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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1984-02-15, Page 2to CCa B„IF RIBBON AWARP 1983 Qxpaitor Since 1860, Serving the Community first Incorporating Brusi eIs Post founded 1872 12 Main St. 527-0240 Published at SEAFORTH, ONTARIO every Wednesday morning JOCELYN A. SH RI ER, Publisher RON WASSINK, Editor KATIE O'LEARY, Advertising Representative Member Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc Ontario Community Newspaper Association and Audit Bureau of Circulation A member of the Ontario Press Council Subscriptionrates: Canada $18.75 a year (In advance) Outs! ie Canada $55.00 a year (in advance) Single Copies - 50 cents each SEAFORTai,,ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1984 - Second class mail registration Number 0696 Public pressure wins After a two year battle with immigration authorities, John Jew of Seaforth will finally get to see his mother whom he hasn't seen in 33 years. Held up bya legal tangle of paper work and red tape, Mr. Jew found he could not convince authorities without the proper documents that a 75 -year-old woman in Hong Kong was his mother. Sponsorship and guarantees of financial support fell on deaf ears. It wasn't until an article appeared in a November, 1983 issue of the Huron Expositor that any action was taken. A good friend of Mr. Jew's, Larry Dillon started a letter writing campaign with hopes of getting 50 Seaforth people to support Mr. Jew's cause. Instead of getting 50 people to write' to Canadian Employment and Immigration Minister, John Roberts, over 1,000 Seaforth people voiced their support for Mr. Jew and disgust with the immigration department. Of that number, 350 Seaforth public school students also participated. The frustration of hearing no reply and hardword on the part of people who took the time to visit Mr. Jew and write letters finally paid off. Immigration bowed to public opinion and granted Mr. Jew's mother a visa. If all goes as planned, -she will be in Seaforth in two weeks. Despite the fact his mother is coming to Seaforth, the people who wrote letters of support, still haven't received a reply from Mr. Roberts. And a reply, even after the fact is what they want. Huron -Bruce MP, Murray Cardiff said the minister's office asked him what they should do about the 350 letters in their files from the students of Seaforth Public School. His reply was to send the students a reply, even If It was one general letter addressed to the whole student body. The backing of local people shows that big government can bend if pressure is applied. Mr. Jew found his one voice was ineffective In getting results. Although his wishes should have been granted, it took 1,000 voices to get government to take notice and listen. - R.W. Keep pumping It's no news that heart disease Is Canada's number one killer. Last year 80,000 Canadians died of cardio -vascular disease and at any one time three million people will be affected by high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, rheumatic heart disease and congenital heart disease: But, since 1965, the death rate is down over 27 per cent because of financial support given to the Canadian Heart Fund. And by working at a healthier lifestyle, you can help the death rate go down even further. Many of the risk factors that lead to heart attack and stroke can be avoided by good living and eating habits. Smoking one to two packs of cigarettes a day; a diet, full of saturated fats and cholesterol, an over -weight body, no exercise and no concern about high blood pressure all Increase the risks to your heart and your life. High blood pressure, the most Important Identifiable factor contributing to heart disease can afflict anyone - from the elderly to children. In Seaforth, this month, you can act to help prevent heart disease from afflicting you and your family. A blood pressure clinic at the town hall on Feb. 23 will identify any problems with hypertension and the cardio -pulmonary resuscitation course at the Seaforth Community Hospital the same day will give you the skills necessary to keep a heart attack victim alive until he/she reaches the hospital. You can also contribute to the Heart Fund and advance medical research. This February start participating in a better lifestyle and help your heart keep pumping for life. - S.H. Ca - ad a. STUDEN'TSOk HURON CENTEtHURON CENTENNIAL school in Brucefield have been working on Canada Week projects in the past week, Canada We1ak mascot of the grade four class 18 George, drawn by Laura Connelly, top left. Kathy Upshall had Valentine's Day In mind with her mural, bottom left, Grade three students, ,Kevin Van DenNeucker, Darcy Van Sllgtenhorst, Larry Dalrymple, Robyn Carnochan and Candace Cooper made a flag out of tissue paper,hop right. Virginia VanGorder of grade five drew an enlarged map of Canada. (Wasalnk photos) Dedication is key to success Like many Canadians who could not -afford the time and money to travel to the 1984 Winter Olympic Games in Yugoslavia, i spent the weekend glued to my television. Andlike most, I was cheering on our Canadian athletes, especially Seaforth born, Lloyd Eisler. i divided my time between the Olympics and local hockey games. I spent two nights at the Seaforth and District Community Centres taking in three hockey games. The Bantams, Midgets and Juniors, all won their games. giving many of the parental and spectators, much to cheer about., But for all the Seaforth hockey players whp aspire to one day becoming NHL hopefuls, I realized this week that it takes a lot of dedication, not only on the part of the players. but also the coaches and parents, to make a dream a reality. Countless hours and dollars are invested by parents just so their child can participate. For the young novice or pee wee player, their dream is to one day become the next Great Gretsky. All too often, the young athlete whether they figure skate or play hockey, never thinks of the time his or her parents have given. Parents drive youngsters to games. make sure they have equipment that fits and skates that are sharp. And in Seaforth. there arc many dedicated parents who give up their Love solves problems BY CHARLES A. SWAN February is the month with a special emphasis on Love. We remember the Patron Saint of Lovers, Saint Valentine. Recently, while chatting with the children of Duff's United Church, prior to their retiring for instruction in the Church School rooms, I , asked them: "What is Love?" One youlig lady answered immediately, "God is love." The Christian Faith is all about a God who loves us so much, and is one who takes on human form, and gives of self so that as John says "...whoever believes should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). The God revealed to us by Jesus Christ has shown us that love is both a privilege and a responsibility. Jesus requires us to love' even our enemies. The teaching of Jesus can be summed up in one word Love. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37) "...you shall love your neighbour as yourself." (Leviticus 19:18). From Praying Hands we learn "Love is not the best solution to our problems, it is the only one." With more love the problem of battered wives, battered' husbands, and battered children would not exist. Whatever special needs any one of us may face - Love is basic to any solutions. Name the problem - disease, no job, worry, loneliness, guilt, a lack of harmony, adult or juvenile delinquency, and so on. Love is the great healer. First John 4:7 states our requirement: "Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God." When we turn from I our small, narrow, selfish ways, and become what love made rs to be, we shall find that we are what Jesus tried to make us see that we are the immortal children of love. Our responsibility is to spread love in an ugly world of pain and lack, in order to create a world where there is life with quality and peace, and plenty for the needs of people everywhere, God is love. I believe this, and I believe you believe this as much as i do. What a world this will be when we begin to live by our belief. I dare each one of us to try. We shall find for sure that God's resources are inexhaustible. ir© @date m k atilt@ © KOwe@figig by Qoiri W©ogOnk time to give their kids a break. Who knows, maybe Seaforth has young athletes who in the future will take on the world. It's gratifying to see and hear of Seaforth kids that have gone on to the NHL or have become Olympic material. Because i never ha4,the chance to participate in after school activities. I spend much time as an armchair athlete, cheering for my favorites. At home, I can only tune in to two television stations. And because !always forget to buy a TV' Guide, it's hit and miss when it comes to what is when on the Olympic channel. However, i have tuned in each evening after the news, and have been treated to some spectacular competition. The best so far has been the Olympic hockey series. The way the Canadian team has been dealt with internationally has become a sore point for Canadians. The team lot two of their members and were classed the underdogs. Canada wasn't supposed to win. My hockey fan dentist who •i visited Thursday talked Olympic hockey all the while I was in a nitrous oxide stupor. His words were. "I hope our Canada boys show them." I agreed wholeheartedly, and so far "our boys" are showing the rest of the world who can play hockey. Of all the Olyn)pic,contests, what I was really utterested-in fuss the figureskating. 