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Clinton News-Record, 1984-10-03, Page 4POE c Alli lSAKQRD, !JEEPNE:'P4 $ BLUE R'88ON AV(ARD 1983 1l d. ih!sl% NNMJA'� Oli 0Ir pneletlo nail Diet Os 1. rgatro, e�r,twiKla, 110A140400•290.0tio P73 t PnattAttitSlI7$P hill * sa4,OR®w( vow It W itito A. Mt tf tIto 41001. 04 ClintonON IOW %toil NewsRecord Incorporating THE BLYTH STANDARD J. HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher SHELLEY McPHEE - Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manager MARY ANN HOLLENBECK - Office Manager MEMBER A MEMBER ®lselav advertising rates available oa request. Ask for Note Card. No. 19 effective October,, 19j$3. Farm land goingfast if Toronto Sun columnist Dr. Morton Shulman calls it a "terrible crisis," and he's right. Ontario farmland is disappearing fast. It's being bought at a rapid rate by residential property owners and foreign investors. A group, of Bruce' County farmers recently presented their concerns to Dr. Shulman. On further investigation, Dr. Shulman discovered that, according to Ministry of Agriculture facts, more than 165,000 acres of farmland in Ontario is owned by non-residents. These figures however are outdated and in fact, thousands more acres are being purchased by European investors, working through numbered companies. Dr. Shulman wrote, "The fact is that much of the most productive agricultural land in this province have been purchased for speculation by foreigners, the ex- tent of these purchases has never been investigated by the government and the names of the purchasers are unknown." Dr. Shulman credited Huron -Middlesex MPP Jack Riddell for taking on the task of fighting the loss of farmland at Queen's Park. MPP Riddell has been working\to restrict foreign land ownership since 1978, but has only been given promises of action. Dr. Shulman noted, "The situation has now become so bad because of the poor estate market, that when a farmer dies or wishes to sell his farm, there are no Canadian buyers and literally every farm that is sold is purchased by a non- resident." He stated that foreigners are now buying the equivalent of a 120 -acre farm every day in Ontario. He added, "Ontario has become their province of oppor- tunity and land bargains are universal because our farmers have fallenon hard times. In some areas of agricultural Ontario, foreign ownership has now reached 20 per cent of the land." The loss of prime agricultural land is not a new topic of concern in this area, but it continues to be a serious one. Here people realize the potential danger of selling our farmland to foreign in- vestors or non-agricultural uses. Locally municipal councils have controlled the amount of land severance for residential use, but our efforts are limited. The provincial government must seriously listen to MPP Riddell and Ontario's farming community. They must realize that the effects of losing farmland to foreign investment not only harms the agricultural basis, but the community as a whole. MPP Riddell has voiced his concern about the long -terms effects on the community. He told Dr. Shulman, "I would encourage the minister to take a trip through rural Ontario to see first hand the effect that a declining population has on local businesses, schools, churches and other farmers who are unable to com- pete with the prices foreign buyers are willing to offer for land." Behind The Scenes It's, pumpkin time.of year. Charlie Brown upmortalized the giant orange vegetable in his cartoon special, The Great Pumpkin, and the World Pumpkin Federation will carry on the tradition. Ontario is the newest member in the Federation, an American organization dedicated to promoting world -level competi- tion in growing giant pumpkins and squash. The pumpkin to beat is a 223.8 kg. (493.5 lbs.) one grown by Howard Dill of Nova Scotis in 1981. Mr. Dill is also the world record holder for the largest squash, tipping the scales at 154.6 kg. (341 lbs). The weighing site in Ontario for this year's competition will be at the Norfolk Country Fair, Skmcoe County where provin- cial competitors will haul their garden goliaths On October 8 for the local champion- ship. The Ontario winner's weight will be entered in the world competition which will included entries from Nova Scotia, Massachusetts, New York, California and Sussex, England. Contest officials are looking for some heavy weight entries in this year's showing. Special pumpkin seeds have been developed by Agriculture Canada at the University of Guelph. In honor of the bicentennial year, 200 seeds were sent to organizers of the Nor- folk Fair to distribute to championship con- tenders. This "special" variety will reportedly produce pumpkins as large as 226.8 kg. (500 lbs. ) By Keith Roulston Computer vs. creativity e11, the writing is on the wall...or on the • computer screen. I saw the other day that the Japanese have invented a robot that could play the organ. It seems it's only a matter of time before musicians, artists and writers will be replaced in this electronic age. And who can argue against 'it? In an age that prizes efficiency over everything else, we artistic types just aren't efficient. If an efficiency expert followed me around for a day, for instance, how could I convince him that I was really working as I stared out the window beside my desk, my fingers sitting lifelessly on the keys of my typewriter. How could I persuade him that sitting reading endless newspapers, magazines and books, that taking long walks, or sitting on the stone pile on top of the hill in the back 40, looking out over the countryside and listen- ing to the wind rustling