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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1986-08-06, Page 2OPINION of Luron x ® lto ri rpositr SINCE 1860, SERVING THE COMMUNITY FIRST BLUE RIBBQN AWARD 1985 Incorporating Bruaaels Iyost 10 Main Street 527.0240 Published In SEAFORTH, ONTARIO Every Wednesday morning ED BYRSKI, General Manager HEATHER McILWRAITH, Editor The Expositor is brought to you each week by the efforts cf: Pal Armes, Bessie Broome, Marlene Charters, Joan Guichelaar,'Anne Hut Joanne Jewitt, Dianne McGrath, Leis McLlwaln, Bob McMillan, Cathy Metady,and Patrick Mattis. Member Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc. Ontario Community Newspaper Assot:iation Ontario Press Council Commonwealth Press Union International Press Institute Subscription rates: Canada $20.00 a year, in advance Outside Canada $60.00 a year, in advance Single Copies - 50 cents each SEAFORTH ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1986 Second class mail registration Number 0696 Camping invites disaster FROM THIS ANGLE For many people, the' idea of caldPing conjure up images of quiet days and nights'in the woods, alone with nature and living In idylic harmony with the woods ound you. Long hikes in the woods, a cooling swim In a lake or stream, topped off with a• ppeaceful evening around the campfire. Horsefeathers! listen to this. In the first place, I never go camping unless 1 have to, because I see no point in working all year to surround yourself with such civilized conveniences as color TV; dodo e chairs, and a mosquito -free environment,. only to spend your free weekends depriving yourself of all of the above and going to live with the mosquitos in their own back yard. The last time I found it necessary to spend any time in the great outdoors, was about this time last year, when my slowpitch team decided to enter the annual Goderich tournament. Since the team is based in Harriston, it was necessary to obtain camping accommodations near the lakeside town. That is where all my trouble started. Finding a place which could provide tent space for an entire ball team and their entourage was a problem I thought I had overcome by booking the crew into a nearby provincial park. Error Number One. In the first place, the campsite, while spacious, lacked all of the =menthes one needs for even a semi -civilized existence. There was no on-site hydro or water supplies and nowhere on the vast acreage of the park, was there even one shower. This lack of hygenic facilities, left one facing the unpleasant prospect of taking an early -morning plunge into the icy water of Lake Huron, should one choose .to cleanse their body of the odd scent acquired from sleeping in a hot, moldy, leaky tent. Not a great way to start a day. • Advertising In accepted on the condition that In the event of a typographical error the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance for elgnelure, will not be charged for but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for e1 the applicable rale. While every effort will be made to Insure they are handled with care, the publishers cannot be responsible for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or photos. by Patrick Raftis My second mistake was overestimating the potential tolerance of the park staff, where the all-night antics of high-spirited ball players were concemed.•One thing teamed from this weekend was that when ark rangers ask for quiet, they mean quiet of the total silence variety and even the hushed voices of late-night poker players exceed the required decibel level. I wash t sure how serious the camp warden was about this quiet nonsense, until Sunday morning, at approximately 7 a.m, I awoke in the aforementioned dingy piece of canvas: that passed for a tent, to the sound of an irritated voice calling my name. (Mistake number three. Never book a group campsite in your real name). At this point, I was sure the early -morning agitator was merely a member of my expedition, wishing, for some depraved reason, to disturb my slumber. I simply uttered the necessary expletives and at- tempted to go back to sleep. "Mr. Raftis," the voice persisted. "This is the park warden. I want to talk,to you right nowt" At this point, the message seeped through my sleep -deadened skull that there probably really was an upset camp official wishing to converse with me. Hopefully, he would already have the coffee perking. My efforts to go outside to examine the situation were hampered by, the fact some comedian