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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1979-09-06, Page 3V** AND THEN, KICK--Tawnya. Taylor demon- strates the Style needed to compete in the slipper kick at the Seaforth Public Library's Teddy Bears' Picnic on Friday afternoon. (Expositor phOt0) Sornething to say ifttrOtt CfAntY Penned reacted as expected 'Thursday nightwhen property tax ,equaliza- lion factors Were eXplained by assessment commissioner Floyd Jenldns at 4, speciai. council session. Mr- Jenkins : explained to cnuntY Council what equalization. factors were and what impact they would have on budgets in towns and townships in the county. The .assess- ment commissioner outlined the reasons for the new factors but his comments fell on deaf ears as most rural repreientitives were Only concerned with the battum line, it was, going to POSt townships more money- lEnrollment (Continued front Page 0 local separate •S.C11991S. Marie Ryan, is returning to teach the kindergarten, class, at St, James School in Seaforth, after teaching at St. Patrick's School last year. Mary Jenkins is joining the staff as • principal's relief and a music teacher. In addition to teaching at St. Janles, she will be teaching music at St. Colurnban and at S. Joseph's in Clinton* Patrick Shaughnessy,, the former music teacher at St. James, has moved to Toronto. • Another new face on the Seaforth staff will, beTerry Craig, who willbe teaching Grades 7 end 8, and Mrs. Denise Culligan; returning to teach special education after a leave of absence. The only new staff member on St. 'Columban school is Stella Farwell, who will he teaching the junior grades. r 'Present apporth heionments --ave en a thprn, in the eid e of .county towns for years, ,C.Onncils in those toy/115 have complained that their payments, compared to those of the townships, are unfair. The towns claimed that ta4payets in urban areas have been suhsidizing taxpayers in Tara! areas, Township couticils don't buy that argue- , ment. The townships claim urban residents have a pinch greater benefit from county services than rural residents and so should pay forjhat service. • That fact waa,Obvious-tront the reaction of eannty cauncillors ThurSdaY night* Rural reeves, and deptfty-reeves voiced discontent With, the new factors while urban politicians were content to avoid confrontation by remaining silent rather than try to defea4 the use of equalization factors. While township representatives talked tough about objecting to the new factors there was little indication any organized effort will be made to halt the use of those factors. Some k 00116110ES suggested that the townships back out of county services rather than pay the long dollar for them while others suggested the townships should- band together and fight any Iegieletion imple- menting equalization factors. The objections to the use of the new factors are understandable. If the townships feel the present system is fair for beth the towns and the townships it would follow that they would fight the changes. Under the new factors the townships will be faced with raising substantial amounts of money to pay their share of the county costs. by Susan White Two weeks with a two year ol •I've got some random notes after a two week holiday with a nearly two year old this week, as much as therapy for me as for the information of other parents who might be planning such a "break". Market researeh people should know that the absoultely best shape for a sign that you want a kid to recognize is the ice cream cone. lee cream cone signs don't havelo say a word (the kid can't read 'em anyway) they just exist there by the side of the road' and driving by one is enough to wake your kid from a sound sleep, and start demands for a "cream conein there". The best habysitter wc found in two weelcs in a cottage at the lake was the, pail of water that sits by the door to dip sandy feet into • before you go inside. Our daughter played in, that water of questionable quality by the hOur "washin' the dishes mote, along with the towels:our shoes, kleenexes and anything 'else shecould find. The only. time .we had to intervene was when she • tried to. drink the • water, about once every five ugar art spice • By Bill Smiley When I was If you have never been .involved in municipal 'Politics, you Should have a go. Rim for anything fret') a dog-catcher to• mayor.. If you lose. it will be good for Your • • ego. If you win. it Will be .goodfor your • humility. • • I • Speak as always. front personal experienee. For twoyearst served on a town council.. It was illuminating. it' not very •- enlightening. • I was elected. Of conke, by acclamation As was everybody else on .the council. So •• keen were the citizens to .serve, that some • years, on nomination eye, we had to go down • . to the pub. drag a coupleof characters Out. • and guide their hands while they 'signed up. When I was elected. 