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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1987-05-13, Page 2A2 - THE HURON EXPOSITOR, MAY 13, .1987 . Huron x p o l or SINCE 1860 r SERVING THE COMMUNITY FIRST • Incorporating' The Brussels Post . Eta BYRSKI, General Manager • Published in HEATHER McILWIRAiTH,'Editor Seaforth, Ontario Member Canadian Community NewspaperAssoc. Every.Wednesday, Morning Ontario Community Newspaper Association Ontario Press Council • " L CommonwealthrP essi3nion International Press Institute Subscription rates: The Expositor is brought to you Canada $,20.00a'year, in advance each week by the efforts of: Senior Citizens.- $17.00 a year Pat Armes, Nellie Blake, Outside Canada $60.00 a year; irladvance Bessie Broome, Karen Gor- Single Copies -.50 cents eath dner; Joan Gulchelaar andiBob McMillan Second class mall registration Number 0696, WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1987 Editorial and Business Offices - 10 Main Street, Soaforth, Telephone (519) 527.0240 Mailing Address - P.Q. Box 220, Seaforth, Ontario, NOK iWO Take advantage Appropriately enough the theme of this year's first-ever Nation Tourism Week (May 11 to 171 is "Canada Grows with Tourism". According to the Honorable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State, tourism in Canada is a.$22 billion industry, and growing all the time, It employs over 600,000 Canadians and it ranks fifth in economic im.portan.ce. And although Seaforth does not have'the distinction of being an entirely "tourist -,oriented" town, it does have its attractions. Sites such as the. historic Van Egmond House, the renovated Seaforth Public School, now- • the Maplewood Manor, and the historic downtown core, are just a few. According to Tourism Ontario "Tourism is everybody's business" and just the fact that Seaforth has employed the services of Heritage Canada to improve the public's perception of the town, and to recapture some of the magic of yesteryear, is,proof Seaforth wants and needs to be a part of that industry. And there's no doubt Seaforth could benefit from an increased involve- ment with tourism: The Ontario tourism and hospitality industry ranks amonst the top three sectoral industries in the,province in terms of size and contribution to ti a provincial -economy:. �--- Not only does it boost economic activity but tourism' is ,generally a renewable resource. So perhaps if Canada expects to grow with tourism, Seaforth could too, if just a little. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor; I drive a ...motorcycle from Seaforth to Hensa ll every working day that the weather 'allows: There are only two roads Over this distance I have to pay extra -ordinary atten- tion to because of their neglected condition. Unfortunately both are here in Seaforth and intersect at my door; Chalk and George East. As I bounce along dodging potholes, I wonder what my tax dollars are paying for. Seaforth also plans to sell a parcel of land in this area, to a local business, for about one-fifth of what it cost the town approx- imately 10 years ago. All sour grapes aside, because the deal won't do wonders for my property's value, this does not instill in me any great faith in the town's ability to manage my tax dollars. Meanwhile, every time I pick up the local paper all t read about is old buildings downtown that may be "historic" but to a large extent remain empty, Odds. are this will continue to be the case, because for IVlothers can never relax Why is it that mothers can never take,a day off?' ' . Even on a, day, such as Mother's Day, that is solely intended for that purpose, it seems "Moms" find it totally impossible to give up those activities they've been saddled with over the years. Despite insistence that "mom" take it easy and allow us, her ki`ds, to wait on her, • organize a special meal, and do whatever .. menial tasks need doing, it never ever seems to turn out that. Way. For whatever reason my mother finds it difficult, if not lin- possible, to relax and let her children' take care of •things, Maybe that comes fromso many years -of mothering, or maybe she's afraid we might foul things up and create more work for her in the long run. Whatever the reason, it can be extremely frustrating. This year, for instance, although I did manage to peel the potatoes for the Mother's Day meal, my contribution was striae. Mom already had everything organized and in the oven, before. I even arrived on the scene. It was only by a fluke that the potatoes were still in their skins and untouched by mom's own' hands. r