Click on Photos to EnlargeAlmut Bezner of Midland is feeding a sardine h’odoeuvre to Lieut. George Wakeford of Owen Sound at a dance held at the Midland Armoury by the Grey and Simcoe Foresters Saturday night. Public relations officer for the regiment Lieut. Wakeford and other officers from Owen Sound are growing beards for a centenary to be held in that city. 

 Mayors of Midland and Penetang were among the guests of the Grey and Simcoe Foresters at a regimental dinner and dance at the Midland Armory Saturday night. Mayor A. B. Thompson, Penetang; Major and Mrs. D. W. Syer, Owen Sound; Col. And Mrs. D. B. McKee, Owen Sound; Mayor Charles Parker, Midland. In the rear, Capt. J. S. Corcoran, Midland and Major Jack Symons, Penetang. 

 In Midland over the weekend for their annual conference, officers of the Grey and Simcoe Foresters Regiment are seen in this group picture taken beside the armory. Some of the “top brass” are seen seated in the front row; Lieut. George A. Wakeford, Owen Sound; Capt. Dave Witiw, Dundas; Capt. J. S. Corcoran, Midland; Lieut-Col. D. Fearman, Dundas; Col. G. A. Henderson, 17 Militia Group Commander, Hamilton; Lieut. Col. W. A. Prast, officer commanding Grey and Simcoe’s, Owen Sound; Liet.-Col. J. Westhead, Toronto; Major, A. Caldwell, Oakville; Major Jack Symons, Penetang; Major J. Crutcher, Orillia. Regiment has units in Orillia, Meaford, Owen Sound, Durham, Collingwood, Barrie, Parry Sound and Midland. 

 Captain Edwin Jardine is the first Midland skipper to win the top hat in his home port in many years. He gladly surrendered the top hat for a certificate for a modern top piece after docking the Ashcroft at the Tiffin elevator Monday afternoon. R. J. Moffatt, secretary – manager of the Midland Chamber of Commerce, J. G. Hendrickson, CSL manager in Midland, Capt. and Mrs. Jardine and mayor Charles Parker. 

 Future citizens in training. First Midland (St. Mark’s Anglican Church) Cub Pack with Cub Master Ray Worrell in the back. South Georgian Bay Boy Scouts Association has asked local municipal councils for financial support. (No names are given for this photo) (Our scarves “neckers” were red and blue) 

This Red Tamworth sow gave birth to a litter of twenty piglets on the farm of Jack Toole, R.R. 2 Midland, a couple of weeks ago. All but five survived, one with the help of a baby bottle. Farm officials say the national average is eight pigs in a litter and anything over a dozen is unusual. Her last effort was fourteen. 

Baseball is in the air in Midland again, first organizational meeting held at the YMCA Thursday. Larry Greene, Buzz Deschamp, Joe Faragher, Jack Hendrickson, Murray Yorke, John Power and Harold Jackson. 

 Members of the agricultural science class at MPDHS show off the last of the chicks reared in their incubator. Joanne VanderVoort, Carol VanLuven and Priscilla Quesnelle have observed over 1,000 eggs through the various stages of development. 

• Due to Good Friday on the 19th the County Herald was not published this week.
• Free Press Headline, Wednesday, April 14th; “Quartet on Spring Hunt 14 Year Old Youth Shot” A 14-year-old Victoria Harbour lad narrowly missed being instantly killed in the first hunting accident of the 1957 season, Monday afternoon. In St. Andrew’s Hospital, Midland, is Robert LaChappelle son of Mr. and Mrs. Fabian LaChappelle, Victoria Harbour. Robert was hit in the face by a bullet accidentally discharged from a .22 calibre rifle. The bullet struck the lad in the right cheek, finally lodging near his ear.
• “Ask Six Municipalities To Share In Hospital Obligation, Town Shoulders Major Load” Midland taxpayers and private contributors underwrote nearly 90 percent of the $455,000 which had to be raised outside of government grants to build the new St. Andrews Hospital. “This is at least one-third in excess of our community share,” board chairman R. J. Pinchin told the annual meeting at the YMCA Monday night. “Accordingly, steps are being taken to establish the financial obligations of the municipalities whose citizens are enjoying the benefits of the facilities at St. Andrews.”

