Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 1981-04-09, Page 4PAGE 4—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, APRIL 9 ,1981 8taa Maleic titisawAsolord to psbltsiaad each Timulay at PA. Bea 8t, Ctiatlew. ottlerie. Camisie. ILL Vela 4$*4443. Sa,saeriplliea Bata: Canada • 016.$4 Sr. Chilton -'14.11+ ymr year ID.S.�. ii foreign - ISM par year It k tegOsteraA ae Seance Clete shall ®y Ow preel evitice smiler ePoa pia alt moaniter 41311. The Neave.fleet rd Inestverated bo 19+14 BAe liana NavroA¢ecerd. fcc000 d Bn 1161, end Th Gllntan New lire, founded 1n MT. Toted farms run &SOS. �C A MEMBER JAMES Eo FITZOIRALD - Editor SHELLEY McPHEE - News Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manger HtATNE* BRANDER . Advertising MARGARET L. GIB - Office Manager `MARY ANN GLIODON-Subscriptions 1 0 t MEMBER Display advertising rales available on request. Aid for Sate Caret No. 11 effective Oct. 1. MS. pinio page - Cutting wrong courses Sometimes even the smartest among the population must find it hard to figure out what the governments in Ottawa and Toronto are up to. Take a local case, for instance, where both leyels of government are cutting, funding support to courses at Conestoga's Clinton cam- pus at Vanastra, despite news stories to the contrary that graduates from those courses are in more demand than ever. One course in particular, the visiting homemakers program, a three-month education program funded by the /federal govern- ment's, ` Manpower Retraining program, has been dropped altogether; Homemakers are specially trained men and women who, in Huron County, work for the Town and Country Homemakers. This orgpnfzatiQn provides services Tor the f11; elderly and ficin Id capped in their own homes. Last year, those 78 homemakers provided per- sonal care and domestic help to 1,486 people in the county. According, to Betty. Cardno, chairman of the Homemakers board, the need for this service is steadily on the increase. But with the course eliminated, the demand won't be met, and . instead, many people will be forced to receive the. necessary core in expensive hospitals and chronic care facilities. The cost ofthis will be many times higher than the daily fee that the homemaking agency char9es,yIt's like saving pennies and wasting dollars. On -op of that, a survey lust released shows that 91 per cent of last year's community college graduates hove jobs, with heavy de- mand from the technology sectors. Why, when there is such a demand for those skills, does the pro- vincial government cut funding to community colleges° Now we no! only face a shortage of trained people, but a pool of unskilled, frustrated people without jobs. Ridiculous, isn't it. by J.F. sugar and spice Political meetings Went to a political meeting recently, first in years. It was a nomination meeting to select a Tory to run in the next election. And, despite my rather jaundiced view of politics and politicians, I was able to muster a little ripple of the old feeling that politics is exciting, and the democratic process is far from perfect, but better than most systems devised by civilized man. As an old weekly editor, this was nothing new to me. I published a weekly paper in a rural riding, and had to go to the dang things. Often had to drive fifty miles, sit through a smoke-filled nominating con- vention, drive home, arriving about 2 a.m. and have to write the story for next morning's paper. But 1 enjoyed every minute of it, even when my man lost, which he frequently did, because Hived on the water, and the farm vote would almost always lick us. Farmers are thicker than thieves, when it comes to politics. If it's a Liberal riding, they vote a solid Liberal. If it's Tory, they go Tory. If it's NDP, they're crazy and must live in the West, according to Liberals and Tories. As a newspaper editor and quandem writer, I have been wooed by all parties. And, as a human being, I like to be wooed, whether it's by cats, grandchildren, beautiful women, or politicians. As a result of this personality weakness, I have worked, and written, politically, for all three major parties in Canada. I felt rather badly that the Social Credits did not woo me. I have written speeches, radio scripts, advertisements, and many "news releases," a euphemism for political plugs the editors just might run for free, for all parties. I never felt that I was prostituting myself, even though I didn't intend to vote for the guy I was working for. I was simply using a skill for someone, usually a friend, who'd asked me, because he didn't have the talent or the time to do it himself. There's