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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-01-11, Page 4A page o editorial opinion January' 984 Vie -''natant bthance- imc • Published at Wingham, Ontario, P.O. Box 390 - NOG 2 0 by Wenger Bros. Limited BLUE RIBBON AWARE. Barry Wenger. President Henry, Hess.,Editor Robert O. Wenger. Sec.-Treas. Audrey Currie. Advertising Manager Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Member — Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc. Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc. Subscriptions 530.00 per year,. Six months i; 11.50 Second Class Mail Registration No. 0831 cn Return postage guaranteed Special treat. //,';',"///4" .///'//:;. i7// .4•,/// -ter..;; >•• .x;s.�:s.:::.F ,.,, � • V It is not every day a town like Wingham gets to play host to an inter- national sporting event, so it was a spe- cial treat last week to welcome a tour- ing hockey team from Sweden, here to play an exhibition match against the Wingham Lions Midgets. Although the local team prevailed by a rather lop- sided score, the hundreds of spectators who attended the game got their money's worth. It was a thrilling spec- tacle to watch skilled teams play a fast, clean game, and the younger and less experienced Swedish team was impres- sive even in defeat. There is great value to be had from exchanges such as these. The current state of North American hockey owes a great deal.to international competition, which has smoothed the rough edges and moved the emphasis to strategy and speed instead of sheer, brute strength,At has helped to give us the Wayne Gretzkys, the Mike Bossys .and the Jeri Kurris in place "of the "Hammer" Shultzes and the "Mad Dog" Kellys, exchanging the roller derby school of hockey for a game of skill and grace. - There is another side, too, to cross- cultural exchanges, whether they be for sports or for any other reason, and this is the fostering of friendship and understanding between ordinary people in different countries. The more one understands and identifies with other peoples around the world, the harder it becomesto sow the seeds of xenophobia and hatred which are the fuel for international conflicts. The more we learn that other people are much like ourselves, with similar wants, hopes and dreams, the more likely it is we will find peaceful methods of resolving our differences. Congratulations to those who worked long and hard to organize the myriad details necessary to stage events such as this, to those who ex- tended hospitality to the visitors and to all who :took part in the match. The Wingham Midgets proved themselves worthy representatives of the town and were ,as gracious in victory as the Swedes were 'gratef i,� in defeat. This may have been the time our town has hosted an international hockey match; we hope it will not be the last. Items from Old Files Nobody, likes change Canadians, apparently, are not alone in their resistance to change — ' particularly where metric measure- ments are concerned. R. E. McKinney, who i,wintering in Florida, sent along an editorial clipped from a West Palm Beach newspaper which proves the point. Titled "A Measure of Confusion", the clipping reads: Come on now Sen. Don Childers. Give the public credit for some brains. The senator, a Palm Beach County Democrat, is concerned that motorists will misinterpret state metric road signs. So he has filed a`bill to repeal the law authorizing them. People won't understand the signs, he says. The road markings will Cause confusion. This is a bit shortssighted. For one thing, the 'Legislature approved the postings of metric speeds in addition to standard mph signs_ It would be very hard, we would bet, for adriver to convince a Florida Highway Patrol officer that he really thought the new posted speed limit was 88 miles, not kilometres, an hour. But this is secondary, to what seems the underlying motivation of this bill. It appears to be the same syn- drome that has stuck tourists with the Ugly American label. That's the. Phil- . osophy which says everyone should JANUARY 1937 The Young People's Union of Wingham United Church held a Watch -Night service on New Year's Eve and elected new officers for 1937. Miss Hazel' Wilson is president, `Wilbur Tiffin is vice president, DeWitt Miller secretary and Miss Yvonne McPherson treasurer. Believe it or not, on New Year's Day some of our local golf enthusiasts had a game of golf at the Alps course. At the office of the Western Foundry Co., G. Wilbur Tiffin was presented with a beautiful wrist watch on behalf of the employees. Wilbur, who has been a valued employee of the Foundry for the past eight years, resigned his position to accept the position as accountant with the J. W. -Hanna Automobile Sales. speak English because the United States,is such a powerful country. Ditto, everyone should use the standard English system of measure- ment instead of the International T, metric system. "We're big enough now that they should conform to what we have," - Childers is quoted as saying. This is, a parochial attitude that, conflicts with the spirit of the use of the metric