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Clinton News-Record, 1984-10-24, Page 4Y 4 m1 ToO NEWSI ,CORP, INEEVESPAY0:00TOBER 1984 11a�'eatpt�al laatw4lt 1® P ,tea, Weiloccackor ®t P.O. las! 89, CBpwtnw. *Owl®, Comae. NOM III& Tel.:462.3463. calkobsaliptleal 111141 , C -t}111.7 Sr. Carom • • 16.711 *or year 6acei r9 . *woo For yaw 11kdoskicoordl sp4 sew** does9 by the ' Pmt Lite waiter the giscualc ***Ow 0817. 'Mae p9*w4.. taomor t*ml Iw •1y24 the P9®wu-11*motd, feuo-o i 4c1 0,14 11g®. pinion Is% ***odic** Btu 1ND. T gl Pri rims 7.700: Incorporating THE SIXTH STANDARD Jo HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher SHELLEY McPHEE - Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manager MARY ANN H'! LLENRECK - Office Manager MEMBER MEMBER ®Is®Iev cdyor90slrr0 mass cy®lkshie ore ,groat. Ask ter Rate C®r®. No. 1/1 ®heat!,® O Iokmr 1, 10$3. Have you heard its Recently the well-known entertainer, Gordy Tapp, was a guest on the Don Har- ron Show which is seen on the CTV network. Tapp is certainly an accomplished comedian, as his roles in many network shows over the many years will attest. Commenting on Tapp's use of dialect in so many forms, Harron asked hinlow many the entertainer could employ. Tapp said he used several, perhaps a dozen or rnore. He spoke a few words in several of those and then said that he discovered a new one a few years ago when he was in the Exeter -Clinton area. Then he came out with some words in a broad country accent, reminiscent of the "hayseed' por- trayals on "Country Hoedown' — the exaggerated hick dialect which is supposed to be the way an uneducated farmer might talk. One is left to wonder how many people Tapp actually listened to when he was in our area. After living a lifetime in these parts we have yet to hear anyone, educated or otherwise, who speaks the way Gordy says they do. True, most localities at one time used a few phrases or sentences which were unique to their own neighborhoods, but never have we heard the typically backwoods jargon which Tapp claims is the trademark of our part of the country. Perhaps he has played the hayseed role so long he hears whathe wants to}hear. — Wingham Advance -Times BQhind The Scenes By Keith Roulston Trends will pass These are not easy days to be a man, unless perhaps. you're in a monastery several hundred miles from the nearest female. . There's a war going on out there between the male and female sides of our population, except that under the accepted rules of con- ducting our civilized battle, only one side is allowed to fight. If you're a man these days, you're supposed to stand there and take the best shots women have to fire at you and your brothers and smile and admit you deserve it. It's not "politically correct" to point out the silliness of some aspects of the women's movement for . instance. James Thurber, who made a fortune off the battle of the sexes 40 years ago. would starve today if he tried to portray men as victims of women. Everybody knows it's women who have been victims of a conspiracy among men for thousands of years. Ifyou earn your living working with Women, your working hours have all the dangers of walking through a mine field. One wrong slip; of the tongue, one wandering eye, and you're in danger of being brandeda male chauvinist. Don't, for instance, mention anything about The 20 -Minute Workout, even if you sweated along with the girls just this morn- ing. It will be ,assumed that you're really a closet voyeur who probably rents porno movies on the weekends and shouldn't be left alone with little girls. . • Come to think of it, best not say anything at all that doesn't pertain exactly to the job. It may seem a nice idea to tease a female co- worker or give her a soft whistle when she's showing off that new mini -skirt, but you may end up being a statistic in • the latest report on sexual harassment on the job. 'For heavens sake, be careful with your hands. I know it was only a decade ago the experts were telling us that Canadians were too afraid of physical contact but forget all they' told you. Get too close to a woman at work these days and you may end up before a government agency. Wear blinkers. No matter how revealing the costume your fashionable co-workers wear, don't notice what is revealed unless you want to be known as a. dirty old man. ( I have yet to figure out why women want to show it but get upset if men see it. There are many things I don't understand yet). I' know you say you'reinnocent of these things but you're just fooling yourself. The feminist leaders will tell you that all males are to blame for the guys who rape women, the guys who beat their wives so badly that the women become heroes of television movies by setting fire tothe monster while. he sleeps in bed. Even if your female friends are more moderate, they'll take it for granted that men can't understand women. There is one thing to take comfort in: this too shall pass. Society seems to go on binges every few years, to discover a. new oppress- ed group about which it goes totally over- board before bringing some sanity back to the world. Twenty years . ago it was discrimination against blacks. For awhile there, all whites shared a common guilt because blacks were discriminated against in the southern States. Nobody ever admit- ted that a black. could be wrong sometimes too. We in Canada, of course, managed to get our own guilt by including Japanese, Pakistanis, Jews and North American In- dians. There was just one difference. You didn't have to look at a black across the breakfast table every morning. Bilingualism support is a cultural breakthrough Dear Editor:, After hearing recently a timely news commentary by CJBK news editor, Gord Harris, t received his permission to share it with the readers of the paper. It is as follows: "It's about time. Some of the most en- couraging news we've heard this fall is from a Gallup Poll released