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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1984-03-14, Page 4• • lint orpnreting [TIIL BLYTH STANDARD J:, HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher VOLLEY McPHEE - Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manager MARY ANN HOLLENSECK - Office Manager MEMBER A MEMBER DINTev adv®riltles Woo available erg metoeti. Ark f®r Rete card. tie. '14 effective October 1. 1.1113. -if} future March is Red Cross Month across Canada. It is a time when Red Cross 'volunteers look back upon a year of achievements and look forward to the challenges of the future. Here in Ontario, the 102 Red.Cross branches serving the province have had an exceptionally busy year. Approximately 500,000 units of blood were collected e- g across Ontario last year.f That means • that severot hundred 'fhousan .. Ontario received the li f g'ivin g blood transfusions and blood products that they. needed to live: Students in Ontario classrooms continued to respond generously to the annual Red Cross appeal for fund.s through both the Spellathon and ,Youth Fund. Over $50,000 was raisedby Ontario students to support international work and to sup- port the health needs of our own children at home. The Red Cross Homemaker Service continued to grow at a remarkable pace. In 1983, more than 25,000 clients in Ontario were served by over 3,000 trained, uniformed and supervised Red Cross Homemakers. During the year the Homemokers delivered over 2.5 million hours of service. Thanks to the hard work of more than 1,000 dedicated volunteers in the Red Cross Assistance International and Domestic Program over $50,000 was'con- tributed to the International Assistance Fund. This money came from .the sale of handicrafts. ..."Tens --of- 4housands ..ef--Onk r-io-residents _.learned- howto-swi.m and -,how to .be safe around the water by taking Red Cross. Water Safety Courses. The Red Cross First Aid courses trained thousands of other Ontarians to take care of themselves and others during emergencies. This is only a sarnpling of the programs and services offered by local Red Cross branche.s. Each branch runs the 'services needed most in its community. p' Behind The Scenes �y By Qit Ros!I1ton e leadership racket .....:.:_ _So you. want to be. Prime Minister? Then_ stay out of the limelight until it's time to make your move. That seems to be the lesson •to be learned from politics in the last couple of decades in North America. In the age of mass media exposure, familiarity breeds contempt. If you • Want to win in politics have a fresh ( preferably attractive) face, charm, money and pretend to be totally disinterested in politics until it's time to make your move. In Canada we have John Turner already being coronated by some commentators as the next Prime Minister of Canada, even though he doesn't hold a seat in Parliament:.. The man is a Rhodes scholar, is handsome .and sexy ( they .keep telling us anyway) and is wealthy but his most attractive feature seems to be that he's been out of politics for nine years. • . South of the border we have the phenomenon of Gary Hart who hardly anyone had heard of a month ago. Now ....some- people:_ are-''''sayli g-'16_..'heat Ronald Reagan for the presidency this€all, something that had been thought impossible of any Democrat. This search for the fresh face has been with us for a while. The first time I can real- ly 'remember it was in 1968 when Pierre Trudeau came out of nowhere to win the hearts of the Canadian people. We had just lived through 10 years of acrimony between John Diefenbaker and Lester Pearson.. There had been the bitterness of the flag debate. the tension of years of minority government. We wanted a change, We were tired of night after night of television coverage of the fighting and along came an unknown who wore roses in his lapel and did outrageous. things like diving off. diving boards. Television had somebody new to • give them good, exciting footage, not like tired old John and Mike. • We saw the same thing with Joe Clark at the Conservative leadership convention in 1976. He was, new and therefore he was at- tractive. By 1983, he was familiar and Brian Mulroney, who had . never even run for parliament was new and exciting. • South of the border, Jimmy Carter seem- ed.so new and different from Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. After four years his familiarity ( along with economic problems at home and the -crisis in Iran) helped make him ripe for the picking by the familiar, yet new face of Ronald Reagan. Maybe Reagan himself will now pay the same price for familiarity-to.Gary