••~ Wed., April 6, 1988 WINCHESTER PRESS @A<:>(11 Seventh Column Editorial EDI 1£R'S N01E : OUR CARfcn.\lST 15 ON A"CUITDRAL1RIP. by Joe Rowan Politicians: who needs them Politicians in Dundas County must think the people are stupid. They stand up and make grandiose declarations - as Shakespeare would say, full of sound and fury signifying nothing - about how they will never agree to accept garbage from outside their municipality. Give us a break. About two years ago, 13 municipalities signed away their rights when they agreed to join the Grenville-Dundas Waste Management Master Plan. Most admit they joined the plan to save money . Admirable. But now, in an effort to save face, at least three reeves in Dundas County are stretching the truth by saying they wo early Osgoode Township settlers, Richard can personally stop Brockville's garbage from being Stethem and Joseph Coombs, were pioneers in dumped in their laps. T storekeeping and in 1841, erected a trough-shaped shanty That decision is out of their hands. The waste believed to have been the first store in the wilderness management Steering Committee is carrying the big stick municipality. Early records indicate that 'trading post' was now. They will make the final decision, with the public's at.the intersection of what is now officially-mapped as the input, as to where a landfill site will be located, if that junction of Regional Road 6 and the 8th Line of Osgoode becomes the best alternative. Township. Historians have further pinpointed the location Why can't the politicians tell the straight story. Why as 'on the southeast corner'. One need dig no deeper can't they say they don't want Brockville's garbage the into the misty past to realize all this historical data same as the rest of us and stop at that. Why do they have describes the very birth of Metcalfe village and its first to say things like, "I'll never sign an agreement allowing business venture. There appears to be no authentic Brockville's trash to come into our backyards." records regarding the durability of that ancient 'trough­ They already signed the agreement. shaped shanty' ... but the business itself never looked As one Ministry of Environment official said, "It's back ... and continued to grow and flourish down through obvious they're trying to avoid political suicide." the generations. In more recent years Metcalfe General The politician whose municipality gets the dump is Store has been literally 'bulging at the seams', and last going to be in hot water with his constituents. week those 'seams' did indeed literally burst... making This fall, when it comes to the municipal elections, room for a vast expansion program. Metcalfe General maybe the people should vote for representatives who tell Store, although keeping abreast of modern merchandising the story straight and don't try to whitewash the fence trends, manages to maintain a cherished touch of the they' re sitting on. country store atmosphere. True, there is no 'pot-bellied Who are they trying to kid anyway? stove'; no 'cracker barrel'; and no 'hitching-post' at the - Joe Meagher door. But, instead there is always the pleasant aroma of steaming coffee and early-morning shoppers, just as their ancestors did ages ago, pause to exchange views on politics, sports and world affairs. Present owners of the This week • • • thriving business are the Gebara brothers (Sid and Michael) and both are deeply interested in the historical 1928 significance of a business older even than the village itself. Chatting with the brothers this week we recalled having The farm home of George Lewis, four miles northwest negotiated big deals (sometimes as much as 2' worth of of Vernon was destroyed in a fire. The fire started in all-day suckers) when Mr. Hanes was the friendly man a defecti ve chimney. behind the counter. During our early days at school L. T. A new model Ford sedan was the main topic of Stanley owned the store and it seemed he always had conversation in Winchester. It came from Brockvi lle and attracted a much attention as a new band wagon. a special 'deal' for little girls and boys with very limited R. Dukelow sold his milk business to D . Mallory. amounts of 'cash'. Mr. Stanley was succeeded by Everett Morris and over the years ownership changed several times. Many, shopping in the store this week, have 1938 cherished memories of Cyrus Latimer, Bill Hall, Lloyd Jackson, Jim Miller and Don Maclaurin. That corner of A Morrisburg lawyer, acting on behalf of Lawrence the village is truly steeped in history. Matter of fact one Annable of Winchester Township, told Winchester might even say the store was closely associated with Township Council that Annable was seeking $200,000 Metcalfe Fair in the exhibition's formative years. Yellowed in damages from the municipality. pages in the annual fall fair's earliest