Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1983-12-21, Page 4PAGE 4 —CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1983 The Clinton Smotem-Record 09 pou0Oished emelt Wednesday at P.O. Sloe 39. Clinton. Ontario, Canada, NOM 160. lea.: 4.02.3 93. Subpar -Option Stole: Canada -619.73 S. Ci9laon - S16.73 par ye©r S1.9.�. foroBon 939.00 pot year 09 05 reydetered w emend date mean ®y the post office meedrr rite portrait aamtAer 0817. 1110 PL®ars-Ricard Bnwrpan:,tod Ba 1926 the Heron Nt,ors-®tweed, founded In 11781, and ileo Clinton Imexv® Era. founded in 1069. Iotu1 proms runs 3.700. Incorporating (TIII BLYTH STANDARD) J. HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher SHELLEY McPHEE - Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manager MARY ANN HOLLENBECK - Orifice Manager MEMBER Display advarllslnR rates available oe raquast. Ask for Role Cara. No. N affective October 1. 1331. A MEMBER Children for peace Christmas through a child's eyes - how simple, how pure, how true. How often we fail to realize how thoughtful and wise our children are. Their opinions, their emotions, their words and actions are innocent and un- complicated. Christmas is a special time when we can learn a great deal from our children. They can reteach us the simplicity of joy and peace and the real meaning of love. A letter and poem that crossed my desk exemplified these feelings. Written by two elementary school -aged boys the articles showed great thought, understanding and optimism. A Holy Night 'Tis on the Eve of Christmas time, From faraway the bells do chime, The music is so clear and sweet, As in God's house the people meet. They've come to praise the Messiah's birth, Who brought the first Christmas here on prth. As a newborn babe to Bethlehem He came, The wisemen said, "Jesus Christ is his name-" He came to bring Man peace and goodwill, And all people's hearts He would try to fill. With love and kindness and thoughtful deeds, And a way to look after this great world's needs. The people worshipping this very night, Want to make better man's earthly plight. To get rid of all evil large and small, And to make it a better world for all. -by Greg Lobb, Gr. 7, Holmesville Public School. For his efforts, Greg was a second prize winner in the Clinton Business Im- provement Area poem contest for Grade 7 and 8 contestants. The thought provoking letter was published in The Kincardine News following the airing of the film "The Day After." Paul Evans, a Grade 4-5 student at Huron Heights Public School in Kincardine wrote a poignant letter to Santa Claus, on behalf of all earthlings, to express his sentiments about the future of mankind. It read: Dear Santa, On behalf of this world, I have been asked to write you this special letter. As this is a special time of year, many people have requests. Our requests ore not for one person but for everyone living on this planet Earth. We would like you to bring in your sack these following items: 1. Peace: More than at any other time, our planet needs peace. Get rid of all the nuclear bombs, missiles, rockets, grenades, battleships, tanks and everything else that is built to destroy us. Stop all the wars, violence and destruction in our world today, just bring peace. 2. Hope: Out of your sack give us all the feeling of hope, to the starving, to the political prisoners, to the unwanted, to the unloved, to the sick and to the left out people of our world. 3. Freedom: Please bring freedom to the millions of people trapped by wars, fights, battles and prisons. 4. Love: Open up your sack and pour love all around the world. Let it fall on everyone, our families, our neighbors, our towns, our countries, our continents and finally on the whole world. This Christmas let there be goodwill to all men, women and children. 5. Laughter: Dear Santa, show us how to have good, honest fun. Let us enjoy our lives, have fun, be merry, be content with what we have. After hearing about the film "The Day After," we think more than anything this Christmas the world needs peace. Answer this letter. Bring us these gifts and allow this beautiful planet to remain in the universe. Yours hopefully, An Earthl- ing. Those may be children's words, but they are definitely worth remembering. -by S. McPhee Behind The Scenes By Keith Roulston Santa means faith Sct they're going to make a Hollywood b 'r•kbuster movie about Santa Claus. Frankly, I wish they'd leave Santa alone to get un with his work. In case you haven't heard, the people who brought Superman to the screen are going to do the same for Santa Claus, they hope in time for next year. They've already signed I )udley Moore to play the chief elf in Santa's workshop. They promise to spend $.`.0 million to fulfill every youngster's dream of Santa's Christmas story. There'll be Santa, Mrs Claus. 