HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1973-05-17, Page 2r
PAGE 2---OODERICH SIGNAL -STAR THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1973
EDITORIAL COMMENT
Goderich traffic tangle
With Spring already here and summer
Looming, Goderich's unique Square is
once more a topic of conversation of
safety -minded individuals. Without _ a
doubt, The Square (which is really an
octagon everybody sees as a circle) is
one of the most dangerous streets to
navigate in this part of the province.
'This newspaper has editorialized
previously on the belief that more should
be done to, make The Square safer for
pedistrians and motorists alike. It is truly
a miracle that more accidents do notoc-
cur on this stretch of street and the very
fact that. it 'is an extremely treacherous
zone may account for the miracle since
some extra measure of caution is
automatically exhibited. by all persons
using The Square.
Deputy -reeve Stan Profit, chairman of
the Safety Committee of Goderich Town
Council has scheduled a meeting soon
to study traffic patterns in the
municipality. It is to be hoped that when
that committee convenes, it will take
The Square into consideration.
Police Chief Pat King has already
suggested that one less parking spot to
the right of each "spoke" off The Square
would give motorists a better view when
making turns. Chief King believes, it
should alleviate the _t)ipe of mishap
which involves a car exiting The Square
as a parked car on the righthand side of
one of the "spokes" is backing out from
the curb.
As well, there may still be merit in
clearly marking traffic lanes on The
Square. That idea has been put forth
earlier and the pros and cons of such
action might also be a topic for the traf-
fic study committee.
One more thing. Sixteen crosswalks
from the outside of The Square to the in-
side may be an unnecessary hazard.
Ways and means to cut them in half, for
instance, should be investigated while
the traffic study is going on.
Support the retarded
"In a world which. is continually
becoming harder, where men are -
obliged to work furiously to acquire
riches, where kindness is not respected
and is drowned in a mounting tide of ef-
ficiency,, the mentally handicapped have
an important part to play, because they
have time to. look and think and marvel
and love,` they are a continual reminder
of the value of community. They are a
sign, by their very being, that peace and
joy, happiness in fact, are not gained by
work alone, and do not depend on
wealth." - Jean Vanier
"If a mentally retarded child is to be
provided with the assistance he needs to
face the problems of adult life and is to
be given the opportunity to develop to
his ultimate potential, he must at all
times be given the grestest possible
degree of participation in life. Society
must maintain for him the maximum
degree of normalcy in all of his ex-
periences to allow him a healthy and
--happy development as a total person." -
from the Williston Report, 1971
"The mentally retarded should be
given the opportunity to develop their
potential through integration into the
community. Institutions should be
phased out, and small home -like units,
hostels or apartments, under supervision
of, house parents, made available. In
other words, an ordinary environment,
on an ordinary street, not an expensive
hospital jail or exile." - Dr. Wolf Wolfen-
sberger, Visiting Scientist, National In-
stitute on Mental Retardation
"We have acted as judge and jury for
the retarded person and often condem-
ned him to the life of a basket weaver in
a non -weaving society...There is little
use in teaching a retarded youth work
habits if misguided people refuse even
to consider that he has the potential to
work." - Richard Cardinal Cushing of
Boston
"I throw out this challenge to all those
who believe in the ,value of the human
being. There are hundreds of thousands
of inadequatelycared for persons who
need your scientific knowledge, who
have need for your heart, your affection
and your love. They have already been
waiting too long." - Georges P. Vanier
May 13 to 19 is National Week for the
Mentally Retarded. The Goderich and
District Association for the Mentally
Retarded is not having its usual Flowers
of Hope campaign this year but that
doesn't mean the group doesn't need the
support of .the . community., ,
In fact, community support is what the
local Association needs more than
anything else but that support could
best come in the form of interest and
concern for the mentally handicapped in
the area.
It is a simple matter to send one or
two dollars annually .to the local
Association. It takes more devotion: to
attend the meetings of the Association,
work on the various projects of the
organization and learn to understand
and recognize. the needs of those af-
flicated with this problem.
It is a proven fact that with your help,
,29 out of 30 mentally retarded children
can grow into useful, happy members Of
the community with a considerable
degree of self-sufficiency.
