the area. • Helicopters were pressed into Service by the Armed Forces to airlift food into CFB Clinton during the storm. The base was running. short because it was feeding far more than the usual staff because civilians. members of the Ontario Uyrdo crews at their new building on the base and billeted school children ate up the reserves. The storm and power failure such as we experienced this past Week really brings out the best in people. In Bayfield the power failure took place on Louisa St. and over the highway around Keith Cres. Many people opened their homes to those without heat, and Pat Graham used his store as a headquarters and kept in touch with those in need. Arnold Makins and Jim Hut- chings strung temporary wiring to some homes to provideheat. Jack Merner, Ken Mackie, Joe Brandon, Don Lindsay and Keith Bunn ran a taxi Words for winter Ah, winter! There's nothing lie you to put the iron into the souls of Canadians. We can tuff you out. But the trouble is that the iron stays in the souls, and our short sum- mer is not enough to make it molten. In other words, everybody over 50 has ar- thritis. Mine doesn't bother me much, because I'm always trying a new remedy that is guaranteed, and hope lives eternal in the human beast. I've tried carrying a potato in my hip pocket. It was a sure thing, I was told. But from sitting around on that cold mashed potato for a couple of weeks, all I got was arthritis in the hip, where I'd never had it before. Then I got a kind of wristband, made of some shiny metal, which allegedly had done wonders for arthritis in Japan. Nothing happened except that I got ar- thritis in my wrist, where I'd never,had it before. My son, who is a great man for herbs and a vegetarian, except when he's home, when he eats three helpings of meat, had a surefire recipe that would cure arthritis in three weeks. It's an herb from Switzerland called Devil's Claw. It tastes like a devil's claw that hasn't been washed since His Evilness was kicked out of heaven. You have to drink three cups of the junk, brewed in hot water and left standing, per day, before meals. I was faithful for three weeks, even though it was an ordeal to look at food after swallowing the swill. Result? 1 had the worst arthritic knee I've had since a guy kicked my kneecap two inches to the left back in 1944. A kind lady from Alberta wrote that she could get me a special price on some kind of machine that gives you ultra -red (or something) treatments. I declined • to answer, on the reasonable grounds that I knew it would turn me into a red arthritic. I wouldn't mind being a red politically, or a red Indian ( something I've never seen ), but I didn't want to become a red arthritic for some reason. My wife has about eight books about ar- tin'itis. She keeps reading rare bits from each and I get so confused l -don't know whether to diet strictly, eat like a hog, get into acupuncture, or go out and roll in the snow, naked. I imagine any or all of them would have the same result. Anyway, my arthritis doesn't bother me at all. It's just a good ex- cuse for getting out of a lot of unnecessary chores, which my old lady is quite young and fit enough to do herself. Scrubbing (my knees are bad). Wallpapering (my shoulders are killing me). Garbage (doc says don't lift anything over 20 pounds; my back). Anyway, I didn't intend to write a col- umn about arthritis. As a topic of either conversation or literature, it's about as ex- citing as the common cold, another subject which winter provides Canadians some stimulating repartee about. What I really set out to do was write an Ode to Winter. And here it comes. I tell my students that any dang fool can write modern poetry, but there aren't many of us left who can make it rhyme. Ode to winter "Winter, you is a time for Slipping and sliding, Swooping and gliding, Snowmobile riding. But if you decided to spend the winter in Flor'da I'd adore ya." That's all. No need to spoil a perfect bit of poesy. But imagine what a modern poet, especially a young one, would do with that. Here's a sample, no rhyme, no rhythm: Hey Mr. Winter "I dig you. Beer and burns after the ski hill. Downing the• drinks after the bonspiel Knocking down farmers' fences with my Bombardier Flyer You're a white man, Ole Mister. I dig you." Come to think of it, the second ode has more concrete nouns than the first, more action verbs, more appeal to the senses, and sharper imagery. Not to mention a great and powerful use of repetition in the opening and closing lines. It's a better poem. But how can it be a better poem if it doesn't rhyme? As R. J. Needham would ask, teiho once 'stated publicly