had tied my tent flaps together during the night. And so, I was forced to, wriggle ignomiously under the flaps and crawl through the morning dew to escape. Outside at last, I found myself face to face • with an unshaven and haggard -looking warden, who, it appeared, had not slept a wink since my party invaded his campground two days ago. I was upset to learn that a) he did not have the coffee ready, and b) he would like my party to vacate his camp within the next two hours. "Just look at this mess," he said. I might have. been pleased to examine the alleged mess, had I a chance to absorb some caffeine, splash some "water on my face and find my glasses. Since I had no time for any of these antics, I simply went about the joyful 'business of rousing the gang from a deep sleep, into the early stages of hung-overness. They were not amused. But then again, neither was the warden. • It turned out we were eliminated from the tournament that day and had no further need for lodgings from our genial host anyway. Iswore after this experience, my next foray into the great outdoors would be a solo venture into some isolated and unregulated bush, but it didn't tum out that way. As you read this, I will have recently returned from another long weekend excur- sion into the wilds of Goderich. I hope this time we find some rangers with a sense of humor, or who can at least make a decent cup of coffee. Citizen watch Egmondville residents, by their actions last. week, epitomized the ideal community situation, whereby, citizens make their best effort to watch out for their neighbors. In this case, a group of local citizens, discovering a burglary in progress in a local home, took•the appropriate actions and prevented the completion of a crime. Alerted to the situation by the sound of breaking glass, a citizen made the right decision and contacted the police immediately. Two local men took their involvement one step further and actually apprehended the burglar as he was leaving the home with his loot. • it is refreshing, in this age of non-involvement, to see citizens taking steps to protect the property and well-being of their neighbors. Although there is no official Neighborhood Watch inr this min this a eaCit,zhe sparn t of the program has been readily applied this area can take great comfort in knowing their homes are under the watchful eye not only of the police department, but also of a concerned and caring community. While it Is not always necessary, and often unwise, to attempt to physically halt a criminal in the process of committing a crime, it is the duty of every citizen to report any suspicious activity to the police. By doing so, you are not only helping to protect the lives and property of your neighbors, but your own as well. A watchful community Is the best defence against unlawful acts. — P.R. Gift of life It has been a number of years since blood donor clinics were held In town, but Seaforth residents have a good record when It comes to donating the gift of life. Residents of thls area have traditionally made the effort to travel to neighboring centres to visit the clinics held there. On Thursday, August 7, residents can once again, give blood without leaving town. The Seaforth Junior Farmers will host a blood donor clinic at the Seaforth and District Community Centres. Hopefully, a high donor turnout will be realized, so that locally -run clinics can continue to be viable operations in the future. Clinic organizers have even taken Into account the difficulty of getting away from the workplace during regular business hours and made the clinic a 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. operation, so that almost everyone will have the opportunity to attend. It Is hoped alt those who are able to donate to this worthy cause will do so. Not everyone gets the opportunity to save the life of another in sbaie auspicious manner, such as pulling an accident victim front a burning vehicle, or performing some other heroic deed. However, by donating blood to those In need of Itfe-saving transfusions, everyone can be a champion of a worthwhile cause. P.R. Big blunders a.. aloft rlv", is ter' ['-•tri If thet/').r - F`�q„ ,t•... ACROSS THE MILES — Aaron Broome and Jason Patterson ware weekend event le an annual one between the two towns - which are two Seaforth youths who travelled to West Branch. Michigan over sister cities. the weekend to compete in a number of eporttnp events. The Meriin no magician at mealtime How would you react if you were served dinner by Merlin the Magician, ere of the Would yyowree ls (t did ppe�?eers and a Gay Cabellnlo? Actually we were mbably more.lne lied to saypp wanders for outs. �by .t��Wr�.