6
A good move
With Police Week this year comesAbe
promise of better co-operation and im-
proved understanding between The
Goderich Police Association and the
municipality. At Ieast two accomplish-
ments - both firsts for Goderich - have
been reported by the local peace of-
ficers.
Last week, the Police Association
treated some of their "junior assistants'
the Safety Patrol of Victoria Public
School - 'to ktrip to the Science Centre
in Toronto'.
Also, this year the Police Association
is sponsoring a local soccer team and
A
an officer will coach the boys between
the ages of 14 and 16 with the help of
one civilian ratepayer.
Such involvement in the community
can only bring good results. By gaining
the respect and the friendship of the
youth "of Goderich, the police will
ultimately earn the respect and the frien-
dship of the entire community.
By their deeds you shall know them.
�ht eoDerich
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4/0,,, THE DANCE or 'THE RESTAURANT INSPECTORS >akE
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Goderich's Finance Minister'
Dave Gower endeavoured last
Thursday evening to warn
municipal ratepayers • as gen-
tly as a finance minister can -
that the tax picture in Goderich
for .1973 doesn't .look good.
While his cohorts on Town
Council tend to look at spen-
ding in relation to their own
departments, Gower must keep
the total financial picture in
view .... and he's not at all en-
couraged by what he sees. As
Gower pointed out, it appears
from preliminary studies that
council will have to find or cut
$350,000 from the budget ....
and that's no small task.
What's the alternative? Well,
Gower didn't say so in specific
quotable terms, but it would
appear that the alternative is a
substantial tax hike.
There's no doubt about it.
The 'Industrial Park is an in-
vestment which is badly needed
but is also a severe drain on
- municipal funds; the airport is
a tremendously important in-
vestment which will probably
be offered only once, but to buy
it puts the town in hock for a
bundle; sewers, roads etc. are
all urgently required but they
are expensive and an intensive
program as suggested, by many
taxpayers would be more than
the municipality could readily
finance, even over a long-term
period.
An analogy to the problem
would be the case of a family
with ten children having only
the money to buy a small com-
pact when their needs dictate a
large van. Either they limp
along with the ridiculously
small car or they go drastically
in debt for the larger vehicle.
Which ever may they select,
someone is bound to end up
unhappy.
* * *
Take the situation involving
the Recreation and Community
Centre , Board just as an exam-
ple. The Rotary Club has $3100
to.spend on a .pool heater for
Judith Gooderham Park. The
Lions Club wants to install
lighting and windbreaks free of
charge. The two generous
donations would mean that the
swimming pool at Judith
Gooderham Park could be
utilized for a longer period
each day. In fact, Mayor Harry
Worsell has rightly reasoned
that the installation of t! e
heater, the windbreaks and t e
lighting would extend the
season at the pool sufficiently
to promise increased revenue
and therefore, justify the ex-
pense of operation costs for the
new equipment (estimated at
$§00 per annum).
But Goderich's budget is in
such tight straits that even such
a justified (and low) expense as
that must be studied carefully
to ensure that the additional
$600 in the recreation budget
will not create a hind on some
other department which could
use the money to even better
advantage.
Believe me, readers, that's
budgeting at its stingiest ... and
Dave Gower is well aware of
the hatchet job ahead which
will make council about as
popular as an outbreak of
small pot.
*.r*
I think it was former reeve
Paul Carroll who warned last
year that „either community
. spirit is revived to the point
where citizens get involved in
the business of assisting with
municipal funding, or
municipail taxes will go sky
high and ratepayers can pay
through the nose without
having much control over spen-
ding.
Carroll advocated people -
individuals like you' and me -
get to work and devise ways
and meansrto fund needed com-
munity projects. In the case of
the pool heater, for instance,
the community should- work
together to raise the $600 to
pay the costs of operation and
nq,t saddle the municipal
budget with that expense.
But in Goderich as in many,
many communities in today's
modern world, we're content to
sit back and pay our taxes.
Withopt putting forth one extra
iota of effort than that, and
screaming bloody murder if all
the amenities of a fully modern
municipality are not provided;
we wait like helpless infants for
any one of - the.. municipal,
provincial or federal govern-
ments -to buy services for our
contentment.