the grass was really an important part of the creative process and not goofing off. I even have trouble con- vincing my wife of that. I must admit that in a community where farmers get up at five in the -Morning to milk the cows and work until after dark at night, where truck drivers put in 24-hour days on long hauls, where guys in the feed mill slug 100 -pound bags all day, a writer looks a little ridiculous. A friend of my son's went home one day and told his parents he wanted to be what I was When he grew up because I never do anything. So how can I argue if a robot finally puts some rationality into the job. We've got to admit too that it's about our turn to get killed by technology. In the newspaper business for instance, the It was hard work, but ' it was wo rth wh i lie cess. It was a lot of work but we all had a good time and we are looking forward to organizing this event next year. Thanks again, Dave Wise President Clinton and District Junior Farmers By Shelley ticinlq! Pressure should be heavy at this year's match, to determine the King of the Pum- pkin umpkin Patch. + + + No giant pumpkins from the McPhee garden this year, )< have had a bumper crop of green beans, two zucchini, some scrawny green onions and one very well fed rab- bit +++ Fall.means the beginning of Story Hour at the Clinton Library. Youngsters are invited to join in the weekly reading time, held every Saturday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. + + + Fall also means (unfortunately) cold and flu season. There are lots of people who are already feeling under the weather. Your resistance to unwelcome germs can be strengthened by a quick visit to your doc- tor for a flu shot. The elderly are particular- ly advised to take this small dose of preven- tative medicine. + + + This week, marks the the first Saturday in the month, and the Londesboro Lions Club will be making their monthly newspaper pick up in Clinton. Have you papers bundled at the curb. early Saturday mornine. Over the Bayfield the local Lions Club will be making a collection as well. + + + At noon hour on Saturday, October 6 tune in your television to CKCO-Channel 13. A groap of Clinton step dancers, Your Rain- bow will be performing on Big geks e The dancers include Stacy Segeren and Sheila Cook. The • girls recently brought hgme a first place shibwingfroin the Mitchell Fall Fair. The October 2I -Big Top Talent show will feature the talents of thetompen Dancers from Seaforth and Dublin. As well, Clinton s Robin Hicks will be playing the piano.- +++ As we promised last week, the Clinton News -Record is modelling a new look this week. The change may be subtle to some and very obvious to others. Basically we've made the paper more compact. The actual page sizes are smaller now, by just a little over two inches, making the newspaper easier to read and handle at arm's length. The change is being made in an effort to keep our paper in step with today's publishing trends. To compensate for the change, the News - Record will be offering more pages of news and information each week. + + + October is the fund raising month for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) . The Clinton Kinsmen and Lions Club will be helping in the effort. In rural areas the canvass will be conducted with donations forms through the mail. writers and reports are the one group that hasn't been hurt much by modern technology. Once upon a time newspapers were thin because all the type had to be laboriously set by hand, each letter picked out of a case by a typesetter. Typesetters becamescarce with the coming of the Linotype. Newspapers became thicker and more reporters were hired. Then came the offset printing process and more people in the backshop went. Then came 'computerized typesetting and video display terminals and reporters ended up I was going to say, "There's nothing more setting their own type putting typists out of boring than old people talking about the work. Soon a few people may be able to run `goodold days' when they were young." the whole paper by having robots make up Then I realized that I was out in left field, the whole paper. Think how that will make with nobody at bat, the pitcher . chewing the publishers smile. tobacco and spitting juice, the catcher But can robots really do the job? Can they fumbling around trying to adjust his athletic really be creative?, After all, a recent study protector, as they now call a metal in the U.S. showed that 30 per cent of the jockstrap. highly creative artists studied were 1 There are many things more boring. Little mad...well, at least had to go to get children who want one more horsey ride psychiatric help because of their manic- when your spine feels fractured in eight depressive mental states. Can the computer places from the 10 previous jaunts. programmers give the machines the correct Teenagers babbling endlessly about rock warped point of view that makes human ar- stars, boyfriends, girlfriends, and the tists see things differently than ordinary, money they need to keep up with their sane people. It will be interesting to see. friends. 