HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1983-12-14, Page 4PAGE 4—CL1NTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1983
The Clinton Stuart -81e cord go pobliohod meth
Illkeineettliay et 2.0. Sam 39. Clinton. Ontario.
Canada. 511.0119 US. Tci.: 402-3443.
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Canada - 419.79
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pout office nouveau, the permit number 0017.
The Rgevro-&ocord incorporated On 1924 the
Huron Hours-Deettrd, founded an 1)41, cud
The Clanton Blears arc. fonndc d On 1409. Total
prose runs 3.700.
Incorporating
THE BLYTI STANDARD)
Jo HOIIWAR ITIKEN - Publisher
SHELLEY MitPHEE - Editor
GARY HALO - Advertising M®nogor
MARY .NN HOEUENBECII(- Ontice Manager
MEMBER
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avalleble on request- Ask for
Date Cara. No. 11 effective.
Octobeer 1, 1903.
It pays to buckle up
A
MEMBER
Legislation requiring children to buckle up may be a relatively new law, but
statistics are already proving its worth.
A two-year study undertaken by the League of General Insurance Company in
Michigan has shown that children who have been secured in safety seats suffer
fewer injuries in traffic accidents.
In the study, the insurance company offered its policyholders with children
under the age of four, a free infant or child restraint. The results were outlined to
the Ontario Safety League and the Family Practices Services of the Toronto
General Hospital.
Results showed that from June 1979 to June 1981, injuries due to car accidents
in the test group children declined by 45.7 per cent compared to the 24 -month
period immediately preceding the study. The injury rate among children reported
in safety seats at the time of an accident was 5.7 per cent, in contrast to 12.5 per
cent for unrestrained children in a control group taken from the general public.
None of the injuries sustained by restrained children required medical attention,
while 28 per cent of injuries suffered by children not in safety seats were more
serious, one resulting in death.
The study also showed that parents were more likely to consistently use
children's car safety equipment when it was available at no chdrge, or for a small
rental fee. Programs like the safety seat rental service at the Clinton Public
Hospital help to support this concept of low-cost infant restraints.
The service is well used, but unfortunately the hospital is unable to provide
enough safety seats to meet the need. While low -costs programs like this are
ideal for a family, parents must not ignore the child restraint legislation beta e
of the cost of purchasing safety seats.
The price tag on a child safety seat is surely minimal when compared to the
price of an innocent young child's life. -by S. McPhee
Worth quoting
"There are a lot of technocrats lined up in front of computers that continue to
vomit out new directives on reams and reams of paper."
William Manning of Blyth uttered those words in criticizing "the government
bureaucracy" within the London region of the Ministry of Natural Resources. Mr.
Manning is a member of the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority.
Complaining about the inactivity of his fellow authority members, Mrs. Mann-
ing said: "Some sitting here are like deadwood. They never ask questions."
Whether or not Mr. Manning is justified in his comments, we cannot say. What
is clear is that Mr. Manning doesn't pull his punches - and that, where warranted,
is a quality to be admired.—from the St. Marys Journal Argus.
Behind The Scenes
By Keith Roulston
Universal peace
For Christians and non-Christians alike,
there is one element of the Christmas
celebration all can support; the wish for
peace on earth, goodwill toward man.
And yet despite the universal craving for
peace, despite the support for the ideal,
peace on earth, goodwill toward men has not
caught on in the 2,000 years since the words
were first spoken. Even while the new
religion of Christianity found new converts
all over the world, peace was often sadly
lacking. It is particularly sad how often
arguments over Christianity itself, either
with other faiths or between various sects of
Christianity, have led to bloodshed.
And so at Christmas 1983 Christians, and
people of all faiths all over the world, are
more worried than ever before about the
prospect of war, a war that would not only
lead to death and misery, but perhaps the
extinction of the planet. It's easy to lose
hope in the wake of the daily news that
seems to go from bad to worse.
It is sad that even so-called Christian na-
tions, have not embraced the teachings of
the gentle man from Galilee, teachings of
forgiveness, of turning the other cheek, of
not accumulating material wealth on earth,
of avoiding the sin of pride.
And so we have had wars over mineral
riches or farmland riches. We have had
wars of revenge for past misdeeds. And to-
day we have two powerful nations so tied up
with pride and an inability to turn the other
cheek at any imagined slight that we seem
to be moving ever more steadily toward
war.
I used to be a nationalist when I was
younger. One of my proudest moments as a
teenager was getting out of school on
February 15, 1965 to see the new Canadian
flag raised. Earlier than that, I can
remember my first knowledge of interna-
tional affairs were two wars, the rebellion in
Hungary that the Soviets put down and the
conflict in the Middle East. It was with a
surge of Canadian pride I remember, that I
heard Lester Pearson won the Nobel Peace
Prize.
