The Huron Expositor, 1977-03-10, Page 3omething to Say
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, MARCH 10:.1077
by Susan White
ur cultural reporter
orcheA. .hote .a story to tell
„.„. . .. ' The veranda 'Or front.porch .. " featitre conimon to many
19th century Ontario houses:•2
Invented" in Northern Portugal;. the idea of frOnt porches
'spread to Brazil, the West Indies and. Portugal's eastern colonies
by the end of the 17th century. Spreading to British colonies,
Torches were common in the late 18th and early 19th century,
particularlyin Seuth Africa, where one and two storey dwellings
with porches are still called veranda houses.
In Ontario, porches are seldom integrated into .the roof
structure,' but are 'usually added on, having-A, separate ma.
Generally constructed of wood, porches have not stood up well. to
the harshness of Ontario's climate, and many older houSes have
had their porchei removed when the wood rotted. The
appearance of these houses has usually suffered from' the loss.
--Wrought iron. was commonly. used to support Porch roofs in
England, and Ontario builders often copied these designs in
wood. Few such intricate designs, known as treillage;-remain
More common in this area is the porch roof supported by simple
posts.These support posts were increasingly detailed as the
century wore on, and turned .posts were the rule by 1860. •
'The Classic rReVival style, which copied features fOund on
ancient Greek buildings, was commonly used in porch
construction.
The porch in the upper left picture on John Street has short
columns with doric- capitals, or tops, 'which surIport an
entablature, or ledge, decorated with rectangles of wood. This
raised pattern is known as "crenellation".
The porch Shown upper right on Goderich St. W. also has
Doric columns and a crenellated entablature,, but here a
triangular pediment adds an extra air of classicism.
The house in the lower left picture also on Goderich St. W. has
a porch whose roof is supported with double columns. Such posts,
were- probably shaped on a large lathe. The structure appears
less heavy and imposing beeauSe of these turned posts, and the
effect is very pleasing,
The pdrch pictured lower right on Church Street differs greatly
in style from the other three, The posts are highly decorated and
the roof is "hipped":Tolding in at the ends. The porch relieves
the severe squareness of this house, and the house would be less
plea-Sing if the porch. were lost, as has happened to many similar
houses in Ontario.
Ian workshop on candles
made a speech at the Toronto
Press Club, introducing himself
as the cultural reporter ,from
guest at the Provincial' hittery
draw in Stratford. ,Expositor
reader Hilda Bach was there too
and she talked- to. Eharlie about
the, Centennial visit to Seaforth.
Without any prompting at all,
Charlie showed Hilda what he'.
had on under his shirt ...that
same Expositor T'
Now either Charlie doesn't
wash his clothes all that much Or
his cultural reperter T shirt is
much tougher than mine, ,which,
was pretty 'well faded and is
relegated to the bottom of my
Charlie came into. our 'lives banquet was a highlight of the ,„.to his editor here but we're still drawer. Maybe Charlie only •
about two....... years ago when he . weekend's celebrations and after waiting for his story about culture' really feels cultured when he's
at the Camping show. wearing his Expositor 'shirt.
And ft's to my everlasting Whatever the reason, we're
sorrow that I have to report that ' thrilled that • he still Considers
Don Flarron dropped into my himself a Staffer here.
office to see me one day last Neit time you see Charlie,
winter when he was on his ray to whether it's on TV in Hee:Haw or
Blyth where he was performing in as the subject of a photo story in a '
The Horsburgh scandal. I was on national, magazine,' just think
my way to the post office.at-the-__abOut what he's wearing under: "
same time and I missed him. Who neath that worn out sweater and
knows what cultural report he,had shirt: And just ,wait, along with
with him that day? the rest of us at the Expositor,. for'
Charlie was back in Western those.. cultural reports to start
Ontario last week as a special rolling iii "
Some of our new readeri may
not, know,. that The Huron
Expositor has a cultural reporter.
But Old,readers who've. heen with_
usfor two years or SQ.. know that
we have MP, althougrhe 'hasn't
been covering much • culture
(could it be there hasrt't 'been
much culture to cover?) . for us
lately. . .
The Expostior's cultural ,
reporter is one of Canada's roosts _
famous men, Charlie
Farquharson of yet Parry 'Sound.
I'll give you a little background.
Huron
" (Continued from Page 1),
both committees meet sinnil-
laneously and half the board sits
on ,,educatiOn and half sits on
management. The Ccilborne
trustee _said the' systetn broke
down due 'to that reason.
Clarence 'MacDonald said he
felt 'that the_ system the ,board
used now was the best in •a long
time. • • •• He
said quite • often in -the paSt.
