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Clinton News-Record, 1985-5-22, Page 4Page 4—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNES AY,MAY22,1985 The Clinton Hews -Record 6s pub66abod each Wednesday at P.O. boa 39. Clinton. Ontario, Conaria, NOM 1L0. fol.: 462.3443. Subscription Roto: Ganda - 519.75 Sr. Citizen - 5116.75 por your U.S.A. foreign • 555.00 por year it In registered as second class moil by the post office under the permit number 0817. Tho Plows•Rgcord Incorporated in 19241 the Huron 'dews -Record, founded in_ 5881. and Tho Clinton lows Era. founded 6. 9865. foto' press runs 3.700. incorporating THE !LITH STANDARD Jo HOWARD AITKEN - Publisher SHELLEY McPHEE - Editor GARY HAISI - Advertising Manager MARY ANN HOLLENBECK - Office Manager MEMBER Display advertising rates available on request. Ask for Rote Cord No. 15 offortlyo October 1, 1984. On the right track The economical_ outlook for Bayfield is a costly one. This small municipality faces some crucial projects that carry expensive price tags and will undoubtedly burden the limited tax base of the village. Reeve Dave Johnston and council are tackling the projects head on and have established a 'priority list. On the agenda includes the salvaging of River Road, an immediate con- cern that will carry a high bill of repairs. As well, Bayfield is in desperate need of an adequate drainage system. The reeve describes the 'village as a `big, wet sponge" and a 25 year drainage plan for the ,the will cost well over $1 -million. Street lighting in the village has become obsolete and replacement parts for many lights are no longer available. It will cost at least $55,000 to update the system: In past years the municipality has built up its public works department equipment. . Last year alone $20,000 was spent on new machinery. Now the village needs a building to store this equipment. As well, th(v'l„1 a..ge must look at setting aside funds for the maintenance and preservation of municipal buildings before the buildings are beyond repair. A small reserve fund of $53,000 has been banked by the village for the upcoming projects, but this amount represents a mere fraction of the money that must come from the taxpayers in future years. . s1 au o enditures and debts by Council is preparing for the onslaught f exp identifying the problems and areas of concern and presenting a long term plan of work. It will be the responsibility of future councils and •village ratepayers to accept or reject the facts. Reeve Johnston has stressed that while villagers may choose to ignore the problems, avoiding the issue won't offer any solutions. Complaining about high taxes won't repair River Road or offer better lighting on village streets. Tabling the report in council on the village's drainage pro- , blems won't alleviate .the serious flooding and water quality in the municipality. - Bayfield council and the village ratepayers must be prepared to take a mature and responsible view of the financial forecast for the municipali- ty. The economic future may appear less than favorable for Bayfield, but the capital projects that have been presented are critical to the maintenance and future development of this growing municipality. - by S. McPhee KoIeidOScUpQ The Central Huron Secondary School tor - mal will be -held on May 31 and the end -of - school -year celebrations will soon follow. For high school students the end of school marks the biggest celebrations of the year. It's time to pack up the books, forget about studies and teachers, and celebrate sum- mer. The celebrations can be innocent fun, but they can also end in tragedy. Drinking and driving is the biggest pro- blem that is associated with graduation par- ties and school dances. This year the On- tario Provincial Police (OPP) hope to con- vince high school partygoers that drinking and driving cause senseless death and in- jury. The problem is not only a regional one, but can be found in schools across the country. Yearly news reports tell of the tragedies and destruction that are associated with the frenzied student parties. Across the border, in Detroit, at"least one high school has taken a responsible outlook on the problems that have been associated with alcohol, and teenagers in that school have made written pledges not to drink at this year's graduation parties. In Ontario, the OPP are seeking the help of parents and teachers to reduce the number of accidents involving teenagers and alcohol. "During 1985, International Youth Year, it is the special. objective of the OPP to have the young people of our province experience the safest motoring possible this spring and