Loading...
Clinton News-Record, 1984-04-25, Page 4k 7T' 1t EDNE . APRIL 25, 1984 BLUE RIBBON A R D 1983 a 11/0040414 IP 1010 010 tib 144PT Ri 41040Iliga worm4.1. iogifis. ems* Sy. at yart - $16.73 per year poroilpo • $,s.00 pow poor ti k1 reilst4 rm0 by abobrad %hay moil by tlro "Mat 000111 rprrdfr t1►11 perrwlt rcessq+4®P' 00/9. Woo tpiproy.Sycord Ire4orporbt11A In 19714 Oho Nre0 Nerw4•146404, 1'4004€ Ira •1041. 47011 Thb Cllwtor+ News im. 101c ai ire 11003.70161 prow rites 8.700. Clinton Incorporating THE DLYTH STANDARD jo HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher SHELLEY McPHEE - Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manager MARY ANN HOLLENRECK - Office Manager MEMBER A MEMBER Dbooldov 11dvertlalre rotes ®,1111®IPIe on review?. Ash for Soto Cord. No. 14 cativo October 1, 1645. Volunteering, a labor of love Volunteers don't take time off, they don't demand raises. get three weeks holidays or go on strike. They don't work set hours they don't get job benefits or pensions. Volunteering'is a labor of love. April 23 to 29 marks Volunteer Week, a time to thank all our volunteersmen and women, boys and girls for all the various jobs they do to help make our com- munities better places to live. Volunteers are one of the vital mainstays of our society. Without them many of the benefits and the services we enjoy would simply not exist. Without volunteers we have topay a costly fees for fire protection health care. school and church maintenance. Without volunteers we wouldn't have youth groups, senior citizen clubs, social groups or service organizations.. The list' goes on and on. A Royal Bank nevAlettei described the value of volunteers_ ':Voluntary service, on the other hand. is so valuable to its beneficiaries as to be literally priceless. Who could ever count what it is worth to a crippled child to be taught how to swim,. or to an elderly shut-in to have someone do the shopping and drop in for a chat' onceortwice a week°.. Branching out _.__- __._.—Xhe _repor�..vueua_na ___AitPr msrrry_._yeprs-_of go,v_ernment§ taking on_more and more of the social responsiblities once borne by private citizens, the pendulum is now' swinging -back to the voluntary sector. Governments everywhere are deeply in debt and they are finding that there. is a limit to how heavily they can tax peo- ple without damaging the'economy and their own political appeal. As a result, they have been cutting back on publicly -funded services. The lack of government support is disconcerting and many find it difficult to part with their time and money when the government won't help. However the reality is that if communities want to maintain and improve their services and benefits, the workload and the financing will have to be provided internally. This is where the need of volunteers comes in. Volunteers not only work for the benefit of 'others,. but also to improve themselves and communities where they an.clAi_ve_• Seneca, an ancient Roman philospher wrote He that does good. to another does•good also to himself not only in the consequences but in t,,e very act frir the consciousness of well -doing is. in itself ample reward.' • - ' Volunteers. are vital to .the continued success and improvement.of our world. This week we should honor the volunteers among us and we should think. about what else we can.do to help ourselves and others._ by S McPhee 9.1 Behind The Scenes Growing up I sometimes think my parents' generation must be having a good laugh at the way my generation has turned out. . There's a line I liked in the movie The Big Chill about a group .of friends from the idealistic days of the "revolution" who are now together for the funeral of one of their number who has committed suicide. "I hate to think," the character says, looking back, "that it was all a fashion." Sadly, I think it was. The thoughts came to mind when I picked up a big city daily the other day and saw the second or third column by a certain feminist writer on the subject of her forthcoming wedding. I knew that lady (or is that accep- table these days) back when marriage was the furthest thing from her mind. Back in the late '60s she was one of those determined students in my journalism class you knew was going to make something of herself. She was bright, attractive and had a touch of ruthlessness about her that meant that while we more timid people might get a weak news story, she'd push until she got something that would win her a front-page byline and the approval of her tough, newspaper -hardened instructors. In the 15 years since then she's made quite a career for herself while many of her less aggressive classmates have made the com- promises that must come with choosing marriage and motherhood along with career. Now, like not a few other feminists, she's discovered marriage. While most people slipped quietly into marriage (and sometimes out of marriage) in the last decade and, a half, this wedding has provid- ed grist for a columnist on the largest cir- culation daily in the country. She bubbles on about choosing the right dress and china pattern and gets paid more for each column By Keith Roulston than I make in a week. Next i expect we can wait for the columns on the joys of motherhood. I never know whether to laugh or cry when I meet one of those couples who have put off children' for so long but have finally got around to it with a vengeance. You know the ones. When you used to visit them they'd stare in