.meetings would extend until the
wee hours of the morning over
- petty issues and those days are
-. gone:
"The committee system stems '
t. from a'certain a=mount of trust and'
if that trust is missing the- b.oard is.
in., trouble," he said. •
The budget was presented at
• Monday's meeting 'and required
the board's immediate approval
or a penalty would have been
imposed by the ministry of •
education,' Mr. Dunlop said, the
ministry placed a:penalty On the '•
board's grants if the budget
wasn't submitted by March 15.
If you've had to ,use your new
You'ive 'you probably . phone book yet.
—thought the printing was smaller
this time:
As it turns out, the print is
approximately 20 per cent smaller
-than in previous years. District
general Manager Jim Scott said
i that where the old-directories had
ten names, the new version
carries 11 or 12.•
• This is' the first 'year that Bell
. Canada has used photo
composition in printing its
directories on"' a large scale, Mr.
leen explained.
"The change was for strictly
Lon fiaancMI-- reasons," Mr. Scott
said: "I haven't seen the fi gures
with N. OvverrSeund yet, hut for the
Cl u b, Stratford directory the saving was
p.m ., about 17 per cent." •
Photo composition represents
one of the most recent trends in
commercial printing.. It is
generally faster than older
illethtids, and produces a clearer
typeface. However, it is cheaper,
only for large orders, which Bell
would certainly qualify for:—
(Continued from Page 1)
giate Institute is missing $2,080
in, bores and Seaforth District
High School is missing' $1,408
worth.
F.E. Madill Secondary was
used as an example by Mrs. Zinn
on pointing out to the board that
at the current rate of losS no new
books can be put in -the libraries.
She said the Wingham• school
suffered $5,482 in lost books and
according to the school's pupil
enrolment for 1977.78 the school
will receive $5,100 for new library
books.
"Some students are under the
impression that the board has lots
.of money so what's the
difference, but actually it is the
taxpayer of this county who is
being robbed," she said.
The vice chairman, spoke both
as a trustee and as a member of
the budget committee of the
board. She urged parents to look
-through, their houses to see if
there are any books around that
are marked as property of tie
board..
Shei said parents of students
thetwere, enrolled in the system
,up to eight years ago. should join
the search and if any books are
turned up the parents are asked
to leavd the books in a bag at the
nearest .school bus depot to be_
picked up and returned to the
, school et return them themselves.
She added that no fine would be
Wiled for any book returned and
no questions would be asked.
She offered- an alternative to
the board to prevent the loSses.
She said that the board may have
to install electric scanners in the
libraries to ensure librarians
know who is leaving with a book,'
She said the scanners cost from
$6,000 to $8,000 each, which in
the long run would save money at
present loss rates bet would not
be needed if parents and students
would co-operate with the board.'
At P-UC _convention
Gordon Pullman and Mayor-E.
Ca rdno of Seaforth P.U.C. were
among over , 1,400 delegates
representing electric utility
commissions from across the
province at the annual meeting of
the Ontario Municipal Electric
Association (0.M.E.A.)
The Association is the
spokesman for more than 340
municipal utilities throughout
Ontario, commissioners and
councillors of which 'were elected
to operate a specialized municipal
service. More than two million
residential, • commercial and
industrial customers are served
by municipal distribution
systems, which consume two-
thirds of the electric power in
Ontario.
Invited
• - ^
A meeting of those who are
interested in starting a nursery •
school for preschoolers in
Seaforth will be held upstairs at
the Town Hall, Thursday, March
10 at 8 p.m. Karen McEwing,
Early Childhood Educaticn
graduate and supervisor of the
Vanastra Day Care Centre, wilt be
the guest speaker.
, Skating Performance,
Baier and Lloyd Eisler Jr.
Seaforth Figure Skating
Friday, March 11, 8
Seaforth arena.
• - Family Care° Workers of
Huron will hold their March 17th,
meeting at 8 o'clock at Board
Rooms in Clinton Hospital Arith
a guest speaker. Old and Nev.
members invited.
the Urine Expositor. When we
heard about this slander we wrote
' Charlie (who is one and the same
with. Don Enron. of. Toronto),
telling him that we'd give him
some real culture to cover, if he'd
come to Seaforth, and represent us
-at the Town's Centennial
celebrations in July, 1975.
Charlie accepted our invitation
to cover what was described as
the biggest cultural -event_ in
-Seaforth • since "the Main. St.
sewers were opened in 1954. His
speech at Seaforth's centennial
Charlie delighted the audience
with bitS of culture that he'd
picked up on Seafork's crowded
streets, we presented him with an
original Huron ExpOsitor cultural
reporter T shirt, with scenie
Silver Creek 'emblazoned across
its front.
