HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1983-07-13, Page 4PAGE 4 —CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1983
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SHELLEY McPHEE - Editor
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MARY ANN HOLLENBECK - Office Manager
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1981,
Don't challenge the highway
The ministry of transportation and communications has some good news to
report. However Ontario drivers have a long way to go before the highways are
fatality and injury clear. Perhaps this will never happen, but it's still goal we
should aim for.
At a time of year when more of us are travelling farther from our homes, it's
reassuring to hear that motor vehicle fatalities are at their lowest in 24 years.
In 1982, 1,138 people died in highway -related accidents, down 21.2 per cent
from 1981. Within that, pedestrian fatalities declined 24.5 per cent - from 237 in
1981 to 179.
Injuries dropped 7.5 per cent, down to 92,815 from 100,321 in 1c(81.
While the figures have dropped, we must agree with Mr. Snow comments, "it
still appalls me that just over 94,000 people were killed or injured on our
highways last year. To put that figure in perspective, that's more than the total
population of Guelph or Peterborough."
Of great concern to Mr. Snow is the tragic increase in motorcycle deaths in the
post year. Last year, 126 motorcycle drivers and passengers died in accidents, up
107 in 1981 - a 17.8 per cent increase. Injuries are up as well, from 5,189 to 5,641.
These statistics are alarming but not surprising after reading further stats from
the Ontario Safety League.
The Safety League points out that the number of people licensed to drive
motorcycles in Ontario has more than doubled in the past 10 years. However, less
than 20 per cent of new riders take training lessons.
There continues to be a problem with bikers and passengers who refuse to
wear proper clothing; including helmets, jackets, pants, gloves and boots.
Although it may be fun and feel refreshing to zip down streets and highways on
a motorbike, when you're wearing only a pair of shorts and a Tight t -shirt, it is
definitely not safe.
On a motorbike there is little protection and without proper clothing, even a
minor spill could cause major injury, the Safety Council warns.
Mr. Snow has pointed out that he hopes the fatality and injury statistics, "will
remind every driver of the need of care, common sense and respect for the rules
of the road as we enter the summer months, traditionally the worst for motor
vehicle accidents."
Yes it's summer, time to enjoy our paved, straight open highways, not a time to
'challenge the road and our lives. -by S McPhee
/--
behind the
scenes
Work together
to prevent abortion
I don't know about you but I'm sure sick
of having every newspaper and radio news
broadcast dominated by the antics of those
two fanatical groups on either side of the
abortion issue.
Instead of Dr. Morgentaler coming
back from California, I wish he had taken
all his supporters with him to get them out
of our headlines for a while. The anti-
abortion people could maybe have gone to
Europe for the summer. That might keep
the two groups far enough apart to let the
rest of us live in peace.
Discussions on abortion are usually
something I stay well clear of. That's
because there are no discussions on abor-
tion, only arguments. It's the fastest way
to lose friends I can think of. Both sides are
sure they have Right on their side. The ho-
ly crusade for women's rights takes on the
plain Holy Crusade in many cases. Views
are so extreme that one side might as well
be talking Greek and the other Swahili.
If I admit, for"insthnce, that I personally
am against abortion, that makes me a
male chauvinist, secretly wishing, no mat-
ter what I may say out loud, to keep
women barefoot, pregnant and in the kit-
chen. I am against abortion, however, for
the same reason I'm against the death
penalty. Any society that downplays the
value of life by condoning its taking, is not
civilized. It is opening the door to many
more ugly practices in the name of prac-
ticality. Some Indian tribes, for instance,
used to send their old people off to die
alone because the tribe didn't want to bear
the burden of looking after people no
longer useful to the society. We, of course
consider this barbaric, but what's the dif-
ference?
On the other hand, I feel more than
slightly uncomfortable being associated
with fanatics who attack people with
harden shears in their protest against 1)r
Morgentaler. There is a certain
fanaticism on the part of the pro -lifers that
keith
roulston
has cost them a lot of support of less
fanatical people.
But fanaticism isn't all on one side.
t'nere's a lot of lack of reason on the side of
supporters of Morgentaler even though
tnese are often portrayed as the good guys
by the media. All the full isn't that abortion
is against the law in the country it's that
Morgentaler isn't ready to live with the
law we have. Pro -abortion supporters
would have you believe that thousands of
women aren't served by the present law
but the argument looks a little weak when
you see the figures that in Toronto last
year there were more abortions than live
births.
