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Clinton News-Record, 1984-10-17, Page 4• 9110 010.9441 Pir40,4404110 N *00 a !111f, 401124414. I i}#, 1!MI7$ IRECIMor tt If / otw4 * tioi441 09 400 IMv o t*t O tPo. s R 017. 10* 0*lM '$l 4,00 in SOS/ 111 %*Up. tlo Olwto D4wo 111 !1** IB i , • " .P6.0rimi•.7oa, incnrpurntling (TUL EI.YTH STANDARD) r Jo HOWARD AITKEN o Publisher SWUM .McPMEE = Editor GARY NAIST - Advertising Manager MARY ANN HOLLENIECK - Office Manager MEMBER Wavier r r®t®e sassikablo aa, mown*. Eleb for Mate Car®. No. 14 affective October 1, 1033. A MEMBER Inhere are priorities? News received recently detailed plans by the Ontario Ministry of Correctional Services to convert the empty Bluewater Centre into a correctional centre for young offenders says the Wingham Advance Times. While there is good news in the fact the centre will once again be used and pro- vide jobs for area residents, the announcement reflects a lamentable sense of priorities at work in the province's corridors of power. Without taking anything away from the need to deal effectively and compas- sionately with young offenders, it does seem odd that the government apparently had no difficulty finding $10.4 million to refurbish the centre, but was not able to find the funds to continue its operation as a centre for the developmentally han- dicapped. It is further interesting to note that there is seemingly no difficulty in finding the money to pay salaries of the more than 150 staff who will supervise and care for the up to 120 16 and 17 -year olds who have run afoul of the law, while at the same time funds are being" withdrawn from day care centres and other support services for families and the very young. It is commendable that our government recognizes the need to provide the sort of rehabilitative programs,.employing psychologists, psychiatrists, educators and social workers, that will help a young offender come to grips with the problems that brought him or her into conflict with the law. If these programs help to set a young person on the road to a happy and productive life, then we all benefit. Waiting to deal with the problems until they have brought an individual into open conflict with society is, however, both costlier and less effective than tackl- ing them at an earlier stage. There is an old saying, "A stitch in time saves nine." More support for programs such as daycare and the Huron Centre for Children and Youth might help to eliminate the need for young offenders' centres, both here and elsewhere. Behind The Scones By Keith Roulston Reality on the rise While there is plenty of room for dispute over individual policies of the new Brian Mulroney government, there's little doubt that Canadians can't help but gain from the change. Canadians could. gain wonderfully if some of the commentators are right about Mulroney. Some punsters even before the votes were cast, predicted that Mulroney would be one•of the greatest prime ministers in history. He would turn the economy around, he would trim government waste, he would pull the pieces of Canada back tbgether that that man Trudeau had tried to drive 'apart, he would bring Canada back to the warm bosom of our friends like the U.S. In short, a bright new world dawned the day Brian Mulroney became prime minister. It .could happen. Economics being cyclical, we should be due for a real upturn soon and by .the end of the first Mulroney term, we could look back on the bad days of the early '80s• as a piece of history best forgotten. But I think Brian Mulroney is wise enough to know that no matter how smart he is, 'he can't turn the Canadian economy around without things improving in the rest of the world. Binding ourselves closer to the U.S. for instance, only makes it more sure that our economics will be dic- tated in Washington and New York. If things are going well down there, we'll do all right. If things sour, we're sunk. The frightening thing about the early days of the Mulroney government is the sense of having GPPn it all before. The impossible ex- pectations that are now being built up for the new government are so much like the feeling that was abroad in the land when Pierre Trudeau swept across the country in a wave of adulation. Brian Mulroney, like aIQIdoSQpQ Too often we criticize teenagers. Yet to- ` days, youth are showing themselves to be a responsible, innovative, creative genera- tion. -They face a variety of problems and decisions in their lives, but in their young spirited way, they easily beat stress and en- joy life. Employment, career choices and educa- tion are the main concerns of young people today. They must determine how they can best prepare for the rapidly changing future and how to finance themselves in this time of high youth umemployment. Teenagers today are also taking active roles in our communities. They're joining political parties, speaking out on issues and offering their voluntary services in countless ways. Ontario's Junior Citizen of the Year pro- gram honors young people who have made outstanding contributions in their com- munities, have shown remarkable fortitude in overcoming physical limitations or risked their lives through acts of bravery. • The awards program, now in its fourth year, is co-ordinated by the 235 members of the Ontario Community Newspapers Association and by CP Air. During Ontario's Bicentennial Year, the Ministry of Tourism and Recreation is supporting the program Trudeau, may find out that it's easier to in- spire people to dream than it is to deliver what they've dreamed for. Pierre Trudeau paid the price for not being able to deliver impossible dreams. Eventually so .may Brian Mulroney. But even if it comes to that, Canada can gain. We can gain by bringing a sense of reality back to the country, a realization that the prime minister can't solve all our problems. Sixteen years with one man at the head of the country tends to make . people think. that everything that's wrong