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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-03-27, Page 3Nk, TIHIE ADVAACE ""TIMES A page of editopinion 9editorial Qie Wtngijarnrn IibbancetlMmta Published at Wingham, Ontario, P.O. Box 390 - NOG 2W0 byyWenger Bros. Limited Barry Wenger, President Henry ens, or Robert O. Wenger, Sec.-Treas. Audrey Currie, Advertising Manager Member of Audit Bureau of Uirnulations Member—Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc. Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc. Subscriptions $21.00 per year $23.00 beyond 40 -mile zone Second Class Mail Registration No. 0821 Six months $12.50 Return.postage guaranteed' Meeting a real need A group of Toronto businessmen has responded to a need which has been felt by out -of -city people for a , long time. They have established Fairhaven Lodge in that city as a stop -over home for relatives of patients who have to go to Toronto for medical treatment. Located at 123 Isabella Street, rea- sonably close to several of the city's hospitals, the lodge offers reasonably - priced accommodation for senior cit- izens, disabled persons; hospital outpa- tients and their families as well as visi- tors to Toronto in a problem situation. The staff of the lodge strives to re- lieve the anxiety of such people by • meeting them on arrival by train, bus or at the airport, and accompanies them to the lodge. if they must visit a hospital or clinic a staff member drives them to their appointments and picks them up when necessary. These serv- ices are complimentary, included in the room rate. The daily rate, which covers breakfast, is $27 for a private room and lower rates for double or tri- ple occupancy. Management of the lodge says, "We at Fairhaven feel such a service is desperately needed in a city of our size. ,Hotel accommodation, cab fares and meals are an expense which is unaf- fordable to many who must visit Toronto. In addition, senior citizens or the disabled often cannot manage on their own and require assistance. The need is very real and support systems are non-existent." A recent story in The Toronto Star which outlined the services offered by the lodge, mentioned the visit of a five- year-old boy who came tb see his aunt at Fairhaven before he entered the Hospital for Sick Children for treat- ment. The Star says that- the boy was an instant hit with the elderly resi- dents. From our own experience we can verify the fact that in almost all nursing hornes one of the greatest needs is the presence of children on a regular basis. Since most of the resi- dents of such homes are parents and often grandparents, endless days with- out a child in -sight, leave a natural, though unexpressed yearning for chil- dren. In fact one nursing home of which we read recently has instituted a pro- gram to allow one or two pets within its confines. The new Fairhaven Lodge will fill a need which has existed for too many years. You are invited to contact the lodge if you need such services by writ- ing to its address at 123 Isabella St., Toronto, Ont., M4Y 1 P3 or by telephone at (416 922-0023. Problem recognized Most of us have been astonished by the multitude of stories which have ap- peared in the press recentlyconcerning child molestation and sexual abuse. They deal with an ugly facet of human deviation -= one which, until recently, most of us either ignored or refused to face. Perhaps it has been such horrid events as the murder of a young brother and sister in Orangeville which have captured the attention of the press and the public. More likely it has been the courage of a few concerned parents and their willingness to discuss, the problem which has finally turned pub- lic attention to this sickening subject. Mr. and Mrs. Bill Keil of Wingham an- nounced a public meeting to discuss child molestation a few months ago. Some of their friends predicted there would be an audience of five at most. Sixty people attended that gathering and a second session was held to ac- commodate those who couldn't find seats at the first one. Since then the Keils have been addressing audiences (by request) in many neighboring towns and are booked up well into the summer and fall. Child molesters are not newcomers on the human scene; they have been , with us from time immemorial. The problem has simply been brought out of the closet of secrecy in which it has been hidden for so long — and we are now becoming aware that it is much more prevalent than most of us ever dreamed. Many communities are now finding leaders who arewilling to discuss the subject and provide,suggestions about how children can be taught to resist and avoid such risks. And