Hart. The media, particularly television, seems to be the main. cause. The new face makes 'for exciting television. The media flocks to `.'the'nevrStar:.Th+ey give st elroverwhelming-_------ coverage that the person becomes an in- stant. -personality ( look at Hart). But after a while the star isn't so new and there is a need to do something more than show him smiling and shaking hands. The media discovers the star can't deliver the expecta- tions it had for him and starts to expose his feet of clay. The people, with this negative coverage, start to abandon the star. The polls drop. The media drops the star and starts looking for a new face. The time frame seems to be getting shorter all the time. You may get your chance to be Prime Minister yet. Spring flow Sugar and Spice by Shelley McPhee Where's the sport? We . are well into another season of what passes these days for that once -thrilling Canadian sport of hockey. , . - Far more interesting .than_.being: aspen- _ tator at games will be watching from the sidelines some renewed and determined at- tempts to decrease the potential mayhem in the former sport. As , any intelligent eight-year-old knows, hockey is no longer a sport, it is an enter- tainment, superior to professional wrestling in this department only because it is faster, bloodier, and most of the participants, though of all, are not fat and middle-aged. Some are at and young. Some are iso middle-aged. Some are old enough to be grandfathers. And 80 per cent oftheso=ra'lieddathietes in'this'new furui of --1 Grand Guignol vaudeville are grossly over- paid. . .- .A--fe v -discerning, -.sports__ writers, and a `' good many former fans, of the game; are sick at heart. over what has happened to what was once the fastest and most thrilling game on earth. The great majority of, the so-called fans, however, along with most sports writers and nearly all of management, derides any at- tempt to restore the skills and thrills of what used to be the most skillful and thrillfull sport of them all — professional hockey. Perhaps that is because the current crop of fans consists of yahods looking for blood, the sports writers are sycophants looking for an angle, and the owners are stupid, as they have always been, looking only for a buck. In my view. a determined area should be By Bill Smiley made to stamp out the viciousness that has turned pro hockey into a Roman circus. Assault and battery on theice should be _treated the sane as it is on the streets — with a criminal charge. Let's . put cops in the arenas and lay charges against , the goons who try to. decapitate an opponent with a stick, or emerge from a spearing duel with the enemy's guts wrapped around the point of their sticks. Such a move, of course, will likely be greeted with hoots of scorn by the yahoos, the sycophants and the manipulators. Or as Variety, the showbiz magazine, might put it in one of its succinct headlines: 'HOCK JOCKS MOCK SOCKS'.'Translated, hat-wvuld-mean-'thathoekey- people-make of any attempt to stop the fighting and violence in the game. But .such a move would bewelcomed, holtyever, by a majority .. the people reilhotely interested in the game: the better sports writers, who have seen it go steadily downhill; kids who want to play hockey for fun, without being terrorized; parents . of kids who play hockey; real fans of the game, who have seen their favorite sport turned in- to a carnage of clowns. Surely even the robber barons ofhockey, the owners, with their nineteenth century mentality, can see the handwriting on the wall, large and clear. The game is going down the drain. Let me give some frinstances. When I was a youth, our town. had a Junior A team. They played it fast and tough and clean. The referees jumped on slashing, spearing, • KaIQidoscopQ boarding, kneeing. Fights were infrequent. In a town of 4,000, there were 1,500 at, every game. A. hundred cars would accompany the fans to play-off games 50 miles away. Whep I was a youngiSh man, TIived m a town of 2,000. We had an Intermediate C team, made up of young local fellows ,who loved the game. So help me, there would be 1,200 at every match. Today, I live in a town of. 11,000 which ' boasts a pretty fair Junior B team. The crowds at games run around two or three hundred: Hockey Night In Canada used to•bind this whole nation together, from radio days well into television. Its ratings have dropped disastrously. RVhat.''s_happenedL A lot, of things. First the quality has gone down and the price has gone up. That's a no -no in any business. ' Sixty per cent of the pros today couldn't have: made: a fati to-midd'hng senior. amateur