The Huron Expositor, 1978-07-20, Page 3Amen
• by Karl Schuessler.
Not a native yet
' When you move to the country and stay in
one' place almost ten years, you'd think you'd
earn a little native status.
But ten years? What's ten years? say the.
old fimers. According to their reckoning, I've
only Sent up a few shoots•in Perth County soil..,
It's going to take at least another fifty years
for my roots to amount to 'anything.
I should liye so long.
Word around here has it you have to be
born in these parts. Better still, your parents..
and grandparents. It's those kinds of roots
that put you in the local status.
Bu,t 1. think there's something else that
. separates the locals from the newcomers. YOu
can spot itright off. The natives know how to
say things right...Pronounce words right. They
know how to talk. And all 'of us newcomers'
hang out our tongues and wish We. could talk
like that.
But we can't. We haven't been made here. .
Raised here. We hadn't been initiated by
birth into the strange and mysterious ways of
pronouncing certain words.
thought I had it made when I moved from
Mississlauga into this German Lutheran'
district with its capital in the village .of
Brodhagen. Those German words weren't
going to phase meone bit. I had at least four
years of German in school and better yet, I
carried in my own name weightier credentials.
1 had a last name that stood up to anyone's in
Btodhagen. And if any one still had any
doubts, I• spelled my first name with a "K".
You couldn't get any more native than that.
But all my book learned`German did the no
good. it held me back. 1 still couldn't say the
words right. Take the name Beuerman. Now. '
anyone who's taken only one lesson in '
German knows that "en" is pronounced "oi".
So I plunged right in saying the name like
"Boierthan". Wrong., The natives say "Bi-er-
man"
Scherbarth I thought was a snap. I took to
the word right. away. I 'knew "Scher" meant
"to cut" and "Bart" was a •beard. A beard
cutter. A barber. And how do you say it?
Easy. "Scher" is "Share" and then "barth". -
To be real German about it, drop the last "h"
and say "bart".
Wrong. The natives sound it something
like "Sherbert".
Wieterson seemed simple enough. Just
Pronounce everything you see and change the
"W" to -a "v" "Vee-ter-sen." And how do
ithe natives say it? "Widderson".
And Faust. Now, anyone' knows that name
from Goethe . That. German dramatist ..wrote
about his man Faust who sold his soul -to the
devil. And Faust is pronouened Faust. Easy. -
The "au"'s in German come out "ow"s. But
the locals don't do anything like that at all..
Anyone in the know says "Foss". . •
It's just not the German words. A native
says the little town of Sebringville is
Sevingville. Bornholm is' Bor-nam. and
Ethel--that little village in McKillop township
isn't said like the girl's name at all. It's E-thel.
Long e.
That's lethal. For it cuts me off from any
claim to native stock.
But I'm learning. After ten years I have
enough sense to take new words easy. I don't
jump in any more 'with my high German in
high gear.
I wait,, I let the natives have a go at the word
first. They know how to get it right. Perth
COunty way. Hillebrecht is Hillbright. Buuck
is Book. Rock is Stone.
I've learned how a word is spelled and how
it's prOnouced is purely coincidental.
The ears have it. Not the eyes.
Knowing that, Im on the long glow road to
becoming a local.
Sugar and Spice
by 'Bill Smiley
By the time -this appears in print. I'll
probably be flogging around Europe. irritable,
exhausted and disgruntled. muttering. "What
am I doing here, bucketing around on a bus,
.gawking at cathedralS, and listening to the
yammering of a horde of people of whose
language I know eight words on a good day?"
And I'll goon. I know it. "What am I doing
blowing half of my life's' savings junketing
around with a Minch of other middle-aged
has-beens, when I could be back home right
now, playing golf with a bunch of.,middle-aged
has-beens?
"I must be out of my mind, paying $24.00
for two hamburgs and a bottle of wine,, when I
could be out at Foster's picking my own
strawberries and going borne to a great
chicken dinner that costs about $2.00. with
tiny new boiled potatoes, green onions, new
carrots and fresh green beans.
