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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1985-10-02, Page 447-CIAINTOO MWS-BECORD, WEDNESDAY t QCTOBEI•;r 2,,„1985 the CO, p�un� a Isssol -lllcord is pub iishod 0 .sh W sOsoisitqy at f! 9kile$ 99. COnfon..Ontario, •Condo. f1OM 1i3O T.\tr 482-X4!13. 3ppfRsarip►ton Rall®: 1. Catbssio • C09,73 Ss. C191r,en . 646.73 per year W.S..ii, foro1Rn.- $33.00 per year 19 1s re/lmtsred es second clams Tell by rhe'' peso oftlris under the permlF number 4r1}7• The Slaws-Rwcord incorporent d In 1924 .the Han tse„ps.Roserd. bended In 10$1. and TheClinlOn Mewls Seo. fowndod In 1863. To.$nl Pressruns 3.700. Incorporating THE NINTH STANDARD CGN4 ^•° MEMBER J. HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher SHELLEY MtPHEE - Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manger MARY ANN HOLLENSECK - Office Manager MEMBER Display advertising rates available on request. Ask for Rate Card No. 15 effective October 1, 1984. BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1985 Culture is on the move in Clinton The cynics are waiting. The supporters are waiting. Everyone in Clin- ton, it seems, is waiting for an overnight success - the development of an extravagant arts and culture program. People here see arts and culture in surrounding municipalities - in Blyth, in Bayfield, in Goderich, Grand Bend and Stratford. And they wait for similar good fortune to come to Clinton. They do not realize, however, that these successful programs did not appear from thin air. They were developed, and continue to grow, through the work of dozens of dedicated volunteers who spend countless hours raising funds, organizing shows, selling tickets, arranging publici- ty. The work and time involved in such groups is extensive, but the end results are more than gratifying. In Clinton, a small group of volunteers, three to be exact, Gord Gerrits, Judy Stuart and Steve Oliver have worked with the recreation committee and council, to develop some type of arts and culture program for the town. Their first major accomplishment, a successful -one, was the grand re- opening of the Clinton Town Hall. Since then the Recreation Arts Sub Committee has organized a Christmas Festival of Lights, Spring Showers, adult craft courses, and children's entertainmentseries. Yes, despite what the cynics may be saying, Clinton is working to develop an arts and culture program for the town hall auditorium. To expand on the ground work that has been laid by these three volunteers, efforts are being made to organize a Friends of the Arts group in Clinton. As the Blyth Centre for. the Arts. has done with its volunteer group, as ton, uiiinton s attem t ns to develoone p its a similar network ofs of the v olunteers. niza- � g P. In Blyth, the volunteer organization behind the Blyth Centre for the Arts has been working for over a decade. With a membership of more than 60 members, the group is the baclbone'for the fund raising efforts, the promotion, the special events that 'are staged in conjunction with the theatrical prdductions at the Blyth Memorial Hall. The work is not easy. Board members in Blyth can tell you about stress, about burn out, but they can also give you a list ofimpressive ac- complishments over the years that make all the hours, the strain, and the commitment worthwhile. , Arts and culture in. Clinton may never reach the magnitude of the Blyth Festival, it may never receive the same national recognition, but it could be successfully developed into a program that would readily receive local applause and bring additional prosperity and recognition to the town. The direction has already been set and the wheels are in motion. Recently local individuals who have shown an interest in arts and culture endeavors met to set the framework for Friends of the Arts. The essence of the group is simple. Volunteers are the backbone of an organization, and a large, diverse group of volunteers is neededto sup- port Friends of the Arts in Clinton. Gord Gerrits, chairman of the Arts Committee is asking for help,' for people with new ideas, with some time to help plan and stage events. Volunteers may be involved in any number ,of areas of assistance, ac- cording to their interests, talents and availability of time:, , The aim of arts and culture in Clinton is to develop programs that in- terest the children and adults in the community. It is only through the volunteer efforts of local people that this mandate can be met. In Clinton, to date, the majority of people have been observers - wat- ching the progress, the development of programs at the town hall auditorium. The time has come to join in this exciting