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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1983-05-11, Page 4TNS CE ES page of editorial opinion Wednesday, M .y 1 1 11'7144444.2.°4 - tree ,.,0. Ingham beano-Mitnefi Published at Vbingham, Ontario. h' V t'ngar Bros. Limited Barry Wenger. President Henry Hess, Editor Mem Robert O. Wenger, Sec.-Treas. Audrey Currie- Advertising Manager Member Audit Bureau of Circulations ber — Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc, Subscrip tions $20.00 per year Second Cla ss Mail Registration No. 0821 Ontario (ommunity Newspaper Assoc. (e)Six months $11.50 Ret.urn txrstagc guaranteed No cau se to complain We have in the past occasionally found reason to criticize the town coun- dil for too -hastily passing bylaws which appeared not to have been thoroughly thought out. This is not the case with the bylaw recently introduced to regul- ate bicycles in town. It gives every indication of having been put together carefully — and with a healthy dose of common sense. There are undoubtedly some w will question the need for regulations this type, but they will not include any one who has come within a whisker of being clipped by one of the two -wheel- ers — mostly piloted by riders old enough to know better — whistling up and down the sidewalks of the business section. Shopping can be a sufficiently exhi larating experience without adding such threats to life and Ilmb. The proposed licencing is not all that bad an idea either — once you get over the uneasy sensation of Big Brother peering over your shoulder. For one thing, it should enormously simplify the task of reuniting bicycles with their owners. While an alarming number of bicycles were reported stoled in town last year, many of these were cases in which someone picked up ho f a bike and took it for a ride, then ditched it across town. Virtually all were recovered, leaving police with the unenviable task of trying to figure out where they belonged. On careful reading, most possible objections to the bylaw appear to have been forestalled by sensible drafting. For one thing, youngsters° tricycles and small bicycles are exempted from the regulations, as are vehicles used by the handicapped, so the town cannot be accused of forcing the children out into the street to do battle with the four - wheeled juggernauts. Also, the pro- hibition against sidewalk riding Is restricted to the main street, though cyclists are sensibly asked to yield to pedestrians when riding the walks In other parts of town. Finally, to remove all reasons for non-compliance, the initial registration of vehicles is to be provided free of charge and licences are valid for the life of the bicycle, so long as it remains in one family. Registration for new purchases or transfers will cost five dollars, but council can hardly be ac- cused of trying to create a gold mine at the expense of riders. All things considered, it appears to be a job well done. It's hard to believe Within recent weeks an all -but un- believable story has come out of a small community in Alberta, where a secondary school teacher has preached hatred of Jews for 13 years. It is difficult to imagine but appar- ently the overwhelming majority of residents and parents in that small town not only failed to object to what the teacher was implanting in young minds, many actively supported the man when he was questioned by the county school board. According to this teacher's doc- trine, Jews have been responsible for most of the world's tragedies and op- pressions for the past three or four cen- turies. He quotes from books written by. virtually unknown authors to support his contentions. Jews, he said, were re- sponsible for Napoleon's conquest of Europe; they financed Hitler in his early years, etc. He denies that there is any evidence of the holocaust in which millions of Jews died under the Nazi regime — despite the eye -witness evi- dence of Allied military officers and civilian investigators who saw for themselves the contents of the mass graves in the concentrations camps. Not only did the townspeople of this Alberta community stick up for the teacher, the principal under, whom the man taught defended his right to teach according to his own convictions. Had it not been for one or two de- termined parents the heresy might have continued uninterrupted. Eventu- ally their protests reached the ears of upper level officials in the education system and the teacher was fired. Ap- pearing on a recent television inter- view the man continued to repeat his nauseating charges. Perhaps the greatest single issue facing mankind today is whether or not a third and final world war can be es- caped. As long as there are such loath- some, hate -mongering creatures in human form our chances appear to be slim indeed. Gloated too soon A couple of weeks ago Ontario Treasurer Frank Miller was having a little fun at the expense of the federal finance minister, Marc Lalonde, after the latter had inadvertently permitted 'a TV cameraman to photograph sup- posedly secret information from his budget notes. When Miller faced the press before his own budget speech he laughingly demonstrated his aware- ness of the danger of "leaks". Lying unopened on his desk was a "copy" of the Ontario budget in its bright blue cover. When opened it proved to con- tain nothing more revealing than a comic book. There was a hearty laugh all around, largely at Mr. Lalonde's expense. Well, what do you know? A few days later Mr. Miller was choking back sobs of frustration after The Toronto Globe & Mail printed excerpts from Miller's budget, days before he was to deliver his speech in the Legislature. According to The Globe their avid re- porters had recovered page proofs of the document from the garbage bags at the rear of the printing establishment which was to print the final version of the budget. In both cases there were loud cries from the opposition parties, demanding the resignation of the two finance