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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-05-08, Page 4THE ADVAACE NNET'MES A page of editorial opinion €0007044t. Qije instant ZibbancerJirneo Published at Wingham, Ontario, P.O. Box 390 - NOG 2W0 by Wenger Bros. Limited Barry Wenger, President. Robert 0. Wenger, Sec.-Treaa Henry Hess, Editor Audrey Currie, Advertising Manager , Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations Member—Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc. Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc. Subscriptions $21.00 per year $23.00 beyond 40 -mile zone ' Second Class Mail Registration No. 0821 Six months $12.50 Return postage guaranteed Let the people decide Since the Wingham Town Council, has already decided to place questions on the ballot this fall regarding the fates of the upper and lower dams, it would also be an opportune time to sound out voters on another question: the three-year council term. The three-year term was imposed by the provincial government in 1982 at the request of a few large municipal- ities which claimed it cost too much to hold elections every second year. How- ever no account was taken, then or since, of the objections from the multi- tude of smaller towns, villages and townships which portested that the three-year term would make it tougher to recruit good council members and would weaken a council's accounta- bility. If a community is not happy with the direction its council is taking, it still must wait three years to give it its come-uppance, during which time a great deal of harm can be done. It would appear, just from local experience, that many of the predicted problems have come to pass. There has been reluctance, especially by the best - qualified people who tend to be busy with other responsibilities, to commit themselves to a three-year term, and there appears to have been a larger than usual number of mid-term resig- nations. There also seems to be more in -fighting within councils, with oppos- ing factions taking sides early in' the term and then battling tooth -and -nail for the duration. The three-year term was supposed to provide better continuity, by giving councillors a year to learn the ropes and then two years to set directions. If anything,, however, it seems to produce the opposite effect, at least in small municipalities where councillors are not attracted to office by the high sal- aries. It used to be a councillor, once elected, would serve for two or perhaps three terms, stretching the benefit of his or her training period over four or six years. Increasingly, at least from private comments, the reaction seems to be that three years is long enough. With declining government grants, stagnant population growth and ever - costlier services, . residents in small municipalities face enoughoblems these days without Queen's Park mak- ing things tougher. Protests by muni- cipal associations have been routinely ignored, but a signal directly from the voters might carry more .weight especially in light of the "new realities" of May 2. Minority govern- ments, facing a return to the polls at a moment's notice, tend to be more sensitive to the voters' wishes. The bully strikes again The man described recently in an editorial in Canada's leading daily newspaper as a "bizarre bully" has struck again. U.S. President Ronald Reagan announced last week that he is imposing a trade embargo against Ni- caragua, hoping to accomplish through economic sanctions what he has failed to do through his backing of the ter- rorist "contras" — toppling the San -4, dinista government. The description is a particularly apt one, for in choosing his victims Mr. Reagan has shown a clear preference for the small and weak, as in his trium- phant invasion of the tiny ,island of Grenada on the pretext — later found to have been largely fabricated - that it was being readied for use as a Cuban and Soviet military base. The president's virulent dislike of the Saninistas is difficult to explain in any rational terms. They have been ac- cused by Mr. Reagan of aiding and abetting revolutionary movements in neighboring countries and of assem- bling a sophisticated military machine which threatens the region, but to date • not a shred of factual evidence has been produced to support either charge. Their only proven "crime" has been to topple, with massive popular support, a U.S.