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Clinton News-Record, 1985-1-16, Page 4iw1 'age 4r-CLINTON NEWS -i 3 r WEP,NESDAY, JANUARY $,1 985 The Clinton News -Record Is published each Wednesday et P -O. Bos 39. Clinton. Ontario. Canada, NOM U.O. TeL: 402.3443. Subscription Rate: Canada: 919.75 Sr. Citizen • 516.75 per year U.S.A. foreign • 855.00 per year it is registered as second gloss maf0 by the post office under the permit number 0817. The Platys -Record incorporated in 1924 the Huron Nowa-Record, Pounded In 5.881. and Thu Clinton News Fra. founded On 1865. Tato; press runs 3.700. Incorporating THl BUM STANDARD J. HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher SHELLEY McPHEE - Editor GARY WAIST - Advertising Manager MARY ANN HOLLENBECK - Office Manager aCNA MEMBER Display advertising rates available on request. Ask for Sate Card No. 15 effective October 1, 1904. A MEMBER The Armchair Politicians and The Unconcerned KalqidoscopQ I dread reading the daily newspapers these days, they're so gruesome. A high percentage of the stories focus on murders and horrendous sex crimes, family violence and stories of personal despair, in- ternational political uprisings and the nuclear weapons debate. Reading the daily newspaper is not a joyous event. It leaves me feeling troubled, confused and disillusioned. I'm grateful for the fact that our small communities are still relatively safe and quiet. The pace of life nu y be slow here, but that's just the way small town people like it. Our weekly newspaper is also con- siderably different from the daily press. We still report the church news, the local com- ings and goings of local folks. We feature the triumphs and accomplishments of our com- munities and our most controversial stories involve debates around the council table. The Clinton News -Record is not as sensa- tional as The Toronto Sun and our reporters are not as obnoxious, aggressive or demon: 13y Shelley McPhee ding as our fellow journalists are, but that's fine with us, The Unity Northwest Herald, a Saskat- chewan weekly newspaper said it best in their tribute to the community newspaper, entitled "There's Nothing In The Papers." `There's Nothing in the Paper' Unity Northwest Herald "There's nothing'in the paper," is a very common phrase. Perhaps it maY have come to use from pre-deluvian days. No doubt when Noah and his sons were fit- ting up the ark The folks who read the Daily Squawk would sit around and bark And wonder why the editor devoted gobs of space To a cranky preacher -carpenter with whiskers on his face. "There's nothing in the paper," the sad subscriber groans Except,that Mrs. Isaac Smith is calling on Miss Jones. n r;r,!•.. roofed his henhouse ' r cut his crop of weeds, Or that Schnicklfritz, the grocer, sells farm and garden seeds." But when there's been a holocaust, a murder or a fight The reader takes an interest, you see his features light. He yells unto his neighbor who lives across the way: "Why don't they give us news like that to --read about each day ! " He does not seem to realize that when the paper lacks The headlines read and screaming, with their toll of gruesome facts. That everything is lovely with neighbor, friends and foe, And the town is jogging onward the way it ought to go! So when you find no rank detail of some revolting caper, Just fold it up and thank the Lord, "There's nothing in the paper." In 1985, people in Ontariowill elect more than 5,000 representatives to serve in more than 800 municipal governments across the province. However municipal politics notonly involves elected and appointed officials. It involves every citizen. Information from the .Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing promoting Local Government Week, points out that the services and the facilities, the ac- tions of municipal boards and council are important and essential aspects of our everyday lives. From police and fire protection, to garbageollection and street maintenance, from library services to parks and pools, municipal councils represent citizens in decisions on many vital services., Public opinion is one of the key components that helps councils and boards make the right decisions. Public money, more than $8 billion, is directed towards the various programs, facilities and workers that are all part of the complex community system. Whether you support council, or disagree with the way money is being spent, it is up to you to state your opinions: Too often however, public opinion becomes petty, name calling street corner discussions. Such bickering involves Armchair Politicians, people who find great entertainment in heated arguments amongst themselves about the troubles with council, the cost of taxes,, the poor services The trouble. with Armchair Politicians is that they seldom do anything con- structive about their complaints. They don't propose changes to council and they don't offer suggestions,. And in spite of their claims they rarely run for office. Equally as frustrating are The Unconcerned. Simply, these citizens just don't care.. Sadly enough The Unconcerned make up a vast majority of the population. They think pojitics is boring, they don't understand the system and they don't' want to. The'Unconcerned aren't sure of the mayor's name and don't know what he does. The Unconcerned make good , use of the services and facilities that are available in their community, but they take these things for -granted. , Amongst all the trouble makers and the apathetic is a dedicated, concerned group of people who make up the council, the committees and the volunteers, who serve the community. In Clinton, for example, it is encouraging to see a young enthusiastic