project. - by S. McPhee. BQhind The Scenes By Keith Roulston Eye on China r'df individual initiative by dangling the glit- tering baubles of western life in front of Ulan: televisions and stereos, expensive fashionable clothing, cars and rncitor bikes. The rewards for frills in society are already higher than the rewards for producing the ncce551I1 .,. Wang can earn far more from his Flowers than he could from growing wheat or rice. Earning far more still is i,i 1'ingfen who opened a nightclub that is quite scandalous by Chinese standards or Yang Yian who produces brightly -colored mos- quito nets. The new prosperity collides with the old system in terms of supply and demand. The waitrig list for some things like motor bikes is so long that people began finding ways around it through bribery and blacknrarketing. What will be fascinating will be to see just where the balance between communist ideals and capitalist practicality finally is struck. We in the West have been coming to the same balancing act from the opposite direction and it remarli�s an uneasy balance with each side of thetltrquation trying to push the balancing point a little father. During the '60s and early '70s those who saw the problems of the capitalist system pushed for government intervention to lessen the hard- ship on those who didn't fit into the systetn. Today the push is in the other direction as people claim the welfare state has failed and we must get government and its regula- tions out of our lives. A stable balancing point will likely never be found in this ongoing struggle. But while the various factions here squabble, it would be good if they kept an eye on China and see what lessons that vast, intriguing land can teach us. For Westerners, China has always been one of the most fascinating countries in the world and the next few years in that country promise to be even more fascinating than usual. . China is in the midst of a great experi- ment as the Conununist government tries I o breath new life into the economy by allow- ing at least a small amount of free enter- prise. In a recent issue of National Geographic magazine there was a profile on Sichuan province, the first area of China to adopt the new freedom to start .s business on your own. Changes for some people have been dramatic. i The case of Wang Yongdi is an illustra- tion. Wang grows flowers on 1.64 acres and grossed the equivalent of $28,000 in one year. By comparison, the average annual income of people in another poor country in the pro- vince is justover $100 a year. There is no doubt about it, private enter- prise is going to improve the lot of many Chinese. There's no doubt too that there will be those who will be cautious about getting involved. They've seen the winds of change turn in the opposite direction many times in a lifetime. Capitalists were persecuted and made nut to be demons after the communist takeover. Then came the various cam- paigns of Mao Tsetung according to his latest whim, culminating in the "Cultural Revolution" that saw many who had once been heroes of the revolution being ex- ecuted, exiled or just thrown out of work. Now comes a new leader with now ideas but he is old and what ideas will his su('cessor have. From the other side it is sad to see the road the new freedom seems to be leading down. Chinese leadership has sold the idea First the Christmas catalogue, now the Old Farmer's Almanac- What's the rush? Why is everyone so anxious to get 1985 over and done with? Arrival of the Farmer's Almanac has been a signal of the arrival of the fall season for the past 194 years. As it has for years past, the familiar black and yellow covered booklet continues to be a favorite guide and source of information on weather, lunar and solar eclipse schedules, the best times to plant and tide times. It of- fers time tested recipes and words of wisdom, household hints and fishing tips, historical accounts, puzzles and horoscope updates. Most importantly, the Old Farmer's Almanac gives the weather forecast for the next year. And here's what the prognosis is for southern Ontario this winter - "colder than normal, to have slightly greater than normal precipitation and well above normal snowfall.” That's nothing new. Winter forecasts always read that way! Best to prepare for the worst, I suppose. That way a milder winter (we can only hope) will seem even better. People are actually talking Christmas these days - talking about how fast it's ap- proaching and how they're not ready for it. Few people are actually ever ready for Christmas. Every year we plot and plan, but still December 25 always seems to corrie sooner than expected. I've usually got Christmas under control