the most en- couraging aspect of the new attitude is that family members — mothers, fathers and children, are _beginning to realize that silence and secrecy are not adequate approaches to such a wide- spread disease. Reflections By Barry Wenger Old hatreds die hard. The longer they last the tougher they become. For examples, look at the Irish. Their bitterness goes back at least to the time of Elizabeth I, perhaps longer. How about the Arabs and the Jpws? Admittedly Hagar, mother of the Arab race, and her son certainly got a bum rap from Abraham, father of the Jews, but that was a long time ago. And the Turks and the Greeks have been at each other's throats for centuries. A couple of weeks ago when three Armenian gunmen stormed into the Turkish consulate Ir Ottawa ' and shot a security guard there was another outbreak of racial enmity. The Armenian people have no rea- son to love the Turks, who were their masters for a long time previous to World War I. Thousands, if not mil- lions of Armenians — men, women and children were butchered in cold blood in the years between 1917 and 1923, When I attended high school in Mitchell during the -early Thirties, some of my best friends were Armenian lads who had been res- cued from their dying homeland In Asia Minor by the United Church of Canada. A woman who owned a farm close to the town opened' her home to these orphans who were then from 16 to 20 years of age. Their common denominator was the compelling urge to get an educa- tion and so become self-reliant. Without exception they bored into their studies with a concentration. which made the rest of us native Canadians look like sluggards. One lad, Manesian byname, appeared to be the dumbest kid in the class. He drove the teachers nuts with his eternal questions but he intended to leave not a single grain of knowl- edge undigested. In June he tried no Tess than 12 Grade 13 papers and averaged close to 90 per cent. Some of -the boys, the few who were willing to talk to close friends, told of their experiences in Armenia. Most of them had witnessed scenes which were almost beyond the belief of we who had known despair and economic despression but were still relatively innocent about the lengths to which human hatred could reach. A few years later, as the clouds of war descended upon us, we began to realize that humans are Indeed capable of great inhumanity to one another.. Despite the validity of their hatred, it seems pointless to kill for the sake df injustices and crimes which were committed 70 years ago. MARCH 1938 An opportunity is being given the parents of Wingham and surrounding townships to have their children given free toxoid treatment 'for diphtheria prevention. The first clinic will be held in 'the town hall on Friday. Children must be given three injections, three weeks apart. , At an enthusiastic meeting of the Wingham Baseball Club, J. H. Crawford was elected president. Vice presidents are John Reavie, Ed Nash and W. T. Cruickshank. Gordon Murchison, a former Wingham boy, who has been Edmonton branch manager of the - Canadian Farm Loan Board, has been named director of the Soldier Settlement Board in Ottawa. -He is a brother of Mrs. Gordon Godkin of town. Miss Betty MacKenzie of Langside, a student nurse at Bruce County Hospital, Walkerton, left for New York where she will receive part of her training at Fordham March 27 7 E.9TET /NSOv/f/E,N E4S�//oNWJEA,1? Howick gets gov't, grant A community -planning grant of $2,632 has been awarded to the Township of Howick by the Ontario c, Ministry off Municipal ,/Affairs and Housing. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Dennis !fimbrell, has said the grant is to be used to prepare community improvement policies for the municipality, using thei services of the county planning department. Community -planning grants are designed to en- courage municipalities to resolve land use planning issues to reflect municipal and economic priorities, The grants also may be used for special studies to develop community -improvement policies, to determine the feasibility of using data- processing technology in the local planning process and to assist in implementing the - Planning Act. Items from Old Files Hospital in The Bronx, with which the Walkerton training school is affiliated. She will spend six months there before returning to Walkerton to complete her three-year term. At a carnival held at the Wingham arena, little Nancy Jean Cameron of Brussels was chosen Queen. Rex Ostrander of Lucknow was King. Ann VanWyck, Elizabeth Hare, Tommy Lockridge and Mrs. T. J. MacLean won awards for their costumes and Duncan Keith and his family of RR 3, Teeswater, were the