road signs. Florida is a haven for tourists. International tourists are big spenders here. The state also is striving to attract international centres of business and trade. At the very least these signs will make our foreign visi- tors confortable. Beyond that,' such road signs are -very much in line with the spirit of the federal Metric Conversion Act of 1975. That legislation was designed to en- courage the voluntary, gradual switch to metrics and set up a board to assist industry 'in doing just that. Finally, . Floridians are not being thrown cold turkey into the cruel world of the metric system. Some gasoline pumps give us fuel in litres. The bever- age industry serves us wine and soft drinksin litre bottles. Many automo- biles have metric -measures on the dashboards, Childers should reconsider and . withdraw his bill. In the first election that the Township of Morris has had since 1932, Reeve Cardiff, who since that timehas been elected by ,acclamation, defeated Councillor Finlay McCallum. Mr. and •Mrs. Charles Souch and family are moving to their home on the second line of Morris which they bought from Lewis Jewitt. The Wear -Ever Aluminum Co. has promoted Malcolm Ross of Whitechurchand he left Sunday for Chatham to take over his new work as manager for Kent County. JANUARY 1949 Joseph Falconer has disposed of his photo studio to Mr. ands. I. Ham- merton of Surrey, y, England. Mr. Falconer has operated the studio for 'the past two Odd attitudes persist It really is no great wonder that recent legislation which demands and enforces equal rights for women in the - - modern world has been the centre of so much concern and discussion. It will be many more years before basic atti-, tudes about the differences between the sexes are ,eliminated. If you need a, example, just look around, the next time you are shopping in one of the large food stores. Time after time we have encountered husbands pushing, grocery carts for their wives who apologize for their role as assistant shoppers. Usually it comes out in the form of amild joke, a coment that they don't make a practice of such a lowly activity. It must be a hangover from the premordial days when the man ven- tured forth to slay the ,game and the women were left with the task of get- ting the kill ready for the cooking°pot.$ In this day and age, why on earth would' a man be reluctant to admit that he knows how to select food'for his table? In many cases the purchases will 'be dictated by his preferences, whether his wife takes them off the shelf or the man does it himself. Just think of the few times you have heard a man 'admit that he has washed the dishes or made a bed. No wonder we have a feminist movement. What's in_ a name? It's no longer correct,,._to mention that you are meeting an incoming guest at the Toronto Airport. In fact it's not even correct to say "Toronto Interna- tional Airport That noisy and con- fusing facility north-west of the city has become the Lester Pearson Airport. Now we have nothing whatsoever against a memorial by which to re- member one of the nation's better prime ministers. He made his fair share of contributions to Canada and was awarded a Nobel prize for his con- tribution torld peace. But renaming an airport Is not likely to perpetuate the late Mr. Pearson's memory. Humans, being what they are, w} -I refer to the TODAY'S CHILD BY JUDITH ADAMS iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Gary is a thoroughly likeable young man of eleven, and he's ready and eager to be. adopted. He's a warm, friendly boy with a lot of charm, and an easy conversationalist who enjoys adult company. Gary likes playing with one or two children at a time, often choosing friends younger _than. himself. His favourite toys are his cars and trucks, and, he enjoys Cubs and outdoor 'acti- vities. He also has a natural curiosity about mechanical things, and the world around him. Gary has a quality of openness and honesty that is very appealing. He can be quite sensi- tive to other people's feelings, having had to deal with disappoint- ' ments in his own life. Gary has survived his early confusing years airport by the simplest and most widely -understood designation. The place will continue to be Toronto -Air- port to most of us. After all, the correct name for Highway 401 is the MacDonald -Cartier Freeway, a name which we recall only when we glance at a road sign as we drive past'. In common parlance It Is simply "The 401". Possibly the renaming of the air- port was done in the hope that some future generation will remember an- other prime minister and the Toronto Island terry will become the Pierre Trudeau Water Transit System, extremely well but is still likely to become anxious in a stressful situation. He wants a predictable, ordered home life a`nd will probably do much bet- ter . in school once he feels that he belongs in a permanent family. At present, Gary is working in a special education class at a grade 2 level, which considering the fact that he missed out on a great many years of school is encouraging to people who know him. As with most peo- ple, his anxiety level affects his ;concentra- tion. It isn't certain just what Gary's aca- demic potential will ,turn out to be, but he works very well in a positive, supportive atmosphere free from the pressures of com- petitiveness.. Parents for Gary will be in tune with his need' for calm, reassuring surrou•adings, and appreciate him for the truly fine young person he is. To inquire about adopting Gary, please write to Today's Child, Ministry of Community & Social Services,- Box 888, Station K,. Toronto, describing you family and your way of life. c' 1984 Canada Wide Feature Service Limited years. • Miss Barbara Rogs returned to Toronto after the holidays and has accepted a position as medical techni- ' cian in Sunny brook Hos- pital. Three New Year's Day babies were barn in the Wingham General Hospital: a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Cummin,: Lucknow; a son to Mr. and Mrs. Russell Kelly, Wingham; a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Eldon Kirton, Bluevale. Don Schatte, who has been connected with The Beaver Lumber Co. here for some time, has been transferred to Welland. A fire estimated to have created $100,000. damage hit the village of Wroxeter. Believed to have started from an overheated motor in the egg grading station, it -- spread rapidly. Several were made,homeless- Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hall, Bluevale, wish to announce the engagement of their daughter, Roberta Irene, to Robert George Casemore, son of Mrs. Alfred Arm- strong, London.. The marriage will take place early in January. JANUARY 1960 The first baby of 1960 to arrive at the Wingham General Hospital was born at 9:57 New Year's morning to Mr. and Mrs. Jack Fisher of East Wawanosh, near Zetland. The baby will be called Debbie. Miss Earnscliffe Mus- grove retired at the end of December from Buffalo General Hospital where she was head physiotherapist for many years. The year came to an end on a note of sorrow when three small Brussels boys lost their lives in a horrible fire in that community during the early hours of December 3L,iThe three sons of Mr. and Mrs. David Firby died in the fire. Mrs. Firby is in K -W Hospital in critical condition andher husband is in satisfactory condition. Miss Louise Irwin of Whitechurch commenced work in the Commerce Bank, Wingham. Miss Ruth Toner is the new organist at the Gorrie United Church. • " Mr. and Mrs. W. I. Miller' and Isobel moved last week to their new' home at St. Helens, the residence of the late Mrs. R. K. Miller, which they have renovated during the year. JANUARY 1970 . Loss is estimated at $30,000 in a fire which destroyed a large broiler barn at Wroxeter. It is believed that approximately 13,000 broiler chicks were lost in the blaze. The building was owned by the Fisher Feed Mill of Listowel which purchased the business from Tom Burke over a year ago. The Wingham Brewers' Retail Store was entered last ` Tuesday night when two men • wearing ski masks and armed with revolvers demanded the day's cash receipts. The money, amounting to about $1,000., was -turned over by Manager Peter Vath. Mr. .and -Mrs. Murray Latronico have moved to their new home on ° Wellington Street in the • New Books in the Library GOPHER HILLS Cummings A warm and charming story,of life on a prairie farm through the eyes of 10 -year- old Tommy. The coming of the telephone (party line!), a wolf hunt, threshing time, a winter storm and many more stories are told with humor and insight and will be appreciated by many rural readers even in On- tario. ' SUMMER HARVEST by Madge Swindells A saga of the devastation of power and love set in South Africa's Cape of Good Hope country. between 1938 and 1968. Anna van ,Achtenburgh mirrors the Melvin Craig, Spence Scott, 'strengths and weaknesses of Scott Reid, Alex Robertson her beautiful, harsh country: and George Thomas. -- the toughness, the dazzling material success, the moral dilemmas, the tragedy, It is an unforgetable and very readable story. ROBERT RITTER, principal at the F. E. Madill Secondary School for the past 10 years, retired last month after a total of over 30 years at the high school. In his retirement, Mr. Ritter said, he hopes to travel, work on his family history and read about his favorite subject, the American Civil War. Leaving the local high school - is bittersweet for. R. P. Ritter By Margaret Arbuckle Friday, 'Dec. 16, was a bittersweet day for Robert Ritter, principal of the F. E. Madill Secondary School. It was his last day at the school after more than 31 years, and 10 years as its principal. . Mr. Ritter's last day as principal was spent in his office at the school talking with friends made over the years. But he said he is happy, in a way, Oto be retiring' because 30 years in one profession is long enough. Born and educated in St. Jacobs, Mr. Ritter' received his high schooling at the Kitchener - Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational Centre. Then, it was on to Waterloo College (affiliated with the University of Western Ontario at the time), and after that, one year at the College of Education in Toronto. Always one to set goals for himself, Mr. Ritter decided upon