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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1984-12-19, Page 16Huron ® -¢ �"xposrtor . SINCE 1884, SERVING THE COMMUNITY FIRST 6e A BLUE RI8BOt1 AWARD 1983 Incorporating Billdti'Ces Pot 10 Main Street 527-0240 Published In SEAFORTH, ONTARIO Every Wednesday morning JOCELYN A. SHRIER, Publisher RON WASSINK, Editor 1 Member Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc. Ontario Community Newspaper Association Ontario Press Council Commonwealth Press Union International Press Institute Subscription rates: Canada $18,75 a year Qin advance) Outside Canada $55.00 a year (In advance) Single Copley -50 cents each SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY., DECEMBER 19, 1984 Second class mall registration Number 0896 ook to the future In recent weeks, a concerned citizens group was formed which includes residents from Seaforth, McKillop and Tuckersmith. The reason they're' concerned is because a landfill site could be installed at the Seaforth lagoons. Their second concern is about the safety of landfill sites in general. They want a healthyofuture for the area and more importantly, they want a future for their children. Those concerns have been voiced in the past and were again made known at the Dec. meeting of Seaforth council. The Seaforth representative on the tri -municipality landfill committee, Reeve Bill Campbell assured citizens that testing at the lagoon property has been stopped and that a public meeting will be held to discuss alternatives: Mr. Campbell mentioned incineration. There seems to be growing public support towards incineration. Many feel it's a feasible and more healthy alternative to the,development of a new landfill site. And judging from studies being compiled by other municipalities, maybe it's time Seaforth, McKillop and Tuckersmith studied the incineration issue in more detail. The County of Wellington is seriously considering incineration on a county -wide basis. And the reason is because incineration is more practical than throwing away garbage. The landfill situation is nota good subject to talk about, says Walter Quanz. Mr. Quanz is reeve of Minto Township and was the chairman of the Wellington County Waste Management Study. "I think incineration is the only way to go. We have to stop burying mounds of garbage. And we have to stop leachate," says Mr. Quanz. "When you start burying all the garbage in one spot, some landfill sites are sure to have seams of leachate." Mr. Quanz says Wellington County municipalities have decided that a county -wide incineration system would be most practical. It's more practical because of the energy supply available from incineration. "It's time we started looking at getting energy from waste. It works In Europe because they don't have any other choice. But we bury our garbage because -we have so much open space and it's easy to dig a big hole. "It may cost $18 a ton to burn garbage. But it may cost $22 a ton to find a new landfill site. We can't compare incineration costs to what it's now costing us to landfill. We have to compare incineration to a future landfill site.," Wellington County has just completed phase two of the waste management study. Mr. Quanz admits that many questions remain to be answered, "But that's because we don't know much about incineration," he says. "Incineration is real new to Ontario. We have to gel some data and we have to inform the people about it. They don't know loo much about incineration." The fact that a hospital in London is using incineration, says Mr. Quanz, is one reason other municipalities are beginning to look to incineration as the future of waste disposal. "I'm strong on incineration. We've got to look at i1. If municipalities realized how much longer life their landfill sites would have, that alone would pay trucking costs," he says. It's been touted that if a landfill site was to be located at the Seaforth lagoons, it would be a model site. Other municipalities would be coming to Seaforth just to see this model landfill site. But if other municipalities such as Wellington County are looking to incineration, who will want to look at this model site. Incineration may indeed be the best possible way 10 dispose of garbage In the future. It's relatively new to Ontario and in fact hasn't even been tried in Hurlon County. Seaforth. McKillop and Tuckersmith should look at incineration more closely Other municipalities are. Why should we put ourselves behind another 20-25 years. Maybe by that lime we won't have any choice but follow the example of others Lets study incineration carefully. It could be that we would be selling an example, an example that others would want to see and follow. - R.W. Thanks Joe! COUNTRY CORNER by Larry Dillon The Air Force had hired additional civilian employees to assist in outdoor cleanup work at the airfields in Goose Bay, Labrador. Joe was one of them. He was an Eskimo. He was short He was dirty. He was ugly. He always has an idiotic grin plastered across his face. His most infuriating failing was his habit of saluting anyone in a uniform. As an enlisted man 1 didn't know how to respond. No one was suppose to salute us. All they taught us in basic training was to stand at attention, salute. and say sir when in the presence of anyone with gold braid on their caps. We saluted officers, not because we wanted to, but because we had to. Our likes or dislikes made no difference. It was a matter of regulation and tradition. This scruffy little Eskimo was making me feel foolish, I didn't know if he was being sarcastic or just plain stupid. At first i reacted like most of the other personnel and just ignored him. After a while, 1 started to salute back. i know, he wasn't one of those hated officers and 1 didn't have to do it, but it didn't do any harm. You could certainly see that it did Jee some good. He would smile so hard that he would almost bust. On one particularly cold day, we invited Joe into the shop for a coffee. Some of the fellows enjoyed teasing him. I learned a lot by just watching. Joe was happy about every. thing. He respected everyone and tried to please at all times. The easiest way to upset him was to run someone down, then ask him to agree. He would be unable to support either side. I learned to like Joe. I had my coffee breaks with him regularly and we became friends. 