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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWingham Advance-Times, 1981-12-22, Page 1t: 1/4 • . • 7••••• t. • *••% •.:•11;!.. 4 . • fffrA' ."4„ „yeti llospitai. is on sche sgilhitt, e9m1# 10141,•'• hosbitai" members- *0' Trustee t, iipv .”- property conunitte€ 'rojeetlelf4dy•:i .„„ • IRPergOtAlishelkiln target '..130th tiMeiWtoo, and, We 1),0 The; new Offieeepate'agd: • laboratory are nearly the ' -rehabilitation oftutit," is ; functioninneW:'g *eti 1', • 1,0•00,300,00"..-wfaiisee.;401 48000.1010ZWatag000,zsAti. 04.4.11.05X- ,forivw-4- THE SALVATION ,ARMY qontinuing traclition this year of donating fb0d, clothing and gifts to:needy families in county. Cep- tain Wilsbn Perrineaid the corps wilineto nvet-5dfainilies in the coun- ty this Christmas. Capt. Perrin, Janet Hubbard; 61.09 Stokes, Isabel • RYAN DEYELL acted as master of ceremonies at last Thursday aftempon's Christmas concert at the Wingham Public School: 'Students in Grades 1 through 4 participated' in the ocincert as did the morning and afternoon Kindergarten classes. Accident results in ALT Bannerman, Mae tiutiOn, and ITIorenc#X11.4 ON* • distribytion last Tuesday afternbion. &Ma:, photo. But it could be wRise • teens ready for ..,,,sent from the .'--quarteFs and the Nursjng• Assistants Trtioirng:' ,School will be open ihit Week, he reported. • - . - • He added- that ;the 'com-• mitteeplans,tothilOW\up and try- to *Meet the grants pledged • by Ideal thwni villages and '-",tiriintiltips toward the 440 of, the $500,000:project - Chairman Jack Kopett the board a letter he • P94 yeu The* to the mm indit About reach capacity Hea ;nena that ,t . er 4000.07dliitit 4 , , ccoun stoft"liii•ebeen train' • Oc.1 aP Ant a V/ • Although - some are -reluctant to talknbout it and • none ,complain publicly, • there i little doubt that Wingham merchants are feeling the pinch of a slumping-, economy in their Christmas sales. Few will admit their own sales. are down much, but number know of other merchants whose businesses -. are said to be suffering: And even where sales have kept up to other years,. most merchants interviewed in a survey hist week agreed that customertraffic is lighter this year. Most also noted that the "Christmas rush" has been later in coming this year. Many •reported that November was an unusually light sales month, and things have really picketup only in the past few weeks. Quite a number of mer- chants commented on a "return to basics" by many shoppers: selecting utilitarian items of clothing careless driving ehargeor furniture instead of fancier, more whimsical purchases as Christmas presents. They also noted there appear to be -fewer impulse purchases. Instead of wandering into a store, browsing through Mer- chandise and waiting for something to catch their fancy, shoppers are walking in with their minds already made up about what they want and can afford. But, while business may be slower than during past Christmas seasons, none -of the merchants surveyed was ready to ptish the panic button. Most appear to be taking it in stride and Some, with many years of ex- perience -behind them, commented that this year is by no means the worst they have experienced. A few are compensating by quietly starting to offer post - Christmas discounts 5 week or two early, •while others are waiting it out. A number of interesting observations were en- countered during the course of the survey. Archie Hill. proprietor of Hill's Shoes, said he feels An accident , Sunday evening which occurred four miles north of :Wingham on Hwy. 4 resulted in a careless driving charge to a Wingham man. Keith Hodgkinson of Wingham was in collision with Jack Opyc of Kitchener at 6pproximately. 9:20 Sunday evening. Sgt. Roy Post office closed over Christmas There will be a receipt of mail on the, morning Of Dec. 24 as well as a dispatch of mail to -post -offices in the immediate area, but there will he no dispatch of mail to Kitchener and London at 6^ p. m. The post Office will be closed on Christmas Day and on Dec. 26 and 28. The box lobby will remain open on those days. Regular service will resume Tuesday, Dec. 29, Anderson of • the Wingham OPP reported an estimated $5,500, in .damage to the two cars. • Mr. Hodgkinson •was , treated - and released from the Wingham and District Hospital. Mr. Opyc suffered no injuries. An early -morning accident in Blyth on Sunday resulted in $850 in damages to vehicles driven by Keith McClure of RR 1, Seaforth, and Mark Johnston 'bf Clinton. The two vehicles collided at a stop sign and sl ippery road conditions were blamed for the mishap. No charges were laid. Michael Butt of Kitchener alas charged with making an improper turn after the car he was driving collided with a Gay -Lea truck driven byr, Michael Conroy of Brtie. The accident resulted in $20,000 in damages to the truck, but there was no damage to the Butt car. 'The accident occured last, . Thursday morning at an- proidinately 920. a,rn, No injuries resulted from the mishap. • people have become more • selective in their bueng. • 'They're looking more Oda); at needs than just wahts." However if they do need an item, there is no holding iback from buying it.' He said high interest rates definitelyare taking a toll, forcing retailers to 'con- centrate on basic lines and cut off some of the frilis. Manufacturers \ too are carrying smaller inyentories than in the past, though there has been no problem getting most basic items. Sales volume might be off somethis year, he said, but it is a continuation of the pattern of the past four years rather than a sudden change. "Christmases (in the past four years) have never been as big as they used to be." instead of a bigVrtiah at Christmas, • people are buying more at other times during the year. Bob Middleton Mid- dleton's Home Furnishings said his personal 'feeling is that people are spending less money this year,: -either because they have !Jess or because they haVe been frightened