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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1983-02-02, Page 13leisure, features Serving over 2.5,000 homes in Listowel, Wingham Mount Forest, Milverton, Elmira, Palmerston, Harriston, Brussels, Atwood, Monkton, Millbank, Newton, Clifford, Wallenstein, Drayton, Moorefield and Arthur. To move or improve? Huron County Pioneer Museum faces difficult decision To move, or improve the present quarters of Huron County Pioneer Museum — that's -the question being considered by Huron County Council. Huron County has owned the museum collection since 1948, the year the collection was purchased from Joseph Herbert Neill. Much has been written about this man who travelled across Canada twice and into the United States, collecting artifacts. Mr. Neill was born on June 10, 1885, in Howick Township. It is reported his interest in antiques started in 1935 at the Howick Fall Fair. While not collecting artifacts, he took his collection to fairs, plowing matches and Women's Institute meetings. In the 1940's, he built three large trailers, intending them to carry his collection. His plans for a travelling exhibition didn't work out however, as the Department of Trans- port wouldn't allow the vehicles on the road. The historical buff looked around for permanent facilities, and in 1948 Huron County purchased the two-storey Central School on North Street in Goderich for the purpose of housing a museum. Documents indicate it was not a popular move at the time. Mr. Neill's collection was bought by the county for $3,000 under the condition that the number of articles 'be increased to 1,000 pieces. Mr. Neill moved into the upstairs of the school and was the museum's first curator when it opened on July 4, 1951. Accom- Imodation on the second floor of the building was a little cramped, and later that year the county purchased a log cabin for $100 from Archie Jones. This log cabin, located on the 1.31 acres of land on which the museum is situated, was built in 1875 in Turnberry Township. The cabin was dismantled, and the logs were set on the museum site. However, some Goderich residents objected to the building .of a log .bin,and a petition op- posing the strtkture was presented to county council. Because Mr. Neill had not yet applied for a building permit, the petition was shelved It did not resurface when the building permit was applied for, and on May 26, 1952, Mr. Neill moved into the cabin. He lived there for 15 years. The museum was Mr. Neill's life and it is common knowledge that he often worked there 16 hours a day. In 1964, James Chisholm took over as curator. He stayed until the fall of 1968. The museum was without a curator until April of 1969 when Raymond Scotchmer took over. On June 13, 1969, Mr. Neill died at Huronview at the age of 84. Mr. Scotchmer was born and raised on a farm in the Bayfield area. The county was looldng for a general handyman to run the by Stephanie Levesque museum and Mr. Scotchmer fit the bill as he had previously worked in the construction business, a machine shop and a welding shop. He acknowledges that over the past years the job has become more adminsitrative. He is responsible to Huron County Council's property committee not only for the pioneer museum, but also for the marine museum (which is operated by the county a,nd the town of Goderich) and the Tiger Dunlop Tomb. Over the years, the collection has grown from 1,000 to an estimated 15,000 items. The number of visitors has also grown — from 2,000 in 1951 to from 14,000 to 25,000 in recent years. Catalogueing the collection is one of the tasks of registrar Pat Carter, who also researches, photographs and numbers each piece. Since the mid -1970's, new and previous acquisitions have been catalogued. Assistant curator Friedl Nanz has seen many changes at the museum as she has worked under all three curators. Besides the curator, asistant curator and registrar, there is only one other full-time staff member, the custodian. The museum is' open seven days a week from May to October and during that time, four secondary school students are em- ployed. Recently, the museum has taken advantage of the Canada -wide Katimavik program. Under that program, students have assisted with' research and catalogueing. As curator, Mr. Scotchmer's main con- cern is for the safety of the collection. About three years ago part of the roof collapsed because of a heavy snow load. A Wintario grant was sought by the county at that time but was not approved. Mr., Scotchmer says bothauron ,County. Council and- its property committee are "well convinced" something needs to be done so the museum collection can be properly housed. INVESTIGATE SCHOOL The Township of Tuckersmith offered the county the former telecommunications building at Vanastra for $75,000. It was suggested this building could be used to house the museum collection. The 15.5,000 -square -foot building was constructed in 1954 in the compound of the former Air Force Base, south of Clinton. About two years ago, Tuckersmith 'pur- chased