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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1987-08-05, Page 4Page 4—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 1987 1 The Clinton Novas -Record Is published each Wednesday at P.O. Bos 39, Clinton, Ontario, Canada. NOM 160. Tel.: 482.34.43. 'iubscrlptlon Rate: Canada . 621.00 Sr. Citizen . 618.00 per year U.S.A. foreign 660.00 per year It Is registered as second class mall by the post office under the permit number 0817. The News -Record Incorporated In 1924 thoffuron News -Record, founded In 1001, and The Clinton News Era, founded In 1063. Total press runs 3,700. Incorporating THE BLYTH STANDARD) ANNE NAREJKO - Editor FREDA McLEOD - Office Manager SHELLEY McPHEE HAIST - Reporter DAVID EMSLIE - Reporter GAYLE KING - Advertising LAUREL MITCHELL - Circulation/Classified GARY HAIST - General Manager eA MEMBER MEMBER Qa BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1987 Display advertising rates available on request. Ask for Rate Card No. 13 effective Oc- tober1. 1984. Speculation over, let's get to the meat of the election The speculation on when the next provincial election will be held is over - voters will mark their ballots on September 10. A recent sweep through Huron County in late April had people question- ing Ontario Premier David Peterson's motives, but he said he was not on an campaign tour, rather he was merely out to meet the people and hear their concerns. Speculation continued as the Premier had appointments in other coun- ties, but no hint as to when the election would be was given until July 31. For the Huron candidate, Jack Riddell, the announcement of the up- coming election was timed perfectly. His annual barbecue is to be held August 5, and it was announced on August 4, that Premier Peterson will also be on hand to taste the outdoor cooking and assist Mr. Riddell in any speeches he may give or questions he may be asked. Undoubtedly, Premier Peterson will give a speech or two of his own. It doesn't take these politicans long to get shift into high once the of- ficial word has been given. Huron's MPP, Mr. Riddell, sent out a press release outlining what he sees as the major issues in this campaign, with the release arriving on Monday. "Leadership and revitalization of the local ecomony will be major issues in the provincial election campaign," noted the release. "Mr. Rid- dell said the campaign will also focus attention on some of the economic development problems facing Huron County." This upcoming campaign should prove to be extremely interesting - perhaps one of the best to date. What will Mr. Riddell propose to do about these major issues if he is re- elected? What will his opposition, Paul Kloops and Nico Peters, see as the major issues? If they agree that leadership and local development are major issues, how will their methods of solving the problems differ from Mr. Riddell's? Stay tuned folks, we should be in for a dandy of a campaign. - by Anne Narejko. Post offices in jeopardy Dear Editor: Rural Canadian post offices remain in jeopardy. Despite assurances from some M.P.s and public relations officers of Canada Post, Donald lander 1 President of the Corporation I and the Hon. Harvie An- dre r minister responsible 1 stand firm behind their plan to close, amalgamate and privatize (7anada's 5,221 rural post of- fices over the next ten r 10) years. No rural post office enjoys immunity from this plan. Rural Canadians have organized In all parts of the country over the past eight 18 ) months to protest this plan and to offer constructive, cooperative suggestions to the government and to Canada Post. We call our group Rural Dignity of Canada. Our name speaks for our cause. Rural Dignity is a grassroots association co- ordinating the efforts of concerned citizens and giving life in Ottawa to the issue of rural post offices. We are a collection of farmers, fishermen, teachers. merchants, service clubs, clergy, mayors. community development workers and "ordinary'. villagers. We have no formal membership and no political affiliations. in the short time since we came together in December 1986, Rural Dignity has prov- ed an effective voice for rural Canada. Our accomplishments include: Being instrumental in having the Stan- ding Committee on Government Opera- tions re -convene and re-examine Canada Post's corporate plan. Presenting a brief and holding over two ( 2) hours consultation with this committee. Ensuring that this committee heard from mayors and M.P.s of areas already affected by the plan. Establishing local committees in all ten X10) provinces. Letters Being granted a national charter tor our organization. Holding public meetings, giving inter- views to' the media, making presentations at the invitation of provincial federations of municipalities, mayors' associations, conventions of various groups, etc. Responding to Canada Post's public relations campaign. initiating and co-ordinating a consulta- tion process between citizens, municipal representatives, an M.P. and Canada Post which resulted. in the recovery of two r2 ) cancelled rural routes in Eastern Quebec. This is to date the only instance in the country where lost services has been restored. We have made significant progress, but we have a long way still to go. Canada Post's plan to close approx- imately 1,700 rural post offices and privatize the remaining 3,500 assumes a steady decline in the life and economy of rural Canada. In effect, Canada Post is banking on our death. This could become a self-fulfilling prophecy: reduced services discourage new investment and are already creating hardships for existing