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The Huron Expositor, 1983-12-21, Page 81111"01,1t 10r SO/Ice/Ms .*AV ;h.Compjunlfyllrst n�rfwr�itin�U Bruaa4'I i' 'cs�r ° loorlo i rare 12MainSi4" rt ,k^� a 427-0240 Published sitSEAFORTH,ONTARIf eYery" ilneidayt(lornlnd Susan White, Managing Editor Jocelyn A. Shrler, Pybllaher MemberCenedlan Cemmuallty,NewspaperAssoo Ontario Comment (yiNewsp p r.'A»octauonend, , Audit Bureau of Clrculatlon ' A member of the peterle Press CounRll Subscription rates; �, Canada $1$,75 a year,(in advance) Outalde Canada $55.00 q year (In advance) . Sin gleCopies -50 cents each SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, DECEMBER 21, 1983 Second class mall registration Number 0698 *member workers -In four more days, Christmas will be here and that means there are only, three shopping days left. Most' people will be spending the holiday with family and friends. The Icing, houre spent in the kitchen, preparing a turkey dinner with all the trimmingsyrill end. The result of those, hours will probably be devoured in less'than an.hour. Gifts will be opened and dishes washed. But all these Christmas day events will follow midnight Mass or, early morning church.. services. This is how most people will celebrate Christmas. But there's a certain group who won't have such a great time. Hospital patienfs, if :they're not well enough to go home for the day, will spend a quiet Chiristrnas In their sterite,hospital rooms. Their only companidnsare fellow patients, nurses and dootorswho gave up the day to see to the patients'. needs, and the hiss of respirators and beep' of heart monitors for the critically ill. Policeofficers throughout the province will be working when everybody , else fs enjoying Christmas. Policemen designated to work this Christmas: wig probably spend a quiet day making sure holiday travellers are safe. Most volunteer fire fighters will spend Dec. 25 with their family. But accidents 'do happen and some will be called to fight fires or rescue accident victims. Most stores will be closedthrisf`mas day as are service stations. But for the motorist who is heading home, the bright lights of a gas station are a welcome sight as the gas gauge registers on the empty mark. And if parents are travelling long distances with children, Service stations relieve the minds of parents and children. This year, let's remember people who have to work Christmas day. Farmers can offer their milk truck driver a hot cup of coffee. The same - probably would be welcomed by the lone police, officer who can't get a coffee at a local restaurant because it's closed, Christmas day. If your family has some spare time, why not give your time to hospital patients,, or residents confined to a nursing home because they have nowhere to go on Christmas day. This year, let's remember those who have to work Christmas day. Merry Christmas. R.W. Reviewolic pi mot At a recent Seaforth council meeting, councillor Bill Martin questioned the way PUC handled the sale of a piece of property. "Shouldn't the public be informed?" he asked. The propeity is,in plan 391, south part lot 37, main street. It is a narrow lot, 30 feet by 132 feet and does not meet the minimum requirements for residential construction. The strip of land was offered to an adjoining property owner, Dennis Medd, who in turn purchased the lot for $500. This was proper procedure. Had Mr. Medd refused the property, then the lot would have had to be advertised for sale by tender. Guidelines the PUC and lhe town have to follow are in place but not many know what they are. PUC manager Tom Phillips is not sure of the guidelines and felt council didn't have to be informed because the property was owned by Hydro, not Water Works. What is known is that the PUC cannot buy or sell land without approval of town council and the PUC does not own property. All its capital assets are owned by the town. At the same time the PUC is a legal entity managed and controlled by, an elected commission. If water rates are going to be raised, Seaforth council must first approve rate hikes. If there is any expansion planned for water works, the municipality makes application to government, not the PUC. And if land is sold, the.money must be turned over to the town or put in a PUC reserve fund. There seems to be a grey area between water works and hydro. But both are operated by the PUC and this would then fall under town business. Whether the town should have first given approval to the sale of the land is a moot question. Mt`. Martin's question wasn't answered at council. To avoid confusion or problems in the future, perhaps it would be wise for the PUC and