The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

2 The Canadian Stateseman, Bowmanville, October 13,1982 ■ if. SMALL TALK By Donna Fairey Consider Scugog Road Changes When you think of it, the concept of comfort clothing has frequently run amuk since Adam and Eve wore fig leaves. In the beginning, it was simple. Man sensibly covered his body to shield it from the elements. That practice worked successfully for several centuries with only a minor modification from foliage to animal skins. Then - enter the, fashion designer and clothing manufacturer. Indeed everything went down hill from there. Concern for utilitarian purpose and body comfort was thrown out the nearest window. It's only recently that clothing couturiers have started to seriously consider the people for whom their fashions are designed. The "now" generation is demanding duds that won't cramp, pull, itch, bind or otherwise irritate or hamper body movement. These musings about clothing began Monday night at the office. A small crew of us were working trying to make up for lost time over the Thanksgiving holiday. The bright side of working weekends is that no dress code exists. Fashion ! and appropriate business garb go by the board in favor of comfort clothing. None of the weekend crew would have had a snowball's chance in Hades of making the best dressed list and what's more, none of us was interested. The boss, for instance, sported a comfy plaid flannel shirt, well seasoned and familiar. The number I chose was a baggy jogging suit and sneakers. Others of the crew were attired in their own motley favorites. The conclusion to all of this is that, given the opportunity, you, me and most everybody leans strongly to comfort clothes. It surprises me that somewhere in history there hasn't been a mass uprising to once and for all wipe out irritating clothing altogether. However, the physical comfort of wearing apparel is a matter which has improved drastically over the years, taking everything into consideration. The fashion industry has relaxed greatly in terms of producing clothes that allow us both comfort and free movement. Thank goodness for small mercies. Going back only as far as our grandmothers, I stand amazed at these ladies who tolerated the one- piece, stiff, stayed corselet, day in day out seven days a week. Sleeping hours and sickness were the only reprieves they received from the armor like contraptions. All properly dressed ladies of their time wore one and it would have been unthinkable to appear anywhere Blind Will Benefit from United Way % ■W / " % ' I X . Mary Hogervorst, of Bowmanville (left) uses a braille typing machine while Lorraine Pitt, of Newtonville, looks on. The device for producing braille letters shown here is one of many aids used by the blind in their daily lives. In addition to aids and appliances, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind also provides courses on how to cope with the various aspects of blindness. The CNIB is a United Way agency. By Peter Parrott A blind person living in the 1980's can awaken to the sound of a talking alarm clock telling him it's time to get up. He can make breakfast at a microwave oven with braille dials and a built-in voice providing information on times and temperatures. His seeing-eye dog might guide him to his job, where he can use talking computer terminals, talking typewriters, typewriters, talking calculators, and a number of other devices which help the blind adapt to their workplace. For recreation, he might read braille, listen to a talking book, join a blind bowling team, or even try his hand at skiing. Aids for the blind include everything from the traditional traditional white cane to the modem electronic micro processor which uses silicone chips, It is this device which can provide "human" voices to such things as clocks and calculators. But the fact remains that in spite of the old and new aids and appliances, dealing with blindness is a major adjustment. adjustment. However, it is not an impossible transition to make. In fact, there are many resources available to ensure that the blind can cope with day to day life. Van Belle Floral Shoppes ... much more than a flower. store! 4 STORES • Highway No. 2 • King tt, C., Othawe • SlmcoeSl.N., Oehawe • King Si W., Bowmanville Bill Brown, district administrator for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, explained that one of the key resjxmsibilities of his organization is to get the blind Back to becoming productive citizens. An intensive course on. adjusting to blindness is one of the ways this goal is accomplished. accomplished. The course is offered z at the CNIB in Toronto and includes braille typing, use of the white cane, effective listening, and many other topics. 