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The Huron Expositor, 1985-08-14, Page 3NEWS AND FEATURES— Mc Kenzie EATURES-McKenzie King to Wingham in 1935 100 YEARS AGO August 14, 1885 - Our old friend Robert Burns, has sold his farm of 100 acres, north half lot 30, concession 8, Morris, on the gravel mad two miles south of Brussels, to Jno. Pybus, of Tuckersmith township. The price paid was $4,000. Mr. Burns intends removing to Brussels this fall, we believe., and will make his home there. While Joseph Clegg and Donald McLauch- lin were driving out of the station yard at Brussels, last Wednesday morning, their horse took fright and dumped the rig over the crossing opposite Revere House. One shaft of the buggy was broken, and a wheel damaged. 75 YEARS AGO August 19, 1910 - While Mrs. John Roem, of Walton, was going upstairs one night recently, to retire, she missed her footing and fell headlong to the bottom, a distance of about nine feet. She received a nasty gash, IN THE YEARS AGONE which required nine stitches, besides dis- locating her thumb and injuring her back, Mr. HenryMerkley, of Turnberry, recently delivered eleven hogs to J. Hamilton, of W roxeter, that brought him a good number of dollars, These eleven were only four months and three weeks old, yet they tipped the scale beam at 1,980 pounds and brought Mr. Merkley $164.35. That was as good as a ten acre field of oats. 50 YEARS AGO August 16, 1935 - An enthusiastic crowd of nearly 3,000 people crowded W ingham arena on Wednesday to hear Rt. Hon. W . L Mackenzie King denounce the dictatorship which had been established in Canada. W . W . Cooper, widely known as the Goderich offers support to BY SUSAN HUNDERTMARK Several years ago, Anne Rutledge came to terms with the fact her son was homosexual. And, after gaining all the knowledge and expertise she can on the subject, she's willing to give support to local gays, lesbians and their parents. A recent transplant to Goderich from Toronto, Rutledge has worked in peer counselling for three years and on a telephone distress line for two and a half years. She's also appeared on the Tom Cherington television show in Hamilton with her son. Since she's been through the experience herself, Rutledge says she can help gays tell their parents about their homosexuality and then help the parents deal with the news. "Public awareness about homosexuality has increased but not education. Statistically 10 per cent of the national population is gay and from Grade 12 down, they'll still be in town. You've known plenty of gays through- out your life; you just haven't known they're gay," she says. When she learned her son was gay, Rutledge says the knowledge was softened by the fact that her son, who had been a lonely, unhappl child was in a loving and mature relationship. "My anger at society was my strongest feeling. !thought my son was okay but i knew society would never accept him, she says. By educating people about homosexuality and supporting homosexuals and their families, Rutledge says she hopes she'll make the world a better and safer place for her son. "I've built up some expertise over the years and I couldn't just sit here (in Goderich ) and do nothing." After placing an ad offering support to Goderich homosexuals in The Body Politic, a magazine for homosexuals, a Goderich man contacted her and they decided to start a suByo publish ung her phone number, she envisions 99 per cent of the response will be through anonymous phone calls though meetings could, be possible later on. While a lot of support is available for homosexuals in cities, there is next to nothing in small towns. At a recent convention of the International Gay Association in Toronto, she learned that gays have a particularly hard time growing up in small towns. "In rural areas, gays don't go through sexual and social development (dating); it's arrested until they get to city and then they tend to go crazy in an adolescent stage," she says. "My anger at society was my strongest feeingii Young gays also have no role models other than stereotypes they see on television, while in reality homosexuals are just as varied as heterosexuals. "All they hear is the negative and that's one of the reasons the suicide rate is so high. If one kid in Goderich doesn't commit suicide because of this group it'll be worthwhile," she says. in small towns, gay adolescents cannot find anyone to talk to about their sexuality and information and resources are• limited. In Goderich, the library has two books on homosexuality, one of which says homo- sexuals need psychiatric help and blames parents for homosexuality. A pamphlet outlining information about Rutledge's group, Parents of Gays and Lesbians, says there is no difference in the mental health of homosexuals and hetero- sexuals and that the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its Independent, Farmer, Stevens, Nationalist candidate, had a narrow escape from serious injury when he was struck by a car in front of his farm on No. 4 Highway, near Kippen, on Thursday. 