council to consider the matter and determine on guidelines. - R.W. Student against injustice IR) Edri,wo Dear Citizens of Huron County: I'm writing this letter because of an injustice in Ottawa. Canada. it concerns Honourable John Roberts of the Ministry of Employment and Immigra- tion. John Jew of Wong's Grill, and his mother Mrs. Jew of Hong Kong. Mr. Roberts will not let Mrs. Je* into the country to visit her son in Seaforth because she has no birth Certificate. What's more she hasn't seen her son since he was a small boy. Let's be Dear Sir: Regarding the recent articles by Susan White on teenagers and the double standard on sex, we must look to the ,positive side. The danger is in thinking that while there is a problem here. we will either do nothing about it, or we can help them nut by lowering our standards. Everyone will not agree here. and that is why so many. parents perhaps in particular. want the right to teach their families according to their own conscience. Let's stand up for our rights. God's command- ments are still law whether old or modern. We cannot buy the idea that it is accepted and normal for our young people to be promiscuous. Let's be positive about your paper. Keep the subscribers informed as you have been attempting to do. tzur grace rise ,lass ...nu other classes at Seaforth Public School have written letters of concern to Mr. Roberts. 1 ask that you help us with this project. 1 can't see why a woman of 75 years needs a1iirth certificate to visit our side of the world. Please send your letters to Honourable John Roberts. Minister of Employment and Immigration. Parliament Buildings. Ottawa. Ont. KiA 0J6. P.S. You don't need any postage as your letter is going to the Parliament Buildings. Sincerely Jonathan Wheatley Grade SR Seaforth =Public School positive There are many human interest stories available on our teenagers such as the one on the canoiest Sharri MacDonald. or those concerned with Junior Citizen awards. Surely hundreds of stories can be told about those young people who are attending our high schools and strilgling with our changing education system in order to find a place of higher learning or in the work world. Visit the farms in this rural community and get the stories, ideas, hopes and dreams from the kids helping on the family farm or thos' involved in 4-H work. "Huron County is one of the best Places in Ontario for senior citizens to live. Our young people must be given the chance to associate with all levels of society, not just SEE LET'S BE/ ON PAGE 3 (._ y, t�airro R,hoxos by wasslnk • Santa and; I were good friends One of the benefits of working for a newspaper is i get to meet a lot of people, The Christmas season is no exception. There are.•concerts to attend, meetings to cover apt,photographs to take. Christmas is indeed the busiest time of year for the Expositor staff. The 'hest part about risas are the area parades and concet•ts becaus it's when Santa Claus makes his first appear ries.-For \. all you kids and those who wish they were kids, don't get discouraged by all the Santa's you see. There is a real Santa and he usually makes one visit to each town. But because of his busy schedule, he has many helpers who dress Tike him to give him a hand. You see, Santa is very busy. It's important we don't forget the true meaning of Christmas"-- that there is more to Christmas than just Santa. But the jolly, fellow in his red suit makes kids realize Christmas is near. And Santa does show that Christmas means giving. My most moving experience in reporting Christmas happenings isn't the parades or the concerts. but the many times 1 photographed Santa's visit at a facility for the mentally handicapped. The Santa was a Santa helper, but he sure $004@ cad Nonming@ b}y. RUM Wits awa , ,,r., !Waked real. He had the bed -Suit' I've seen. He had a row of bells attached to his belt, bells on his wrist, a snow white beard and eygbrows and boots that looked like real .5tinta boots. They weren't rubber boots or galoshes, but real leather bootswith fur trim. His jolly ho -ho -ho and roly-poly belly. were just like that of his boss, Santa Claus. SANTA IS REAL The children were dressed in their finest and sitting in a circle. i was always ahead of Santa, ready to capture the expression of the kids when they saw Santa. To them, Santa Claus was real. I'd hear shouts of joy. The kids would rush to Santa, give him hugs and shake his hand. (No, they didn't pull his beard.) . But most of the kids had tears of joy in their eyes. Many were speechless. Even the counsellors were moved by the joy of the kids. Santa always had a comfortable rocking chair and his bag of gifts was