The Huron Expositor, 1998-04-22, Page 44 -THE MYRON EXPOSITOR, Apt 22, 19110
Your Community Newspaper Since 1860
GREGOR CAMPBELL
• Reporter
DIANNE McGRATH
• Subsviptions &
Classifieds
TERRI-LYNN DALE • General Manager
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PAT ARMES - Office Manager
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Wednesday, April 22, 1998
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Volunteers our greatest
natural resource
Imagine...volunteers in every community in the
country, from every walk of life -- tending to the
needs of the elderly or the sick, organizing com-
munity activities, helping in churches and social
services organizations, delivering Meals on
Wheels, or helping children in schools -- demon-
strating their commitment to volunteerism.
All year long, volunteers at diverse and numer-
ous organizations in communities across the
country put their hearts into their causes.
From April 19 to 25, communities across
Canada will be celebrating National Volunteer
Week 1998. This special week is set aside to rec-
ognize and show appreciation for the millions of
Canadians who donate their time, energy and tal-
ents to their communities.
Numerous Canadians are rolling up their
sleeves and getting down to work to fight for a
cause they believe in, help a neighbour in need,
or support the efforts of young people. In fact,
even the busiest people are setting time aside
from their families, work, or school to do their part
in their community More than one-quarter of all
working age Canadians volunteer.
Volunteers open doors. to a better world -
socially and economically.
Volunteers should be recognized for their con-
tibution not only to communities, but also the
Canadian economy as a whole. Every year, some.
six million volunteers contribute one billion hours
of service to provide society with $13 billion of
unpaid service. These volunteer hours translate
into 615,000 years, equivalent to the number of
full-time paid workers in. Saskatchewan and New
Brunswick combined.
Seaforth and its surrounding communities are
not without their own great volunteer force. This
week, during National Volunteer Week, show
your thanks to these dedicated volunteers -
because they are truly, our greatest resource! -
Taken from Volunteer Huron.
Great attachment felt by columnist for dogs
As a kid I kept cats, banty
hens, rabbits, the odd turtle
and even snakes...but there
was never a feeling of attach-
ment to them as there was to
my dog. I had three dogs
from when I was born until I
left Seaforth in 1950. Two
fox terriers and a spaniel of
sorts
My first was Rex, and I was
probably closest to him. He
was at my side from when I
could first walk until I started
high school. Tiny was next
and for a few months we had
both until Rex died.
We lived near the high
school and I remember Tiny
waiting for me when school
got out at noon and at four
o'clock. It was as if he could
tell the time. I'm afraid as a
small boy I took Rex for
granted. I believed it was his
duty to be at the school and
to walk home at noon and
after four. His knowledge of
time and the geography of the
town was uncanny-- for the
public school was about the
centre of town and our house
was six long winding blocks
away.
I was less attached to
Laddie for by this time I went
to work every day and my
two sisters and I were no
longer kids. He became
attached to my dad and went
with him to the jewellery
store every day. He roamed
the main street and the alleys
until dad closed the store to
go home for supper.
There is an odd chemistry
that binds a person and a dog,
for each gets to know the
other's thoughts and feelings.
It builds into respect and
affection...and often great
love.
Although it is 60 years past
I can still see Rex, after I
slapped him for something
cautiously come to me with
his tail down and rub up
against my leg. The sad
expression on his face as he
looks up is as strong as words
could ever be. He looks right
at me and I truly know he
wants me to know he's sorry
he did something to make me
cross. And he forgives me for
giving him a slap. The kind
of feelings that we both share
as I pick him up and hug him
is as dear to both of us as it is
to young lovers who make up
after a spat.
Sadly, those who have
never had a dog, as a child or
as an adult, and have not
experienced these feelings,
have missed something truly
great.
But this is really a story
about my friend Ken and his
dog. In 1987 I received a call
from him to my office at the •
Metro Toronto Police
Commission. The previous
day I had announced that I
would be giving a citation for
bravery that is normally .
awarded to civilians, to a
dog. The call was to tell me
how pleased he was that
Metro Police would do such
a thing - and to congratulate
me for coming up with the
idea. '
"George" was a bashful
looking mongrel who chased
a robber and held him by the
Guest Column
by Clare Westcott
sleeve until the police
arrived. He looked like his
parentage could have been
part Iabrador...and whatever...
with the fearless tenacity of a
bullmastiff.
The robber had broken into
the home of a young
Portugese immigrant couple
and their three children and
until George went after the
intruder they feared for their
lives.
The day of the presentation
at the police commission
meeting press cameras were
constantly flashing, TV cam-
eras with strong lights were
shooting countless feet of
film and George sat quietly
with the three small children,
he did not respond to any-
thing around him. It seems he
knew his one job was to stay
close to them and protect
them. The press dubbed him,
"Gentle George."