1 "It gave me my independence, independence, said Mary. .Hoger- vorst, a Bowmanville woman who went blind six years ago and who took part in the program program which lasts from 12 to 16 weeks. The course taught her skills such as the use of a braille stove so that she can continue her work as a homemaker. It also taught her many other practical skills for living with blindness. In addition to its course on adjusting to the condition of blindness, the CNIB also offers rehabilitation training at home, Teachers will visit homes to teach skills such as getting around streets in a town and other daily activities. For Lorraine Pitt, of Newtonville, much of her education since her blindness took place at the W, Ross McDonald School for the Blind in Brantford. She attended this school up to grade 11, Mrs. Pitt, who lost her sight at age 14, is married and nas three children aged nine, six and three. She adds that people sometimes sometimes find it difficult to believe that she does her own housework, housework, raises her children and takes part in other activities such as bowling, The CNIB, which is one of 37 agencies in the Durham Region to be funded by United Way, offers a long list of programs which help the blind to continue to be successful and productive individuals. These include vocational counselling, library services from tape and braille libraries, music, social skills, correspondence courses and much more. But one of the main concerns of the blind is their need to find employment in the c'ommunity. "Blindness is"no respecter of persons. It hits everybody," explained Roy Norton, a Bowmanville man who has been blind since 1972. The blind are employed as teachers, secretaries, lawyers, doctors, and just about every other profession available to those who have their sight, "You are only limited by how other people limit you and by your physical and mental abilities," says Mr. Norton. He adds that being blind has not stopped him from activities activities such as repairing his home and repairing his car. A mechanic by trade, he would have done these things if he had not become blind. It'comes as a surprise when people ask him if, for example, he can dial a telephone. He points out that his phone bill assures him he can. Mr. Norton said there appears to be a reluctance on the part of employers to hire the blind. However, the blind in the Durham Region continue to search for jobs in the hope that openings will become available. To help them find work, about 15 of them have formed a job club. The group meets regularly to discuss the progress of individual members and to talk about ideas for work. This proves that in addition to taking part in the many programs available to them, the blind are more than willing to help themselves achieve the goals they want and deserve, without the traditional support garment. Those who have gone before us have indeed suffered all manner of atrociously uncomfortable clothing items. The corselet was later replaced by a rubber girdle which required the wearer to wriggle like a contortionist in order to wedge the body into it. And during hot spells these rubber hinder binders were : little better than being inside a concentration camp swelter shack. Before the corselet and rubber girdle, the stringed corset reigned supreme. This model cinched the female waist reed-thin often leaving the wearer pale and gasping for breath from the very pressure of it. Remember the scene in Gone With the Wind when Scarlet O'Hara refused food lest even the smallest morsel should pop the strings on her corset. And for as long as pencil thin female waists were considered chic and feminine, so survived the infamous corset. But neither have men been spared certain discomforts in terms of the clothing selection available to them. They have tolerated shirts so stiffly starched every male Adam's apple in existence was put in jeopardy. Men have suffered through centuries of armor, knickers, knee garters, suspenders and coats made from material so heavy they would all but cause a man's knees to buckle. However, I believe overall that the female of the species has had more to contend with at the hands of fashion designers. Think of the hoop skirt and the problems it must have caused ladies of the day. And layers of itchy crinolines could hardly be considered an improvement over the hoop. There have been needle nosed shoes, girdles, boned brassieres and garter belts all worn under the guise of fashion. And let's not forget the period of the mini skirt when designers scarcely put enough material into them to cover a backside. Women spent several years hitching and pulling prior to the emergence of the maxi skirt. It has all been really quite ridiculous and yet like a