'How come we only have a 21 inch After all, computers have been driving TV? I'm 16; why can't I stay out till 3 a.m. if humans crazy for years so turn about should I want to? I'm the only girl in the class who be fair play. doesn't have construction workers boots!" But if robots aren't as creative, will University students, perhaps the most anybody notice? Probably not. I've a hunch boring creatures in our society. After the in - the people in Hollywood who make televi- h w are s of you? How's it going?" And then40 sion programs have been using computers minutes of straight, self-centred description to write the scripts for years. Nobody seems of their university courses or their jobs, to have noticed that. Summer reminiscing by Anne Narejko Sugar and Spice As years pass us by Dear Editor: was involved. Despite a constant drizzle of On behalf of the Clinton and District rain, the run was a success, raising $1750.75 Junior Farmers, I would like to extend a big with a total of 57 runners. thank you to all those who participated in Special thanks goes out to Katimavik for the Terry Fox Run on September 23, 1984. It acting as crossing guards, Doug Bezzo for was our first time co-ordinating the run. We . patrolling the route and Wendy Tremeer for took over the reins for Elaine Townshend, helping with the paper work. who looked after the run for the first three There are many people too numerous to years. Little did we realize how much work mention who helped make this run a suc- Best bread recipes to be tried at Centralia seminar Add a new skill to your repertoire by try- ing your hand at breadmaking. Fall is the time to spend cozy days in the kitchen ex- perimenting with new recipes and skills, Baking your own bread is fun, more economical and there's no better way to t . show your family you think they're terrific. Ms. Debbie Campbell, an accomplished instructor in Foods Technology, offers to you a one day workshop on how to make your own bread, at Centralia College of Agricultural Technology on Saturday, Oc- tober 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come for the day and take home the recipes and skills to bake your own bread. For more information on this fall course and to register, cpntact Centralia College Agricultural Technology, Huron Park, By Bill Smiley their professors, their disenchantment with their courses, their unspoken admission that they can't hack it, as you knew they couldn't in the first place. • I manage to brush them off after about eight minutes with a cheery, "So long, Sam, great to hear you're doing so well, and best of luck. I, have to go to an orgy for senior citizens that starts in four minutes, with the pornographic movie." It's great to leave them there with their mouths hanging open. Next worse, in the boring department, are young couples who have produced one or two infants, and talk as though they'd swum the Atlantic, or climbed Mount Everest. "Let me tell you what Timmy (or Khnmy) said the other day. He was sawing wood in the nursery school, and his saw slipped, and he pointed at his saw, and he said, `Don't you dare do that', and the teacher told me, and she said it was the most hilarious thing she'd ever seen, and blah blah blah, and...." Boring. B -o -r -i -n -g. We can all top that type of story. My daughter, age 7, Grade 2, just getting over the Santa Claus bit, came home one day and told my wife she knew //what a certain familiar four-letter word that she'd seen scrawled on the sidewalk meant. At the time, rather absent-mindedly, with Dr. Spock lurking in the background, she en- quired. "And what does it mean, dear?" The response was, "When men and ladies lie down on top of each other and go to the bathroom.' That was the end of any birds and bees instruction. Next in descending line of boring conver- sationalists are middle-aged grandparents. The women, young enough to still elicit a whistle on a dark night, the men old enough to suck in their paunches when a bikini walks by, they act as thon)gh they had in- vented grandchildren. They whine exchang- ed whimpers about the baby-sitting they have to do. They brag that their grand- children are the worst little devils in the world. Boring. And finally, we get to the elderly. Certain- ly some of them are boring, but they are the ii ones who have been bores all their lives. But the others, the salty ones, even though slowed by the body's increasing frailty, re- tain their saltiness, and even improve on it, because they don't give :a god 'damn anymore. They can say what they like and do what they like. And they do. I've met or'talked to three men in their late '80s recently. My father-in-law, 89, seemed rather frail when we arrived for a visit, at 3 p.m. At 11 that night we were still arguing religion and politics, at top form. I'.ve told you about old Campbell, the 85-er who dowses wells and is set to go to Paraguay. Talked to my great-uncle, riddl- ed with arthritis, and his voice and welcome were as warm and crackling as a fireplace freshly lit. This whole column was inspired by a clip- ping my sister sent me about 88 -year-old Lawrence Consitt of Perth, Ontario. Lawrence was present,when the last man was hanged in Perth. His comment: "It was strange." The man had turned to the crowd and smiled just before his death. He had murdered his wife. Today he'd be given a manslaughter and six years. Lawrence started playing piano 79 -years ago, at dances, at the silent pictures theatre. He got $5. a night for a dance. The talkies knocked him out of a job in 1930. But he kept on playing ragtime and jazz wherever there was an opening. I listened to him improvise for the silent movies. I danced to his piano at country dances, with his nieces and great-nieces. He always had a crock. Took the pledge in 1925. It lasted 13 months. Got sick on a ship to France in 1918, and was too late to be kill- ed. He never married; "But I drank a lot of whiskey." He's in one of those Sunset Havens now, but when they ask him when he'll be back from a day in Perth, he says, "It depends on who I meet." That's boring? Hang on, Lawrence. You gave great pleasUrre,to many people. I hope I can stay as salty as you,