nearby. Once they received their gifts and had wrapping paper scattered all over, the kids were satisfied - Santa Claus had, arrived. I'm not the type who displays much emotion, but just watching those kids was enough to move even the bravest to have watery eyes. As time passed, I got to know Santa quite well and learned the tradition for the mentally handicapped kids was started by a distinguished gentleman who wanted to give the kids joy at Christmas. As he, got older and suffered from ill health, he passed the Santa Claus duty onto his son. For years 1 didn't know it until I saw the son dressing in his father's suit. 1 never knew the difference. Santa and 1 got to know each other when he wasn't in costume. He said Christmas was busy because of visits he made to local concerts, private parties and the hospital. When he wasn't Santa. he was leading a group of boy scouts. KIDS NEED SANTA But the distinguished gentleman's son won't be dressing as Santa Claus this year. He won't be celebrating Christmas beeause he was killed in an automobile accident in July. At the time, i, like all his friends, family anjl wife, were shrieked. But Itdidn't even realize that he was Santa Clans: 'If wasn't until Atilt a—Month ago"it suddenly dawned on me, "Hey, he was Santa. Who's going to visit those kids. Who's going to give them their Christmas joy. it's all they have. They need Santa." The young man played his role so well that when he died, I didn't think of him as Santa Claus._At the time, Santa aaus was probably more real than I thought and it's because I saw him through the eyes of the retarded kids at Christmas time. Last week I was wondering who would take his place. 1 realized that "Santa" had a twin brother ,(he was also in the accident) and I knew the brother would probably step into the role of Santa Claus. The kids will have a happy Christmas. 1 plan to celebrate Christmas by remem- bering that December 25 has a special meaning. But for somebody to give gifted children the joy of seeing Santa, by dressing up for those special kids, that in itself is a gift of love that cannot be bought It's in. keeping with the spirit of Christmas. Faith is greatest Christmas gift So they're going to make a Hollywood blockbuster movie about Santa Claus. Frankly, 1 wish they'd leave Sana alone to ,get on with his work. in case you haven't heard, the people who brought Superman to the screen are going to do the same for Santa Claus, they hope in time for next year. They've already signed Dudley Moore to play the chief elf in Santa's workshop. They promise to spend $50 million to fulfill every youngsters dream of Santa's Christmas story. There'll be Santa, Mrs. Claus, 100 worker elves, and toy factory and elf village sets that will cost millions. The exterior scenes will be -shot in Canadian and Norwegian snowfields. The eight reindeer will fly, just like Superman did. The movie makers are amazed that nobody ever had the idea of making a movie about Santa Claus before. It seems like such a natural, they say. Well, maybe those other Hollywood movie moguls have had mote Mind db@ Sconeo by cwt h C otDatow sense and taste than we've given them credit the dream alive as long aS possible resort to for. Frankly, 1 don't think the movie will do a more and more far-fetched explanations. lot for Santa Claus. I don't think a lot has - - The point is, gentlemen, Christmas is been added to the idea of Santa since that about belief, not proof. Both the real story of first poem put the whole tradition together in Christmas and the Santa Ciausstory are The Night Before Christmas. based, not on absolute scientific proof but on You see, gentlemen. the whole wonder of human faith. Ob there are some proven facts Santa Claus is in a child's imagination. about the birth of Christ but in the end, a Whenever we grownups get in the way we Christian must believe in ,his own faith that only hasten the destruction of a child's belief things happened. Knowton Nash wasn't in this wonderful part of Christmas. With there to tell us about it. Barbara From department store Santas in every store and couldn't interrogate the Shepherds and the shopping mall in the city, and even two or wisemen to make sure there were no three Santas in most of our small towns, inconsistencies in their stories. We must be even the youngest child. even one who wants like the children and simply believe and not to believe is quickly struck by the doubt if the Christmas story is to come to inconsistencies. Parents who want to keep life. That's why i've never agreed with many adults who get exercised about Santa horning in on the Christmas season. Santa teaches children to believe tttere