HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1979-06-28, Page 3GETTING READY FOR THE RACE -:Bed racers at the Seatorth Heart'
Jamboree Saturday at the Manor, prepare their vehicles for competition,
(Expositor Photo)
ositor asks:.
BY JANE ALLAN'
With, high schools, already out and
elementary schools dismissing students.
. this week, parents must now be prepared
to have the children around the house full
time. The Expositor asked area parents if
they were looking forward to having their
children at home for the summer.
Mrs Wayne Smith of Seaforth and her
family : re looking forward to spending the
summer together. They .plan to camp and
iv some live om faro a
visitrelat relatives, sQm h • wy,
all summer:
When asked ,if she was lookingforward
to having her children home Mrs. Leo
Teetero of:Egmondville replied, :Yes,: I
sure ail" . She added that although her
children do sometimes get'bo"red during
the holidays, they plan to have a very nice
summer. Her children will be cutting lawns.
So
1
y Susan, White°
r.rl
Eager :researchers at the
Huron, Expositor, (sort of like
gavernntent we Ball anybody.
whose title rsp't :immediately
aPParenti,a researcher) have
been unable tocompletely
check out a rumour that
Huron County is the special;
occasipn permit capitol of
Ontario- Or that Seafgrth, rs.
the special occasion permit
capitordf the county.
But; judging by the events
that we hear about or ;go to
and the fact that anybody
around here that you call up:
to invite to., anything. says
"well, our cal • ender is
getting pretty filled up for
the summer, Could we get
together in September? this
is a busy, busy place,
Not all of the events have
to do with booze either,
although its absence is
getting rarer and rarer.
suppose there's nothing
wrong with. that. A social
drink at a community dance
is a lot healthier than a secret
tipple before noon at home,
Abstinence is likely healthier
than either but what would
Ontario do without massive
liquor tax income? And, what
would justabout every
organization in the county de
without bar proceeds from
their events.
Anyway. the better half
and. I are as busy as the next.
couple, running around like
chickens with our heads cut
le
tr
off, front one thing to the
next, instead of staying bonte
sensibly ie the hammock to
watchthe world go by.
All this rushing around,
,frown one thing to another
use up a lot of energy,
money and gas. So it was,
with a little prompting from*
husband who's sick of having
his weekends aver
organized that 1'sat.dawn and
made a list of things to do.
that are simple, fun and:
cheap, •Summer things that
the whole .family can, do.
We can all go for as walk
down to the nearest creek
and look, for wildflowers and:
fish. We can walk around the
yard and smell our own
flpwers. We can pick stuff
straight from the garden and
make a salad for lunch,
We can spend Sunday.
afternoon in the, Lions . Pool
and have a picnic supper in.
the park afterwards. We can
have the neighbourhood kids
over and toast'hotdogs and
marshmallows when we been
that pile of brush: at the back
of the lot,
We can go: ;and visit our
friends in the nursing home,.
and. better yet take them out
for a drive. We can teach the
baby how to use her blunt
ended scissors or. her pint
sized garden tools, both
things she's itching to do,
There's lots more when
you think about it, Simple,
hi
important and very
;memorable things that get
lost in, the shuffle of a busy
social'a.nd work life.
Now .they all have la be
sandwiched sl<t between:
absolute necessities .
dishes. laundry, chickens,
weeding and mowing, so my
family had better ,not expect
a: complete immediate turn,
ground. But ,our time this
summer does: need some
reordering 1 think and we're
Poing to make a start.
As soon ,as we get back
from our family reunion in
Ottawa this weekendand.
attend that weding in.
Toronto the next.
No charges in
Varna crash
An eastbound Plymouth
driven by Sandra Webster,
17, of R. R. #1, Varna,
collided; with the southbound
car driven by Leila May. Hay
of Henson at the corner of
Huron County Roads #3 and
#4.:Na one was: injured.
Both drivers were wearing:
seatbelts.
Visibility was limited . due
to cars parked along the road
for the barbecue in Varna
that evening. Mrs. Hay was
accompanied by Brenda Hay,
arid Miss Webster by her
sister, Janice. -
No charges were laid.
A.re yd:u looking forworc oat Navin:9' : th.e kids home far the summer.?'
andiplaying with their dinghy in the river a
lot.
Mrs, frank Reinink of R.R. 4, Walton
thinks she is looking forward to having the.
kids around: Her 'children will be working
on the farm and in the garden. Her
children like their free time when they
,enjoy swimming:.