1 recently talked tb-Ljoyi'Eisler, who nliw lives in Hamilton with hisarents, Lloyd and Bev. of his hopes at the Olympics. He said he and his partner Cathy Matousck hoped to place eighth or ninth. For those who -missed the pairs competition Lloyd and Cathy gave a splendid performance on Saturday and Sunday. i was on the edge of my chair, fingers Mug into the armrest. skating with them. Despite two mishaps, they placed as Lloyd predicted, eighth. They are the eighth best pairs figure skaters in the world. What really disappointed me was that Lloyd and Cathy could have done better If the judging had been fair. As one commentator stated. figure skating is a game of politics. It's not how good you are, but the/number of years you've Skated at the world level. There were well-known possible medal contenders in the pairs figure skating competition who made more mistakes than Lloyd and Cathy, but'finished,higher in the standings. In fact, one pair fell four times, but were seventh. The politicizing was evident when one judge scored extremely low for one pair, and other judges representing other countries scored higher. Their scores were consistent. The one low score could have been enough to change'the standings, Spectators at the competition vdiccd their objections when judges scored another pair higher than they deserved. It was refreshing to listen to the television commentators, who didn't always agree with each other. Brian Pockar was outspoken of the politics behind the judging. However, Lloyd and Cathy placed well despite the fact it was their first appearance at the Olympics. In. the next four years leading up to the 1988 Olympics, we can expect the former Seaforth skater and his partner to be two of the best skaters in the world. In four years, they will probably, he medal contenders. They have taken on the world, and are shooting for the top. Cradle - to - grave socialism it was one of those stories that, if heard in the one -sentence radio or television news- casts. sounded straight forward: a hotel, that had served alcohol- to an under -aged patron who was in an accident and was paralysed for life, had been judged guilty and forced to pay nearly SI million. But it was one of those stories that went far beyond a simple synopsis, and indeed goes far beyond the actual outcome of -the particular case in what it says about our society and what it means in the future. The two young men went into the small hotel after having been drinking elsewhere. The hotel owner says they weren't even served but just came looking for someone else. Never -the -less when court divided blame for the accident that left the passenger in the car paralyzed for life, the hotel was assigned 15 per cent responsibil- ity. The driver of the car was assigned 55 per Expositor arriving late The Editor: i want you to know that the Expositor has been late in arriving for several weeks - it now reaches me on Monday or later the following week. it used .to arrive here by Friday of the week of the publication. Needless to say the advertisements are of no interest as they are past. This happened some months ago also and I thought that you might be interested in the fact that there is this delay. Mts. V.M. Seppala ' 453 Village Green Ave. London, Ontario N6J 1Z2 (Editor's Note: Copies of this letter have been forwarded to our circulation depart- ment and post office in hopes of solving thio problem). by a®81t F ©b40im cent of the blame because he'd been drinking. The passenger himself was assigned 30 per cent of the blame because he had been drinking with the driver all day and had accepted the ride and because he was - not wearing a seat belt. But under a law in Ontario that says all parties are jointly responsible, the hotel owner, who was judged least responsible, paid the most. The driver of the car had only 5500,000 in insurance so the rest of fife money came from the hotel owner, or at least his insurance company. What this means in practical terms is that owners of hotels, bars,and clubs will have to pay a lot more for their insurance in the future. it means, hopefully, they'll also be doubly careful who they serve liquor. but that's not easy. when people are pulling every trick they can to outsmart the bartenders and get drinks they shouldn't get. The disturbing thing, however, is that we continue to go along -with a trend that says the individual is not responsible for his own actions. We continue to be more concerned with "rights" than "responsibilities". 1 feel sorry for a person who is going to have to be cared for for the rest of his life but it was. after all, his own craziness that got him into it. He was the one who was drinking. He was the one who took a ride with a drunk driver. He was the one who wasn't wearing a seat belt. 1 Our humanitarian concern for people has not only brought us cradle -to -grave social- ism but says that society, not the individual. is responsible for our own foolishness. Why should someone pay for one mistake, we often hear on television? One way or the other, we will all pay for that juelgement against that hotel. Even if we aren't frequenters of hotels. we're likely to pay higher costs of insurance in other areas because the insurance companies are likely to be losing/1a lot more money if this trend continues. The problem is that the less we insist