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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1984-05-30, Page 4THE BLYTH STANDARD) F.40 4 N NE'W CPRP W P W DAlif.1• 43O,19i41 Ilign4tIltnonntl l` 14440140 .4 P,19,- Non OA (.114444,.°Pi?" .140.141ftgiM 11.4 I a➢pt l� °r #1NO112.41.1fl kolft Pfr War Rilkrnofnint014^1044go Par "IP l>a ht r .r :4460 iridal yrr 1*.f tt eweAnnIne 044 pp4.4,410 n r!lpw pint t��1o�w R}ewkl�poo9. imoiri ®vs4od 444) 1,,f,200 tom: * LF, $11m!114 hi 1.111%* The Inion Him", Mi. forionk ll aw 100.1041 1nA.:f 11�4a4 Incorporating J. HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher SHELLEY MCPHEE - Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manager MARY ANN HOLLENBECK - Office Manager MEMBER Meier advertising nes assailable on request. Ask Siete Card. No. 14 effective October 1, 1942. A MEMBER Testing society's limits Societal seams are being stretched. Increasing numbers gorge themselves on self-indulgence; moral corsets are abandoned; once -sacred and absolute boun- daries are fuzzed. Old ways are not necessarily better, only familiar. Change does not have to be for the worse. Greater flexibility and permissiveness is not evil and a sign of decadence. However, the restless, almost driven pursuit of happiness through self - gratification which seems to characterize many in our society is cause for con- cern. Those individuals and groups willing to sacrifice some self'interests for the sake of principles and responsibilities are still the life -blood of society. But alas, their numbers are diminishing. The present seduction of the masses by affluence and consumerism does not foster such as self-sacrifice and restraint. When the only goal is to rnuximize one's own pleasure, anarchy threatens. When the only purpose is gratification and titillation, moral and spiritual hollowness is inevitable. As' the search for the ultimate consumptive orgasm intensifies and becomes more frantic with each generation, the feeling of a lack of any real meaning to life becomes more per- vasive. Bitterness, anger and frustration follow in the wake. Objectionable behaviors are the most noticeable manifestation of the underly- ing disease. Readily apparent is the increase in .petty theft., white collar crime, disrespect for authority -- of whatever kind, at whatever level, corruption. van- dalism and the increasing use of drugs -- liquid or other. The malignancy and its symptoms seerns to be spreading. Prescriptions vary. Some favor a hard line-- clamp down, spell things out more clearly, repeat the law and order .code more forcefully. Such tend to have little sympathy with analysis of underlying factors. Those at the other end of the scale dwell heavily on searching for the root cause, tending to minimize present behavioral problems -- whether or home, school, in the community -- until they can 'arrive ai. the solution. Both positions tend to be impatient with the other. If society -- whether focused in the home; school, country or'globe - is to sur-, vive there need to be"some short-term boundaries transgression of which is• unacceptable. Those -guidelines -- whether officially the legal system or not •-'will not produce responsible or respectful people. They will only minimize the damage that irresponsible arid disrespectful people can do to others. However long-term solutions must not be neglected. The underlying disease must be.at- tended to or else the cycle will continue with only cosmetic -changes to the'unac• teptable behaviors. . The long term solutions must be implemented very soon, Take a friend boating During the week of June 3-9, over two million Canadian boaters, from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland, will take to the water to mark the official beginning of the 1984 boating season and to once again celebrate National Boating Week. Fishing buffs will share their favorite haunts ... runabout owners will introduce newcomers to the thrills of water. skiing .... sailors will demonstrate the art of challeng- ing the elements ... and cruising families will share the joys of tranquility on the. water - all,, when they 'Take A Friend Boating' during National Boating Week. The National Boating Week program is sponsored by the Allied Boating Association of Canada, the national non-profit organiza- tion representing most major manufac- turers, importers and distributors of boats, engines and boating products, in co- operation with marine trade associations in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. Also actively participating in the program are such, national water -sports oriented organizations as Canadian Red Cross, Royal Life Saving Society, Canadian Power Squadrons, Canadian Water Ski Association and Canadian Yachting Association. To be part of National Boating Week, con- tact your local marina or marine dealer, yacht or boat club, or Allied Boating Association of Canada, 5468 Dundas St. West, Islington, Ontario M9B 6E3, (416) 236- 2497. Behind The Scenes By Keith Ro-ulston Rolling down memory lane What is it about trains and railway sta- tions that makes them so fascinating? Thousands of people take train excursions every year, others restore old railway equipment, more build elaborate models. And even for those of us who don't get so in- volved, there's still a tug at the heart strings when we hear the whistle of a steam locomotive or look at an old railway station. The fascination started early for me. We had a railway line go right through our farm and every morning we awoke to ,the blast of the