by about December 27. Better late than never, I say! Remember, there are 73 shopping clays until Christmas. The countdown is on. Who's leading who? This Sunday., Lions Club members will be staging a Dog Walk-A-Thon in Goderich to help raise funds to train seeing eye dogs for the blind in Canada. Clinton's own Lion Steve Fraser and. his canine companion will be taking part in that walk. Steve admits that there is some doubt in his mind who will be doing the leading and who will be doing the walking, as his pet is the independent sort with a mind of his own. Anyone who's interested in supporting the Lions Club in this fund raising effort may contact Steve at the Royal Bank in Clinton. Recycling Week Saturday, October 5, the Lions Clubs in Londesborough and Bayfield will be making their monthly newspaper collections in Clin- ton and our lakeside village. Co -incidentally this month's local collec- tions fall in line with the first ever Recycling Week in Ontario. Being sponsored by the Recycling Council of Ontario and Environment Ontario, the special week is designed to inform the Penny Sale, best ever Dear Editor: Another successful Clinton Penny Sale has just concluded on September 28 at St. Paul's Anglican Church Hall with a profit of $3,800. The members of the Hospital Auxiliary wish to extend a special thank you to all the merchants of Clinton atild surrounding area who donated cash and over 200 beautiful prizes. Their generosity made this the most successful. Penny Sale in 31 years. As Penny Sale convenor, I also wish to thank the hard working Auxiliary members and volunteer 'helpers as well as the many ticket buyers for your continued support. Catherine McKnight • Convenor publip.aboptlocal recycling projects and to learn how to recycle more at-home and at work. Environment Minister Jim Bradley says, that recycling is one major area where everyone can make a personal contribution to protect and improve the environment and to conserve our precious resources. "Public environmental groups- promote recycling and raise public awareness about, waste management. Individual citizens par- ticipate through sourceseparation. Municipalities take care of home collection of recyclable material. Industries, besides recycling a lot of their waste themselves, provide a stable market for recycled pro- ducts and put reclaimed material to use. Finally, governments contribute to recycl- ing by providing funds, expert advice and large scale promotion," he reports. Ontario'sexperienced recyclers have shown that up to 15 percent of household waste in the form of newspapers, glass and metal cans can be collected and recycled. Home composting of organic wastes pro- vides another opportunity for public par- ticipation. This reduces the amount of waste generated in a community, keeping more waste out of landfill sites and putting it to productive use. You can do your part by supporting the monthly paper drives. Be sure to have your old newspapers bundled and placed orit at the curb, early Saturday morning. Vanastra news This week we welcome Maureen Densmore back to the pages of the News - Record. Maureen will be keeping us in touch with'the news'and events from Vanastra. Maureen's name may be familiar to some readers - she was a former 'correspondent for Vanastra for three years. Please pass on any community happenings and reports to Maureen at 482-7723. Bringing home the bronze Bill and Marjorie . Caldwell of Clinton brought home a third place finish and bronze pins from the euchre competition, held in connection with the Tri -County Senior Games in St. Marys on Septemsber Minlue Rumball and Margaret Switzer24., also of Clinton, took part in the cribbage tournament. Correction A headline in thb September 25 edition of the News -Record incorrectly stated that the late Dr. Walter A. Oakes was the first surgeon at the Clinton Public Hospital. While there is a distinct difference between surgeons and general practitioners in today's medical profession, in years gone by, doctors were trained with a general knowledge in all areas of medicine. We apologize for this error. While driving along Ontario Street, the front lawn of John and Jj dy Alilovic, may etch your eye. The couple had two fountains built, complete with lights. They considered put- ting the fountains in the backyard but decided on the front lawn so others could enjoy their beauty. (Anne Narejko photo) Sugar an Spice As years pass us' by I WAS going to say, "There's nothing more boring than old people talking about the 'good old days' when they were young." Then I realized that I'was out in left field, with nobody at bat, the pitcher chewing tobacco and spitting, juice, the •catcher