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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1979-04-04, Page 44V-449,6,7-7- nth a'�,, _ . ,. :1 .. .. ' • . .G - ..- .". C !. A page of editorial opinion Wednesday, April 4 ......, .., .:. ..:•:;: `v"}:i:?:: iiiY •: 01.111, : i:• vy 4'i•yti;sw ;. }R'• . spy �+• a: v. What is it they fear? The attempt by the Ontario health min- istry to force the closure of a number of active treatment beds at Wingham and Dis- trict Hospital this year sparked a tremen- .+c+„e public reaction. People from all around the area flocked to meetings and wrote hundreds of letters publicly voicing their protest against the ministry proposal. However the reaction of the board of governors charged with the responsibility for running the hospital has been quite dif- ferent. Since the threat to the hospital beds first became apparent earlier this year the board has gone underground, choosing to hold several meetings in closed session and refusing to allow members of the public or the press to attend. The most recent example occurred last week when the board met to consider a brief to the health minister prepared by a com- mittee of interested citizens and board members. The contents of a brief prepared by a public committee as a result of public pressure and regarding the fate of a public institution can hardly be considered a pri- vate matter, yet the board refused to allow the press or public to attend the meeting at which the matter was discussed. When a public body acts In such a man- ner the obvious questions are: What does It .. a., ti1.-7 1♦ rnInht ho MOF A;;10115 ,t a r,,,y ... ,,... argued that the board fears whatever strategy it might intend to use in fighting bed cuts would be jeopardized if It were revealed prematurely. Whether or not this is true, there Is an accepted manner of handling such information: it is discussed in com- mittee -of -the -whole and the press accepts that it is not reportable. The board is aware of this procedure and has followed It in the past without finding it necessary to exclude the press from a meeting. People of Wingham and area have convincingly demonstrated their solid sup- port for the hospital and their desire to see it remain a 100 -bed facility, even If It means dipping into their own pockets. They have a right to know what the hospital board is doing to carry out their wishes. Pick your own issue With a federal election staring Can- adians in the face it is quite possible the voters will be just as confused about the Is- sues as are the national leaders. Pierre Trudeau says the big Issue is national unity; Joe Clarke says it's inflation and Ed Broad- bent says it's unemployment. Frankly, we think they are all correct and if they want to dig a bit deeper it Is quite possible they could find another dozen or so Issues to fling into the battle of words. With seven weeks of election campaign ahead of us we can guarantee the average voter will be totally confused by May 22. Who is going to win? Well, that's a pretty good question. Trudeau looks like the more positive leader but his backers don't give him odds for more than a minority govern- ment. Then, Clarke has a lot of bets going that he will be the leader of ,a minority government. Given such a fine discrepancy in public opinion we might see a lot of the undecideds vatting the NDP ticket so they won't have to pick on either of the major parties. And that could well mean that Broadbent .will . make a strong run up the middle and with an increase in NDP seats be In a position to hold the balance of Canadian power in his own sweaty hand. Although Liberal support, at least ac- cording to the polls, has been gaining on the Conservatives in recent weeks, the Libs are in a precarious position. They have virtually no members west of Ontario and Trudeau's stand on oil rights has further antagonized both Alberta and Saskatchewan. The federal Liberals are certainly not going to get their usual support in Quebec because of the separatist propaganda. Thus the counties of southwestern Ontario and the ridings in metropolitan Toronto become all-important to the Liberals' chance of success. Many thinking Canadians have been shocked by Trudeau's willingness to leave the nation, its businessmen and employers hanging in limbo for a whole year while he waited for the best political timing for this election ; and called for a vote only when his mandate was running out. Concern for the nation's progress appears to have been secondary to political opportunity. Man of the century Surely Mayor Jean Drapeau of Montreal has a bright future ahead of him. Though he hasn't got equal physical assets, .dean's powers of magic should make him a great candidate to play opposite Wonder Woman on the tube. As the investigation of overspending on the Montreal Olympic games continues we marvel more and more at