1 was present as a reporter. There were Only five other people • • in the council chambers. so it was decided that I' would be elected as the necessary • Sixth. Since I had already served On the executives of . various. 'moribund Organi- zations Which had died forthwith, !agreed...It 'didntdic. as ['dripped; The: next year'We were all re-elected. By •acchimaticie, • It was pretty heady stuff, at first. As a partner in a printing plantand a newspaperman. I was. immediately .appoitit- • ed Chairman ot' the Printing. Advertising and • Public Relations Corntnittee of eouncil. • This 'Meant that our firm antornatically • lei:civet' the contract for the town's printing and advertisingwhich we already had. The ' public relations part meant thatl had to stop • suggesting in the paper that the town council was made up of nitwits, nincompoops and nerds, : Another chap, with a pretty good heating, and plumbing business; was named Chair. Man of the Interior Municipal Modification • Cortunittee. Heating and' plumbing. . A third, Who hada tractor, a back -hoe and a snowplow. was appointed ChairMan of the Public Works Department. He irnntecliately introduced a by-law raising the rates per hour of Such equipinent. It .passed, four to two The opposition was from another • couneillor, a retired fernier, who also had a tractor and a threshing -Machine, whichhe thought could be Converted to plowing snOw. His brother-itplaw vdted with hint. But these mornent8 of poistee and glory Soon faded. The entiflict of interest became apparent, and there was no way out for a • Man (111000m' extept reSign. It took me •OnIy tWO years to reach that conclusion. You May thiek that a fair time, but it's not easy. to . Walk. away from a $75.00 a year stipend. The • ' •tiettytir made $150.00. • AS a reporter. I had been more interested •in the mnfliett than the intereStt. 1 had •'delightedly heard, and printed, one eotintil. . .tor call anOther COUticillbe a "gibbering old • baboon." Andi-wittehect the victim of the •:pejoratite, a stripling of 78# invite the name -caller ontSide, Stripping tiff hit jacket during the exchange. Cooler heads pre, minutes on average. When playing in the pail paled, Gaby decidedher grandmother's poor old tomato and geranium plants needed watering and ,she carefully carried about 95 cupfuls over to .each pot, until finally her nasty fun • spoiling parents had to inter- fere here too. • Ranking a close second as topnotch babysitters were the family next door. "Won't it be. awful next year when she wanders over here by herself", I joked with the • mother, who's hid five kids • herself, at the beginning of on town council vailcd. It was thirty-four below outside. Well, as you can sed. As a member'of that august body, the Town' Council, I couldn't Print that sort of thing. I had to report that • the two •councillors "had a difference of ' opinion*" When I wrote that phrase and had to omit that one of the councillors was obviously in his Cups, I knew I had to quit. .A11 of thiS is a preamble to a thickish document I got in the mail the other:day. It is anew by-law printed and dispersed. at what enormous cost 1 shudder) by our local town (tuna. There are 39 numbered, pages of legal inanities, and about an equal number of pages Of maps 'cif the town, etpaally unintelligible. - As I .said, the mailman delivered it, regardless Of expense. A dozen kids could have covered the town in two hours, or stuffed them in the sewer. • 'Despite my wide experience as a municipal'councilloror perhaps because of it. this by-law completely. baffles me.. . The ,first. thirteen page's are definitions. They tell us What is a lot, a yard (front) and a yard (rear) a garage, a building, They also inform the •ignorant citizenry' what a school is. a person a restaurant. a motel.: a boarding-house. All alphabetically. There wag no mention Of "brothel" under the B's. Theby-law tells us how high our fences or hedges can be. It tells us how high our houses can be. How many square metres of floor space we must have if we decide to ask Auntie ,Mabel. crippled with arthritis, to share our dwelling. 