Clinton News-Record, 1978-04-27, Page 21Thursday, April 27, 1978
Second Section
• Warden Ginn's calendar always full
by Shelley McPhee
Consider this job: you attend up to five
meetings a day; go to an average of
three banquets a week; sit on 31 boards
and committees; run a dairy farm and
still have time to raise a family.
For Gerry Ginn this is part of the job of
being Warden of Huron County.
Despite the fact that Gerry has only
had four free days to himself since he
was elected to the position of warden in
January, he's not complaining.
Jokingly he noted, "I think the kids are
ready to fire me," and he said, "I'm
getting fat now with all these banquets."
However, politics has always been a
hobby with Gerry and with an un-
derstanding and cooperative family, he
*has
been able to maintain his political
interests for 23 years.
"Politics hasn't interfered' with our
family raising," explained Gerry who is
the father of five, from 20 to 27 years in
age and the grandfather of three.
"My wife will kill me," Gerry teased
as he looked over his calendar,, "I forgot
to tell her we're going to a banquet
tonight."
Moments later, his wife Jean rushed in
after a trip to the grocery store and
before checking the roast in the oven
looked at the note, "Oh my gosh that's
tonight, I don't even have my hair
washed."
"You know, Jan (Gerry's daughter)
says she's been home for 24 hours and
she's seen dad for a half a second," said
Jean, "I even have to make an ap-
pointment to see him."
However all the criticism and sarcasm
at the Ginn household at RR 2 Clinton is
all in fun and with help from sons Jon, 27,
and Jim, 22 and his three daughters, the
choOes get done.
Although the field work will be
neglected this year Gerry is always out
milking his 40 head of dairy cattle at 7
a.m. before going to his office at the
courthouse in Goderich by 10 a.m. and
there's always a bit of time to help out at
night before he's off to a banquet,
meeting or speaking engagement.
"I wear out my clothes just changing
them," he laughed.
Entering politics was almost
inevitable for Gerry ince .his father
George and his grandfather, Oswald
both, like Gerry, served as reeves, on the
Goderich Township council. In the same
way Gerry's son Jon is a member of the
rec committee in Goderich, a volunteer
fireman and is presently toying with the
idea of running for the Goderich town
council.
"It seems to be a family tradition that
you get involved in community life,"
Gerry explained.
And the Ginns have been involved in
iy
community life in Goderich Township
for over a century now. They were the
second family to settle in the township in
1829.
Gerry's political career began when
he was in grade 12 and attending high
school in Goderich. Between the years
1944 and 1946 he served as Mayor of Teen
Town. Teen Town is similar to today's
social convenor in high schools. He also
served for a year as the public school
representative at SS No. 2 in Goderich
Township and also four years as an
advisory vocational committee member
of CHSS when the technical courses were
being set up. Gerry served on the
Goderich High School Board as well for
nine years; was a councillor on the
Goderich Township council for four
years, four years as the deputy reeve
and now is the reeve.
Apart from his past, Gerry noted that
his present duties as warden include,
being chairman of County council;
acting as the official representative of
the county at any function; and being a
catalyst between all the committees of
council, to give guidance and tie
everything into one.
"My greatest reward as warden is the
people I meet and that includes all levels
of government," Gerry added..
According to Gerry a good politician
has to have an interest, be thick skinned
and able in control.
One of Gerry's projects is to improve
the image of county councillors.
"People consider county councillors to
be retired old farmers who don't have a
brain amongst the 45 of them. I used that
in my campaign speech."
Improving rural -urban relationships
has been another project of Gerry's over
the years.
"I've tried to achieve better
relationships between the two, but I'm
still prejudiced," she laughed, "The
problem is pride, some are proud to be
rural people and others are proud to be
urban and sometimes they clash a bit."
Gerry claimed, "I don't figure I've
been a good politician because I haven't
pleased all the people. I've always tried
to do what I wanted to do, but you can't
really represent all the people because
not all the people are the same way."
"You have to be flexible," he went on,
"you're not right all the time, just most
of the time."
"You've got to be confident," Gerry
explained, "If I wasn't I'd probably
never have put my name in for the
wardenship. Some people call it conceit,
but I call it confidence."
"I'm still Gerry Ginn," he explained
modestly.