that there hadn't been any good poetry written since Tennyson. I told him that was utter nonsense. He agreed. He was just trying to get somebody to say something. Nah. Winter's not so bad. But my heart sinks when I think that Wilson, the boy next door, is in Grade 12, and will soon be off to college. In the mornings, after a bliz- zard, I sit quietly drinking my tea and reading my paper until I hear his shovel clanging on the back porch. Then I leave for work, knowing my path and driveway are open. In the summerhe cuts my grass. I'm going to ask all his teachers to fail him this year. The only other solution is to sell the house. by Bud Sturgeon a look through the news -record files service with their snowmobiles and some of the people who were given a ride never imagined they would ever ride on one of those inferna machines. In Auburn, Charles Scott,the mailman reported that it was the wost storm in 31 years. Many local residents were .unable to get doors open and one had to take the screen out and climb out to shovel.' All elementary school children were billetted in Londesboro until Thursday noon. Dozens of men and women had to remain where they were employed until Friday. Several bread makers in the village were pressed into service and one lady made over 50loaves on Saturday, 25 YEARS AGO . ' ........ February 2,1956 . Norman Henry Jones was elected the reeve of Hensall in a special election on Monday to fill the vacancy caused by the death of William G. Parke, who had been elected reeve for 1956. . National Health Week was marked in quite a practical and charming way in Bayfield. It gave parents and friends an opportunity to see the new• school and the children to present a•program for the benefit of the Junior Red Cross on Tumday afternoon. Invitations had been issued last week by the teachers and pupils; 63 signed the visitors' book. • 50 YEARS AGO ' January 29,1931 Thrilling Exhibition by the World's Champion , One Legged Skater. Figure skating, great speed. quick turns and dances. At the Clinton Arena on.Saturd'ay. .January 31. Carnival combined. ida Rachel Wannamaker, wife of Melville Gliddon of Hohnesville, passed away in the Chnton Public Hospital Wednesday of last Week at the early age of 38 years. For atime she seemed to gain but death came suddenly. She was a quiet, home -loving woman who had made many friends during her brief sojourn in the community. A Clinton householder complains that someone stole a broom from her verandah. Seems a small business. surely no one in Clinton would be guilty of such a trick. But where's the broom'' 75 YEARS AGO . February 2,1906 Horse flesh is still in constant demand, as seen by the fancy prices received. Mr. John Thompson of Goderich Township disposed of a two-year-old colt, realizing the sqm of $135 for it. Mr. Brownlee and Miss Stanbury are busy training the Bayfield school children for a concert to be given in about a week. The proceeds are to be invested in a library for the school . Its speaks well for the weather to have bicycling in January. On Friday, Oscar Rogers rode home by way of Blyth to Clinton. Wheeling in December about Christmas is considered rare enough, but at this time of year it is certainly exceptional. 100 YEARS AGO February 3, 1881 The people connected with the Methodist Church at Taylor's Corners contemplate the erection of a new brick. chord) a little east of odds 'n' ends A closer look People are incredible! A few cv!eeks ago I was concerned with television shows that used dangerous stunts to attract au- diences. I didn't understand their populari- ty, but I realized I was considering only 'small segments of the programs. I decided to take a closer look. The show that caused the most con- troversy and that I had the most opportuni- ty to watch, was "That's Incredible." The stunt sessions still didn't excite me, even though experienced stuntmen and a psychiatrist tried to explain their motiva- tion. Other parts of the shows were infor- mative; a few seemed far-fetched. Some were entertaining and some inspiring. Most were interesting because they dealt with real people. Animals got into the acts as well. A dog raced motorcycles, with his master at the controls, of course. A bunny was introduced on national TV as the Number -One -ranked surfer in the rabbit class. He was also the only rabbit in his class. I was not impressed. I suppose I'm just not a bunny surfing fan at heart. A lady bought a painting at a thrift store their present building. They need a new one badly, and are well able to erect one. Many farmers in corning to town, now carry shovels on their loads, in order to help them on