Getting back to recreation, a
most popular topic in town
these days; it seems town coun-
cil is mellowing in its attitude
toward the Goderich Com-
munity Centre and Recreation
Board. At last week's meeting,
council agreed to recommend to
this week's decision-making
meeting to set up a session with
the members of the recreation
board and council to talk over
their differences and put things
in their proper perspective once
and for all.
Persons interested in
recreation will be happy to see
Likes cartoons
Dear Editor:
Dave McKee's cartoons are
delightful and I liked Ron
Shaw's story on him. The
weekly drawings are a definite
asset to your paper, balancing
more serious subjects with a
nice chuckle. We all need that
or we may become at times
either pompous or discouraged.
I was astonished when I first
heard that Dave is so young;
his drawings indicate quite a
mature insight into people and
situations.
For my part, those who know
me well 54 long used to the
fact that dramatizing is part of
my natural style, but I was
quite startled and amused to
discover that it is- so' highly
visible to strangers as well. -
I invite Dave to attend some
Council meetings in the future,
to , gather first hand obser-
vations of the performance of
ST: CAT M
that meeting take place .... and
people who look at recreation
as something more than
baseball and hockey will be
delighted to learn that coun-
cil's opinion concerning the
duties of a municipal recreatiorr
director is apparently changing.
If readers will peruse this
week's newspaper carefully,
they will see that recreation
director Mike Dymond has
lined up a full program for per-
sons of all -leisure-time ip-
terests. There's a leadership
program for youth and a 'music
workshop for persons of all
musical interests just for
openers. There's the co-
ordination, of Goderich's very
own Art:Mart, for another. And
there's that weeklong sailing
school - three classes a day for
five days - which will teach
properly safe sailing methods
for would-be mari.pers.
Fortunately for Mike
Dymond and Goderich, the
municipality has a truly concer-
ned recreation board -with
which to work. I think we're
only beginning to see the
benefits of a fully qualified rec
director ... and with council
pulling for the program, there
promises to be a great future
for across-the-board free -time
in town.
* * *
And also in, the recreational
vein, it is noteworthy that
Goderich District Collegiate
athletes stole the scene picture -
wise in The London Free Press
Tuesday morning.
Brian MacKenzie, an all-
round sports participant from
GDCI and Tim McGee, another
top performer from .the school,
were shown as they took part in
the Huron -Perth Track,and
Field meet Monday athe
University of Western Ontario.
Tim McGee also captured
A NCS' NOAlVAIP5 irk
By Shirley J. Keller
most of the write-up by Pete
Cunningham, Free Press repor-
ter. (Not pictured or written up,
though, was the fabulous Lisa
Scholtz who walked off with a
championship!)
I was particularly interested
in the ,pomments' of Coach Phil
Bugler who was quoted as
having concern for developing
McGee's potential with the
shot put. It was even pointed
out that he worries a little
when MpGee plays soccer lest
he'll injure this throwing arm.
In the past, this newspaper
has been critical of some of the
methods employed by the high
school coaches to win glory for
the school .... most particularly
the football team. But with a're,
I suppose; comae rinot ''only
courage to admit mistakes but
the understanding to, com-
prehend that it is more often
than not the spirit of the
athletes themselves which
determines the lengths to which
they will go for their school or
their team in any one sport.
I'm told, for instance, that a
number of the GDCI track
team performed with a'variety
of 'injuries' .... and the only an-
swer for this is that the
students themselves wanted
very badly to get in there and
work for their school's
reputation. And one has to ad-
mire that kind of determination
and downright devotion to a
school cause.
* * *
Also on the track and field
theme, it is obvious that the ex-
pert handling of f Goderich and
area youth in the elementary
school system is paying off for
GDCI. As well, last summer's
efforts by Bob Knuckey, track
and field co-ordinator who
worked -so closely with the
Royal Canadian Legion, is
Continued on page 3
PEAR EDITOR
the whole cast. And I hope his
"pen will never run out of ink".
Another addition to your
paper for which I would like to
compliment you on this oc-
casion is "Jack's Jottings from
Queen's Park". It 1aot only
provides further variety to the
paper, but it' is a nice courtesy
on Mr. Riddell's part to let us
know that he keeps in touch all
the time, whilst sometimes
politicians on any level take on
superior and' distant airs bet-
ween elections.