summer," reports J.F..Savage, superinten- dent director of the OPP Community Ser- vices Branch. To accomplish this objective, OPP Com- missioner Archie Ferguson is asking for a dooperative and concentrated effort by • parents and law enforcement officers to help young people truly understand the perils of drinking and driving, 6 r Lary goal is to help disabled Bear Editor: Helping more than 6,700 physically disabl- ed children in Ontario to progress in life is the primary goal of T1ie Easter Seal Society, Whether this takes the form of the provi- sion of a wheelchair, an artificial limb, a - camping holiday, transportation to and from treatment centres, the benefits of research programs, or a horse visit by an Easter Seal Nurse, the Society remains committed to supporting children and their families - a privilege which has been main- tained since our inception in 1922. The many services pr(,vided by The Easter Seal Society Would riot be possible without the hen('rosity of urclviduals and businesses across the province who rare about the quality of life available to children with physical handicaps They Would also be impossihlt of not for the centinue(I volunteer commitment X11 our 235 affihaled Easter Seal Service Clubs who spearhead Local fund raising campaigns, and administer Easter Seal funds on behalf of children living in , their respective communities. • The 1.ions Club of Clinton has been an active partner with Easter Seals since 1947. . Throughout these years, man past and pre- sent members have sacrificed long hours and determined efforts to help children and their families. We know this exceptional ,record of service is one which all of the club members take, pride in sharing. • Our heartfelt thanks to the entire curn- munity of Clinton for backing the thousands of young fighters served by Easter Seals through your contributions to the 1985 Easter Seal Campaign. . Sincerely yours, F. Howard Keast President Behind The Scenes By Keith RouIston The exti'a1\-at!atlt ('('On)i11y Everytitne f pull in at the Leis pumps i shake my head 'at the "}nigh cost'' of transport cajun but when I look at what we're trarisportint; these days. I wonder if the cost of petroleum shouldn't. have gone, 11 little higher. On the radio the other morning, fur in- stance, a florist was telling the inter ,lower that the flower he held had been in 1follanc1 26 hours earlier. There are oyster farms in H.c', that grow oysters to be flown by let to Boston and New York. Harrowsmith magazine in a recent article •cThe Thorns of Plenty- showed how cheap tr nsportatiori had distorted the agricultural economy all around the world. At the end of World War II, despite the massive shipments of food to war -ravished Europe, there was little movement of agricultural products around the world. To- day ships and planes carry huge amounts of every agricultural product, are on the move in record numbers. Cheap transportation has allowed our supermarkets to have something that vaguely resembles fresh strawberries, corn on the cob and tomatoes in darkest .January. • it has also led to the global "supermarket" agricultural system where whole countries specialize in specific• commodities that they can produce more cheaply than others. So we have disasters like Ethiopia as govern- ments, in need of foreign dollars, shift farm production from necessities for life to coffee or cotton or, in Ethiopia's case white beans, it has hurt elsewhere too. Canadian sheep producers, for instance, have a hard time competing against lamb from New Zealand. Police officers are embarking 'on a full scale vehicle spot check program on the roads, The OPP warn that this summer they will maintain an intense spot check pro- gram that will equal the anti -drinking and driving campaigns that they wage each Christmas. By Shelley McPhee Educators are encouraged to discuss the dangers of drinking and driving with their e students in the classroom. Schools, both public and secondary, should make an effort to include their subject in their teachings. The OPP also stress that parents can use their influence to encourage their children not to drink and drive and to pass their message on to their peers. The glamor and excitnient that is wrongfully associated with alcohol con- sumption and driving has to be removed. Commissioner Ferguson says, "OPP of- ficers will do their part through their ongo- ing vehicle spot check programs, making a special effort to deter our youth from drink- ing and driving. With parents and teachers sharing the responsibility, we'll save lives and stop accidents." Nothing to do? Can't find anything to do? Not much in- terests you? Any local