good or ill the age of the horseless carriage is now with us and, except for basic goods and services, ,shoppers can find- a- wider selection of goods - and get them cheaper elsewhere, and maybe get a good meal and take in a movie while they are at it. I don't see anything the matter with this. Contrary to what other people seem to think of me, the vitality of downtown Seaforth has very little to do with my emotional or financial well- being. I like old buildings as well as the next guy, but I've got nothing against new ones that aren't fire traps either. If individuals or businesses want to promote and fix up these' old buildings, go ahead. But please don't ask me to pay for it, at any level of government, because I'd rather not live in a museum and I can think of many better ways to spend public monies. Gregor Campbell 49 George SL, E., SENSE AND NONSENSE by Ron Wassink Some people are jerks I often wonder why some people are com- plete jerks -they're dishonest, lie and steal. They're the best of friends, but the moment you turn yourback, they stab you, not literally, but with lies and untruths, And while they're at it, their hands may he in the till, or they're screwing off on company time. Surely jerks aren't born that way, What happens to some people as they get older? Kids, especially pre=schoolers, must be the neatest little people alive. They're honest, open, and not afraid• to say what they're thinking.Quite often kids blurt out what's an their minds, or something they've seen happen in the last few minutes, or last day or two. And what they say can be em- barrassing, though they don't mean it to be. Kids don't mean to harm anyone with words—they're just honest. Take for., instance a call 1 made to a ideal minister. Two and three year olds just love answering the telephone, especially when rnnm or dad can't get to the phone fast enough. I had a question I wanted answeted concerning religion's beliefs and who better to answer there than a minister. "Hi, daddy's on the potty," piped a little girl when she answered the phone. Ftorn those feiw words I took it that most calls were usually for daddy, No he coutdn't snake it to the phone because he was busy. The youngster could have said daddy werild call back, was out of town, or couldn't come fig' the phone for a few minutes cause he was busy. She didn't say any of these things. She had no excuses; but shot from the hip and told it as it was: , I Still hadn t said a weed and Was still speeehless when tummy took the phone, laughing hysterically. We Were both laughing when daddy came en the line, and he too couldn't control his chuckling. We both agreed that it's great kids are what they are and that it's to'o bad We lose those innocent qualities as We .grow older. The world would site be a lot better place if Orgy we' followed the example set by children. Kt'ds don't have any racial barriers, they don't distinguish between rich and poor, they dent see the difference between dirt and clean, patched clothes or new ones. They dent care about money, taxes or death. Most of all, they don't worry, about anything. I always get a kick out of talkiirg`with kids, especially when they're seven or younger. They're still at the stage where they tell all. What 1 like is when they tell it with their parents listening iii. "My monthly and daddy had a fight fast night", is my favorite. The child'doesn't say it because it's funny, but because it's unusual and when they say it, it's with all sincerity. It's serious business for a kid and it seems they have to tell someone because it bothers them. The fight is always one that may happen- ed in the heated moment of an argument, like "why de you squeeze the toothpaste in the midddle and not from the bottoiti?", but a fight is a fight to a child. The all time favorite is seeing mommy and daddy kissing. Usually the Child giggles as the story i5 told to others. lieanWhild morn and dad are ready to crawl under the carpet, or strangle the little hugger for telling. Alas, we all get older and We tion't always like the truth. We stop telling people things about ourselves er our fan'ulies. How Malty times have you had to return a call becau'se you were delayed from taking it in the first place? It happens, but when you explain why you couldn't talk at the time, you never s'ay -it Was beaause you were on' the potty. Children are the picture of innoc'ence: Though mom or dad may be embarrassed at what is said, I've yet to see a tw&year-did become red-faced from etiibarra'Bsihrent. Usually they Iaugh withyeti, Or at themselves when others laugh. The