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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1981-11-04, Page 4PAGE 4 —CLINTON NEWS -RECORD WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4 ,1981 The Clinton Neste.3iecord Is published each Meadow at P.O. ®os 39. Clinton. Ontario. Cerra¢®. h9EfY1 US. Tel.:'dyg-9983. Subscription Rete: Canada -4844 -- sr. Cltlaan- •13.1Oper year U.S.A. & foreign .'MAID per year la le registered es second den arab by the poet office under alas persalt number IIp18. Tho taessa iecord Incorporated In Bt$a9 the Huron tiewadiecocd. faund®d In list sad The Clinton Now Era. founded in 1SU. Total press run 3.3 O. e NA MEMBER JAMES E. FITZGERALD - Editor SHELLEY McPHEE - News Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manager HEATHER BRANDER • Advertising MARGARET L. GIRD - Office Manager MARY ANN GLIDDON-Subscriptions MEMBER Display advertising rotas available on request. Ash far ■ata Cord No. 12 affective 00. 1. I 1a1 - Rabies control needed Rabies, the very word is now a synonym in our language for terror and death now in this part of Ontario, as there is no known cure for the dreaded disease, caused by a microscopic virus, spread mostly by wild animals. Although relatively a recent newcomer to the area, the disease has resisted any attempt at irradico tion since its establishment in the mid -1950's. Any animal diagnosed as having the disease faces certain, and painful death, and human contact with the disease used to mean a series of 12 painful shots. Now a new vaccination program has made "getting rabies shots" merely a minor inconvenience. But the ultimate goal of researchers has been the total elimination of the virus through a unique program of vaccinating wildlife, mostly foxes and skunks through hamburger balls dropped by airplanes at selected sites. Through the co- operation of ministry of natural resources personnel, area trappers, several universities and drug companies, a program has been worked out and could be ready to go into effect by next fall. The elimination of the disease could then be just around the corner, and within a few,years, rabies may be something we'll only read about in the history books, and the $IO million annual cost of the disease will be better spent on another pro- ject. By J.F. A place to stand? Ontario Premier William Davis is obviously among those who do not share the doom and, gloom attitude that is growing throughout the land, and he most cer- tainly isnot listening to the suggestion that excessive government spending is at the root of the economic ills which a growing number of people are facing. But ppr".haps even more disconcerting is the fact the Premierhas shown total disdain for his government's .own statements that people must embark on spen- ding restraints, says the Exeter Times -Advocate. Where is the evidence of restraint in the decision to. spend $10.6 million on an executive jet to carry Ontario government members and personnel to their destinations? Where is the evidence of restraint in the decision to spend $650 million.of taxpayers' money to buy one quarter of o Canadian subsidiary of a U.S.-owned oil company? The only thing that becomes evident in those two deals is that the Premier and his cohorts have. lost touch with reality. They may be able to defend their deci- sions to a point, but the bottom line is that Ontario, taxpayers can not afford the show of opulence at a time when the list of those who face bankruptcy is growing daily. The well has run dry; Mr. Davis. It's a situation you can't see while jetting through the wild, blue yonder. May we suggest that you take a leisurely drive , along the concession roads and main streets of Ontario to get a clear picture of what is happening in this province? It's still a place to stand...in unemployment livres and bankruptcy sales...and they are growing! concludes the Times -Advocate. sugar and spice s+—ww Hooray for Canada Hope you had a good Thanksgiving, even though my message is a bit belated. Ours wasn't so hot. Under the burden of a heavy cold, rotten weather (what ever happened to Indian summer?) and plain procrastination, I'm going to let some of my readers write this column. Apparently I wrote a column a few mon- ths ago about Canadians, despite all the gloom and doom, never having had it so good. I meant it, as far as material things go. Here are a couple of responses. Mrs. Koleen Garland (nice name that, Koleen) of RR2 Cargill, Ont. says she usually agrees with me, but not on that oc- casion. I'll quote bits: "This week's col- umn had my dander up before I got to the third line. "So we never had it so good, huh? Maybe the consumers never had it so good...but some of us are producers as well...we have nearly $90,000 worth of debt. It's called a small farm. I call it the great Canadian freebee. We cannot get firm mortgage loans...too small to merit help. So we are stuck with paying $20,000 per year in in- terest. "Last year I cut our living expenses down to $7,000 ... a bit below the poverty level. My husband has an excellent job, yet we still managed to take a $5,000 loss on the year." Yes ma'am, but how much in- come tax did you pay, with a loss like that? Were you hungry, cold, hopeless? 