resident who has this kind of negative attitude has surely been living under a rock. In this area there are so many events to take part in, so much entertainment to see, such a wide variety of activities, that it becomes a matter of careful picking and choosing, and unfortunately missing some. The Clinton Spring Fair on May 31 and June 1, the Clinton Kinsmen Barbecue on June 8, the CHSS formal on May 31 and the dinner -theatre at the school on May 23-25 are among the upcoming events. For recreation and sports minded people of all ages, the Clinton Fitness Week will be held from May 25 to 29. This exciting week includes activities ranging from badminton to a community fun run, a coloring contest and nutrition day. Sponsored by the Clinton Recreation Com- mittee, the community fitness week is being held to celebrate National Physical Activity Week. Be sure to get involved. Event details and times can be found in this edition of the News -Record. • Book worm paradise Another popular yearly event takes place in titytn on i une a aria z when 1-iuron County's Largest Used Book Sale is staged at the Blyth Festival. The. event features books at bargain prices for everyone, paperback and hard- cover, magazines and children's books. If you're interested in cleaning off your book shelves, donations can be made until May 25 at The Wardrobe, Bayfield; The Blyth Festival Office; Mary's Sewing Cen- tre, Clinton; Taylor's General Store, Belgrave or Church House Antiques, Hen- sall. Be sure to make room in your book case for'all the bargains that you'll find in Blyth. Girl Guides celebrate It was a great honor to meet the interna- tional leader of Girl Guides, The Honorable Betty Clay, when she visited Clinton last week. Mrs. Clay is the daughter of the late Lord and Lady Baden Powell, the couple that founded Scouts and Guides more than 75 years ago. Mrs. Clay's visit to Clinton was a perfect prelude for the special celebration that Clin- ton and Area Guides will hold on June 29 at the Clinton Legion. That afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m. all former Guides and area leaders will meet for reunion. Guiding has been active in this area for more than 50 years and the first reunion to be held promises to be a special event. If you have old Guide uniforms, history and momentoes that can be donated for the reunion, please contact a local Guide le«uer•. As well the local history has one major miss- ing link, information regarding the Guide group that was active at CFB Clinton. Can you help? In upcoming weeks we'll be giving mor TIP details about the June 29 reunion. Prestigious appointment - Dr. John O. • Buffinga, currently lecturer in the Department of Germanic Studies of the University of British Columbia, was ap- pointed Professor of German language and.. ' literature in the Department of German and - Russian of Memorial University of New- foundland. John is the sonlaf Mr. and Mrs. Duke Buffinga of RR 1, Blyth; and is a graduate of CHSS in Clinton. • ,U fust it was fust frozen lamb but recently Nest /* aland has started flying chilled lamb 11, 1 ;nada to compete on the fresh meat market. We ourselves arc -guilty of upsetting Local economics when we jump in our cars for a trip to the city to save a few cents on this or that iters over that we'd pay locally, thus trantrring money out of 'our own local economy to the city economy. When transportation was difficult in the early days of Canada, lncal economies were diversified., We had barrel factories and pot- teries and even breweries. All these en- treproneurs saw the conning of the railway as their chance to become rich. They could sec transportation as their chance to get a piece of the markets of big cities and other towns. Of course for every business that pro- spered, hundreds were wiped out as larger plants in the cities, even in other countries, hrought in cheaper, mass-produced goods. 1,(uaking at the scarcity of petroleum pro- ducts in the long term of the world, can we afford to fly flowers from Holland to Toron- to" ('an we afford to have strawberries from Mexico in January? Even if petroleum- based fuels are so cheap that such, trrnsportation of frills makes sense on the hooks of tho distributers, should there be another syste,n of accounting, a system that takes into account the cost of use of scarce resources or the cost to the ecological system of pollution from all these ships and aircraft flying around on unnecessary trips? How long can the world .:'rppc,rt us in the manner to which we are becoming ac- customed? Dutch Delight Sugar and Spice By Shelley McPhee I o i nig fact A LONG, hard winter. About 14 feet of snow in