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Clinton News-Record, 1984-08-15, Page 4gqy r tr • ;......ye• !if BI t PiBBI, A \A/ARC) otirEditor ,,, x-nalf,e it clear I'ni 'Writing *Muse some of your readers ''...rnarba,OnriOuste know Owl am not rum- ' .100•,fer thkNDF, this election. Since ara . • Valerie BOltOn campaign Mariageet guess the press think there was a etary. there as 'they . did with Greene) Craig, Howevera have been getting asked aboutit and I'd, be glad for everyone ta know my reasons, The NDP has a long standing conunit- ment to equality for women ,and it is,the only party with an affirinatlye action program within its structure. Women have an bilpor- . iant and curientlyunderrepresented role to . 7."p1yin the Parliament of our country. It is important to do More than talk about equali- ty..1 worked diligently to ensure we would have a well qualified woman candidate in Huron -Brum and I'm working hard now to help her get elected. A *Old reason is to give voters a wider choice and to give more people an oppor- ttmitY tb participate in the political process. I believe in participatory democracy. I've enjoyed being a candidate and the many op-, porthnities for public service I've had, I think it is nice to. share those opportunities. I've been very pleased with the , way our „campaign is going in Huron -Bruce. If any of your readers would like to get involved in our participatory democratic effort they should contact me. As the campaign Manager I may not be in the limelight but I'm still pretty involved. co 41' 5 J. HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher SHELLEY EficPHEI • Editor GAIEY HAM - Advertising Manager MARY ANN HOLLENDECK - Office Manager MEMBER MEMBER lalselev etiVertisloo fetes amenable on request. Ask for We Curd. No, 14 effective October 1, .aa. Compromise is the key. %'''Wir# At""*"11100,V What made tempers flare? What brought about resignation threats. from Clin- ton's mayor and members of the town hall steering Committee? Dissention, misunderstanding and slack of communication were the main causes of the hot temperectdebate at this week's town council meeting. Who was right and who was wrong? There's no black and white answer, no definite resolution. Compromise is the only solution to the successful completion of the town hall. ' Individuals involved in the completion of the town hall auditorium are trying their best to create a facility that the town can be proud of. Council is attempting to construct an attractive, usable hall and at the same time avoid further financial burden to the taxpayers. The town hall steering committee is working to make the auditorium a cultural centre of Clinton and to promote and encourage use of the town hall for a variety of events. , While both council and the steering committee are working for a common goal, the tWQ factions have separated in their aims. Council is limited by the physical construction of the building and their goal is • to keep extra spending in line. The steering committee is limited in the types of entertainment they can at- tract, due to the building limitations. This is where the dissention occurs. However, as John Balfour pointed out, the town hall will never be' the equivalent of the Grand Theatre' in London. It would be wonderful to make the auditorium an impressive centre for culture and arts. In a recently completed survey, Clinton residents have shown that they're interested in a wide variety of entertainment forms. The steering committee has worked to develop and attract as many different types as •possible. However, some thembersfeel that their efforts are being. quashed by the building and council restrictions. They.are working with a facility, that's not yet completed and a communication system that's apparently failed. The result has been frustration and misunderstanding. • Town council is also under pressure. They're working to keep costs down and. to meet an October completion deadline.: The mayor and council members deserve a great deal of credit for the work they've put into the town.hall-library restoration. This council was forced to make long term decisions about the future of Clinton's municipal buildings and they've tackled the problem head-on. The last two terms of council have,not been•easy ones and as council heads into the home stretch their final objective is. to ,Complete the renovation and keep costs as close to budget as possible. The bottom line is that the renovation project will run over -budget. Within the next few weeks the final figures will be tallied. The +own hall auditorium may not be the great cultural centre that many envi- sioned. Realistically it should be, as the steering committee originally perceived, a facility capable of staging local events, displays, seminars and leisure ac - ti Ati!es. It should be a hall where senior citizens can host euchre tournaments, local dancers and musicians Can show their talents, small private parties can be held and workshops staged. It will not he a facility on por with the Blyth Festival • Theatre or the Goderich Township Community Centre. • At best, the town hall auditorium can be as Councillor Jim Hunter explained, a facility "to be well'used to ihe best of its ability and our budget."