best part of all are the memories that result frOrri embarrassing sittuatidns, as told by kids. I'll bet the minister and his family Will have Sot 1e pod times teasing their daughter when she's old'er about her Turn to page IA 4 I suppose arranging to;have dinner out might have taken mom out of the kitchen, but army fatnily.haa found out from past ex- perience, that wouldn't have been the best solution- to the problem." , For one thing, my; mom is always worry- ing about the financial situation of her , children. And, even though we might Insist she has nothing to worry about, she'd • wonder if we were being ..totally hapestwith her. The net result therefore would be either that mom would order the cheapest item- on the menu, or grab the cheque at the end of the meal herself, and insist on paying it. If _ we did manage to pay for the meal, we could . rest assured that there'd be N card in our mailbox some day in the near future, which would more than cover our expenses, Thus., the whole purpose of our noting would be foiled, The idea of setting aside a specific day for honoring mothers is great. Too often throughout the year, their expressions of love and affection, while not entirely un- noticed, go unacknowledged. Mother's Day allows us the opportunity to take the time•te let our mothers know ,just how .important they really are. • And I think we are kiddin'g ltti elveslf-we think the only way to express that sentiment is through expensive gifts' and lavish. dinners, . Those gestures are nice, but I believe my mother would be just as' happy to have her.. children, if unable to be with her, remember her with a card or a phoneeall. Like the saying goes,' `little things mean a Id". ... Sorry. mom, I'm late Okay! So my Mother's Day Column is a week late. This Is not so bad. it's in keep- ing with the typical tardiness of my Mother's Day cards, birthday cards and general shows of appreciation. Anyway, as my mother well knows, I always have the best of intentions. Actually, f have a lot of reasons to ap- preciate mom, beginning perhaps with the very fact I made it through my formative years with a relative minimum of emo- tional confusion. When you think about it, I suppose without the efforts of both my parents, I would never have had any for- mative years at all. ;They still haven't ex- plained that "Birds and Bees" thing to my complete satisfaction, but I've decided it's better not to ask too many questions) But back to Mom. Without her, I would certainly have slept through my entire high school education: She had n way of half -screeching, half -singing 'Pa -a -t It's a quarter to ei-er-ght," that would have had even Rip Van Winkle out of bed and down to the breakfast table before she needed to call a second time. And she generally made breakast to boot, something I really miss these days when I survive most RIOT - flings soley on the strength tor lack of it), of the contents of our editor's coffee. pot. My mother was always a great listener. Despite whatever problems she may have been facing in the course of raising six children, she always managed to make you feel like yourtroubleswere Priority Number One on her list too. FROM THIS ANGLE by Patrick Raftis , Of cdurse she and I haven't always agreed on everything. Mother seems to consider my rather liberal views on most issues somewhat radical and even outrageous. Though she always lets me speak my piece an a subject, and appears to give my opinions due consideration, she generally ends most arguements with "Well, that's not -right," at which point the discussion is concluded. Mother is probably the biggest land perhaps only) fan of the spattering of ver- bage with which her eldest son regularly fills this particular space each week. She saves all these columns and to my everlasting embarassment forces most of her guests to pore over them when they. drop by for tea. If I happen to be present during one of these sessions, I feel like I'm 12 -years -old again and have just received a gioo wing repo, -t card front school. ' Perhaps she does this because 1 never received a report • card that could be described as glowing (or even slightly luminous) and she is now attempting to make up for years of Lost bragging rights. Does anyone really understand the work- ings of a mother's mind? My mother doesn't drive a car, yet is able to offer l from the back seat) motoring tips that would confound the capabilities of even a Mario Andretti, or Jacques Viltenuve. My mother doesn't particularly care for hockey, yet she recently sat up until 2:30 with my father and 1 and watched all