Gerry is not only a politician but a
good neighbor and friend who is involved
in many clubs and organizations apart
from his political duties. He and his wife
ran a Hi C group at the Holmesville
United Church for many years and he
was a 4-H leader for a number of years.
Along with being involved in sports and -
was an outstanding athlete of the year in
1944-45 at the Goderich High School,
Gerry has been a Forester for 20 years
and last year he was named Forester of
the year for all Ontario. He is a member
of Lodge No 86 of the Canadian Order of
Foresters, Benmiller.
He also belongs to the Maitland Lodge
No 33 Masonic Order, Goderich and has
been a member of the Huron -Middlesex
Progressive Conservatives for many
years.
When asked what he hasn't done Gerry
said, "I haven't been to New Zealand."
Although it sounds like a bit of dry
humor, that's really one of Gerry's main
ambitions. He's already seen all of the
provinces, except Newfoundland and
also visited the British Isles and most of
the Northern States.
According to Gerry his qther chief
ambition is, "to make half as much as
other people think I make."
In his usual teasing manner and with a
wide grin across his face Gerry said,"I
don't plan to run for the wardenship
again. After all these years of working
for the public, I only have about 10 years
left to start making money to retire on."
Perhaps he has not made as much as
others, or as much as he would like in
monetary value, but it seems that Gerry
Ginn has received a fulfilling life
through his work, his hobbies, his
friends, family and community.
Hullett concerned over books
Hullett Township council have decided
to voice their concern over certain books
being used in Huron high schools English
courses. •
The decision was made at a regular
council meeting on April 3 following
correspondence from the St. Joseph's
Catholic Women's League. Along with
the letter, excerpts were included from
the books "The Diviners," "Catcher In
the Rye" and "Of Mice and Men." The
Women's League asked council to study
what they called pornographic excerpts
from the above mentioned novels that
are presently being studied in some high
schools.
Upon their suggestion, the council
instructed Clerk Clare Vincent to write
to Board of Education members and
local MPs explaining Hullett's position
on the issue.
In other business, council passed a
motion to sponsor a girl to compete in
the Queen of the Fair contest to be held
at the Clinton Spring Fair this year.
It was moved by Councillor Joe
Hunking and seconded by Councillor
Tom Cunningham that council approve
Hullett's share of debentures for street
lights in the village of Auburn.
Council passed a motion to hire Don
Reid . to maintain the Londesboro
Cemetery at $2.50 an hour and Robert
Hunking was hired to maintain the
Ebenezer, Kinburn and Lutheran
cemeteries at $2.75 an hour. Don Rueger
was hired to distribute dog tags, collect
fees and record the number of dogs in
the township at the cost of $1.50 per dog.
Council approved a grant of $250 to be
given to the Auburn Quasquicentennial
project.
Murray Lyon and Greg Brandon on
behalf of the Community Centres
Recreation Board, asked council about
the installation of a new furnace in the
Londesboro Hall. Council explained that
they would be satisfied with the
replacement in the same location as the
present furnace.
Eugene McAdam, the building in-
spector, came before council to discuss
the proposed ammendments of the
building by-law which will be dealt with
at a joint meeting with McKillop
Township.
Council ,endorsed a uiresolution from
Turnberry Township, supporting the
position of the ,Huron County Board �f
Education in its recent dispute with the
secondary school teachers.
A motion was passed to authorize the
municipal treasurer and the secretary of
the Hullett Township Recreation and
Community Centres Board to sign
cheques on the recreation account to be
transferred to the Recreation Board
account.
Building permits were approved to:
Tony Stauttner, house; Ed Salverda,
addition to shed; Jerry Huzinga, ad-
dition to barn; Eric Anderson, granary;
Bob Johnston, foundation repair; Fred
Buchanan, front porch; John Jewitt,
barn. These permits are subject to the
approval of the building inspector.
Attending the council meeting was a
group of 4-H girls and their leader Mrs.
Tom Cunningham.
If you hire young people
for new summer jobs, Ontario will
help you pay their salaries.
Here's how
the program
works.
If you operate a business or farm and
create new jobs between May 1 and
October 21, 1978, the Ontario
Youth Employment Program will
give you a grant of $1.25 per hour
(up to a maximum of $50.00 a week)
towards the wages of each eligible
youth you hire for those jobs.