records explain what Annable alleged the damage was done during the Castor Drainage Scheme. Council decided to let the fair-day shoppers saw as they left the store and loaded courts deal with the issue if Annable so desired. their groceries on the 'express': " On the afternoon of the The Winchester High School Board discussed the second day of the annual possibility of enl arging the school. Two additional exhibition (Metcalfe Fair) the rooms are required: one for domestic science, the other president and secretary for technical courses. were wont to take their places on the upper balcony of the hotel, which 1948 was the signal for the multitude to assemble in the The lnkerman Rockets hockey season came to a close in front of 7,000 fans at the Ottawa auditorium by street below to hear the losing to St. Mary·s 8-5. prize list read by the lnkerman lost the series 3 games to one eliminating secretary. The president's them from the Memorial Cup playdowns. speech came first. Then, in Ault Creamery Ltd. is constructing a round radio­ type chimney for a new boiler. The chimney will be order to get the audience in NOTE: That once-bustling hotel 110 feet high with a ladder inside. the proper state of mind, stood on the corner lot now Christine Stewart, daughter of Mr . and Mrs. W .J. Donald McKeracher was designated municipal parkland. Stewart. was judged the best in the vocal solo class announced and greeted with cheers as he appeared on for girls 15 years old and under at the Ottawa Music the balcony in his tartan array, marching from end to end Festival. She beat out 34 contestants. to the thrilling notes of the bagpipes." This week the new­ look corner store is busy serving new generations of shoppers but, for oldtimers, memories of the town's 1958 illustrious past remains sealed forever where the 'trough~ shaped shanty' once stood. We salute Sid and Michael Conservative Clair Casselman won by a landslide over for so courageously combining modernization with a Liberal Arthur Casselman in the federal riding of dedicated effort to preserve the memories of yesteryear's Grenville-Dundas. Nationally, John Diefenbaker 's Tories picked up 209 seats. merchants. Clair Casselman had represented the riding since 1921. The South Mountain United Church reached its oung area curlers are beginning to make lasting fundraising goal of $12,000 with the renovation fund Press Photo- Van Bridger Y impressions on trophy trails across the land. Two standing at $12 .247. Sixty· one families contributed . The canvass' expenses came to $106.74. weeks ago we extended deserving congratulations to four Morrisburg young men who had earned the Canadian Junior Men's Provincial Championship. Last week tour 1968 Metcalfe lads moved into the winners' circle with the The mysterious stranger prestigious Provincial Schoolboy Championship award. Well done skip Brad (Dow); third Mike (Stachon); second by Gordon C. Smyth had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.'' The them. AncJ their eyes were opened and they recogniz­ Winchester village streets were in unusually bad There may always be unanswered questions about the splendid hopes of Palm Sunday had turned into the ed him; and he vanished out of their sight." condition so councillors Dwight Lannin and Don Dave (Stachon); lead Karl (Billy); spare Stephen (Stanley) Resurrection and its nature. When, for instance, the despair of Good Friday. The Cross, with all its cruel­ However one explains it, those who invite Jesus Christie proposed an extensive works program. and super-coach Jack (Armstrong). Can a 'Silver Broom' apostles themselves heard of the empty tomb, they ty and shame, appeared to be the death blow to a lovely Christ to stay with them find God. The more deeply Phony bank inspectors were phoning elderly people be that far down the road? greeted the report as "an idle tale." Thomas was at dream. we probe the Master's life and teaching, the more we in Dundas County attempting to con them out of their first skeptical. Cleopas and his unnamed companion It is not difficult to understand why Cleopas and his see of God. The Master leads us out of ourselves and retirement money. The OPP said any questionable calls failed to recognize the mysterious stranger until they companion welcomed the mysterious stranger when beyond ourselves to the ultimate Reality behind him should be referred to the police as quickJy as possible. shared an evening meal with him at Emmaus (Luke he joined them on the road. Almost any company is and in him. 24: 13- 35). good company when I ife has tumbled in. Companion­ Sometimes we may be like the two individuals who Plainly, the immediate followers of Jesus were ship is a refuge and a source of strength, especially attended a public lecture by Ralph Waldo Emerson WINCHESTER PRESS disposed to cynicism, conditioned to doubt.