'How many parking places we need for each establishment. Again no mentiOn of tither brothels or bootleggers. For most of the document. the by-law dwells in metres, squared 'and decimated. knew veryfeW peOple over thirty who would know a .metre from a maskinonge. Scitnebody oncouncil must have cornered the Market on metre sticks. Then this' baffling, by-law nioVes into "hectares". What the heck is a hectare? To me; it's An ancient: French (Canadian) piece of land about as accurate as an acre, which :nobody understands either. Here's an example: "RM2 uses are permitted as specified to a maximum of 550 persons pr hectare." Is it a square mile? is it a "1-flacre" wit` an accent? This is craZy• When I was a councillor. We could kintek off three or four by-laws in a Meeting, and f erYbody understood them. "Moved and Seconded that there shall be no loitering in the cemetery, except by those who are among the dead, not the quick." That sort of thing. This big fat by-law is for the birds, Of the lawyers. Not for us old munieipal politieians, Retnember what I suggetted itt the beginning of this column? Porget it, Otherwise you Might end hp in a "Detached dwelling unit". which allows "3.2 personS per Unit standard." Not two.. Not four. 3.2. our holidays: . Hah! By :the end of the .first week Gaby was setting out for the Grants on her own with a cheerful "see ya later, dad," "Wanna see Yiz (Liz' who's 11 and lives next door)", she'd say about eight every morning and we'd have. to convince her that Liz wasn't even up yet let:alone looking forward to a visit from a small neighbour who wanted to trail her around all day. Our Gaby, got quite attached' to "Yiz" who's an 'award. winning violinist. Picking up a stick or a feather on the beach, she'd an- nounce she was "playin' da yiOlin''. Liz also wears her • hair in two pony tails and .it • made Gaby's day When we managed to get her three • inch long bobbed hair into a pony tail Of sorts. Gaby's parents aren't the most make-up and beauty conscious people in the world. But her mother, perhaps in a giddy holiday mood, bought some nail polish during the holidays • and proceeded to put it on. • That meant Gaby had to wear it toe. She thought daddy and her dog. could do with some : polish ''on their nails too, but they Jboth avoided that. •Gaby showed off her polish job to everyone who'd. take time to look. It's wearing off a bit .now and she'S very • anxious to have it re-applied. pick her outof a crowd anyway - the only kid under three feet all with blood red fingers • and toes. • With a kid who's just learning, to talk, you realize how complicated the English language is: One day we sat outside in the car while Gaby's dad went into the . lumber yard to get some• . nails for a 'construction pro- ject. "Polish too?'', Gaby -Wanted to 'know when she heard what her dad was doing.• ' If you're Wondering how •We could let a 22 month old wander around outside at the lake with a fair amount of freedom, it's simple. Gaby ;wouldn't go near the water on her own. • And even once she was • carried into it, she was pretty reluctant to relax and enjoy it. Asked if she wanted to go Swimming, the standard answer was:'two cold", (and • (Continued on Page 24) . , • ' , EXPOsITOR. SEPTEMBER A ourei 11 „ The break given tOWIIS in the eetitity will he At the expense ett the townehips.„ GPriertch• Under the new faetOrS• will realize S48 49 saving while Exeter will pa.y, -$172.386 less. Savings to the rest of the towns and villages are lesSthan those amounts but ,every township with the exception of Hay will pay more. klullett township is the hardest hit. With new factors used Hullett will have to raise $109,467 more nest year Mare it did this . Goderich township will pay $95.13S more and Morris township S95,835 more. . As one township reeve put it ••tis taxes would increase $90 if the new factors were put in effect. • Cnurty clerk Rill fienlY 0000404 Mal peere that the border). Pf inFretiaerl'tex04 di be tused through a frOVinelg Want. Pie grant returns, one helf the peeperty talt faitt on lambed. the provincial government has mit omelette:it itself Xi the new factors and may shelve the w:hale .thing. Township, couneils imil farm orgenizaticine are showing signs, of grating up tier a fight against the new. factors e,hat. urban taxpayers are anZious, to havO the new system pet into effect. the metter is IneW in the hands Of the prat; ink A dectston from •the legistattire is &Apt" eted carlY in the fall' and what kn4 Pt turPr that decision wili mean is neve On1Y. iTei.ulat son. Behind the scenes by Keith RoulSton Emergencies bring out the best What with ,higher, ever higher wage demands, marches to protest the rights of this or that minority group and a general • trend toward self -gratification it sometimes looks like the good old values of brotherhOod and extending a helping hand have been forgotten, But now and then an emergency arrives . that seems to bring out the best in people. We've seen a few examples of that recently. examples .that show u$ that the huinan race isn't completely losing the things that set vs above the animals. Probably