"I could be sitting in my own back yard
right now, looking at the Lear-like oaks,
sniffing my neighbours' flowers,
contemplating a late-afternoon swim, and
sucking occasionally on a cold ale, instead of
sitting in this ruddy bus, looking at the other
turkeys whoa took this trip, inhaling the fumes
of gasoline, contemplating the folly of trips to
Europe, and, knowing I'm going to pay $1.25
for a Coke at our next stop. if we ever stop.
"We didn't go anywhere near Lille. so I
couldn't look up Andree, but she probably a
fat old lady now, with a moustache. She was
, tending in that direction back then. And we
didn't even go near Antwerp, so I missed
seeing Tita. I w ider if she thought .11'd stood
her up that n; Friday the 13th of October,
when I didn't show up? She'd have no way of
'knowing I'd been shot down that afternoon.
Nice kid, and she said her old man had lots of
money.
"I wonder, if young Wilson, next door, is
keeping the lawn cut. Thank the Lord we had
no catto be fed this time. I wonder if Kim got
a job. I wonder how The Boys are.
"That was some du yie stayed in last night.
The mattress was so lumpy I hid to sleep on
the floor, and the Old Lady didn't get a wink,
She was so excited at those young Italianc
whistling at her and pinching her bum. She
made me take pictures of the bruises, to show
the girls back home.
"It wasn't as bad, though, as the night we
Crossed the North Sea to Holland in that
converted barge they called a cruise ship.
They were the only ones who weren't tossing
their tripes with every roll.
"The Old Girl's been pretty decent though.
She hasn't said more than• four. times a. day,
"My God, I'll be glad when this isnver." And
she insisted Pm not the most miserable man
on the trip. She says I'm about one jump
ahead of that mean old sod from Cleveland.
"About the only time she gets snarkey is
when I try'my trilingualism out. I say to some
young German blonde, 'Vie Ill uhr ist es,
bitte?' The blonde laughs heartily, even
I though I've only ,asked focthe'time of day,
oflny accent, but my wife thinks I've
cracked, a dirty joke or something.
"Thank goodness we have our tickets home
paid for. I'm going to seek out and kiss
Trudeau on both checks when I get home.
even if it makes me throw up. Canadian
inflation'-is peariuts-compared to what they
have over here. Buck and. a half for a' cup of
coffee. Sold my watch in Vienna after they
gave me my bill 'tit' the bier garten. Sold my
other pair of shoes this morning to an' Italian
entrepreneur after I'd taken a taxi ride to a
fountain to throw sonic coins in it. Next item
to go on the block is my wife' stravelling-iron.
It weighed three pounds when'we started out:
and now weights fourteen.
"That tout' guide is a dandy. He'll be a
Millionaire when he's thirty. In every city, he
recommend a restaprant run by a cousin. at
which the prices are way belO7w average and
the food way above. Whereas the reverse is
true. They all serve the same Something -
stew -and want an arm and a leg.
"What am I doing here, on my way to
another scabrous cathedral when I could be
home out bass fishing with Dalt Hudson or on
the Bruce Peninsula fishing speckled trout or
wandering through the trees on the 'back nine
of the golf course?
"Or just sleeping in, if I felt like it. instead
of having to hurtle out of the sack at six to join
that sickeningly cheerful tour group at seven
and climb. on that bloody bus to charge
another 800 miles down sortie foreign road?
"Never again, boy. never again. Next time I
Want to visit the sights and sounds of Europe.
not to mention the smells fAh. Venice!].
read a good travel book.
"Who talked me into this, anyway? Let's
see. It wasn't my wife, who has every,
minute of it. Now I remember. It was Frank
--Powell, a colleague, who did the 'same trip
When the Canadian dollar" was way up kid
English pound was way down. I can hardly
wait to get back. I'm going to princh that
Powell right on the now "
•
ontetiiing
by Susan _White•
t)o y c
THE HURON EXPOSITOR • OuLy 20 1070
1
iss:Hmowitig, lawn?
c
LIFE MEMBERSHIPS AWARDED — Mrs. Georgina Thiel, president of. Perth
South District WoMen's institute; 'pins a life membership pin of Mrs. Roberta
Templeman as Mrs. Doris•Millerlooks on. Mrs. Templeman and Mrs. Miller were
both presented with life memberships by the Sfaffa W.I. during their 75th birthday
celebrations. (Expositor Photo)
The eiglopie,at our place these
days, just like at your plae'e, is the
lack of rain. I was home last
Thursday and all day I postponed
outdoor things that I should have
done because it honestly Wired
like a downpour was coming any
,minute.