- by S. McPhee • Behind The Scenes .M111011=M1111110111111.Ma By Kith Roulston Salvage our future. To listen to our politicians, our past is a disaster and our future can only be salvaged by whichever of the contenders is making thespeech. . Listen to John Turner: ' If one question is put to me across Ontario, indeed across our country, it is John, why is it when we have been. given the best piece of real estate on the face of the globe, the resources that few other countries can hope to have, one third of the fresh water in the world, limitless forests, our prairies, the breadbasket of the world, and metals, and hydrocarbons on our land and off our shores, and a reasonably tolerant, moderate, industrious people, why have we'not been able to put it together?" Well John, I haven't asked you the ques- tion but I must admit I've wondered from time to time. Unfortunately, the answer isn't so simple as it is for you that if we'd just chosen you 16 years ago instead of that intellectual Trudeau, we'd all be rolling in millions right now. The answers are a lot harder than that; hard to find And hard to accept. First of all, what about the truth of our limitless heritage. We've swallowed our own propaganda about this country. We do not live on the best piece of real estate in the world. Both the United States and the Soviet Union have nearly everything we've got to offer and more of it. While we talk about our breadbasket in the prairies, the Americans have an area many times larger. They have more good farmland and a more favorable climate, Limitless forests? Try to buy a pine two- by-four these days and see how limitless our forests are. In eastern Canada we're irnpor- ting lumber from the southern U.S. Those limitless forests probably are a good exarnple of -what is wrong with the country. When the pioneers came to Canada • frees were almost as Much a nuisance as • „ r Fishing friends . ..11, l• • by Shelley McPhee Sugar and Spice You can fight city hall • By Bill Smiley One of the -dnical, . apathetic remarks of the 20tli century is, "You can't fight City Hall." I think it's American in origin, as are so many of our colorful expressions, but it , reflects a conception that has contributed to the skepticism that permeates many aspects of our life. In essence it betrays a weariness of the in- dividual spirit in a world' that is growing ever more corrupt, violent and treacherous,. It means basically that the individual hasn't a chance against the burgeoning 'bureaucracy, the petty patronage, the you - scratch -my -back -and -I'll -scratch -yours philosophy that has always been with us, and always Will but 'should be resisted Stout- ly and sturdily whenever it rears its ugly head. .Jesus fought the City Hall of His time, and . ,won, though He lost His life. Sir Thomas More fought the City Hall of . his time, which included his king, the nobili- ty and the clergy, and refused to nudge an inch to save his life, because he was right, and City Hall was wrong. Joan a Arc fought her City Hall, in the form of her own king, traitors to her vision, and .an opposing army. She wound up being burned at the stake,and became a saint. Her oppoaents are mere footnotes in history. Oliver Cromwell fought his City Hall, won 'his fight, and taught British royalty to mind - its pees and queus, if you'll pardon the ex- pression. • William Lyon MacKenzie took on the City Hall of his day, and though hi S only battle with it was a typical Canadian charade, he they were a resource. We burned them and left it smarting. let them rot, anything to get them off the I could name a hundred others who cocked land so we could plant crops. Up north it a snook at City Hall, and lest many a battle, seemed the pine forests stretched forever. but won many a war. The United States is a Replant what we'd cut? That cost money classic example. Another is the Republic of . and cut profits. Besides, there were trees FranceMahatma Gandhi practically had enough for centUries. We were a people with limitless resources • so we lived the easy life serene in the belief it would last forever. The tremendous years of growth in our economy and material well being in the 1950 and 1960s were financed by selling off the country piece by pieceto foreign investors who naturally saw our resources as something to he exploited, then moved on when there was some other corner of the world that could give a better return on investment. Yes Pierre Trudeau must take some of the blame for the mess. So must Lester Pear- son, John Diefenbaker and every Prime Minister back to MacDonald. But so must the business community, the people represented by Mr. Turner and Mr. Mulroney. They were men who were willing to take the short term gain and ignore the future, to harvest the trees but not replant. To change the future would mean some tough times of adjustment. We would need to