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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-10-24, Page 4THS ADV • ACE "4.4.1zZ,00 EIjc t='tngIja m fibbance-Qinieg Published at Wingham, Ontario, P.O. Box 390 - NOG 2W0 by Wenger Bros. Limited Barry Wenger, President Henry Ness, Editor Robert 0. Wenger, Sec.-Treas. Audrey Currie, Advertising Manager Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Member—Canadian (Community Newspaper Assoc. Subscriptions $20.00 per year Second Class Mail Registration No. 0821 Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc. Six months $11.50 Return postage guaranteed Make haste slowly It is good to hear that, contrary to initial impressions, the council of the Town of Wingham does not plan to rush headlong into hiring. a zoning adminis- trator. There may be some very good rea- sons why a zoning official, whether full or part -titer would be a good invest- ment for the town. There are equally good reasons for proceeding slowly and with a great deal of caution. Undoubtedly the town has encount- ered problems in recent years relating to interpretation and enforcement (or lack of same) of its zoning bylaws. It can be argued that a zoning adminis- trator.could have forseen and headed off these difficulties. But at what cost? With the exception of the case of the truck wash, inwhich council has - chosen to pursue the route of litigation, at a yet unknown cost in fees and ex- penses, all of the outstanding conflicts have been or are in the process of being satisfactorily resolved. A number of the duties and respon- sibilities spelled out in the job descrip- tion for the zoning administrator are currently being handled at no extra charge by staff, from the county plan- ning office. Others fall to council itself or its planning advisory committee. It is only in the past few years that TIMES A page o council has begun to make a de- termined effort to pay close attention to zoning codes — at least partially the result of having its nose forcibly rubbed in gem — and to show more than a per ctory interest in and re- spect for the opinions of its advisory committee. There is reason to believe that with the proper policies in place and consistently followed, the present system might yet be made to work quite well. A town like ours does not need and cannot afford a large bureaucracy, neither in the cost of sustaining it nor the frustrations of dealing with it. Councils over the years have done a ,reasonably good job in making their decisions. If they have not always gone exactly by the book, they liave gener- ally shown a good appreciation for what the community wanted or would accept. And if they strayed too far, they have on occasion been brought up short. Earlier councils learned through ill-fated experiments with a town ad- ministrator and a works commissioner` that what sounds good in theory some- times falls short of expectations in ac- tual practice. This council should consider very carefuljy before ventur- ing down the same -bath. Compulsory propane check Owners of propane -powered motor vehicles will find themselves without any source of fuel unless they have their equipment safety checked before the first of January. A pamphlet re- leased by the Ontario government last week states that every propane -power- ed vehicle in the province must be examined by 'a properly licensed me- chanic before a certificate of approval can be issued. Without that certificate and the accompanying windshield. sticker no fuel supplier will be permit- ted to refuel. such vehicles. The penalty for disobeying this section of the reg- ulations will .be a $10,000 fine and -or a few months in jail for the.gas retailer. The new (and very stern) regula- tions have arisen following a few in- stances in which propane -powered ve- hicles have exploded and burned, apparently due to faulty /installations or where fuel -line leaks have de- veloped. The pamphlet is Tess than informa- tive about where licensed inspectors are to be found. The advice providedis simply that the owners should "inquire around" in his or her own neighbor- hood. Supposedly one could obtain the necessary information by calling long distance to one of the telephone num- bers provided in the folder. Propane, which has proven itself an economical fuel, has certain prop- erties unlike those of gasoline. One of these is the fact that the gas is heavier than air, and consequently, if a leak oc- curs, the gas will concentrate in the lower levels of the building in which the vehicle is housed. In that case even the glow of a lighted cigarette could spell disaster. - The service statkhs which sell the fuel are required to employ a licensed operator even to fill vehicle tanks. No tank is ever to be filled beyond 80 per cent of full capacity, to allow for ex- pansion in warm weather. Whatever the inconvenience it would be wise to have the necessary safety check 'done at once. Rules need tightening There are rumors that the Ontario PCs intend to tighten the rules which govern the selection of candidates who will vote at their leadership convention in January. Although each riding as- sociation is free to set its own rules for delegate selection, a rush of "instant" party members prior to two leadership conventions in recent years (both PC and Liberal), has given rise to a new sense of caution. Loading riding association meet- ings with members who will favor delegates to support a given candidate is basically undemocratic. It is at the riding association