the school for back taxes. It has been noted that if Huron County does not pur- chase it, the • building will be put on the auction block. Karen McCaul of Kitchener is working towards a career in the country music field. She just released a recorEase Your Mind" and recently appeared on the Yes. Virginia Telethon with Allan Thicke and Ronnie Prophet !1� The three -wing building has been vacant for 10 years. A preliminary report by the Ministry of Government Services indicated it will cost $932,000 to restore the building. A leaking roof is a major defect, and it is estimated the roof will cost about $200,000 to repair. In September, an engineering report indicated the telecommunications school building is structurally sound. The report suggested walls between the 105 classrooms could be removed. Other positive features include seven bays on the first floor of one of the wings, and the fact that throughout the building, there are several rooms containing seats, ideal for lecture rooms. There is a 284 - seat theatre, and the building has a large entrance way. Continued on Page 2 • Wednesday, February 2, 198.3 ftto WO; . The Huron County Pioneer Museum as it stands today on North Street in Goderich. The two-storey structure is the former Central School in Goderich. The log cabin is formerly from Tum - berry Township and was J. H. Neill's home for many years. The aerial photo shows clearly the three wings of the former telecommunications school in Vanastra. Between the centre wing and the one on the right is the 284 -seat theatre. The three-storey building is being considered as a possible site of the Huron County Pioneer Museum. Iteaussw The floral clock in the foreground is the handywork .of the Huron County Pioneer This long stretch of hallway is an example of one of the wings of the former telecom - Museum's first curator J. H. Neill. The log cabin in the background was Mr. Neill's munications school in Vanastra. The cement block walls can be taken down without residence for 15 years. harming the structure. Karen McCaul . . . well on her way to the top by Kim Dadson A high school teacher once suggested to Karen McCaul that perhaps she shouldn't be singing in the school play. The not -too -subtle hint didn't devastate the North Bay student then but today, after recording her first sin- gle, bookings at popular nightclubs, televi- sion and movie credits to her name, Karen recalls the advice with amusement. It isn't an, "I showed him" type of amuse- ment. Rather, Karen is probably as sur- prised as is that high school teacher that her life has taken such a route. When she left North Bay in 1974, it wasn't to find fame and fortune in show business. She moved to Kitchener, got a job as a secretary and life was going pretty much as expected when a chance meeting opened new doors for her. In fact, Karen says herself that she's not sure how much is luck and how much is good business sense, but today she is facing a future in the uncertain world of show busi- ness; specifically in the country music scene. in 1976 Paul Winkler, manager of the sing- ing and dancing troupe of young men and women "Project People", came into Karen's office looking for space to rent for rehearsals. They got talking, he invited her to an audition and for the next three years she travelled with this energetic group to performances across the province. Then her twin sister, Kim, suggested moving to Toronto because she was inter- ested in modelling. The two were in an agent's office when Robert E. Lee, of the show of the same name, came in and responded to the idea of twins for his night- club circuit. "We were sort of book -ends in that ! " comments the soft-spoken blonde. Karen got the "bug" however. "i decided from that point to take vocal training," she says. NOT ONE FOR THE ROAi) The twins spent a couple of years on the road with Robert E. Lee, then with the Sky- lark Show Band. directed by Jerry Bewes. They formed their own show, The McCaul Twin Show and travelled the circuit before Karen decided the road was not for her. "I had seen a lot of girls burned out after five years," she says, searching for the right term to describe the abuse of alcohol and drugs to which that she saw many turn. "I couldn't see that route. Also, I had a fiance. It's hard to keep a relationship going on the road." While her goals include having top -of -the - ,chart records and the popularity and salary of someone who has "made it" in the busi- ness, Karen is a very level-headed person. Some have accused her of not having enough ego to push her to the top, but Karen sees it another way. "i don't want to sacrifice my health and family. It's not worth it to me if I have to for- get everything else." That desire to get to the top and its effects have been well recorded in other cases Karen comments. "Some people are so hungry to get into it they forget they are pro- fessionals." And if she doesn't make it? "I'll know I tried," she says, "but it won't be the end." Before the twins went their separate ways and Karen returned to Kitchener