new slate of volunteers who are offering their time to sit on the recreation committee. As well Clinton has four other committees who presently need new members. Volunteers are needed for the cemetery board, the planning -industrial commit- tee, the committee of adjustment and LACAC, (the heritage committee). As well, additional members are also needed on the recreation committee. Any citizen who is interested in the betterment of Clinton and is interested in serving in one of these committees is asked to submit their names to the Clinton municipal office by January 21. For the Armchair Politicians, serving on a municipal committee would be a pro- ductive way for them to share their knowledge and enthusiasm. For The Un- concerned, it would help to alleviate their apathy. As the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing noted, "Remember, as a citizen you have an important role to'play. It's your government. You're it. You' decide.'" - by Shelley McPhee Behind The Scenes By Keith Itoulston Rural survival television, radio and newspapers that city - based industrialists, economists, university professors and politicians tell us there is, sadly, no future for rural people except be- ing swallowed up by more and more cen- tralization. And we have nobody to argue hack. Most of us never think beyond next weekend and any long term thinking that does take place in rural Canada is generally in specialized fields. Farmers, may get together to talk ,about the future of their business but rural people seldom get together to talk about the future of their communities. If I was a millionaire wlio found out he was dying tomorrow, I can think of no better place to leave my money than to fund some kind of organization which would regularly bring the best minds -of our communities together to look at the future, of our way of life and what alternatives we have to just going along with trendsmany of us think are doomed to ruin us. I would like, for instance, to ,see study groups look at controversial books such as Allen Wilford's "Farm Gate Defence" or E.F. Schumacher's "small is beautiful" and discuss them. Both books have some impor- tant things to say about our present course of society, perhaps wrong things but at least we should discuss them, .both farmers and small-town urbanites. I'd like to sesuch groups stimulate long- term thought n our local media most of which, unfort ately, seem to imitate the urban media these days rather than really studying the problems of their 'own com- munities. In short, I'd like 'to see us start to think and fight back, before it's too late. If there's one thing that's depressing about life in the '80s, especially in rural Canada, it is the feeling that, while we may not like what's happening, there's not much we can do about it so we might as well just accept it, There is good reason for this feeling, of course. In a day of big government and big business it often seems we are helpless. That trend has been washing over us in rural areas for most of the century, chang- ing our way of life whether we wanted to change or not. Yet there have been times when we've fought hack and won. The• present Ontario Progressive Conservative Leadership cam- paign, for instance, brings to mind when Frank Miller tried to close many of our hospitals and local people fought back and won. Today those same hospitals are expan- ding. Bu; the 1980s sees most of us just going along, minding our own business while our way of life disintegrates around us. Many farmers, for instance, shake their heads in sadness but accept the fact that it's just part of life when their neighbours go broke and move off the farm. People in the towns and villages see land being bought up by large corporations or see forced foreclosures of farms and shrug and say that's the way it goes. Nobody seerns to realize that we're all in this together and when one part of • our fragile economy suffers, we're soon all go- ing to suffer. Part of the feeling of helplessness ' is because we have no real alternatives being spelled out for us. Nobody is doing much thinking about the future of rural towns and farms. We are constantly told by city -based Railway risks Dear Editor : This letter is being written for the motorist in the four -door dark blue sedan who gambled a lifetime when she ignored the warning signals at the Clinton CN Rail crossing on the Bayfield Road. Dear Madame: Have you ever seen what's left of a car after it has been hit by a train? It's not a pretty sight. The pieces can- not be reassembled ... nor can the torn bodies. That's the hprrible part: Try to im- agine the train engineer's agonizing moments when he knows that you are not going to make it over the tracks. Time will never erase that horrible moment of impact from his memory. You and your passenger were lucky on that day last week when I saw you disregard the warning signals. You hesitated, then sped over the tracks. Why? Next time you approach that crossing, . and any other crossing, stop, and think. There's no contest when it comes to racing against a 10,000 ton train. Whether it wants to or not, the train is going to win. Hundreds of accidents occur every year in Ontario when motorists fail to heed the war- nings, and almost -every accident could have been prevented if the motorist had been alert. Direct and indirect costs of these ac- cidents run into millions of dollars each year. The common causes of crossing accidents are: 1. The motorist races the train to the cross- ing, and is either struck by the train or runs into the side of the train. 