We had an interesting hour
with Don Herron after Charlie's
performance that night, but his
cultural reports to us have been
slim, mighty slim, since then.
Once, in .avvhile though, we get
The people who settled the
Huron ract•-•knew all about
making hand dipped candles. The
candles they made themselves
were the major source of light •in
their bare, early housei.
But hand dipping -candles has
become 'a lost art to most,modern
Huron County residents.
Bob Tetu and Addy McPhee at
the Beechwood Pottery, north
east of Seaforth; are the
exception. They've been making
hand dipped candles in muted
natural "C-Olours for Several ears-
and this weekend, they're willing •
The ph one company might
save m ore money if it left out
some of those nice, bright
telephone ads; people have
suggested. They are the easiest-.
to-read entries in the directory.
Mr. Scott said the telephone
ads were the only thing, he. had,
received a tittniber'of 'complaints
about. -
"However, if enough people
invest in the luxury phones, it can
hell!) keep the basic monthly rate
dod'n for other users," .he'
explained.
- No complaints about the Owen
Sound directory had been
received at Strhtford office,
Mr. Scott said.
"I was expecting to get a few,
he said, "if for no other reason
than that a change was, in fact,
made." •
The smaller type face was tried
out in 'Ottawa and Toronto, Mr
Scott said. Few complaints were
received from' either centre, .
Remember! It takes but a
moment to• place_ an Expositor
Want Ad. Dial 527-0240.
an inkling that Charlie's still with-
us - and when we do it's as
warming as downtown Seaforth
noon in mid-July,
We learned that Charlie is still
stringing for us, from a reader
who attepded a camping show in
Toronto a year or so ago and got
to chatting with Charlie, When he
heard she, was from Seaforth, he
pulled off his old sweater and
then his shirt and underneath"
was, yes dear, readers, his
Expositor Cultural reporter T
shirt. Charlie passed on his best
to share their experience with
anyone who's interested.
The potters are inviting nyone
in the community, to come to the
Pottery, .two and a quarter miles
" north of St. Columban this
Saturday or Sunday, March 12
and 13, between noon and 6 p.m.
(133;'Peggy Boo,se)
After a few blown fuses, slow
boiling kettles and mild confu-
sion, coffee was ready, children
Were busy vend Seaforth's first
Morning Out ' program was
underway, Tuesday morning.
Interior Decorating was the
topic and many interesting facts
were presented by Bob Plumb-
steel, new owner of Whitney's
Furniture Store., The most
important thing to remember is to
decide the theme or idea of what
you want your room to look like
before- you go to your decorator
for his assistance,
Using pictures and a color
wheel, Bob demonstrated several
color schemes, furniture and
picture arrangements.
It would be safe to say several
-people went home and began to •'
think about rearranging furniture..
andre-evaluating their color
schemes.'. -
Morning Out thanks Bob
Plumbsteel for his interesting talk
and hopes to have him back
again.
One lucky lady went home with
a plant donated. by MacLean
Flowers of Seaforth..
Twenty-five women, represent-
Book loss totals $20,000
Phone book• print 'smaller
to take pa,rt,in an informal candle
making workshop. Old molds and
old methods will be used. •
There's no charge for the
candle Making experience but
donations to -the Van Egrnond
House restoration project will be,
accepted,
• ing a cross-section Of ages,.
attended 'this first session and'
babysitting . was proVidaf - for 25
children. A great big thank-you to
the ladies who volunteered their
time to the children. A permanent
babysitter is .still needed for this
part'of the 'program and if anyone
is interested, please call Peggy
Boose at 527'4534 or Mary. Carroll
at 5274860. -
Good used toys or 'volts you
would like to donate would be
happily received.
A nursery school meeting will
be held Thursday, evening at 8
p.m., upstairs in the Hall,-
for parents interested in
organizing a Nursery School in
Seaforth.
As with any organization, only
you can make this work. Please
come out and join us for an
' interesting Morning Out - at 9:30
a.m• at the Town Hall. ,
. March 15 Exeter Travel
Centre "Travelogue opn Sunny
South24
March 29 • Brenda Reid,
"Crafts - Easter Eggs."
April 5 - Lorraine Devereaux,
"Nutrition."
April 12 - Beechwood Pottery.