by the gloomy economic economic foreeasti and are saving instead of Spending it. People also are,'" buying more ,practical; Oiriatfilat gifts, things they:,Wmild, have bought anywayft he said, and there is less iMpulse buying. There are fewer "lookers"; the ones who come in tend to have their minds made up and know what -they want. Concern over Poland atterns Sales are down. this year from the patthreeor four, but had started" to pick. up last week,.. leading him to wonder whether people have just, been putting off their Christmas shopping until the ,_last motnent. While big' store appears as well -stocked as ever, Mr. Middleton said the interest rates have been forcing him to cut back on excess stock. As a result he often carries just one of each set and re- orders when it is sold. Karen Hicks, manager of Gemini.Jewellers, also noted that the usual Christmas rush was slower starting <this year, though it is picking up now. She hasn't stocked as much as usual because of the cost of money and also stock • is harder to get because the wholesalers themselves are carrying smaller in- ventories, she said. Though things are a little dower, they are the same for everyone, she commented, adding that, "the ones who have bought have bought well. They don't seem to have a shortage of money." She also remarked on the "kids coming in with all kinds of money", which is a change from a number of years ago. Bertha Miller of .Miller's Ladies Wear said it is too soon to tell whether Christmas shopping is up or down. Their business was up in November, she reported, Continued on Page 2 "Casey" Casemore notices unease inlast trip to Europe Also, shoplieePers in the towns and cities and even private citizens displayed "Help Poland", banners in theirpeewindows. People ws.Canada cannot seem to comprehend the small size of most 'countries in Europe, Mr. Casemore' said. A motorist could travel through Holland and Prance in a single day, and the Netherlands would fit easily into Lake Huron. One of Wingham's most seasoned travellers, Lloyd "Casey" Casemore, recently returned from a trip to Holland, Germany and Belgium. He reported the situation in Poland is creating a great deal of unease in Europe. Mr. Casemore travelled through towns, villages and cities on his trip and noted that people are banding together to try to help their Polish neighbors. The people in these countries have organized fundraising drives for food, money and clothing for the Poles. One week ago, Mr. Casemore visited a town in which a carnival was being held to raise donations of money and food. He donated a kilo of cheese to the cause, and said he learned last Friday morning that trucks loaded with ford and supplies had been allowed to enter Poland. These small countries fear a sort of "doraino)effect" if any type of military con- frontation takes place in Poland, he speculated Mr. Casemore also said he noticed a dramatic change in the economic Climate in Europe since his visit in May ofthis people yearappear to be finding their economies slipping, he said; after the expansive indtlitrial beam of the early andiewirrati.d Casemorel910S. The people spoke to on his trip com- plained more about the economic situation than the last time he was in Europe. He said they told him that several large chain stores have closed and some fac- tories have been forced to revert to three-day weeks. Econoinic uncertainties. breed discontent, observed Mr. Catemore, People without work become em- bittered toward the entire system and in their desperation, he feels, join subversive groups. This is evidenced in the sudden rise of terrorist groups in Europe ,Such as the Red Brigades in Italy and the Baader- Meinhof in Gerrnany. Another growing concern among Europeans is the locating of American and Soviety nuclear missiles in Europe en Mr. (:asemore was in Amsterdam, the biggest parade sine the liberation of Holland by the allied forces in 1945 was held. Close to 250,000 people marched in the streets to protest the location of nuclear weapons on the European continent. The political climate of many European countries can best be described as uncertain, Mr. Casemiire said. An election was held in Ronan! during his stay. Twenty-one political parties sponsored candidates on the election ballot. The election resulted in the formation of a coalition government by the three major political parties, the" second since May. Mr, Casemore has visited Europe four times in the past 20 months, and added he is eager to return again to visit friends made during the war and through his involvement with the Lions club. But he did express some concern about what the future might hold for his friends in Europe NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS—The only Creature stirr- ing in the Merkley household this Christmas Eve will be young Kendra, who is eagerly awaiting Santa's arrival. Kendra said she hopes Santa will leave her a toy piano and a toy typewriter this year and she will leave him a snack too. She is the daughter of Terry and Linda Merkley of Wingham. Two children die in Ashfield Township fire Two Lucknow•area youngsters died in a , fire which swept through their mobile home on Con. 13 of Ashfield Township Saturday. Jamie Langille, 3, and his nine•month-old brother Jason were trapped inside the Male when the fire broke out at about 1:30. p.m, Another brother, Kevin. 6. also was inside but managed to escape The Lucknow Fire Depart- ment fought. the blaze but kt as unable tO save the horne. litch was destroyed down to the foundation. The children's mother, Kathleen Langille, was reported to have been out- side with her eldest son. Allen, 7, trying to catch a horse which had broken loose, when she noticed the smoke. She tried to enter the home but was driven back by flames. • is The cape of the fire has - not yet been determined, but an investigator from the ontario fire marshal's office reported it started in the area of a wood -burning stove t...V.(102M211WIREMIAMT.Bse