Ken told me of the great
affection he had for his own
dog. I could tell by the tone
and the open sincerity in his
voice that he had a lot of the
same feeling that I had many
years before for Rex and for •
Tiny. In fact Ken, to his great
credit could not hide his
fondness for dogs, from
friends, business associates
or even strangers he met.
A friend of mine who knew
Ken told me about a conver-
sation Ken had with an
acquaintance who sat beside
him on a flight from London,
England to Toronto. He said
he had been away from his
dog for five days and missed
him terribly. He was flying
home especially to give him
his evening meal. And said,
"We were a half hour late
leaving London, and I'm
really nervous they might
give him his dinner without
me." He went on to say that
he plans his trips around his
dog and that he doesn't
attend meetings away from
home unless arrangements
are made for his care. "I
couldn't put him in a kennel,
he's a member of the family."
There are likely some who
look on an attachment to ani-
mals as a character flaw...and
in some cases it may be -
when MacKenzie King asked
his dog Pat for advice he
fully expected to get it. With
Ken it was a measure of the
depth of character of the man
and of his capacity for simple
human feelings, openly and
unashamedly expressed. I
have to admit to a feeling of
envy...for he was able to
CONTINUED on Page 7.
Education promise a misrepresentation
To the Editor:
I am an elementary teacher
with the Avon Maitland
District School Board and I
am the local federation presi-
dent of the Ontario Public
School Teacher' Federation
- Huron District. I long
awaited. with some hope, the
oft -delayed announcement
about the`edt-cation fun/ling
changes promised by this
Tory Government.
The new funding formula
was heralded at thc end of
March. I have since watched
and listened to the govern-
ment's media campaign to
advertise their Fair Funding
Formula entitled "Putting
Students First."
The new funding formula
has promised "to increase
classroom spending in every
school board next year". It is
to provide an equal opportu-
nity to learn by equalizing
per -pupil spending across
Ontario regardless of reli-
gion, or region. Students in
tax -poor areas will no longer
have less money than their
big city counterparts. Finally
a recognition that the lowest -
per pupil spending public
board in Ontario, the Avon
Maitland District School
Board, would benefit from
this education reform.
Teachers in Ontario, as
advocates for our students, as
advocates for public educa-
tion and as advocates for our
profession put it all "on the
Letters to the Editor
line" this Fall. Clearly, at that
time, the Tory Government
had intended to cut further
and deeper into•expenditures.
for public education in
Ontario's schools. With
guarded optimism I wel-
comed the announcement that
total spending for education
would remain stable, and
with the new fair funding for-
mula, the Avon Maitland
Board, was sure to benefit.
But wait!
I attended the Avon
Maitland District School
Board meeting which was
.held in Stratford on March
31, 1998. The agenda was
'preoccupied by one Huron
County community rallying
to save its high school: I
heard Huron MPP Helen
Johns in her presentation to
the Board tell us that the
Avon Maitland Board would
benefit with MARE funding
from the new filnding formu-
la, and that small community
schools did not need to be
closed. It was obvious that
the Board was less optimistic
after a preliminary impact
study of the funding formula
for Avon Maitland.
At the April 14, 1998 Board
meeting held in Clinton, the
Board and the public were
presented -with a more
detailed impact study of the
funding for public education
in Avon Maitland. It was
painfully clear that the
trustees, the Director and the
Board administrators were
disappointed and disillu-
CONTINUED on Page 6.
Shocked to learn of closure threat
To the Editor:
I was shocked and disap-
pointed to learn of the recom-
mendation to close Seaforth
District High School. As an
alumnus of SDHS and a vale-
dictorian in my graduating
year (1966), I am proud to
tell you that this high school
is certainly capable and suc-
cessful at delivering educa-
tional programs. The seeds
for my 24 -year-old career in
biological research were
sown in the Biology classes
of Miss Nan Tayior at.
Seaforth District High
School.
Since earning university
degrees at the University of
Western Ontario (13. Sc.
1970) and the University of
Alberta (Ph.D. 1974), I have
worked for 20 years as
research scientist (plant
pathologist) with. the
Canadian Department of
Agriculture, and before that
as a university instructor in
plant biology and microbiol-
ogy at the University of
Toronto and University of
Western Ontario. Since 1983
I have been an Adjunct
Professor and member of the
Faculty of Graduate Studies
and Research at the
University of Western
Ontario. I hasten to add that
my undergraduate university
education was partly funded
by bursaries from SDHS and
scholarships established by
former students at the educa-
tional institution. The educe- ,
.tional foundation that I
received in science and other
subjects at SDHS has served
me very well in subsequent
university training. In many
cases this foundation was
considered by my university
teachers to be superior to the
training delivered by the so-
called "bigger city schools". I
am not convinced that bigger
is better and resent the time
and expense in bussing stu-
dents to huge, "centralized"
and impersonal secondary
schools. Scaforth District
High School has served the
CONTIIIWED on Page 10.