largest family on skates, to in number. +' ii The Liberal Conservative party at Ottawa has laun- ched a quest for a new leader and a new name. Richard Bedford Bennett announced his intention to retire after 42 years in national politics. It is believed the new name of the party will be the National Conservative P_ arty. MARCH 1951 The Belgrave Junior Farmers elected George Not all shows are Festival productions Dear Editor, The Blyth Festival, as most people in this area are ,;.aware, is , a non=profit organization with a board of local volunteers who have, for the past, 10 years, provided a summer season of new Canadian plays and cultural events throughout the spring and fall months, using the facilities of Blyth Memorial Hall, a publicly - owned building. Throughout the years, we have encouraged the ac- tivities of other cultural groups as we do not want to hold a cultural monopoly in the area. We are pleased that the Theatre Circle; an in- dependent, locally -based company, has produced plays at. Blyth Memorial Hall for the past two winter seasons. We applaud the increase in activity at Blyth Memorial Hall but request that patrons note that many activities at the Blyth Memorial Hall are not produced by or under the banner of the Blyth Festival. Blyth will continue to offer the same kind of quality of shows we always have and we know local people will con' inue to find the shows produced by the Blyth Festival worthy of their support. Sheila Richards, president Board of Directors Parks hoard plana fund-raising events Dear Editor, The Wroxeter Parks Board -has been formed since 1975. Our motto is "Helping Serve Howick Recreation". We strive to maintain and im- prove our park every year as well as provide an organization to give our youth a chance to play ball, also a park of which young and old can be proud. In the past we have been involved in redecorating and improving the upstairs of the village hall as well as the little riverside park, which we had bulldozed. and cleaned up, There Ys a misconception that the Parks Board has taken over the Wroxeter Community Hall, which is not true. Our only involvement in the hall was the redecorating. All these ventures have been and are costly and we are in debt. To alleviate this deficit the board realizes some changes have to be made. Weare going to have to charge a registration fee for the players 'to cover the cost of insurance and the balls. The park rental fee will also have to be in- creased. We have various fund-raising events planned for this year and we are hoping for'thelbcommunity to support us. Our first aim is the "Pitch - in and Clean-up Campaign" in association with the Ontario_ Anglers'_._ __.and.. Hunters' Association and we hope to involve as many as possible in this effort. Above all, a sincere vote of thanks must go to tlae volunteers who give of their time, for without them our park could not function. George Hamilton, chairman, Wroxeter Parks Board Underwood president, succeeding Harry Lear. Vice presidents are Jim Johnston and Murray Bradburn; secretary -treasurer is Angus Falconer. Mrs. Harry Campbell of Belgrave is a patient in Wingham General Hospital, taking the new drug, cor- tisone, for the treatment of arthritis. Robert Hutchison has purchased the Kenneth Weaver farm in Kinloss on the boundary, near Whitechurch. Rev. George Watt of Shellbrook, Saskatchewan, •has accepted a call to Dungannon United Church, Port Albert and Crewe circuits. His duties will commence this summer. J. A. Strong, a native of Howick .Township, near Gorrie, has been named to a high post in the consular service of the Canadian government. He is a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Strong and brother of Wellesley and John Strong of Howick. He has been ap- pointed consul -general in Boston, Mass. The ladies of the Wingham Bowling Club elected Mrs. W. B. McCool president of their group at the annual meeting. Her supporting officers are Mrs. W. Murray, Mrs. Herb Campbell, Mrs. M. Davis and Mrs. Gordon Godkin. MARCH 1961. Mayor R. E. McKinney of Wingham attended his first meeting as a member of the Saugeen Valley Con- servation Authority. He was appointed A3.3, the Ontario government. Mr. and Mrs. Irving Toner, RR 2, Wroxeter, announce the engagement of their daughter, Ruth Irene, to Thomas James McPherson, son of Mr. and Mrs. James McPherson, Teeswater. The marriage will take place on March 25. Donald Fortune, formerly of the Wingham area, has been promoted to Supervisor of Information for the Waterloo Cattle Breeding Association. Ken Dettman has resigned his job as manager of the Lakelet Feed Mill mill will be closed. Friends at McIntosh and Belmore were