the man who could countenance the total skulduggery of the Olympic mess and still win by a landslide in the city elections. There used to be an old saying about beloved country doctors to the effect that their patients would rather be killed by the family physician than cured by a stranger. Maybe that's Drapeau's key to success. Last week the City of Montreal moved to block the introduction of yet another docu- ment required for the investigation. It had to do with the firm of Regis Trudeau (not to be confused with Pierre). That company was responsible among other contracts, for the construction of a huge parking lot. When bad cracks appeared in the paving the cost of re- pairs to the city was between $3 and $4 mil- lion — but the city passed the Trudeau ac- count for payment in full. Total cost of the Olympic stadium was estimated at $1.27 million. Final cost, $106.4 million. The Trudeau firm spent $162,898 to build and partially furnish a country home for Gerrard Niding, chairman of the city's executive council which was responsible for awarding contracts. Yet Mr. Drapeau has stoutly asserted there was no favoritism in letting contracts. Incidentally Mr. Trudeau provided $10,000 for Drapeau's 1974 election campaign and the mayor received the money personally in his own office. 1950-51 STAINTON SPITFIRES—The WOAA Intermediate "A" and grand champions of 1950-51 get together next week Templeman, Bob Green and Bill Lockridge. John Jackson with the Spitfires of the year before and the 1959-60 Dodgers was absent. In back: Norm Tustin, Ted English, Roy Wil - to take on the young Jokers of 1959-60. In front from left: son, Bill Bilbert, manager Percy Stainton, Leonard Huff, Jack Pym, Roy Dewbury, Lavi Purola, Bob Sangster, Fred John Crewson, Murray Stainton and George Westlake. Under anything approaching normal circumstances it would appear that quite a few people should be in jail — but in Mont- real, who knows? After all we did help substantially to bail them out with our pur- chases of lottery tickets. An eventful week Let's hope we don't have a re -run of last week for a long time to come. Several of the events which filled the mews will have long-term effects on all of us. There was good news with the long hoped-for signing of a peaee treaty between Israel and Egypt, but the exerted response from the Arab world was a shocker. The OPEC countries upped the price of crude oil by no less than 9 per cent for a starter and left the more vindictive states the option of adding their own surcharges, making the sky the limit. A serious breakdown in a nuclear reactor near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was at the weekend still threatening to become a New Books in the. Library THE EXCALIBUR DI ASTER by Jack M. Bickham Transwestern Flight 161 on route from St. Louis to New York was an Excalibur jet, a magnificent craft new in com- mercial service and already people called it the airplane of the future. But Flight 161 crashed on apprpach to .jiFK, with 186 passengers and crew aboard. None of them survived and the crash was a total mystery. BENDIGO SHAFTER by Louis L' Amour Bendigo Shafter, 18, tough yet idealistic and filled with hope, begins his story with the arrival of his raggedy band of pioneers in a small western settlement. Tbey are strangers drawn together by wagons moving westward. All about them is Indian territory; winter is approaching. Seven 'men and 13 women and children are founding a new community. BEFORE THE WIND by Lloyd M. Moxon It is the turbulent 1790s. England is at war with France and young Lieutenant John St. John of His Majesty's Navy sails forth to seek his fortune, one he must win by his own ability and daring, for he lacks the brilliant connections that automatically assure brilliant careers. h Edo t r Letters t t e I I f' 11 h d t ree go to large arenas in cities for W sides. ina y a o ag people responsible for the Midget tournament we have been to" Congratulations on and "really good food!". with his thinking as it is only a NHL hockey teams. We suggest g hockey tournament. y g game and a renewing of old to you that such funds be dedi- hoeke tournament Our team thoroughly enjoyed As consolation C champions we the first-class competition, good hope to return next year to take friendships, both old and young. Gated to health care, the prime refereeing and excellent food, part again in your well-run I can understand their wish to concern of our senior citizens Wingham Advance -Times g have Neilson behind their bench who gave so much to our com- Dear Sir: _ also the courtesy items from the tournament. as the way the Jokers used to munities in their working years Manager Mr On behalf of the Southwest Lions club. Some of the parents Austin Ga geY play somehow reminds me of the and now are fearful about Blades, Ridgetown's Midget enjoyed shopping in your ex- way the Leafs