25 YEARS AGO August 18, 1960 - Exhibitors at the Seaforth Fall Fair, being held next month, September 22 and 23, will be competing for $887.20 in prize money. This is the highest amount ever offered at the Seaforth Fair, and tops that of other county fairs, One of the world's largest Kodiak bears in captivity died recently at Riverdale Zoo in Toronto, It weighed 1,600 pounds. Yet a big dairy bull scales out at over•2,000 pounds and a playful one needs just as much careful handling as the biggest Kodiak, homosexuals list of mental disorders in the 1970's. "You do not choose to be gay. It's set long 'before a child has any knowledge of sexuality one way or the other. But, by the time he gets to high school, he should be able to put a name to himself," she says. "A kid who's gay is not making himself vulnerable out of choice. The quarterback on the football team can hide it quite easily but' for the more effeminate boys (who could be straight), it's all that much tougher.", Gay adolescents usually have no support among their school friends or their families. "Every other minority can go home and have support except gays," she says. Parents who are told their children are homosexual usually react in one of six ways. Many will suggest their child see' a psychiatrist, deny the information, kick the child out of the family and alienate him or her or accept the information but never mention it again. The best scenario is when parents accept that their child is gay and continue to love and support him or her. Parents should not ask their homosexual child if he's sure he's gay since they would not ask the same question of a heterosexual child. And, they should not feel responsible since there is no evidence that homosexuals come from any specific kind of family background. By continuing to show love for their gay child, parents help their child survive in world hostile towards homosexuals. Though she expects some negative reac- tion about the group'from the community; Rutledge is philosophical about it. "I've been on TV with my son so I can't go back in the closet. I won't know who's seen me. 'don't think the whole town will send me to Coventry but anybody who's going to be negative about it would not remain my friend anyway " She says she's available to talk to school counsellors or any group in town "even if they're going to slam me." For further information call 524-4879. STOMPING OUTA FIRE — At the McKillop property of Lawrence Wheatley are the Seaforth Firefighters. They were called to fight nimal in wheat field fire the blaze Friday afternoon. (Mcllwraith photo) Damage is ml Who said there are no fairy godmothers' A fire that spread through a wheat field at Lot 27, Concession 27 of McKillop Township caused virtually no damage to the property. That property is owned by Lawrence Wheatley. Because the wheat was already off the fire did nothing more than burn the stubble and scorch the soil. Mr. Wheatley said he had not planned to bale the stubble so estimated there was no real damage to the property. The fire started at approximately 1 p.m. Friday when a fire on the property adjacent to the Wheatley property on the east side got out of control. The owner of that property. Jim Horvath, said he'd been trying to burn down a tree that was ruining his drainage tile when it got out of hand. He found he couldn't put it out himself and called the Seaforth Fire Health forces man (Continued from page Al) "In those days every town had two weekly newspapers. in the earlier days before rural mail the people in the country depended entirely on the newspaper. The old weekly furnished them with the world news. Now there is a more local slant to the papers. The role of the weekly newspaper has completely changed. With the invention of radio and television people have more access to world news quicker," he said. Another change Mr. Snowdon has witness- ed is the modernization of the method of printing the newspaper. "Linotyping was the thing those days - before typesetting. Now things have changed completely and the old letterpress is out." he said, "Each weekly used to have their own presses and machinery for producing papers. Now a lot don't." Mr. Snowdon said he still remembers the day their fust linotype machine came in. it was just after W .W . 