the best example of helping our 'fellow matt has been the recent tornado disaster in the Woodstock.area. People from this. part of the country have been very tree with their time and their money in helping people of the disaster area. clean up and rebuild. Much as • their fathers and grandfathers helped each ether out in the past when disAeter hit, ' On a , wider scale this kind et warm-hearted assistance has been given to the plight ofthe boat people of Southeast Asia. The help hasn't been so universally sive n to this. cause. To some people the plight of the4.beat people isn't nearly as invortant is the plight of the people around Woodstock,. but the reaction has been heart-warming just the same. We had, an example of how neighbourliness is still alive andWell in o ur own' household recently. We had a minor fertility crisis in the form of a ear accident that brought calls -of concern and offeisof aid from family, friends And neighbours. Everyone was so helpful. People sometimes inOurn the • :passing .Of the . old-fashioned kind of neighbourhoods ;but When conditionscall for • it, the old neighbourliness is still there as , . I was watching a television program recently that showed just how important this habit of sticking 'lip for each other has been • to the human TaCe. Archeology has shown that early .rean. wasn't 'nearly as well equipped for survival as many of the animals that have 'beet:nee extinct over the tong history of the earth. What made man successful in surviving' and taking a dominant place in the world Was not so much his intelligence,. (because early .man wasn't all that intelligent) not so.inuch his skill in hunting, as his tendency.. to stick together. By bunting in groups the early 'men got: game they wouldn't have gotten alone. By living'. in groups they had strength in numbers to protect themfromtheir larger, stronger, more vicious enemies. This forming of societies has been an important part of human living ever since. We start with the primary unit of the family, then the cornmunity and the country. I use we're making progress in a way. Wvese learned to live in harmon y 'beyo the family ueit, beyond the community to the •eountry level (though in this country cone. semetimes wonders). We have yet to live in hermons on a world-wide basis, to care for 411 mankind as we would for out neighbour bet at least we're beyond warring on a tribal. fet.el as primitive man once did. 13u! in our western seciety we've l been growing awae front theideal, on a personal lew! at the Same time we've been growing towards it on a broader scale. 'The extended family has broken down. Today the family .consists of parents and about two Children and the size is dropping all' the time. The no soms to be just h us band, and wife and even the institution of marriage is giving way to looser living arrangements that can form and breakupand'reform without the expense of divorce. . C'emmunity spirit too is breaking down. espeetall‘ beeause more and more of the peopie hv M larger and larger cities. To replue the helping hand of a. friend or. taughbour we've come tip with the helping hand of the state: the welfare state. reyx cif us I think would like to do without. the nuidern welfare state. :No one butthe very rich would like to go hack to the days before. the oh] age' pension, . universal free edoeutem, inexpensiVe health' care. But at the same time I think, most` ef us would like t� he able to -have that and still have the contmunity• spirit that made people work togetherto solve problems. Small towns haven't coMpletely lest :the community. feeling hut it has been et'oded by the fact • .gOvernrnent policies have removed the Motivation to get together. Now it takes speetal circumstance to make even most strait towns pull together. A flood, a storm a fire, an action of a senior government such as the hospital Closings is what it takes to • make people rally together to fight for each other. glad to live in an environment- where people still do pull together. It's much easier livieg through crises if you know that people are ready to offer a helping hand, a band not tied in the red tape of a government agency. • �n WedneeslaY, Sept 12' at 71:30 p•m• the Huron Pertlt. Chapter of the Council foe Exceptional Children Will meet at the Stratford Public Library Auditoriont (en See-, Ond flOar), 19 St, Andrew $t•-, John Sweeney, 1MP1 Perth Wilmot will speak about 'Recent Trends in Eiltieatlon jn Ontario. EtripbasiS will he • OTI M4404911 legislation in special ,education and its kri plications for teachers and •-students- An invitation ttai attend is eXtended tO teach- ers• parents, school officials: And any professionals assoei- eted with education. The