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The Lucknow Sentinel, 1985-09-04, Page 6Page 6-1.nc'mow Sentinel, Wednesday, September 4, 1985 "The Sepoy ToWn" A - CCNA BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1985 VERIFICO CIRCULATION PAID Thomas.ThompsOn James Friel Pat Livingston Joan Helm ' Merie'Elitott -Advertising Manager Editor -General Manager -ompositor -TypeSetter Subscription rates in advan,ce: S1 6." Outside'Canada 645." is1 3." Outside Canada S43." Senior Citizen 'Second plass 'eg. no. 0847 ..--7. ' • • i , . . , Advertising.is accepted on the Condition that in the event of a typographicaterror ,hP portir,n of the advertising: . space occupied by the erroneous item together with a reasonable allo.Wance fr , ,ot be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid at the applicable rates. Offer selves for municipal elections Yet another election approaches: • With an Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership race behind us at the beginning of the year, a down to the wire provincial election over and prospect cif yet another Tory convention, it's/not hard to want to forget that Municipal' councillors and school board trustees have to be selected on November 11. As tired as many are of the whole political prOCess, we • still can't afford to let the municipal elections slide by without taking interest. It's at this point that solid deciSiolis should be made. on whether or not to offer oneself as a candidate for a municipal council or the school board. All too often municipal councils are chosen. by acclama- tion. Most councillors feellhat this is a sign that,those they represent are satisfied with the work they are doing: To a certain extent it is true. Buta casecan easily be made in that there is a. large amount of apathy toward the very municipality inwhich people live. • Municipal, governments are now facing some of. 'their greatest challenges. As fiscal conservatism swings back into vogue, the flooding rivers of grants loCal governments were receiving in the 1960s and 1970s are being dammed up and Only the councillors who work hard enought will divert some of that flow to their communities. • Funds for capital works have been frozen in many cases and stringent guidelines now being dictated by provincial ministries - those set out•by Ministry of the Environment for Lucknow's 4ewer system and another set of regidations, which have helped give Seaforth and district's Search for a .new landfill site a flavor of desperation; for example - have forced municipal governments to come up with new Ways to deal with financial responsibilities: School board trustees are also facing .a great challenge, the probable implementation of funding separate schools to 'Grade 13: Where to find the money and how to deal with possible redundances. as a result of, the legislation are just twOof_ qtteSticitiSio"be faced in the next term of office. • More citizens will have to face the fact that much of what senior levels of government formerly did will have to be • done right in aur own neighbourhoods by people from our • cominunity; merchants and their employees, • housewives, students, professionals and others are going to have to help fill the holes being created. •• Anyone who has ever thought of running for office should seriously look into procedures and requirements. And those who haven't thought about taking the time out for their community should start. - • Nominations end at 5 p.m. on October 21 - the pride in accomplishment will outweight the inevitable frustrations. . , • Ort the road a,gain... • When Anne Murdoch did not come up from the barn for breakfast at the usual • time, her stepfather went to find her. As he entered, the building, the lowing cows told him they had not been Milked. He searched throughout the barn including the hay loft • • but there was no sign of the .girl. Hamish was an extremely practical man, so instead of becoming unduly perturbed, he set about the. milking. It was not long before the barn door burst open and a red-faced, excited Katie Murdoch appeared. "Annie's gone!" she screamed at 'the top of her voice. "I know she's gone -she's • Jaken some of her clothes,. there's 'food //missin', and aye, ye best- suit- has gone anall! hat ragamuffin o' a stonemason must hae kidnapped her!" Hamish did not reply. He, didn't even - move his head from the belly of the cow he was milking. Secretly, he had known fora long time that something like this was bound to happen. . "What are ye goin' tae do man?" Katie yelled hnpatiently. ' Hamish rose from the milking stool. Instead of concern there was a look of amusement on his face. • "Do?" he asked with a chuckle. "When , I've finished mi work today, I shall take a walk up tae the general store - I'd better buy another suit tae wear tae church on Sunday!" The matter-of-fact manner of her husband infuriated Katie. She grasped him • roughly by the arm and yelled into his face. "Never Mind the coos,, Hamish Murd- och. Get on ye horse and awa down the ' sixth line as fast -as ye can - ask everybody ye meet 'if they've seen mi daughter!" • Hamish was normally a very quiet man and usually complied with his wife's • wishes for the sake of peace and quiet. On this occasion however, he had no intention of doing her bidding. "Ye daughter's of an age when she can gae and do as she pleases. 'Twas ye and ye . domineering ways which drove her awa frae Redtrees. I hae no intention o' trying tae find her." He pointed to a horse in the e- stable. "If ye sae keen on chasin' afterher - there's the horse - get on it and gae!" Katie wheeled around and stamped out of the barn. If her husband would not help her, surely there must be somebody in Redtrees who would. Almost instinctively she thought of MacCrimmon and without a moment's hesitation, she made her way to his ca'bin. With only one cow to milk Neil was not such an early riser as the Mindochs. He was still sitting at the breakfast table when Katie arrived. "My lass has been kidnapped by that young stonemason, Allan livingstone," she said, breathing heavily after her long walk. "Mi husband doesna realize the seriousness o' 'the situation, so I beg o' ye Mister MacCrimmon, tae see that,justice is done!" • MacCrimmon had little time or sym- • pathy for Katie Murdoch. In the past, she had been more concerned with her own trivial selfish needs than the overall well being of the community. "Ye daughter is of age, Mrs. Murdoch. There is no law 1 know of which warrants me setting out oh a wild goose,chaSe. Take my advice - gae home and look after ye husband. Maybe in time, ye'll find out what happened to ye daughter!" Thwarted, Katie Murdoch left the MacCrimmon place in a huff. But she had no intention of giving tip• so easily. There was one man who she knew for sure would listen to her, , and that was the Reverend • Duncan MacLeod. At'least he would recog- nize her daughter's sin by running away with a comparative stranger - if not legally, then most certainly morally! She found the minister alone in the church and in a lengthy disCaurse, related the circumstances surrounding Anne's • disappearance. MacLeod listened patiently (but without undue concerti. In any case, /1 there was little he could do. • "We must leave the matter in the hands of God, Mrs. Murdoch. He will watch over your daughter." • "But is there nothing we can do?" Katie asked, wringing her hands in despair. "Surely there must be something." "I shall pray," MacLeod said softly. "I shall pray." "What good will that do tae bring back rni daughter?" •• • •. "I was not thinking about your daughter Mrs. Mtidoth," MacLeod said sternly. "It • is you who needs our prayers!"