take control of our own economy again and not depend on foreign ownership and in- vestment. But politicians have to get elected in the short term and so can't plan for the long term. Trudeau tried to repatriate the economy but as soon as there were pro- blems, as soon as the 'Americans cried foul, people like Mr. Turner and Mr. Mulroney screamed he was ruining the countrY. And sadl , the Canadian people don't wantt, the sacrifice. We'd rather live in t rosy glow of our illusions as long as op le rather than pay the priceACM, to go on harveSting trees and pretending the rich • forest will last fOrever. K the British Empire 'begging him to go change his diaper and leave it alone. Well, it's nice to be in the company of such, even if only for a little while, and only in the imagination. The Fourth St. Fusiliers, of which I am a proud, wounded veteran, has fought many a skirmish, several sharp encounters, and a prolonged war of attrition against the local town council, and the will of the people triumphed to the extent of a dozen trees be- ing uncut, a new sidewalk installed, and a desert of pot -holes turned into a paved street. • . • You've heard of the 30 Years War, the 100 Years War, the War of the Roses, the War of Independence, the Boer War, and The Great War, followed by that sickening euphemism, World War II. Not to mention Korea and Viet Nam. Well, a lot has been written about them, and millions died in them, but for sheer in- tensity of emotion, I think the Fourth War outdoes thein all. That's the reason for this bit of history. In three or four hundred years, the Fourth St. War may be almost forgotten, were it not for some humble scribe to get it down on paper.. It has lasted between seven and nine years, and the veterans will even argue hot- ly about the duration. I do remember that the hundreds of ....hildren who were going to be slaughtered by traffic if the town council achievgdits in- sidious ends are now replaced by grand- children in many cases. I do remember that the first rush to the barricades • was about as organized as the French revolutionaries' attack on the Bastille. I do remember that one lady threatened to chain herself high in the branches of a .inaple tree if the town engineer carried out his plan of massocreing maples. There were leidoscope • • iq rP. the other threats of a„,similar but unlikelY.., nature, such as everyone lying down in front of the bulldozers, blowing up the town hall while council was in session, or kidnapping the town engineer and giving him a cement - barrel burial in the bay. Fortunately, coolerheads prevailed. After half the street was ruined, the works department ran out of money. • Over the years, they tiptoed around the potential explosion; , filling in the odd pot- hole and letting the streetturn into the semblance of a long -forgotten country lane. But this spring, falsely feeling that the an- cient hatreds had cooled, with new poeple moving in, and old people dying off, they foolishly raised the clesescrative idea again. Cut down the trees. Tear up the sidewalks, make it a one -block thruway to nowhere. Like an old, dormant volcano, the people rose in their might and descended on the worksnestcommittee like a disturbed hornet's The air was filled with vituperation, calumny and blasphemy. Council cooled off • like a bull confronted by an angry elephant. Another meeting was called. Again The People rose in their wrath. They formed a • committee. It consisted of a brilliant, mathematician, a contractor, a doctor, a lawyer, and an indomitable nurse. Not just a few angry people to be baffled by engineer- ing jargon. I don't want to go into the brilliant counter-attack, the superb tactics, the in- credible strategy of The People. It's too ex- citing. You wouldn't sleep tonight. But we won. The trees stay, the, sidewalks will be rebuilt, the thruway will continue to be a residential street, thousands of children will not be cut down by thundering trucks, and. the road will be paved. You can fight City Hall. Yours sincerely, Tony McQuail Quilt show, a success Dear Editor: The thanks of the Bayfield Quilt Show Committee and my very warm personal thank you to the quilt sitters and sleepers, the quilting demonstrators, the prize donators, the sign designers and distributors, the flower arrangers, and the young people who hung the quilts for our showlast weekend. An even bigger thank you to the makers of the gorgeous new quilts and the owners of the interesting antique quilts who shared their treasures to make the Bayfield, Quilt Show asuCcess. We are also grateful to Helen Owen, Doris Hunter and Wendy Somerville for their reporting, and to the judges who made their decisions so conscientiously. We are plann- ing to do something significant for the bet- terment of Bayfield with the proceeds of the show. 11•11111M eleneemr" There's nothing like a couple of weeks at the beach to rejuvenate the spirit. Holidays are grand, but returning to reali- ty after 14 days of complete R and R is more than the body and mind can handle. The work I took along