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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-12-08, Page 5r ttn way two het whi they ;elv ter buse of Dun e ne ;ly fact the one )ect lung iren of ing I to is n re b e )od • DOM oing atop mu )gyo Ire s Sinc R.T -Sec 'ounc ),r ole 3 lis on y. uneral It esP ime.. ekend ; unda d Mc 11 Ca egun ;anta on Sa ,ds of g out event float ubs, s tstrie llasb sykesda-�e_ • � — GOD ERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, I977—PAGE 5: ?•-, f • The fact that people are human makes life interesting, at times complicated and quite often humorous. • , , ,„ t.. People have to live and learn by their mistakes and chalk up the occasional faux pas to experience. But the people of the city of Florence, Oregon aren't quite sure they will be able to survive, living under the rules of a recent ordinance passed by their sage town fathers. You see, it seems that the city council unknowingly whipped up a bylaw condemning sex, even between consenting partners bonded in a marriage contract. Simply, the city of Florence inad- vertently passed a bylaw banning sex in that community. Last week a new ordinance passed by the council says it is illegal to have sexual intercourse "while in or in view of a public or private place.", But in ac- tuallty what the city council was trying to do was ban lovemaking in public places - and in private places that can be seen from public places. But while the ordinance became law in the city of Florence nobody figured out, until some time later, that the wording of the bylaw, in effect, rules out sex in public or in private. Naturally the bylaw has taken the starch out of many sheets, not only in Florence, but across the continent. If such a bylaw was to catch on with other councils, in Canada for instance, it would have serious consequences for all of us, not to- mention a rash of acne problems. "Now they are going to govern our sex lives and strip us of all our freedoms," a friend in the, newsroom commented. "If things have to be this way why don't they just tax sex like they do with cigarettes or liquor." l« "I know it doesn't seem fair," I commented. "Why it's so ridiculous that even Anita Bryant couldn't endorse that one." "But seriously, are we to live in fear that a bylaw enforcement officer, such as Dick Eisler, is lurking in the night ready to slap a ticket on our smallest advance?" he queried. "Will our courts be overcrowded with lusting gentlemen who offered a frisky glance towards their mate in a moment of weakness?" "I don't think it should come to that," I commented optimistically. "I mean how could any criminal lawyer prove that a .man's longing glance was a masquerade for licentiousness?" "Well why would they have to prove anything in the first place?" he coun- tered. "Are we to be deprived of a parting peck as we rush off to do battle in the business world jungle. Is Johnny U Carson going to become the most ex,, citing thing ever to come along after the II o'clock news/" "It could put a damper on the motel business," I said. "But you are right. Man does not live_..,by Johnny Carson alone." "Why the whole thing would change our Canadian way of life," he suggested. "From now on fathers across the country would never get the opportunity to take their sons aside and explain the xfacts of life as he had been taught by his father. There just wouldn't be any reason for it." "Well at least we could be sure they aren't learning_anything on the street," I said. "But yoff know man has always had a penchant for getting away with something that is against the law. It's rather intriguing." "Yea, You're right," he said, "If it is against the law it is bound to flourish." THE WEEK AFTER Exeter town council has finally tented and will enter an agreement th Jerry Sprackmart of Hawleaf evelopments Ltd. to proceed with the !ding of a new shopping centre. And the downtown merchants had it final hid to stop the development toed as their plea to have council vote whether a permit should be issued sdenied. The businessmen have the ion to apply for an injunction but they old also be responsible for any aping damages. tichael Mitchell, acting on behalf of town of Exeter, said that a writ could INFORMATION, BACKGROUND AND OPINION HERE IN HURON be secured by the developer to force council to provide him with a building permit and that such a writ would be successful with some qualifications. The businessmens lawyer, Jim Dunlop, said that council proceeded on the notion that they had no alternative but to grant a building permit. He claimed that notion was incorrect and the permit could have been refused on the grounds that the shopping centre was to be built on industrial zoned land. He also argued that it was not in keeping with the aim of the official plan, that was to maintain. and strengthen the down- town core. Mitchell said the agreement with the town was a realistic one adding that the town's approach was fair and equitable. But Dunlop charged council with playing ostrich by asking the businessmen to take their chances in seeking to stop the development. Sprackman claimed his firm had acted properly in its presentation and kept everything above board. He also said that if there is to be any disagreement to the project it should come from the businessmen .and. not council. Bob Swartman, representing the Exeter businessmen