Employers; Anyone who has carried
on a business or operated a farm in
Ontario for at least one year prior to
May 1 may receive grants for up to 6
new positions per business location for
eligihle youth employees.
Employees; Employees must he at
least 15 but not 25 years old on May 1,
1978. Employees cannot he directly
related to the employer. Employees
must reside and he eligible to work in
Ontario.
Duration; The program is in effect for
25 weeks from May 1 through October
21, 1978. An employer k not required
to hire it yo.ith fir the fill 25 -week
period.
Terms of Employment; To he eligible
for funding, a position created must he
in addition to regular ;1nd seasonal
employment normally provided
during the program period. 1t must
provide a minimum of 25 hours of
supervised work per week for at least
six weeks.
Grant; Approved employers will
receive a grant of $1.25 per hour up to
a maximum of $50.00 a week (40
hours employment) for each youth
hired under the program.
NOTE; Grant funds are limited. If
you wish fo hire a youth any time
during the progrim's duration, please
submit your application as soon as
possible. In order to hire under the
program you must first receive
approval from the Ministry of
Treasury. Applications for
participation cannot he considered
after September 4, 1978.
For more information on the Ontario
Youth Employment Program and
application forms please write:
Ministry of Treasury, Subsidies
Branch, Queen's Park, Toronto,
Ontario M7A 2R8 or telephone
1-800-268-7192 (toll free). In Metro
Toronto telephone 965-0570.
Darcy McKeough, Treasurer
Ministry of Treasury, Economics &
Intergovernmental Affairs,
Subsidies Branch.
Margaret Birch,
Provincial Secretary
Ontario Youth
Secretariat
William Davis, Premier
Province of Ontario
I,1
•
"I might have a free day on November 15," Gerry Ginn could easily tell you after
he looked over his calendar for the year. Although being Warden of Huron County
means a more than active schedule, Gerry really enjoys the political and social
responsibilities of the job. (News -Record photo)
Huron gets new signs
Everybody likes the idea of signs
saying "Huron County" at the 17 high-
way entrance points to the county, but
there was some dispute over which
budget should finance the cost of such
signs at the March session of county
council recently in Goderich.
The development committee chaired
by Reeve Bill Elston, Morris Township,
recommended the road committee in-
stall the signs on all county roads en-
tering Huron, and pay the tab out of the
road budget.
Stephen Township Deputy-reevq Ken
Campbell, chairman of the road com-
mittee, said he was not opposed to the
erection of the signs, but felt the money
could be better utilized for other pur-
poses in the road budget. The cost of the
17 two foot by six foot . signs has been
estimated at $80 each, or about $1400.
They are expected to last about 13 years,
according to the county's development
officer Spence Cummings.
Reeve Elston pointed out that if the
signs were erected by the road com-
mittee, they would be subsidized to as
much as 50 per cent through the road
budget by the province. They would be
strictly a county expense if the cost for
the signs was borne by the development
committee.
Ed Oddleifson, reeve of Bayfield, was
anxious that the signs should say
"Welcome to Huron County". He
wondered why the present "Welcome"
signs are being taken down. Clinton
Reeve Frank Cook said when he was a
member of the development committee,
.the signs were out un with the clear
understanding they would be maintained
by the committee.
Council accepted the committee's
recommendation for the road committee
to install and pay for the signs, but op-
posed the recommendation for the
"Welcome to Huron" signs to be
removed and not replaced as they
deteriorate. _
Girls to receive
measles vaccine
Rubella Titre tests are encouraged in
Huron Count4, for all Grade 12 and 13
female students, Huron County'Council
learned recently at the regular March
session. This test determines whether or
not any young woman has immunity to
German measles, the disease which if
contracted during the early days of
pregnancy can cause serious defects in
the unborn child.
Board of health chairman, Deputy -
reeve Paul Steckle of Stanley Township,
told council the vaccine is expensive- ten
doses for $25. As well, the vaccine does
not have a long shelf life, and is not one
that physicians normally stock.
"It is therefore inconvenient and
rather expensive for a student found to
require the vaccine," said Steckle, who
urged the vaccine be made available by
the county.
About 40-50 students may require the
vaccine in Huron County per year. The
annual cost of about $125 to the county is
not subsidizable by the province.
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