another reason I didn't feel like a prostitute. My total reward for all this was one bottle of Crown Royal, and fifty dollars, deductible for the candidate. And in every case, I voted ainst the guy I was promoting, which made me feel sort of virginal. Well, you don't want to read about my remembering Our past a look through the news -record files 5 YEARS AGO April 8, 1976 Clinton Reeve Harold Lobb suggested at last Monday night's council meeting that the town should look into the possibilities of annexing part of Tuckersmith Township and bringing Vanastra into the Town of Clinton. Reeve Lobb said that there was a critical shortage of industrial land in Clinton and the town had little hope of attracting new in- dustry without proper serviced land, which is available at the former Canadian Forces Base. Team Captain Sandi Fremlin was all smiles last Wednesday night after she received the ladies' intermediate WOAA trophy from past president Hugh Hodges. The Clinton team beat St.' Mary$ 2.1: in.the, final championship game and the girls now meet Belmore in the grand championship. The team members include Darlene Chowan, Patti Kay, Sandra Burns, Sandi Fremlin, Marianne Fremlin, JoAnne Palmer, Lorrie Symons, Debbie Cook, Debbie Wilkinson, Cheryl Flynn, coach Garry Weir, Phyllis Fremlin, Jackie Welch, Ruth Ann Neilans and Jennifer Luckham. 10 YEARS AGO Apri1l5, 1971 Down comes the old Wearwell buildings. Wreckers have been busy for the past two weeks demolishing the old Wearwellactory on Mary Street. Next in. line is the'former Lions Arena which is also to be demolished. Both buildings are owned by John. Parker of Clinton. The annual Clinton Police dispute 3s on again. Clinton town council revealed Monday night that the Clinton Police Association' has turned down the latest town offer and voted to go to arbitration. The police had asked for salaries ranging from $7,300 for probationary officers to $9,800 for first class constables and devious path as a political fink. Let's get back to that convention I went to the other night. It was a typical Canadian nomination convention, I figured, as I wandered off into the winter night ' with some young neophytes who had never been to one. Cigar smoke, a lot of red -nosed guys whispering to another lot of guys with whiskey on their breath. A series of boring speeches, in which every candidate pledged virtually the Same thing, and invoked that big name in the sky, the provincial leader. And assurance that we must all pull together for the party, no matter who won. But what's this, when I walk in? A rock group whacking out some deafening stuff. Banners, signs on sticks, silk scarves denoting your voting preference. A kilty band warming up in the wings. Holy Old Nelly, I thought, what is the sober Canadian voter coming to? And when I took a look at the size of the crowd, I was shaken. I was used to two or three hundred of the old party flacks, the people who handed out jobs in the liquor store, gave the nod to the contractors of the right persuasion for construction work - a post office here, a new dock there. But I needn't have worried too much. Despite the effect of American political conventions on TV, we Canadians behaved with decent decorum. There were no demonstrations. No fights, no marching around the hall, fiercely cheering their candidate, except for a few teenagers who embarrassed everybody. Those honest Canadians wiggled their banners a bit, even held them up. A few uninhibited souls, with no sense of decency or decorum, actually shouted aloud the name of the man 'they were going to vote for, but were careful to shout it only when others were doing the same, so that they wouldn't be singled out or humiliated by sounding emotional. There were no woman's candidates, naturally. A women's place is in the home, or out rounding up candidates (male), or providing the lunch. There were seven candidates, only two of them with a hope of winning. Some of them might have seen themselves as Joe Clarkes, winning on the fifth ballot, after the big shots have knocked each other out. This doesn't happen on a riding level. There is no cornering of delegates, last- minute deals and promises. The can- didates all stand up near the front, smiling desperately. The wives of the turkeys who ran without a hope are whispering harshly in their husbands' ears about all the money down the drain. But their husbands are euphoric in the knowledge that they can some day say they ran, and were narrowly defeated, for parliament. The candidates all said the same thing, in different words. My man made the best speech, came second