executive, captains and canvassers for the forth- coame ei.nage A r tshtrairttlirien cS°cleotY C 1 September lOtlf to September 24th are holding a meeting in the McKillop Mutual Fire Insurance Office on Monday, September 10th ' at 7:30 p,m. sharp. Please make arrangements to attend Ibis important meeting. The first meeting of the Seaforth Co-op Nursery School wilt be held in the lower library Tuesday, Sept. Ilth at 8 p.m. Anyone interested in. participating is Welemnmeeettolgforoinus. Ainanyone interested in a Debt Counsel- ling • lkograrn • for Huron County will,- be held at the Vartastra Recreation Centre on Thursday. September 13 at 7:30 p.m. Members And friends 'of the Seaforth Women's Insti- tute are invited to see "The Pottery" demonstration at their meeting on Tuesday, September 11, $:15 p,•ni, at the Seaforth Public School?, Rail Call to be an exchange of plants, slips or bulbs. Lonch • committee will be hostesses. Mrs. 3,E. MacLean and Mrs. Effie Stephenson as well is Mrs, A.E. Pepper, . • The Hospital Auxiliary Meeting will be held on Tuesday', Sept. 11 at. 6:30' P.m. in the board ream of the hospital with a pot luck • supper preceding the meet- ing. Everyone welcome. Correction • • No Charges have been laid against William Kelly after a • motor vehicle accident at the corner of East William Street and Goderich Street East which occurred recently. A story in the Aug, 23rd issue . • of the Huron Expositor incor- rectly reported • that Mr. Kelly was being charged • with failure to yield to traffic. The Expositor regrets any inconvenience the error may have caused to Mr. Kelly. ,Tuckersmith couple home from Yukon jobs (Contintied"frOm Page I) • working was, in Bruce's words. a "geol- specializes in uranium exploration around .ogist's :paradise," This means there Was -• • the World, I . • lotS of outcrop, few annoying bug's and ,the • This summer.' the young con*. with Weather was generally good.. two othercompany employee's, spent the , if uranium is discovered close to the samtner months in the Englishmen'S surface, it is mined' in an open pit mine. Rangeof mountains 'n the Yukon. exploring However, Bruce said even if it were . for mineral' deposits o property claimed: discovered in the area they were exploring, bythe company. • • • it wouldn't be found elose to the surf:tee' LAND CLAIMS • . •• .' and. inAhe heavy'granite, it Might Prove too Bruce spirt: when an individual or costly to remove *from the moentainous company, stakes a claim on land, they have region. , One year from the date of tiling the claim to. While life in the camp was isolated. the, do at least $100 worth of work ori the land.. couple don't have any complaintsabout . The Urangesellschaft company 'laid. 270 their adventure; Once the survey team was claims in this .partieuiat area of the Yukon, flown into the site, their Only comniuni, each elahn measuring approximately 1500 cation with the outside was by radio, in feet by 1500 feet. 'This meant the caSe of emergency. Although one of the exploration team had to do approximately team members die cut his hand with an 527,000 worth . of work to 'maintain the 'axe, it waSn't serious enough to need company's claim to the land. • . • Outside medical attention. Bruce Williams said the land Was crown The helicopter, which could be chartered land and a ccimPany lays claim for mineral for the sum of S365 an hour, flew ih every rights On the ,Site, rather than forsurface •two weeks with additional food supplies rights to the property. and Mail for the survey crew. Although . In :lune, the exploration teant. and. their theft was a winter diesel toad, which equipment, ineltiding the tents which were passed about six miles from the camp. it their home for the summer, were flown in was toe soft te.be usable in the summer to the site by helicopter. months. • ..• • The land covered by the sarvey team The nearest settlement to the camp was varied in elevation from 2000 to 6,000 feet Swift River, exactly 59 miles away on the and the vegetation, Cover included every- B.C. border. The town'e major attraction • thing from .tundra to swamps to heavily was a ,conahination 'cafe, store: restaurant, .400ded sections. The geology team took which catered mainly to road crews Chemical Samples or samples from streams working in the area, The Williams Vividly •huming through the area, which were recall a Sign posted in the dining area of forwarded to a lab in Calgary for analysisthe business - "Be easy on our help, They also used a scintillometer, which they're harder to get than otir customers." measures gamma rays, in 'their search for • Bruce said this buSirieSs, like many radiation, another possible indicator of others in the isolated settlements M the