1 know all about paying interest. I've been doing it all my life. Mrs. Garland ends with the emphasis I wish I could instill in my students' writing: "Maybe we never had it so good? Listen, Sonny (thank you ma'am). I'm a farmer! I've worked my backside off providing those never -had -it -so -good, so don't in- clude me in them." Well said, lady. But maybe you should have taken a course in plumbing or electricity. Wish I had. You wouldn't be in debt. At the other end of the knotted rope, Bill Frincis of Moncton, N.B. agrees with me. It is a relief ow that there is still so- meone aro d o realizes that in the bulk we are a greedy lot; even, alae 'gpninr The final burning remembering our past 5 YEARS AGO November 11, 1976 A 20 -year-old first year student at University of Guelph was named out- standing, all-round 4-H member at the 29th annual Huron County 4-H Achivement Night. Jim Nivins, of RR 3, Auburn, received the honor at a ceremony in CHSS. There won't be a Winter Carnival in dispensed by bill smiley citizens who never had it so good. As for the young, they now expect to celebrate Christmas in June. "In our early years, hard-nosed bank managers may have slowed us down, but nothing ever dimmed our hope. I soon learned to pay cash or do without. Started out in 1914 working a 12 hour day, six days a week ... earning $60 a month and paying $15 dollars for board, consisting mainly of cod and moose meat --. so many had it a lot worse during those depression years," Amen to that, Bill. I'm about half way between these two writers, in age, and in opinion. But I still think, even with our sick dollar, inflation, and unemployment we still have 'something to have a happy Thanksgiving about. Now, about censorship. Hilda Sibthorpe of Wyebridge, Ont., supports my stand against the minority who would like to ban certain books in our schools: "I express my concern to trustees, friends and neighbours that this is a situa- tion they should speak out about. But, it's frustrating to meet indifference..." 11 Mrs. Sibthorpe is an occasional cor- respondent, a successful politician and the mother of two girls I taught back in what seems like the 1880s. She is also deeply concerned about the subject of abortion:" I still believe there should be a choice for women ...", but that's another topic, not for this column. Though I agree with her. Somebody else, from Vancouver (can't find the Banged letter), agrees with my opinions on censorship, but berates me for mentioning the Bible as an example of some pretty straight talk that would pro- bably be banned by some rural school boards in this country, if it had been published last year. This writer claims that the Bible con- tains these lurid passages only to display God's anger with the man's folly and to warn him about it. Well, that may be, but in my opinion, a lot of it is straight history and some of it pretty lurid. Thank goodness our local school board has some guts. A few zealots on the board had drawn up a list of seven books con- sidered questionable for teaching. There was a big flap, but in the end, ony one book was left on the banned list. Ironically, it was a play, same play to be presented in the country soon by a drama group. A final touch of unintentional irony oc- curred when a local radio announcer said the book had been banned because one of the characters was a religious bigot. I wonder what kind of people began the list in the first place. I have lots more interesting cor- respondence, but not much more room. Let's go back to our reason for giving thanks. Inflation and interest rates are killing us, along with ever -higher taxes. But that's only paper and can't kill our spirit. We have bumbling governments that talk like lions and act like mice. A heck of a lot of people are living below the so-called poverty line. Farmers and small businessmen and people with mortgages to renew are hur- ting. But who is dying of starvation or for lack of .medicine as in much of the rest of the world? We may be cold, but we aren't freezing to death. They don't pick corpses off the street every morning. Our children have an excellent chance of surviving. Some of us, at some time, may have had it better. But for the Canadian people, as a mass, I still say we never had it so good. by James Fitzgerald a look through ithe news -record files Clinton this winter unless more people volunteer to help out with the organizing. Ruth Lombardo who has been chairman of the committee for the past two years, said that unless more people step forward at a planned meeting, then the Carnival will fold.. There was a full house over at the Vera and Percy Gibbings home last Sunday as around 100 friends and relatives gathered to help the couple celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple are former Hullett township residents. 