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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1986-01-15, Page 4Page 4—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1906 The CI.lnton News•Rocerd is- published each Wednesday at P.O. Ilex 39. C"hito®. Ontario. Cenado. NOM 11.0. Tal.: 4.02.9447. Subscrgption Rate: Cenada•$21.00 Sr. CItl.en • s 13.00 per year U.S.A. foreign 000.00 per year 1t 10 registered et pond icla#a mon by 1114 petit /Alto ander the porrnit number 921z. Tho Plowi.Record Intorpgrnt$.d in 1924 thofturon Nows•Rotord, founded In 1011, end Tho Clinton Mewl Oa, founded In 1000. total prat" runs 7,700. Incorporating THE 'MYTH STANDARD J. HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher ANNE NAREJKO - Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manager MARY ANN HALLENBECK - Office Manager Display advertising rates available on request. Ask for Rate Cord No. 15 effective Oc. tober 1. 1906. A MEMBER A BLUE 11090* AWARD 1985 Head start helps everyone Clinton Council has taken a step towards tackling a yearly task which is both complicated and tiresome. - During its January 6 meeting, Councillor Ross Carter proposed a target be set for the increase in the 1986 budget. He also suggested that council consider asking committees to explain why they deem an. increase necessary. Although council cannot control the overall budget because of educa- tion and county wide increases, they can control expenses within the town. If council can meet the three per cent goal it has set for itself, taxes should be kept in line and residents will not be hit with an excessive tax hike for services rendered in town. However, the county has set increases for its department heads which will force the budget of each town and village to rise - a cost which local councils have no control over. Council has also put itself in an advantageous position by starting to work on the budget well ahead of time, avoiding any hasty, last minute decisions which could cost taxpayers money or hamper services. Once again, there are factors which council cannot control and will have to wait on before finalizing the budget, but it is important that they start work on the details which are available to them. The three per cent increase was not passed as a motion by council, but' went into the record books as council's goal for the 1986 budget. Members of council went one step further during their first meeting of 1986, appointing a committee to negotiate salaries for town employees. The three man committee, consisting of Councillors Carter, John Cochrane and Mayor John Balfour, is -a way in which all concerns can be , heard by, one group, and in return, an overall picture can be established. Council can use this picture to negotiate fair salaries, benefiting those directly involved as well as the taxpayers. The goal council has set for itself is admirable but will take a lot of work to meet as services cannot be cutback drastically without having ill ef- fects on the town. However, it's nice to see a new council taking control of a difficult, yet vitally important, issue. - by Anne Narejko LeUer gives gratification Dear Editor: Regarding "A, letter for teens" in your January 8 issue. Nearly at a loss for ade- quate words to express my personal gratification, and what should be for many ( hopefully) parents past and present, for the supremely written letter by one of, I fear, dying breed of mother and parents. Also thank you Clinton News -Record for putting it into print. The only thing that could please me more would be if it were not only to be printed in every newspaPer coast to coast, but also have it printed in large type on an eye catching type poster. Then have it hung in the portals -of every publicly trespassed building in our country - bars, churches, stores and of course each and every school. In all my travels and with considerable years already filling out my belt, never before and doubtful if I will again, for sometime, ever be so priveleged of reading such. a sincere, realistic and true love af- fidavit to one's child or children! Certainly it's not of the tear to eye type so many lean toward. But of the nature, of good solid, dependable, tough and lasting love and devotion, of which so many are to me sadly lacking in our mixed up world. Again at loss for words, may I say, other than for myown now passed on Mom, if I had a- choice of mother to be born to once again, you would be a number one choice. Tip of my bat, anonymous "Mother", and may you walk in eternal sunshine. Name Withheld Reader -wants information Dear Editor: I am assisting Barbara Mitchell of Trent University, Peterborough who is writing a biography on her father-in-law, W.O. Mit- chell. She is seeking information on W.O. Mit- chell's mother, Maggie McMurray who was born in Clinton on April 24, 1875. Maggie's parents were Margaret Beggart and John McMurray. They were married in Lockport, New York on July 1, 1874. John McMurray was a warehouse man in Clinton until the family moved to Weyburn, Saskatchewan around 1899. If you have any information regarding Maggie McMurray Mitchell or her parents, please contact: - Nancy Kale:" Research Co-ordinator Huron County Branch OGS RAI 5 Seaforth, Ontario NOK 1WO 345-2908 , Report examines inequities By: Joan Van Den Broeck _. Trustee, Huron County Board of Education I appreciate the fairness of the position taken by the Shapiro Commission Report on Private Schools in Ontario.. Based to a large measure on the premise • that it is rnorallysuspect to extend full fun- ding for the Roman Catholic Separate School School without considering the ine- quities,this