in the country is the fault of that one man. If the economy is bad, it's his fault. If the, price of food goes up, the prime minister's to blame.. If the weather is bad, damnthe government. It's ironic that Canadians who spend so, much time saying that government is too big, spends too much and has too much con- trol, think politicians should be able to solve all the problems of the country. We both want government to give us the security our parents once gave us, and yet want the freedom of moving out to set up an apart- ment and run our own lives. Politicians, of course, promote this at- titude by carping at the amount of govern- ment when they're in opposition and then promising the world to get elected so they can ;sit on the government side.. It's funny, and disturbing at the same time, to see how quickly the Conservatives and Liberals have changed their clothes, the Con- servatives now sounding like the Liberals used to and vice versa. Hopefully, even if the new prime minister becomes the greatest in history, Canadians will learn a little more sense of reality through this whole change of government. By Shelley McPhee with a gift of a Bicentennial book to each young person nominated in 1984. Individuals or groups, boys and girls, between the ages of six and 18 can be nominated by local citizens for the award through the Clinton News -Record. The program does not look for "Super heroes," but recognizes young people who have shown all-round good citizenship. Those who have proven their courage, in- genuity, resourcefulness, initiative, leader- ship, fortitude, community, service and selfless performance are eligible for nominations. In the past three years the program has received more than 400 nominations. Each year 12 of those are honored. Last year five area teenagers were nominated for the award. Margie Wise of Clinton was nominated for her awesome record of community service and school in- volvement. Karen Cook, also of Clinton was chosen for her impressive list of achievements, in school, church, sports and in Girl Guides. Kent Colquhoun of Clinton was nominated because of his strengthen and perseverance in overcoming the physical problems associated with Spastic Cerebral Palsy. Rick Wells of Bayfield was nominated for the bravery he showed in saving the life of a drowning victim last summer. Norman East was chosen for his community service, as the News -Record correspondent for Vanastra. Not all nominees emerge as Junior Citizens, but just being nominated is an honor in itself. The 12 young people that are chosen in 1984,will be guests oflthe Ontario Communi- ty Newspaper Association and CP Air at the newspaper group's Toronto convention next March when Ontario's Lieutenant Governor will make the presentations. The guests of honor will also attend a reception at the Governor's Queen's Park suite. Each reci- pient will receive a family portrait with the Lieutenant Governor, a plaque and lapel pin and a CP Air ticket. The final deadline for the 1984 nomina- tions is October 31. Nomination forms are available at the News -Record offices in Clin- ton. Let's show our young people that we do care and appreciate their contributions. + + + Some northern folk were visiting in Clinton recently. Mr. and Mrs. Ken Dale of Kenora spent a week with the former's parents, Arnold and Margaret Dale. Fall splendor agar and Spice by Anne Narejko An epitome of excellence DESPITE the lousy weather, this was a great September for Canadian males. That is, if you happened to be a rocking - chair jock, a Monday morning quarterback, or an armchair analyst of sports. Everything came together, to the dismay of the ladies who happen to like game shows, soap operas, or good, old-fashioned movies that make you laugh and cry to the • point where you don't know which you are doing with the tears running down. . It was the epitome of excellence for us old athletes who didn't make the big-time and the big money because we skated on our ankles, couldn't throw a wobbly pass 20 feet, and whiffed at the plate with the count three and two and the winning run on third base. CFL heading for the Grey Cup. World Series in the offing. Canada Cup in hockey, with many a muttered curse about cheap penalties against the Russians. And sandwiched in between, some great tennis, golf, Grand Prix races, with guys do- ing cartwheels in their dinky toy cars, American football, which I abhor because of the histrionics of the guys who score a touchdown because of their histrionics. The general result of all this sports ac- tivities, for the chap with his gut hanging over his belt, but fire within it, is a plethora of uncut lawns, also unraked, undone chores, unattended business, and unshaved Schweitzer's creed "Reverence for all life'.' not followed in .Huron County by residents, Dear Editor, . The great Dr. Albert Schweitzer's creed was, "Reverence for all life". Of how many in Huron County can that be said? From what we see and hear, not many of us follow his example. Folks who keep a pet for the summer, leave for home abandoning the helpless creature to fend for itself, must be among the lowest of low. The result is the dog or cat thus left becomes a stray to be starved, kicked away from someone's door and experience the terribly cruel ex- perience of being unwanted and uncared for. Farmers find kittens or puppies left at their gates, deliberately left there by cruel people. To whom does an abandoned animal turn for food and shelter if not to the superior (so called) human animal? Animals were put in this world for man's use and it is up to them to put that great privilege in its true perspective. They are not here to receive brutal treatment, neglect, starvation and indifference to their needs. The Humane Societies of our country hand out heavy punishment to those who misuse animals, be they domestic or otherwise. The difficulty is to bring to justice the evil doers of such deeds. Every week we read in our local