they did a six -hour audition for Visual Productions, the result being a television show "The Music Store", now 'being aired on channel 11 ( Hamilton) at 11:30 Saturday nights. They taped 26 half-hour programs and they host rock and country performers. Viewers will have a difficult time telling the identical twins apart! Yet to be aired is another show Karen did for Visual Productions called "Travelling Music" taped in 26 episodes in Mexico. NOW INTO ACTING Besides her singing and dancing, Karen also landed character roles on the television show 'Bizarre" and a few movies, including Melanie", starring Burton Cummings and Glynnis O'Connor and "Off Your Rocker". starring Milton Berle and Red Buttons. She recalls that they had to film a party scene in "Melanie'' and it was shot in a house in Toronto on one of the hottest days of the year. To block out any outside sound, the house was closed up tight and everyone sweltered in the heat. The very first role she got was in "Maui-. 1 starring Robert Hedges and Lisa Hartman It was being shot in Hawaii and Karen was there on a vacation. While at the reception desk a man approached her and asked if she would like to be in a movie. She thought it was a rather over -used line but he was sin- cere and she got a part which included some background conversation. While on another vacation with her mother and sister in Las Vegas the twins noticed a marquee at the Sands Hotel, "The McCaul Twins". Curious, they introduced themselves to twin sisters from Chicagowho invited them to sing in their lounge act the following evening. "So I can say 1 sang at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas," Karen laughs. Upon her return to Kitchener Karen took a job with an agent "so I could learn that side of the business. Too often people forget it is a business." During the day she works as a secretary and evenings and weekends she devotes to her career. Her most recent television appearance was on the "Yes, Virginia" tele- thon with Alan Thicke and Ronnie Prophet. However her most exciting move to date has been the recording of her first single, "Ease Your Mind". "Ever since I released the record, I've been going 24 hours a day." She discovered that radio stations receive about 300 records a week and that's only in the country field. They look at the singer's name last and at the producer and label first. „ Her record was produced by Glen Sutton of Nashville's Belair Records in a Toronto studio. Sutton is also the producer of Lynn Anderson's "I Never Promised You a" Rose Garden." To date, reply cards from stations across Canada have been encourag- ing. HER OWN AGENT Karen has learned the business very well and acts as her own agent, much to the chagrin of agents. They don't know how she has been able to get such bookings as " tixie Lillies" in Kitchener, "Dallas" in Hamilton Feb. 18-20) and "EI Condor" in Toronto Mar. 14-20 i with her back-up band. True North. Although accused of not having the ego to make it big, Karen makes up for it in initia- & tive. "Sometimes it's not how hard you work but how smart you work," she says. She visits the owners of nightclubs herself. At Dixie Lillies she won a talent contest and was invited to perform again. She has found owners easy to approach and thinks that they may appreciate the one-on-one meet- ings when arranging bookings. Karen arranges he own interviews and has put together her own promotional material. At 26, she appears to have things well in hand, taking the steps towards "making it" in stride. Although Karen wants to stay in. Canada she recognizes that many Canadian per- formers end up going south to further their careers. It bothers her that Canadian talent is not backed and supported in Canada. She certainly would` like to play- in Nashville someday, the capital of country music. Her family is very supportive and her fiance has been a source of advice on the business side of her career. Show business seemed "glamorous and exciting" at first but today Karen knows the reality. A two-hour show is preceded by an eight-hour rehearsal, costume expenses and lessons — voice lessons costing $40 an hour it requires a lot of energy to be packed in her slight 110 -pound frame. it's also a business in which important decisions have to be made, and images have to be kept. Karen has already made one important decision about her image. Play- boy approached the twins with the idea of doing a photo feature of them. "That would be a door closing as far as I'm concerned," Karen says. The image for country singers has been helped by such stars as Barbara Mandrel!. Karen comments. It can be modern and ,sophisticated and that's what Karen is aim- ing for. "Some say you need sex appeal. But if people like you, it's there. You don't have to force it out." To get her bookings, interviews, her record on the airwaves, Karen says it's a matter of "getting someone to believe in you. You must believe in yourself first " if determination, hard work and a belief are ingredients for reaching the top."Karen McCaul is well on her way. N