The problem: for Mrs:. Earl . Elliott' of
Dublin is keepin`!yes"
the kids busy, probably
the reason her yes,, was a little hesitant:
She says herchildren are looking forward
to the holidays 'In a way:"
"Your bet' `, replied Mrs. WC. Milson, •
The Millsons plan to leave. Huron County
for part of the summer and their children
"sure are" looking forward to the holidays..
Mother has to answer too many
questions about where to go and what to
,de,; for Mrs.' Garry Quance of R.R. 2, Staffa
Sugarand spice, •
By Bill Smiley
Had a birthday the other day. ' Nobody
remembered it except me, my wife, and
the North American Life Assurance Comp-
any.
1, because I was one year older and not
dead yet.My wife for roughly the same
;reason. And'the insurance .company like-
wise, They don't have to pay : off that
thousand dollars, and can go on investing,
at huge interest rates; that $12.00 annual
premium my. mother made me take out.
when I was sixteen.
We all reacted differently. The insurance
company sent me a .30 -cent birthday card,
signed by a guy never heard of, He's
about the eighth agent who has wished me
a happy birthday, ' over the past four
decades, ive probably 'outlived: the other
seven.
My wife, ata loss to buy a gift for, the
pian • who has everything, bought me a
stapler. Very good: I am constantly coming
home with massesof essays to mark none
of them stapled together. As :a conse-
quence, 1 am constantly gettingpages of
one student's essay mixed in withpages of
another student's essay, with discombob-
ulating results: •
For example,on, page 4 of Joe's essay he
finds written, "Well said, Linda. An
excellent parallel," And on page 7 of
Linda's essay, she might 'find, "Rig ht to
the point,. Joe."
It is embarrassing, confusing and stupid.
Now, with a stapler; their essays will be all
in
one piece, though it's 9uite possible they
will
find a piece offinger skin stapled to the
essay: I'm not much good with complicated
machinery. .
Not to be outdone en my'birthday,
f
bought ;myself a present •• a couple of fair
belts or a well-known arthritis reliever. ft
conies in a brown paper bag, and, thanks to,
a greedy provincial government, is a leader
in the inflation rate.
The card was innocuous. The, staler
didn't do Much harm, either, except for the
two staples 1 put into toy thumb while
trying it out, A little thumb -sucking, not at
all an unpleasant leasant activit y, cured that.
P, Y
It was my own present that did the
datna e, Carried away by a flood of
birthday sentimentally and malt, I decidee
d
to take my daughter, hter, : grandsons and wife
on a trice this summer=' '
I failat' warm flood of kinshi or
something, and made up my mind that I.
was going to visit my ain folk, show off my
clever and beautiful daughter to aunts and
things who haven't seen her since she was
in dia ts, and proudly parade my rand.
im g
boys to great-aunts, second cousins, and
anyone else who would look at then' t or put
up with them.
This wasn't so bad. It's not far out or
weird to.'take .your mob for a camping-
visiting trip. At the time, it seemed a great
;idea. Even my old lady was luke-warmly
interested. My daughter was excited, The
• boys were ecstatic.
Ah. yes. A sweep down and around old
Ontario Through Algonquin Park; camp-
ing amid the bears and deer and hooligans.:
Visit my niece at Pembroke, who has a kid
the right age, five. Dig out old rcclue Don
McCuaig at Renfrew and catch some trout
in his pond.:Across the Ottawa: River at
Portage du Fort, and a visit to their
great-grandmother's home, sitting on an.
island',: high above the river.
Drop. in on their great-uncle' Ivan. at his
beautiful:, rustic retreat on Calumet -'Island.
. Then to Green Lake, on: the Quebec side,,. ,
where "I spent my happiestchildhood`.
summers. Down along the river to Ottawa,
and cousins galore. Maybe drop in on J oe
Clark andgive: him a'or two. tip i .o Then. to '
Perth, where 1 grew u
g P.
, Show the boys the swimming -place
where I won
p, rizesthe park where i kissed
girls, the sandpit where 1 had my .first
' smoke, the old Presbyterian manse where 1
y ..
learned to swear (from listening to ' my
father, ear against the pipe; as he cursed
the furnace).
Then a swingdown to the St. Lawrence
Seaway, see another sister, and then the
long swing home, camping, and cooking
out, and detouring to things • like "Niagara.