UranittindepOtitS in the area. i north, WAS operated by Americans who live Although fleece WilliaMS Said Mining Mete duting the summer' and bead to exploration is a "seeretiec business."' Texas for the winter niontits, Which Means he can't really reveal the Although to:Arlene, the fotiner Datletic summer's findings, he would say the area 'Carnochan of R.R. Seaforth. is scented "premising." He said othet attually a libtaty technician., she married Mining companies were exploring in the Into- the' geology field, This summe.r, the same general area, although sonic: of these Mont bride Spent part of her days lielpitig Matins were gearing their search to bate the men. collect ..saniplee, aed also Was motile Such, As tungsten and tin. • Camp cOok, even mastering the art of • If a significant mineral discovery iS Made piernaking on a ColettiAn stove, itt the territory, then Canadian companies In June, barlene was able to keep her niust Mine two-thirds of what. is fotind meat and other 'perishable food supplies GEOLOGISTS PARADISE , cold in. a triawbank an the Motintaiit, but as • The area where .the Williams were weather grew wanner,: it was More difficult to keep teodstutts tiesh• • collecting samples. Darlene. Often Went on• • The, only prOblent i' amprs experi- hikes in •the area around' 'Me camp, : :erne:4 'during the Ctini*Or W.. as a visit from aecempanied by a Husky the couple bought. an (IN eteS triendls ried.ly "hcar, with a in the north. • • • • fondness for the ,;amp garbage. fhe hear, , The •scenery included mountain lakes, a ty%o-year °id, proAttl lust too snoopy, and the low-lying flowers that 'covered the hills couldn't bc•,persuaded to go.e the camp a as temperatures warmed aed scrub bush in - miss. Esentually . tor '.4v1'. 's sake. 'he had a strip of land bureed ite a forest fire 21 to he shot. - ' ,years before. , Sinee bcats are a Protected Darlene said everenew,..theetreee In 'the, species itt the nOrthat 1 aren.'It to be killed burned -out area reach only about four feet , "until they. endanger .somr.one's bit. in height, Also, many. other treeS in the Bruce said, Departinent .Of WiidIife offic, • area, grow laterally. along •the ground, la Is confiseated tin var‘ce.s. Teehnically, rather than vertitaliY, Victiths of the Me carnet:Ts" lo,es ahil hcen threatened, winter's heavy snow cover which *forces by the atoned., hut oidhfe offietats themdown 'parallel- to the ground. : . • accepted their, eXplammott .ahoiti. the Now that the .couple have ,completed animal's theme their stint in the Yukon, theyll return Darlene said Ow wi.ather M June 'Was Toronto where Bruce will work in Uranse- wet, cold and damp enough to • he sellschaft's head office Id r the winter • unpleesant.', lest ht mid-August, temper • months. • tituresee ere w.irot enough to allow quick Their souvenirs front the 'YOkon stitniter • dips in the •ns M01416:411 SirearriS. • Mclude breathtakieg photos.: Of northern By. ihe cod !septembet. she said. • sunsets, memories of a landiicape undis- - 'temperatures 1161p ;want. and 51100 turbed by and an: insight into a elite of vvould start failing t".., end of October. (anada Which, remains an . unemplored. During tht. 'Alien she wasnl frontier. , Parents must sign Bike safetytickets issued Seaforth police will be trying something ncvv to make arca vhildren more conSciOUS , of bicycle' sateiN When: the poliet Men spot any child violating safet), :regulations the child wilt be issued %nil a tuxentle vicitation ticket, The 'ticket will detwribe the violation that occurred and the child must take it home for his patents' signature. Then the child rettfres the ticket to the Seaforth police statiete There are no fines attached to the • tickets: • Seaforth police owl Joh Cairns said a. littittber of area towns are trying thiS approach to Warn Children about bicycle fel?c% • Tchief said the holiday weekend wns'" .accident -free itt Seaforth. Police w ere called to investigate a case Of *MA datnagie at Ciotd's Gulf Station on Sunday Mottling When a WASS windOw itt • One of ;the gas pantos was discovered • broken. There was approximately . 515 damage in the incident and police are still investigating. Ono of the only other incidents reported to the police last we.ck was a pheasant Meiling at large on Goderieh Street West. No One found the bird, Brian Flannigan hurt Brian Flannigan of SettfOrth, ()Wile!. Of flrian's, Hair Styling is in satisfaetoty condition in 'University Hospital following a thetentycle iteeident On Tuesday night, Mr. Flannigan was involved in a single vehicle Aceident on the Bayfield Bridge, Hwy • 21, at 7 • p.m, The Goderich• CkP.P. Oe• investigating. No Ititther details were riettiltible at pteSS .••• •••*•• • •• • , .• • •