worldwide herd of sheep, women have perennially bent to the whims of designers. Certainly it has been the rare few who have dared have the grits to be different. And so the fashion world goes round. Comfort clothing today, however, seems to be enjoying a long overdue upsurge in popularity. Bulky sweaters, easy fitting, skirts and slacks, low heeled-'shoes and rainbow colored joggifig suits are a few of the examples- ' say it's about time. y Transit Will Help Area From Page One The rapid transit services, including including the existing GO train line, will eventually be a computer operated operated rail system. The service is reported to be fast, quiet and will run at half the operating cost of diesel trains. Transit rail vehicles running from Oshawa to Pickering will reach speeds over 70 miles per hour and will carry passengers the length of the 11 mile connecting run in 14 minutes. Station sites have not been established established but the easterly point of the line is to be located in southeast From Page One portion of the overall BIA membership. During nis presentation, Mr. HarriSon pressed council to endorse a poll of Bowmanville's downtown merchants to determine if the project was indeed supported by the majority of downtown business owners. In his response to council, Mr. Webster maintained that notices announcing BIA meetings were hand delivered to members orie week in advance. He said the BIA's endorsement of the downtown revitalization program was a democratic process and was supervised by Newcastle's town clerk. Mr. Webster also pointed out certain discrepancies in the petition before council, claiming that two of the signators are no longer in business, one retail outlet has changed hands and two people from the same family signed in another instance. Council w'as told the BIA assessment levy will not escalate as a result of the revitalization project, Oshawa near the Holiday Inn. Newcastle's elected officials believe believe the extension represents a definite boost to development in the Courtice area where millions of dollars spent on water services wait to be used. The easterly extension has long been touted as the key to development development along Durham Region's lake- shore and municipal councils have consistently prodded the government government for the service in past years. Mayor Garnet Rickard says the extension greatly enhances the town's overall position in terms/of future municipal development. contrary to the contention of the petitioners. "I can't understand the opposition to the project," said Mr. Webster, "when increased parking in the downtown core will benefit all of us." The BIA representative said the group has attempted to act in good faith and has done all it could to communicate with all members of the organization. The BIA's proposed $330,000 improvement program includes the purchase of a $165,000 merchant owned parking lot at the corner of Church and Division Streets. Also under the terms of the commercial core facelift, a number of cosmetic improvements are planned along with the possibility of developing two additional parking lots, one on Silver Street and the second at the corner of King and Scugog Streets. Newcastle council recently submitted a grant request to the P rovince on behalf of the owmanville BIA group seeking a $150,000 low interest loan under the government's downtown revitalization program. Concerns Hold Up Baseline Gas Bar Concerns raised by Roser Crescent Crescent residents relating to a proposed gas bar at the corners of Wàverley and Baseline Roads has held up town approval of a rezoning application to permit its construction. Mutt Enterprises Limited, the company proposing the gas bar Fire Captain Resigns The resignation of a Bowmanville Fire Hall captain with 20 years of commendable service invested in the department was reluctantly approved by council's general committee Monday. Bowmanville resident, Bob Smith, who was appointed to captain in 1973, was compelled to submit his resignation effective October 1st for health reasons. In a report to council, Fire Chief Jim Hayman disclosed that Mr. Smith joined the department in 1962 and since that time has rendered excellent service as a town firefighter. Coming from a family of firemen, Bob's father, Frank Smith, served 25 years with the Bowmanville fire department and two brothers Bruce and Brian are present members. ojieration, is seeking an agreement with the town to develop a one acre parcel at the northwest corner of the intersection. An agent for the developing company, company, John Elliott, appeared before council's general committee Monday Monday pointing out the gas facility is not designed to be another truck stop. Council members were told the proposed site