Falls, the weekly newspaper's convention
Toronto, the Stratford Festival. and any
zoos or, points of interest along the way,
raY
Now,. 1 didn't say alt' these things. But
they are starting to build up.
What began `as a erm,. a one-week
g
swing through the Ottawa Valley, has
turned' into a three-weekGrand Tour.
My first thought 'was scroun in on
y_ '. 8 odd , :.. ,t3 g,
relatives, with the odd night in, motel •
rooms, A modest nip. Then i' bean
P g to
realize: that two motel rooms would be at
least fiftynight. bucks a nig ht. And also that five
of us can't come crashing ifi on some poor;
aunt who has one spare bedroom.
I'm too old for tenting on the old
camp -ground, with an insomniac wife and
two kids who would be pulling out the
tent.pegs as fast as 1 drove' them, And
things that go bump in the night.
the eaon - . h answer seems to be a camper, one
of those great ugly things that pollute the.
highways and drive other' drivers crazy,:
That's going to be a couple of hundred
bucks a •.
week, plus grub and gas and.
everything that gods. with it, It's going
to
cost Me
ttiore than a trip to Europe, i
should* stood in bed on my birthday,
•
fla+•e.L•ilWeei,Lft<:,s•�Yr ... eY ay.u..�,:..i4.0 u.lomMorr4.•.:W14u;
who isnot eagerly waiting for her children
to be, , out of. school:: They , get into
arguments and Mrs. Quance has to settle
them:
As three of their children have jobs
duringthe. summer the Quances have no
special plans for the family.
Mrs: Robert Regele of R.R. 1, Dublin)
doesn't mind "having them around." The
Regeles plan to stay in the area although
they usually go to the lake for a week. The
children: enjoy being out of school and
re ish g. n They e y will be taking swimming',
lessens for three weeks at the lionsPark.
•,t
in Seaforth: .
Mrs. Donald McGregor.R... of R: 1
,
Bnicefield. :enjoys" having her children
home for the ;holidays s but she 'couldn't
t
realty say there was anything special the
family was planning to do.
Mrs. John ohn Mero
h
er ofSeaforth thinks. she
will like havingchildren•
the at home and'..
although gh tiey don't have a great'deal •
plannedshe is sure they will enjoy
the
summer. Sometimes the fainly travels "up `
North." The Meros plan to take advantage
of the long weekend for a"holiday;
'
THElitIRON EX ITO. ,,, NE 011,
LAYING THE WREATH—After laying the wreath at the memorial in
Victoria Park, Legion President George Miller and Zone Comrnander Bill
Riehl salute.
Parade first
Lei
i
1fI i f'1
Ion :ser ce
Seaforth Branch 156 Royal
Canadian Legion sponsored a
well attended open air
church service Sunday
evening in Victoria Park.
The service followed a
parade of members from
Seaforth andsurrounding
branches from the Legion
Hall to the park and was one
in a series of events planned
to• niar. k the 50th anniversary
of the establishment of the
Seo, Branch.
A piperthband arrd
PipeafMajor` Peter Mangealcolbym.
Sipe.
the' parade:.
The service was arranged.
with the co-operation e
ofth
Seaforth ministerial ' as-
sociation andthe choirs and
ministers of Seaforth Churches
• participated::
s' Margaret'
O r gani�t Mar K et
•Whitmore began the service
with an organ prelude,
followed by the call to
worship and the. invocation,
Choir members from
Seaforth churches led the
audience in. singing "All
Creatures of Our God,"
' ,Scriptures' were read by
George Miller, president of
Seaforth Branch 156. Prayers
followed.
Special music .. was < • '
provided by the Northside
Trio, three members of the
United'"Church congregation,
Patricia Rimmer,Anne Ribey
and Catherine Ribey.
Father H. 3, : gave
h
the address' for the evening,
entitled "The Things for
whichwe Fought". We went.
to war topreserve our
liberties and ideals, he said,
and today we must
remember to fight against.
injustices as we did then ,
The offering from the ser-
vice has been presentedto
the Veteran's Hospital Fund,
Piper Greg McPherson
played. Amazing Grace. The
service closed;'' With
benediction and an organ
postlude
Participating congrega-
tions and ministers'inlcuded:
Egmondville United, with
Rev. Robert 3. Roberts, First
Presbyterian with Rev.
T.A A, Duke, Northside
United with Rev: J.G.. Van -
slyke, St. Thomas Anglican
with Rev:. James R Broad-
foot, St. James. Roman
Catholic; with Rev H.J.