• Boys and girls committee of Midland Y’s Men’s Club is busy completing plans for this year’s monster Easter egg hunt in Midland’s Little Lake Park. The hunt is to get under way Saturday morning at 10.30 a.m. A new twist is to be added to the hunt this year. “Treasure” disks are to be dropped by a Georgian Bay Airways plane. In previous years they were hidden by club members.
• New Penetang hospital is too small? Dr. R. Lauzon, president of the medical staff, said the doctors required a second “gas” machine for use in the minor operating room. He explained it was impossible under the present set-up to carry on two operations at the same time unless ether was used as an anaesthetic. When he had submitted the request, the superintendent, Sister Mary Camelia, asked where they would put the patients if operations were being performed simultaneously. She intimated the staff was being hard-pressed at the moment to find sufficient beds, and that a point had been reached where, on occasion, it had been found necessary to delay operations until beds were available.
• Nearly 500 Midland and district citizens accepted an invitation to stroll through the greenhouses and main store of Perrin’s Flower Shop Sunday afternoon. The event was sponsored by Midland ‘Y’ Auxiliary. Most of those present were making their first visit inside the five large sections of greenhouses located behind the store. Visitors entered through the King Street doors where they were greeted by an array of cut flowers in tall standards. Live ducklings added to the effectiveness of the display.
• TEN YEARS AGO THIS WEEK; Midland took its first step toward the establishment of a local museum when council accepted as a gift the Edgehill residence and surrounding parkland, from the estate of the late Mrs. James Playfair. Among the suggested names for the museum were Midland Museum, Playfair Museum and Huronia House. (Huronia House was selected)* * * Dry forces won out in a Coldwater vote for beer stores, for the second time. The first vote was in 1912. One woman, Mrs. R. Sheppard, travelled all the way from Chicago to cast her ballot. * * * An early morning fire destroyed the Stewart Taxi Co. on Hugel Avenue. Nearly 500 citizens were awakened about 5 a.m. to ringing telephones. Fusing of a telephone cable in front of the burning frame building was the cause. * * * Midland’s unpaid taxes of $180,000 dating from the time the town went bankrupt in 1934, had been reduced to $35,098.60 by the end of 1946. * * * Ships had left Midland and Port McNicoll harbors and were slowly making progress toward Giant’s Tomb and open water. * * * Scholarship winners, at the 1947 Midland Y’s Men’s Music Festival were Ronald Atkinson and Donald Stevens, Midland, George Renton, Waubaushene; Georgina White, Big Chute; Jean Prentice,  Victoria Harbour; and Greta Pearson, Midland. The youngest competitor in the festival was 4-year-old Lois Cowan. She placed second in the six years and under piano solo class, although she had been playing only three months.
• Province applies a .20 cent per gallon tax on diesel fuel used in transportation as of April 1st. This does not apply to heating oil.
• The first ship to reach bay ports this season was the CSL steamship T. R. McLagan, which docked at the CPR elevator in Port McNicoll at 11.10 a.m. Monday after what her skipper termed “the worst spring trip I’ve ever seen in my 51 years”. Capt. Alex Wilson of Sarnia, commodore of the CSL fleet, predicted two more weeks will hardly make an impression on the heavy ice the McLagan battled from Port Arthur. His ship left the lakehead April 11 and with the help of no less than four icebreakers made Sault Ste. Marie Sunday. It is expected to take only 15 hours to unload the 650,000 bushels of wheat.
• Midland’s population now stands at 8,250 and shows an increase of more than 1,000 since 1951 according to the 1956 census. Penetang gained 471 new citizens, bringing its present total to 5,420. Barrie easily retained its lead over Orillia as the largest town in the county, with a population of 16,851. New figures for other North Simcoe municipalities, with the 1951 figure in brackets, are Victoria Harbour 1,012 (953); Port McNicoll 932 (884); Elmvale 897 (808); Coldwater 693 (583). Tiny Township proved to be the most heavily populated North Simcoe township, although its 4,011 figure represents an increase of only 101 from the last census. Figures for other district townships are Tay, 3,105 (2,793); Medonte, 2,388 (2,201); Matchedash, 365 (397); Flos, 2,315 (2,020). Simcoe County’s population rose from 106,482 in 1951 to a present high, of 127,016. There are 1,146 more males than females in the county.
• S. S. South American will call at Midland on an excursion run June 19, Midland Harbourmaster Dave Hewis told this newspaper. Mr. Hewis said the big cruise ship would arrive on an excursion run sponsored by the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce. She is scheduled to arrive at Midland 8 a.m. June 19 and leave at 11.30 a.m.
• Want Ads –  BARBARA ANN Beauty Salon, 248 King St., above Jory’s Drug Store; specializing in all lines of beauty culture. Barbara Bell, proprietor. For appointments phone LA. 6-5591.      * * *  MAJOR HAIRDRESSING! Gertrude Major, Prop., 215 King St., phone L A . 6-6242, Midland.  * * * BRICK AND BLOCK Work. Chimneys built and repaired. Phone LA. 6-2464, Earl Black, 286 Queen St., Midland. * * * FOR DECORATING, painting, or paper hanging, samples and estimates free. Earl Asselin, phone 21J, Victoria Harbour 6 to 7 p.m.