100 worker elves, and toy fac- tory and elf village sets that will cost millions. The exterior scenes will be shot in Canadian and Norwegian snowfields. The eight reindeer will fly, just like Superman did. The movie makers are amazed that nobody ever had the idea of making a movie about Santa Claus before. It seems like such a natural, they say. Well, maybe those other Hollywood movie moguls have had more sense and taste than we've given them credit for. Frankly, I don't thing the movie will do a lot for Santa Claus. I don't think a lot has been added to the idea of Santa since that first poem put the whole tradition togther in The Night Before Christmas. You see, gentlemen, the whole wonder of Santa Claus is in a child's imagination. Whenever we grownups get in the way we only hasten the destruction of a child's belief in this wonderful part of Christmas. With department store Santas in every store and shopping mall in the city, and even two or three Santas in most of our small towns, even the youngest child, even one who wants to believe is quickly struck by the incon- sistencies. k- arenas will) want to keep the dream alive as long as possible resort to more and more far-fetched explanations. The point is, gentlemen, Christmas is about belief, not proof. Both the real story of Christmas and the Santa Claus story are based, not on absolute scientific proof but on human faith. Oh there are some proven facts about the birth of Christ but in the end, a Christian must believe in his own faith that things happened. Knowlton Nash wasn't there to tell us about it. Barbara Frum couldn't interrogate the shepherds and the wisemen to make sure there were no inconsistencies in their stories. We must be life the children and simply believe and not doubt if the Christmas story is to come to life. That's why I've never agreed with many adults who get excited about Santa horning in on the Christmas season. Santa teaches children to believe there is good in the world, to believe that there can be this warm-hearted, generous soul who goes all over the world bringing joy. Faith is the greatest gift we can get at Christmas, whether we are Christians or not. We must keep faith that there can be peace on earth despite wars all around us. If we don't have that faith, there can be no chance of peace because we'll stop trying to create it. We must have faith in the essential goodness of our fellow man even if we are surrounded with evidence to the contrary. If we don't, then we will be so cynical that we won't recognize the goodness in another human when it is offered to us. We don't need a $50 million picture as pro- of. We need faith for old and young to make life bearable. Merry Christmas, by Jason Cox, Gr, 7, Clinton Public School, CBIA contest winner The true meaning of Christmas is giving A Grade 7 student at Clinton Public School, 12 -year old Lori Jewitt, beautifully summed up the meaning of Christmas in a poem. Her well-written poem went on to win the Clinton Business Improvement Area first prize in their Christmas literary contest. A Special Christmas When I come home from school each day A small child stares in a wishing way, Through the window of the large toy shop, Gazing in awe at the spinning top. At office I knew with a glance at her, The top would never be hers for sure: A tattered dress and a coat too small, She doesn't have a chance at all. I pass the same shop one stormy day, With Christmas just a week away. I see her again just gazing in, At the top, I know she will never win. Some unkind children start making fun, Of this poor defenceless little one. I take her hand and walk her home, So she doesn't have to go alone. When finally we reach her door, My sadness grows to be even more. She doesn't have a Christmas tree, Sugar and Spice Like lucky you and lucky me. She had no dad and a tired mom, Who told her Santa just couldn't come. To anyone as poor as they, So now I knew why she stared that way. One my way home I bought that top, And a little tree from the gardening shop. Some jingle bells and a star to light, I took them my gifts that very night. That Christmas was a special one, I learned that giving can be such fun. For that's what Christmas is all about, I'm glad I finally figured it out. December too soon December is a trying time. For one thing, it's so dang SUDDEN. There you are, totter- ing along a day at a time, thinking it's still fall and you must get the snow tires and storms on one of these fine Saturdays and throw some firewood into the cellar, and get some boots and replace the gloves you lost last March. Christmas is away off there. And then — bang! — you look out one morn- ing, and there's December, in all it s unglory: a bitter east wind driving snow, and a cold chill settles in the veru bones of your soul. Winter wind as sharp as a witch's tooth sneaks in around uncaulked doors and win- dows. One's wife complains of the terrible draught from under the basement door. You investigate and find that one of the base- ment windows has been blown in and has smashed on the woodpile You clamber up over the wood, knocking pieces off shins and knuckles, and jam some cardboard in the gap. Creep cautiously outside, and nearly bust your burn. There's ice under that thar snow. Make it to the garage, and find that your car doors are all frozen solid shut. Beat them with your bare fists until the latter are bleeding and your car is full of dents. Final- ly get them open with a bucket of hot water and a barrel of hotter language. Slither and grease your way to work. ar- riving in a foul mood and with bare hands crippled into claws, bootless feet cold as a witch's other appendage. Come out