-installed dictatorship which had plundered and terrorized the country. On the positive side a host of American and Canadian witnesses in- cluding visiting . politicians, church leaders and volunteer workers have Poor packaging Ontario's new premier, Frank Miller, is anice guy. The most fre- quently -used adjective applied to Frank Miller is "decent" — and we concur. But being "nice" and "decent" wasn't enough to carry his Progressive Conservative government to anything .._. but hair -thin victory last Thursday. Most of the pundits agree that he was the victim of bad management: instead of the down-home credibility of a small-town poiitician his campaign planners succeeded in hiding the real man behind the false front. Nor is it the first time Miller has been made the fall guy for the policy makers. Many people in this area remember him best as the minister who tried, unsuccessfully, to The last word The Kindersley (Sask.) it en re- cently carried this tale of on man's life and death:, The Browns had wanted a child for a long time and were ecstatic when, at last, a baby was born to them. They agonized over the choice of a name. The child was so special, they felt, that all the common names would be too or- dinary. Finally they settled on 'Fan- tastic'. Fantastic Brown had a wonderful childhood, except for all the teasing he took over his name. He hated It. He grew up, married and had children and continued to hate his name. He enjoyed testified that the Sandinistas are making real strides in improving the lot of the long -neglected common people, expanding the educational and health care systems to even the re- motest villages which had never known either. Meanwhile the contras, many of them remnants of former dictator An- astasio Somoza's hated and feared police force but now whimsically dubbed "freedom 'fighters" by Mr. Reagan, do their utmost to frustrate any progress, selecting teachers and medical workers as special targets for their murderous raids. Except for the president, this war appears to have few supporters even in the United States. Recently Congress signalled its displeasure by voting down a bill which would have provided an additional $14 million in military aid to the contras. That the president is able to continue to wage his war with- out congressional backing is sympto- matic of a weakness in the U.S. style of government. A Canadian leader may make a unilateral proclamation — as former Ontario premier William Davis did in the case of Separate school funding — but unless and until it is rati- fi ed by the Legislature it can never be implemented. Mr. Reagan has vowed to continue his war against Nicaragua until its leaders make what he calls a return to democracy. By his own actions, the president has shown he does not under- stand the meaning of the word. close local hospitals at Clinton, Chesley and Durham. -Added to alI this, his predecessor, William Davis, left the new premier with a declared policy of support for full funding of separate high schools to Grade_13--.a-proposal which was cre- tain to create deep divisions among Ontario voters. The irony was com- pleted by the fact that Davis was leav- ing office and the problem fell into Mil- ler's unready lap. With a bare four -seat majority, Ontario will face another election with- in the next two years and the premier faces a nerve-wracking balancing act to last even that long. He is welcome to the job. a successful professional life and, in his old age, became critically III. On his deathbed be begged his wife: "Please leave the Fantastic off my tombstone. Just put Brown." He 'died, and as he has asked, his wife left Fantastic off his tombstone. But just to have Brown and the birth and death dates would be too plain.. She wanted something about how wonder- ful a husband' he had been. So under Brown she had these words engraved: "During `his mar- riage.,, he never looked at another woman." And now, everyone who passes the tombstone murmurs: "Fantastic!" May 8, 1985 4: Te-, A M/A2i - /'lO7c 7 -44E --4;..F' S NC 6-U6/RgNTEE -._ yCv MrJy oc— ECT P/'v6 4 New Books, Irl, in the Library HOW To SHOOT AN AMA TEUR NATURALIST by Gerald Durrell The filming of the series "The Amateur Naturalist" took Durrell and his wife to diverse locations. From the most northerly Shetland Isle ,,to filming sea birds, to 'life and vegetation in the Sonorean Desert off the Southwest USA, they have seen it all. Many more ex- peditions were made and filmed and each is told with Durrell's characteristic humor and insight of animal life. THE CRY OF /THE KALA- HARI by Mark and Delia Owens This is a staggering record of wildlife in the Kalahari by two young scientists. With the barest of essentials, they headed straight into ' the wilderness setting up camp in Deception Valley. For seven years they studied and learned about the relation- ships between animals, their lifestyles and mating habits. It is a moving story of human endurance m an entirely iso- lated world. Items from Our Old Files MAY 1938 Following a meeting at Brussels of the men teachers of the Huron East in- spectorate, a local unit of the Provincial Public School Men Teachers' Federation was organized, with G. C. Grain of Blyth as the first president. K. L. Ashton of Brussels was named vice president and C. S. Sellers of Walton secretary -treasurer. The teachers of Wingham Public School planted a row of red oaks along the rear of the school yard. Mr. Kidd, the principal, secured these trees in an effort to beautify the grounds. Elmer Niergarth, Queen's