No matter which side you're on, those
figures should be cause to stop and think.
When there are more abortions than live
births in a city that size, something is
wrong. You can look at it from too many
pregnancies being started or two many
lives being ended but it's still a sad com-
mentary on our society. There simply
should . not be that many unwanted
Pregnancies hi the first place.
Why in ,heaven's sake can't these two
fanatical sides stop their fighting for
awhile and attack the real problem? What
have either side been doing to prevent
pregnancies in the first place? We
desperately need more birth control
education. We've got to make it easier,for
people to get. We must stress to everyone,
whether young or old, male or female, the
responsibility not to start a life they don't
want to continue. And we must give them
the tools to be responsible.
Abortion should not be a form of birth
control. It can leave too many emotional
scars for the individual woman and to
society to let it become too prevalent in
society. it must be a method of absolute
last resort.
This whole burning issue, however,
could be a non -issue if the two groups
would work together in prevention instead
of battling each other over who should
have closed the door after the horse got
out.
Red Cross needs rare birds
The Canadian Red Cross, Ontario Divi-
sion, issued an appeal today for all Red
Cross Rare Birds to flock to the summer
blood donor clinic being held in their com-
munities.
"it's a Rare Bird who takes the time to
remember others during the summer mon-
ths by being a Red Cross blood donor,"
said Janet Jones, Chairman of Blood Ser-
vices for Ontario Division.
According to .Jones the need for blood
and blood products never takes a holiday.
While there is not a bluuu siuyi.age in On-
tario at this time the blood bank does dip
during the summer months 'with so many
regular donors away.
"The situation is especially serious
following every summer long weekend.
That's the time we really need our Rare
Birds to attend Red Cross blood donor
clinics just prior or just after each long
weekend," she said.
For the time, date and location for a Red
Cross blood donor clinic in your communi-
ty just contact your local branch.
Lazy, hazy days of summer
sugar ond$piCe
Well, now that Joe "Kamikaze" Clark
has been replaced by "Jaws III"
Mulroney, we can all sleep quiet in our ,
beds again, and drift into summer`
senescence, along with our parliament.
That's something that has always rather
intrigued me — the long holidays enjoyed
by politicians. The only people who come
near members of parliament, when it
comes to holidays, are teachers, and at
least they are of some use.
Can you imagine a huge company shut-
ting down for the summer, unless it had to,
because business was bad?
Yet our government, looking after, sup-
posedly, the needs and welfare of about 25
million people, and running a deficit of
over 30 billion dollars, can close up shop
for several months without a second
thought.
Does nothing happen in the summer'?
Are the poor souls in the House of Com-
mons so exhausted from scrambling to get
into the TV picture right behind the leader
that they are burned out? Or are their
brains so drained from thinking up witty
ripostes like "Hear! Hear!" for Hansard
that they simply must climb into a ham-
mock and let the moss grow back into their
craniums?
Oh, I know the country keeps going.
Thanks to a dedicated civil service, which
hangs around steamy old Ottawa, slaving
away in those air-conditioned offices,
breaking away from the coffee break to
sign the pension and welfare checks, we
stagger along somehow.
But what would happen if a real crisis
occurred? Let's say Cuba decided to in-
vade Canada about the middle of July, just
to make the Yanks even more uneasy?
Wouldn't it be foofawraw?
by Rod Hilts
Most of our obsolescent planes and tanks
are .in Europe. Most of their pilots and
drivers are on leave. The four ships of our
' navy that are riot in drydock for more pat-
ches are cruising in the Mediterranean, or
the Sargasso Sea, or somewhere.
Our Minister of Defence would probably
be in China, trying to buy some fighter
planes that don't crash every time they
catch a pigeon in their intake.
Our foreign affairs minister would pro-
bably be in Cuba selling guaranteed bulls,
at which he is an expert. Our prime
minister, God bless him, could be — you
name it.
Actually, if it happened, the Cubans
would probably be so baffled, they'd just
go back home and try to think of invading
some country that showed a little panache,
formed a guerilla opposition, died with a
smile on its face while singing the national
anthem, or even welcomed the
"liberators", as all conquering troops are,
called these days, with wine and flowers.
First of all, if they attacked our major
cities on a July weekend, they'd find them
as empty as Napoleon found Moscow. If
they wanted to kill somebody they'd have
to head north.
Can't you see a tank -full of Cubans sail-
ing intoone of our national or provincial
parks on a Saturday night, and trying to
find a place to park? No Canadian is likely
to die singing 0 Canada. The first couple of
bars are so slow they'd put the firing squad
to sleep.