. Of course• it didn't and Pm
about ready to schedule a rain
dance party for Saturday night.
Kind of a novel get together
theme, don't you think?
While all around us Huron and
Perth County farmers face the
possible loss of a good part of
their livelihoods if it doesn't rain
fast, at our place in McKillop the
concern with lack of rain is. a,little
more mundane.
No rain in. serveral 'weeks
means that the better half can't
cut the lawn,
Now that wouldn't.bother most
people a bit. In fact they'pl be glad
to be relieVed of that once or twice
Obituary
MRS.A.L. POWELL
Augusta Louisa Powell of
Seaforth died Monday at Huron-
view, Clinton, where she had
been a resident for over a year.
Born in Perth, Scotland she was
a Nurse's Aid. She came to live in
Seaforth about 20 years ago.
She was predeaced by her
husband William Powell.
Surving• are three daughters,
Mrs. Kenneth (Mary) Doig of
Seaforth: Lillian Powell of
Toronto and Doreen Powell of
Florida; two brothers, Hector
Forbes of Derby, England, and
Archibald Forbes, of Edinburgh,
Scotland; 11 grandchildren and
one great grandchild.
A family Memorial service was
held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the
Whitney-Ribey funeral home'with
Rev. Robert Roberts officiating.
The body has been donated to
Medical Science, University of
Western Ontario.
As expressions of sympathy,
donations may be made to the
Canadian National Institute for
the Blind.
Every week more and more
people discover what mighty jobs
are _accomplished by if:KV cost
Huton Expositor Want Ads. Dial
527-0240.
Correction
a week chore and put the bloody
lawn enhold which is just what's
been happening during our
several week' drought,
"I can't even remember the
hist tirnei cut it", he moaned the
other night as we looked over the
increasingly brown and shrivelled
back yard. ("You can sure tell
where people have their, septic
tanks, '" he chortled when we
were out for a drive another day,'
septic tanks being his bread and
butter, so to speak).
I've suspected for some years
now that Andy actually likes his
lawn mowing stint. The reply
that's supposed to cut, off all
further -discussion when I ask him
to do something in the house was
always "I have to cut the lawn".
. Nowlthat , the .. drought has
eliminated that excuse . . .ah,
reason, he's taken to bringing
home flowers that have to be
planted, lawn ornaments that
Mr. McLachlan pointed out
there were three times when the
assessment could have been
appealed--in the fall when the
notice was mailed put, then if not
satisfied' with the result of-that
hearing an appeal could be made
to the county judge, and then, an
appear to the Ontario Municipal
Board.
Mr. Russo asked, "Is there no
way you can pass, a by-law to get
these properfies cleaned up?" He
named several properties that are
an eyesore.
Reeve Sillery said, "When you
came o Vanastra you knew what it
was like."
He added, "We have a whole
rural area to think of."
Discouraging
Mr. Russo replied, "Your
industries should come first if you
hope to encourage .more Indust-
ries to move into Vanastra.• You
actually are' discouraging people
from going there."
"In all my time I've never seen
a community as bad as Vanastra.
I think it's up to you to clean it
up," he stated.
Clerk McLachlan said council is
working on it' and that one
property should be cleaned up by
the end of this week,
Reeve Sillery asked Russo if he
thotight a • senior government
might be able to help,
Mr. RUsso Said, "If you need a
government grant to `clean up this
area I'm sure you can get it for a
pdverty area."
The reeve asked if he had any
comments on the housing area,
and Mr. Russo replied that the
majority of residents are starting
to clean up their properties. He
have to be installed, fertilizer that
has to be spread, anything, just
anything that'll keep him outside
(and' by extension, , me inside),
With Our uncertain Well we
can't water the vegetable garden
where , even the weeds have
stopped growing let alone the
lawn.
