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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-04-22, Page 27Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - Page A27 Migrating shapes, colours upset the local ecosystem Morning comes to Goderich in the most glorious way. The sun, rising humbly in the east, gains confidence as it stretches over the southern Ontario soil. By the time it creeps into my window, I'm already dreaming of the coming day's adventure. Clang -clunk! At least... I was dreaming. There's a strange new phenomenon happening in this town that has not only changed the streetscape, but the ecosys- tem as well. These fertile spring rains have already made violets pop up, buds swell and grass grow. Everything it touches seems to ema- nate new life. This new growth is irresistable not only to us humans but also to animals like the noble yet wayward coyote, forced into mi- gration by urban sprawl. And this migration spans all .forms of matter. Organic, inorganic - it doesn't seem to... well... matter. For instance, not too long ago I noticed large potholes started sprouting up out of (or rather, into) the roads in town. At first, I thought it was a cause for concern. Af- ter all, how did they get there? Where did they come from? What were the strange neon markings surrounding them? At first, I was ready to say fill in the lot of 'em. But then, I noticed something. The holes became integral in the local ecosys- tem. Their colourful markings seemed to attract other exotic life forms as well. Large packs of orange safety -vests would flock to them every day for several hours, sometimes even tube -feeding the potholes. The vests were accompanied by white, van -like creatures that would remain stationary for hours at a time - possibly soaking up the sun's heat off the asphalt - espe- cially near the dead centre of South and Elgin, where it must shine brightest. Whenever the vests and vans stop, they are always surrounded by or- ange, conical beasts that quietly edge the sidelines. I've also, in my travels, noticed a sub -species of these cones that is larger, striped, and prefers construction sites and highways as opposed to small pot holes, But on my street, like a watering hole on the Serengetti, after the larger vested animals have moved on, the smaller ones move in. It is a species I had never seen before - large, metallic creatures, mostly yellow and perfectly square - and they seemingly live on (or over) potholes on side streets. The squares seem to travel in packs of about two or three, and are very territorial. The pair outside my window have been in a continual stand-off for the last two weeks, each waiting for the other to make the first move. While they are relatively unbothered by humans, these squares hate vehicular traf- fic. When cars, trucks or even the odd bike drives over these creatures they growl fe- rociously to scare the intruder away. You may have heard one of these things before - they sound like train cars derail- ing. while being hit with a sledge hammer into a megaphone. Maybe that's a bit dramatic. They sound more like pieces of sheet metal sitting out in the mid- dle of the street getting run over repeatedly. Sometimes these squares are surrounded by the conical beasts, but more often than not, they are in the path of traffic. But why? I wondered about this for a long time until the true beauty of nature's nobility made itself apparent. These strange creatures seem to be pro- tecting the potholes from the cars. But... at great cost. As I walk through the streets, I see yel- low metal squares rusting over. I hear their cries grow louder as they bend under the weight of so many vehicles and their corners be- come. uneven. Sometimes, I .even see them just sitting on the side of the road abandoned - all the good holes taken by other animals. It's up to us to do something about it. But what? We could start shooting the yellow 26. Help Wanted squares to feed the poor. We could send our yellow squares to even smaller communities or dump them ten miles out from town limits. Or, we could just give them a rest and maybe drive around them when it's safe to do so. That way I don't have to hear their hor- rible cries in the dead of night, saying, "quit driving on me - people are sleep- ing." Or, "can't you just go around me this morning? Somebody on this block just hit snooze." But, I have a pretty good feeling once the vests nurse the potholes back to health, the yellow squares and the cones will find a new habitat and when they do I'm sure. they (along with everyone else on my street) will sleep a whole lot better. 26. Help Wanted 26. Help Wanted Goderich Fire Volunteer Department REQUIRES FIREFIGIIT .wee +ae %•» $.)69> 6,»w. .iO»- •.w.S 4e.e%eee O a_ Applicants will have or be able to: • Obtain DZ drivers license • Pass medical • Be on call 24 hours per day including written permission from employer Applicants may apply to: Goderich Fire Dept. 248 Suncoast Dr. E. Goderich, Ontario N7A 4K4 Only those chosen for an Interview will be co Service Call These Businesses For All Your Service Needs! 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