2. The motorist becomes too familiar with a crossing and fails to exercise due caution "because there are no trains travelling on this track at this time of day." 3. The motorist fails to observe or ignores the advance railway warning Sign and other railway signs and signals. 4. The motorist has been drinking and is in- capable of handling his vehicle safely. 5. The motorist travelling on an unfamiliar road or at night, drives at a speed too fast for conditions and cannot stop in time at the crossing. 6. With car windows up, radio and air- conditioning turned on, the motpriat is unable to hear the train coming, fails to look for it. 7. Deep in conversation with passengers the motorist ignores the warning signals ... even tithe train whistle. 8. The motorist fails to see the train in time because of dirty, fogged up, or partially cleared windows. There is always great hue and cry follow- ing a level crossing railway accident, and the outcome is always the same ... the motorist took a chance, and lost. You got away with it last week and you should thank God. Hoping to see you around! Sincerely, Elizabeth A. Willi -not Kettlewell Clinton Don't gamble seconds against a lifetime Sagarand Spice The price of things IT'S pretty difficult these days to ignore inflation, unless you live in a cave, have a good, warm wife, a root cellar full of spuds, turnips and carrots, and a private income of about $200 a week. But somehow, I've managed, though I've done my share of whining, until recently. I've done some shopping, and for a change looked at the prices. My conclusion is that capitalism is a lost cause. I know it dates me, but somewhere back there in the murk of my mind, I still had the idea that a loaf of bread was a dime, a pound of butter two bits, a quart of milk 10 cents, hamburger was something you ate a lot of, but was cheap, coffee was 10 cents a cup, beer was about 15 cents a pint, and cigaret- tes had shot up to about 35 cents a package. I knew better, but I pushed it to the back of my mind, as one does thoughts about death. Back there in that foggy area, I still felt that bananas were a nickel apiece, lettuce, carrots, cabbages and radishes were something you grew in the back yard, and eggs ran about two or three cents each. On Sunday you killed a chicken, and had a big dinner, for a total cost of about 85 cents. On Saturday night you went to the movies, and it cost you about 75 cents for two, and , they threw in a piece of china or something. After the show, two hamburgs, two pies, two coffees for 60 cents. Well, my dreams have been dispelled, and I know now that, aftet working for 35 years, I have no money in the bank, no cattle out west, and it costs me about five dollars a day to avoid freezing. I asked about the prices of some staple By Bill Sm'Iey • itfi7s andalmost went into a coma. My mother used to send me to the but- cher's for two pounds of hamburg, "and tell him we need some dog bones. The ham- burg was a quarter, or 25 .pennies, and the dog bones, with hunks of meat on them, were free. We made soup from them. Today, if there were such a thing as a real, live butcher (they are now meat -cutters), potluck idea. And nobody se the hamburg would cost me about four Ten years ago, backyard bucks, and the dog -bones, with a shred on the thing, and people vied` them, another 60 cents a pound. Poor Rover. people si,ro nau pari,les, and supplied all the - food and booze and coffee. Nowadays, the acronym BYOB has crept into the language, --- It means bring your own booze. And a salad, or a hot dish, or buttered rolls, or a dessert. Perhaps it's a good sign. Instead of everyone trying to outdo eyeryone, by hav- ing a bigger and more lavish party than the last couple, we've, got back to the pioneer ams to suffer. arbecues were o see who could. cook the thickest steak. Nowadays, you've got to be practically one of the jet set to see steak once a month. The rest of us just see it as we walk past the meat counters, look- ing for some stewing beef or a nice bit of brisket or tripe. Twenty years ago, we could go to a hotel in the city, spend $22 on a double room, take in a theatre, top quality, for eight bucks, and order delicious cold roast beef sandwiches from room service, for about $1.20 a throw, with all sorts of chips and pickles and a pot of coffee for 50 cents. Today, a similar room would be about $85, the theatre $50, the sandwiches $10, the cof- fee $5. We scarcely ever go to the movies any more. Seven bucks for two and mini chocolate bars, stale popcorn at about 50 cents a rattle. No wonder people watch re- runs of I Love Lucy. No wonder our doctors and lawyers and politicians need about $100,000 a year just to keep up. They can scarcely put bread on the table. And no wonder old people are eating dog - food. They can't even afford a can of beans. When I was a kid, we "put down" a barrel each of Maclntosh and Spy apples, in the cool cellar. They lasted most of the winter. Today, with four ordinary Delicious apples going at a quarter each, you'd have to fake a second mortage to do that. - Since my boyhood, butter is almost 10 times as much, bread, the same, milk the same. Eggs are only about six times as much. Hamburger is up more than 10 times as much. I wbuldn't even guess on cheese, which used -to be about 20 cents a pound. A head of lettuce is no longer something you feed the rabbits. Recently it was runn- ing about $1.50 a head, and there was almost a riot when a local store offered some at 48 cents a head. Pasty white junk, full of water. Celery was something you used to chomp by the stick, maybe with some cheese tuck- ed into its cleft. Now you hoard it, and eat the leaves in soup and serve it in little curls, keeping an, eye on who is hogging it at the party. ou y Party? What party Ab t 20 ears a'go,