1 let him tell me about his life. it may have been dull to him, but to a boy from Huron County, stories of dog sledding over the Arctic ice pack to hunt seals are exciting. 1 watched with fascination when the RCAF decided to reduce their casual labor expenses and gave Joe his notice of termination. They had to explain to him over and over again that he no longer had a job. 1t didn't work. They started using the military police to stop Joe from working and escort him off the base. Joe always co-operated with the military police. After all, they too were in uniform. As soon as they would show up, he would pick up his tools, put them away, and leave with them, After they escorted him off the base, he would return by another route and look for more work to do. The personnel people were so embarrassed by the whole situation that they hired him THANKS /st=E PAGE THREE a OPINION LEAVE ME"ALONE—Despite some prod- ding from his mother, Gregory Cronin doesn't want anything to do with St. Nicholas. St. Nick and Black Peter, right, were In attendance at a Christmas party hostdd by the Huron -Perth New Canadian Club Sunday. (Mcllwraithphoto) Spot checks make safe driving SENSE AND NONSENSE by Ron Wassink I was driving to work Saturday night, listening to Christmas carols on my car radio, and was basically minding my own business. As 1 neared Walton. two flashing red lights made my skin crawl. Using my sixth sense --newspaper sense• -1 thought, "Aha, news for next week's paper. What is it, a car accident, maybe a fire? ' 1 looked around, didn't see smoke or the smouldering car wreck. And almost before 1 realized it, 1 came upon one of our friendly Ontario Provincial Police officers. He was waving his flashlight. 1 took the wave to mean 1 had to stop. And if the beam of his light had been any weaker, there probably would have been an accident at the famed Walton corner. "Hello, sir," he said with a grin. "We're conducting a spot check." Intent on getting to work and thinking of all the darkroom work I had to do, I asked. "spot check"? "Yes, a spot check. Have to keep the drinking drivers off the road." replied the cop as he shone his flashlight into my car. "I'm sorry officer, I'm just heading for work...haven't had a drink all day....for that matter, all week. I'm not the imbibing type. '4 1 said a bit sarcastically. 1 was waved through the spot ,iteck, glanced at my watch...,hmmm almost 8:30. That should give me about four hours in the darkroom i thought to myself. There I was, in the darkroom, making things big and small --and before i realized, it was almost midnight. Midnight means one thing --coffee time. I went out for a coffee, and met an old buddy I hadn't seen in ages. "Hey. Chuck. Funny thing happened tonight. Was coming to Seaforth to do a bit of darkroom work. But I got stopped in Walton by the OPP.. Said they were doing a spot check. That was little more than three hours ago." "Well," says Chuck, "that's kinda strange. Why would they be having a spot check that early in the evening? You'd think they'd have better results later on...say when all the parties ended or the hotels closed." I got to thinking about what Chuck said. It was past midnight and i was nearing Walton, heading home. It would seem realistic that if police were going to do spot checks that they would do them when the hotels closed. But that seems like closing the barn door after the horse is out. But people drink at all hours of the day. And the earling evening hours are no exception. It's reasonable for police to check motorists at all times to see if they've indulged a bit tod much. And if that's the case, better to get them off the road early than wait til later. By then, it may be too late. The fight against drinking drivers is ongoing. 1t's all for the betterment of the public. Usually it's the innocent victims who pay the price when a driver, who has had one too many, is involved in a traffic accident. Roadside spot checks should be continued, but not only during the Christmas season --it's for our own protection. Let's keep our highways safe. And let's have a good Christmas. By the way, 1 didn't run into a spot check in Walton second time around. Eike a pro or discard Christmas' toys BEHIND THE SCENES by Keith Roulston Christmas is supposed to be a time when we're filled with a feeling of peace arid contentment. It's not a nice time of the year to feel obsolete. Yet every time 1 watch the ads on TV for the "in' things to give for Christmas this year. I gel the feeling 1 was born a century too late. 1 hadn't quite caught up to the point where you had to be an expert mechanic to run all the gadgets at Christmas and now 1 realize you've also got to have a degree in electronic engineering. One thing that was nice about the Cabbage Patch doll craze was that you might have to memorize the name of the little darling hut at least you didn't have to assemble her. Bill this year, the experts say, robots arc more popular than those funny looking dolls. Well they won't be coming into my house. First of all. I pale at the price tag (some of them at about 5300 1 hear). Secondly, I have the feeling that I'm going to be replaced by one of these things someday soon anyway and 1 have no intention of opening the front door to them - even if we arc supposed to he friendly at Christmas. There arc enough humans in my house who outsmart me without having a machine do it, And finally. I know that I will get that