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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1985-10-16, Page 5Page 4--CLINTQN f IEWS-R CQI P, YirEPNESPAY, OCTOBEU 16,1985 The C Inion NeSssrReSerd in published ouch Wednet4ay at P.O. lox 394 Cllntpn, Ontario, Cando, NOM 11.0.Ts1.148243143. Sabsoriptlen Rale: Cando -819.75 Sr. CitI cn • 510.75 per race U.S.A. foreign • 655.00 per. year if i, raid as artont4 dais mall 07 The pent Ohm ander $ria mrtntlt number 0017. The N tborovittbKoMI lncorpotattad In 1'44., the Kuron Norrs,RErnord, foundred in teat and The Clinton Netse Ere. ESeste qd in 1065. Total pressruns 3.700. Clinton. News -Record Incorporating (TIIL BLYTH STANDARD) J. HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher SHELLEY McPHEE - Editor .-e COMA GARY HAIST - Advertising Manager MARY ANN HALLENBECK - Office Manager MEMBER A MEMBER Display advertising rates available on request. Ask for Rate Card No. 15 effective October 1, 1989. BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1985 Speak now or never This is the week when concerned taxpayers have the opportunity to change things in municipal politics. From now until October 21 can- didates may declare their intentions to run in the November 12 municipal elections. Nomination forms are available at all municipal offices in the area. To qualify, candidates must fill out the forms and have the signatures of 10 supporters. That's all it takes to have a chance on the ballot. Local government is run by ordinary. citizens, like you and I. It involves teachers and business owners, farmers and tradespeople,. mothers and achers. While the positions on council do not require any special training 9r skills, they do require enthusiasm and energy, intelligence and a pro- gressive vision of the future. Municipal councillors come in all shapes and sizes. Some work ex- tremely hard. Others work to the bare minimum. Some are outspoken, others are the silent observers. Being on -council is a group effort and an individual challenge. It.means a commitmentlbof three years, the council term, and at least two meetings a month during those three years._ It means arguments around the council table and hearing ratepayers' complaints on the streets. It means late nights, little monetary rewards. It means criticism and lack of support. It means a personal commitment and involvement: What are the rewards? People who involve themselves in council do so with the belief that they are working for the betterment of their communities. Our towns, villages and townships are only as progressive and suc- cessful as the people who work to make it so. Councillors and committee members who are willing to work for their municipality, and work hard, do make a difference. Pre -requisites for the job are siznple. It takes a person who is willing to accept challenges and criticism, who is optimistic and patient, who has ample common sense and a good sense of humor. We knowthere are hundreds of men and women out there who could fit the bill and make a worthwhile contribution to the council in their municipalities. Often these are the people who voice their opinions, give their suggestions and criticize councils. Unfortunately, around election time these same people tend to crawl into the woodwork. . Now is your opportunity to change the way your council is run. The jobs are there for the taking. -by S. McPhee. • Be thankful for blessings Dear Editor ,Thanksgiving - Thanksliving. Did you read the article "How • Many People Keep Thanksgiving...?" in the last• issue of FOCUS? Is it the.opinion of the majority in our country that we no longer have to thank God for all we receive? If so, God help our country! What other people have more reasons to be thankful to God tor His blessings than we in Huron County? Have you noticed how abundant our crops are every year? For sure, we have the world's best farmers, but they, like it or not, are totally dependent upon the favor of -God. Thanksgiving Day has passed again and if you did not give thanks to Whom thanks was due do so every day from now on. M. Van Wyk Behind The Scenes By Keith Roulston No mce guys here Darn that David Peterson. He's made us the bad guys again. Mr. Peterson is the only politician in power in Canada who is against free trade between this country and our giant neighbor to the south and as such. he's cultivating our image as the "ugly Ontarians" again. I listened to a radio interview with Peter Lougheed the other day and knew I should feel ashamed to come from this province. We're a greedy, ignorant lot. We know nothing about what the Prairies are like or the Maritimes or B.C. either. Like the Americans, we can see only the picture postcard scenes of those far off parts. We're not like the Albertans who know so much about how we live. They know we all live in Toronto or Hamilton, that we all live fat -cat lives and want to keep everyone else in the country from living the same way. We're a sneaky, greedy lot, not looking out for the good of the country at all but