ministers; the Toronto printer was threatening to sue The Globe for steal- ing its private garbage — and most taxpayers were simply saying to them- selves, "For goodness sake cut out the nonsense and get on with the job." Sometimes we wonder whether the once -high calling of governing nations and provinces may have descended to the level of a Broadway farce. A little bit nervous The residents of this area of West- ern Ontario have been assured, time after time, that there is absolutely no danger from the presence of a nuclear reactor at Douglas Point. Most of us remain convinced that our health and safety are in good hands, but repeated breakdowns in equipment at the Point do make a person wonder a bit at times. The most recent "accident" occur- red when a hose split and 1200 kilo- grams of heavy water escaped. Not only was that an expensive accident (the value of the lost heavy water was estimated at 5318,000) but the leaking fluid was radio -active. Official ex- planation was that the spill was con- tained and that contamination was limited to a small area on the site, but the nagging thought remains that the plant may not.be as fail-safe as we have been told. Most of us can recall the slight accident which occurred at Three Mile Island a couple of years ago. Personally we are not among those who scream that anything related to nuclear energy is of necessity fatal to mankind. Ever since scientists cracked the atom there has been the pressing need to know exactly how its energy can be harnessed and utilized for the benefit of mankind. And there have been many benefits — as well as a vol- canic eruption of new dangers for the human race. Somehow a cracked hose line seems to belong in the category of a faulty car engine rather than as a six - alarm crisis. f it - ....//... //�./� ��.. .:•/.i j���y ��f� -- �!',I - / ///�i/Xy� •i%/ji r(,/{,�� ';' 2: -,iii r 7A1/1. � r •r Students to catalogue townshiD'S cemetr • is BRUSSELS — Three students will be setting up a card system for Cranbrook and Mount Pleasant cemeteries this summer. Announcement the project will be done was made May 2 at a ' meeting of Grey Township Council. Councilwas informed its application fora Summer Employment grant in the amount of $3,270 had been approvedEach student will be employed for six weeks. Besides paperwork, they will be doing some general maintenance at the cemeteries such as painting fences and planting trees. Students interekted in these job opportunities must register at the, Canada anpower office. OTHER BUSINESS In other business council: Appointed Huron County Weed Inspector Joe Gibson as weed inspector for the township; Scheduled a special meeting for May 9 to set millrates for the township; Authorized the road superintendent to proceed with construction on Sideroad 30-31, Conc. 1 at Highway 86; Decided gravel struction be loade for Gon- d and hauled by Glenn McKercher at a cost of 82 cents per cubic yard. There wase difference of only one cent between the tender that was accepted and those of Lloyd Jackson and John McKercher; Decided that until the documents are found, the Bank of Montreal in Watford will not be paid $8,000 for debentures. The debentures were due on Dec. 23, 1982 and the bank paid the company whicha held the township's debentures. However, the documents were sent to Toronto byregistered mail and, it is believed, got lost in transit or after they arrived at their destination; Because there were no appeals, cancelled a Curt of Revision on the Pratt Drainage Works. Doug Gamsby of the engineering firm of Gamsby and Man- nerow, Guelph, was present for opening of tenders for the project. The contract for pipe was awarded to Armco Canada Ltd. The firm quoted a price of $1,150.60. For tile, the $19,116.65 tender of Great Lakes Pipe Co. Ltd. was accepted. Council accepted the $25,970.13 tender of B. and E. Marquardt Tiling Contractors Ltd. for con- struction. Several other FLOWERS OF HOPE will be going out in the mail later this month as part of the fundraising campaign for the Wingham and District Association for the Mentally Retarded. Evie McNay of Lucknow, a- client of the Reavie Workshop, gets the packets ready to go out. companies submitted ten- ders, all ,of ,thema few dollars more than those which were chosen. One tender submitted after the specified time was returned unopened; Noted the interest rate on 1983-1984 tile drainage loans has been decreased from 10 to eight per cent. Loans, as in previous years, cover up to 60 per cent of amounts spent. Councilmembers agreed to continue a "first come first served" policy for ap- plicants. Current ap- .plications-. totalling $15,100 were approved; Appointed Coun. Graeme MacDonald as the town- ship's representative at the Court of Revision for the Murray -Lamb Drainage Works. The court will be held at 7:45 p.m. May 25 at the McKillop Township office; Conducted a brief ceremony during which clerk -treasurer Jane Badley was presented by Reeve Leona Armstrong with an Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers certificate. Mrs. Badley has been a member of the association for several years; Scheduled the next regular meeting for May 16 at 7 p.m. New Books — ! in the Library DON'T GET MAD—GET EVEN A Manual for Re- taliation by Alan Abel Alan Abel, master provocateur, shows how to retaliate against constant intimidations we all en- counter. His finely honed satirical rapier successfully attacks over 100 familiar aggravations. BEYOND THE VEIL by Seymour J. Gray Following the discovery in 1938 of the largest oil field in history in Saudi Arabia, the destitute, semi -starved nomadic tribes were trans- formed within a few decades into an incredibly rich feudal kingdom. What better way to learn what life is really like in Saudi Arabia than to spend several years as a doctor there, treating men and women from every walk of life, from the royal family to the poorest desert Bedouin? That was the rare experience of Dr. Seymour Gray, distinguished