Pretty soon I'm afraid he's
going to take to visiting the
neighbours on,his 'riding lawn-
mower . . . he misses•being on it
so much. The baby used to ride in
her back pack on his „pack while
he mowed occasionally and
doubtless she misses her weekly
shaking up too. -
T can't resist telling you that
she's a sight for sore eyes as' she
•rides around on dad's back,
peering over this side and that,
boosting herself as high as she
can to look closely at whatever
he's doing. She wears a seat belt
and it won't slip over her
said only some cause all the
problems putting up shacks.
Pressure on
Council agreed to put pressure
Man
charged
A young man from the Clinton,
area will appear in provincial'court
in Goderich on Monday, charged
with assault, bodily harm and
theft, after an incident at the
Commercial Hotel list Monday
night..,,
Chief John Cairns said two
young men entered the Com-
mereial Hotel about 11 p.m. last
Monday and, had a few beers
while playing pool.
One of the young men started
to fool around the pool table and
verballjr. abused Rene Dupuis,
owner of the- Commercial Hotel,
Mr. Dupuis then asked the
young men to leave the. hotel,
The one man refused and
started a fight with Mr. Dupuis.
The owner of the hotel
sustained-head injuries-and pos-
sibly a broken nose during the
fracas. Also, during the struggle,
about $14 in bills fell from. Mr.
Dupuis' breastpocket.
When the owner picked himself
up from the.fight,.the young men
had fled and his money was
missing.
After an intensive inquiry
conducted by Seaforth police, a
Vanastra man was charged with
assault, bodily harm and theft.
takes 36 minutes to see through
it.
The board members hope all
the Grade 7 and 8 students in its
19 schools will visit the train as a
"field trip", as their history and
geography courses coincide more
dosely with the theme of „the
train.
Transportation will be provided
by baord owned buses where
possible, with costs paid out of
"field trip funds by each school".
If these have already been spent,
the board will vote on a motion
tabled at the meeting, to be
brought forth at the next meeting,
August 21, on whether to pay the
full transportation costs
extimated to be about $600 total
for all the schools:
A letter from Chris Hill of
R.R.3, Mitchell, asking for ac-
commodation for a special school
in the Stratford area that 17
parents are interested in
forming, will be answered by a
letter outling board policy. The
school Will be a non-
denomination \al private
elementary school run under
Ministry of Education guidelines,
Mr. Hill said in his letter.
Trustee David Teahen,
*afford, pointed Out "We are a
denominational system supported
by Catholic ratepayers."
Mr. Eckert said that while
some non-Catholic students do
(Continued from Page 1)
He said "if we have a fire, we'll
need the water."
Mr. Phillips said the one period
when the pressure in the system
drops is at night when many
people are watering lawns and
gardens.
He said if any of the pumps
went, then this could create
problems.
Also, if the dry weal her
shoulders.
So anxious is my better •half to
get back to mowing the lawn that
I'm beginning to think there's
something in it. Once it rains, if it
rains, do yott think. I'd .be.'
escalating the battle between the
sexes if I answered his "What's
for dinner?".qu'erhwith,don't
know. I've got to cut the lawn.''?.
********
I had a birthday recently And.
I've now joined that generation
*that you can't trust NC ybodY over
the age of (or so the expression
went in my flower-power 'youth).
I'm not worried about my
advancing age though and not
just because I haven't had much
time to think about it.
No, it's because I have before
me shinging prod 'that, age in
years and lack of energy, spunk,
humour and adaptibility don't
neceParnv an 4-,,,otber, The
on owners to clean up, using its
by=law to force people to remove
hazardous rubble. _After due
notice council can clean up the
property and charge it oir the
owner's taxes if he does not
co-operate.
Absentee landlords and .owners
were blamed for some of the
unsightly properties.
Council decided to pay for the
new tractor lawn mower bought
Health Minister Dennis
Timbrell has approved plans for a
renovation piciject at Clinton'
Public Hospital.
Doug. Coventry, hospital
administrator, said the hospital
originally applied to , begin
renovations three years ago.
Plans call for upgrading older
sections of the hospital to meet
current fire safety standards.
Mr. Coventry said the
renovations will include instal-
lation of sprinkler system in the
older part , of the hospital;
,building a fire escape at one end
of the older section of the hospital
and installing 'new ceilings.