I recalled the Pearson years the other day
and went back to read about that crisis in
the Pearson memoirs. I had forgotten how
close we came to a World war then too, as
the worry that the Soviets and Americans
might get drawn in on opposing sides grew
before the Canadian delegation at the
United Nations worked out an acceptable
solution that saw a United Nations peace
force placed between the two warring sides.
For a brief period there was, just as when
the original United Nations charter was
signed, the hope that international action
might bring peace. But national pride got in
the way as it always did. Within years we
went on the Cuban missile crisis and shortly
thereafter the Israelis and Arabs were at
war again.
The only real hope for lasting peace in the
world is that countries will eventually relin-
quish some of their own national pride and
allow for international courts and perma-
nent international police forces. That, of
course, would mean that nations must ac-
cept, as each of us do in our private lives,
that there is a set of rules that is larger than
our own. Until nations are willing to relin-
quish the sole right to police themselves
either to the United Nations or to regional
international police forces and international
courts we will face the continual fear of war.
Only by accepting Christ's teachings of
peace at the highest levels of our nations can
the hope for peace be realized.
Slimmer Earth has shorter days
The earth has been losing its equatorial
"spare tire" and is now sporting a trimmer
figure. But this slimmer earth has shorter
days, says a researcher from the University
of Toronto.
Actually, the planet has been slimming
down ever since the last ice age ended. Fifty
thousand years ago, when the ice age was at
its peak, the earth bulged out at the equator.
The enormous mass of ice that pressed
down on Antarctica and the northern con-
tinents caused the land under the ice to sink
and the equator to expand. (The ice that
covered North America alone had a mass of
20 billion -billion kilograms. )
But ever since the ice melted, the nor-
thern continents have been rising and the
equatorial bulge has been shrinking.
A geophysicist at the University of Toron-
to, Dr. Richard Peltier, theorizes that the
shrinkage of the earth's waistline is causing
days to become shorter.
Dr. Peltier uses the analogy of a spinning
figure skater to explain why this is happen-
ing. A spinning skater draws in her arms -to
speed up; in a similar manner, the earth's
shrinking waistline is causing the planet's
rotation to speed up and faster rotation
means a shorter day. — (Canadian Science
News)
Finishing touches
by Wendy Somerville
Sugar and Spice
The long nights
By Bill -Smiley
"Morning, dear."
"Hi sweetie. Did you get some sleep?" In-
somnia was the big bane of an otherwise
healthy life.
"Hardly any. I was sick all night with a
cold. Let's make the bed. You have to get
away early today." It was Professional
Development Day for teachers and I had 30
miles to drive.
We began the bed -making. She gasped,
and said, "I'm sick" and fell to het knees. I
tried to lift her onto the bed, but couldn't,
with only one arm useful.
"I'll get you a glass of water," and I head-
ed for the bathroom. I heard a heavy thud,
rushed back to the bedroom, and she was ly-
ing on her back, bleeding from a cut on her
head, where she'd struck the sharp corner of
a chest of drawers.
"Did I fall? Why did I fall?"
I was alarmed, but not panicky. I got a
cold compress and tried to staunch the
bleeding. "Stop putting your fingers in your
cut it only makes it worse."
She rolled over onto her face and said,
"Don't leave me. Don't leave me."
By this time I was panicky and spent ten
minutes trying to get our doctor through an
answering service, then through the
hospital. I thought she was just knocked out
by the blow on the head.
Stupid people kept asking how old she
was, and whether she was breathing. I tried
to find a pulse and held a mirror in front of
her mouth, but my hands were shaking so
much I couldn't tell anything.
I finally phoned an ambulance. The young
men did everything they could, then took
her to the hospital, still in her dressing -
gown.
I can't believe the insensitivity of hospital
administration. While the medical staff was
trying to save my wife, I was told I must sit
down and answer a lot of ridiculous ques-
tions: address, her age, telephone number,
insurance number, all that garbage. Not a
single personal note. I almost told the clerk
to stuff it.
- Our doctor appeared, a nurse took me
gently by the shoulder, and I groaned,
"Don't tell me. Don't." He did.
I hadn't left her. She'd left me. I've
always thought I was pretty tough. I shed a
few leaky tears when my mother and father
and brother died. During the war, I had a
buddy one day and an empty bed the next.
But this time I cried like a baby, despite ef-
forts to pull myself together.
Every time someone said a kind word, my
face would crumple and I couldn't speak.
Could barely get a word out.