creates, the commission makes a total of 61. recommendations all of which, on the surface, appear to be not only of benefit to the existing independent schools but also to the general public good with some unique spin-off benefits and oppor- ,tunities to the public school system. The commission makes a valid point, too, in suggesting that it is not enough for the government to demand compulsory educa- tion for all children without being prepared to underwrite some very minimal stan- dards. With the proliferation of independent schools, the needs of these students (83,463/83) cannot be readily dismissed: For example, in order°for young people to take their place in Canadian Society, the first language of instruction' in any school shouldbe either English or French and in- clude learning experiences in the arts, mathematics, sciences, Canadian and world stadiea and physical education. Also, no schools in Ontario should be per - milted to promote racial, religious or ethnic superiority or foster intolerance in our society. Schools unwilling to meet such Minim -i1 standards could; tinder the ctirri- Winter's for the birds By Alan Rivett Jack's jottings Cambridge gets Toyota Premier David Peterson has welcomed the news that the Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan will build its first Canadian auto plant, a $400 -million investment,, in Cam- bridge. The investment by Tdy'ota; the -third'-• largest carmaker in the work, will create. 1,000 direct jobs. An additional 2,500 indirect jobs will be created in the;, Cambridge - Waterloo area. Premier Peterson acknowledged the ef- forts of Industry, Trade and Technology Minister - Hugh O'Neil, who was "instrumental in attracting this major in- vestment opportunity to Ontario". In 'his comments, Mc. O'Neil stated the Toyota deal "will see the introduction of new technologies and management techniques, increased access to North American markets and spin-off opportunities for Canadian -owned firms. The Cambridge operation will begin production in 1988, pro- ducing 1.6 litre Corolla -type carts for the. Canadian -and U.S. markets. At the Toyota press conference, the Premier said, "The new Toyota plant will be a highly efficient, state-of-the-art manufac- turing plant that will utilize the talents and skills of Ontario's vital workforce. "Because of the.significant long-term op- portunities'and benefits of this project, the Government of Ontario has taken an active role in assisting Toyota Motor Corporation with the project. "Through the Honourable Greg Sorbara's mission's recommendations, be declared• il- legal. Proposed fundingto the independent schools will not be freely given, nor will it be as lucrative as that provided to the public schools. Individual independent schools must decide between the value of associating itself with a local scchool board. to receive funding or declining this invita- tion in favor of greater independence. • It is true that acknowledging, through funding, independent schools- could ac- celerate the fragmentation of the public school system, but there seems to be a feel- ing that this fragmentation will occur anyway. The comrnission's recommenda- tions attempt to fold in some commonalities and provide some common.linkage, through association, to soften the impact. Should the commission's recommenda- tions be implemented in the spirit in which they were made, the province will have come a long way. in providing, direction and a future vision in keeping with society's cur- rent 'wants' -provided they acknowledge the funding needs of the public school system. The cost of the recommendations - estirnated at "no more than 200 million/an- num" `' num concerns me coining after iter -year decline in provincial funding to the- public school ;System. ' Will . these costs, too, be sgraduaily diverted to the Municipalities? - Unless the province�,is viiling - and able - to commit itself to financing its own legislative initiatives, the local 'Arden will, in the, near future,. become acute. Therein lies the dileri'itnai . By Jack RiddII, MPP Ministry of Skills Development, the pro- vince will provide $15 -million over five years toward an overall program to train Ontario workers. "In light of the significance of,this,prgject,, the Ontario government has extended a $35 million repayable, interest-free loan based on pre -determined production targets. This contribution is a sound investment' in developing the skills of Ontario's workforce, and consistent with this government's on- going commitment to match the expertise of Ontario workers to new technologies and in- dustries." Queen's Counsels Abolished and Revoked The Ontario government will abolish the honorary title of Queen's Counsel (Q.C.) for lawyers and revoke all existing Queen's Counsel appointments in the province. In making the announcement, ‚Premier David Peterson poined out that Qeen's Counsels were originally intended to be modelled on the English tradition, where the Queen's Counsel is available only to barristers, bas- ed on their proven excellence as courtroom lawyers. In Ontario, however, Q.C.'s were awarded to any member in good standing of the Law Society of Upper Canada, and reci- pients could be corporate lawyers, cour- troom lawyers or lawyers working in the private or public sector and not actively engaged in the practice of law. Premier Peterson stated that one of the Sugar and Spice reasons for abolishing Q. C.'s is that the title misleads the public and that it has become unfair to lawyers. While having a Q.C. may not 'have meant the person was a .better lawyer, not havinga Q.0 at a certain point in a lawyer's. career may have been