steam whistle as the train signalled for the crossing at the edge of our farm. I remember a huge grain train with six engines and excursion trains the local public schools used to -take each spring to places like Niagara Falls. I remember the .first time a diesel engine hooted through the farm sending the cattle galloping in panic. Today the little station we used to go to is gone. I saw the other weekend that the railway now ends abruptly where a new road has been built and they tell me the rails will soon be pulled up. All these memories come to mind when I glanced through a copy of Elizabeth Wilmot's "Meet Me at The Station" recent- ly. The book was first issued by Gage Publishing in 1976 and has now been reissued -in less-expensive paperback for- mat by McBain Publications Inc. of Kit- chener. Elizabeth Wilmot has her own fascination with railroads and spent years travelling around Ontario photographing old stations and collecting stories about the people and the history behind them. Our neck of the woods is well'represented in the book. Sta- tions from Clinton, Blyth, Goderich, St. Marys, Kincardine and Palmerston are all included. Sadly, many of the stations have disappeared over the years. It's 10 years now since the Clinton station vanished. There's no trace left of the station that used to sit on the beach at Kincardine. Some stations are Left still, including the old CNR station on Dinsley Street in Blyth which the author once told me was her favorite of all the stations she photograph- ed. It's been converted into a residence these days. The story on that station and the Clinton station includes the story of my favorite railway, the old "Butter and Eggs" as the London, Huron and Bruce Railway was known to local people. The train had one of the most relaxed schedules around and the engineer would stop to pick up people who wandered to the trackside and flagged down the train for a ride to London to market. It was one of the early casualties of the chang- ing times, however when itclosed from Clin- ton northwards in 1941 and the tracks were torn up so the steel could be recycled for the war effort. The reissue of Meet Me At The Station is a boon to all those people infected by railway nostalgia. The book is especially interesting now with the news that Elizabeth Wilmot has now moved to Clinton (it's becoming quite a literary centre isn't it? ). The book is available at some local bookstores or directly from the publisher at 70 Otonabee Drive, Kitchener, N2C 1L6. Elizabeth Wilmot will be speaking at the Blyth Booksale on either May 26 or27. Book worms by Wendy Somerville Sugar and Spice A time of promise In the mind's eye of the poet, the painter, the composer, Spring is hot stuff. It is Oh to be in England now that April's there (Browning). It is a bunch of gals in long nighties scattering petals as they dance in the gladsome glade (Boticelli) . It is lambs gambolling to the notes of the shepherd's pipes (Beethoven) . Now, that may be all very true in Europe, where those birds operated, and where Spr- ing is indeed a bewitching seductress that makes the senses reel. But I am not, to my regret a poet, the only painting to which I can point with pride is my storm windows, I can barely make a tune discernible on 'the kazoo, -and most important of all, I ane, a Canadian. So I'm afraid I'll have to go along with Samuel Butler, who had a more prosaic view of Spring. Of course, Sam, though he was an Englishman, had visited Canada, as witness those immortal lines "Oh God! Oh Montreal!" He stated flatly that Spring is "an over -praised season more remarkable, as a general rule, for biting east winds than genial breezes." Spring, for the average resident of On- tario, is like heaven, :something to be looked forward to with a certain hearty optimism, mingled with a slight doubt about its even- tual appearance. By Bill Smiley Only. about once is 10 years does Spring actually materialize in this country. Then the natives go conipletely haywire. Forget- ting the other nine Bold, dreary springs, they whip off their long underwear, go for long walks in the woods, and fall deeply in love, though not necessarily in that order. Of course, they catch severe headcolds, get blisters and lost, and marry people they nor- mally wouldn't be seen dead in a ditch with. It's also a time of promise. Every Spring I promise myself I'll put in a garden this year, and a few weeks later promise myself again I'll get at the garden right after open- ing day oftthe trout Season, and later still that I'll get the screens on. This goes on right through until fall, and ,even then I'm promising to get the storm indows on. My mother told me I was a promising boy one time, and it went to my head. I've been pro- mising ever since. There's no denying, though, that spring is a time of resurgence of life. There's nothing so heartwarming as then sight, of the annual spring crop of babies, out on display in the pram parade on the first sunny day. Their slim young mothers, who were girls just last fall, have a new beauty and dignity as they sail along three abreast, pushing honest tax- payers into the gutter. For our senior citizens, spring is -the most �Iei-d osco.p.Q wonderful gift of all. They have been dicing with death all winter, and as the sun warms their old bones, they know they have won another toss, and a' welcome respite, before they have to pick up said bones and shake, rattle and roll them again. For the kids, there are drains to make. Boats to float, puddles to wade through, and lovely 'mud that