on the first ballot and stayed second until the last ballot, when he soared to second. It was all over. We elected a possible back -bencher instead of a potential cabinet minister. But it was democracy at work. You can't beat them there farmers, when they get together. Why don't they do it more often? Because they are stubborn individualists, that's why. And good for them. $10,300 for sa rgean ts. 25 YEARS AGO April 12, 1956 R.N. Irwin, owner -manager of Irwin's Ladies Waer in Clinton has purchased the McKnight Ladies' Wear Store in Exeter, thus making the third in the Irwin chain of ladies' wear stores. Missle" was the word, on which Clinton's Bonnie Hamilton bowed out of the Ontario Spelling Bee last Thursday evening in Toronto. Clinton area school children are well prepared for the introduction of dial service in Clinton on Sunday. Bell Telephone in- structors visited schools in the exchange area in the weeks prior to the cutover explaining to students the use of the dial. "Only through the study of the past can we interpret the present and be wise in planning for the future," is the belief of 17 -year-old Joanne Hodgins, elected to represent Clinton District Collegiate Institute in the School Queen's Club this year. For the second consecutive year, a Blyth girl has achieved the honor of being selected Queen as part of an event co-sponsored by the London Free .Press and the University of Western Ontario. 50 YE ARS AGO April 9, 1931 The News -Record was sure that when;the Women's Institute took' hold, a change for the better would be made in the Ladies' Rest Room, and events have proved that the assurance was justified. The chairman of the town council property committee, Mr. B. Langford, had the fur- niture mended and the floor covering repaired andduring the past week or so, the room has been given a couple of cleanings and last week the WI committee hung clean white curtains on the front window of the rest room. Mr. Frank Tyndall of Hullett lost his barn . by fire just before noon yesterday. Mr. Tyndall was having his barn wired for Hydro and Mr. E. Crich was at work at it; having it nearly completed. It is supposed that a spark from the blow torch used in smoldering the pipes ignited some straw inside the barn. The perils of air travelling were again proved by the fatal accident befalling Frank G. Murdoch, a son of Capt. and Mrs. Murdoch of Clinton, the other day, when his plane crashed while he was giving a pupil a lesson. It is not exactly known what happened, but the inference is that the pupil was guiding the machine and it is supposed some wrong movement was made and the plane crashed before the error could be rectified. 75 YEARS AGO April 13, 1906 A number of farms in the Brucefield area are for sale; many of the owners, com- fortably settled, wish to try their fortunes in the west. In Clinton's SL Paul's churchyard, there is lying on the ground a broken tombstone, that calls to memory of old residents a very sad event that occurred on the 20th. of April, 1840. That day Fredrick Rye and two persons named Jenkins (relatives of Messrs. Thomas, John and Roland Jenkins) went fishing for suckers in the river Maitland, off fibril Holmesville; the river was high and they odds 'n' ends Best laid plans Once upon a time there was a medium- sized mouse who found his way into a nice big house. He stumbled into it accidentally one day when he was following an un- derground tunnel. The tunnel led into a huge dark room that was warm and dry and smelled of wood chips. He had such fun exploring the nooks and crannies and climbing the stone walls! He couldn't wait to show his lady friend th is new rendezvous. One day he was surprised when the room lit up and a strange two -legged creature walked in. Froma safe hide -away between two stones, he watched the creature's antics. Soon it left taking one step after another, up, up, and then the mouse could hear footsteps overhead. "Interesting," thought the mouse. "I wonder what the creature does up there. It must be what mother called a "human." He decided to follow the maze that he had found within the walls. ltgradually led him higher and higher. Through a crack between two boards, he saw many creatures. They were walking, running, talking, doing all sorts of crazy things. He drove their team in the water. Two of the parties were drowned, the survivor,'so we are informed, being Richard Jenkins, who managed to reach shore by the aid off the team. The remains of Mr. Jenkins were in- terred at Hclmesville, and those of Rye here. The interment was one of the first, if not the first, in the churchyard, the