level that our partic- ular form of self-government has lis foundation. In one of the instances mentioned above no less than 174 Por- tugese Canad'.ans were added to one riding's membership list in the few days immediately prior to the meeting. In the Kitchener area several Amway representatives joined the association on the eve of voting. Our particular political system has, like most -Others, certain flaws and imperfections but we should eliminate as many as possible. "Rigging" of any democratic vote is abhorrent, whether at the federal, provincial or even at the local board level. Far-reaching effects Since we are not familiar with many of the details of the demands put forward by the Canadian members of the United Auto Workers we cannot pass judgment of the validity of their cause. A, $13.00 per hour they would ap- pear to be among the more fortunate workers at present — but the decision to strike is their own and they will have to live with the -consequences. It is quite another matter, how- ever, for the employees of those firms which supply parts for the auto makers and whose employees will be thrown out of work even though they are quite satisfied with their own wages and working conditions. Already one firm in Cambridge has been forced to start layoffs because of the strike at GM and others will follow suit. Nor is it only city plants which will be affected. For example, Western Foundry Co. Ltd. in Wingham Is an im- portant supplier to dne of the Big Three auto makers and could suffer severely if the strike should extend itself to more than one of the big companies. Strikes, like wars, are no respect- ers of persons. editorial opinion October 24 Annul 'y,BP17/Ce, now r a -t we'Pe dresoed, how ci you //Ire Tobe/p feed -fie p%q4- ?" New Books in the Library FRONT PAGE H1STORY by Harold Evans This is a collection of front- pagg1stories from the world's newspapers from 1900 to 1982. It proves to be a shattering, exciting and often traumatic, pictoral history — a mirror off our time. TRUE TALES OF THE GREAT LAKES by Dwight Boyer Fire, ice, fog and collision make up these vivid tales of disaster, heroism, drama and tragedy. The stories are authentic from sacrifice and bravery to carelessness and sometimes plain bad luck. JUST WATCH ME by Larry Zolf This is a book remem- bering Pierre Trudeau. With sleights of hand, with many masks, playing bizarRe roles in front of their very eyes, this 15th prime minister bedazzled the people for 16 years and suddenly they awoke to ask "What did he do to us?" Larry Zolf an- swers this question with his many photographs, anec- dotes and withering wit. Items from Old Files OCTOBER 1937 Mr. and Mrs. -Laurie To accommodate all the VanVelsor, • who were re - classes under the •nyw cently married, were guests curriculum for high schools and collegiate institutes, it may be necessary for the high school board to build an addition to the high school. The new course of study includes shop work and domestic economy and it is owing to lack of space for the 'teaching of these subjects that it may' be found necessary to enlarge the school. • H. Bryans, who was on the teaching staff in Wroxeter last year; is now teaching in ElrnvvbOd.: 1:.t.; .11 Some Belmorites made a good showing at local fairs. • Miss Edna Johann received a numberof prizes for her roadster, saddle riding and hurdle jumping and C. M. Playter carried off a number of prizes .for his herd'of cattle. E. M. Snell of Toronto has purchased the Griffin house at the corner of John Street and Carling Terrace. Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Bishop, who have occupied this house for the ..past few years, are taking up residence in the Field Apartments. The Glee Club of Wingham High School organized for the coming year and elected Creighton Reid, Doris Armitage, Dorothy 'Golley and Harold McCallum •of a scholarship winner at ficers. The club is under the Toronto University at leadership of Miss McLarty -convocation ceremonies. She of honor at a party given by their many friends in Wrox- . eter and community, when they were presented with a beautiful wanut walnut book- case: OCTOBER 1949 , Chamber of Commerce. . OCTOBER 1960 President W. T. CruickshankAsmains a and Secretary Vin Dittmer majordequate problemtaff reat the were the delegates appointed Wingham General Hospital, to the first Ontario Regional accordingmittedby toChaa° reportirman Roy sub Inference in Mount Forest. tracks to the Fina station. The government an Cousins of the mans ement , , wort the Hamilton Fisk Biggar Scholarship. A considerable number of golfers met to form a new Golf Club for this community and elected new officers for the club. President is John Cruickshank; vice president, Wilfred French; secretary, Norman Welwood and treasurer William Conron. Association at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. Two CKNX employees of long standing were feted by their fellow employees. Jack Mitchell and John Krug are leaving Wingham next week, Jack to go to a station at Lethbridge, Alberta, and John to a new TV station in Montreal. Bert Armstrong, who has operated the B.A. service station on Josephine. Street for • the past 21°, years, will move his garage operation just north of the C.N.R. pounced Fridayth tt. Wil z Wo -c 8 nsa. sa apaq� g , 9 j'�mtttee..a r, Jnr a as t ask Parliament to prtde a gng ` ral ' f.0 , "' y, 't �' ° $'''` a .:ap .a �s permanent official home'for nurses are needed, although residence on John Street, have purchased the