University, Kingston, has just completed this year's term by winning three scholarships, two $100 and one $40. He is the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Niergarth of Waterloo (the former Bertha Chandler). W. H. Rintoul and Sons have been busily engaged in remodelling D. Rae and Sons' store front. The win- dows will _be made larger and the doorway, widened. Black and white stucco will match the Hydro Shop next door. The Teeswater Agricultu- ral Society plans to build an open permanent grandstand to accommodate approxim- ately 600 people. Mrs. W. A. Miller was elected president of the St. Helens Women's Institute. Her vice presidents are Mrs. Lorne Wood, Mrs. Ewart McPherson and Mrs. Mckenzie Webb. Miss Mildred McQuillan is secretary -treasurer. MAY 1951 ' A Bluevale man, Harry Elliott, narrowly escaped being burned to death when the gasoline truck he was driving. burned after crashing into: the' ditch` west of Whitechurch. Mr. Elliott escaped with a shaking up and slight burns to the face. Wingham United Church choir held a social hour to honor Mrs. Alvin Orvis who has been a faithful member for a number of years but, owing to ill health, has resigned. Mrs. Carl Bondi, a recent bride, was • also honoted. The Wingham Drama Club took on a tough proposition when it presented "Arsenic and Old Lace", the suspense - filled production that played on Broadway for so long. Miss Katherine McGregor gave an outstanding per- formance as Abby Brewster and other members of the cast included Jack Walker; Dr. A. W. Irwin, Jean Hobden, Tom Rafferty, Norman Welwood, Bob Ferguson, Brian Metcalfe and Al Williams. The play was directed byBill Conron. The children of the town of Wingham are going to have a wading pool before the summer is over, thanks to the efforts of the Wingham Kinsmen Club. It will be erected in the town park. Miss Holly Martin of Toronto has joined the office staff of The Advance - Times. She will occupy the apartment above the office. where she will be joined by her sister, Miss Belle Mar- tin. MAY 1961 Work is progressing at a rapid pace on the new Toronto -Dominion Bank building on the corner of Josephine and John Streets. The basement floor completed and workmen are The Survival Game is just a game, not. war Dear Editor, This letter is in response to both the article and the editorial pertaining to Survival Games in the May 1 edition of The Wingham Advance -Times. We regret the controversy surrounding the game but would like the public to get both sides of the story and, hopefully, clear up any mis- conceptions about the game, First of all, we are not considering war a game; we are considering the Survival Game a game. It is no lnore related to war than chess or Capture the Flag, which is what the game is derived .from:Chess has been around for thousands of years and has a much more direct relation- ship to the Survival Game than war does. The differ- ence is that in chess a piece has only a limited number of moves whereas in the Sur- vival Game you are the "chess piece" and the num-• ber of moves is infinite. The game resembles Capture the Flag (a game which is played by Boy Scouts and Girl Guides all over Canada) in that you capture your opponent's flag and bring it back to your own flag station without getting caught. The purpose of the Sur- vival Game is not specifically to eliminate the opposing players but rather to avoid them if possible. In our dealings with the township council, the 2,000.. foot buffer zone which would limit agriculture in the area has been stressed. However what seems to have been downplayed, both to us and the public, is the fact that if we were to be zoned non- conforming this buffer zone would rtht exist. Without it we •can seeno possible ef- fects the Survival Game would have on the surrounding agriculture. It was apparently men- tioned at the council meeting that since the Survival Game is "invigorating, relaxing and is enjoyed by both professional people and laypersons" it has much in common with a brothel. Well in that case baseball and hockey must have much in common with a brothel as well. As for the psychological effect of the game, we feel that if a person is that close to "the edge" the Survival Game,wouldn't be any more likely to push them over the edge than certain programs on . television. Also, people who play the game usually come with five or six friends who should know how mentally stable that person is. As for the comment/that anyone who plays the game is a "thrill seeker with no knowledge of the horrors of war", we have friends and relatives who were in the war and have read enough to know that it is not the glory and romance that is often - depicted in the movies. There is nothing romantic or glorious about death: The game is just that, a game, and should be played before it is judged too harsh- ly. Thank you for printing our letter. Kevin Gibson & Shawn McKague Diabetes Assoc. d good campaign Dear