But any red-blooded Canadian will fight
to the death, and those of his children, wife
and mother-in-law, to hang onto that cam-
ping spot he got up at 4 a.m. and drove 200
miles, and fought off six other site -hungry
campers to squat where he had a view of
the water.
kaleidoscope
Calling all single girls? I have come
across an interesting list of Clinton's most
eligible bachelors. Only problem this
they're all long gone, I'm sorry to say.
One hundred years ago The Clinton New
Era published an unique feature series on
the town's bachelors. Each week I'm going
to reprint some of the mini -features on
these men which were reported to be,
"marriageable and perhaps manageable
men of note."
"Issac Rattenbury - The subject of this
sketch has not only a local but a provincial
reputation. He is widely known from his
connection with the Rattenbury House for
many years and also as a famous hor-
seman. Ike was the first male child born in
Clinton and is about 36 years, though he
don't look that much. He stands about 5ft.
bin. in height, walks as straight as a rush
and is rather a good figure. As to looks,
Mr. Rattenbury can hold his own with the
crowd and has a good standing sandy
complexion. Whenever you meet Ike he is
full of business. His forte is in buying and
selling horses, of which he is an excellent
judge. We do not think that the weaker sex
bother him too much, and the prospects
are they never will. He seems to be per-
fectly happy when driving a good fast
horse, which he always does, and not at all
in a hurry to settle down in the felicities
and quarrels of a married life."
1 personally won't be updating this
And if the Cubans did manage to get up
north and slaughter a couple of thousand
Canadians, the rest of us worildn't even
notice. We'd think the machine-guns were
motor -boats and mutter about "all these
damned city people" coming north and
destroying the peace and quiet.
Just suppose they did get up north,
knocked off a couple of thousand, and
headed back to the cities on Sunday night
to take over the centres of power, like the
post office, the pubs, and the poolrooms.
Their forces would be completely
demoralized by the Sunday night traffic.
Their tanks and armored cars would be
sideswiped, rearended, and stopped so
often in jams that they'd over -heat and
stall. The drivers of these military
meanies would be psychological basket
cases.
If they parachuted into Vancouver,
they'd be surrounded, in some districts, by
junkies begging for some of that clean
Cuban stuff.
If they bit Montreal in force and started
shouting orders in Spanish, they'd get
nothing but shrugs. Somebody would say,
"Speak white, man." The next guy along
would say, "Parlez francais, sale cochon."
If they hit Toronto, and demanded to see
the boss, some flunky would tell them that
Bill Davis was at Go -Home Bay for the
weekend and couldn't be disturbed.
All would not be lost, of course. By the
time the Cubans had got back into their
planes and flown home, bewildered, Peter
Pocklington would have threatened to buy
Cuba; John Crosbie would have organized
the Newfie navy; and Joe Clark would
have called for a new leadership cam-
paign.
Just a summer "scenario", the latest
fad word, for your consideration.
b,
Y
Shelley McPhee
century old feature. It seems that the New
Era society editor, who originally wrote
the series, took More than his share of
verbal and physical abuse.
One young Clintonian threatened him by
saying, "It's a confounded shame that you
should be thus exposing the young men of
this town. Whose business is it what they
wear or how they cut their hair? If you put
me amongst the rest, I'll raise a row, see if
I don't.
The society editor attempted to
retaliate, but before he had spoken more
than half -a -dozen words, the concerned
young man gave the editor, "a crack
across the eye which accounts for the
bandage' he has been wearing all week."
+ + +
Back to 1983, I've been asked to remind
you that the Clinton Library will be holding
its annual book sale on July 28.
For a few cents you can pick-up some
great hardcover and paperback books,
perfect for summer reading.
+ + +
A bouquet this week goes out to the Blyth
Anglican Church Women (ACW). last
week they were on duty to feed members
of the Bluewater Kennel Club and judges
at the annual dog show in Blyth.
Kennel Club members report that the
ACW did a commendable job, providing
sandwiches for lunch, a roast beef dinner,
complete with salad bar and a pancake
breakfast.
The ladies worked hard for two days for
a worthy cause. Profits from their meals
have helped to purchase a new furnace for
the church.
+ + +
Mr. and Mrs. A. Leibold of RR 2, Clinton
were visiting in Chatham on the June 24
weekend with their daughter Marion
Malcolm and granddaughter Kimberley.