team 25 'years•ago.' Arena owners, egged on by greedy players and those parasites, • their managers, have hoisted the cost of tickets to the point where ticket scalpers are commit- ting suicide. But -most important of all, the sheer viciousness, of today's game, with its Nazi storm-trooper techniques, its open support of "intimidation", its appalling message for young ,players that violence beats skill and speed, has made a great segment of real fans turn their backs on it in' disgust. When the players are all millionaires, and the arenas are half empty, maybe the morons who. control the sport will get the message. Beef Protection Progralrn called "show window legislation" by two area politicians The following is a statement by Jack Rid- dell, M.P.P. ( Huron -Middlesex) and Jim McGuigan;M.P.P. (Kent -Elgin). We are now into the second year of the Ministry of Agriculture's Beef Cattle Finan- cial Protection Progra.nl and all indications point to the fact that Ontario beef producers have been lulled into a false sense of securi- ty and many are just as vulnerable in cases of cattle dealer bankruptcies as they have ever been in the past. March 7 at the Public Accounts Commit- tee, Government administrators of the pro- gram revealed that only 388 licenses have been issued and 74 other applicants are deemed to be licensed. This figure is a decrease from the 597 dealers that were licensed last year; moreover, they agreed with us that there are a potential 1,200 cattle dealers operating in the Province. The great majority of them do not yet hold a license even though the Minister stated, on May 27, 1982, that "all beef cattle buyers in the Pro- vince will be licensed by August 1". As of September I, 1982, dealers without licenses will be operating in contravention of the law. In his press release of July 29, 1982, the Minister of Agriculture stated that beef producers who sell to unlicensed dealers "will not be covered by the Pro- gram's compensation fund_inthe event of payment default". Moreover the manager of the Program explained that cattle producers must notify the Protection Board immediately if they have not been paid within 48 hours of the sale of the cattle. Otherwise, they also will not be eligible to collect from the Protection Fund in the event of the default of the pur- chaser. We believe that this may not be clearly understood by sellers and suggest that all invoices or purchase slips issued by sellers should be clearly stamped with a warning to the seller. We call on the Minister of Agriculture to widely advertise the fact. that it is up to sellers themselves to determine whether or not buyers are licensed. Moreover legisla- tion must be introduced similar to that in the U.S. to apply sanctions against employment of those people in the industry who have defrauded producers. The Government's own 1977 Report of the Financial Protection Task Force stated that "illusionary protection is probably more harmful to a farmer's long -run financial in- terest than no protection at all". If farmers are not aware of the shortcom- ings of this Program, this legislation could become another piece of the Ministry of Agriculture's show window legislation. Remember a few months ago when local councils were asked by Attorney -General Roy McMurtry to establish committees to deal with drinking and driving? Clinton council recognized the need for further education on drunk driving, but little action was taken. Another Huron County municipality, Exeter, has taken the concern a step further by acting on McMurty's suggestion. An eight member ad hoc committee has been appointed by town' council there to investigate the problem. Their first project was to bring in the London co-ordinator of PRIDE, People to Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere. PRIDE is pressing for changes which include increased police spot checks and portable breath tester installed. in every police car in the province. They want the drinking • age raised again to 21 and a warning label on every bottle of alcoholic beverage. Their proposals include lowering the permissible blood alcohol level from .08 milligrams to .05' mandatory blood samples from drivers who are unable, or pretend to be unable to supply a breath sample, impounding of vehicles of convicted impaired drivers and banning lifestyle advertising of alcohol. PRIDE believe that drunk driving charges should come under the criminal code, rather than the highway traffic act for persons who are apprehended for driving with suspended licences. They also think that the minimum fine should be raised from $50 to $500. PRIDE takes a tough stand on