at the meeting, said his group was ;only interested in being given a fair audience. He added that the businessmen were afraid of the development because it threatened their livelihood. He concluded by saying that council had listened' to themfairly. With the development, the town will realize an additional $20,000 annually in tax revenue. Mayor Bruce Shaw said that council will likely be criticized for' entering .into the agreement but added they would have been criticized regardless of the decision. Council passed a••'motion to approve the agreement and open, the way for the shopping centre and• they passed a second motion calling for the building inspector to issue a building permit. In speaking with both council and the businessmen, Sprackman believed the shopping centre development would not hurt the majority of business in the core area, But he was cautious in predicting that food stores would suffer from the :competition of Zehrs, if they weren't careful. Sprackman indicated that Zehrs and a bank were the only tennants of the shopping centre to date. But he did expect that the centre would also house a drug store, a dry cleaning outlet and a laundromat. The Toronto developer said the merchants would he surprised to find that the shopping centre would attract more business to the community in general. Businessman Ron Contrell, expressed a concern about the second phase of the development and Sprackman said he was in no hurry to proceed with that phase. He said it would take a few years for the shopping centre tenants to become permanent: PROVINCIAL POINTS e Ontario Federation of Labor He said that other unions would be unveiled a plan to fight unem- urged to make this a part of their ;meet that called for a shorter work bargaining platform in future kandcurtailment of overtime. negotiations. The OFL is a co-ordinating e resolution was just one of eight body of unions with a total of 800,000 estions adopted by the delegates to members in Ontario. „' OFL convention, of ways for Affiliates include most big unions such iiststoassist the unemployed. as the United Auto Workers, United eshorter work week, which wasn't Steelworkers and the Canadian Union of rly defined hut believed to be at 30 or -Public Employees. Construction and ours, and the cutback on overtime, other related unions are also members dspread work to those without jobs, of the OFL. resolution said. Clifford Pilkey, The delegates also resolved to dent of the OFL said the goal was to organize vigils before government a shorter work week with no buildings to publicize the job situation. ase inpay. They said labor councils will set up centres to assist the unemployed and lobby and demonstrate for action from politicians. To back up their words, delegates marched on Queens Park last week to demand job -creating programs. Sam Fox, president of the Metro Toronto Labor Council announced that the United Community Fund granted his council $18,000 to set up a store front centre to help the unemployed. Several delegates were critical of -the OFL resolutions, calling for mass action or protest strikes over unemployment. Fox said practical help was needed for the unemployed and not resolutions. The unemployment situation has now reached the point that many despairing of finding a job are committing suicide, a fact cited by workers at a Toronto distress centre. Reverend Gordon Winch of Distress Centre One is predicting a record number of up to 375 deaths this year a 15 per cent increase over last year. Winch said he was particularly surprised by the number of callers who are not only depressed about not having a job now, but see no hope of having one five years down the road. But other workers at the centre say the correlation between unemployment and suicides is seen differently by different people. One worker claimed that it was not just being out of work, but also the social alienation that goes with joblessness and the hopelessness of ever finding a job that is pushing people to suicide. Winch said that his prediction of up to 50 more deaths than usual is disturbing since the number ,has remained pretty stable for the past six years. The semi- annual figures from the provincial coroner's office shows the 1977 January to June suicide figures already ahead of last year's tally. During the first half of this year 181 people killed themselves in Toronto compared with 150 during the same time last year, The annual Toronto figure has remained near 300 for six years. The total for 1976 was 325, the highest recorded figure since records were kept starting in 1964. That yr, 330 people took their lives. The figure in Toronto may reach 400 this year and as is the case across the province much of the despair stems from the economic disparity in the country. une Minister Pierre Trudeau and ec Premier Rene Levesque_agreed sagree and raised a glass of French to each other and said, "Here's in your eye." though Trudeau and Levesque have ed to work together over the next years to solve Canada's economic leets the two leaders were still etrically opposed on the political eofthe nation and the prajince. vesque indicated just how far 'apart leaders are on the question of nal unity, when he told newsmen tourist paradise of Bermuda mea hotbed of violence as rioters and burned buildings in protest hanging of two convicted black last week. hngbands of black