squishes underfoot. Threats, orders and imprecations from their harassed mothers, trying to cope with the annual flood of muddy footprints and wet shirt-tails, have no more effect than - rain on a duck. Fot the 'farmer, spring means another nine months of breaking his back for peanuts. For the sailor, it means leaving the wild scramble of family life for the com- parative calm of life on the deep. For the housewife, it is a time to attack the house like the Assyrian coming down on the fold. For young lovers, it is a time to act even sillier than usual. Whatever it means - to us, and even if it doesn't arrive until the 30th of June, to be immediately transplanted by a hot summer, it's the only thing that makes it worth while to battle our way through the winter. The year spring fails to arrive at all, I want somebody to take me out quietly behind the barn and shoot me. The buzz around Clinton this week is centering around one 15 -year old, Bonnie Turner. Bonnie, in her quiet, smiling way, has brought great honor and recognition to the area with her recent win in the national Legion Remembrance Day Literary Contest. Ronnie's success began at the local level last fall when her essay on Remembrance Day won at the Clinton Legion. From there it went to compete against thousands of other entries at the district, zone and provincial levels. Her essay was chosen to represent the province at the national level, against other senior finalists. A Grade 10 student at CHSS, she competed against Grade 11, 12 and 13 'students across the country. Bonnie is a top student at CHSS, last year earning a 90 per cent average and she has won many academic awards before. This award was unlike any other however and when Bonnie learned of her success she said, "I was sort of jumping around slightly." The win marks a -mew. major By Shelley McPhee accomplishment for Bonnie Turner and Clinton and area residents are equally proud of this young lady's success. + + + Down at the Clinton firehall, there hasn't been any success at fixing the siren system. The siren sounds very sick and isn't working at full force. And there have been problems with false alarms. On Monday, the system backfired three times and the fire brigade was called out at midnight, 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. I was commenting to fireman Steve Cooke about the sick sounding siren and he noted that the sound of his fire call beeper, at' 3 in the morning, sounds even worse! + + This weekend than annualpton Spring Fair will take place down at Community Park.' This marks that 130th year that the fair has been held: Events and times were detailed in last week's News -Record, but some of the highlights are worth repeating. The exciting demolition derby gets underway at 7 p.m. on Friday night and the Queen of the Fair Contest will take place in the arena after 8 p. m. On Saturday the spring fair parade will wind its way through Clinton Streets at 1 p.m. and in the afternoon the fair will feature a variety of events, including the midway, concession booths, judging of livestock classes, homemaking displays and a spring fair favorite - the baby show. Last week we reported that a mini -band tattoo would be held this year, but this event has not been scheduled. In any event, the Spring Fair promises a full weekend of inexpensive fun and entertainment. Let's hope Mother Nature pulls through at her end! + + + Despite the dreary weather, I got my garden in. Will it grow? Who knows? Anyone driving by the McPhee and Haist residence on Sunday would gave seen quite a spectacle. We rcunded up a work crew of half -a -dozen to help get our gardens in shape. Passers by could see women battling with giant hydrangea roots, men wrestling an old evergreen tree to the ground, leaves and dirt flying through the air, digging, pulling and general bedlam: , The joys of gardening!? OFA criticizes provincial .budget The provincial budget blatantly ignores the immediate, critical needs .of the farm sector, the president of the Ontario Federa- tion of Agriculture (OFA) said in Toronto recently. "This budget has no news as far as agriculture is concerned" Harry Pelissero said. The money for the programs outlined in Treasurer Larry Grossman's budget, like the property tax rebate program, the Begin- ning Farmers Program and the red meat in- itiatives, was all committed well before the Jiudget was released. "The 16 -percent in- crease in the bpdget for agriculture is substantial. B it' extra dollars for ex- isting programs "We see that the Treasurer is trying to deal with the long-term concerns in the economy. But he has totally ignored the urgent needs of a growing group of farmers. They're in severe financial difficulty because of present economic conditions." Pelissero said the OFA brought the needs of this group -to the attention of the govern- ment "on many occasions". He said, "It's obvious that Mr. Grossman has chosen not to respond to these needs." Pelissero said many red meat producers are among those having the most financial trouble. They have been waiting for a new stabilization plan. "Grossman said progress is being made in negotiating a plan. Unfor- tunately, for some farmers, that progress has not been good enough," Pelissero said. , "They have needed help for about two years. And all they get is a message saying negotiations are continuing." Pelissero said since the government's main concern is youth employment and job training, he will be meeting with the Minister of Agriculture to make sure that some of the programs will be