with me didn't make it out of the trunk of the car. I avoided the news on the radio, barely glanced at the television and only turned to the crossword puzzle section in the newspaper. It was wonderful, but the shock of return-, ing to reality was as bad as I anticipated. My brain's been in leisurely low gear for th last two weeks and I'm still running op Great Lakes holiday time. The sudden switch to high speed has rnb pooped out.. Heck I'm ready for anothei vacation! +++ to holiday in h York, will be returning Dr. Alan Cochrane of New York, Net d t wn - Clinton By Shelley McPhee Cochrane, 122 Mary St., Clinton is an associate professor at the New York Univer- sity School of Medicine. For the past 10 years he has been working on the development of a vaccine for nolaria. His work was recently reported in the August 13 edition of Time magazine. Dr. Cochrane has worked in Africa, has lectured at internationally and will be atten- ding a September conference in Calgary. More than 4,000 doctors will meet there to discuss and study tropicaldiseases. Hope you' have a good Clinton holiday Alan! + + + Best wishes are sent out to Clinton and Bayfield's Al Galbraith. - Al suffered serious injury three weeks ago when he fell from scaffolding outside his downtown Clinton store. He's now in intensive care at London's University Hospital and making slow oy Dr. Cochrane, son of Harry and Rut ii recovery. Lois Lance ( Mrs. Don Lance Chairman Bayfield Quilt Show Committee 4-H scholarships Again this year, Funk Seeds is offering a • $500 Scholarship Award to Ontario 4-H club members. To qualify, 4-1-1 members must be entering the first year of the Agricultural degree Pro- gram at the University of Guelph, be a member of an Ontario 4-H Club and have achieved a minimum of 66 percent in Grade 13 studies. Applicants will be judged on their leader- ship qualities as demonstrated by their par- ticipation in 4-H, Junior Farmers and com- munity activities. Anyone who thinks they qualify for this Scholarship, should contact Karen Rodman at the Clinton Agricultural Office. -Karen Rodman, Rural Organization Specialist Agriculture) • United Church works to promote peace The federal government should set up a Peace Tax Fund for Canadians who want their tax dollars redirected from military spending to peaceful use, a United Church of Canada group recommends. The group also says Canada should public- ly condemn U.S. intervention in Latin America and call for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops in the area. The recommendations come in. a Church and International Affairs cornmittee report which says the church is morally bound to side with those who hope for an interne- • tional order of peace and justice. The report says there are two competing views of inter- national relatiOns today: that international affairs are motivated by the law of the • jtuigle or society. - Those on the side of society, the report says; are under an obligation to "enter the internationalarena with the 'common good' of the citizens of all nations in mind, as well as the best interests of our itizens." The report says that as a middle er, Canada has a role to play that goes beyond "mere observation of the world scene but stops short of actual control over some of the key forces that reinforce the jungle." The report to the United Church's General Council meeting in Morden, Manitoba August 7 - 16, recommends several ways Canada and the church can .help promote in- • ternational peace and justice. nuclear weapons, the committee rcconimendS the United Church affirm the • World Cotincil of ChUrChes declaration that the production and deployment and use of ,ntielear weaponS are a crime against humanity arid should be condemned on ethical and theological grounds. , - On the ChriStian response to weapons of mass destruction, the report urges the church to recognize non-violent, responsible civil disobedience as an appropriate means Harold and Lillian Beakhust of Bayfield are helping out at the store.. + + + Edith and Lawrence Taylor, Alison and Don Lobb and families were holidaying in Flint and Frankenmuth, Michigan last week. +++ Sportsfest is just 'a week away and Kinear. dine organizers are promising a super line- up of activities at the August 17, 18 and 19 events. Participants' are still invited to take part in several events, including lawn bowling, darts, the fun run, horse 'shoes, board 'sail- ing, lawn darts, Sailing, archery, long distance swim and cycling. You can register ' fprAkin. the day of the events. e Ori Central. America, the report. says Three dances will also be held on the even- Ciinada should recognize the achievements • ing of August 18. A dance for teens will be .bf the 'Niearsiguan government by approv- staged at the Pavillion, an adult dance willfilm a reque.ated 08 million line of credit. be held at the Community Centre and Canada shonld also open an ernbantY seniorsn Legdtaonnce will take place at the Kinder- Nicaragua to fester better communicatio dineks between the twb, countries, the report says. 4