of work to go home and find a half-inch of frozen rain and snow covering your car, and no sign of your scraper, and another deep dent where some idiot slid into your car door on the parking lot. I could go on and on, but it's only rubbing By Bill Smiley: salt in the wounds of the average Canadian. Get home from work and find that the fur- nace is on the blink, and the repairman is tied up for the next two days. And your wife is also fit to be tied up over your dilatoriness. Surely there is some way around this sud- deness of December. Is there not some far- seeing politician (if that is not a contradic- tion in terms), who would introduce a bill to provide for an extra month between, let's say, November 25th and December 5th. I wouldn't care what he called it. It could be Lastember, referring to your fast -dying hope that there wouldn't be a winter this year. Or Last Call, or Final Warning, or She's Acomin! Anything that gave us a good jolt. It would be a good thing for merchants. They could have special Lastember sales of gloves and boots and snow tires and ear muffs and caulking guns and weather strip- ping and antifreeze and nose warmers, before plunging into their pre -Christmas sales, which are promptly replaced by their January sales. It would be great for the Post Office, which could start warning us in June that all Christmas mail must be posted by the first day of Lastember if we wanted it delivered before the following June. It would make a nice talking point for all those deserters and traitors and rich people who go south every year. Instead of smirk- ing, "Oh, we're not going south until Boxing Day. Hate to miss an old-fashioned Cana- dian Christmas," they could really shove it to us by learning, "Yes, we thought we'd wait ' this year until the last day of Lastember, you know. Avoid the pushing and vulgarity of the holiday rush." KaIeidoscopQ If nothing else, it would give us a break from the massive nauseating volume of pre - Christmas advertising, which begins toward the end of October and continues, remorselessly, right into Christmas Day. Best of all, perhaps it would give dummies like me a chance to avoid looking like such a dummy. Procrastinators, who flourish dur- ing a sunny November, such as we had this year, would have no more excuses. All their wives would have to do is point to the calen- dar and say, "Bill, do you realize it's only three days until Lastember. Isn't it time you did your Lastember chores?" In fact, if that fearless politician who is going to introduce the Lastember Bill in the house wants some advice, here is a codicil for him. Somewhere in the Bill should be the warning, in bold type: "Procrastinators will be Prosecuted!" Jeez, why not? They pro- secute you for everything else. If such a month were added to the calen- dar — maybe we could start it with Grey Cup Day — people like me wouldn't go on think- ing that Christmas is weeks away. Instead, on the last day of Lastember, with all their winter chores in hand, they'd know that Christmas was practically on top of them, like a big, old horse blanket, and they'd leap into the proper spirit, lining up a Christmas tree, laying in their booze, tuning up their pipes for the carols. As it is now, we know that Christmas is like a mirage. It's way off there somewhere, and no need to panic. Then, with that startl- ing Suddeness, it's December 22nd, all the Christmas trees have been bought, the only remaining turkeys look like vultures, and the liquor store is bedlam? Who's for a Lastember? I'm a Christmas traditionalist. At this time of year I love to revive childhood memories, pay extra attention to my religion, remember my dearest friends, my family and my work associates. I grew up in a family were Christmas was always a very special occasion. Festive shortbread cookies and rich fruit cake were baked well in advance for the holiday season and choosing the Christmas tree involved a trek to the back of the farm where we'd undoubtedly select the pine with the most crooked trunk. Each Christmas involved a seemingly endless battle with the tree and the stand, but finally the pine would stand straight as an arrow (well almost) in the front room and we'd ceremoniously cover it with tinsel and lights, treasured ornaments and top it with a golden haired angel Christmas was a time of song and scripture. Whether it be gathered at the family piano or magnificantly dressed in angel's wings at the Sunday School play we lovingly recalled the beautiful, mysterious story of Christ's birth. It was a time of uncontrollable excitrnent and delight at the anticipation of Santa Claus. It was wakb'lg et four in the morning A By Shelley McPhee to peek in our stockings. Many of these Christmas' traditions continue in our family and are as beautiful and wonderful as I have always remem- bered. I hope that you too can enjoy a special Christmas, that you can feel the love, the great expectations, the peace and con- tentment that the season brings. Christmas does not have to be a time of deep disappointment and cynicism. Just tune out the crass commercialism and take in the tranquility of a candlelight church service. Don't be alone and don't feel lonely. Trim a tree, roast a turkey, invite acquaintances to spend