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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1987-04-22, Page 4Page 4—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 1987 The Clinton News.Record Is published catch Wednesday at P.O. Box 99. Clinton, Ontario. Canada, NOM 1 L0. Tela 482. 449. Subscription Rate: Canada - $21.00 Sr. Citizen - $ 10.00 per year U.S.A. foreign $$0.00 per year It Is registered as second class mall, by the post office under the permit number 0817. The News -Record Incorporated In 1924 tits/Huron News -Record, founded In 1881, and The Clinton News Era. founded In 1068. Totpl press runs 9,700. Incorporating THE'BLYTH STANDARD) ANNE NAREJKO - Editor FREDA i'o cLEOD - Office Manager SHELLEY McPHEE HAIST - Reporter DAVID EMSLIE - Reporter JANICE GIBSON - Advertising LAUREL MITCHELL - Circulation/Classified GARY HAIST - General Manager CCNA eA MEMBER BLUE RIBBON AwARo Display advertising rates available on request. Ask for Rote Card No. 13 effective Oc. lobar 1, 1984. Spring into bike safety With the advent of spring and warmer weather, old and young en- thusiasts will be thinking of getting out their bicycles. The Ontario Safety League offers a few tips to make biking safer and more fun. Ride a bicycle that fits you. The size of your bike affects your balance and ability to reach the steering and braking controls and pedals. You should be able to reach the ground comfortably with the ball of your foot while sitting upright on the seat. Parents should supervise the selection of a bicycle for a child and periodically inspect the bike to see that it is in good working order, until the child is responsible enough to maintain his or her own safety inspections. Check the tires for wear and tear. Also check the wheel spokes, chain, lights, and horn. Make sure the bike is well oiled, and tighten any loose nuts and bolts. Check,braking ability on both wet and dry surfaces before taking the bike onto the street. Your bicycle also should be in good alignment. If it veers to one side when pushed forward, it is out of line and needs adjustment. No child should be permitted to ride on roadways until he or she has mastered all aspects of the bicycle and this mastery has been observed by a parent on the roadway the child will travel. Bicycle skills that must be taught to children include safe starting, the ability to ride in a straight line near the curb, rules about right-of-way, turning corners and rapid stopping. Remember that bicyclists are considered drivers under the law and that traffic rules, signs and signals apply to the cyclist just as they do to the motorist. You're travelling on one of the smallest vehicles on the road and it's not always easy for motorists to see you. High -flying flags are a good idea at any time, and at night you should have lights, reflective tape and reflec- tors. Wear light-colored clothing and a helmet. - by Ontario Safety League. H'OOI)L.,1.\1) lI1 UKO ,SA 11S — "Down but not out" 1)ear Editor: We are all part of this instant and disposable era - it takes the hard work out of everyday occurrences and allows for a fast and efficient lifestyle. This automated era has a short history, but rapidly we are pay- ing for it with the after effects of its waste products - pollution of our water, air and soils. Ontario Hydro has made a committment to society to encourage this instant and disposable era, despite the financial or ecological costs. This sentiment has been further encouraged by lenient governments who provided. for Ontario Hydro, the ex- emptions to the very legislation that was meant to protect this Province. Agriculturalists care about the enviroa- ment. they depend upon it for their livelihood as well as for their recreation. 1200 landowners of Bruce, Huron and Mid- dlesex Counties provided the Consolidated Hearing Board the ultimate plan that would protect the environment, protect agriculture, prevent acid rain. preclude nuclear waste and reduce the overloaded landfill sites - all without a change in lifestyle. It was rejected for the more fashionable and popular solution. Due to proficiency and efficiency, agricultural commodities have glutted the market - is this the cause of a misguided theory that agricultural land is a disposable resource too? Today, we have sufficient good agricultural land; today, Canadians have the cheapest food in the world: today. we have a glut of grains - but what about tomorrow?? We gave the Hearing Board a plan to offer to the Ontario Government an opportunity to regain control of Ontario Hydro. We gave them a plan to use electricity efficiently. A plan to reduce acid gas emission, to reduce nuclear production of electricity and thereby nuclear waste, to produce electrici- Feest time nears Clinton has it once a year. The streets bear witness to it. Those passing by will soon hear signs of it. The telephone wires carry the messages and the walls of many buildings get a sneak preview. Yes folks, preparations for Clinton's Seventh Annual Klompen Feest are well underway. Flags, windmills and wooden shoes decorate the main streets and in a few weeks, Dutch songs will be played. Dancers and singers are preparing for their annual Klompen Feest performance while organizers are making all the proper connections to bring the best entertainment possible to town. This year's performances promise to be some of the best the Feest has offered to date. As in the past, the News -Record will be publishing a souvenir booklet. We will be in- cluding the ever popular stories of the journey from Holland to Canada and the struggle to make ends meet in the early days. We will also be printing