these parts. A blizzard in March. Another in April. A cold, brutal spring, with a cutting wind every day, even when the sun shone. However, that is quite normal for people in this country whose ancestors were stupid enough to emigrate to Canada, instead of Australia or South Africa or Southern California. I got, through it, somehow, getting up every day at the crack of noon to look out the window, see the snow swirling; say a bad word or two, and climb back into bed with a book, hoping someone would come to dig me out. Or, failing that, that everyone would leave me alone, to be found in June, in bed, and in extremis. It wasn't so had, really. My daughter and grandboys carne for the March break. And break it was. Ben seems to be hyper. He never walks when he can dance. He never shuffles when he can jump. He kicked out one of the spokes in my staircase. But he can't be hyper, because he can sit and watch TV for eight hours withoutmoving a muscle or even blinking. So- much for psychiatry. And my son, Hugh, visited every few weeks, when he wasn't off in Central America, not being shot or captured or kid- napped in Nicaragua. He wasn't even tor- tured. Yet, in Toronto, he was. Three drug- gies broke in on him, beat him up, poured boiling water all over him, smashed a kneecap with a hammer, and cleaned out all his hi-fi equipment. Funny world, eh? Of course, the kids love their father like a father. Always hugs and kisses, a tradition in our family. But I have to keep an eye on By Bill Smiley the bums. They're both alwaysbroke, and they know the old man has a few nickels in the sock. Kim sighs, "Boy, I'd like to have a house some day." And Hugh admits that he could get a $1,000 electric piano into his room. He has instant recall. But he also has instant forgetfulness. Like who supplied the funds for his Centtal American sashay. I'll give you a hint. It was a close relative. But all these things, and even the fact that I haven't paid my 1983 t yes, that's 19831 in- come tax yet, have not created the malaise I feel this spring. There's something deer . . I'm losing face. Oh, I don't mean m: physical face. It's disintegrating just iii..; yours, and yours. No. I'rn fall+*„ behind in the race. My pride has b." ,1 badly bruised, and I can find no solution, even though my pride is pretty tenuous, and the solution seems simple. Every so often, one of my old friends in- vites me out to dinner. I don't know why. I'm about as sociable as a hibernating bear. Nonetheless, I accept with gratitude and an- ticipation: the wine flowing, the political and philosophical conversation, the change from frozen chicken pies. And every time it happens, I sort of slink into a material corner. Know why? Because every one of them has several things I don't have. You name it, they have it. After a meal, I suggest helping with the dishes. "No pro- blem, Bill, we'll just put them in the electric dishwasher." I wash mine in the kitchen sink, in a brown plastic bowl. When I wash them, which is at least twice a week. Then we spend half an hour talking about dishwashers: price, quality, length of ex- istence. outlier is urougitt to the table, everything piping hot, and I learn, very quickly, that it was all cooked in something like 12 minutes, in the new microwave oven. That's good for another half-hour, as the ladies compare brands and recipes. Then, when I'm hoping for nothing worse • than a re -run on TV, I find that mine hosts have a VCR, whatever that is, and we're about to watch a movie that at least three thousand people saw when it first came out, in 1939. Wow. Over brandy and cigars, we don't listen to records of Bach or Gershwin or Handel. We listen to tape recorders and compare prrcel and makes and decide on where th speakers should be. I sit in a corner, nodding pleasantly. I don't have any of these things, and can't even discuss them with knowledge, let alone animation. Oh, I don't have a back -house. I do have a television set and get the right channel four out of 10 times. I have a stove and a refrigerator. I handle the fridge quite well. I have electric lights and a furnace. But I don't have a dishwasher, excer myself, not a microwave oven, or a VCh nor a home computer. I am a failure. Perhaps it's because I am not too mechanical. My wife used to handle all that. nonsense. She could change a plug in the flash of an eye, while I was looking for the flashlight. I do have a vacuum cleaner, and I can run that. I got an electric shaver for Christmas, and it took me four days to try it. I was scared. It's now broken. I have a food blender, but don't know how to work it. Pret- ty sad story for a guy who flew Spitfires.