He said the renovations mean
part of the second floor of the
1947 addition and part of the first
floor will have to be closed for a
few weeks during construction.
The Ontario Ministry of Health
will pay two-thirds of the
approved cost of the project,
expected to be $150,000.
attend the board's schools they
are not excused' from religious
education.
Advanced
The Stratford and District
Association for Mentally ' Re-
tarded asked the board to accept
some advanced students from the
Atwood and the Portia Schools for
the mentally retarded in the
system's schools,
The board agreed to integrate
some students on an individual
basis on the recommendation of
Superintendent Joseph Mills if he
would advise it following his
investigation and evaluation of a
st lent.
Chairman Donald Crowley read
a letter from the principal of the
pious Blood School in Exeter
and one from the president of the
Parent Teacher Association com-
mending the board for the
renovations being made at the
school to improve facilities. The
PTA president said it was "a vote
of confidence to Catholic
education in Exeter."
With municipal elertiongTO be
held' early this year the baord
policy on the inaugural meeting
will be changed for it to be held
on the first Monday in December
rather than the first Monday in
January as in past years.
The next meeting of the board
will be held on August 21.
continues, there may have to be
some restrictons place on water
use in the town.
Egmondville residents are be-
ing asked to cut down on the
amount of water they use ' by
Tuckermsith Township Council by
not watering their lawns and
gardens.
The two wells which supply the
\villageJ are low at the present
time.
proof is in the form of a friend
who's younger at 91 than many I
know are at 31,
She gives everyone who knows
her optimism about their own old
age.faith in the future and bctf
in the.past. Life must be good, e'
think, to produce people with her
in. livin g.
We we're born an the same day
this lady -and I, sixty short years
apart. Last year when I was 30
she was three times my age. This
year, for some reason that my
non-mathematical mind cannot
figure out, I'm still 60 years
younger but at 91 she's no longer
three times as old.
She's a wonder. Many of our
older citizens are when we taite
tinge to' discover it. If I can be as
spry and interested in life as she
is,, even becoming 39" won't faze
me. ,
slum
for Vanastra Recreation--a new 14 .
horsepower Massey Harris
machine bought from Boyes Farth
Supply, R.R.4 Seifoith, for
$1,900 plus four per cent sales tax
and plus $700 for the old lawn
mower.' 1
To compensate the Recreation
CoMmittee fot its old lawn mower
, the township will provide 40
hours of free tractor use and after
that $5.00 per hour for use.
Mr. Co.ientry.said future plans
calf for the relocation of the
emergency and X-ray departments
at the hospital and the up-dating
of both departments. Plans for
this renovation . project haven't
yet been approved by the,
ministry.
Mr. Coventry said construction
at the hospital will likely start at
the end of August. -
Increase
explained
to PUC
By Wilma Oke
An Ontario Hydro official, ex-
plained the increase from 36 cents
to 42 cents per billing requested
by the commission from the town
for billing and collecting costs at
last Wednesday's PUC meeting.
William Townend, London,
municipal a , titint, Western
region, 0fario Hydro gave a
breakdown of the sewage charges
- for billing and ,collecting.
Mr. Townend said the data
used for the study was based on
Seaforth's PUC 1977 customer
statistics.
PUC manager Tom Phillips
said the new rates for the hydro
increase would be charged to
customers at the end of the
month. He said an advertisement
would outline-the rates the week
of July 27 and he hoped,,
customers would cut It out for
future informaion. -
Douglas McIntosh of Zurich
Insurance attended the meeting
to discuss•with tile. commission a
long term disability health plan
and an accidental and dis-
memberment clause.
Due to the length of the
discussion with Mr. McIntosh and
Mr. Townend it will be necessary
for another meeting of PUC to be
called at an undetermined date to
deal with other business on the
agenda.
Lions Carnival
(Continued from Page 1),_,
Tom Younk, Gord Beuttenmil-
ler and Orville Oke are in charge
ot the bar.
, The advertising campaign was
handled by Jerry Hetherington
and Jim Stewart.
Parking will be co-ordinated by
Jud Walker, Mel Brady, Dave
Hoover, and Jim Scott.