Teacher hired for eight months in 1898 for rate of $150
April 22, 1898.
The trustees of S.S.No. 8 of
Grey have engaged Mks
Isabella Simpson of
McKillop as teacher for thc
balance of the year at $150.
There were 28 applicants.
The barns of Thos. Prycc,
cast of Winthrop were
destroyed by fire. Mrs. Prycc
went to the barn to let out the
cows, when she noticed the
place in flames. There was an
insurance of $2000 on thc
barn and contents.
Frank Millson, thc enter-
prising cheese maker, has
secured a residence and
moved into it.
Archibald Menzies, thc
well known horse dealer of
McKillop has made another
extensive purchase, having
bought from Wm. Vanstonc
of Colborne, the imported
heavy draught stallion Mount
Bays.
Word was received here
from Ile Berquc, Colorado,
announcing the death of
Samuel T. Carnochan, grand-
son of James Scott, Roxboro.
The deceased was 18 years of
age.
While working in thc fin-
ishing department of
Broadfoot and Box Furniture
factory, R. Foster met with a
painful accident. A heavy
wardrobe fell on him, fractur-
ing one of his ribs and bruis-
ing the muscles.
Morley Habkirk of town
has purchased Geo Murray's
ice business and will supply
the town this summer.
Miss Hallie Coleman of
town has teen appointed
nursc in charge of the new
Jubilee Wing to the Hamilton
City Hospital.
April 20,1923.
The annual spring show of
horses and cattle, under the
auspices of the South Huron
Agricultural Society was held
at Hensall, when there was a
In the Years Agone
large attendance. Thc Judge
of the horses was Dr. W. E.
Baker of Toronto and for cat-
tle Henry $mith of Hay P10.
The prizes in the Boy's
Judging Competition were
donated by H.C. Soldan,
Wm. Consitt and Oscar
Klopp.
Miss Johnston of Exeter has
taken a position in the J.
MacTavish store.
Clifford Lowery, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Geo. Lowery, met
with an unfortunate accident.
He was riding his pony when
thc animal slipped on the
crossing and fell, throwing
him heavily, with the result
that his left arm was broken.
Gordon Wren of
Chiselhurst had the misfor-
tune while in the act of cut-
ting off a limb it sprang back,
striking him in the face,
breaking his nose.
The ice got a good shaking
up and was driven miles from
the shore, by the strong east-
erly winds at Bayfield.
George Stewart of
McKillop is making syrup on
shares in the bush of Duncan
McNichol. He retains his
share at $3.00 per gallon.
J.G. McMichael of town
has secured the Clydesdale
stallion, "British Hero" from
the estate of the Tate Wm.
Colquhoun of Mitchell.
April 23, 1948.
While employed in seeding
on his farm in Tuckersmith,
Charles McKay suffered a
badly sprained knee as he
slipped while operating a cul-
tivator.
Unexpected car trouble
resulted in Scaforth not being
represented at a meeting of
Zone C -I in Kincardine. Thc
delegation which included
Geo. Hays, Andreµ Calder,
Jack Dunlop and Dave
Netzkc was forced to turn
back when nearing Goderich.
Lieut. R. J. Ivany of the
local Salvation Army,
announced that James M.
Scott of Scott Poultry farms
has agreed to act as chairman
for thc Annual Red Shield
Appeal. The campaign trea-
surer will be E. C.
Chamberlain.
Norman Long, rural mail
carrier at Kippen, whose
ankle is not as good as was
hoped for since his accident,
has leased his farm to Ed
Little and Wm. Schwaim of
Hensall.
April 19, 1973.
Seaforth Optimists arc
sponsoring an appearance of
the Royal Circus in Seaforth
on June 4th. It will be exhib-
ited at Optimists Park.
Proceeds will assist the club
in advancing its recreation
program in town.
The Seaforth District High
School Girls' Band has
received an invitation to take
pan in the annual Memorial
Day parade at Inkster,
Michigan.
Hessic Wynja of R.R. #4,
Seaforth, was crowned queen
of the prom at thc annual
dance at the Scaforth District
High School, by last year's
queen Maric McClure of
R.R. #i1, Scaforth.
Mr. and Mrs. James
Cameron of Sarnia visited
with their daughter and son-
in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Geddes and family.
Rev. and Mrs. R.N.
Williams Mount Clemens,
Mich. and Mr. and Mrs.
Gordon McKellar, Brampton
were recent visitors of Mr.
and Mrs. Malcolm McKcller,
Ooderich Street West.
1