�t' drink _. SWEATSOCKS want a goad. stiff to get us through the whole ordeal. It was an interesting evening to say the the time we were actually served dimer we least. There we were, three giris venttsrtrig learned he was from Germany, was studying into the wilds of Ottawra Ar. we [tirade our forhls pilot'slicence, had been in Can edafor first stop. LP. Laoneys, a restaurant in the to months and had spent those 10 months n ' itaiwdhidt thrives on itsgrtestfan• ,,..tng with a whale tzarraile a females. Our The dame itself is enough suggestbelieve cit car . mealtime might not be a normal, everyday[wleedlesstosaythatdidn'tgoovertoowell occurenoe for who choose to dine at LP. at our tattle, grid our neig�h,bors in the next. f,oaneya. And I can't begin to describe just booth were about as equally inermaaed as we how accurate a statement that is. Wee. Sutvdse' hieflinverybluntlY, sad very Iknew we were hi trouble the maniere we matter01 fnett , told tis he had ottte broken alighted from our car and found the entrance up with a girl Lersivae she had: asked him to to said restaurant blocked t>- Martin the help her with the dishes ,.weil,....I thought Magician. And when we ate entered and World War III was going to break Ont. had unglasses snatched off our heads by gate one of mit co es' emittireni, either a night to remember or one vied try a reply and a more rtetailed telly of lifetime to forget. thoughts ori tint melded. Now °keine we were exile eiblg tlihigs to Now that was ,[list . one pottian of the a and we doesn't ventur�ehttoaplace-gtherratne apptopriatety+ dug Ott ln. Imre wee tit l'3'tst tribe Blight viattati 'i°t'te�sit~ken na onscap %aiteralso made ftquite ear thathe die not obis repute f,, women a rights or tndepende In years to come the decision by Seaforth Town Counoii to postpone reconstruction of Its town hall porch may be regarded as one of the major blunders of the 80s. This year, after three years of trying tri gat government funding for the project, Seaforth town council was notified their applications had been approved, and that the town would be eligible for $15,000 in grant monies. The remaining $11,000 needed to complete the project was to be borrowed from the town's own Heritage Fund, and paid back over three years. - Who would have thought town council would decide the front pored was now nothing more than a misappropriation of the taxpayer's money. Who would have thought council would have ignored both • the historical significance and the functionabillty of the porch, and been to quick to denounce it as a silly extravagance. And who would have theitight Hie sante council would deny the area's handicapped and elderly accessidliity to the town hall. The porch, as designed by architect Nick Hill, offers the town hall More than a more flattering exterior, although it certainly do"es that. i S , The porch, if reconstructed', would have been a symbol of the tl'fwn commitment to preserve its heritage, It could have been the catalyst toward stimulating others in town to appreciate the history behind the town, lit buildings and its people. Instead, the fact the "front hall goes porctlless for y'et another year, . indicates a f�•tscrepency "betviieeii the undying desire td presenia the town's heritage, wh1'ch the town itself to, faithfully preaches, and the lack of doing so, that is 'the reality. • Themoney this year was there, yet Cori cit refused ter take it. If says will consider the porch again in 1987. Butfor -such a pur ose, and will the ,bythen will there be any money p,. P Seafortheo "le have lost their enthusiasm- for heritage conservations p P; As et council bent on preserving the past, 1 think Seaforth council has sot a bad example for the residents of its munlcipality. Let show some consiateincy. — H.M. a our Princess. Snow White realize you're= winninganybrowaiepo is an overzealousRgdfairy and Raggedy Andy I knew"this would her stere" adilewedonlya "freaTtydors'[ le be bit out of the ordin •- after ail one evening. Dinner was dray served and Beet• ire to be eerie t.6wewer as e nay, warner h ct atlyoecurred I ,nk,eaughtuealla meds cane Friend itad &det+ed t5owered in li ata u" tearbotsanc�eearreafiflet ehotOther' 1111 bit bystuptise erel h tt " trawstegethelrileiti,:r for atter marl said, to pprobleali, than Imam, three foot straws (made by joining liking and she was forced to male