the individual take responsibility for his own actions, the less responsibility is shown. It's a vicious cycle in which people fall back more and more on their rights. to excuse themselves from their wrongs. And until the pendulum starts to swing back toward the responsibilities of all of us in society. the society is in trouble. Readers convince Smiles to keep writin g as handle, like "Emily Dickinson Wrote Runt Poetry." And she was the same around the house. Some women clean their ovens once a month, once a year. She did it every week. But her misfortune was that she married a slob, who thought a bath once a week was plenty, if not over -doing it. When the lawn was raked, she wanted every leaf off it. There was no ring around the collar arbund this place. She fought with plumbers, electricians, the gas company, and anyone else who tried to give her the go -around, while I read the paper. She made me change my underwear. She nearly went through the roof when the grandboys tan their cars and trucks over her polishtid coffee table. And yet she went to my daughter's and fed, changed. baby-sat and gave moral support for two or three weeks after they were born. She grouched and grumbled at me about our rotten kids, who are always broke. Then she'd send them a handsome cheque to bail them eonshe was on a high, i use to hide, because she wanted to do eight things at once. When she wasn't, i came out of hiding and tried to convince her that every man does the best he can, which would make her flare up and say, "OK. You cook the dinner. Well, it looksthough I'm going to have to continue writing this here dang column whether I like it or not. People from all over the country have sent their condolences and told me to keep the column going. There's a truly beautiful letter from Elda and George Cadogan of New Brunswick, old, almost ancient friends, from my newspaper days. They were instrumental in urging me to start syndicating my column. Another from Mr. and Mrs. Polischuk, Meacham, Sask. "Through your column, we Mt we'd come to know you and your wife — something like the morning man on your favorite station. You' seem h}te such special people. Please do keep writing." A sweet note from Sister Mary Hamilton of Cattlrose, Alta. "Your Writing brings me, as I'm sure it does for countless folks, many a chuckle, and always hope, to a mixed-up, restless world.,..May your 'grandboys' be not far from you and continue to be a joy". Thi:; along with a spiritual message of hope and faith. And a long not from a little kid who lived across from us when i was a mere youth, Lorna Munro. She reminds me that her mother and mine were best ,fiends. These were the depression years. "I never heard them speak to, or of, each other except by "Mrs. Smiley" and "Mrs. Munro". This was the manner of life in those days and did. SugchJ cAtcl McGI W ©CEO &mtko y - in no way, reflect less caring than more familiar names would indicate... ' "When you were married, i think your Mother thought Susie was very young and you were a man -of -the -world (dammit, I was Lorna). i remember first seeing Susie, looking so lovely with long, brown hair." And a lot more from this pretty little kid, who is now a mother, planning a wedding for her own daughter. She adds, "Please continue. Many people will gain strength from how you work your way to a new life, sadly thrust dpon'you." . And many more in like vein. So I'm stuck with youse, and youse are stuck with me. There was one more letter that I almost threw out as junk mail without opening. Glad i didn't. It told me that, thai)ks to my local funeral director, DeanNicholls, also a friend, that a tree would be planted, in the Grand Valley Conservation Foundation, "in loving memory of your wife." Thanks, Dean. i've taught both his kids, and they are fine young people. i've been at a party when his wife Elaine, was snowmobilrng, and went thrAngh the ice, pregnant. Right now, just as r m writing this column. i received a long-distance call from San Clemente, from a lady who still receives her old home -town paper, the Kindersley weekly, expressing sympathy. I think San Clemente is in California, but she gave me her phone number and asked me to visit, if I'm travelling. We both choked up on the phone. Well, this is becoming a little sick. i've merely touched the surface of the letters, calls, cards, food. i'll try to cut it out. So. Suse has a grave, which she didn't want, a tree planted somewhere, and a scholarship fund for piano students, which she would have loved, and for which money is still corning in. I hope she is at peace. She didn't have much during her life, because of her nature. She was a perfectionist. If it was a piano exam, she'd tackle the most difficult piece. If it was a university essay, she'd take on a topic which made even the professors wince. Something like: "The Inter -relationship Between Wil- liam Blake and the Philosophy of Hegel." No way. I always chose something i could d