The rest of that day is a blur. I took a last
look at my sweetheart, my Old Battleaxe,
my constant support, my favorite bickering
companion, the oft -upset mother of our
children, the scolder and spoiler of our
grandboys. I kissed her, touched her cheek,
and wept. And wept.
Took a taxi home. No jacket, just a shirt.
It wasn't home. I vaguely remember people,
old friends, coming in. Jeanne Sauve held
my hand and stroked my head and didn't
say anything foolish. Perrie Rintoul put his
arm around my shoulders, insisted I eat,
and made soup and peeled a banana. I had
to laugh, amid my sobs, at the banana.
Typical man.
One of the worst ordeals was calling the
kids and my wife's dear and close sister. I'd
get to the phone, blurt the news as quickly hs
I could, then choke up completely.
I've always admired people who could
cope with grief, without a lot of hysterics
and sentimental nonsense. I couldn't. The
Kaleidoscope
next few days were spent in limbo or some
such territory.
I was useless. Everyone else pitched in,
neighbors and friends brought vast quan-
tities of food. My big sister arrived and took
over, and kept things on an even keel,
washing dishes until her hands were
shrivelled, ironing shirts, putting things
away until I still can't find anything.
I did manage to hold up pretty well at the
funeral home. The only problem was that all
the men patted me heavily on my broken
shoulder, and all the women hugged me, fur-
ther increasing the agony of that wing.
My brother-in-law delivered one of the
finest, most honest eulogies I've ever heard.
Phone calls came from all over North and
Central America. Donations flooded in to a
scholarship in y wife's name for piano
students. Reader of my column who don't
know me, nor I th m, wrote consoling let-
ters.
My son, Hugh, carte up two weekends in a
row from the city, ju to keep me company,
and did, in his od-hearted, ham-fisted
way. He carefully put away in the tool -shed
my old lawnmower, which had been left out
to go to the dump. He shovelled the sidewalk
for the first time in 18 years.
And my grandboys were great. They knew
what it was all about. They knew their
beloved Gran was gone. They stayed out of
the way, didn't fight once, and only showed
their feelings by taking my hand, or curling
a little arm about my neck.
Broken shoulder in September. Broken
heart in November. But don't worry.
Shoulders heal. Hearts are just pumps. I'll
survive. But it's lonely in the big, brick
house.
The days are very long. And the nights are
longer.
Ronald Reagan's not taking any changes.
This week a cache of ground -to -air missiles
were placed near the White House to protect
President Reagan from a surprise air attack
and a concrete barrier was installed to keep
out terrorists.
Time magazine reported that from a
command and control centre near the White
House, security officers closely monitor all
aircraft using nearby National Airport.
They have less than one minute fo decide
whether to fire the missile if a plane
deviated suspiciously from an established
flight pattern.
The metre -high concrete barricades
replaced landfilled dump trucks that had
blocked the gate after the White House
received threats from Shiite Moselum
terrorist groups.
Well at least Ronnie is well protected, but
what about the rest of us?
+ + +
This Christmas many of us will give some
By Shelley McPhee
extra thought to the questionable future of
the world we love. Perhaps we all could take
some advice from the words of Henry Ford
11.
"No society of nations, no people within a
nation, no family can benefit through
mutual aid unless good will exceeds ill will;
unless the spirit of cooperation surpasses
antagonism; unless we all see and act as
though the other man's welfare determines
our own welfare."
+ + +
The staff at the Clinton Public School have
considered others this Christmas season.
Instead of holding their annual gift ex-
change, staff members decided to gather
money to help worthwhile causes. They
were able to raise $120, half of which will go
to the Clinton Public Hospital and the other
half to the Family and Children's Services
Christmas Bureau.
+ + +
Yes Christmas is fast approaching and
we're busy at the News -Record covering
Have y
firs
y
et;; t Editor
CPR people
are special people
Dear Editor:
A very successful Heart Save Week was
held at Central Huron Secondary School last
week.
The week-long campaign held a three -fold
purpose:
1. to spread the gospel of Cardio Pulmonary
Resuscitation (CPR) to as many people as
possible in the Clinton area.
2. to make people aware of the many
aspects of healthy living habits.
3. to raise money to help purchase man-
nequins for the Clinton CPR committee.
I believe we should approach the young
people, not only in the high schools, but in
the elementary schools as well. We are also
trying to put together a series of lessons on
the hazards of smoking at all age levels.
Huron County produced $250 -million in
farm production last year and with the
multiplier effect, this is at least $500 -million.
I think the people of Huron County should
have a right to expect to get CPR in their
local community centres and churches.
They should also have literature readily
available to them regarding healthful living.