our overtime periods of the seventh game of the Handers -Capitals series. She enjoys the playoffs, you see, especially when they involve a player who is a fourth cousin, twice removed, to someone she once met at a euchre party. Speaking of parties, my mother lovas them. liven though she usually has to be dragged kicking and screaming from the kitehen, in order to get het to sit down and eat before the rest of the hungry horde we call a family has finished off the roast beef and the last of the pumpkin pie. One of the greatest things about my mother (and probably yours too) is her selective memory. She tends to look back on the more positive things her offspring have accomplished, while forgetting their occasional indeseretions. Like writing your lvlether's Day column one week late. Hope you had a good one! Seaforth ulat . n 2,540 in 1887 iS1AY13,1.:7 Mr Win Ballantyne, the to i1 assessor, has completed his labors and returned the roti to the town elerk From it we learn the tailoring particulars the rear property of the town is this year (1.1i7) assessed at $492,520; the pefsonal property et $60,1100; and the income at $15,230. The popula'tiott is given at 2,5415 - Geo. icing of the first coticessiott of East Wawariosh, has a brood Mare that gave birth ter a colt -that weighed 155 lies. when it WAS on'e day did. 1t rrr'eas u'ed three feet around the heart, D. D,L. Ross, sort of Mr., Finlay•Ross, of the ninth coneession of McKillop township recently „gr'aduate'd in medicine at McGill College,Montreal,afterab ilhantcareera'a student. He is now in Windsor to peat -Ilse his profession - MAY 11, 1912 The corner stone of the new Walton "Pr'esbytetiah church will be formally laid Friday, May 24. Rev Dr, R.P. McKay, moderator of tFie general assembly of the Presbyterian church in Canada hat been ir';= rated to lay the cornet stone. The closing blizzard for this season occur- red on MOWday last and for a time the weathet looked more like March than May. The Snow which fell to a con'side'rable depth soon Melted. Mrr. Chas. P. Sills left on Monday for the +L'toW'S• Nest Pass; Where Fie will be engaged in en'gineerin'g work for the CPR during the summer, Mr. Thomas St'ephehs, of the Queen's ROWS having the foundation prepared and IN THE YEARS AGONE from the Archives the rriaterial Laid down for the erection of a new concrete stable to replace the one burn- ed down last fail. Huron Lodge, No. 32, Plights of Pythias, Seaforth, had a tegelar field night on Wednesday evening of this week. They were visited by the degree tearer of Rothbone Lodge,. lt•. Thomas, to the number of about 50. - A Rebekah Assembly was formed Friday evening last at the Oddfellow's Hall which is a Iadies' branch of the Independent Order of Oddfellos*s Miss C.M. Edwards of Bridgeburg; President of the Ptevincial Rebekah As`s'embly instituted the new lodge,. which is to be known as Edelweiss Lodge, No 117 in Seaforth, MAY 14,, 193/ Dr. Stephen A. Moore, London, past presi'- dent of the OntarioDental Association and preelde'nt-elect of the 'Canadian Dental Association, spoke at largely attended meeting of the Seaforth Lions Club on Monday. Seafeatth eUtin'cil' approved new. street Lghts for MainStreet at its meeting Monday evening and insttected .the Public Utility Conirnis'sion to' purchase and install the necessary starid'ads. Members of the EdelWefss Rebekah Lodge observed the Mit anniversary of the formation of the Seaforth Lodge en Monday evening. - • MAY 17,1962 A reduction in the Seaforth tax rate to 85.2 brills for Public School supporters was con- firmed Monday night whet' council gave final reeding to the 1962 tax bylaw. A most enjoyable evening was held an Thursday in the Community Centre, ,when' Edelweiss Rebekah Ledge entertained over 200 member's of the ttebekahs lodges in Huron district to mark the occasion of its 50th anniversary. Members of the Hensfill bowling tdare, the Hi=Cites captained by Mrs, }g,R. Davie won third maze at the bowling playoffs at Zutich Bowling Lanes. A Grey Township man has Ieft Mr Ptctou' Island, Nova Scotia to take up a Presbyterian Church Mission Post. James Perrie,H.A. son of Mr. and Mrs. W:J, Perris left last week for his new post. The first meeting of the Seaforth 4-H Field Crop Club was held in the Seaforth' District High School on Wednesday. Officers elected were: President, Donald Mel{ercher: vice- president, Jim Papple; ,,..secretary,Georg. e Townsend: press_ reporter, Gordon .Pryce. Starting June 1 motorists' in Ontario' y'i11 take deft cue front the flashing lights when following, or approaching school buses. f