stories on the entertainment which will appear during the Klompen Feest weekend, May 15-17. But to make the souvenir booklet special, we'd appreciate any pictures or recipes our readers may have. All material will be returned to its owner. Spring Things Klompen Feest is a sure sign of spring, but so are the daffodils, people working in their gardens and cutting the lawn. Local baseball teams are getting into the swing of things with registration and rounding up coaches. With the beautiful spring weather we had over the Easter weekend, a press release warning of the severe weather season made me shutter to think the sun may want to hide and the cool wind will once again greet us as we step outside our homes. • "Ontario's severe weather season begins again in April, bringing with it storms and the possibility of tornadoes," it noted. For Ontario residents, the dreaded tor- nado is about the most dangerous weather system that we get. Luckily, they are not regular visitors but if you happen to be in an area where a tornado has hit, once is definitely one time too many. It is estimated that Ontario has 25 tor- nadoes a year with the majority of them passing through southwestern Ontario. In the past nine years, 22 people have died in this province and over half a billion dollars damage to property has occurred because of tornadoes. About 90 per cent of Ontario's tornadoes are classified as "weak" with disastrous tornadoes expected once every four years. Sitting at my desk, with the sun shining through the windows and the door wide open, I can't, (or refuse to) think about the weather changing to rain, let alone a tornado. I think I'll just bury this press release in the bottom of my drawer and treasure this weather while it lasts. Then, when it rains, I'll dig it out and tell myself it could be worse outside - we could have a tornado. • ty from our natural resources and to utilize energy efficient technology (available but hidden from view). We gave them a plan to protect all aspects of our environment - air, water, forests, wildlife and lands. We gave a hope to the future generations of our Province. The Board rejected this plan. Instead, they favoured eliminating a transmission corridor in the north, and recommended the use of agricultural lands for the building of transmission corridors between Bruce to London and London to Nanticoke. Nothing else will be changed - acid gas emissions continue. nuclear wastes continue to grow with nowhere safe to put them, garbage sites invade our backyards with their cancerous sediments leaching into our waterways and Ontario Hydro continues to crack the whip over the Ontario Government. Who really won that public hearing? We all lost, our environment will continue to incline, our agricultural resource will be irrevocably invaded, and the future genera- tions will be the ones to bear the cost. The Foodland Hydro Committee is down but not out, we won some battles and we lost some, but the war is not over yet. For once agriculture stood firmly together. We are better for it and we hope that the Govern- ment of Ontario will recognize the oppor- tunity we have placed before them - to change the future of this Province without changing its lifestyle. Yours truly, Jane Rose, r Mrs.) Foodland Hydro Committee Ken Whitely was a success Dear Editor: We would like to thank all the children and parents who attended the recent Ken White- ly concert at the Clinton Town Hall. Their enthusiasm made it a fun afternoon, and their support helped us to raise money for the new obstetrical wing. A special thank you to Pearl Samplonius for their promotion work, and to Steve Campbell for his extra, "behind -the - scenes", hours. Thank you, Xi Epsilar Chapter Beta Sigma Phi. Information on war memorials wanted Dear Editor: I am writing your newspaper to ask your readers for help in locating and identifying war memorials in the Southwestern Ontario region. In the category of war memorials I am in- cluding, monuments, plaques, parks, honor rolls and anything related to the military history of our country. I plan to compile this information into an index of monuments for our area., with the intention of publishing this information. Any one having information which could hell, me in my tank is asked to write to the 1st Hussars Museum, 399 Ridout St. N., Lon- don, Ontario, N6A 2P1. Yours truly, Alastair L. Neely Clintonian remembers yesteryears Dear Editor: Somehow I have an urge to write about Clinton. Clinton of the past: in the days of another age, of times that are as vivid as last week, of names and faces of those wonderful people, most of whom are gone now. Today, to us who are scattered near and far, the town is much like a thousand others. It has lost its identity and is now a communi- ty of gas stations, chain stores, modern mer- chandise, school buses, high taxes, financ- ing problems, debentures, traffic lights and television aerials. Over the years as we grew up most of us left to seek employment in various fields of endeavour elsewhere. Clinton had nothing to offer us or perhaps we had nothing to offer Clinton. What had Clinton done for us? Nothing or very little we thought. Changes came slowly and the town re- mained much the same. But now somehow time has flown and a half century has pass- ed. All at once the old days seem long, long ago and of another age. Now we are wiser and realize that Clinton did give us a great deal. It gave us stan- dards, character, a philosophy of life and above all the memories of childhood and growing up. It gave us the example of its citizens; they were real people in a real world. There never was a town like Clinton. Where