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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1983-06-29, Page 1Blyth Branch Litrary Box 2 2 Blyth, Int. NOM 1R• Jago 4 POSTER CONTEST WINNERS—Gordon Sutcliffe of the Wingham Post Office presented plaques and prizes to the young people who placed highly in the "Youth in the Electronic Age" poster contest. Those presenting or receiving awards are: back Mr. Sutcliffe, Susan Meyer, Frankie Bondi,, Allan Harrison, regional contest PUBLIC SPEAKING AWARDS at Wingham Public School this year went to Kim Marks for Grade 7 and Bill Grant for Grade 8. They received their trophies at an assembly held at the school. MARION INGLiS MEDAL—Amy Pollard Inglis Medal as the Grade 8 student academic standing at the Wingham year. The award was presented by Dave Bartlett during the Grade 8 banquet. won with Public Grade the Marion the highest School this 8 teacher 4 coordinator; front, Archita Ghosh, Charlotte Cassidy and Paula Strong. All the young people are art students at the F. E. Madill Secondary School. Miss Meyer plac- ed among the top three in Canada and will journey to Geneva, Switzerland, in October to represent her coun- try. Absent from the photo is Brenda Richmond. First mail carrier celebrates 100th BRUSSELS — Edward Pollard, a resident of the Callander Nursing Home, celebrated his 100th birthday on June 17. A retired farmer, he hasn a resident of the home fo the past 12 years. In 1 , Mr. Pollard was the first mail carrier to deliver mail from Brussels, on his bicycle. His route included delivering bread, medicine and shoes to rural residents, and he was en - Two men injured near Fordwich Two men were injured in a two -car collision east of Fordwich last week_ Geoffrey Charles of Listowel and Gysbertus Versteeg of RR 2, Gorrie, both were taken to the Listowel Memorial Hospital by ambulance following the accident. Mr. Charles was treated and released, while Mr. Versteeg was admitted and later transferred to the K -W General Hospital, where he was released on Monday. Provincial police at Wing - ham reported that the accident occurred at the intersection of County Road 30 and Howick Concession 2 at about 8:55 p.m. June 22. The Versteeg vehicle, which was westbound on Concession 2, failed to stop at the intersection and collided with the Charles car, which was southbound on the county road. Damage in the, crash was estimated at $4,500 to each car. trusted with money, making deposits at tine local hank for residents on his route. He retired from farming in 1953 at the age of 69. A party was held at the home to celebrate his 100th birthday. Staff decorated a table with white and red candles and the decorated birthday cake, together with a bouquet of red roses given by his cousin, Mrs. Jessie Engel. Lunch was served by his grandchildren, Alice Broth- ers and Sadie MacDonald of Georgetown, with Ida Evans assisting. Many beautiful cards and gifts were re- ceived. Guests attended from Georgetown, Welles- ley, Wingham, Teeswater and the surrounding district. Bicycle licences available again Bicycle owners in Wingham who have not yet obtained licences for their vehicles will have two more opportunities to get them free of charge. Police Chief Robert Wittig reports that a new batch of licences has been obtained and registration will be held on Saturday, July 9, and the following week, July 16, from 1-5 p.m. at the Wingham Armouries. The previous licensing session hosted jointly by the police and the Wingham Optimists drew such an overwhelming response that the licences ran out by the end of the two days. <:. r�r��✓ra •c •✓,rr ✓✓��f 1 ✓ltrrl% qr"r'�%+r:'ra' !✓; •'�✓.✓ ✓�'� ✓--.'.%.°✓ rry i::✓%✓;�'�l'r;✓✓✓•✓r fJ,;r' 'YrlJ{ ✓ ✓: ✓_.� ✓.r,,/t••v.,'t:✓lei t✓ry•^f''li r,.•/r,,y�;Jrl/r,.lril .r�✓a,, .+ � .$ 'S ✓' x �,''.cr✓� ✓ ��,+� rv,:✓. � �7�,✓'; c✓/ty ,,�✓'ry„vr.•r $✓ ✓r .+/ r r .. .. - rF - _ �. 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W.,» v'?r .✓'✓.,... .•.,%,. �. .:✓.✓aE . •. i:✓ �n:;::%�✓'•'•✓./�.".•: ;.'•r/• ••ri •✓✓,✓!+•:•✓,�:,.;:;.,;.i..r:•',+:;r.;✓:+..y,.:+;.:: :':b•,•c<„�r, s.r :. •✓:.+ .b. r r :;t f:;: ,..: M✓ •✓ •.✓ •::y✓• r ✓. ✓✓.' v r•,.... ;:? ,>'t•; • : % •:.•r/✓r ,. ;,:r:. i' : rr:r✓• :./•u✓ % , ✓�.. i' rd'itr:✓ ``•"•::s:...✓, >>..:✓:r..:r%.l:'�;s'�%:�Sys>+•:4�s�':::tixr+✓:��. :f:,:•'t�%{:;:�%.,.:G'' ,✓•.ce'•'•:s'f�1S5✓ �'•�' Ont. Gov't. decision threatens day care A decision Icy the Ontario government to make many working parents pay the full cost of day cam for their children could me4an4he end of public day care centres in small commubities such as Wingham. According to members of the Wingham Day Care Board, the threat is suffi- ciently serious. that they are urging a fetter -writing campaign to local members of Parliamentgand to Frank Drea, the ' minister of community .and social GRADUATED Janice Guest, daughter of Mrs. Marjorie Guest of Lon- don,, recently graduated from the dental hygiene pro- gram at Fanshawe College, London. She is a graduate of F. , E. Madill Secondary School and has accepted a position with R. A. MacDon- ald, DDS, at Kincardine. EARNS DEGREE AT WESTERN Claire McDowell, RR 3, Blyth, graduated from the University of Western On- tario with a Bachelor of Education degree on June 10. Claire is the wife of Wayne McDowell and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William duToit, Oakville. Hoedown committee