youths wentontubing rJmpage and police said :asoline bombs set off at least six fires. The worst fire was reported 'uorwarehouse and it lit up the sky he city of Hamilton. most of the tourists weren't hurt or ytheir riotingotels as they are con- y a dusk -to -dawn CANADA IN SEVEN that he would get involved in a federal election campaign if Trudeau calls a vete next summer with constitutional reform as the issue. But it was the Prime Minister who said, "Here's mud in your eye" as they split a French wine bottled in 1967, Canada's centennial year. "The same to you, buddy." Levesque replied. After the leaders had dined they then agreed to disagree. Simply, Trudeau wants Quebec to stay in confederation while Levesque wants Quebec to leave and become an independent country. In meetings with other provincial premiers Trudeau has brought cabinet ministers and advisors but when he met with Levesque for four hours, it was in a one-on-one situation. The main reason for the intimacy is that Levesque can't qand Marc Lalonde, the minister of federal -provincial relations. Levesque told Trudeau that his government would not engage in federal - provincial discussion of constitutional change before the Parti Quebecois referendum On independence. Levesque mow. has indicated that would not take place before 1979. Levesque did say that he would probably attend a federal -provincial conference on the constitution if it were called next year but only to block action and assert the PQ position. Most of four hours between the leaders was spent on economic problems but neither offered any details of the talks. They talked on national unity for three quarters of an hour and Levesque said they were opposed to unity until the Quebec people have a chance to decide WDRLDWEEK curfew after the trouble began. The rioting and burning was started following the hanging of Erskine Durnat Burrows and Larry Winfield Tacklyn, both 33, in the seclusion of Case Mtes Prison, 16 kilometl'es west of the resort island's capital. Burrows, who claimed to be the leader of a black power organization called the Black Cadre Apti-Colonists, was con- victed of killing five men, including Bermuda's governor and its police chief. Tacklyn was hanged for the killing of two supermarket owners. After the inter -islands Appeals Court - Bermuda's highest tribunal -turned down a final appeal at the last 'minute, hun- dreds of rioters took to the streets, smashing windows with pipes and axes and setting fires. This prompted Governor Sir Peter Ramsbotham to declare the curfew and send the island's tiny 300 man military regiment out onto the streets to back up police patrols. But the curfew, which affected everyone on the island, was useless in its attempt to prevent a night of violence. On Friday night the Gosling Brothers liquor warehouse in the heart of Hamilton's tense black district was still blazing and the sound of thousands of bottles of Jamaican rum going 'pop' could clearly be heard in the streets. Flames from the fire could be seen leaping 80 feet into the night. At the same time the Piggly-Wiggly supermarket on the east end of the island went up in flames. Other reports said that a perfume factory was burning and a Molotov cocktail had burned down a laundromat as well as two other stores. while he said he would fight for a renewal outside the federal system. Trudeau on the other hand,.will fight to maintain the present system, with a little patching up. Trudeau suspected that Levesque would, block constitutional reform until he presented hisi•referendum and if he failed to gain a mandate for separation he would call an election. If elected again Levesque would likely hold another referendum. The Quebec Premier said that he and Trudeau agreed that "as much as possible we will try to keep working • _ together." to overcome the economic problems of the country. Trudeau confirmed the statement at a press conference saying to ease unemployment and spur activity in stagnating sectors of the economy. But as the two leaders met an army of civil servants, academics and private experts in Quebec were mobilized to prepare the arguments that will be used in the campaign leading to the referendum on Quebec's future. The reports are expected to he completed by next May and will be ready for publication before the end of 1978. But the tourists were untouched and continued to enjoy their holidays. The two convicted men were hung at dawn Friday while politicians, trade unionists and church representatives sent a petition to the British Governor, Sir Ramsbotham, urging him to com- mute the sentences. Even in Washington Bermudian students paraded in front of the British Embassy before presenting a letter asking the Queen to stop the hangings. Lawyers acting for Tacklyn asked for a stay of execution on the grounds that his trial was unconstitutional and his punishment cruel and unjust. The island has limited self govern- ment relying on Britain to take care °L.. defence and foreign affairs. Britain abolished the death penalty for murder in 1965, but the island parliament voted two. yehrs ago to retain the. death penalty. Now a committee has been formed to try to get capital punishment out-lawed and was planning further protests. Despite the violence and the curfew imposed, it had little effect on the tourist trade in the usually docile Atlantic holiday island.