design does not lend itself to the servicing of large trucks. The agent informed council that the gas bar is intended for passenger, vehicles off Highway 401 and will be a personal service operation. "The only on-site structure will be a small 55 square meter building," explained explained Mr. Elliott. "The gas bar will be about 300 feet down from the closest house in the area," he stated. Some of the concerns raised by Roser Crescent homeowners include the speed limit along Martin Road, grading and drainage in the area, illumination, fencing and sidewalks in the vicinity of the gas bar. The matter of rezoning from agricultural agricultural to industrial uses has been deferred until the concerns of the Roser residents have been addressed addressed by town staff. By Donna Fairey Newcastle council members have endorsed a planning department recommendation to consider the reconstruction of Scugog Street from Mill Lane north to Durham Road 57 in the town's 1983 capital budget. Council's general committee gave the project its blessing Monday and went on record proposing the start of construction for 1984. The committee also agreed that sidewalk construction between Knox Christian School and Durham Secondary, School should be considered part of the road improvement project. The reconstruction was earmarked this week for budget consideration following a series of requests from the two Scugog Street schools asking the town to ouild a sidewalk between the two facilities. The requests were based on a serious concern for the pedestrian safety of their students. The recommendation for reconstruction was put forth by Newcastle planning director Ron Dupuis after a study of the matter in conjunction with the two school boards indicated that a road improvement program and a proper sidewalk were the most viable solutions to the existing problems. It was suggested that the reconstruction of the section north of Mill Street be undertaken following the completion of a more southerly stretch of Scugog'between King ana O'Dell which received a previous endorsement from town council. Cancer Society Officers by Peter Parrott The Bowmanville Branch of the Canadian Cancer Society elected its officers for 1982-83 during its annual meeting held October 6 at the Bowmanville Lions Centre. Mary Tillcock will continue to serve, as president of the organization and Glenn Prout is past president. The position of vice president is vacant. The secretary is Betty Dakin, while Rita Tillcock will serve as chairman. Glenn Prout will be the campaign chairman for 1982-83. Other officers in the organization organization for 1982-83 include: education co-ordinator, Lynda Gibson; commemorative fund, Rita Tillcock; medical advisor, Dr. Paul Hoy; patient services, Kay Rehder; transportation, Cathy Aitken; and publicity chairman, Marg Maciver. LADIES and NURSES Do you have leg fatigue, swollen ankles or discomfort discomfort of varicose veins? Parke-Davis support hose (panty, knee or over-knee) provide comfortable firm support. Check with your doctor &/or see us. 26 King St. E. Bowmanville, Ont. 623-3361 Deaths BURLEY -- Agnes Grace. At Memorial Hospital, Bowmanville, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 1982. Agnes Grace Zealand, beloved wife of the late Cecil Burley. Dear mother of Ronald of Newcastle, Florence (Mrs. Earl McEwan) of Peterborough, Harold of Bridgenorth, Audrey (Mrs. Clarence > Gilmer) at Cameron, Keith of Waterloo, and Mary (Mrs. Don Vinklti) of Newtonville. Also survive^ by 16 grandchildren, and 20 grei ll "<irandchlldren. Sister of lute E^^n (Mrs. Roy Nichols), GordoiySmitn and Clarence Pearce.Wrlends may call at the Ross Fujeral Chapel, 135 Walton St.. Port Hope, Thursday 2-4 p.m. and 7 - 9 p.m. Service will be held at Newtonville United Church, Friday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. Interment Lakeview Cemetery, Newtonville. In memorlam donations to Newtonville United Church would be appreciated. E :asy Elegance fa Fall and Winter Kl IT Tl El N II Kl N n rs The largest selection of stock in tne Durham Region, now at your Kitten Knit headquarters. Great styling and easy co-ordination start with the sleek sophistication of ' Kitten Knits' new fall and winter collection. Superbly tailored in casual and classic good looks, and complemented by beautiful colours. Choose from outfits which are both versatile and fashionable, and so easy to care for. Now available in Tea, Coco, Berry, Mauve, Grey and Black. In sizes 8 to 20,34 to 42 and S, M, L. a# USE YOUR MASTERCHARGE, CHARGEX, OR OUR CONVENIENT LAYAWAY PLAN. AND WHEN YOU CAN'T DECIDE... LOOK INTO SEIGNEUR'S GIFT CERTIFICATES. seigneur's ^ Ladies Wear Oshawa Shopping Centre King Street and Stevenson Road Telephone: 725-7851