People take courses ususally for their own
pleasure or profit, but anyone taking CPR
cannot use it on themselves. Therefore for
my money, CPR people are "Special
People."
Wallace Montgomery,
Clinton,
Education Chairman
Ontario Heart Foundation, Huron Chapter
Aid the blind
Dear Editor,
Christmas approaches quickly but many
destitute people Will not see Christmas this
year simply because they are blind! Do you
know that thousands of destitute blind peo-
ple can have their sight restored by a simple
10 minute cataract operation costing no
more than $20! But only if we care about
their suffering.
Christian Blind Mission 'can turn $20 into
new eyesight. Twenty dollars pays for the
cataract surgery, hospitalization and
cataract glasses. Nowhere can more be
done for less! This honest, efficient use of
each dollar donated allows blind beggars to
have their sight restored and . to become
'hard workers able to support their families.
Can you imagine a poor child born blind
with cataracts staying blind all his life
because nobody cares enough to give him
this simple sight restoring operation? Can
you imagine yourself doomed to a life of
darkness because nobody cares?
Christian Blind Mission has worked with
and for the blind since 1908 and in the last 12
months gave the gift of. sight to 105,960.
destitute blind people in 91 of the poorest
countries. Think of that! 105,960 blind people
now able to see because we cared enough to
help them.
On top of all these sight restoring cataract
operations, Christian Blind Mission saved
hundreds of thousands ofdestitute people
from going blind. Altogether, CBM gave
medical and surgical help to 2,111,232 poor
people through CBM eye surgeons, doctors
and nurses. CBM also dispensed 146,000
pairs of glasses to people who desperately
needed glasses to see properly.
In Canada we receive the best of health
care and we are indeed fortunate but
overseas people go blind simply because of
eye infections, lack of Vitamin A, and
cataracts. All of these devastating eye pro-
blems are so simple to remedy.
I have travelled throughout these poor
countries and have seen with my own eyes
the indescribable joy on each person's face
when they are given the gift of sight. I have
seen children's faces light up in
unbelievable wonder when they see for the
first time in their lives.
A 'little nine year old blind girl, Nooria,
about to have a cataract operation asked the
doctor, "What„; color is the wind?" Dr.
Herbert Friesen thought about it while he
examined Nooria's sightless eyes. "You
know, he said, in a couple of days you will be
able to see what color the wind is. I'll just do
a small operation and everything will be
clear and colorful." A few days later Dr.
Chip Parker, one of CBM's optometrist's fit-
ted Noria with cataract glasses and she saw
- with crystal clear eyes the flowers, the but-
terflies and her new school books. But she
never saw the color of the wind!
Take away this prison of darkness - give
the gift of sight, the gift that lasts a lifetime
and allows a person to see the sun, the moon,
the trees, the flowers and all the other beau-
ty that God created, God has commanded us
to help the suffering in His name. Let us
follow His command by giving this gift of
sight.
If you would like to give this extraor-
dinary Christmas Gift of Sight, please send
in your tax-deductible donation and any
unused glasses you have to the Christian
Blind Mission, P.O. Box 800A, R. R.4, Stouff-
ville, Ontario, IAH 1IA.
Yours on behalf of the
Christian Blind Mission Int'l
Art Brooker,
Canadian Director.
school concerts and preparing for next
week's special Christmas issue.
For us, Christmas means a little extra
work, but it's enjoyable work.
If you get a chance, do take in some of the
Christmas concerts that are being held this
week. One special performance that I highly
recommend is Central Huron Secondary
School's evening of music on Dec. 16. I had
the opportunity to hear the choirs and school
band play earlier this weekend quite frankly
I was surprised to hear how good they ac-
tually sounded.
The high school drama club will also be on
stage on Dec. 15, presenting their musical -
comedy. The play is produced under the
direction of Steve Oliver and guarantees to
be very funny.
+ + +
Mr. McTaggart of Huronview was the
lucky winner in the Clinton IODE draw. He
won $75 and proceeds from the draw will go
to help finance the purchase of Ultra Sound
equipment at the Clinton hospital.
Avoid tragedy
in your family
It's the parents' responsibility to keep
children safe, says the Industrial Accident
Prevention Association.
To avoid this tragedy in your family, the
IAPA has these suggestions:
• Keep poisonous materials well marked
and out of the reach of children.
• Never store materials . containing
poisons near medicines or foods.
• Keep cosmetics away from children -
some are poisonous.
• Keep all cleaning fluids and agents
stored out of the reach of children. Many
are poisonous.
• Keep paints, detergents, polishes,
medicines and especially aspirins out of
reach.