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
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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
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