sorry to learn of the sudden passing of a former pastor of the Belmore-McIntosh-Mildmay charge, Rev. Harold West, who died Sunday at Paler- mo. The Howick Junior . Far- mers and Junior Institute won the Merton Keys Trophy at the drama festival in Clinton. The top actor award was won by Barry Mulvey of the Howick group. MARCH 1971 Joe Kerr, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Kerr of Wing - ham, and Gail McWhirt- er, daughter of Mr, and Mrs. Jack McWhirter of Brussels, were elected leader and queen at the student election held at F. E. Madill Secondary School. The 98th annual meeting of the Howick Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company was held in Gorrie. During the year 1970, the company showed an increase in net premium . income of $56,000 and an increase of 115. policyholders. However losses of the company were $319,401, an all-time high. and the The annual meeting of the Wingham and District Hospital Association faced a situation which has not arisen for many years. There were two nominations for representatives from the township of Turnberry. The township council nominated George Underwood by letter and there was a nomination from the floor for E. E. Walker who has represented the township for many years. In a ballot vote, Mr. Walker was declared elected. There was a good at- tendance at the ice carnival in Fordwich, despite' the weather. Kathy Machan was named queen of the carnival and prizes for outstanding costumes went to Kendl'* Jacklin, Jeff Wilson, Julie Machan, Paul Martin, Lorraine Dinsmore, Michael Grosz and Brenda Bennett. Four more teachers have resigned in. Huron County Schools, it was learned at the meeting ,of the board of education in Clinton. Among them is, Mrs. Margaret Mundell who has been teaching ,at the Wingham Public School. Riding associations gear up for election. Local Liberals, Progres- sive Conservatives and New Democrats are off and run- ning following Ontario Pre- mier Frank Miller's call Monday for a May 2 provin- cial election. All three riding associa- tions held nomination meet- ings last fall when it was ex- pected that then -Premier William Davis would call a fall election. However Mr. Davis announced his retire- ment instead, putting elec- tion plans on hold. Huron -Bruce MPP Murray Elston will carry the banner for the Liberal Party in the upcoming election and Norma Peterson, a town councillor from Kincardine, is the NDP candidate. Bill Thomson of Wingham, a CKNX radio and television personality, has declared his intention to seek the PC nomination. Mr. Thomson was declared the PC can- didate at last October's nomination meeting, but he was forced to decline 'the nomination when a fall" election did not materialize: Mike Snobelen, a Ripley - area farmer, also has in- dicated he is interested in seeking the PC nomination, but he had not made an of- ficial declaration by press time. The Huron -Bruce PC riding association is holding a nomination meeting this Tuesday evening, April 2, in auditorium the the at the Wingham Town Hall, start- ing at eight o'clock. The old and the new m ers ofthe and of Thirteen me b board directors of Air Canada who were ap- pointed by the former Liberal govern- ment are looking for new jobs — and 13 loyal Progressive Conservatives are sitting on their well -warmed. chairs. To be utterly realistic one should not be surprised that if there are places of favor to be fi'lled,,a new leader will naturally appoint his own friends and 9supporters — but it was Mr. Mulroney and _h.is___party_._who- had --such -harsh things to say about the way Mr. Tru- deau handed out senate appointments and judgeships during his last days in power. The whole system breathes an air of cynicism. Hugh Windsor, Ottawa bureau chief for The Toronto Globe & Mall ob- serves that the changes are not sur- prising in themselves. What concerns him is whether or not there is any real need for these big boards of directors for the Crown corporations. Such ap- pointees draw about $300 per day for board meetings as well as $250 for ex- penses. In the case of the Air Canada board, each member is also presented with a "fly anytime, anywhere" free pass on the airplane. The Mulroney government took of- fice with the self -avowed intention to reduce the national deficit — not an easytask wharf every cu-tTn public ex- penditures is met by ,.determined op- position from every agency or depart- ment which might fall under the axe. The obvious places to reduce spending would seem to be those areas in which we, pay for unnecessary services — to people who probably don't really need the extra cash. Political obligations are, indeed, a heavy burden to bear.