10 YEARS AGO November 11, 1971 Clinton Town Council moved Monday night to. try to speed up prepatory work for the major addition and renovation of the Clinton sewage system. Mayor Don Symons said the addition had not been planned for another year but with the announcement of the winter works program is was hoped to speed up the paper work in order to get the work un- derway and take advantage of the grants available. The congregation of Ontario Street United Church welcomed a new minister and his family to Clinton on Friday night at a reception following the service which saw Rev. L.S. Lewis inducted as minister of the church. Also welcomed was Mrs. .Iris Lewis and the couple's two children Cathy, 8 and Robin, 7. 25 YEARS AGO November 15, 1956 CDC' Redmen will play in the "Purple Bowl," against Delhi this Saturday. With two one -point victories the "big red" team have realized the dream of every Western Ontario high school football team.... to play in London for the "grey cup" of their class. The game this Saturday will decide the Western Ontario Secondary School Association's championship. Who among you is absolutely sure there are no rats on your farm, or m your house? That is the question which the Junior Farmers of the county are asking them- selves and all who live in Huron. Since they suspect the answer is, "nobody," they are waging a war on rats, which is expected to stimulate a community wide drive to irradicate the filthy costly pests. Prof. R.H. Oxburn, OAC, found rats on every one of the 57 farms he visited during a recent test. It is estimated that each of these farms lost as much as $1,000 a year to these pests. 50 YEARS AGO November5,1931 . Attention! For Saturday, November 14th, we have been fortunate in securing the services of Miss E. Barron, Expert Corsetiere, Nemo Institute of Corsetry, New York City. Phone for an appointment at avoid disappointment. Nemo -Flex Foundation Garments, available at Irwin's, "Clinton's Leading Style Shoppe." The carload of apples and vegetables from Auburn for the west is nearing completion and will be shipped this week. Wheat prices are soaring, eggs are beginning to show an upward trend and prospects and becoming brighter. Mr. S. Emerson of Porter's Hill, whose barn was burned last July, has purchased Mr. N. Holland's farm on the telephone road. He will reside on the new farm and keep the one he now occupies a grass farm. 75 YEARS AGO November 9, 1906 The 'Bayfield Council has made an ap- plication to the Niagara electric and water power Co. for the accommodation of electric advantages to the amount of 150 horsepower. Turn to page 11* Seeking information To Exp® fans Dear Expo fans: I feel responsible. I know it sounds silly and superstitious, but I feel somehow responsible for the Expos' losstothe Dodgers. A baseball fan, I'm not. But, every year about this time I get caught up in World Series fever, as many temporary fans do. Last year was especially exciting with the Montreal Expos fighting for the National League Eastern Division Championship right down to the final weekend of the season. For most of the season, I paid mild at- tention to the team's winning ways, but on that final weekend, I actually sat down to watch the game. What happened? They lost. All season, when I wasn't watching, they won. When I started to get interested, ,they lost. The old superstitious bug started running round my head. This year I didn't have time to watch many games, even if I had wanted to, But, it seemed whenever I did sit down to watch a game, the Expos lost. I saw the end of many an Expo winning streak. Strictly coincidence, I told myself. Then along came the mini-series with Philadelphia. In spite of my better judgment, I found myself drawn to the TV set. I saw two games. The Expos won one and lost one. My record seemed to be improving. During the series with the Dodgers, 1 watched the third game while visiting with friends. The Expos won. I watched the fourth game by myself. The Expos lost. When the fifth and final game came along, I decided to play it safe. I turned the television on, but I did not watch. Instead I toiled through a pile of reading material that had been gathering for a week. But, I had one ear cocked to the living room. I could hear the fans' excitement mounting. I was drawn to the set, just in time to see the Dodgers' winning home run. I felt so guilty ! It is a feeling similar to the one ex- perienced by a person who washes and polishes his car before a big weekend. He starts on a bright sunshiny afternoon, when there isn't a cloud in the sky. By the time he finishes, rain' is pelting down and it doesn't stop until Sunday night. Football fans have no reason to worry about me. The