a request aev bre.ad o ars cabelero acid o dow�ttel rariyedalength" betiveieationWith a leets bears o but ... stir net bora. When atter a few minutes he m ' to ttentive - egg 'e made any elfin to et the water, tia�teer"ate cite tliiirg... the EMI le :. els G tet dly„ fe v7ee ashore mty friend, .who by? then, .Felt title fitter a midge tefrelye eMedi keds eclire a othienthctettop d reatorletmattio ` el seerrieduitereateclinv'�h2'mwie were ha reamed Mr endeeld," tcnseme, bard titetid`itiatrtoasklrgt`heaetai'tsuf o�li�e'alre re from tad wdiat we did fora 1Mflg. $tit, niogt undo'ubtediy fluid ave playmd, a p art Witted, mu& to aur chargw, that vAter " 1n dt-�.'a7.,ing really liis� kidded it Weald be he °tomc t- inthnatedetells of his life. to fact, by Mania, ajlsin problem yet he continued to yak on, p "Inok I hate to be a pest but unless I have! that water soon, Pm goying to die. "Aro ththis question ee wings natty that hot?" theeyw were toe in feet so hot replied e d didn't t t she could eat thecal. Did he thirty. he could get hsranotherpleteful.thisdinewithoutthe het Kahn's em then.. Merlin insisted the wings couldm't be that hot. lit fad, he Insisted our neighbor in the. next booth try a wing. Our ne bor thou theyweregreat.Myfrleedcon _ uedtoIn t she mold not stomach them. Our n bcr tried mother thee Merlin decidW he'd trjrone, then two, rthen three. And before w'e knew it the wrings were gone. Just as niy friend w realizing her meal no badger emoted our waiter was few the Weds of the, spicy+ fare. "Do you mind....," esaaid, dngfo water ase and gulp down the eetitenta be ore e' uldsaywrhetherldldornai, "thole win " ' where hot." Tett a§ if to Maleet` My nerd thought he said 111 roinise 'don't have any cobs nunv icabft d , and pproceeded to refill my gilts. And `while I didn't feel as ctmident of thatfact ashewias, I vowed todiac�ontinee n Aceiteuaription from that point Matti. ter tihe water ineident Medica, it appeared, was finally corivdnced the *We were indeed hot, and 'that my bland very likely tight net bare been able to rebnaunle the n.Seheiefttog'etheranewbstcb But far leaving, and as further eviderrte to the t ontinued on Page A8) Book annm abomnabl On .Tune 13, Wal-Mart, a large depertneent store chain with 890 outlet§ act 22 American States ordered all r,ekaorierited • air gazutes, off the shelves and banned them On And 1, during one of his nationally televised sermons 'a prominent so-called Prat:her attacked fine sale of rock maga ines or encourtiging Immoral behavior among teenagers. Although a Wal -.Mart spo'i c iratiad if was a business decision there is no doubt about the connection with this sermon; What's next?'Iie sad thing about this mess is how ao business could boat Like a cowering clog to,any T' V evangelist. . W [tat they have' been totally unable to fathomis[hatthefreesocietythee�ytare ptaort of tos"read theii•brandofon allowsthem '¢.", • Vet, each week in the name i i GO& they threaten to remove nglits '> m ce rah Wain ibeaibers of that s"ocaety and.tpro North America into a NazNlike ecru� ,, whet'®; the only; book available will be the -Bible and Some of them claim rho 'ant d rutty 10 God eadi day. Theyy musttalkto thein iti via satellite dish Witte ett far at Ikea* Otti seine hasn'tperao�y spbkert Waft. Ultra-right-wng tionseYvattten is abeut as close to Fascists• as you tang get wnthou ping over the line. Our grandfathers, fathers strides and other patriots fought book banning, bigoted sluge dunng the second, World war. They -gave their' lives defendingfreedom and now'wetitback;;,gg nid w read)therr wvatrii themriseup oat+e agaurto sp own brand of hatred- in the name Of religion. religion, Haynes IiintSon said it alb last Week in the `Moronic Star and F. quote: ";all areans ban biose books describing iriiineia1 acts and start cOPIA ave 13roome with the volumie diet recoonten:larder,'rape, sodomy, nicest and every other form ,of human depravity and barbarity 1 the 'Br"ble. , Fuad of quote. was heitg treated for an apearent apparentvital infection lastSundaymorning',atOtirhospital e an elde " lady was wheel lounge by a nurse, Te nurse then turned on ., ilex v. and low and behold guess who Ws on the boob tube? It was a certain evangelist ranting about how talking one drink of alcohol Makes a person a.§upPerter of all that is'evd in the lter his rant`in'g far a fete d. Aftertlisteningld:y 1, - edand tauter the elderly lady turned to me �, said,'"young man, would you rebid turning [lie evision oft that titan snakes me risk" F ght on bony.