Laragh. Toro: • Wilbee .:is
Chairman of the, Legion
anniversary committee,
eafarth's Clare
From
Westcott:
JOY ALICE GIBE
When fay Dance , ce introduced.. Clare
Westcott of Thursday's Wintario Broadcast
live from the Seaforth arena, she said Mr.
Westcott's was "the story of a small town
boy who makes good."
Mr. Westcott, raised and educated in.
Seaforth and now executive assistant to.
Premier William Davis, likely, wouldn't
argue with the description: After all, in a
Cinderella -like tale Mr. Westeott's career
went from Seaforth PUC linesman to senior
civil servant in a remarkably Short span of
time.;
Clare Westcott, the son of Arnold'
Westcott, who owned a jewellery store. on
Seaforth's Main Street for manyyears., '
changed careers in mid -stream. In 1946'3
when working for the PUC, a piece of steel
pierced his eye and he was told he couldn'td '
Y
return to work as a linesman:
Mr, Westcott, who had already tried his
bad at 'writing,w
ts
ahe
. toldhad a talent in
the directionand advised to try and get a
job writing for a weekly newspaper. He
started out in the newspaper business' with.
the' former Seaforth News, one of the
town's weekly newspapers, run by the
Snowdon brothers. Although Clare West-
Cott enjoyed his're repotting duties he was
ly.. P B r
frustrated that the job printing side of the!
operation Seenited to take precedent over
the paper.
After getting Married in 1948, to'V#r" lnia
g
McNamara -of Stratford, Mr. 'Westcott
decided it was time to go out on limb '
„ „t a 1 mb and
try to break into thetoronto media scene.
He finished high school 1,y ct►rtespondence
and e.nrolled. at Ryerson College to take
,.
journalism courses at night. In the
meantime there was the small matter of;.
finding a job.
. Mr. Westcott landed a job on The.
Toronto Telegram, ram, one of the city's three
g
daily newspapers at the time, but his
career there was shortand sweet.
Mr.Westcott started on Monday and, the
managing editor, Doug McFarlane, now a
friend but then "a tiger", .fired` Mr.:
Westcott on Wednesday. The reason was
that Mr. Westcott felt heshould come.
home on the week -end and see his fatuity
who were still . in. Seaforh, and Mr,
McFarlane thought aspiring. tePorters
shouldn't turd down weekend assign-
mentst
When Mr. Westcottys newspaper
career
.proved shortlived, he started working for
Dominion Securities, a Toronto brokerage
firm and resumed 'his involvement with
ddifig politics, which started when he was
growing up in Seaforth. As a result of his
work for the Progressive Conservatives.
and a meeting with the Hon, Leslie Frost,
premier at the time, in. 1952 Clare Westcott
was offered The job of party organizer. It
was the first step on 'a ladder that Would
eventually lead hint te. the premier's office:.
M*CAULEY ASSISTANT
For seven years, Clare Westcott worked
for the. PC party, and then Robert
MacAuley, vice-chairman of the Ontario
hydro commission and minister of energy
and resources asked Mr, Westcott to join
his staff as his -assistant. When Mr.
MacAuley was Wanted minister of trade
and development, Clare'WestcOtt Made the
move with him.
The years with 'Mt. MacAulay Were
challenging one. Looking back, Mr.
Westcott said the government at the ti the
RETuRNEPto WIN -- Clare VVestcott, former Seaton!, resident
presses the button Which selects, the winning ntimbers, as F'aye Dance
of Wintario Watches.
was concerned with Ontario surviving ands.
providing employment fot its citizens .in
light of the fact the province bad few
natural resources other than nickel and
forestry : products. The resources the
province did have, in Mr. Westcott's
words, were "a lot of people with muscles
and brains'" who produced manufactured
.goods. To ensure there weremarkets for
these goods, Mr: MacAuley 'introduced
trade crusades from Ontario to countries
around the world. Mr.• Westcott travelled
'on some of these missions, •including ones
to Dusseldorf and Milan, and said the idea
of a province setting up trade offices
overseas:. was uniqe at that time, Now
Ontario is represented in Paris, Stockholm,
Brussels; Tokyo, 'Los Angeles and London,
England among other centres.
In 1963, Robert MacAuley made a; bid for
the;provinciial PC leadership but lost out to
John Roberts, a .London' lawyer. Mr.