Sincerely,
Elsa Haydon.
Thank policy
Dear Editor:
Through the medium of your
columns, we would like to
publicly acknowledge the kind-
ness of the Goderich Police
Asaocketion.
Recently, as a mark of ap-
preciation for this year's work,
the twenty-four Safety Patrol
members of Victoria School
A ^
14
were taken by bus to Toronto
to tour the Ontario Science
Centre.
The boys and girls
thoroughly enjoyed their time
with Constables Jarczak and
Ruxton, who so capably kept
the day's activities moving.
Yours sincerely,
Helen M. Videan,
Vice -Principal,
In charge of
Safety Patrols:
Donald L. O'Brien,
Principal.
I'.00r taste
Dear Editor,
I wish to publicly condemn
part of Martha Rathburn's
Column of May 10 regarding
the infirm in Goderich
Hospita I.
I think the Signal -Star
showed poor judgment in
publishing it.
Yours truly,
Myra McNevin
7O ytms
May 11, 11.
The season at the
on the river Hate a
opened yesterday
when fully half a
members and fr1en
to celebrate the event.
Sallows was
couple of pictur, tut , t1
aps
es,
being a panoramic
whole grounds. A tf
the members made the
the links and afters
ii
refreshments were
club has a ae
fifty and bids �r to
nhi
splendid season.
Last night all that%
the steam barge Pholf
destructive fire had rad
11:30 yesterday morn
about 16 or 18 miles
Goderich to the northsat
was carrying about 1.
- of coal from Cleveland to,
Sound. The fire stitch
the, explosion of a lamps
lower engine room and
and other inflammable
caused the flames to
very rapidly. The cal*
crew deserve every •,
dation for their valiant
to control the fire, f;
till exhausted, and Capt
Symes was the last to lea
vessel. After getting off q
life boats the captain and.
of fifteen men remainedto
the end, and after the
was burned to the wa
she sank at 7:15. The tui
King brought the men in
9:30 last night and they
the night at the Ocean
The vessel belonged to
Pholf, of Buffalo, and
valued at $45',000.04
$50,000.00. We have not
the amount 'of insurance
understand the vessel na
insured.
25 YEARS AGO
May 17, 1949
The new wing of.Ale,
Hospital, which has tea
process of furnishing
equipping during recent
ths, is now almost ready
cupancy, and it is expected
the first patient will be
into it next week.
Mr. LVtlliam Beiri
Walnut Street; has tz p•
white Leghorn hen that''
ning her keep. On Tuesday
of her eggs were left at
fice, one measuring 8
one way and 6 inches the
way; the second a little
8112 inches by 6 inches
another of about the saw
was laid by the same
within the week.
Sky Harbour Air Serv'ia
a busy weekeAcid with v
from many centres, ind
Kitchener, Stratford, Cl
and Blyth. Two visitor
Cleveland Ohio, stopped
for awhile to refuel on
- way to Little Current
were Mr. Fryer -and Mr.'
They were flung a
Voyager and a Cessna 111
5 YEARS AGO
, 1968
Two men
May who11escaped
Huron County Jail,
April 24, were sentenad
terms in penitentiary
they appeared
Magistrate Glenn Halo
magistrate's court las
sday.
The two broke jail ApI
locking two jail guardu
chis Leopold Watt
Freethby, in separate alk
stealing Watt's car.
They drove off in tit
black Ford Fairlane and
captured about siz hour
by city and Ontario '
police . Owen Sound.
Liberal Party mem�sd
redistributed Huron t
gave first ballot endotaa
to high school
Maitland Edgar, of
as their standard beak
June 25 general electron
day evening.
A crowd estimate at "'
onn persons packed
m at Central
School to pea
speeches fro®
declared candidates l''
Gmoinduertiech
Mills and former
dilate the Rev. John C•
of Exeter. pea
..,_Others whose --torts--
in the ring at �hoi M
were,, Charlie „
Walton, and econontat
Currie of Parkhill
Mr. A,A Wiaha
Minister of home 1
nay General, olnta
week the Be*pro{:
ie
Eugene H. _ fy
Registrar of
County of HuroBn'
15, 1968. fiord, Mho
Harry M.
since
Registrar
1955•
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