small businesses. We believe in the future of Rural Canada. We care as much for what hap- pens over the next ten 1101 years as for what happens today. Yours truly, Cynthia Patterson ('o -ordinator Rural Dignity Barachois de Malbais, QC. ShQIIQy McPhee llaIst Hawaiian shirts and pioneers They rather staggered into my driveway. An unlikely looking pair. He, middle aged and greying, was wear- ing a ghastly Hawaiian print shirt, a col- orless pair of shorts, mirrored sun glasses and a University of Notre Dame cap that proclaimed "Fighting Irish". She, less than half his age, was wearing tight black stretchy pants, a white T-shirt. A pair of sun glasses rested on her freshly moussed hair. Her shoes had seen far better days. Her ragged knapsack carried un- disclosed items. They looked like the kind of people you wouldn't offer a ride to if you saw them hitch hiking down the road. They're friends of mine, this crazy father and daughter team. He loves to have a good time. He thrives on jokes, particularly those of a practical nature that are perpetrated on unwilling victims. He enjoys life, although he is sometimes prone to spells of irrational behavior. Such was the case when he implusively hopped on his bicycle one day recently and headed out from Goderich to Dungannon to savor the taste of freshly baked butter tarts, warm from his sister's oven. For this man to have ridden the roads from Goderich to Dungannon was no easy feat. He's no spring chicken. Yet, he boasted of his accomplishment loud and far, as only this fellow can do. His daughter, who appears to have some of her old man's spirit in her, thought this feat to be of minimual significance. "Big deal Dad," she teased. "I can walk from Goderich to Clinton without any problem." The father, quick to take a dare, put up the challenge. And so on Saturday morning the pair struck off on their 19 kin journey. My house was to be the final stop on this cross country trek. There cold beer would await the marathon walkers of sorts. According to the official time keeper of the event, the duo set out at exactly 9:40 a.m. They arrived at my, front door shortly after 1 p.m. Times of this walkathon were crucial as many held money on the completion times. One friend guessed that the pair would not finish. So there they where sitting at my kitchen table. He quaffing back a Coors, she gulping down a glass of pop. He was boasting how they even stopped for lunch, ra chocolate bar and pop) at a garage near Holmesville. She was feeling somewhat less conversive, and was rather lying on the table, complain- ing of aching feet and the overwhelming need for sleep. There is no moral to this story, only the observation, that these two people looked completely ridiculous. As I sat at the table, listening to the fellow recount the tale of the walk for the fifth time since he had sat down, I got to wondering how he would have fared in pioneer times. In fact I wonder how any one of us would have survived the rigors of that time. Back then, walking was a fact of life. You may have been lucky enough to have a horse and wagon, or an oxen, but for the most part, people travelled by foot. Automobiles, airplanes, motorcycles were yet unthought of visions back when our forebearers landed in this country. High-tech comforts such as Reeboks, New Balance, Nike and assorted other jogging paraphenalia were unimaginable. It stirs the imagination and the soul to read accounts of pioneer settlers who trekk- ed through bushland, forging a trail along the way, as they journeyed to unsettled land that they would homestead. The streugui of cliaracter and physical en- durance has been recounted time and time again in numerous history books. Thelma Coleman in her collection The Canada Com- pany told of the making.of the Huron Road. John Galt called the endeavor a "caesarean" task. Coleman wrote, "The trees were so tall the forest was eternally dark and with the constant rains endlessly damp. Clearing the centuries of undergrowth and tangled vines was only 'the beginning. The huge rotted deadfalls of hardwood had to be hauled deeper into the bush already piled high with broken pine. Then came the gigantic task of cutting the standing trees. One black cherry tree is reported to have been over 10 feet in girth and was 50 feet in the air before bran- ching It was one weary work but it was the only chance the men had to earn some money to pay for the land they had already signed for the 12 foot wide Sleigh Road, was done by the bare hands of the settlers dragging and pulling and swinging an axe. This herculean accomplishment was car- ried out some 159 years ago. Hard to believe isn't it, that the same stretch of highway that we travel down to- day was first carved out of the wilderness by shear physical strength? To think, that when I cut my small lawn with my neat little. electric lawnmower 1 complain that it's too hot, too hard, too many bugs, too tiring. '1'o think that I let weeds run rampant in my garden because I'm too lazy to bend over and pull them out. To think that I find it a big chore to use a weed eater, to sweep the driveway, to vacuum the carpets in my house. Oh, and how we stirred up a fuss and ballyhooed on Saturday over the ac- complishment of our friends, walking from Goderich to Clinton. I wonder what the pioneers would think of that'. Tobacco promotion will cost Dear Sir; The government's proposed legislation to ban all Canadian tobacco advertising, pro- motion and brand sponsorship represents a fundamental attack on individual and com- mercial freedoms guaranteed under the Charter of Rights. The supporters of the proposed ban make it clear in