machine out of the package, turn on the switch and it will run around the room twice and keel over, dead. And one of my dear children will utter the frightening words: "Fix it daddy." There is nothing sadder than watching a child's respect for his father disappear as he dissolves in tears after two hours of Irving to understand the mysteries of modern tovmak• Ing have always been reduced to blubbering at the task of assembling (insert screw X into flange Y but make sure not to block slot 7.). But at least if you were careful. you could blubber away to yourself by putting the toys together when the kids were in bed. But w nh robots. remote control cars. computers and Lord knows what other devilishly clever invention of modern science. a mechanical and electronic incompetent like me doesn't stand a chance. it used to be safe to give a watch. You took it out of the package. you wound it. you buckled it on their wrist (that much mechanic's 1 could manage) and it ran for years. Now you've got to push buttons and change batteries and you can end up flinging the little monster against the wall. it's not safe in the kitchen anymore either. You used to get the wife some gadgcs that. if it broke down (and they were good for at least a few years in those days) you could at least have a chance at understanding. Now you've got two choices: throw it out or mortgage the house and get somebody to fix it. 1 think it's a plot by the electronic geniuses of the world. They are making themselves essential to our future by designing gadgets that only somebody with an IQ of 180 and a hent for electronics can fix. We'll all end up with an electronics technician in the house. the way people once had maids, just to keep the labor saving devices working. Oh well. it will make me look with special favor on the 12 pairs of socks 1'11 get again this vicar Christmas gifts that are unique! SUGAR AND SPICE by Bill Smiley Wouldn't it he fun to have the power in Santa Claus just for a day and give canyons gifts they really. truly wanted. regardless of cost. instead of the junk they gcl? What would you do if you had such apt ower Ihrus(%pon you suddenly? Would you heap your favorite people with mink coats. Cadillacs. automatic dishwashers, new 590.000 homes? If you did. of course, the magic power wouldn't Iasi, and on Christmas morning, all the fabulous presents would vanish, just after they'd been unwrapped. And you'd be as popular as a socialist in the Senate Because, you see, those aren't the things that people really want. And the Santa Claus magic would work only for true gifts, nut just the things people want for the sakc of vanity or prestige or comfort. 1 know some of the presents I'd hand can. To childless couples who wanted children terribly. I'd give, on Christmas morning. not one, but four of the fattest. prettiest, pinkest. wettest babies you ever saw. Two boys and two girls. And to even things out, I'd throw in a large bottle of tranquillizers and a pair of strait jackets. To all children, I'd gfaht a set of parents who would answer all questions patiently, read stories every night at bedtime, go sliding on the hill with them, not make them eat anything they didn't like. hug and kiss them when they were hurt, and whale the tar out of them when they needed it. On Christmas morning, I'd present to all old people a three-month reprieve from all their aches. pains and ailments. I'd give them a good appetite and a rare fine sct of new choppers to go with it. I'd give them love and kisses in large measure frown a ,,.morn, oust of grandchildren. And I'd throw in a round-trip ticket to Miami, paid•in'adsance reservations at a posh hotel there. and a si7eahle cheque tole( them play the races. get married again. or do whatever else they wanted In do. "-a left-handed Santa Claus..." To all clergymen, whatever the color of their cloth, I'd give a special present. They'd get a,church packed to the doors with people who sang lustily, listened attentively. prayed humbly. gave bounteously. and continued to do these unusual things throughout the following year. Alf mothers of large families 'would get something they really, truly wanted for Christmas. I'd give them families who apprci.,ated all the work they did, praised their cooking, told them once in a while that they looked pretty. wiped their feet when rhes came in. did the dishes frequently. and paid attention to them on occasions other than Mother's Day. And I'd throw in the services of a cracking gond housekeeper. and pay her salary for a year. On Christmas Eve. I'd gisc all merchants a cash register stuffed with money, and. at the same time. an irresislahle urge to go out and spend the bundle nn retarded children. or unwed mothers, or somebody. What would 1 leave under the Christmas tree for the farmer? You guessed it. I'd grant them a whole year of exactly the kind of weather they wanted, regardless of the , comfort or convenience of the rest of us. Of course. I'd have to find them something else to bellyache about, hut they could probably fall hack on he complaint that those tremendous crops were taking a lot out of the land. All amateur golfers would he donated one season in which they sliced not. nor did they hook. but hanged everyone down the centre. All anglers would be given one year in which they were as smart as the fish. All weekly editors would be given one week in which there were no mistakes in the paper. All teachers would be given a free 10 days in a sanatorium at Christmas. All wives would be given one year's absence ?tom the boring, insensitive, callous, inattentive cretins they are married to. And all husbands would receive a similar parole }'tom the nagging, complaining. spendthrift, overbearing harridans they married. Serve them both right. There, 1 don't think i've left anybody out. But if I have, just drop me a line at the South Pole. I'm sort of a left-handed, or southpole Santa Claus.