tombstone being brought here from Detroit. The inscription is as follows: FREDRICK RYE Who departed this life Apreil 20th 1840 Aged 22 yea rs Drowned acrossing the river Maitland Soon reader hear and view this stone Soon or late death will come A blooming youthcut down so soon Alive at morn and dead at noon. 100 YEARS AGO April 8, 1881 Sawing bees have been all the rage in Goderich Township this last week or two. A certain farmer thought he would have a little "Oh, be joyful," as it might help to drop off the blocks quicker, and procured two gallons of the best. Unfortunately t for the boys) some miscreant obtained information of its whereabouts the night before, etc. The boys felt tired the next day. Til Bayfield Messrs. Robert ittfai'shiall diid' Richard, McDowell, intend having a rowing match when the ice breaks up, and the water becomes fit. It is said the winner is to challenge Hanlon to row for a cup on the Red River sometime during the coming summer. The excavating of the new block from Coats' corner to the Phoenix Block is being pushed rapidly forward, and will no doubt soon be completed. Material for the erection is being brought to the ground, and before long it is probable the sound of the trowel will be heard. From the heart Dear Editor: ' "Heart Month" in Canada is now over for another year and on behalf of the Canadian Heart Fund, Ontario Division, please accept our heartfelt thanks for your promotional support during February 1981. Our objective for the 1981 "Heart Fund" campaign was $7 million and although all returns are not yet in, we are quite hopeful that our objective will be attained. Without your willing co-operation in com- municating our needs to the public, we would not be able to express such a positive outlook. Thank you again for your support, and for helping us to ensure that research against our nation's number one health enemy will continue. Esther M. Richards Directer of Public Relations by aine townshend was fascinated! Then he found a hole large enough for him to slip through. Obviously it had been chewed by a fellow mouse. When the room grew dark and quiet, he crept through the hole to explore this new world. He found many puzzling things, even food. His adventte lasted many nights, but he always took refuge down below when daylight came. Mother had warned him about humans.. She said they were dangerous. But, the more he watched, the more he thought: "They don't seem too bright!" As time went by, he grew bolder. If a room was quiet and empty, he ventured out, even in daylight. He kept an ear cocked for the sound of a creature ap- proaching, and he always disappeared before it spotted him. But, one day he let his guard down. He turned around and there he was face to face with a human. The creature let out a shriek, turned and ran the other way. The mouse scurried back to his hole. "Well, that human doesn't seem too dangerous," he mused. The next creature he encountered was bigger, wore heavy boots and carried a long stick. It chased him clear across the room flailing that weapon. He dove for his life into his hole. "Whew, that was close!" he panted. I'd better lay low for a few days." When his venturesome spirit took him out again, he found food in new strange places - on the floor, in dark corners, behind chairs and doors. Delicious looking raisins and cheese were dangling right in front of him. "Oh, Oh, It's the old trap routine Ma warned me about," I'd better be careful," he reasoned. Sometimes it took all night and sometimes two or three nights, but with careful study and quick movements, he was able to snatch the delicacies. The creature tried different traps and different bait, but he defused them all. "This is a breeze," he thought. It was over -confidence that did him in. There was a new trap. He didn't study it long enough; he moved too slowly, too heavily. There was a crack, a searing pain, terror, then blackness. The creature disposed of the body in a rather impersonal manner thinking that was the end of the matter. But, down below in the dark recesses of stone walls, were a lady mouse and six, eight, ten little prodigies. ies It was just a matter of time until the age old battle between mice and humans would begin again. The facts are Dear Editor: I do not wish to split hairs on the Reverend's (Rev. Peter Mantel) definition of views, comments or opinions. My only interest are facts, what I have seen, from my own personal experience, and various sections reported by the new media. He wishes to ignore completely the. reference in my setter to the poor Candian family in the store, and in