fumbling around trying to adjust his athletic protector, as they now call a metal jockstrap. There are many things more boring. Little children who want one more horsey ride when your spine feels fractured in eight .places from the 10 previous jaunts. Teenagers babbling endlessly about rock. stars, boyfriends, girlfriends, • and the money they need to keep up • with their friends. "How come we only have a 21 inch TV? I'm 16: why can't I stay, o t bit 3 a.m. whif I want to? I'm the only g doesn't have construction workers boots!" University students, perhaps the most boring creatures in our society. After the in- itial chirps of recognition: '"Oh, Mr. Smiley, how are you? How's it going?" And then 40 minutes of strrlight, self-centred description of their uni' ersity courses or their jobs, their professors, their disenchantment with their cour'.es, their unspoken admission that they can', hack it, as you knew they couldn't in the fi•. st place. I m:tnage to brush them off after about eight minutes with a cheery, "So long, Sam, great to hear you're doing so well, and best of luck. I have to go to an orgy for senior citizens that starts in four minutes, with the pornographic movie." It's great to leave them there with their mouths hanging open. Next worse, in the boring department, are young couples who have produced one or two infants, and talk as though they'd swum the Atlantic, or climbed Mount Everest. By Bill Smiley "1,et me tell you what 'l'inuny t or Kimmy 1 said the other day. He was sawing wood in the nursery school, and his saw slipped, and he pointed at his saw. and he said, "Don't you dare do that', and the teacher told me, and she said it was the most hilarious Ming she'd ever seen, and blah blahblah, and Boring, B -o -r -i -n -g. We can all top that type of , story. My daughter, age seven, (trade 2, just getting over the Santa Claus bit, came home one day and told my wife she knew what a certain familiar four-letter word that she'd seen scrawled on the sidewalk meant. At the time, rather absentmindedly, with Dr. Spock lurking in the background, she en- quired, "And what does it mean, dear?" The response was, "When men and ladies lie down on top of eact, other and go to the bathroom," That was the end of any birds and bees instruction. Next in a descending line of boring con- versationalists are middle-aged grand- parents. The women, young enough to still elicit a whistle on a dark night, the men old enough to suck in their paunches when a bikini walks by, they act as though they had invented grandchildren. They whine ex- changed whimpers about the baby-sitting they have to do. They brag that their grand- children are the worst little devils in the world. Boring. And finally, we get to the elderly. Certain- ly some of them are boring, but they are the ones who have been bores all their lives. But the others, the salty ones, even though slowed by the body's increasing frailty, re- tain their saltiness, and even improve on it, because they don't give a god damn anymore. They can say what they like and do what they like. And they do. 1 I've met or talked to three men in their° • late 80s recently, My father-in-law, 89, seemed rather frail when we arrived for a visit, at 3 p.m. At 11 that night we were still arguing religion and politics, at top form. I've told you about old Campbell, the 85-er who dowses wells and is .set to go I1 Paraguay. Talked to my great-uncle, riddl- ed with arthritis, and his voice and welcome were as warm and crackling as a fireplace freshly lit. This whole colwnn was inspired by a clip- ping my sister sent me about 88 year old Lawrence Consitt of Perth, Ontario, Lawrence was present when the last man was hanged in Perth, His comment: ,"It was strange." The man had turned to the crowd and smiled just before his death. He had murdered his wife. Today he'd be given a manslaughter and six years. Lawrence started playing piano 79 years at'n, at dances, at the silent pictures t.heatre.• He got $5 a night for a dance. The talkies knocked him ouL "f a job in 1930. But he kept on playing ragtime noel jaz Y wherever there was an opening. I listened to him, improvis.. 'or the silent movies. I danced to his piano a: country dances, with his nieces and greatLnieces. He always mad a crock. Took the pledge in 1925. It lasted 13 months. Got sick on a ship to France in 1918, and was too late to be kill- ed. He never married; "But i drank a lot of Whiskey." He's in one of those Sunset Havens now, but when they ask him when he'll be back froth a day in Perth, he says, "It depends on who I meet." That's boring? Hang on, Lawrence. You gave great pleasure to many people. i hope 1 can stay as salty as you. Peo