discusses its plans Wingham's Western Hoedown committee met Monday night to discuss plans for the upcoming celebration scheduled for July 14- 16. Representatives from the snowmobile club, the Lions, the Optimists, the Legion and the Junior Citizens attended the make last-minute plans for the Hoedown. This year's Western Hoedown will follow basically the same format as the past two. said Chairman Lloyd Benninger. The biggest change has been that the Sunday activities have been dropped due to a lack of interest in the last two years. The Hoedown will get underway at a variety concert July 14 at which the queen will be crowned. There will be a bicycle and wagon parade on the Friday evening, followed by a "Clothes Pin Theatre" at Cruickshank Park for the children presented by the Wingham Towne Players. There allso will be dances, a Lions' bingo and attractions for the children. One new feature this year will be the Junior Citizens' car smash, Jamie Wall, a spokesman for the group. explained that for a small sum you can take a sledge hammer to a demolished car while pretending it is your most - despised teacher, for example. The slow pitch tournament and Legion pancake breakfast also will be held this year as will the parade July 16. The Wingham Sportsmen's Club also will be hosting a horseshoe tournament, a log -sawing contest and a nail -driving contest. services. The board itself is writing to Mr. Drea, asking for clarification of the policy and pointing out the im- plications for smaller cen- tres. The problem is that the, ministry policy would force day care fees so high the board feels that many working parents would be unwilling or unable to pay them, dropping enrollment at the centre to a level at which it would no longer be economical to operate. Provision is made for a full subsidy for parents who can demonstrate financial need, but in small communities there are not likely to be enough of these to keep the centres open. In a letter to parents of children at the centre, Genevieve Kinahan, interim manager of the Wingham Day Care Centre, explained that as of April 1 it became ministry policy that funds allocated to municipalities must only be used to sub- sidize families with demonstrated financial need. If a family has liquid assets in excess cif $5,500 plus $500 for each &pendent in excess of one, it is con- sideredhible for subsidy • and expnto pay the full cost of -day care. Tins p l'licy is-tOEbe in^place by January 1, 1986, and the ministry is suggesting that day care centres begin raising their rates so that by that date all parents will either be fully subsidized or will be paying the full cost of their children's day care. If that policy were in force now, it would mean that the majority of parents using the Wingham Day Care Centre would have to pay $20.10 per day for each child, Miss Kinahan said, rather than the $8.50 they currently pay. The nursery school would be similarly affected, boosting the cost to $6.25 per child for a half-day session from the current level of $4.75_ She said she has been contacting parents and asking them whether;") the rates increased, they w uld still send their children to the centre. So far, the majority have said no, she reported. They said that at the new rates it would not be worth having both parents work, because the second income would barely cover the day care costs. "We are here basically for working parents," she ex- plained. The day care centre is open only to children from families in which both parents work, or to children referred by the Ministry of Community and Social Board to meet on fundraising report The board of governors of Wingham and District Hospital plans to meet in a special, closell session next week to discuss the results of a fundraising survey con- ducted earlier this year. The management com- m4t e -of the new board has already met to review the report, which was received by the outgoing board just prior to its June meeting, The survey report has not been made public, but Hans Kuyvenhoven, chairman of the management committee, described it as "somewhat negative", saying it showed the public has not been en- tirely in agreement with previous board decisions. The board hopes to raise some $300,000 from the community toward a planned $1.4 million ex- pansion of outpatient and emergency treatment facilities, Services, while the nursery school is available as a drop- in centre for other children. The day care centre is licensed for 30 children and has been operating at or near capacity, she added, with the great majority of parents paying the $8:50 fee. Only a very small number are fully subsidized by the ministry, and she said the new subsidy arrangements would affect basically the same people. "So many parents work part-time, it will affect the community if they don't work," Miss Kinahan added. "Should the day care close down and the parents not be able to work, or decide not to work, it would affect the whole community_" She also expressed con- cern about what would happen to the children should the centre be closed. If both parents still have to work to make ends meet, they would have to take the children to whomever was willing to lookafter them, she said, and, while private babysitters can be good, few are able to provide the level of care or the opportunity to meet and play with other children that a day care centre does. "We're all trained staff, and equipment -wise they're not geared the same." The impact of the policy will be to take day care away from middle income Please turn to Page 3 tic TO STUDY MEDICINE Michael Milosevic, son of Mr. and Mrs_ B. Milosevic of Wingham, graduated May 28 from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in electrical engineering. Michael plans to study medi- cine at Queen's University, Kingston, in September. Blind for 23 years Maurice Dennis looks at sight as a mixed A Wingham man, Maurice Dennis, who has regained his sight after almost 24 years of blindness, looks at it as a mixed blessing rather than a concrete and asphalt. Transport trucks also scared him the first time he saw them: They have become so big, he said, that he cringed miracle.