E. S. Gauley residence on Charles Street and, ' with their daughter Joanne, will move in shortly. Donald Rae won the Labatt Trophy and the club prize as top marksman in the first annual trap shoot sponsored by the Wingham Sportsmen's Club. Canada's Prime Minister in a 19th century greystone mansion that overlooks the Ottawa River and the hills of Quebec. ... Dr. Ford of Peterborough is locating in Fordwich. He, with Mrs. Ford and their three children, will reside in Anson Demerling's home at title garage. Mr. Demerling has moved to the new home which he erected last summer. Norman Dickenson, who has for the past year been on the staff of, the Canadian Bank of Commerce here, has been transferred to Seaforth. I. H. J. Blakely of Seaforth is now on the bank staff here. Miss Leslie Mae Wall was a replacement has been secured for theoperating room. There. has • been one resignation id the office and the position has been filled by an employee from another department. Miss Newell, former director of nursing, has submitted her • resignation due to ill health. Elmer D. Bell, Q.C., 51 - year -old Exeter lawyer, was elected president by ac- OCTOBER 1970 elamation at the general In Clinton, Wingham meeting , of the Ontario women's ball team defeated Progressive Conservative Brucefield to. win the Western Ontario cham- pionship. The entire Wingham team played ex- tremely well, especially Doris Coultes with her outstanding pitching and Joyce Taylor who did a great job behind the plate. • Special Thanksgiving service 'was held in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, when Rev. R. H. Armstrong dedicated a new microphone, a gift of the choir to the congregation, to • aid in presenting a more effective acoustical system. f�t of the coir, •a� o ggatt, activated k * crophone. Premier John Robarts announced in the Ontario Legislature that the hospital insurance organization (OHSC) and the medical' coverage (OHSIP) will be amalgamated. Implementa- tion of the merger is 'to be completed by July 1972. Student minister . Victor, Wybenga has been engaged' as minister by the congrega- tions of Whitechurch and Langside Presbyterian Churches. . The lonely will suffer HAVE AN APPLE, CHIEF—Michael Nolan and Paul Deslauriers got their man Saturday morning, tracking down Police Chief Robert Wittig and selling him an ap- ple as the, Wingham Beavers held their annual Apple Day. The Scouts were also out on Saturday morning, conducting their fall paper drive in Wingham and the sur- rounding area. Bell Canada estimates that if Its plans for rate restructuring are carried out, up to 160,000 lower -incomes house- holds in Ontario and Quebec will find they cannot afford their own tele- phones. Bell foresees the possibility of doubling the rates for private tele- phones and thus lowering the present high rates for long distance calls. The matter has come to a head be- cause CNCP Telecommunications has an application before the Canadian Radio -Telecommunications Commis- sion for the right to compete with Bell in the long distance market, -presum ably at a considerably lower rate level. Should Bell's domestic rates be- come so high that thousands of homes would give up their service, the worst sufferers would be the elderly and the lonely. Many older people who are no longer able to be out and around their communities would find life increas- ingly difficult without their telephones. In some cases the telephone' is their only link with the world outside their homes; their most 'important tie to families and friends and often their only. means of securing necessary drugs and services. Bell's response to this aspect of service, curtailment is that the federal government would have to subsidize poor people's phone bills. Not entirely unexpected. The old "let Jake do it" attitude. Optimist contributions top $14,000 in 1984 The Wingham andJDistrict Optimist Club has contributed more than $14,000 to the town during its past fiscal year, club spokesman John Chippa reports. He said year-end figures show the club has funded 6wIonated in one form or another a total of $14,600 to organizations, events and equipment in Wingham since Sept. 30 of last • year. Some of those expenditures include $1,987 to the Wingham Minor Ball Association for the purpose of a pitching machine, $1,703 to the Wingham Recreation Board for a giant spiral slide at the pool, $1,090 to the Wingham Track and Field Club for the purchase of equipment, an additional $828 to the new ball park at Riverside Park, $600 to the Wingham Figure Skating Club, $500 to the Wingham Scouts for their Scout House project, $500 to the Wingham Cardio- pulmonary Resuscitation Committee for equipment upkeep and $350 to the Wingham Junior OtherCitizens. donations have gone to the Wingham Group Home, the Day Centre for the Homebound, awards of excellence at the Wingham Public School and to the Ontario Federation fir Cerebral Palsy. As well, the Optimist club has funded youth functions like the fishing derby, bike rodeo, tri -star hockey program, Atom hockey tournament, outdoor skating rink and family Christmas party, he noted. Overall, the figures show an increase of more than $4,000 over the club's con- tributions to the town during 1982-83. Mr. Chippa said the Optimists are hoping that with upcoming fundraising projects such as the Hallowe'en dance, cheese sale, New Year's Eve dance, Monte Carlo night and elimination draw and the regular weekly bingos the club can increase its con- tributions again in the coming year.