drinking and driving and -the Exeter committee supported their aims. The Exeter group -will also take action in an effort to reduce drinking and driving by 'organizing a public awareness program, suited specifically to the needs of the community. Exeter council and concerned. residents have shown that a little interest and initiative can go along way In bringing people together in a common effort. +++ One reader, a local recording secretary wrote this week to say, "hearfelt By Shelley McPhee sympathetic understanding is extended to the comfortless composer of Committee Blues (March 7 News -Record), from other confused and cantankerous committees. The writer suggested heading up each meeting agenda with these few words of warning, "Words like eggs must be used with great care: once broken or spoken, are beyond all repair." + - h+ This week March 10-17 is Junior Farmers' Week. Founded in 1914, Junior Farmers operate by the motto, "Self Help and Community Betterment." Those between the ages of 15 and 30 are invited to become a Junior Farmers and join in their many activities which include sports, community projects, culture, travel and leadership opportunities. — — In Huron County there are 373 Junior Fanner members and if you would like to join the Clinton area club, contact Dave Wise at 482-7507. + ++ Bill Hoggarth came to the office the other day to announce the three winners in the Clere Vue Rockets Hockey Club draw. The lucky winners were: Jeff Sowerby of Auburn, who won five glass hockey sticks; Glenn Fines of Clinton, who won a $50 gift certificate, donated by Jerry MacLean and Son Sports; Judy Hoy of RR 5, Goderich, who won a $25 gift certificate, donated by the Clinton Pro Hardware. ' + ++ On March 1, the Ontario Ministry of Labor raised the minimum wage rates. The new rates are: general hourly rate, $3.85; learner hourly rate, $3.75; student under 18 hourly rate, $3.00; construction hourly rate, $4.10; liquor servers, licensed premises hourly rate, $3.35. The wages will increase again on Oct. 1, 1984. + ++ Oops, last week we published the wrong dates regarding the upcoming Easter Seal Telethon on CKNX-TV. The•telethon will be broadcast on Channel 8 from March 31 to April 1. The Clinton Lions Club will be taking part in the television event and the local Royal Bank branch will be the telephone centre for Clinton. Anyone who is interested in helping should contact Lion Steve Fraser at 482-3926 during the day and 482-7953 in the evening. + ± + Did you know that a Clintonian headed the first meeting of the Photography Association of Canada. On Jan. 24, 1884, Mr. R.D. Bayley of Clinton, who was president of the Huron Photographic Society, convened a meeting of about 50 photographers in the Temperance Hall in Toronto. Delegates from Clinton, Whitby, Picton, Newmarket, Straford, London, Ingersoll, Napanee, Port Hope, Galt, Uxbridge, Hamilton and Toronto were present. It was at that meeting that the Photography Association of Canada was formed. ---he-group, now '100 years old is known as 'the Professional Photographers of Ontario, with head offices in Toronto. year edi ret praises Vanastra School to -Mr. Robert Allan, Director, Huron County Board of Education, Clinton, Ontario. Dear Mr. Allan: My family has some concerns regarding the review of Vanastra Public School (VPS) and we would like to share with you our main ones. First and formost we do not want VPS to close. As a family with four children, we would like to see Kindergarten to Grade II classes at VPS so all our children can go to the same school. We feel just as $trQQflgly.about oUr concern and that is busing.- We do not want our . children -buaed. Busing poses s several pro`ti'lems-for-our family. �rYaving 4artaxe iutt� rhes is one of them. Lunches to be eaten away froth home are expensive to prepare and we cannot be sure that our children would be eating nutritiously. We have heard of older children on buses stealing the lun- ches of younger children leaving them with no food for a whole school day. Also we have,. a child with food allergies, making it dif- ficult ifficult to prepare a separate packed lunch as her variety of food is limited. Coming home for lunch gives the children, _.. especially the younger ones, a break from the school setting. It also enhances the fami- ly amily unit with parent-child relationships which wouldn't be possible otherwise. , Busing keeps the children away from home for much longer periods. We chose to live here, because the school provided for the family needs. If the school was closed and the children were bused they would lose their identities and the sense of belonging