- • at the first sight of them. • Mr. Dennis underwent two He also was unprepared delicate operations last year for....t P; ancredible. change in �af i i"don s UIrevei lty ,t a eoplr�-lf °I Er nl4isie: . -__ Hospital to repair -damage to like his wife Jean, his his left eye caused by a daughters and even himself. hemorrhage. The right is He said he realized that irreparable. people would age, but was His last look at the world not prepared for ; the around him was April 23, dramatic change which had 1959, the day he suddenly occurred_ went blind while working at Looking in the mirror, he Lloyd's factory in Wingham. said he could hardly believe Last year he saw again for the fellow looking back at the first time since then, and him was really Maurice he said it virtually was like Dennis_ The last time he had waking up on another planet. seen himself, he was in his Mr. Dennis has very clear early 30s; now he is over 50. recollections of what life was The biggest joy he has like in 1959 and said he experienced is seeing his probably expected to find wife and two daughters Jane things relatively unchanged. (Mrs. Scott Mitchell) and But he did not and this Dianne (Mrs. Robert "brave, new world" shocked Darling). In fact, he–had and depressed him. never even seen his younger Always an outdoorsman, daughter until last year and he found the strong, healthy his older girl had been only trees he remembered were six years old when her father shrunken and diseased. The became blind; today she has sparkling, clear rivers of 24 children of her own. years ago are gone too, and In general, people have in their place are black, changed too, believe it or polluted ones. not, he said. Today they are "We have given up so heavier than he remembers much for progress. Is which is perhaps a function progress worth it?" he of our diet and sedentary asked. lifestyle. His first journey to the city shocked him as well. Where LEARNING TO COPE there once was grass Coping with sightedness is growing, now there only is almost as bad as coping with MAURICE DENNIS of Manor Road in Wingham under- went two operations last year in London's University Hospital to restore his sight after 25 years of blindness. Although Mr. Dennis only has the sight of one eye, he can see well enough to do most things. But he said the world certainly is a different place than it wa4 years ago. blessing going blind. Mr. Dennis was working at Lloyds that fateful day in 1959 when he blinked, then opened his eyes to find he could not see+ His first reaction was fear. He groped his way out of the factory and found his car on Minnie Street. He got in it. and drove home to Wroxeter using the side of the road as his guide, Looking back, he says it was the most foolish thing he has ever done; he could have killed someone. But he was so paralyzed by fear that he just had to get home. The days and weeks that followed were pure "hell" for him and his family. It took him a very long time to accept the fact that his sight would not be coming back. But one day he decided he must get out and make a life for himself and his family, blind or not. So, he went to a school for the blind in Toronto where he learned to dress and feed himself all over again. Gradually he perfected his skills and his confidence grew. The only thing left for him was to return to work. And eventually he did return. Today he gives the Lloyds and their successors, Premium Doors Ltd., much credit and gratitude for sticking by him and hiring him back even after he was blind. He worked with saws at the factory, but his sense of touch was so finely tuned that he "never even ruffled a finger". in fact^ he is so used to working without sight that it scares him now to be able to see when he is doing a job. He also renovated his Gorrie home and then bought a home in Wingham which he has remodeled, right from changing the kitchen around to finishing the basement. NEW SURGERY When he learned of a new type of surgery which could perhaps restore his sight, his first reaction was scepticism and alarm. "1 had been fed so many pink elephants,' he said, that he could not face another disappointment. But after constant prod- ding from his wife and his daughters, he finally gave in and had the surgery. it was a success and gradually his sight began to return, although it is still far from perfect. Even though his life reads like a "That's Incredible" script, Mr. Dennis is relatively unruffled by it all. He merely asks that he can keep working and realizes there is a chance that he may go blind again. but he ac- cepts that because he is not afraid of being blind any -more.