his letter to you. Mr. Editor (printed in the April 2, 1981 News -Record), he states, and quote, "Seems to be eager to receive some response to his letters etc." This leadsme to believe he reads Letters to the Editor constantly, Why then did the good minister not comment or give his views on the letter printed in your paper submitted by me, dated December 24, 1980, regarding the fact that as far back as 18 months ago between 10 and 50 children between theages of tree and 13 -years -old were in the Salvation Army saip fine in Winnipeg? , I take exception to the words he inserted, "sly and deficiency." I think the first word also applies to the minister, for not taking and judging the whole truth of the letter in its true perspective. Deficient, Yes I am deficient, are we all perfect, including you in the eyes of God? One more quote, "Doc, at the time must have been wearing his green coloured glasses." I suppose this means I am en- vious. A brief look at my past, immigrated to Canada in 1947, leaving my wife and four children, all under the age of 13, back in Blighty. Arrived Toronto, $50 in pocket, no job, no sponger, allowed to stay at the Salvation Army HQs Esmeralda Street, Toronto, maximum length of time allowed, three nights two days. Got my own job. Up to the present I have built three successful businesses, retired three times...envious? Yes, I admit to that also, envious of the 25 or 30 year old man who can drive a golf "ball twice as far as me... My belief, comments or opinions, just to placate you Peter, are these. To look after our own poor and needy first; and then, and only then, open our hearts and pocket- books to people from other countries who are in true need whether they be black, white, ''of any color, and no matter what .religion. Jesus said, "Take up thy bed and walk. ". My interpretation of this is, God will help you, but you must have faith and courage, and willingness to help yourself. In finishing, I would like to thank Minister Peter Mantel for writing in an- swer to my letter. He has his beliefs, comments and opinions. I have mine. Thanks again. Sincerely, Fred "Doc" Jackson, 000 Disgusted on Davis Dear Jim, I am in agreement with you on your column of March 12, 1981 when you say Frank Miller, is still in the Davis cabinet. I thought it was terrible when they were thinking of closing the Clinton hospital. On the previous campaign four years ago, I spoke up at an all candidates meeting mentioning on how far away the next town from Clinton can be in a snow blizzard and at that time or near it, Clinton had been snowbound. I said coming from a background that flew the Tory, Union Jack and Orange banners side by side, no way was I voting Conservative and I congratulated the opposition on the hospital stand. After the meeting Jim Renwick, lawyer MPP for the Riverdale NDP party thanked me. It disgusted me when parties put out candidates yon never heard of before as the Tories and Liberals announced in my area two young men only known by a small number of people. I was happy to help re-elect Mrs. Bryden, NDP candidate for. Beaches - Woodbine. I believe she has done a good job. And when you mentioned in your column on March 26th that the Davis family can have the two weddings now it reminds me of the night I was in Maple Leaf Gardens when with some pleading of the Davis camp to get Darcy McKeough's delegate votes switched to Davis to beat out Allan Lawrence for the premier's position and succeed John Robarts. What disgusted me on Davis that night was when he said, "I have five children to support." There are many things to admire about Stuart Smith: Yours truly, Norman Elliott, Toronto You will pay Dear Editor, This letter is aired at the thief or thieves who broke into the locked car in the Red and White parking lot in Clinton on Saturday afternoon, April 4th. If you have any second thoughts about the goods you stole you may drop them off at the Clinton Post Office in care of Box 10, and I will pay the costs. You can return the goods without detection, just as you stole them. It goes without saying that a two-year- old's clothes will not fit you and the rest of the articles will be of no earthly use to you. No more use to you than the offer of honest employment. If your decision is to keep what you steal, you will eventually pay dearly. Crime is a one way street and there's no way out. The loss to us is lightened a little, knowing that in the end you will be the loser and the costs will be far greater than if you had honestly bought the goods, with honet money and a clear conscience. Sincerely, Another Victim, Clinton. •