play now. sickness and what is happening hockey team, I would like to cellent stores, where the people I am looking forward to this to health care in this area. congratulate Rennie Alexander, were all so friendly. Comments get-together and I am sure the We, the elected members of the Barry from the boys were: "Best A little respect Ba Passmore and all the y p Jokers will understand as we Township of Ashfield Council, have in thepast old timers' ask you to reconsider your deci- for the Dodgers games the fun and fellowship we sion of hospital bed closures. The enjoy with the fans as well as the citizens of our community and Dear Editor, players. Wingham carries many our province deserve quality M USEi I am replying to -the two letter ' fonil tdem-6ries'7ot'•all bf fig ` health care. We ask that you with entered in your paper recently' , we return, lop get-t9getbers such all government members of the and signed by A Joker. These two as this. Province of Ontario properly letters have left me with the Ellwood (Elbows) Irwin measure the use of our tax MUSINGS feeling that A Joker is passing dollars. It d rs off as Warren G. Zinn, Reeve major disaster. Pre-school children and ex- pectant mothers were evacuated from the area and scientists admitted that the reactor's fuel rods might fuse into one huge nuclear ball and pollute vast areas of the northern tlnitad States (a :. �% k-rr,A'w perhaps Canada). The Harrisburg incident will certainly reinforce the protests of the millions of people who Insist that nuclear reactors are hideously dangerous — at a time when the energy they produce Is needed more than ever before. Makes the average little guys like ourselves feel pretty helpless, eh? - ----------------- M -, THE WINGHAADVANCE-TIMES •C A Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited Barry Wenger, President Robert O Wenger, Sec. Tress. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations • Member Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc. Ontario Weekly Newspaper Assoc. Subscription $14 00 per year Six months $7.50 Second Class Mail Registration No. 09'21 Return postage guaranteed Among the more interesting uuc. meetings held in the town hall the were the nomination meetings no for the town council, school board and utilities commission. abo Elections were usually held the T first Monday in December and doo nominations on the second last th Friday in November. In the early cl days it was a meeting strictly for th men. 'Even after women were to given the vote it was more than a w decade before the first woman ni appeared there with her F• husband. H When one arrived via the south s atairs to the hall, the town clerk no would be seated at a table on the t stage. The elected officials would in be seated in a group by them- h selves about halfway down on the to south side. Most of the citizens a would be seated at the rear, c studying the detailed financial b statements for the current year r up to Nov. 15. Pads of nomination forms would be scattered around s and from time to time someone would take some nominations up to the clerk. He in turn would e read out the nominations he had t received every five minutes or so. Finally nominations were s declared closed and a chairman i would be chosen from the floor t for the speaking to follow. After some coaxing most of the taxpayers would move closer to the front of the hall, except some who had been nominated and were afraid to go to the platform to speak. They stayed close to the rear so they could leave quietly before their names were called. The mayor and council spoke first to ' give an accounting of their year's work; they were followed by those who thought they could do better. Some were real orators, most were not. There was very little heckling unless some outstanding question had come up during the year. Around 1930 the Bell factory on Josephine Street was razed. Since jobs were scarce many citizens thought it should have been left intact and a new in- dustry found. Thomas Fells was Mayor and a good speaker He explained it was impossible to sell a three-storey factory and expensive to keep the building in repair. He also stated that the brick chimney was not going to be left as a monument to his inability to produce a miracle. At this point a businessman arose and, for no apparent reason, accused the mayor of having more faces than the clock across the street. After that he stormed A brief silence followed but meeting then continued as if thing had happened. Another time the question was ut meat. A butcher from eeswater had been selling meat r. to door around town from e back of his truck. Some aimed it wasn't right when ere were three butchers in wn ; others claimed it just isn't sanitary. On nomination ght this was the main topic. orally it was time for John W. anna to speak in defence of his eat on council. He thanked his