Christmas with you, get involved or take in the community ac- tivities and are taking place during the festive season. If you don't have special Christmas traditions to remember and enjoy, change now. Our time on this earth is meant to be lived in joy and love and goodwill and what better time to start than Christmas. + + + Christmas is also a time for raffles and draws. Eleanor Falconer of RR 5, Clinton was the first prize winner at the draw held by the Huron Day Care Centre for the Have your say 'MI Editor ' l newater h - ..: d says thanks Dear Editor, I am extending to the many individuals, clubs, groups, institutes and business people of Goderich Township and surrounding townships, towns and villages appreciation on behalf of the residents and staff of the Bluewater Centre for the Developmentally Handicapped. Your participation with us es a neighbor, friend and volunteer has enriched our lives and program needs for the residents at the Centre over the past many years. I would be reluctant to list by name the many, many people involved with us for fear of missing one. I would like to note, however, those members of the Goderich Ministerial Association and congregations who administered to our spiritual needs; Grace Patterson, Vi Bridle, Kaye Prevett, Fran Rae, Jean Papernick and George Ross for their confidence in us and for always be- ing o-ing there; John Hindmarsh for his generous contribution of property and buildings; Walter Macllwain for consultation and par- ticipation; Alexandra Marine and General Hospital staff; and Dr. Coman Doorly for medical services. I am pleased to tell you that by all indica- tions more than half of our population of 150 are being welcomed and received into com- munity living and day programs, while the balance because of individual need, will con- tinue in facility training programs. May we continue to be mindful of the needs of our community's "special" popula- tion and provide some personal time and energy to assure their progress and accep- tance. Sincerely, W. T. Gregg, Administrator, Bluewater Centre. Presents for all Well Christmas can be mighty, And Christmas can be fun, But best of all, rheistmas can be mine. Christmas can be happy, And Christmas can be sad. But best of all, Christmas makes us glad. Presents can be big, And presents can be small, But best of all, The children to enthral. Some can be short, And some can be tall. But best of all, . Presents are there for all. -Alison Reed, Gr. 4, CBIA poem contest 2nd winner. Christmas is... Christmas is fun, Christmas is cheer, Christmas is being good, All through the year. Christmas is happiness, Christmas is joy, Christmas is being kind, To each girl and boy. Christmas is Jesus, Christmas is love, Christmas is angels Singing above. -Nancy Lobb, Gr. 4, Holmesville Public School, CBIA poem contest 1st winner. Waiting for Santa Homebound. She won a dressed doll, donated by Mrs. Tom Allen of lA,ndesboro The second place gingerbread house was won by Leona Holland of Clinton and third prize, a ceramic Christmas tree went to Mary Huff of Goderich. The Centre thanks everyone for their support in purchasing the tickets. + + -4- Cheryl Cheryl Grigg won a picnic hamper full of goodies in the Clinton Nursery School raffle, held last week. Cookie winners were Al Sanders, Joyce Jenkins, Roxanne Brown, Sharon Forest, Donna Govier, Pat Bell, Janet Buchanan, Ida Godkins, Cathy Paterson and Ellen Colson. + + -4- We We incorrectly reported in last week's edition that Hayter Farms donated turkeys for the Bayfield Lions annual bingo party. The turkeys were purchased from Hayter Farms and the turkey door prize was won by Kim Snell, not Smith. Guess we were the real turkeys on that one! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy your Christmas bird. The best of the season to you all. On Christmas Eve every year, I sit up and wait until Santa I hear. And that Christmas Eve about 12:05, I thought I heard the roof come alive. And then I heard a jingle, jangle, A ho, ho, ho and then a tangle. I snuck downstairs (I always do), Surprised to find my sister too. We peeked around just to see, A big, fat man bending down by the tree. He stood up and we ducked away, Boy I sure couldn't wait for the next day! -Shelley Reinhart, Gr. 7, CBIA poem contest 1st winner. Bethlehem Star By Helen Owen Star in the east whose wondrous light Shone on the stable that far off night: Gleaming star whose rays revealed Angels to shepherds in frozen field : Brilliant star that wise rnen saw Led, by its light, to the stable door. In that poor stable the baby lay Swathed and snug in the manger's hay Humble the threshold where he was born The Prince of Peace on Christmas morn. Sorrow and suffering lay ahead Of the infant sleeping in cattle shed. The shepherds, the wise men gathered there Knelt at the manger and said a prayer Seeing the Christ child and adding their praise Fulfilling the promise of ancient days The sages had found the king they sought And were awed by the miracle faith had wrought The Christmas bells ring out on earth To celebrate the Christ child's birth. Despite the troubles and fears they know - Which never existed long, long ago. Still over the years the faithful unite To glorify the Prince of Light