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Clinton News-Record, 1978-12-07, Page 3• • , • pie in Profile: Mar arees I t by Shelley McPhee Nearly every woman has a collection of odd earrings, gaudy brooches and broken beads. They usually take up space in a jewel box or become the play things for granddaughters. Margaret Thorndike of Clinton has found a different use for her old costume jewelry, and anyone else's she could have. Mrs. Thorndike remodelled a collection of old jewelry into a Christmas tree. ,Set in a deep frame, the glistening form of an evergreen tree is created on a black velvet background. The jewelled tree is composed of an in- tricate network of beads, earrjngs, bracelets, pins, and necklaces. Extra sparkle is added to the 20inch by 26 inch creation by a string of small Christmas lights. Although the month-and-a-half project will hang on the wall of Mrs. Thorndike's East Street twine, the project was a joint effort between her, along with friends and relatives. "Everyone was giving me boxes of old jewelry and I still have some left," Mrs. Thorndike explained while she looked over her finished. product. The tree seems to have some sen- timental value to her many friends. "Now the girls come over and look at it and tell me that those were their beads and that those were once their favorite pair of earrings but one was lost," she laughed. "Other people are quite enthused about it. It's a real conversation piece now," she went on. Not only did Mrs. Thorndike's friends contribute to her project but members of her family also got on the tree 0,ANTONI4g11,1 I . - , • .• TiRSPAPI DEMB 7,1971*4AGE 3 decorating. Her grandson, Dennis Pratt, cut out the tree patter ri on newsprint and once each piece of jewelry was glued in place her brother Charles wired the object with Christmas lights. Now the pattern and instructions for the tree are on their way to California where Mrs. Thorn - dike's 'daughter-in-law plans to make one. The pattern originated in California, or at least that's where Mrs. Thorndike first saw it. While visiting last year in the state she came across the finished decoration and later fOund the in - Day care, dogs... • from page 1 geese. I'm sick of hearing these dogs yapping during the night. This summer three dogs came right into my yard right at me. What if it had been a child in that yard? I've seen as many as 20 to 25 dogs in a pack." Reeve Ervin Sillery said the town- ship dogcatcher is aware of the problem and has been working on it. He explained that he has a job so is not free to leave his work to try to catch a stray during the day. As well he has, a - medical problem which will prevent ,him working on it this weekend, the reeve stated. He said he did not feel that as reeve he himself should be acting as dogcatcher. Mr. Ross said they were unable to breed their mare this year because of what would happen to the foal. The Hammonds and Mr. Ross -agreed that council must act immediately on the problem. "It's up to this council to do something," Mr. Hammond stated. The reeve replied they woald step up their efforts and said he expected results from the action council is planning. All agreed that Mr. Bradley, the dogcatcher was most capable but the circumstances of the problem were causing the delay in solving it.In other business, council was informed that Joe Gibson of RR2 Seaforth was -the area weed inspector. Passed for payment were the following accounts: general $240,462.60; roads/$23,765.76; Vanastra recreation centre, $8,1 77.83 and Vanastra Day Care Centre, $3,588.77, for a total of $275,994.96. Council approved an application from Alice Scott of Brucefield for land severance by dividing a parcel of land she owns in the hamlet of Brucefield. The meeting was adjourned at 12:30 midnight without completing all the matters on the agenda. The next meeting will be December 19. structions. Mrs. Thorndike is quite proud Ober holiday ornament but she's not sure whether she'll attempt to make another one. Apart from the long hours, standing over the project which bothered her back, Mrs. Thorndike has,so many other crafts on the go that she probably doesn't have time for too many more. In just a brief glance around her livingroom, the variety of handiwork she does can readily be seen. A small loom sits by one chair, holding a half - finished place mat. Christmas knitting for some, of her 15 grandchildren lie in another spot, while ' her lovely crocheted afghans, pillows and doilies are placed elsewhere. Mrs. Thorndike has also crocheted bedspreads and tablecloths and quilts. She is working on a quilt for each of her grandchildren. While knitting and crocheting are projects that can be worked on while watching television, or just to occupy a long afternoon, quilting for Mrs. Thorndike is a community activity. When the Thorndike livingroom is filled with quilting frames, the word quickly spreads. "The girls hear that I've got a quilt • up and they 'come down anci visit -and help," she smiled. "Quilt -ins" as Mrs. Thorndike refers to them, is one way of haying a good afternoon visit. But Mrs-. Thorndike's social involvement does not stop there. She has taken her knowledge and interest- in hand Crafts to the annual Mitchell Fair. She has judged in the large needlecraft section there for two years. "I always waited to see the inside of judging, so I took a cdurse and became one," she said. Mrs. Thorndike has been involved in the ladies' auxiliary of the Royal Canadian Legion for 37 years and held the prominent position as zone corn- m,axider for four years. Along with being an avid bridge player, Mrs. Thorndike loves travelling and has been to Europe, England, Spain, Africa, the Panama Canal, the East Coast and has made nine trips to California to visit her family. "One never knows what I'll come up with next," the active senior citizen smiled. "But I just couldn't sit with my hands empty. "It's a great life," that lady who won't tell her age concluded. stuck -in the middle Margaret Thorndike doesn't have the traditional idea of what a Christmas tree should look like. Instead of green branches and candy canes, Mrs. Thorndike's creation is made up of beads, brooches, earrings and other