MacAuley decided toleave politics after
his defeat, but his campaign manager,,; a
young Brampton lawyer named Bill Davis,
decided to stay 'on iri Queen's Park; When
Bill Davis was named minister Of education
he invited Clare Westcott to become his
assistant.
The position in the ministry of education
• "frightened the hell out of me" Westcott
said laughingly; since he didn't even have'
a graduationdiploma to hang on his office
wall never having' tried his exams at
Ryerson: AttorneyGeneral Kelso Roberts
solved the problem by nainir. glvtr.:Westcott
a commissiorter of oaths, andiving him
$ g
framelcertificate to 'provide the necessary
official -looking document for his office
wall.
Ironically, in "1965, the man who didn't
finish his Ryerson journalists course was
named to the board of directors of the
college and, in 1969, when the school was
awarded degree -granting rights, Premier
John Robert,Clare Westcott and, another
Seaforthite, Dr. Howard Kerr, were
awarded honorary degrees at the ,gradua-
tion cercmonies: Dr. Ken founded Ryerson
. y
and was a longtime time rinci al of the school.
g principal
The years when'Bill Davis headedd the
minittry of education were "excitin - days"
Mr. Westcott said. The excitement came
from the challenge of marketing changes in
the school system to the general ublic=
Y ,1; P
'changes es like the consolidation of sch I.
8 o0
boards and. the in . oduc 'on of community
tr ti
colleges.
In 1x11, 'when Bill avis became he
O t
premier of Ontario, Clare Westcott. Moved'
u as his executive assistant. hen '
f' _ t a sta t T In 19�;�,
Mr. Westcott ad+°anced to deputyminist
level.
Although e . ,.. is obviously a
Alt ugh Mr. W st,*otr t► y
political animal, he prefers life as a civil
servant rather than as a politican. The
ff1
demands on politicans are heavy and Clare
Westcott said, "I'm still more in colt mand
Of my own time than elected officials." He
said he's seen the• toll public life takes of
the men and women elected to office.
Two of Clare Westcott's: nine 'children
however have inherited his love of ;politics.
His eldestson ran for the PC nomination in
the East York riding, but lost to another
candidate. Jan. , Westcott' "is now' an
assistant to' Treasurer Frank 'Miller.
Mr Westcott's. oldest daughter is an
editorial writer for the Vancouver Province
and some of the younger.: family members
are already active in elections, rapping on
doors and putting up signs.
Clare Westcott has obviously survived
and 'prospered in the world of big city
politics, but on reflection he thinks many of
the things which gave himan edge were the
influences of`peop'le he knew in' Seaforth:''
One of these influ"ences was his father, a
smelt townbttsinessman for ,almost 50
years, and a nian; who was active in the
church, the lodge, the Legion and who
served on the .local school board. Clare
Westcott said his.father was "a person, of
great integrity" and provided his son with
an example of what "I wanted to 'be.".
Another influence Clare Westcott recalls
were "the fabulous teachers who seemed
to' take an interest in you as a person rather
than filling your head with facts," Two of
the teachers' he particularly remembers are
Mabel Turnbull and Ella :Elder.
Tare o other en who Care
Theretvu term C
Westcott believes influenced him when he
was' rowin u . The first. was Albert
g g P_
Hildebrand', Westcott, s boss when he
worked in Cardho's Bakery as a boy, Mr.
Hildebrand was "a perfectionist • , who set
extremely :high standards for employees.,
P .
and Clare Westcott said; "if only 1 could do
. for my kids whatHildebran'd did for me."
The other man Mr. Westcott feels
provided him with the confidence to
believe~.he could succeed at anything was
the late Frank. Kling, the Man was started
as a.` tinsmith and ended up with a
successful : general contracting'business.
.,
Mr, Kling convinced me I could do
anything - b exam le , bypatience and
Y g Y, ,,P "gi
sometimes by kicking you in the rear," Mr.
Westcott said. When he was working for
Kling, Mr. Westcott said, "Prank told me 1
Could wire a house, to I did." He said
another time Mr. Kling and some of his
employees came actoss •a tat in a. ditch.
Kling insisted the men Could Ithe
R did lift car ouiC.
and they . "he v'as that kind of a guy,
. _.
there was nothing: he couldn't do,"Mr.
Westcott retails.
Clare Weattcott said as at resttllt +af
the
influence of these people, ha teat to
Toronto convinced he could ems' sir's
Not bad for a kid, ,from a small timid
A.;