doctor from Boston and gifted teller of tales, who had been ap- pointed physician in charge of the medical department at the fabulous King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh. In many instances, all an argument proves is that there are two people present. Acrirertisement found sexist and d nirrg Dear Editor, Please find attached a photocopy of an ad- vertisement which appeared in the Apri120 edition of your paper, as well as a copy of a Media Watch compaint form submitted by me to that organization.1` am well aware that the sight of a well -endowed, scantily -clad female willdraw any reader's eye directly to the article or ad which it accompanies. I am also well aware that the advertiser's money "talks" and specifies what he or she wants in the ad. However I am always appalled whenever I see this kind of cheap trick, regard- less of the publication. If we are ever to change society's attitudes and double stan- dads toward sexism, we have to make a concerted effort to eliminate this kind of objectionable advertising. As I indicated on the Media Watch form, the ad is of- fensive, dmeaning _and, degrading to intelligent women and men. Your ac- cepting and publishing of this ad and others like it is, at the very least, tacit consent to sexist attitudes and could be construed as outright agreement with and ap- proval of sexism. I am enough of a realist (or perhaps a cynic) to not expect much in the way of action or improvement in the future. For now, it isenough to know that 1 have ex- pressed my point of view (and that of many others, and to hope that you will remember it when con- sidering future ad- vertisements. Dixie Lee Arbuckle Wingham Personnel administrator promoted ___ is named. as new education director Robert Allan .has._ been appointed as the new director of education for the Huron County Board of Education, taking over from the retiring director, John Cochrane. Currently board superin- tendent of operations, Mr. Allan, 47, will assume the new post July 1. The new director brings with him a wealth of ex- perience, having started his career as a school supplies salesman before entering the teaching profession and working his way up. He started teaching at SS No. 7, Eramosa, in Welling- ton County, then went on to the Mount Albion School in Hamilton . before advancing to the position of principal, where he held positions in Haldimand, Oxford, Mid- dlesex and Kent counties. When he started with the Huron board 11 years ago, Mr. Allan was an assistant superintendent. He also held the posts of superintendent of schools and superin- tendent of personnel before advancing to his present position. In another move, the board „promoted Peter. Gyyseeis, its personnel relations + ad- ministrator, to the position of superintendent of personnel, effective June 1. Trustee John Elliott, chairman of the personnel committee, said Mr. Gryseels- has been handi- capped in bis position because of his lack of supervisory status: As a superintendent, he will have the authority to make reports in schools without being accompanied by a superintendent. Mr. Elliott noted that Mr. Gryseels had received his supervisory officer's cer- tificate from the Ministry of Education in March. With the promotion, Mr. Gryseels. will .Lecleiye a salary increase to $56,120 from his present salary of $52,710. He has been with the board as personnel relations ad- ministrator since 1980. Huron County Museum is open for business Additional support posts required on the main floor of the Huron County Pioneer Museum have been put in place and 20,000 square feet of museum is now open. After months of debate and currently under study by a team made up of Huron County residents, the mu- seum along with the log cabin has been open since late last month. Costs for the repairs to en- able the main floor of the museum to be open this sum- mer were originally esti- mated at $500 but were kept to a minimum of less than $350. Timber posts cut from the Bannochburn area with the help of Katimavik students and museum staff have been bolted in place on the lower floor area to provide addi- tional support. B. M. Ross and Associates Limited, an engineering firm from Goderich, have in- spected the repairs and mu- seum curator Raymond Scotchmer said the main floor now meets museum building code standards. Mr. Scotchmer said a full complement of demonstra- tions, including candle and ropemaking, will take place throughout the summer season. He does need some help though. "We need people on a volunteer basis," stated Mr. Scotchmer. In past summers the mu- seum has been able to take advantage of summer stu- dent employment programs but because of the uncertain- ty surrounding the museum at the beginning of the year, it was not possible to apply for such a program. There are lots of jobs to be done by any volunteer com- ing forward. Such tasks as giving demonstrations, mov- ing artifacts, researching, acting as a floor guide, and even cutting wood need to be done. Most of the artifacts cur- rently on the top floor of the museum will remain there although smile juggling will take place. The curator plans to move a couple of the larger vehicles from the Main floor out to the Goderich airport and to bring down from the upper floor the car used by the museum founder, H. G. O'Neil. Price of admission to the museum is $1.50 for adults, $1 for students and senior citizens and 50 cents for school children. For museum or marine buffs the Marine Museum opens May 21 and the admis- sion price is $1 for adults and 50 cents for children. The main floor of the Huron County Pioneer Museum will remain open until the end of October. OPTIMISTS PRESENT VESTS—Ray Cardy, president of the Wingham Optimist Club, presented new vests to the Wingham Community Band members last Tuesday evening at a dinner at the Legion. Bill Henderson Jr., bandmaster, accepted the vests on behalf of the band which played a few selections for the Optimists before sitting down to dinner.