paper, "Puppies to give away to a good home; kit- tens to give away." Many of these later, no dos, t, become the unhappy starving little c atures we see so often - three of these on my street alone. Far better to have them painlessly put to sleep or neutered, but prices for having this done have become prohibitive for many. A dog is man's best friend but man has not always been the dog's best friend. Many thousands are put to death in our Humane Society shelters because they were abused, starved and unwanted. The greatest tragedy that can happen to a loving dog or cat is to be abandoned. Yet this should not happen in a civilized Christian country. There can be a compassionate loving rela- tionship between an animal and a human be- ing as loving as between two humans. To be truly human has always meant to be com- passionate. What of the dogs in Goderich frownship dump, wild, starving and unwanted? These are there through no fault of their own. These are some of the unwanted, starved aril kicked out by so-called humans. Yet the group striving to establish a Humane Society shelter meet with indif- ference and a refusal by the powers that be to realize that Huron County needs an animal shelter. Let all compassionate people work for this great cause - an animal shelter for the un- wanted, abused and abandoned cats and dogs or indeed any animal thus used in Huron County. Let it not be said we fell down in our Christian duty to those helpless creatures who have a right to depend upon us for food, care and love. "What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from great loneliness of spirit for whatever hap- pens to the beasts happens to man. All things are connected." Sincerely, E. Fingland. By Bull smiley whiskers. Wives became hewers of hamburg and , drawers of beer, in the good, old Canadian tradition. Never mind that your favorite team lost practically everything. You still felt your heart thumping, almostdangerous- ly, when the Canadian team was tied by the Americans, swamped by the Swedes, and ruined by the Russkies. They were still "our boys", and we still believe in miracles, which is not a bad thing for a nation. In our favor, we ignored the facts that the Blue Jays couldn't have caught the Yankees with a lasso and a • couple of highly -bred quarter horses, that our hockey team, with no less than twelve Grey-Cuppers on it, would be lucky to tie Italy, that the local Pee -wee team lost 18-4 in their final game, we were right there with them, cheering every boo-boo, waxing wild with every hit, pass or goal. One thing you must say about Canadians. We're good losers. We've learned to be. I remember talking to a charming chap from Montreal about eight years ago, on a trip to Europe. "How come", I asked, "that Montreal has a good football team (Les Allouettes), a good baseball team (Expos) and a great hockey team (Les Canadiens, in their glory days), and Toronto has the worst football team (Argos), worst baseball team (Blue Jays) and almost worst hockey team (Maple Leafs)?" 'He assured me that it was only a matter of time. He was right. Thanks to massive in- jections of Americans, the Blue Jays and Argos are respectable, the Maple Leafs still fourth -rate. That's enough about sports. I'm sure my lady readers are bored silly. They are much more interested in, the real things of life: who had a baby, who died and why and how, when is that grump going to get out of that chair and stop tvatching that box, what'll I give him (that's portable) for supper? ,But then, thank goodness, came along Pope -watching. This is almost as good as watching the Queen, and a lot more impor- tant to many people than watching the Queen. Also a lot more important to many people than watching football or whatever. I could have been in the front row, if I'd wanted to exaggerate my arthritic foot, get some crutches, don some dark glasses and hire a seeing -eye -dog. But I thought. that would be a bit much. I could have gone to the big mass by driv- ing four miles from town and taken a shuttle bus, and arrived the night before if I wanted standing room. I thought that, too, would be a bit much. Especially because it promised rain. I can go there any day in the rain. Heck with it. I'll watch it on TV, provided there isn't an especially exciting game on TV, which there won't be because the Papal Visit seemed to have cornered the market on the tube. And no wonder. He is a man of terrific presence, with a great sense of the dramatic, as befits a one-time actor, a dedication that allows for no questions, and a feeling for the poor and underprivileged that makes one, for a few moments, at least, feel like a fat, overprivileged slob. At least the sports and the Pope crowded politics off the front pages. A matter of deep, almost religious thanks. Only thing I fault the Pope for is that he didn't offer a special prayer for Team Canada against the atheistic Russians. That would have been a nice gesture, and he'd probably have doubled his Canadian fold. Knights of Columbus arthritis canvass well supported Dear Editor: Regarding the recent Arthritis campaign: To Grand Knight Bill Brand and the members of St. Joseph Council 7645, Knights of Columbus, for providing most of the man- power for our canvass; To the other four caring gentlemen who also assisted; To you, the residents of Clinton and area, who gave so generously that we have, to date, provided $2,041.52 for Arthritis Research; THANK YOU, one and all, from the two of us, the Arthritis Society and most of all, the millions of arthritis sufferers, here in Canada. Together, we shall help to eventual- ly conquer this terrible disease. Sincerely Yours, Dominic Bradley Bryan Lavis 1984 Campaign Chairmen P.S. If for -any reason, we missed you dur- ing the canvass and you'd still like to par- ticipate, please inail your contribution to: The Arthritis Society Box 1211, Clinton; On- tario, NOM 1L0 or drop it into the Bryan Lavis Insurance office at 14 King Street, Clinton.