Editor, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those local businesses and individuals who contributed generously, making our recent campaign a success. The Canadian Diabetes Association raised over $2,000 Locally. Diabetes affects over one million Canadians. The Canadian Diabetes Associ- ation's goal is to find the cause and eventual cure for diabetes, while supplying the diabetic with information and educational materialto aid in day-to-day control. To this end we are having an open information evening at the Kincardine Hospital, Thursday, May 16, at 8:00. We will be' having demon- strations of exciting new aids for diabetics, including 'a "syringeless" insulin in- jector, insulin pump, blood glucose monitor and sleep sensor. With the support' of all the community we will reach our goals. Lastly I would like to thank this paper for its support. It is appreciated'." Rick Payne, President Huron -Bruce Chapter Canadian Diabetes Assoc: now setting up the forms for the main foundation. Saturday was election day in Morris Township when ratepayers went to the polls to elect a new school board for the public school area. The election was made necessary when the former `board resigned following petitions from the rate- payers opposing a "'plan to add two rooms to the Walton school.. Five were elected, including two members of the former board, James Elston and Carman. Haines, which leaves any plans for ex- pansion still up in the air. Others elected were Ross Turvey, Gordon' Nicholson and Bert Elliott. Bill Conron of Wingham was elected president of the Ontario Recreation Association at the annual conference in Hamilton. His election follows five years as chairman of the Wingham Recreation Council and two, years as, president of the Lake Huron Zone Recreation Council. A 50 -year jewel for long service in Masonry was presented to W. J./Adams in a special ceremony in the Wingham lodge,rooms. The new liquor store is nearing completion and the grounds around the building are being levelled and made ready for sodding. The Lakelet 'community welcomes the , new miller, Bob McComb, and.his family. The mill bgan operations on Thursday and is now ready to sef"ve the public. MAY 1971 Mr. and Mrs. John Green are the new owners of the former Percy Deyell butcher and abbatoir business on Josephine Street. John Henderson was among those receiving scholarships at the Festival of Stars concert held at the close of the week-long Kiwanis Music Festival in Owen Sound. Dam replacement called foolhardy. Dear Editor, Wingham and area resi- dents are certainly aware that replacing—t,he Lower Town Dam is'at best fool- hardy. Records show that over the years the strongest of structures have been torn down by high flood waters. As a former resident of that area I can attest to that fact. To replace or repair the old' structure would be to put "good money after bad", a waste of taxpayers' money. • If indeed replacement is required for any reason, basically the enhancement of the small trailer park and parkette at the westerly end of town, then certainly a low- cost weir at a height of about three feet would suffice for the purpose. All of this brings to mind — during the period of Maitland Conservation Authority "buy-out" of Lower Town -residents, 1976 ., 78, funds which were then available to give those residents a "fair market value" were not fully allocated for that purpose. A proportion of those funds to the tune of some $100,000 was used to repair another "dam and mill" in another area of the conservation authority jurisdiction. NOT FAIR. J. Storozuk Help Easter Seals help disabled children Dear Editor, Helping more than 6,700 disabled children in Ontario to progress in life is the primary goal of the Easter Seal Society. Whether this takes the form of provision of a wheel- chair, an artificial limb, a` camping holiday, trans- portation to and from treatment centres, the benefits of research programs or a visit from an Easter Seal nurse, the society remains committed to supporting children and their families — a privilege which has been maintained since our inception in 1922. The many services provided by the Easter Seal Society would not be possible without the generosity of individuals and businesses across the province who care about the, quality of life available to children with physical handicaps. They would also be impossible if not for the continued ,volunteer commitment of our 235 affiliated Easter Seal service clubs, which spear- head local fund-raising campaigns and administer Easter Seal funds on behalf of children living in their communities. The Lions Club of Wingham has been an active partner with Easter ' Seals since 11448. Throughout these years many past and present 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 en ire community of Wingham fora backing the thousands of young fighters served by' Easter Seals through your contributions to the 1985 Easter Seal campaign. Jack Wilkinson, President The Easter Seal Society Toronto