last week, showing that two-thirds of those surveyed, want French to be taught in the schools, so their children can become Bilingual and almost half of those surveyed say French should be compulsory at the elementary level. "That is a cultural breakthru that Pierre Trudeau could only dream of. Canadians it seems are growing up. Fading is the "who needs it" attitude that's kept many in the dark. Gone are the days government regulation made many say French was be- ing forced down our throats. In very few nations (other than some isolated Com- munist enclosures) do you find a unil- ingual population: "Travelling through Europe as a unil- ingual Canadian is embarrassing. Most Americans, other than those isolated in the back woods or deep South, know at least a little Spanish. We, for some reason, have ignored, indeed scorned a second tongue. "Canadians, much more than most, have every opportunity to broaden their horizons and we must, if we are to continue to compete on an international scale. "Most of those surveyed in the Gallup Poll admit they'd like their children to speak French for economic reasons. But that's only part of it. A bilingual population is a more understanding population. With it, we will have not only a better economy, but more importantly, a better people." I applaud his remarks as I'm sure do many others. Yours truly, Bill Metcalfe. Corrections Fit was incorrectly reported that Huron - Middlesex MPP Jack Riddell stated he had in,1reased his majority in the last provincial election. In his nomination speech made at the beginning of the month, Mr. Riddell actually said that over his tenure he had increased the number of votes and the majority with the exception of the last election. 1 A report in the Oct. 17 edition of the News- Record inadvertently omitted Tuckersrnith Reeve Robert Bell's name 'from the Huron County Warden's race. Reeve Bell is hoping to earn the 1985 seat. His opponents are Stanley Reeve Paul Steckle, Grey Reeve Leona Armstrong and Turnberry Reeve Brian McBurney, OSLO Q Hallowe'en is the biggest night of the year for many children. The Canada Safety Council suggests that parents and children take the following safety precautions for a safe and happy night of trick -or -treating: 1. Costumes should be light-colored, flame - resistant, and worn with retro-relective strips so that drivers can see children as they make their rounds. 2. Costumes should be short enough that they won't cause tripping. 3. Make sure face masks don't block vision - enlarge eye -holes if need be. Make-up is preferred. 4. Carry a flashlight to see better, and to be better seen. 5. Travel in groups of four or five and stay with the group. Young children should be accompanied by an adult. 6. When knocking on doors for treats, first call along one side of the street, then the other. Don't criss-cross. Cross the street only at intersections or crosswalks. 7. Don't go into the car, home or apartment of any stranger. 8. Set boundaries within familiar neighborhoodsand a curfew. 9. Make sure your children know where the Block Parent houses are located on their trick -or -treat route. 10. Warn children not to eat any treats until they have been checked by an adult. Throw out anything that is unwrapped or loosely By Shelley McPhee wrapped and wash fruit well and cut it into small pieces. Let's do our best to make Hallowe'en night a happy occasion for every child. Several communities in the area are providing Hallowe'en fun for children on Oct. 31. These annual parties keep young children off the streets and ensure that they have a safe and happy Hallowe'en. The Clinton Optimist Club and Recreation Committee will be sponsoring an evening party on Oct. 31 at the Town Hall Auditorium. Different party times have been arranged to accommodate all age groups, from 4 to 13 year olds. In Londesboro, the Lions Club will be holding their annual children's Hallowe'en event at the community hall, also on Oct. 31, starting at 7 p.m. + + + Less than nine weeks until Christmas . folks - ho, ho ho!? The geese are gathering, the gardens are dying, squirrels are collecting nuts, hands are blistered from raking leaves. Autumn is here. With the changing of the season comes the changing of the clocks. Be sure to turn your clocks back one hour before going to bed on Saturday, Oct. 27. This means you'll get to sleep in an extra hour on Sunday morning - a real pleasure after Saturday night's Hallowe'en partying! The time change means bright sunlight mornings, but it also brings with it the end of autumn, shorter days and long winter nights, when . it's dark before supper....nearly time to curl up for a long winter's nap. +++ Had a note the other day from Lois Lance, formerly of Bayfield. Lois and Don recently sold their Bayfield antique business and have returned to their Royal Oak, Michigan home. Lois writes, "Thank you for all your past courtesies. I can't tell you how much we will miss Bayfield, but we will keep in touch for a little while at least through the News - Record." + + + Proud mom, Jean Worthington of RR 4, Clinton called this week to tell of her son's exceptional accomplishments. Tom and Jean's son, Andrew has been selected among other Canadian students to attend the Pan American Youth Conference in Mexico City from Dec. 19 to 22. Andrew is a Grade 12 student at Kinsgway College, an Oshawa high school, affiliated with the Seventh Day Adventist Church. He will be joining a group of students from several high schools in a choir that will sing at the Youth Conference. Gone fishing by Anne Narejko agar and S:Pice A tremendous man MERCHANTS and hucksters across the land will gladly sell you a souvenir of the Pope's visit for 80 per cent off these days. They overbought, misled by the media, whose figures were on the high .side, and scared away a lot of people who don't like mobs. 0 On the other hand, no visitor to this coun- try could command the huge crowds, Catholic and otherwise, who trudged through mud and were belted by cold rain and suffered cruel winds, to see the Holy Father. No other figure in the world could come to this country and say the things he did and get away with it, indeed, be cheered for it. Some of the things that came through from a week of Pope -watching were evident to all: the man's tremendous endurance; his sometimes fierce insistence on spiritualism over materialism; his love of children and succour for the sick and crippled; his in- sistence on a better deal for the poor of the world. Even the most staunch Irish Orangeman could scarce forbear to cheer. Let's face it. Il Papa has more clout than a distant descendant of Good King Harry, who broke with Rome, seized the Church's wealth, found himself a tame Archbishop, and married at will. 