simply what's best for ourselves. That's why Mr. Peterson is trying to block free trade. We can't compete with the rest of the world so we rig the rules in our favor. We're always scheming and conniving to keep our edge, getting equally unscrupulous people in Ottawa like that Trudeau fellow to help us set the rules to help us stay on top of the country. Everybody knows that the Na- tional Energy Program was a plan to destroy those upstarts out west who were getting too uppity. Mr. I,ougheed can speak with perfect con- viction that his province is always the vic- tim and we are the bullies. Like a victim of a traffic accident, he knows that none of what has happened in his fault. It was always the other guy ( that's us l •who was at fault. Ques- tioned if he was urtappy that so many negotiations he had taken pal t in as premier Each September we remind readers about road safety and precautions to take with the resumption of the school year. Yet school safety is not a topic of discussion that is solely reserved for September. It is a message that deserves repeating at all times of the year. This week, October 17-23, the Canada Safety Council is promoting School Safety Week. For many children, the day begins with a walk to school or a ride in the school bus. For most this is a time to get together with classmates, to exchange stories and lunches. But for some, the journey to school is marred by tragedy. Approximately 100 young pedestrians of ages five to 14 are killed each year in Canada; many more are injured, some resulting in permanent disabilities. Unlike the adult's, a child's peripheral vision and body co-ordination have not yet. fully developed. These physical differences, when coupled with a lack of experience in of his province had been so acrimonious. He was, he said, but what could he do? It was all that man Trudeau's fault, or that man Bill Davis or that man David Peterson. • When things go wrong with the dream of western supremacy such as western banks going broke, it is not because management was bad (or perhaps even a little dishonest it was because of that man Trudeau ruined the economy with his national Energy Pro- gram, and because those horrible eastern bankers pulled their loans so as to destroy the western banks. All that industry in Ontario isn't there because by a freak of geography and history, there is a finger of Canadian land that stretches right down into the heartland of the major population centres of the U.S. Our growth, Mr. Lougheed and all westerns know, is because we rigged the railway rates to keep the west producers of raw materials and consumers of manufactured products. Probably we even rigged the weather so that there were more frost -free days down here so our farmers (woops, we have Farmers? I thought we all lived near Bay Street) can grow crops like soybean and tobacco that really make money. Now I know Mr. Peterson likes to think of himself as a nice guy. So do our local cabinet ministers Jack Riddell and Murray Elston. But they can't be nice guys because they come from Ontario. Being a nice- guy from Ontario is like Ronald Reagan discovering a nice guy in the godless evil empire of Russia, like saying the New York Yankee fans who boo national anthems are nice guys. If you guys want to be nice guys on the side of righteousness, with no feelings of guilt, you'd better rhove west. ' By Shelley McPhee judging a vehicle's speed can make the traffic environment a hazardous plaee, especially if' the child does not possess a sound knowledge of the rules of the road. Parents of young children are urged to take this opportunity to review, model and practice the basic rules.of traffic safety with their children; - Look all ways before stepping off the .curb. Do your ,own looking - don't rely on the person ahead of you. - Don't jaywalk. Cross only at intersections or at midbloek crosswalks where drivers will be more alert to pedestrians. - Walk, don't run, when crossing the street. - Where there are no sidewalks, walk in single file off the road pavement on the left side, facing oncoming traffic. In this way, you will be able to see oncoming vehicles and, if necessary, step to the left out of their way. . - Where there are traffic lights, obey the WALK and DON'T WALK lights., - Keep away from parked cars. Stress that Sugar and Spice maw. cul .vuau never accept a ride to schoof from a stranger, even if they are late or have .misseda bus. Explain that strangers can be old or young, male or female and that sometimes people will try to lure children with treats or false excuses (i.e. "Your mother asked me to drive you home.") - Play in safe places, away from traffic. - Ride bikes safely and obey all signs and signals. - Know the Block Parent homes in your community. These are places, where children can seek refuge. Clinton has an active Block Parents program and Blyth residents are reminded that an information meeting on the newly formed organization in that village will be held on Tuesday, October 22 at 8 p.rn. at the Blyth Public School. Not