While there, they attended Kimberley's
graduation at the Queen Elizabeth High
School. Mr. and Mrs. Leibold also
celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary
on the same weekend.
+++ '—
Had a call from former Clintonian Doug
Andrews the other day. He reported that
after 37 years his wife Marian has beat
him on the greens.
Doug and Marian play at the Bayview
Golf Club and recently Marian's 81 score
beat Doug's 83 final mark. Doug says that
he'll now be using Marian as a caddy.
+ + +
Clinton taxpayers should note that last
week's front page headline was incorrect.
it reported that taxes would be increasing
by 11 3 per cent.
In fact, the budget will go up 11.3 per
cent and taxes by only 6.43 per cent.
Sorry for the confusion.
the
readers
write
letters
Schof ear
eeds your hell
Dear Editor:
In an item from town council, which I
read in your paper several weeks ago, it
was inferred that the restoration work on
Clinton's j NR School -on -Wheels in Sloman
Park had been nearly completed.
This is emphatically not so: indeed,
nearly all the restoration work to the pre-
sent time has been done by one man only.
More volunteer help is very urgently
needed from any able-bodied adult — so, if
you would like to be part of the restoration
of this magnificent relic from the past,
please call Ron Young at 482-7904, after
6:30 — he'll be glad to find you a job!
Sincerely,
Ms. Toby Rainey,
Goderich.
The Pill
The Pill
There's something I can't understand;
I guess I never will.
It's about a certain somethin'
They refer to as the Pill.
The doctors tell of benefits
Or side effects they find,
But always they just say "The Pill"
They never say what kind.
There's several different kinds of pills
There's Carters and there's Doanes
There's Aspirin and Bufferin
To ease your aching bones.
There's different shapes and sizes;
Some are round and some are flat.
There's one that tastes like chocolate
But I won't go into that.
There's sleeping pills and diet pills,
And pills to ease your mind
But up to now they've always had
A name for every kind.
That's why it don't seem too fair to me
To simply say "The Pill"
Who knows? It might be somethin'
That's a cure for every ill.
You take the Senior Citizens, sakes alive
That pill might be a miracle
For folks past sixty-five.
They say that people use them so
Somethin' won't occur
Grandma Jones is ninety
An' she says they worked for her.
So I suggest all drugstores.
That want to build goodwill
Give the Senior Citizens the
Name of that there Pill
If we don't know the name of it.
We won't know how to buy it
Course it might not help us -
But -by George - We'd like to try it.
Beneath the
political glamor
By W. Roger Worth
Vacation time has arrived, and most of
the nation's politial heavyweights ( and
lesser weights) will soon, be returning
home, some of them exhausted after the
months of harrowing political games
played in our capital cities.
The more dedicated politicians are
returning to tasks that may be no less
onerous than many of the duties carried
out in Parliament and the Legislative
Assemblies.
Party fences have to be mended, con-
stituent problems looked after and there is
an endless round of the politicking
necessary to (hopefully) ensure re-
election.
It's true, our politicians are among the
highest paid in the world, particularly con-
sidering their lucrative pension schemes.
And it is also true that there are many
Canadians who have it much worse, such
as our army of unemployed.
Nevertheless, our elected represen-
tatives pay a heavy price. There is a com-
plete loss of privacy; telephone calls from
constituents arrive at all hours of the day
and night, and for some, there are the long
separations from families.
In many ways, our politicians face an
unresolvable dilemma. Simply put, there
are not enough hours in the day to handle
people's individual difficulties and, at the
same time, give sober and thoughtful con-
sideration to proposed provincial or
federal legislation that will impact upon us
all. Many of the problems are so complex
that our elected officials need to spend in-
creasing hours in briefing and reading
time just to get a basic knowledge of the
issues.
In fact, the social -worker, problem -fixer
function has significantly intruded on what
should be the politician's prime role. As
well, issues that some may view as crucial
can generate heavy mail and telephone ac-
tivity.
Last year, for example, the Canadian
Federation of Independent Business ran a
national campaign to battle budget
measures that would have badly damaged
smaller firms, asking its 64,000 members
to express their feelings to local members
of Parliament. The politicians were inun-
dated with calls, and the most devastating
of the tax measures were eventually over-
turned, proving once again that individual
feedback does have an impact.
The message here is that our elected
representatives have a thankless job. per-
forming the thousands of small tasks the
public never hears about.
Yet, by and large, they provide a service
to the county that is invaluable, no matter
which party banner they wave.
1