1. "There were very few linotypes around the country. There were other handsetting and old machines around but the linotype was a modern machine. I remember there was an election going on and someone said if we had a Linotype Machine we Could get all the elector list if we wanted it. So in order to make the sale the owners said they'd rush our order if we bought a linotype. Well, the day the linotype came in (by train) my brother and some friends were playing down at the station. Of course we knew what it was but my brother came rushing home to tell us a machine gun had arrived down at the station." With the linotype machine Mr. Snowdon said The News was able to do a lot more work than they'd been able to do previous to its arrival. Around 1962 with there one other newspaper in town (')lie Expositor), the Snowdon brothers decided to turn their efforts full time to their growing commercial printing business and the newspaper was shut down. ENJOYED DESIGN "i always like the business from the printing and design side. It was always of interest to me," said Mr. Snowdon, who added he once took a photo engraving course and learned how to etch in ink for just that reason. "i always thought we were the first weekly newspaper making our own cuts and running the pictures in the paper. You had to etch them in zinc and even some were copper etching. It was a hobby for me at that time. A hobby that had a practical use. But after the war came we couldn't get supplies and we dropped it all. But it was quite interesting. It was quite detailed work and you had to get it just right." Now that retirement has been forced upon him Mr. Snowdon said he isn't sure just how he'll make use of his time. "I've been forbidden to work and get scolded if I do anything. Maybe it'll be a bit better by winter. Right now they won't even let me run the riding mower. "I don't really have a hobby, I like reading and that sort of thing. If i get a good book I'm happy." But whether or not he has a good book Mr. Snowdon still has his memories. "There was nothing sensational that happened but i still remember the time we beat The Expositor on the streets. It was February 2, 1922 and there had been a terrible storm and the hydro was out. We were a little more old-fashioned than The Expositor and operated our machines by gas. They used electricity. So - needless to say we were able to get our paper out and they weren't. They couldn't get the presses going. It was the fust time being old-fashioned paid off." Department, then went up in his plane and tried to extinguish it from the air. "I really didn't figure it'd take off.. But the wheat was dry and the fire caught the wheat stubble and just went," he said. THE HURON EXPOSITOR, AUGUST 14, 1985 A3 WHIZZO THE CLOWN — As promised in an article that appeared In The Expositor two weeks ago, reporter Larry Till, ran off to join the circus - at least for a day. Unfortunately the film from that event, sponsored by the Seaforth-Norway hockey exchange committee was lost. Our apologies for the lack of circus pictures in last week's paper. (photo submitted) Tuckersmith taxes up 8% Nicholson at a cost of $5,769.32. Several tile drainage bylaws were also passed. In addition council awarded five building . permits: to Howard Cartwright for a residence and implement shed, to Ross Robinson for a one -car garage, to John Merrill for a grain bin, to John Hack for an addition to his house and to David Kibble for a garage and storage shed. The council acknowledged the fortieth wedding anniversary of the township's drainage commissioner. "We felt that was quite an accomplish- ment, and it was worth noting," said Township Clerk Harry Lear. • Hullett Township Council has accepted a tender from the Champion road equipment company, from which it will buy a road grader worth more than $134,000. The purchase of the grader, worth $134,285, must still be approved by both regional council and the Ontario government, Council also awarded two drainage con- tracts at its meeting last week. One was for the Leiper Drain, for which the Robinson Farm bid of $15,286 was accepted. The other contract, on the Farquhar Drain, was divided into two parts. The firm of Hodgins and Hayer was awarded one contract worth $61,306.74 for the open part, with the closed part to be done by Robert Hullett Twp. to The average Tuckersmith taxpayer is facing about a $50 increase this year, Tuckersmith Council met last Tuesday night and approved an eight per cent tax boost. That will mean the average assess- ment will increase from $577.118 to $625.11 Similar hikes will apply to township businesses. Also on the agenda was the issue of drainage. Council awarded two drainage loamt� applications: one to Jim Papple for $18,00U and another for $16,000 to Harry Dougall. in addition, council heard the director of the Lady Diana School resigned, and then was rehired at a salary increase of $1 per hour and a workweek extended to 40 from 28 hours. There were three other by-laws passed. Two were also for drainage, including the Municipal Drain, for which a court of revision date was set for Aug. 19, and a motion to narrow parts of Fifth Ave. from 100 to 66 feet. The councillors said they would advertise this move in six conspicuous places for the next four weeks before approving it. They also decided to find out if they needed the buy grader approval of the ministry of housing. Council rejected a proposal from Paul Kruse of Harpurhey for a rezoning of his property to