could you find a Vinegar Hill, Devil's Half Acre, little England, Stapleton with its salt mine, and a London Bridge. And the swimming places: Three Trees, Brickies and the Deep Hole where the big boys went and you finally got courage to go yourself. Anyone who wore a bathing suit was an od- dity indeed. You will say that it was a boy's world and so it was. Remember the day you went swimming, tried smoking, ate green apples and crawled home sick as a dog? And when you got home, who do you think you were fooling? But places do not make a town. It takes people with skill, intelligence, personality and a sense of humour. Do you remember Mayor Fred Jackson and Joe Wheatley the Chief of Police who could strike terror in the souls of small boys while mothers hushed their children just by Mentioning his name? Not very good psychology you say, but it was Very effec- tive and the vogue. Bobby Welsh was the night-watchman Who reportedly was wakened one night by the heat of his burning shoes in the town hall fire. That's unkind and untrue but if you're a watchman and the town hall burns, so do your ears. Perhaps you knew C.D. Bouch who ruled his school with an iron hand but had a heart of pure gold to which he would never admit. And Miss Wilson. a Scotswoman and an outstanding teacher who died of the 'flu in 1918. i think. Anyone who could walk turned out to that funeral. Then there was .J. W. Treleaven ( Buster, to the uncouth) who must have written many miles of history and Latin on the board. And, Miss MacDougall who made Shakespeare come alive and cried in ex- asperation at such characters as Mike Kilty, Nick Manning and Bucky Wallis; not to mention Socks Stewart, Pinch McTaggart and Van VatiEgmond. What about the people in the periphery of the town? Frank Andrews and his strawber- ries, where you could pick and get paid even, and eat all you wanted at the -same time; the Fulfords and Tom Leppington in Devil's Half Acre. Those boys weren't really devils, just mischievous. Then the Deeves family near the `-'Y" where the Grand Trunk joined the London, Huron and Bruce line. They had a fierce, black, snarling dog on a chain and a small boy was always welcome and could listen to interesting stories of trapping and hunting and lies about fishing. You could see Ike Carter's boys and Jab- ber Cooper spearing suckers under London Bridge. From there it wasn't too far to the poorhouse where the accommodation wasn't the best in the world and the best of society avoided taking up residence there. Do you remember the big Doherty house near the piano factory and Shipley's Farm where they had a big friendly collie that could climb trees, believe it or not. Did you ever play in the Grove owned by Si Davis and get a ride on Newt's horse. There was a butcherbird's nest in that grove with mice and frogs hanging on thorns. Perhaps you gathered beechnuts there in the fall or were tough enough to watch Fitzsimons kill a pig at the slaughter house and then ask for the bladder. Matt Nediger will remember all that and the day I shot a cat at two hundred yards with my .22 and couldn't believe I had hit it and was sorry, and a little sick at my stomach. Some will remember the main street and the people there, merchants, bankers and barbers; Schoenhals and the flour mill and the mill pond where we skated in winter and fell off rafts in summer. .J.P Sheppard's grocery store where crackers. sugar and salt were in barrels and bins. And Fred Mutch in Ball and Zapfe's hardware — Fred was a really warm and friendly person and I know that his boys must miss him still. Everyone knew Harry Bartliff who called every child by name and made you feel that you were his special friend. and you were. Early in the morning I can still see Tom Hawkins sweeping in front of his store jok- ing with Shorty Cantelon ( about whom a whole book could be written). Just up the street (Rattenbury) you could see John Cun- inghame with his neat white beard loading the express wagon and my aunt Florence Cuninghame opening her flower shop. John Medd would cut your hair and sometimes if you gave up your turn he'd do it free. Cap Morrish and Ernie Hovey were always in a hurry but Cap would stay after- wards and talk for half an hour Then at the News -Record was Ted Hall and Miss Mabel Clark. Miss Clark was in- telligent, friendly and one of the nicest peo- ple I have known. If you worked in the bank you have seen a junior clerk initiated as he was sent from the Royal to the Molson's Bank across the corner to get the Long Stand. He waited and waited till someone took pity on him and told him the truth about scoundrel accountants and ledger keepers. Do you remember the Normandie Hotel with the life-sized statue of Edward VII; the Rattenbury House and Josh Cook? Oh: and those battles at the station between Josh and Sam Cooper jockeying for position with their horse-drawn buses and literally tear- ing the travellers apart in their efforts to get them as customers for their respective hotels. Those fights were something to behold, full of sound and fury and the two Irishmen loved it and secretly loved each other, I think. There were five hotels with livery stables, four blacksmith shops where we could see the forges glowing and hear the ring of the hammers on the anvil, see the showers of red sparks and smell the acid odour of burn- ing hoofs as Jabez Rands or Guy Jones fit- ted shoes on retractive and spirited horses. In April (and it always rained or snowed) everyone turned out for the Spring Horse Show. The hotel barns were full of stamping Percherons, Clydes and Belgians, plus sleek carriage horses. The proud owners were Turn to page 5