minators and told the citizens hey were living in the best town Ontario. He said he was glad to ear the leak in the roof of the wn hall had been repaired and, s far as the meat question was oncerned, it was a lot of aloney. Needless to say, he was ,elected. About 1950 the financial tatements were stopped to save money. In the late '60s the On- tario government asked that the lections be for two years. Next he nomination meetings were discontinued and the present ystem of nomination started. No onger does the hall resound to he candidates' speeches. Another era in our history, is gone. the Old Craw or Dodge the Geritol Set. I am sure we would agree (to ourselves) that we are getting long in the tooth, but surely these young men have some respect for the older generation. I have contacted Murray Stainton and have stated to him that he does not require any additions to our Crawford Dodger team of 1958-59 as I am sure we could handle those Jokers, even with all their younger additional players. No doubt they have the feeling they will not be a match with just their Joker team. Back in the fifties these $ame Jokers used to come asking if they could carry our sticks and skates to the arena and then tell their friends that they were associated with the big boys of the hockey world in Wingham during the fifties. Maybe they are still holding us in awe. Murray, being the very humble person he is, just let me have my say. He then said, "Ellwood, you know the people of Wingham deserve to see a competitive game and I cannot subject them to a ► unaway by our old Crawford Dodger team. We will not bring in younger players like the Jokers, but will bring in the real Geritol set. By doing this it will make it a much more balanced power on TODAY's CHILD To the Minister Mr. Dennis Timbrell, Dear Sir: We are writing to convey to you our concerns over the announce- ment of hospital bed closures in Wingham and District Hospital. This hospital serves a large part of Ashfield Township. We, along with the surrounding municipali- ties, have established a Medical Centre in Lucknow, where we presently have three dedicated doctors of the highest calibre. We are particularly concerned that a loss of bed$ will lead to this hospital losing its viability as a hospital and we will be unable to retain our doctors in our area. We believe that the Hospital Board of Directors can justify the reten- tion of our active treatment beds to care for our own people in our own community. Our geographic location in North Huron is close to 60 miles from a larger centre and the win- ter conditions are severe. We appreciate that the public funds are not endless and that re- straint in spending is essential. However, we see recently that money raised through lotteries to the tune of $18 million dollars is to John Austin, Deputy -Reeve Allan Gibson, Councillor Grant Farrish, Councillor Lack of support for lronmen Dear Editor, This letter is from a concerned group of Ironmen fans. Our concern is based on the lack of support at the Ironmen games throughout the season. We have seen more support at away games from 20 people than at home games from 450 people. Any good hockey team needs support and encouragement from the hometown fans. Without this support the team feels no one cares whether it wins or loses. Although the Ironmen didn't win their group championship, they provided a tough match all the way. There is no reason to be disappointed in their per- formance. They are still Number One and we're proud to have them represent Wingham! So next year come on out and give the Ironmen all your sup- port! The girls on the bus ' ,\ BY HELEN ALLEN i j+. f Idr' Stevie is an appealing seven-year-old of Indian and whit& descent, very outgoing and sociable. He_9s in good general health but has mild cerebral palsy "E a',1 which results in poor balance and poor co-ordination. He is active though and does most of the things other children do, like riding a bike, playing on monkey bars, playing ball and his, version of hockey. He wears glasses to correct a turned -in eye. ,t Stevie's development is behind the average for his age, has in his foster home, and is but he made great progress expected to do even better when he is settled in a family ' of his own. Meantime he tries hard and is doing well in primary opportunity class. ` , Stevie will bring rewards to a family who will love him t for his happy personality and not let his problems spoil their pleasure in an affectionate little son.,,; w To inquire about adopting Stevie, please write to Today's Child, Mihistry of Community and Social Ser- vice, Box W, Station K, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2H2. in your letter tell something of your present family and your way of life. F`or general adoption information, contact your local Children's Aid Society. { Y %. r /. i•!r/ . 'irr .•?,•: • . ... '90 ...