pieces of discarded jewelry that she salvaged from her friends and family. (News -Record photo) County gives.. • from page 1 supervisory staff were hypocritical He said last May council began negotiating with unions and were telling people the idea was to stay around four to six percent increases. He said that this wage package given supervisory staff was "not telling people the price of beef was going down". Ginn explained to council that-lhe AIB guidelines had been imposed between the time the county settled with union staff and supervisory staff. He said three years ago, just prior to AIB, union staff was given a healthy increase (about 35 percent) and before negotiations with administration could be hdndled the AIB took dyer. Similar increases for administration were impossible and for three years those increases had been withheld. He said it was now time to catch up. The ten department heads with their salary reviewed were put on a five level salary grid designed to put them at the top of their level some time in the 'next three years. Increases varied widely according to what the com- mittee felt it would cost the county to replace the person doing that job if that person left. Clerk treasurer and administrator Bill Hanly is now making $23,222 and on January 1 will receive an 8.6 ,percent raise taking him to $29,588. Deputy clerk treasurer Bill Alcock now makes $23,712 and with his 5.1 percent hike will be paid $24,986, Bob Dempsey, the t • county engineer will be given a 7.1 percent increase taking him from $26,500 to $28,392. Dr. Brian Lynch, medical officer of health, will get a 3.3 percent hike taking him from $36,000 to $37,222. Bill Partridge, the county librarian, received a 9.4 percent in- crease and will be making $20,150 as compared to the $18,408 he makes now. Planning director Gary Davidson now makes $24,414 and will be awarded an eight percent increase bringing his, wage to $26,390. Social services ad- ministrator John MacKinnon will be making $19,578 with his 9.7 percent increase. The administrator of Huronview got a 15.2 percent hike taking his wage from $20,644 to $23,790. Development officer Spence Cum- mings is now paid $17,238 and with a 1.5 percent increase will be making $17,498. Museum curator Ray Scot- chmer got a 13.2 percent increase and will now be making $16,848. Along with the, raises given super- visory staff county council increased its own wage by two dollars a session. For a full day of county work coun- cillors will now be paid $50 and for half a day they will get $32. The warden's honorarium was also increa4ed. The warden was being paid $2,750 a year and is now getting $3,000 annually. Mileage allowances for councillors ' was not increased. Ginn told council the committee felt the present allowance was acceptable adding that it was one place the committee felt it could "hold the line". It seems that no sooner has wveryone„ finished complaining about the dry weather and the hot and humid temperatures than it's time to start griping about the cold and shovelling the snow. I'm as bad as anyone else when it comes to being unhappy about the weather, but I do show some preference to the warm summer months. It's this four months of misery and white stuff that I can't get used to. I live in fear from November to March, continually listening to weather 'reports and peering out4 my window to make sure°11WA11:0,0 Street corner is in sight. I am terrified of the snow, and cars. 1 don't consider myself the beSt driver, even when the roads are in perfett,condition, so when those first flakes start to fall and I feel even the slightest breeze, the red bomb is abandoned in my parking Mt, with me on foot, until clear skies come again. On the stromiest nights I'm always scared that the piercing fire siren is going to go off. I sit waiting for the moment when, in a second's notice, I have to throw on my warmest clothes, dig my car out of a snow drift, get a camera ready, drive along treacherously slippery 111111••••••••=111•1114. (of Huron County Children's Aid Society) Requests your support for the Annual Gifts, new and nearly -new toys and ciothingmay be left at the TOWN HALL, CLINTON DECEMBER 4 -.8 Remember Teen-Agers tool The agency is planning to spend .9,00o , AU from private dortationit. income fax retelpts issued for all'financial donations. (Registration N090144192 -01-1S) Family & Children's Services 46 Gloucester Terrace GoderIch, Ontario MAIO • f streets and makelt to the fire hall in five minutes flat. I'm still not- sur p how the fire fighters make it there in record time; but I can't manage it,. even though I live only one block from the station. In the dry months I can manage, but in the winter, look out! - -• - In my desperate attempts to get to the station before the fire engine leaves, I've taken countless nose dives on the ice because my boots weren't done up. I've scraped both. ees and limped for a weekand had tay away. from spicyfo�dfra i month while my cut mouth healed: "' I may have fallen and felt stabs of pain through my body but I've carried -on my way, grateful that I saved the camera '(and possibly my job) from a quick end. I've unintentionally been a stunt driver, skidding down streets sideways as I've raced towards the station. I've plowed into snowdrifts instead of carefully parking the red bomb when I see that action shot of bright flames in the sky ahead. Maybe I'll be lucky this year, maybe that aggravating siren won't blow in my ears this winter. I keep telling myself that I've only got four months to go. /1 19S ashkafare BLYTH has great gift ideas for the lady on your list • • choose from • Pant Suits *Dresses • Skirts • Coats • Sweciters • Slippers • Blouses • Housecoats OSlacks • Hats & Scarves SPECIAL GIFTS FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL FROM THE. PECIALIST The gift that will last years, and years, and years. • SEIKO QUARTZ WATCHES • Nightgowns & Acces. OPEN: MON. - SAT. 9 - 6 FRI 9 - 9 Children's Wear up to size Boys 18 and Girls 14 SHOP EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMEN1 523,4351 VALERIE DALE - PROPRIETRESS Also: 94 THE SQUARE GODERICH t -t • JEWELLERY SUNCOAST MALL GODErpal Also: SUTTON PARK MALL KINCARDINE