the highway. A resident of Goderich remarked. yesterday. that. "he believed there were 150 empty houses in that place." Clinton is for- tunate in not having more than a 20th of that number. A wild cat has taken up its headquarters in Mr. Geo. Pope's woods ,about twomilesfrom Clinton, .from.w•hich it takes trips across the country in all directions. but has .not as yet done any damage. It has been seen on several occasions by persons living in the neighorhood. No attempt has yet been made to captureordestroy it. Mr. Haggit's taking 1eve of his creditors is• causing quite a sensation in Londesboro, and the places where some things were found is making it worse. For instance, the organ was found at hs father's, covered up in the straw Mow, • and,one of the assistants was threatened with punishment, if he did not bring. hack the tools and other articles, and they were soon returned. It appears he has been making preparations for a long time, and had others to help him. for the shop and the house have been stripped of all the law could take. and put away somewhere. Info needed write letters Dear Editor, 1 Would appreciate very much if some of your readers could provide me with in- formation on the former Massey Harris Implement budding in Clinton that was built orig finally for the Molson Bank. This building is on the north side of Rattenbury Street East, immediately opposite the town library. Renovation and improv€ Gent of this historic building is to start shortly and I wish to ensure that the exterior is restored to its original design as far as possible. To date I have consulted with historian Mrs. Doris Batkin and we located one picture of the building this is in the Clinton history book. I am seeking further visual evidence to verify various building details. If any of the readers of the Clinton News - Record have any pictures, however small, I would very much appreciate having a look. 1 am also interested. ia_, tJie,erOL Although this has been changed very considerably over the years, much of the 'original building fabric in what was the main banking hall and vault remains. This includes a fine plaster ceiling with moulding. I am interested in finding out about how the banking hall looked with its fireplace, counters, lights etc. I am sure it was very elegant. Many thanks to all those, in advance, who may be able to assist. Sincerely Nicholas Hill, Hill and Borgal Architects, Goderich, 524-6546 • • Supports hockey Dear Editor, Being intenselyy interested in all sports, I have, since my retirement, been a regular visitor at the hockey rink. I am impressed at the organizational abilities of the in- dividuals or committees that are responsible for the Optimist Club Bantam Tournament. Out of the 12 games. I have attended, and ,enjoyed, I have been privileged to see teams from as far away as Owen S und, Belle River, London besides teams from surrounding areas, which give a ` tremendous boost to Clinton's sports image. • . Where may I ask can you witness as many as 12 top line hockey games for 62? So even though we have a little internal strife in town, I exhort all sports fans to • turn out in full force for the finals on January 31 and February „1, and fill the rink. • Sincerely, Fred Jackson, ' Clinton First column is trash Dear Editor: Last -week in his First Column, (January 22nd issue) Mr. Fitzgerald made some remarks which have left me totally stunned. His column was so appalling in content that at first I could not believe anyone could be so incredibly insensitive or so incomparably stupid. His callous and uninformed remarks about the Iranian . hostage crisis indicate a total lack of understanding of what really occurred. Ile said the whole thing should be put in its proper perspective in that thousands of people died of starvation and alcohol abuse during the hostage crisis, yet were not given anywhere near the same coverage by the media as the hostages. He said we should get off our arrogant Western perch and find out what Christianity really means and he felt the media had overdone the whole thing. He stated he felt ashamed to be a journalist in such conditions. Well, after these statements by Mr. Fitzgerald, I feel ashamed to be a member of the human race with such as him also a member. What in the world has the death of people from alcohol and starvation got to do with a violation of international law? It is totally irrelevant; such deaths are part of our society unfortunately, but the attack on and seizure of a foreign embassy is not. and underneath discovered a portrait that mysteriously resembled her. She had not sat for the painting. She could not explain