that they have now and the respect for the school. , They would not be able to participate in extra curricular activities, and this would deprive the children of developing the social aspects involved with these activities, and of learning about the competitive aspects of life and how to cope with it. If one or neither parent is not able to drive, many other ac- tivities (e.g. concerts) would be missed. A very positive aspect of VPS is the teacher -pupil relationships. The teachers • here are responsible for a very caring at- mosphere. Smaller classes ensure in- dividualized programs geared to the children's capabilities. We have a child in the S.L.N. Class who has made excellent progress. A move.' to another school would prove detrimental for her and regression is --alhriost-cer-fain... 'here.. :is•.,one_.child--_who,.w.:.... _ comes from Seaforth to participate in this S.L.N. Class. Also parents are able to walk to the school at anytime and -are well Treceiv- ed by teaching staff: After school tutoririgis possible, as there is no bus to catch. Parents who are able to volunteer their time prove to be beneficial to the students and the students like knowing these volunteers. The principal also takes an active part with the . children which you rarely see elsewhere. We feel that the state of the school building is not as bad as we. are led to. believe. The school has an excellent playground, enhanced with equipment sup • - plied by a local Lioness Club. In the winter the children are able to enjoy sliding and toboganning while 'in warmer weather have a large grassy area with swings, climbers and baseball diamond. An extra parking lot could be used for hopscotch and,otherac- tivities requiring a flat paved area. .The children are proud of this school' and respect the property. Truancy is low in this school. With the amount paid annually for rent the school board could purchase the school building and return Grades 7 and 8 to the community. We also need a branch of the Huron County Library in Vanastra for both sliild>~ea. arld _adult alike _.yWith another ,year's rent or the equivalent money needed to bus our children, they school could be brought into an excellent state of repair, a proud focal point of our 'community. Vanastra would slowly degenerate if the school was not here. Young families looking to locate would go to an area with a school. Busing is a way of life for children whose parents chose to live in the country. It should not be a way of life for children whose parents chose to live in the communi- ty with a school. We trust the Review Committee and the Huron County Board of Education will recognize the vital need for Vanastra Public School and will allow it to remain open. Sincerely,' (Mrs.) Kathleen Stone + + + Congratulations go nut to Central Huron Secondary School's drama club. Under the direction of teacher Steve Oliver the club took second place at a recent drama festival held in Wallaceburg. Clinton's Anne Levis was also named the best actress in the competition. Yesterday Wallaceburg, tomorrow Toronto, New York and Hollywood! +++ Please make note of a special upcoming event to be held on March 21 in Clinton. Rt. Rev. A. Chandu Lal, Bishop of Amritsar Diocese, Church of North India and Mrs. Lal will visit Clinton as part of their southwestern Ontario tour. Bishop Lal is currently a member of the Consultative Group on Human Rights of the World Council of Churches' Commission o`n International Affairs. Of special' interest to the Lals is the wa4, Christians in India are effect by the chaste system. The Bishop and his wife will be sharing an inside look at East Indian life and their own work with the church at a public meeting, to be held at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Clinton on March 21, starting at 8 p.m. Now here's a good thought The Huron Expositor attributes the following to a friend who thought the message was timely. I'm the fellow who goes into a restaurant, sits down and patiently waits while the Waitress and waiters finish their visit before taking my order. I'm the fellow who goes into a department store and stands quietly while the clerks have a little chit-chat. I'm the fellow who drives into a service, station and never blows his horn, but lets the attendant take his time. You might say I'm the good guy... But do you know what elseI ani? I'm the fellow who never comes back. It amuses me to see businesses spending so mach money every year to get me back as a customer, when I was there in the first place; all•those businesses needed to do to keep me as a customer was give me some service and extend a little courtesy..