their verbal and written arguments, that they are out to hit the 'evil' tobacco industry, which encourages per- sonal use of tobacco, this is, in turn, linked to the deaths and illnesses of thousands of Canadians annually. Their arguments are emotional and not based on fact. in countries where tobacco advertising has been banned, consumption has remained constant or has risen since the ban, in every case. Tobacco ads do not en- courage people to start smoking, hut at- tempt to entice current smokers into chang- ing brands. Should Bill C-51 ever pass, we know what the immediate effects will be. Canadian advertising companies, magazines and newspapers will lose $30 -million in revenue, and an estimated 2,500 jobs will be lost. Many major sporting events, theatre companies and other cultural groups will lose $1^ . .,nnua - ly in sponsorship grants. It may be argued that some of these high profile events will pick up other major sponsors, however many smaller, rural events will be terminated. While a tremendous economic burden will he felt by obvious industries, such as paper products, packaging companies, printers and tobacco companies and farmers, it will also hit the small businesses like the corner variety store, since store signs and even wall clocks which display a cigarette brand logo will be banned. The decision to smoke or not smoke is a matter of individual choice and can only be effected by health education. The decisions regarding advertising of a legal product should only be determined by the manufac- turers. Government intervention in our lives has already gone beyond the bound of reason. This draconian bill would sound the death knell first for thse involved with the tobacco industry, and next for whom, the alcohol industry? Yours sincerely, Miss Daryl Reside, President of Canadian Association for Free Expression Inc. Marina At Night By Anne Narejko 5 years ago August 4, 1982 No Word Yet On Town Hall Future - Clin- ton Council should be hearing the news on Monday, August 16 when three architects are expected to have completed preliminary drawings and costs for the new town hall and library complex. As well, one architect will be submitting suggestions for restora- tion and renovation work to the present buildings. Clinton Mayor Chester Archibald said that council's first regular monthly meeting was cancelled because architects were still completing their estimates and a special committee is still looking at possible tem- porary quarters for the town hall and library. Don't Catch Frogs Witliout Getting A Licence - Government bureaucracy has in- vaded the world of our children. For many years, young people in Huron County have been amusing themselves and learning about their environment by catching frogs. Now they must have a license. Any person catching bullfrogs in Ontario must have a license issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Farm Brochure Errors Cause Chemical Overloads - An investigation into how typographical errors were in a provincial brochure on chemical use has been ordered by Agriculture Minister Dennis Timbrell. The investigation follows several reports of killed crops because of over -application in the Perth County area and in eastern Ontario. 10 years ago August 4, 1977 High Speed Chase Wrecks C4th Cruiser - A high speed chase along Highway 8 early Saturday morning resulted in injuries to three Seaforth men, a wrecked car and a wrecked brand new week-old Seaforth police cruiser at the eastern limits of Clinton. Lions Carnival Rig Success - Despite the rain which hampered many from construc- ting floats and decorating vehicles for the parade for the Annual Lions Frolic on Fri- day, the Frolic was a definite success. This year it was a two day event with the Parade on Friday evening, led by the tpper- wash Cadet Band. Decision Expected Soon On Hensall Arena Costs - The final cost of Hensall arena should be $690,315, according to Reeve Harold Knight. Hensall building committee passed a mo- tion of intent last week to have Logan Con- struction, Lucan, plan the arena construc- tion for the $690,315 cost but the plans have – to be approved by the engineering firm of C.C. Parker, London, and the department of labor, said Knight. 25 years ago August 2, 1962 New Name For CDC! "CHCS" May Be Used - A change of name is in the offing for Clinton District Collegiate institute. On recommendation of the Advisory Vocational Committee. which is headed by Kenneth B. McRae, the board had requested authority from the Ontario Department of Education to change the official name of the school to "Central Huron Composite School". Film "Exodus" Of Special interest To Local Veterans - The highly publicized film "Exodus" will be shown at Brownie's Drive- in Theatre here next week on the nights of August 11, 13, 14 and 15 and is expected to draw viewers in fairly great numbers. This film has particular interest for at least two men in the area. Both Peter Hathaway, operator of the Central Cities Service station in Clinton, and .1 Alex Wilkins, Goderich, were members of the Palestine Police force which in the film is pictured as "the enemy". Short Of Dentists Each One Must Serve 4,074 - Huron County would need 18 more dentists, in order to have the ideal number, which is considered to be one for every 1,600 persons. At the present time there are 12 dentists in Huron, and there are 48,882 peo- ple in the county for them to care for. in other words each dentist has 4;074 peo- ple to look after. 50 years ago August 5, 1937 Night Blooming Cereus - Last night we were privileged to see an unusual flower blooming in Miss Florence Cunninghame's Turn to page 5