is good in the world, to believe that there can be this warm-hearted, generous 'soul who goes all over the world bringing joy. Faith is the greatest gift we can get at Christmas, whether we are Christians or not. We must keep faith that there can be peace on earth despite wars all around us. If we don't have that faith, there can be no chance of peace because we'll stop trying to create it. We must have faith in the essential goodness of our fellow man even if we are surrounded with evidence to the contrary. if we don't, then we will be so cynical that we won't recognize the goodness in another, human when it is offered 'to us. We don't need a S50 million picture as proof. We need faith for old and young to make life bearable. December's bitter wind comes too soon December is a trying time. For one thing, it's so dang SUDDEN. There you are, tottering along a day at a time, thinking it's still fall and you must get the snow tires and storms on one of these fine Saturdays, and throw some firewood into the cellar, and get some boots and replace the gloves you lost last March. Christmas is away off there. And then - bang! - you look out one morning, and there's December, in all its unglory: a bitter east wind driving show, and a cold chill settles in the very bones of your soul. Winter wind as sharp as a witch's tooth sneaks in around uncaulked doors and windows. One's wife complains of the terrible draught from under the basement door. You investigate and find that one of the basement windows has been blown in and has smashed on the woodpile. You clamber up over the wood, knocking pieces off shins and knuckles. and jam some cardboard in the gap. Creep cautiously outside, and nearly bust you bum. There's ice under that thar snow. Make it to the garage, and find that your car doors are all Rouen solid shut. Beat them 1 Sugg and v ® by BE &maw with your bare fists until the latter are bleeding and your car is full of dents. Finally get them open with a bucket of hot water and a barrel of hotter language. Slither and grease your way to work, arrivthg in a foul mood and with bare hands crippled into claws, bootless feet cold as e witch's other appendage. Come out of work to go home and find a half-inch of frozen rain and snow covering your car, and no sign of your scraper, and another deep dent where some idiot slid into your car door on the parking lot. Icoaid go on and on, but it.s only rubbing salt in the wounds of the average Canadian. Get home from work and find that the furnace is on the blink, and the repairman is tied up for the next two days. And your wife Is also fit to be tied up over your dilatoriness. Surely there is some way around this suddeness of December. is there not some far-seeing politician (If that is not a • contradiction in terms), who would introduce a bill to provide for an extra month between. let's say, November 25th and December Sth. i wouldn't care what he called it. it could be ,Lastember, referring to your fast -dying hope that there wouldn't be a winter this year. Or Last Ca11, or Final Warning, or She's Acotnini Anything that gave us a good jolt. It would be a good thing for merchants. They could have special Lastember sales of gloves and boots and snow fires and ear muffs and caulking gens and weather stripping and antifreeze and nose warmers, before plunging into their pre -Christmas sales, which are promptly replaced by their January sales. it would be great for the Post Office, which could start warning us in Jane that all Christmas mail must be posted by the first day of Lastember if we wanted it delivered before the following June. it would make a nice tacking point for all those deserters and traitors and rich people who go south every year. instead of smirking ,"Oh, we're not going south until Boxing Day. Hate to miss an old-fashioned Canadian Christmas," they could really shove it to us by leading, "Yes, we thought we'd wait this year until the last day of Lastember, you know. Avoid the pushing and vulgarity of the holiday rush. if nothing else, it would Eike us a break from the massive nabseatuig volume of pre -Christmas advertising, which begins toward the end of October and continues, remorselessly, right into Christmas Day. ,Best of all, perhaps it would give dummies' hie me a chance to avoid looking lite such a dummy. Procrastinators, who flourish dur- ing a sunny November, such as we had this year, would have no more excuses. All their wives would have to do is point to the calendar and sky, "Bili, do you realize it's only Bute days until iastember. isn't it time you did your Lastember chores?" in fact, if that fearless politician who is SEE DECEMBER/ ON PAGE 3