"Demonstration." '
See you there!,
Morning Out
big success
The Exeter experience
Censorship, pornography -the debate g
(Editor's note: Censorship,
pornography, obscenity are all
terms that are being thrown
around in criticism and in defense
of -what children and adults are
expos ed to in our schools, in
magazines and in movies and qn
TV. A recent controversy in
Exeter resulted in a restricted
film, One Flew Over the Cookon"s
Nest, being seized by the police
when it was Slit:min at the high
school there. Last week a group of
Exeter parents called a meeting
to debate the use of some books
""eel the 'high school curriculum.
Exeter Tirnes.rAdvocate editor Bill
Batted sat in It a reporter and the
resulting story is a good discus-
skin of the entire issue.) .
(From the Exeter Times. Advocate)
A meeting called Tuesday night
by a grotip of- parents to ,debate
the use of some text books
presently on the high school
curriculum-, basically ended up in
the form of a debate between a
group of parents and several
teachers from South Huron
District High School.
Most 'members of the school's
English department were on
-hand, along with some senior
,students, to defend the use of
boat which some parents in the.
audience of 55 termed objection-
able,
ken Heyvvotid -acted as
'chairman for the progr ant, saying
that some • patents were
eOntertied abotit the literature at
, the high School and ' also -were
•
concerned about.preventing types
of literature found in other high
schools from reaching -SHDHS. •
Concern
He indicated i• concern as well
over the use of foul--language in
the hallways and quoted Bishop
E. Carter's concern ' about sex
education being taught in schools
without any-consideration for the 4 • (nee which should accompany it,
"Community standards have to
be set by' ourselvei 'as, concerned
parents," he said, Adding that
changes can ht Made if enough
people talk out about the present
standards.
One of the first quettions asked
Was how books were chosen for
the high school English course.
- Department head Sherwood
Eddy responded by saying that
the books .were chosen after
consideration by members of the
staff and often on the tecommen:
dation Of other teachers. They
were then. approved at the teacher
and board level.
He indicated teachers had to
consider what sort of things
students have to confront in
today's society and pointed Out
,that sortie,of the "fantasy", books-
and classics used in the past
didn't prepare students whom he
said were young adults and not
children for handling 'human
relationships.
Iteailstic
Eddy said that while some of
the modern boold run into
serisative areas and use "realis-
tic" language, there was a control
factor in the form of the teacher.
'tit growth (hithe student) is 'to
occur, the questioning process
must exist," he said, adding that
the school system would be
irresponsible if it did not
'challenge students on all
domains.
He said the situation boils
down to one of trust.
Mayor Bruce Shaw, former
head of the English department
and now principal at Seaforth
high school, said the job as head
.ef, the English department is one
Of the most difficult: Re indicated-
a lengthy process was involved in
Selecting books for use, in the
classroom.
He..saidone of the basic criteria
was to determine .if the book
speaks to the student.
He pointed out that eyen the
works of Shakespeare were
clouded-in the type of language
which some objected to in made*,
literature.
In reply to a question of
whether the language used in .
some books has contributed to the
-language of the hallways, teacher
Ozzie Zivkovic said there was• no
relationship. "Common-language
doesn't come freni-the-hooks, it
comes.from the home." .
' He said the female segnient of
the school pdpulation used
profanity to a greater degree than
the boys and said that the school
is a replica of-the-society-where it -
is located.
Swearing
' "If swearing it ordinary, don't
expect them not to' swear at
school," he advised, adding that
there was.little the school could
do to control the language used
by students in the hank or
classrooms.
It was also pointed out that
distipline is not a problem where
students have respect for . their
' parents.
He Suggested if parents
wanted the school ,to do anything
about the foul language, they
would have to take their case to
the board, and administrators.
Another teacher, Colin Lownes
termed foul language in the
hallways a "non-issue". "I don't
hear students swear very often,"
he commented. •
He said in any.group of 1,000 it
was natural to get some who
swear and said that couldn't be
changed to-confront students in a
classroom situation in a nurturing
atmosphere.
"We are professionals," he
said', "and we're not out to
corrupt students." •
DIsgustlitg
As expected, Catcher in the
Rye, was mentioned as one-of the
books-questioned by parenIS, and
while one :teacher termed it a
classic in Modern literature, one
parent replied it was poor
English, disgusting and, every-
thing in it was degrading.
"We-live in'a sick society and
have to Worry abotit something
besides ditty words'," commented
teacher Bill Johnson.
However, a parent 'answered
thatstudents' emotions were only
stetting to develop arid urged that
they be given something more
morally-uplifting.
You 're asking far"tbo niteli of
Our children.'; she stated, , 0
Rev. Bruce Pierce, Crediton,
said he agreed that part of the
.teachers' job was to help children
cope with life, but suggested that
if teachers were going to discuss
moral issues with students some
teachers should be retrained
themselves.