only public school aged children need to be reminded about traffic safety rules. Both teenagers -and many adults could use a refresher course on the courtesies and rules of the road. May they take a hint, and a lesson, from the above safety pointers. The trials of summer AH, summers are not what they used to be, except for the young. They're not as long, not as hot, and not as mysterious. That's the story of our recent one, at least in my books. ' • It was cool and wet, fine October weather in July, not one night sweltering in bed, listening to the one mosquito that had penetrated the screen. In fact; even the bugs were hibernating: Too cold for me, Marna. Too wet for me, Daddy." Only a few intrepid earwigs seemed to. tough it out. Do you panic and start smashing and squashing when an earwig scampers across • your bathtub? I do: • August was even more of a disaster, at least for me. The toilet tank on my downstairs Johnny burst one night after a ' fierce thunderstorm. I'd heard water runn- ing, but thought it was off the roof. Went downstairs and walked (in my slip- , pers) into half an inch of wafer on the kit- chen floor, a river running down the base- ment stairs, and when I waded to the base - Ment, two inches down there, with more pouring down every second,i .Started.throwing towels all over the place. The water kept gushing out. of the tank. Fid died with it. It kept spurting through the busted tank, like an elephant having aleak. Thank the Lord for plumbers, especially when they're old friends and good Anglicans. We got her stopped. That is, I dashed about in my sodden slippers, trying to keep it from flowing onto the hardwood and under the rug, and Tom had enough sense to turn the water off, at some secretive tap in the basement, which By Bill Smiley hadn't been able to find. Then came a man from the insurance company, with a 60 -foot snake that sucked up all the water. Jolly good. But it was not to be. Next morning, my upstairs toilet overflowed and I went through the throwing - towels routine again. Oh, well, these things are sent to try us. I don't know for what. I don't want to be in charge of the towel -throwing department when the next Flood comes along. Mean- time, I'm going to have an awesome plumber's bill. Summer, of course, was not all bad. Some • old friends sought me out. I was invited to Victoria, B.C., the Ottawa Valley, to Goderich,. Ont., by old airforce friend Anderson, to Georgetown fora meal any time, to the Bruce Peninsula, and so on. And I got. gifts. Don McCuaig, an old newspaper friend, gave me a copy of Dieppe and Beyond by John Patrick Grogan ( isn't that a lovely Ottawa Valley Irish name'? ) describing the life of a young Canadian cap- tured at Dieppe, and his life as a P.O.W. It is a good read, and can be bought from Juniper Books, RR 2, Renfrew. Another oldnewspaper friend, George Cadogan, dropped around and I stuck him . for lunch and a good reminisce. An old golfing buddy, Bruce Coran, turned up. Hadn't seen him for 20 odd years. He didn't bring me a present, but a memory.. One time, he took four swings with a four - wood and moved the ball 40 yards. Then he calmly took his golf club, put his foot iii the, middle of the shaft, bent it double, and threw it into the woods, without altering his . composure, except for the face turning pur- pie. Back to gifts. My son, Hugh, brougiit me an eight -pound Arctic char ( frozen, of di course) from Baker Lake, N.W.T. Hugh was quite pleased with himself, but what does an; 111111 aging widower do with a great, hairy eight - pound fish? We solved it by giving half to the neighbors, cooking up some steaks, and making a massive fish salad. It's delicious, just like salmon. Even Ben, my grandboy, left ire souvenir. Of course, he usually does. Last March Break, it was a rung kicked out of the. bannister. This time, it was a baseball through a storm window and screen. And I received numerous gifts by mail: everything from being accused as a male chauvinist to an excellent writer: but I'll deal with these in another colurnn. Another gift; as summer waned ( how does one wane?) was an evening with old student and comrade, Julie, home after a year in France, and oh, so sophisticated. We split a bottle of wine ( not chilled, as she scolded), she gave me good advice, and we parted with a hug and kiss. First time I've kissed a girl'in a year or two. It wasn't bad. In any way. The lady who keeps my house 'from look- ing like a hovel, Evelyn, keeps bringing me corn and tarts and muffins. Gerry, the young guy who keeps my place from looking like a jungle, kept it looking like a well-bred jungle. Not a bad stunner? Except. Except, I got word that my little brother had died. I'd thought of visiting him this fall, in England. Too late. World Food Day food for thought Dear Editor, Oct, 16 is World Food Day, an opportunity for us all to reflect, debate and act upon world food issues. The Ontario World Food Day Coordinating Committee is a coalition of voluntary and private sector organiza- tions, government