'Twas not always so. The stay-at-home Popes, huddled in the Vatican, became almost symbols, with the odd exception, of everything reactionary, timid, and non- sensical, thereby creating a virtual revolu- tion within the church. John Paul II has not exactly won over the feminist movement, nor the priests who want to get married (silly idiots), but at least he goes out and lays it on the line, not hiding behind the skirts of Rome. He has been shot, threatened; and probably cost more in security services than anyone in the world. • I don't know whether he has created a great resurgence in the R.C.'s. I'll count the cars parked outside my house this Sunday, and for several afterwards. It's only two blocks from the church. Personally, I didn't get to meet him, though my arthritic foot should have got me in the front row. I didn't exactly expect him to kiss my foot and make it better, though I'd have kissed his hand if he had. I have an apology to make to His Holiness. I accused him of not saying a prayer for By Bill Smiley team Canada against the heathen Russians. That column was written just before the Canada -Russia game. Apparently he • got the -message, and sneaked off for a minute to have a word with the Lord. Anyway, we won. that night, 3-2. Thanks, Pope. Despite the fact that he was only three miles away, I didn't go to see or hear him. It involved swimming • a lake and wading through a marsh. I don't think he missed me. . Instead, I went to visit Mammon, my bank. At 5:30 on a Friday, I was the only customer in the bank. I proceeded to a ven- dor of.portables, which had hired extra staff for the day. 1 was one of two customers there. A striking blow for His Holiness, methinks. Frankly, I don't care if I never see another facsimile of John Paul. I have been confronted by them in every store window, newspaper, fast food shop and gift shop for three or four months. He's a handsome chap. for a Pole. but enough is enough. Language education, a Dear editor, . I was impressed by the results of the re- cent Gallup poll on the attitude of Canadian parents to french language education. The poll indicates that the majority of parents want their schools to offer bilingualism as a realistic option. The main concern of parents is 'understandably economic; the trend towards bilingual employment in both the public and private sectors is bound to inten- sify. Unfortunately, bilingualism is not popular with some ratepayers in this area, Resistance to early french immersion may delay or even prevent local boards from making it available. What will happen to the children now entering the Huron County school system if early french immersion is not offered? One thing is certain. The bilingualism op- tion is increasingly popular across the coun- try. Most of the school systems that now of- fer it have seen a dramatic increase in enrolment. This and the Gallop poll sug- gest that a significant part of the next generation will be functionally bilingual, This will almost certainly mean some kind of financial advantage in an economy that Something I don't understand is that the hucksters didn't sell Pope headgear. There was his tall hat, which he didn't wear too often, but would be priceless'for Hallowe'en parties. Then there was his beanie, or skullcap, which he wore often, and must have used Krazy-Glue to keep on, in some of those winds. A guid, canny Scotsman could have made a fortune out of those two head -pieces. But I hear stories, instead, of people at the Pope's site trying to sell . hot-dogs for $1.75 and hamburgers for $1.95 and having to give them away at the end of the day, because we're not that stupid. Pity. Anyway, we won the Canada Cup, thanks to the Pope's little duck off for a prayer, and. God's apparently in His Heaven, and all's right with the world. And I had an advocate, saying a prayer for me, right up there with the Pope. I haven't checked it out yet, but if she didn't• say that prayer, we're both in trouble. She with me, I with the Lord. fundamental need may be as tight and competitive as anything we know. As the parent of a child already in kindergarten, I am frankly concerned. Ear- ly french immersion is the only practical way to ensure bilingualism, but children cannot enter it beyond Grade 1. I have already heard of one family that went out- side the county to get french immersion before time ran out. If the local school boards choose not to offer language immer- sion in the next school year, many local parents will have to make a similar deci- sion. This situation should not exist. Local school boards should have a responsibility to offer bilingualism. I can't deny the ob- vious financial pressures on rural school boards; if we were discussing an extra- curricular activity or a piece of playground equipment, the "purse strings' argument might make sense. We aren't. Language education is as fundamental as math or history. Immersion is the language educa- tion that actually teaches a useful skill. Please support french immersion in Huron County now. A bunch of great little people won't get a second chance. • Gregory Pilton