longest time I watched a game was the day I decided to find out how long it would take to "get to" my brother- in-law by asking stupid questions. I think I lasted five minutes. Hockey is another story. I've been a Toronto Maple I.eaf`fan for years. I was a fan the last time they won the cup, and I still am. Although I no longer watch many games, I still feel superstitiously responsible. • r Dear Editor: To complete my family tree I am seeking information on William Fleming who was born in Clinton on June 22, 1 He may have been raised in Goderich and he had a brother Robert, two sisters Minnie Harper and Mrs. Procter. William Fleming moved to Revelstokel, B.C. on May 24, 1 9 and died in February 1933. If you can help me with this, please write Lyle Fleming, 156 Watson Crescent, Prince George, B.C. V2L 4P3. Any in- formation would be greatly appreciated. Yours truly, Lyle Fleming Nurses reply Dear Editor Ontario Nurses' Association President Debra Cooper Burger said last week that following one year without a contract, 25,000 Ontario hospital nurses in 134 hospitals finally will receive their long- awaited award. The award, covering a two-year period, was released' by Arbitration Board Chairman J.D. O'Shea following a seven-month period of deliberation. Salary increases represent a 31 per cent increase at the starting level and 29.2 per cent at the maximum seven-year level in a four -step phase in during the life of the contract. The award raises the starting monthly rate from $1450, in the old con- tract to $1590, effective October 1, 1980; $1650, April 1, 1981; $1820, October 1,1981; and $1900, April 1, 1982. The new seven- year level monthly rates are: $1855, October 1980; $1915, April 1, 1981; $2085, October 1,1981; and, $2165, April 1, 1982. Mrs. Cooper Burger stated: "The 31 per cent raise would be more palatable had Mr. O'Shea granted interest on retroactive money and given the full -second year increases at the beginning of the year rather than the phase ins." A number of other benefits were im- proved by the award including: a stan- dardized 371/2 hourwork week; a shift premium of 35 cents per hour; five weeks vacation after 20 years of service; and, an improved dental plan. Also, for the- first time, nurses have been awarded a professional leave with pay for those elected to the College of Nurses of Ontario. However, with a total disregard for past practices and in an irrational manner, Mr. O'Shea has arbitrarily wiped out many of the superior benefits nurses had previously negotiated into their contracts. The sick leave plan is a prime example. He has eliminated the accrual sick leave plan, in effect in 93 of the hospitals, and replaced it with the Hospital of Ontario Disability Income Plan - a plan which ONA has strenuously opposed. However, to soften the blow, the award provides for n x i.fications in the plan such as banking of previously accumulated sick days, cash payout where applicable and recognizes the need for further im- provements. "The award contains certain gains but its' retrogressive steps can be expected to have an adverse effect on the nursing profession. Given the manpower climate in Ontario at the present time, many of Mr. O'Shea's decisions are inexplicable," says Mrs. Cooper Burger. Mr. O'Shea's obvious failure to un- derstand specific issues that were clearly presented to him has devastated the rights of an entire category of nurses - that of the casual part-time nurse. These nurses, in excess of 6,000, who provide an increasing portion of nursing hours in hospitals across the province have been relegated to a status of second -class -citizens. Mr. O'Shea has obliterated any application of seniority for this group and has totally ignored the years of nursing service these people have provided. "Mr. O'Shea's salary provision over two years, although an improvement over the employer's proposal, fails to maintain Ontario nurses as the top -paid nurses in Canada at a time when everyone is acutely aware of the shortage in this province. It is imperative that Ontario be cornpetititve in recruiting and retaining nurses. Fur- thermore, the failure to reestablish the 22 per cent salary differential between minimum and maximum salary range provides no incentive for nurses to stay within the profession. The 13.95 per cent spread over a period of seven years ser- vice continues to compress the career earnings of a level of mere tokenism," stated Mrs. Cooper Burger. Mrs. Debra Cooper Burger, President, Ontario Nurses' Assoeiation 1)o a f►11 /1.gre ass fll/llllf/ll h e mil li-rilf' iis a If'llf'r Ifo the f'f/llf►r, ;lllfl let I -uv, e'I►ii#' /4:lf'. l/l 11,11i'r.a are 11"://slh,'fl/lrflriflilfg 'byre •i.o .spare available, ailol thee. calf .fl1lh,'nlif•al,'(1. l'..f'llflf►If?'/N.0 (pil'lf MUM'S, ,lrf' ,lllullv'fl i1 the Iv'iit'r signed f'l.xf'fllff'rf', IMI all lf'l/I'r.a ,irf' allllal'f•i Il► f'lliliiiij Jlr f'If�;Ih ler IjIu'I. 4