horror at the antics of your kids and rush. to protect their $200 figurines. .And•you knew.that once you left they were going to talk about all your failings as parents. • Now they are the perfect. parents. They've read all the books, memorized all the stages of development. Their child will read by three and be a genius at the computer con- sole by five. By eight they'll no doubt have solved the problem of hunger in the third world. These lately -married careerists (of both sexes) and late -coming parents are like drunks who found religion: their conversion is so complete and their new faith so strong they're insufferable. • I suppose the parents of these careerists must be thankful they're finally getting grandchildren but they must also wonder what all the fuss is about. After all, they managed to put these well-educated career - oriented offspring into the world without nearly as much difficulty. For, them, having -children was just a• natural part of life. You didn't have to study up for 15 years before you took the big plunge. And so my generation, the generation that was going to bring about the revolution has come full -circle. Most of us, some later than others, now have the house andttwo cars and kids, just like, the parents we rebelled against. Except that the generation that de- nounced materialism is now, with the two income family, the most materialistic generation in history. Ronald McDonald House Huron County families are invited to' take part in a meeting about Ronald McDonald House in London. A Ronald McDonald House is being built to accommodate families of children who are referred to London's area hospitals for treatment of serious illnesses. The house will serve families ffom the surrounding counties, including Huron, Perth, Bruce, Grey, Lambton, Esseif, Middlesex, Elgin and Oxford. Ronald McDonald House is a home -away - from -home for families of hospitalizied children. The house will help people outside the London area maintain as normal a family life as possible during the stressful time of their child's illness. L The London house will be built by the non- profit organization, Southwestern Ontario Children's Care Inc. An information meeting is being arranged for the early part of May, in London, to provide interested individuals with information. The meeting will also discuss what resources are available to fund raising. Interesting individuals may become resource people for fund raising and take information on Ronald McDonald House back to their local communities. If you are interested in attending, please contact: The Ronald McDonald House, 237 Dundas Street, London, Ontario N6A 1141. Telephone (519) 432-4188. agar and SpicQ Oh to be in Florida imbrarbroosbarbobormeimmNININEN By Bill Smiley ft h t I've Written M f ' d 1 k' t depressed but he's not! in the past, but L'm sitting -An. Florida writuag--;dilapidatesiwcountenanee_urg-ed me to go, T As a r , "Just to. get away from things." I didn't want to get away from anything. I loved put- ting out the garbage on4Tuesday morning,... then going back to bed. I Thoroughly enjoyed my daily trip to the library. I'd begun to get used to staying awake all night and leaping up at the crack of noon for a delightful snack of the last of last night's Chinese food or fried chicken or pizza. Washed down with strong tea, it's better than many a meal I have eaten. An old pilot friend offered to' drive me down. A complete hedonist and a recent widower, like me, he really put the pressure on. I still stalled. He was disgusted. He's worked all his life, ... HARD, and he's going to enjoy his last years if it kills him. It was tempting, but I hung tough: Then came the real pressure. My daughter Kim, with a recent small in- heritance, after living on welfare and.short spurts of work, with four degrees, and some help from the old, folks, decided to head out for Florida on her spring break. She•and the kids were going to see Uncle Blake in Sarasota, and expected me to scoop them up and take them to Disneyworld. Since I hadn't seen them since Christmas, - and I like. to keep track of my grandboys, I succumbed: gave up, gave in, and headed south. • I. am thankful to say that my grandboys drove my brother almost out of his nut in the two days before I arrived. They got a terri- ble sunburn their first day, after ignoring his advice about sun lotion and such goop. Kim knocked over and broke one of his treasures. The boys threw a ball against the screen around his pool and dented it thoroughly. They walked on his carpets with wet feet. They wanted to go to the bt.dch when he wafted to lie down. I'm used to this. I hate to admit it, a er w a v wr en y rien s, . lookin this column. It makes me feel like a heel, knowing that my friends are going through the dying throes of that chancy month of April. "' I don't want to be here. I despise myself for sitting in Sarasota, in my shorts, looking out the window at a lot of palm trees and a small man-made lake wherethe ducks come splashing in. It literally hurts me inside when I. lie on a chaise longue beside the swimrningpool and consider what a rotten traitor I am to my class, my friends, my way of life and my principles. Sometimes a tear rolls down my face. I'm never quite sure whether it's self - disgust or the sun being too strong on • my wintry blue eyes. However, you'll be glad to know that I didn't want to come here. I fought .it as cleverly • as a • fox trying to out -fox the hounds. I