allow him to set up an autobody shop. in a recorded vote. councillors Robert Broadfoot, George Cantelon, John Brown - ridge and Reeve Bob Bell all voted against the plan, with only Bill Brown voting in favor. A proposal from the Huron County Health Unit also received discussion regarding the possible establishment of a program for single mothers in Vanastra. The health unit requested free use of the facilities, but several councillors suggested a small sum - or perhaps even some hours of community service - might be levied to cover costs, such as hydro. Other items of discussion, with either no resolution or a decision to hold further talks, included the issue of pedlars in the township (a definition of "pedlar" and possible license fees), a contract for a free concert in the township by a gospel group, and an area resident delinquent in payments on her water bill. Seniors are looking for health services The need for co-ordinated effort to assess such a concept. all services for seniors at the provincial level. seniors' health care concerns is what the Several people also expressed their dis- either under a new ministry or an existing Ontario minister responsible for their status pleasure at the way additional nursing home one. such as community and social services. says he has heard repeatedly across the beds were awarded recently. This past year, Mr. van Home said his government has province the provincial government awarded 30 already addressed that question in part by additional beds to a nursing home located just putting him in charge of senior citizens' Ron van Horne, Minister without Portfolio for Senior Citizens' affairs heard that outside Sebringville. affairs. His is an entirely new position. One nursing home operator suggested the This minister will be putting together message once again at a meeting in Stratford last week. marketplace. rather than the provincial recommendations from suggestions he government should determine where nursing heard in Stratford and other communities The minister in the new Liberal govern- home beds go. over the next month. The recommendations Another popular suggestion was to merge will be handed to the cabinet in September. ment was meeting with a group of workers from the field of seniors care in Perth �� County. Represented were hospital hoards. r administrators, nursing homes, and homes COMMUNITY CALENDAR If you're organizing a non-profit event of interest to other Seaforth area residents, phone the recreation office at 527-0882 or the Expositor at 527-0240 or mail the information to Community Calendar, The Huron Expositor, Box 69, Seaforth, Ontario NOK MO well in advance of the scheduled date. Space for the' Community Calendar is donated by The Huron Expositor. Wednesday, August 14 Saturday, August 17 Jr. Farmers Slo-Pitch Tournament at lions Park. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. - Jr. Farmers Tournament at Optimist Park. for the aged, and the Perth County He Unit. Jim Henry, administrator of Stratford's Spruce Lodge Home for the Aged and president of the Ontario Association of Homes for the Aged, said what is needed is a sort of "one-stop shopping" system for seniors. He would like to see a set up whereby seniors, once their needs were assessed, could find out what was available to them in their community. The needs of seniors range from social -recreation activities to 24-hour nursing care. Mr. Henry was not alone in suggesting this idea of an information counselling service for seniors. The Spruce Lodge administrator said along with such a counselling service, there should be a common assessment method. The ultimate result would be seniors receiving exactly the care they need. Mr. van Horne heard for the first time the idea that seniors should be able to purchase outright their apartment units in seniors' complexes if they so Listowel hospital administrator Dr. Frank Ellingham, said he is a strong supporter of such a concept. "That's the first time we've heard that and we've been in 11 communities so far," said Mr. van Home. Listowel hospital administrator Dr. Frank Ellingham, said he is a strong supporter of Soccer • Squirts 7 p.m., Optimist Park 7 -to p.m.-- Men's Fastball at Lions Park. Thursday, August 15 6:30-8:30 p.m. - Girls' House League at Lions Park. 7 p.m. - Sluggers' Slo-Pitch at Optimist Park. 9 p.m. - Wildcats Slo-Pitch at Lions Park. Friday, August 16 Soccer - Atoms & Mosquitoes 6 p.m., Seaforth High School '9 p.m - River Rats Slo-Pitch at Optimist Park. Jr. Farmers Slo-Pitch Tournament at lions Park. Sunday., August 18 Jr, Farmers Tournament at Lions Park. Monday, August 19 2 p.m. - Summer Storyhour in Cranbrook Knox Presbyterian Church basement, all ages welcome, free service. 6:30-9:00 p.m. - Boys' House League at Lions Park. 7-10 p.m. - Men's Fastball at Optimist Park. Tuesday, August 20 6:45-10 p.m. - ladies' Fastball at Lions Park. 9-10:30 p.m. - Ladies' Fastball at Optimist Park.