Ticket sales have been handled
by John Turnbull, Andy McLean,
Clair Campbell, Ross Scott and
Ab Whitney.
The penny sale was arranged
by Irwin Johnston, John Cardno,
Elmer Lucile and John Mode-
land.
The displays were co=ordinated
by Bill Taylor and Harold Turn-
bull and Lloyd Hoggarth was in
charge of organizing the staff for
the event.
Bob Plumsteel is the treasurer
of the carnival and Lions pre-
sident Gordon Rimmer is chair-
niand of the event. •
The penny sale draw will be
held on Sunday night.
By Wilma Oke
Vanastra waos called a slum
area by one of its own residents at
a Tuckersmith Township Council
meeting Tuesday. night.
Sam Russo, Vanastra, owner of
RunSal Enterprises which makes
horse trailers,. complained about
the taxes levied against the
factory. He thought the taxes
were too high "for where we,
ire."
"Vanastra has not too much to
offer," lie said, "We live in a
slum-area. We have a junkyard as
you enter Vanastra. Any other
area would have to put up' a
• fence. The way it is displayed now
is not right." •
Reeve Ervin Sillery asked' Mr.
Russo if he had appealed his
assessment. He said he had not
as he was in Quebec' When the
time came to do it. Mr. Russo said
he had his property and factory
valued at $57,000 by a London
valuator.
Clerk Jack McLachlan provided
Mr. Russq with the amounts of
his tax bills"When he said he had
left in a hurry to come to the._
meeting and had left them on his
desk. In 1976 his taxes were
$4,300, in 1977 they were $4,500
and this year $1,600.
Mr. Russo said he was satisfied
with the amount he is called on to
pay this year but 'Wondered why
the amounts were excessive in the
two previous years. "Whatever is
fair, that's what I'm interested
in," he said.
Reeve Sillery said, "There is
nothing we can do about those
years now. It's something you
overlopked on your part."
Mr. Russo agreed. "Yes, I
think it was neglect On my part."
Clare Westcott", in a letter tc
the.editor, published in the July E
issue of The Huron Expositor.
regarding the book debate in
- Huron County said. "Some feel
that the school is the place where
today's students • must be made
aware of our new found morality.
A new morality that somehow.
reminds me of the Old,
immorality,"
The letter published in the
Expositor' read, "A new morality
that son-MI.0w reminds me of the
old morality,"
The Expositor apologizes for
the error.
By Wilma Oke
The • Huron•Perth County
Roman Catholic Separate School
Board learned at its -meeting in
Dublin Monday night that all the
, teaching positions in the system
are filled for the coming term.
- William Eckert, Director of
Education, reported the following
additions to' staff, transfers or
re-assignments: Sherry Killby,
Stratford, to Kinkora; Ida Martin,
VVinghani; Gary Prince Transfer-
red to Wingham; Joe 'Blythe,
returning from leave to Dublin;
Mary Flannery re-assignment
(Special Education) and Jim
McDade re-assignment (Cur-
riculum); Ferne Wickenheiser,
Gadshill, Special Education;
Christine Kelly, Picton and
'London Speech Pathologist--
p. Education; JoAnne
Eckert; St. Mary's, half time--
Special Education in Stratford;
and Debbie Hobbs, Ottawa,
Special Education, hired for
one year to fill the vacancy of
Denise Culligan, who was
granted a leave-of-absence for the
_ 1978,79 school term.
The Board voted to Support
Stratford Council in bringing the
Discovery Train to Stratford,
September 4 to 9. The Discovery
Train, Mr. Eckert explained. is a
project of the federal govern-
ment.
He said the train, acquired
from the American Freedom
Train Foundation, will be a $3
million investment when com-
pleted and will travel across
Canada for the next five yeat's.
Stratford is its second stop.
Mobile Museum
Mr. Eckert handed out a news
release on the 15-car train which
reports it to be the world's largest
mobile museum designed by the
National Museums of, Canada as a
major travelling exhibition de-
picting the story of Canada. He
said the train can accommodate
1,000 visitors an, hour, and it
Objector to taxes calls Vanastra a
II .seporate.. school
tecicheit hired
Crops dry out
Clinton hospital to
be. renovated