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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-07-22, Page 6Page 6 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, July 22, 2009 www.goderichsignalstar.com Proprietor and published by Bowes Publishers, P.O. Box 220, 120 Huckins Street, Goderich, Ontario N7A 4B6 EDITORIAL A walk on the .moon forever a defining moment It was, perhaps, the defining moment of a generation. In fact, it may have been the defining moment of the last several centu- ries. It was forty years ago, on July 20, 1969, that astronaut Neil Armstrong, carefully pressed the fust footprint on the dusty, lunar surface and uttered the immortal words "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Man had landed on the moon. It was one of those life -shaping experiences when everyone knows exactly where they were at the precise moment of the event. For most of us, and for millions of people a round the world, the moment was frozen in time in front of black and white television sets as people every- where watched the grainy images of the first moon landing. It was an historic Moment that reinforced the wild and romantic notion that man could leave the confines of his own planet and explore other worlds. And it led to the crazy speculation that space travel would take us beyond the moon and that surely, by the tum of the century, mankind would be explor- ing other planets, if not living on them or regularly inhabiting space stations. Anything seemed possible after Armstrong set foot on the moon and play- fully bounced around to the delight and adoration of millions around the world. Well, the excitement of that era and that particular day has waned and shuttle missions, it seems, go on endlessly from Florida as astronauts from assorted nations exchange places and missions in the space station. It hardly stirs the soul or the imagination like the first lunar landing. • From the historic flight of Alan Shepard, who went on a 15 -minute orbital flight around the world, there have been five other moon landings, the last one in 1972. Even in 2009, the achievement of that July day in 1969, still serves as the epitome of human endeavor, exploration and achievement. The lunar landing changed the way we looked at ourselves and suddenly, anything and every- thing seemed possible: It was the crowning achievement of human spirit and know-how. It was in 1961; that then President John F. Kennedy. Committed the space program to landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth by the end of the decade. It was a bold and calculated promise aimed at placing the United States in the forefront of the space and technological race. It was a wondrous evening when Armstrong thrilled the world with his playful antics and it represented more of an achievement for all mankind than one country or one space program. If you can imagine, it was just 66 years before the moon landing that the Wright Brothers thrilled the. world with the first recorded flight off the Carolina coast. And just 66 years later, in a bold and brazen fashion, man again took wing and traveled to another world. It has been an amazing ride, this journey through space and our generation has gained a new perspective on its own planet. As we have witnessed in those rare views from outer space only afforded to the world's astronauts, the earth is a beautiful planet. We should do everything within our capacity to maintain it. D.S. Tomaluto0 IM STEPPi&6Omni As A MarHE.R... Fog THE BrwaiT Of M( FAMILY! At6a)S ITEM: SARAH PALL rel STEPS WON) Midnight greenthumbs mistake flowers for weeds To the Editor; Last Saturday afternoon; a friend and I spent a couple of hours weeding my Communities in Bloom garden plot at the junction of Bruce St. W. and St. Vincent. I take great pride in maintaining some 2,400 flowering plants in this triangle, and have done so for several years. It was quite disheartening to find that some- time early Sunday morning (probably around 2:30 a.m.) a group of individuals decided to yank over 100 flowers right out of the ground and toss them onto the street! They also stole my Canada flag! With the aid of Shelley Peet and her daugh- ter, Rachel, I was able to re -plant a fair por- tion of the blooms on Sunday morning, but nevertheless, it has made a mess of the plot, The (jadeite* SigrvoJ$ sr, . published evey Nivbsesday a t Goderlda. Ontario is one of The Signal -Star Melts/ft Chomp of CoaatuaIly Newspapers, a division of Bowes Publishers. The Oo Ark* Signal Star shall not be llabk for failure ro publish all aidfor typognaphkal errors In publication except to the extent of the et* of that portion. of the ad in which the error occuivl, The Gorkric*t Signal -Star ,reserves the right to refect or edit any advertisement. The Ooddcei ch signal -Spm Is a proud member of the Canadian Cmra.iimity Newspapers Association (CM) and The Ontario Comintally Newspapers Association (0CNA).4111110111111111114 Editorial Deadlines... All Advertising Deadi Entertainment, Births, In Memoriams... Classifieds... Display Advertising... Telephone Fax.... • Publisher... Reporters... Friday at 2 pm Ines... Deaths, Friday at 2 pm 519-524-2614 519-524-5145 • Letters opinion and it will take while to recover. I hope it will be ok by the time the Communities in Bloom judges arrive on August 6. To those unthinking individuals whose cowardly act made a lot of work for volun- teers like myself, I suggest you come back during the *day -time and I will gladly instruct you on the difference between a weed and a flowering plant. You can pull on these at your heart's content, and I won't complain! Doug R. Bundy A "Communities in Bloom" volunteer • Classifieds & Subscription... Judy Austin Accounting... Rhonda Butt Mary Johnston Office Manager... Janet Shrier Display Sales... Lisa McLaren Keith Moreland Advertising Manager... Dave Sykes Email... gssnews@bowesnet.com,gsssports@bowesnet.com gssads@bowesnetcom, goderichads@bowesnetcom Dominique Milburn Gerard Creces Denny Scott • Kevin Shrier website... www.goderichsignalstar.com Pueucstrows Ma knew No. 40064665 PAP REGISTRATION No. 7602 • RETURN UNDELNERABLE CANADIAN AooaEssES To: arculatIon Dept., 120HudcNnSt, P.O.Box 120, Godetich, ON, MA 406 (519) 524.2614 Ewa: p»nerreQbassenet.00m We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing costs. Cana A,ocna