perceiv- ed as a mark of demerit. The use of the title Queen's Counsel as a form of political patronage by previous governments is another reason for ending the practice. As Premien Peterson stated, This govern- ment, however, makes its appointments on the basis of merit alone; on the basis of what a person can do rather than who a person knows." The Attorney General has also asked the federal Minister of Justice not to make any new appointments in Ontario. New Appointment Dr. James Ham is now the Chairman of the new Industrial Disease Standards Panel under the Workers' Compensation Act. In announcing Dr. Ham's appointment, Labor Minister bill Wryeointed out that Dr. Ham is a past president of the University of Toronto and a past Dean of Applied Science and Engineering at the university. He also served as the Chairman of the Royal Com mission on Health and Safety of Workers in Mines. The panel will investigate industrial diseases, and their causes and how best to deal with them under the Worker's Compen- sation Act. . Keep looking up Keep on looking up Looking back at 1985 is a particularly negative action. Don't do it, unless you want _ to remind yourself that human life is pretty cheap in the eyes of the. gods or whoever is running the joint. India took some heavy lumps. First, the mess at Bhopal,. where a carbidecompany took a leak (no . pun intended), and thousands were killed or made gravely ill. Then the mysterious crash 6f Air India off •- the coast of Ireland. No survivors. Just or- dinary people, going home to visit relatives. Can you imagine the terror as they plunged towards the sea? Screaming, clutching babies. To no avail. The brutal cold of the North Atlantic gave up almost nothing — a few bits of flotsam and jetsam, a few bodies. And other air crashes, not so spectacular, but just as deadly for those who died. And the ghastly shbot-out at Malta, where nobody seemed to know, or care, whether the rescuers were shooting terrorists or passengers. And the hijacking of an entire 'cruise ship in the Mediterranean. But even these events paled when corn - pared to the grotesque tragedy of the earth- quakes in Mexico 'and Columbia. Not only about 40,000 dead,, but thousands of otheres with their lives over -turned, their crops destroyed, their homes last. And- -we.-worry--because.. the price ..of Christmas trees has gone up again. Things haven't leen much sweeter at home, eiien though Canadians live in the best country in the world, and seem to be immune frotrc great -disasters, except for the Banged winter. • Rancid tuna, tainted buffalo meat (who' By Bill Smiley eats buffalo anyway?), Crumbling banks, and a government that can't seem to put one foot in front of the other, without putting the first one in its mouth. Mr. Mulroney's gang, without his personal public relations facade, makes you start thinking rather longingly for Pierre Trudeau, who at least despised the media and made no attempt to conceal it. - Hoever, we mustn't be morbid. We must look up, not- back. I saw a black squirrel yesterday looking up at his home in one of my oaks, and calculating whether he had time to sock away another five hundred acorns for the coming months, when all the squirrels do is have sex, sleep, and eat. And 'Saw a solid citizen, looking up at the sky and saying, "Jeez, more snow coming." These are the positive attitudes we must adopt if we are to emerge next spring, pallid, but survivors. Looking up. I've painted a rather dark picture of 1985. Forget it, and look up. And if you get some freezing rain in your eyes, don't blame me. Just go to the liquor store and buy some wine with the anti -freeze in it. That'll clear your eyes, though d may not do much for your liver. Personally, things have gone well with me. I've only been waiting for a hospital bed since Thanksgiving and will probably be - tuckedwaiting by some of those unspeakable "tests' , by April. None of my old ' friends had died recently, and I hope they can say the same for me. I've lost only one hub -cap this'winter try- ing to get thorny garage. —andit mastered the art I've pretty well, o is an art .,- of ionkini' for one. j sit down nt • the crack of noon and figure out my menu for the day. ' Man does not live by bread alone. He needs peanut butter, as well. While I'm - working on my menu, I have bread and peanut butter and a banana. Lots of protein. Then I write some notes to myself. It's unhealthy to think about food all the time. Memo: Get that tea-pot, the only one in the house fit for guests, back from Hugh, who "borrowed" it last weekend; call Kim and see if she's still out of a job;. stop smoking; stop drinking anything stronger than barley water; get windshield wiper fixed; pay 1983 income tax: And so on. They certainly take my mind off food. By that time, I'm pretty exhausted, soI lave a little "Zizz," or, as the bourgeois call it, "snooze." This takes a lot of energy out of me, because I dream of, not having paid the utilities bill, the phone bill, and the gas bill. I wake up in a nervous sweat. And this moment, it's time to think about • dinner. So I plod through snow to the garage, go downtown, buy a paper, cigaret- tes and booze, and drop in at the delicatessen where I order a take-out of their delicious hot goulash. That takes care ' of dinner. Sometimes I strike it rich. Turkey dinner, wonderful with all fixings, with some old `friends. Talked the lady into half an apple pie. Unfortunately, my son came home that weekend. He likes pies. Mustil't go on like this. 1985 was great, if you're still alive. 1986 is going to be a fine, fine year. That is, if you keep looking up. But keep an eye for seagulls.