agencies, businesses and individuals concerned with these issues. World Food Day is celebrated in 147 coun- tries each Oct. 16 to commemorate the foun- ding of the Food and Agriculture Organiza- tion ( FAO) by the United Nations in Quebec City in 1945. . The goal of the World Food Day Associa- tion of Canada, and its provincial coor- dinating committees, is to assist the in- dividual to assess and to act upon the issues and to afford member organizations the op- portunity to work toward "food for all". This year the World Food Day theme is "Youth and Food", which focuses attention on the combined issues of food production, food resources and, the International Year of Youth. In 1980, the global youth population ) defin- ed as ages 15-24 years) was estimated at 857 million, an increase of 67 percent over the previous 20 years. Current United Nations projections indicate that it will pass the one billion mark in 1991. At present four out of five young people are residents of the less developed regions of the world, and the difference in the relative size of the youth population between more and less developed regions is increas- inApproximately nine out of 20 young people worldwide are urban residents. Young peo- ple are more likely to live in urban regions than the rest of the population due to migra- tion from rural to urban areas in search of employment, education and other oppor- tunities. As the world's youth flock to the cities and urban centres, food production will alinost certainly decline and food resources become more scarce. This year, World Food Day offers us the opportunity to contemplate the plight of to- day's youth, to force ourselves to look bdlyond the numbers and concentrate on solving the,problerns which cause hunger. There is no single 'solution to hunger. On this special day, and throughout the year, each of us must assume our responsibility for informing ourselves about the issues and sharing in the search for ways to ensure "food for all" in our world. The Ontario World Food Day Coordinating Cornmittee is totally committed to this end. ' Sincerely yours, Marilyn J. Sanders, Chairman, Ontario World Food Day Coordinating Conunittee Reader awaiting clash of opinions Dear Editor: The juxtaposition of Keith Roulston's editorial taking a forthright position in one direction and Colin Brown's letter taking a forthright position in the opposite direction was quite an amazing coincidence. Or was it deliberate? Mr. Roulston put his finger on just about the most serious chronic problem our coun- try has had to face when he wrote (about Star Kist): "The government sang the praises of foreign investment, and downplayed the dangers, yet here is a com- pany owned by a foreign giant threatening to close a plant in a depressed province and throw 400 people out of work unless it got its one, have never heard of it. Some of the own way to do something that " phraseology in the letter bearing Colin unethical." Brown's signature seems to have a slickness indicating that it might have come from the typewriter of a paid publicist, possibly even a foreign paid publicist. In any event, when Mr. Brown reads Mr. Roulston, if he does, and when Mr. Roulston reads Mr. Brown, we should have a fascinating clash developing. was In the adjacent columns under the heading "Get rid of Petro -Canada, reader urges" Colin Brown, obviously in a rage, tears Petro -Canada apart, carefully avoiding any reference to the poor record the multinational oil companies have of ser- ving the best interests of Canada and Cana- dians. Is it possible that Colin Brown is, in fact, a mouthpiece for foreign multinationals? What is the National Citizens' Coalition? What does its membership stand for? I, for Invitation to participate in forum To All Community Groups, Agencies and Health Service Providers: You are invited to participate in a public forum entitled "Planning for Health in Huron County", sponsored by the Huron County Community Services Council. The agenda will include two presentations which are intended to provide an overview of health planning in Ontario and Huron County specifically. Opportunities will be provided for input. Suggestions and opinions offered by those in attendance will be included in a summary report to be prepared by the Community Services Council and submitted to the Minister of Health. You are urged to attend. Sincerely, P. Carroll Secretary, Health Planning Committee NOTE: For further information please con - Yours expectantly, Alexander McAlister tact one or more of the committee members: Valerie Bolton. Women Today. 482-9706 ( Clinton ); Gord MacKenzie, Hospital Administrator, 527-1650 (Se for- th); Paula Pranovi, Alcohol Education Pro- gram, 524-4264 (Goderich) : Lynne Armstrong -Hayes, Cancer Society, 357-2835 (Wingham); Laurie Urb, Palliative Care Program, 527-1650 (Seaforth) ; Dr. Don Neal, Huron County Medical Society, 524- 7303 (Goderich) ; Tom Hanrahan, Palliative Care Program, 482-3447 (Clinton); Jim Bain, Ministry of Health, ( 416 )963-0690 (Toronto).