available to Deas Edltar Horne grown talent Dear Editor: This 'past weekend our Central ' Huron Secondary School Drama Societye presented a truly superb piece of entertainment. If you did not attend, you missed a terrific "upper - crust" acting performance. The two act play "Squabbles" was equal to some viewed at Blyth in past years and it was almost unbelievable as these local youngsters flowed from one act to another to result in a most enjoyable evening. It was. also a first for the school as a delicious din- ner was served by students to the delight of all prior to the play. I was so impressed with the outstanding acting that I took liberty in calling the Blyth Festival to suggest a talent -scout attend to see for themselves. It is just great to have such "super talent" in our area. An Appreciative Clintonian School reunion Dear Editor, This year marks the 25th anniversary of the opening of Onondaga Central School, and since the school will be closed in June of this year, we have planned a reunion to be held on Sunday, June 17 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Onondaga Central School in Onon- daga. The closing of this school will mark the end of any formal education in Onondaga Township. As a result, we are trying to con- tact anyone who lived in Onondaga Township and attended S.S. No. 1, Seneca, S.S. No. 2 (Middleport), S.S. No. 3 (Mulligan), S.S. No. 4 (New England), S.S. No. 5 (Onondaga), S.S. No. 6, and Onondaga Central School. We are hoping any former teachers will also attend. We are asking anyone who would have old school pictures or information to bring them along with their lawn chairs. For any further information call either Mrs. Harvey Featherston (Marj) at 416-765- 2178 or Mrs. Ed. Sharp (Mary) at 519-752- 1392. The short suffer Dear Editor: I am an adult who is short in stature. I sign myself "Shortie" because over the years 1 have had a lot of fun.poked at me and I do not want any more because of this let- ter. What I am writing about is the bylaw that puts certain magazines 1.5 meters above the floor Why, should a.tall 1 ygar.old be able to look easily White, I wouiltiaye;to ask the clerk? There was a song a few years ago called Short People which made fun of short people and caused quite a stir about prejudice against short people. I think the Charter of Rights in the new constitution would test whether this bylaw is legal when it has a, built in prejudice against some classes of people. What I would like to know • is what magazines they are going to put out of reach so to speak. Playboy and Hustler and Pen- thouse are mass circulation every bit as much as a newspaper and if they were por- nographic there would be a case against them. So everybody is going to want to know what is on the high shelf. That is where I come in. Will I have to make myself look sil- ly by asking the clerk? Also I would like to point, out two things. First there is such a thing as separation of church and state even if it isonly the town council of a small town. And secondly the government is carrying out a royal commission on pornography so why doesn't the town council wait for that instead of being told what to do by oneof the churches? Very sincerely, "Shortie" young people who want to get into farming, and for farmers who want to be retrained: Pelissero said he was "disappointed" that no special programs were created to res- pond to the immediate demand for affor- dable credit, but added he was "encourag- ed" by the province's commitment to agri- bonds. The OFA originally brought the agri-bond concept to the government's attention. In his budget speech, Grossman said Timbrell is taking the lead to consolidate national credit programs under a Canada -wide agri-. bond program. "That's a positive initiative," Pelissero said. "The OFA will meet with the ministry immediately and ensure that agri-bonds become a reality." Farmers who incorporate will get some relief as well, Pelissero said. They will be exempt from Ontario corporate income tax for the first three years after incorporation. OIVIMB opposes rate changes The Ontario Milk Marketing Board is ask- ing that recent increases in Farm Credit Corporation interest rates be reversed. In a letter to Ontario's 95 federal MPs, the OMMB warns that the increases reflect changes in FCC policy that could help destroy the family farm and raise consumer food prices. Farm Credit rates jumped from a uniform 13 per cent to between 14 and 15 per cent depending on the term of the loan. Accor- ding to a release by Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan, the increase was needed in part to offset anticipated loan losses resulting from the recession last year. The - OMMB is concerned this means 'the Farm Credit Corporation will become a lender of last resort with higher interest rates to mat- ch, and won't provide the kind of stability the Board sees as necessary to agriculture. In an earlier submission on farm credit policy, the OMMB pointed to research that showed high interest rates hit small business and farms hardest, while big business was sheltered. The submission also . noted that farmers L. ' ' invest more money than any other kind of business to generate the same revenue. The OMMB's letter is in support of efforts by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture to bring about changes in Canada's farm credit policy. Weather 1984 1983 May . 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Rain 62 :rim 26 , 12 19 8 20 8 19 11 23 12 19 4 20 9 15 5 6 2 7 3 16. 4 14 - 2 12 5 19 5 Rain 30mm