had several friends who invited me to come down and stay with them. My little brother, the Colonel, called me up a , couple of times, and demanded what flight I• would be on, before I'd even thought of get- ting a ticket: He was quite peremptory, as is :his wont. He gave me a great deal of useless advice, as' though I had never. been outside the country before, even though I've travell- ed all over -the U.K., Europe, and most' of • Canada, never missing a connection or a flight. Then my physiotherapist got on my back. He thought a good couple of weeks of that Florida sunshine would be great *for my broken shoulder. It's worse than when I ar- rived. He just wanted to.get rid of me because I groaned too much when he manipulated my shoulder in and out of it s socket. I have a low pain threshold. In other - words, I groan and grunt when something hurts. No stiff upper lip for me. a my K�IQIdOSCOPQ esult while his hospitality remained impeccable and extremely-generous-hewas smiling more and more through .clenched teeth, He is used tq People jumping. when he says, "Jump!", Iin used to an argument such as, "Where do we jump to, Grandad?" Have your soy Deur Editor Want ,pology Dear Editor: Regarding Hayfield's Committee of Adjustment - thank heavens we have one! It is indeed reassuring to know there are still people able to do their jobs without compromising their principles. What is the point of having an independent committee if it is expected to bow to the wishes of village council and a few residents? Unfortunately, it is this type of incident which deters many people from taking a more active role in community affairs. Those that do so, with honesty and objectivity, deserve more than the public "dressing down" our Committee of Adjustment members received recently. We agree with last week's (April 18) letter to the editor, an apology is owing. Yours truly, Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Kok, Bayfield CDA says thank you Dear Editor: On behalf of the Canadian Diabetes Association, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped in our 1984 appeal. Those who canvassed did a fantastic job and those who contributed helped to make this year's campaign a complete success. Thank you again, with the help of people like you, diabetes will someday be cured. Sheila Bauer, National Appeal Chairperson. Retirement roast 'Anyway, somehow, I got conned into two days at Disneyworld with Kim and the kids. My brother had enough sense to stay home. ` ru s tr a tin g Dragging my arthritic old foot around, I managed to keep up with them for 'the first day, including rides that, even as an old fighter pilot, I wouldn't have had the guts to problems go on by myself. I whimpered through all of the rides once, but on the many repeats the kids and their mother elected, I declined With regrets. Second day, I spent most of it in the shade,. reading a pocket novel and people= watching. r saw tiny kids run on the con- crete, trip, fall on their noses and bleed and, wail .profusely'. I saw many oldstars charg- - ing around, on and off rides, in and out of ex- hibits, with incredible stamina, and a young • mother, with none left, standing in a stupor, with a tiny baby draped over her shoulder and two other tykes clutching at her skirts and fussing at her through exhaustion. Dear Editor, -- �._____... _.._ ._. The Almonte CivitanClub is plaanuig a-_`. retirement roast to honour high school teacher Don Maynard. We understand some students whom Don Maynard taught are living in your area and we are anxious.to reach as many as possi- ble. . Don is retiring after 33 years teaching at Ahnonte and District High School. All former colleagues and students are in- vited back to attend the retirement roast which will take place on June 30, in the form of a sit-down dinner: . , _.For.tickets, or, further inforrnat;,ion; please contact June Dalgity, Box 888, Almonte, On tario. KOA 1AO. Thank you for'yoirr cooperation. Yours truly, June Daigity. Disneyworld is a masterpiece of puppets, electronic and visual marvels, and -exhibits. 'It is also very clean, something like a giant EXPO 67 ... a wonderland for children! See it if you can. Now I must seriously think about the real things in life, like my income tax forms lurk- ing at home, frozen chicken pies, galoshes. If I linger here, I'll be faced with a host of blossoms whose names I can't even spell ..: jacaranda, oleander, hibiscus, etc. No red- blooded Canadian should be faced with such a choice! Believe it or not, Klompen Feest is fast approaching. In two weeks the Clinton News -Record will be publishing the Klompen Feest Souvenir Edition arid on May 18 and 19 the fourth annual Dutch styled festival will take place. Plans for the celebration sound better than ever and this year's event will kick-off with a May 5 Dance at the Goderich Township Community Centre. To be sponsored by the Heimatland Club from Blyth, the event will include the crowning of the 1984 Klompen Feest Queen. More than eight girls will vie for the title. This year the May 18 and 19 Klompen Feest Weekend will see another giant chicken barbecue, to be held at the Clinton Community Park. Tickets are now available for this outdoor feast. A new attraction this year will be a May 19 wind-up dance, featuring our own Whiskey Jack. Also on Saturday evening some of our older Dutch neighbors may enjoy taking in a special three -act comedy, presented in Dutch. The play, called 'N Wespennest (that's The Hornet's Nest in English) will be staged at the Clinton Christian School. The Woodstock Dutch Theatre Group is presenting the show. Other events scheduled for Klompen Feest are too many and too varied to mention here, but the entire program will be By Shelley McPhQQ featured in the upcoming souvenir booklet. There's still time to join in the planning for Klompen Feest. A committee meeting will be held on May 1 at Mrs, Van Damme's Holiday Lodge, starting at 8 p.m. + + + This Saturday, April 28 marks another special event, the second annual Clinton Hospital Dinner Auction. Last year the event helped raise more than $3,200 for our local hospital. The evening will include a . gourmet dinner, complete with wine, served at the Clinton Legion and an auction sale, featuring MPP Jack Riddell as auctioneer. About 25 items will be auctioned including paintings, soapstone carvings, clothing, sheepskin rugs, bed and breakfast packages and dinner vouchers. Only 120 tickets are available for the event so be sure to call the hospital or Dianne Freeman to reserve a spot. + + + On Saturday afternoon April 28 the Clinton Ketllnaviks will hold an open house at their High Street residence to introduce the new group participants. The open house will be held from 2-4 p.m. Town Hall Steering Committee The Town Hall Steering Committee met on April 18 at the Town Office Council Chambers. Meeting agenda included the _ rr The world'smajor national and interna- tional problems, it seems, receive more ' than their fair share of media attention. So it is perhaps time someone considered a few of the niggling little items that affect us all, yet seemingly, like the weather, no one can do anything about. First, there's the lowly pop bottle. At one time, you'll recall, opening the container was as simple as snapping the metal cap off . the glass bottle with a• classy, but inexpen- sive, opener:, If an opener wasn't available,. popaholics might be reduced to using screwdrivers, but at least the bottle could be _opened._ Crude, maybe, but the system worked. Then technology invaded the pop -bottle picture. A new "advanced" screw -on cap that was "supposed to" separate easily from a metal band around the top of the con- • tainer was added. Truth is, many times the screw -on cap simply doesn't unscrew. Scissors, knives or other sharp, pointed ob- jects are needed to handle the bottle opening. task.' While no studies have been done on the number of finger and hand cuts resulting from caps that won't separate, judging from personal experience, this roust be a problem of national significance. Why can't they. make a bottle cap that comes off easily? Line-ups are another source of irritation. There was a time, for example, when Cana- dians only expected to line up for movies and the like. But in the last few years we've become so conditioned to lining up like cat- tle that many banks have installed roped off -areas to control entry to tellers' wickets. What's more, some doctors actually force patients to "take a number," even though the individual has an appointment. There are other frustrating situations. Airlines think nothing of overbooking flights, leaving some customers stranded if everyone shows up. And grocery stores have "special" line-ups for people buying fewer than nine items. Yet, the line-up never seems to be controlled, with many cashiers accepting 10, 12 or even 15 items without complaint. Sorely, with all the new-fangled labor- saving devices that have been introduced, someone can come up with a system that will do away with the time -wasting and igno- minious line-up. Last, but certainly not least, on any na- tional list of frustrating experiences is the troublesome, inconvenient and messy credit card voucher. No one seems to know which copy belongs to the customer and which to the business, and the placement of copies varies from one company to another. What's more, groping through the carbon paper -divided sections of a three or four- part voucher in a dimly lit establishment makes a hand -washing trip to the washroom a necessity. If always giving customers the top credit card slip is too simple an idea for the ex- perts to comprehend, why can't we have a pull-out tab on the correct copy? preparation of a goal and objectives state- ment for Town Council approval. The Steering Cornmittee meets next on May 2, 7 p.m. at the Clinton Public School Library. Elaine. Hagarty (Ontario Arts Council) and Mr. Jean -Yves LeDuc ( Ministry of Citizenship and Culture) will be guest speakers. Their presentations will highlight government programs, funding and grants available to municipalities and local organizations for "cultural" programs and events. The Steering Committee cordially invites any interested Clinton residents to attend this important meeting. Your interest is ap- preciated. The Canada Safety Council wants to remind all of us of its Summer Safety Campaign, May 1- 7, which has for its theme this year "Safety is always in season". Over the past number of years, our society has developed a more Spartan attitude towards physical fitness. Young and old alike are taking their foot off the gas pedal and are pedalling themselves back into shape on bicycles. It is essential that motorists exercise caution this summer, when driving in the vicinity of bicyclists, many of whom are taking to the road for the first time. Their sudden enthusiasm may make them less attentive to the road and traffic conditions.