the resemblance nor why she had been en- ticed to buy that particular picture. Many mysterious things happen in life, and this one was duly dramatized. By this time, I admit I was bored. Then some interesting and truly incredible stories carne on. A young boy fell through ice on a pond and was trapped underwater for several minutes - long enough to be given little or no chance of survival. When rescuers pull- ed him from the icy depths, resuscitation began, and in a hospital, he was revived. Miraculously he survived with only minor injuries to his hands, which were improv- ing with therapy. An infant, born with a heart defect that until recent years would have caused cer- tain death before the age of two, underwent complicated surgery in which he was clinically dead for one hour. Proof of the successful operation was evidenced about a year after surgery by the presence in a ri studio of the active, inquisitive toddler. Additional medical miracles and surgical and technological advances were featured that viewers might not have otherwise learned about. Strength w::,: the subtect of many stories. A weightlifter had broken a record in his weight classification, but the feat was not recognized because he was not wearing proper shoes. In fact, he wasn't wearing shoes at all, because he had no feet. That's Incredible gave him a chance to repeat the accomplishment on national TV. He failed but vowed to train harder and try again when he was in better shape. Another program featured a high school football player. He was no better than his teammates; he was on a par with them. The only difference was he played with on- ly one leg.. One of the other,players recalled that in the first practice he thought he'd take it easy on the 'poor guy'. Before he had a chance to take it easy, he was on the seat of his pants. That's when he began to recognize the equality of his new team- mate. Many other topics have been highlighted on television programs, such as That's In- credible. I have come to the conclusion they are interesting because they deal with real people. Stuntmen are real people, too. I still don't understand their motivation, and the stunt segments Are my least favorite parts of the shows. But, now . I have a better understanding of the popularity of the overall programs. It is a violation of international law and tantamount to a declaration of war. Worse yet, in the Iranian case it had full gover- nment sanction. The media most certainly did not overplay the situation. The act itself is unprecedented in modern history, the United States would have been fully justified in declaring war on Iran. In fact, just before the hostages' release, they were only inches away from launching a full scale attack on Iran. Yet he says the media overdid it? They overdid a situation that conceivably could have sparked a third world war in the middle east? Also journalists are responsible for covering human interest stories. Surely this story, the plight of these people, is\ of tremendous importance to everyone. It would be journalistically irresponsible not to cover it as they did. The taking of the hostages united the western , world as nothing has before. Everyone was behind them, yet Mr. Fit- zgerald suggests that this story of such Skaters say thank you Dear Editor: On Sunday, January 18, the Clinton Figure Skating Club held its first Annual Figure Skating Competition. We had 45 skaters ranging in age from six to 18 competing for nine trophies and 32 medals, which were donated by various businesses air', organizations in our community. It was a very happy and successful day and did a great deal toward encouraging our skaters to work hard and improve their skills. A lot of energy and work went into arranging the competition and we would like to thank nublicly those who con- tributed including: t►,.t.h:' donors: Bank of Montreal, Royal Bank, 'Clinton Com- munity Credit Union, Kuenzig's I.G.A. , Conies Red & White, Clinton Lions Club, Clinton Home Hardware. Donations for medals: Campbell's Men's Wear, Shirai Department Stores Ltd., Ball & Mutch Furniture Ltd., Aiken's Foot & Men's Wear, Norholme Decorating, Clinton Commercial Printers, Dean & Linda Reid, Clinton Chrysler Plymouth, Bartliffs Bakery, Smith Pro Hardware. We would also like to thank the Clinton News -Record for their terrific display of pictures in last week's paper. Thanks also to all who came out to support the skaters and contributed to our silver collection at the door and to all the mothers and fathers who contributed to the smooth runnin:. ,<�f the competition itself .;j~ Yours truly, (Mrs.) Carol Fox, secretary, clinks FAR. •