.. Moral Standards
Pierce said .that if teachers
were going to teach about moral
standards, the parents• should
expect those teachers' to have
proper standards thenuelves.
Teacher Clay Murray said
teachers were not trained to teach
only positive or good examples,
hut similar to Socrates, were,
trained- to present the contrasts.
He explained that Jesus also
taught by the' use' of contrasts.
While' sonic negative qualities
are contained in literature,
Murray said they were contrasted
with many positives. •
"Why do thf messages have to •
be wrapped up in such filth?" one
parent asked.
Teacher Al DeHaan said the
function of a teacher is to nurture
and guide and suggested they
should not indulge in teaching '
values, but stick to 'dispensing
z facts,
Parents' Joh
He said the primary job of
,teaching children is that of the
parents, and indicated if parents'
groups can cooperate with the
school it' would b,e beneficial, but
said it May be better to go even
one step ' further and • work
towards an edticational system
whereby grants follow the child.
His referenee was tb -the
establishment of parental schools
such as those operated by the
Christian Reformed Church in
Clinton.
Rill Johnson re-entered the
discussion to point out to the
parents that the Bible also
contains references to incest,
masturbation, etc., as do some of
the books that were considered
undesirable by the parents.
Don Jolly replied that modern
books-glamorize evil, while the
Bible teaches what happens to
`those who practice evil.
Margaret McClure opined that
the-school could choose bOoks
where points are Made very real
fof students but without the use
of dirty words:
Media Influence
Teacher Bruce Eccles
suggested -people- may 'be
deceiving themselves in sagges,
ting the school system has such a
great influenCe on students. He
said the media has more influence'
than education,
shown
ationon , and Ithy e_utZcIns
andscenes
t
"an entirely new ball game" over,
which people-are concerned.
He said that In watching
SHDHS students hoard buses for,
honte,- about three-quarters of
them didn't have any books with
them.
Shaw warned parents
against sheltering children from
the temptations and demands of
the In restricting,what they
read,. see and hear, he said'
parents were trying to keep them
as innocent babes in a world of
deciadenee and corruption, and
secendly, were havitig„ "serious,
doubts in ourselves as parents
and friends who- have' had these
innocents under our care for
almost 16 years."
He went on to say that as a
parent he absolutely rejected the
possibility that he could be a
failure as a father. If his children ,
failed the tests life presents them
"they do so knowing the
difference between right and ,
wrong."
•
es on
that maturity was-the' ability to'
deal with those forces and the
function of the school and English
classes is to help the student
_ know what those influences might
be and how those characters in
great-and contemporary fiction
have dealt with them.
Read Them
"Examine . the books being
taught, read them, discuss them,
' offer opinions,. but do not throw
them to the fire on hearsay
evidence , and isolated,
meaningless phrases quoted from
them," he conchicied;
Exeter Public School principal
Jim Chapman, who said he had
,two teenagers at the high school,
urged parents not to sell the
students or the system short.
"Use 'the home atmosphere to
teach• them values," he'
suggested, after, pointing out that
today's students are much' more
capable to 'discuss, converse and
debate than he ever could with his
parents.
Shetivood Eddy suggested that
the students were "Ready" for
the books being usedin ifielahool
and it would be wrong "to back
off and play nice, safe games".
He said his major responsibility
was to answer the needs of the
students and, urged parents not to
prevent them from attaining that
goal. If you &I, he said, it will be
to the det rittent of the. students.
Pointing to Several students in
attendance at the„ meeting, he
said they had read the, books
being questioned "and tone of
them are perVerts or
delinquents".
• ••_. • _•••• Reject Life
As a teacher of English, I see
too often 'concerned citizens'
attempting to project their
morality, their standards of right
and wrong• on the community,"
the_Maybr continued. "They take
quotations out of context and damn
a book; they see nudity and
condemn art; they hear profanity -•
and reject life." •
He said every book • must be
valued for its literary merit or
discarded for' its worthlessness.
"Just as we do not necessarily
condemn an individual solely
because he swears, I find it
difficult to imagine that anyone
would-burn a book sof** because
drits occasional use of `toldrfuls
vocabida'ry."
In evaluating hooks,. ShaW said
two Emotions had tb, be
answered: (1) should schools lead:
or reflect society? (2) do we have
enough faith and confidence In
our English teachers to let them
teach intelligently books that,
although perhaps controversial,
are of:literary worth?
Pointing out the cduntless
-pressures at work;' he suggested