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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1981-09-17, Page 4Page 4 Citizens News Septenibet 17, 1901 1'�4\•i:<•a::{:y:•?.i��•}}•X9i•5P:•i:<�:�ti'.•.y{: �i?::kti•; a : is i:.- �.ti:a:{•}�QOO� Y`>' vr�s =11k111111111111M1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111H11111111i1111111111111111111111111111111111111111=111111111111111111111II11111111111111111111111,111111111111411111111111111H11111111= IM- F IWO D IM Viewpoint Z.C.N.: AIN 1 AO an 1 .x. i=“umi 111111U1111111111111111111111111111111n111111111111111111H1111111111111111111111111111111u1111111111111r111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111n1111114, ZCN tojoinT-A's larger circulation While the newspaper business has come under public scrutiny of late, for alleged 'collusion in newspaper closings, the public has become more aware of the financial difficulties of newspaper publishing. A newspaper may be made smaller to retain its economic viability with declining subscription level, but it reaches the point where cost increases are exceeding incomes. Unfortunately, with increased cost of printing, labor and all the various related costs of production, The Zurich Citizen's News has reached this point. Circulation has dropped to under 300, making one of Canada's smallest weeklies even smaller. Of those who do subscribe, about 90 percent also sub- scribe to The Exeter Times Advocate. As of this week, the Citizen's News will cease to be a separate publication. The Zurich news will become a featured page in the Times -Advocate. Forthe news coveragpf Zurich it is a significant yet subtle change. In the T -A, Zurich news and publicity of up- coming events will now reach a significant portion of the population in the south Huron area. Those who do not now receive the Citizen's News will be able to read about the people and happenings of our village. As subscription lists will overlap, those of you who have. not been receiving the Times -Advocate will now do so and you will be able to take advan- tage of the features and services of a weekly newspaper with a much larger circulation and scope. So it works both ways, bringing the area closer to Zurich and sending Zurich news out to our neighbors. Our reporters will still cover the Zurich area with notebooks and cameras, and our cor- respondents will continue to pass on the news and social items you look forward to each week. Alcohol Iife The number of young people who die violent deaths on Ontario's highways has increased alar- mingly. Just a week ago four Seaforth area teenagers lost their lives in traffic accidents in one weekend and this brought the total of young people to die this way to 10 this year. It isn't just the Seaforth community which loses its young people so tragically. Lucknow has had its share of tragic deaths in the past and there will be such deaths in the future. Many of these traffic deaths are alcohol related which is yet another reason to look at our society's use of alcohol. Our young people complain there is little to do but drive around and because of the example set by society, drinking and driving is acceptable. Even if the teenager is involved in a team sport or another club activity, every achievement such as a cham- pionship win must be celebrated with an ample amount of booze. The use of alcohol in conjunction with social func- tions has increased dramatically along with the deaths on our highway. Perhaps it is time to con- sider changes. Public concern for drinking teenagers persuaded the province to raise the legal age to 19. Perhaps the legal driving age should be raised as well. European teenagers do not drive until they are 18, but they do not complain of any disadvantage. European youths, who visited Canada recently with a Lions exchange, commented they still go places as much as their Canadian counterparts. They take a bus or someone drives them. It is possible that raising the driving age to 18 could eliminate some of the tragedy and hopefully teenage drivers would ac- quire responsibility with age. This however, is unlikely if our society con- tinues to abuse alcohol as it does now. Many of our highway accidents do not involve drinking teenagers but rather drinking adults. Alcohol has become synonymous with the "good life" and until society moves to a use of alcohol in moderation in appropriate ways, the highway car- nage will continue. Lucknow Sentinel CMid ian Published Each Wednesday By J.W. Eedy Publications L$. Member: Weekly Newspapers Assoc i^Offen AMs's. Weekly Newspapers Association News Editor Rob Chester Second Claes Mail Registration Number 1385 Subscription Rotes: S8.50 per year in advance in Canada 119.50 per year outside Canada Single copies 254 . By ROB CHESTER I must admit, I do not understand sports. I stand (rather more often sit) corrected. I must admit, I do not understand sportsmen. This comes from my basic aversion to pain, an aversion based on the strange fact that I have never really been in severe pain. The thought of trying to play a sport when hurt is totally foreign to my nature .. So often we see football players (and other sportsmen too) limping .off the field to be taped and splinted then sent back into the game. My reaction to pain is to lie down in some soft corner and whimper until the malady IF no more. I was the kid on the little league team with the ball glove in front of my face - not only didn't I want to see the one that was going to break my nose, I figured I'd get a good chance of stopping it before the nightmare occurred. As I became involved in journalism, I began to get more involved from a participant's point of view. It became necessary to get closer to the ac- tion to get good pictures. I was still safe though, with a heavy wire back stop or a plexi -glass screen in front of the hardball or puck with my name on it. I also had about four in- ches of armorplated camera in front of my precious nose. (Not that I relish the idea of $250 worth of Minolta reduced to scrap metal and splintered glass, but I like the idea of mashed schnozola even less). However...to get really good pictures...unfor- tunately.... you have to get closer. Which means the occasional dodged puck to liven up the assignment. My childhood fear has returned with a vengeance. At this weekend's Zurich fastball tournament a spectator caught a foul . with his forehead. Liberal applications of ice and cold beer eased both the swelling and the pain. He was standing about where I would have been to catch first base pictures. (Earlier this fellow had asked to have a picture taken, but as I was involved in watching a game I didn't take it. After I didn't take it as I thought it rather poor taste if the guy really was a gonner. Later he lamented "What does a guy have to do to get his picture in the paper." Since he seemed rather good natured about the whole affair, perhaps hit too hard, or too much pain killer,I offered to shoot a picture if he would do it again.... ) Thomas Pynchon describes the feeling well in his novel Gravity's Rainbow. The book deals with V2 rocket bombs during World War Two. He described the split second of excruciating ouchie- pain the second a rocket lands on your head. Even though you know it will be over before you • know it, the split second of first impact...probably hurts more to think about than to actually have happen. The only alternative is to have the diamond or arena completely closed in like a squash court with clear panels for the spectators. But the thought of pain doesn't stop people from carrying on. It didn't stop the ball game and didn't send any of the spec- tators home. A Zurich injuryearlier in the season had more impact on the victim and this reporter than the above incident. At the 125th sports day I was stan- ding about six feet away when third baseman Phil Overholt missed a hard throw from home with his glove, but his nose wasn't as lucky. The next batter to hit belted a series of low fouls over the third base fence, bouncing them off the light standard and the utility building I was leaning on to take my photos. My Minolta was instantly devalued to shield status and while seeming to be engrossed in the ac- tivity of framing up picture after picture, I was simply protecting the years invested in growing my nose to its present (I'm at a loss for an adjective) state. So it you ever do see me playing ball 4don't hold your breath) I'll be the tall skinny ' kid with the glove in front of his face.