teaching early in life because he said he has always been interested in people, young people in particular', so it seemed an obvious choice. Even though he majored in history at college, Mr. Ritter was engaged as an English teacher at the old Wingham High School, located where , CKNX is today. • , .: • • But prior to that, Mr. Ritter spent three years in the -armed forces and was considering making the • army his life. That was,in the early '50s, when the Korean War was being fought and there were many opportunities for servicemen to move up quickly through the ranks. However, after some consideration Mr. Ritter decided to teach. He received two offers for - positions, one from Copper Cliff in Northern Ontario, and one from Stan Hall, then the principal at the Wingham High School. Mr. Ritter Said he spoke to Mr. Hall over the telephone who hired him "sight unseen" right over othe phone. All Mr. Hall told him was to report to Wingham the first day of school to start teaching. Mr. Ritter said he had been stationed in Germany and returned to this country one week before the start of school. He came to Wingham and met the school's vice principal, Frank Madill, but he did not meet Mr. Hall until the - first day of school. The principal mistook him for a student instead of the new English teacher. Those early years teaching school in Wingham were very happy ,ones for Mr. Ritter. He said the school had fewer students back then, around 350; ant ere was much more school spirit. It was an -exciting time too because the district was starting to grow by leaps . and bounds. A new • high school was built during those years to ac- comodate the steady flow of "baby boomers" en- tering the high school system. The school also had a technical wing 'added. -in the late 1960s. After Mr. Ritter's predecessor in the principal's office, Mr. Philips, went to Clinton, Mr. Ritter was named principal in 1973. He had been vice principal for several years before that. • At its peak, enrollment at the high school reached upwards of 1,500 students in the early years of the 1970s. Although it was an exciting time, Mr. Ritter said he felt the school had become a kind of "assembly line", turning out students without as much personal contact. But today things are getting back to normal. With 950 students enrolled, it is still a far cry from the 350 attending when he first' came here, but it is getting back to a more "one-to-one" level. He also is happy that trends in education have swung back to a more structured format. The credit system-, introduced during the early 1970s, allowed too much flexibility, with students required to take only English as a compulsory course and from there on it was up to them, The trend now is back to a more structured curriculum with less opportunity for options. And that is something, he,hopes, will make for more well-rounded graduates. But that is behind him now and Mr. Ritter said he is looking forward to the prospect of becoming "thoroughly bored" for a while. He says he may take up another career, although he is not yet sure what it would be. ` In the meantime, he has several hobbies to keep him occupied, like geneology (he has traced his father's family tree back to the mid -1600s), stamp collecting and reading everything he can get his hands on about the American Civil War. He and Audrey, his wife over 30 years, may travel south or go to Europe. They have three children, a daughter Karen and two sons Jim and David. They also have one grandaughter. But one thing is certain, the Ritters intend to make Wingham their permanent homebase. After all, Mr. Ritter said, he wouldn't have stayed here for more than 30 Years if he didn't think it had something to offer. village of Gorrie. by Tom'Bluevale neighbors and friends ..surprised Mr. and Mrs. Scott McLennan with a party prior to them moving to Elmira. Gifts were presented to each member of the family. David MacDonald, a student at the Wingham and District Hospital Training Centre, won first prize in the window -painting contest for his scene of three wise men in the hospital solarium. Keith McLaughlin was installed -as Worshipful Master of. Wingham Lodge AF & AM, when the new officers were. installed by Ken Saxton Sr: and his team. Other officers. include Is the date opening? The unexpected success of Rev. Jesse Jackson's'prisoner-freeing mis- sion to Syria might be a sign of things to come if the voice of the peacemakers could be heard above the strident threats of the war mongers, No one expected Jackson to suc- ceed In his attempt to free the Ameri- can flyerheid'prisoner in Syria, but he did succeed, Perhaps if the American Marines were removed a safe distance -from the warring factions in Lebanon tensions in the Middle East might be, eased enough for peaceful negotiations to begin. PRESS COUNCIL The Advande-Times is a member of the Ontario Press Council which 'will consider written com- plaints about the publica- tion of news, opinions and advertising. If a corn - plaint can't be resolved with the newspaper, it should be sent to the On- tario Press Council, 151 Slater St., Suite 708, Ot- tawa, Qnt. K1P 5H3. 1