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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1974-01-10, Page 2PAGg 2—IQDERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1974 .x, r Every winter It °seems to be the same `'thing. -'[own come. more. of Goderich's trees', As of this week another 12 trees in the • Court House Park alone are corning un- ' der the axe and saw of the Goderich Public Works- Department. The .official version seems 'to be that the trees are dead, or at least dying;'.and should be' removed so they dp riot presertt4safety p, hazard or nsprea ti'seas+ : to other free `a a. ' `in the arda;but we question the wisdom. Last fall In a 'report to, Council, Town Foreman Stan Meriam reported that during the winter his' men .would be .removing five,. trees frorr the Court House park. 'Two were elms suffering ,from. Dutch Elm Disease and the remaining three were -"maples which were reported to be either dead or dying. f�ok —S underway but somehowN the list has grown from the original five • to the present 12. Other frees throughout • the community are 'also scheduled. for • cutting' as well. ° There• is no doubt that dead trees or those in a state, where branches might be blown down causing personal' injury Or property damage, must be dealt with but we wonder• on what . basis the decision for removal of trees is made. It :seems hard to believe that in the:, short time since Mr. Meriam made -his report to Town Council that seven/trees have died in the Court H4buse Park. If- a Ear, As wei.pto d197i, there' -h is �ayebeen averted, v, •n,n h e�...,-rsMt probably, one-thing-thatmystifies most of ;Why, one wonders,' has`•neither thel us in thewestern • w oil more than n • a%tree , such is the case there is a serious problem in that quarter and a qualified totonist should 'be called in to assess the situation. We might; point out that it takes a very long time for ' a planted :tree to 'grow enough to replace its predecessor. Would' it not bei better s fo -attempt removal of infected portions from those ,damaged trees and keep the foliage for even another Year Or twb while •that young tree puts down its "first roots?. The. cutting of 12 treesfrom the Court ,House Park will doubtlessly leave. an ugly scar 'on one of Goderich's crowning features. This is 'not to say that the' Town Foreman should Arun to council seeking permission to remove every bit.of brush of each,dead tree found throughout the , municipality. Some policy should be for- mulated -however to prltect our, trees sand lay down the. basis on which M•r. Meriam should make his decision.. All -of us -:in, this' conrimunity have a .stake in every tree. They grace our town -and , make it "the Prettiest Town in Canada.," Without them' we are ,just another small community • with few claims to fame. rIM • Trees can long outlive this generation, and even .tt a neat•; • •iso do we have the right to destroy them and leave aM nude, • landscape for our children? We' do not •and steps should be taken -..:.tom -protect these. valued possessions. UZZ 'anything, else', the energy crisis. M, . ,�; . Many of . us wonder i% the "crisis': is real, or•just agimic ori he part 'of the oil companies to :justify )gher prices: And at this point, who` re Ily knows for s"ure A former top execu fve for. the Standard e' Esso claims • Qil Company in the: U.S. (, .) W s that in the Hortae.He says nos.. • r is he e t U.S ' it is hard to/ find out how much oil the ' *big, companies have in reserve because the - re allowed to keep their • reserve y ssecret. ret. � cfi•gu And it certain, that •ts•hard to find out exactly' what ;is going on. it `sti•ll. seems bard to believe that suddenly with,. • hardly any warning, we,can e -short on Q'''' .oil,tor the e!n govern .en '�bn t no ' Half ha 9 o%loco ponies could see it cgrrCing• Cer •' ,. , ,,�; ts;inkthe Arab boycott:has diadra some ,but we're now being told that•the shortage was coming 'anyway. , ��.. ,, A . 'We're fond of royal commissions and ' - 4 such' in this country. Perhaps we stiould have one in .this caseo tell us just what r the crisis is alhabout'and how it could government nor the Qppositiono 'suggested calling . fare -an investigation? They. do for everything else. There's been .a lot of hockum though that we do know is false. In the -U.S. for instance,--. the government' .is making Canada a bit of a villain. by trying to • .make it appear Canada is holding back, ' on export of oil, to our sauthern neigh - !pours. The 'facts as shown by export figures, however,• show that Canada had, h• hi r: - n ' shi a ore of ,sout i s ea t o PIS d1r a Y h . ever before, Wegust don't • want• to drain our own bar -rel -to try to give a"few reps to a nation ,,.that needs;' millioRsmitoli• gallons. • • And there's that fact thatthe crisis, may become an election : issue 'in • Canada. If it can be proved that there is - no crisis,..and that the government has been guilty, of ,playing into. the oil corn- panies' .hands-,• then` ltls a• legitimate• ,7..assue If not; it seems .l:ike,a red herring because there seems to be little that the , opposition.'Parties can' :do. to reversethe problem.,, Blyth Standard n• ree Each.day., the rivers of • steel continue to surge lalong North°Arnerican' high- ways. The utomobile has become a way s .. ,s • of -life. a A5Urld the world and; of 'course, mankind cannot turn back the clock. Yet the .,gr -eel, for roil in North ,America and in the tUnited States in particular; is at last beingl•examined more carefully. Canada's prosperity is tied closely to that of the ' United ".States. ; What . - -• Americans da, therefore, is of great. irn portahce to .:us. Americans today drive more than,;100' mi'liion automobiles; and" • over 20. Million trucks and buses.. Automobile. registratmons have been 'in creasing° at a rate, of .almost four percent a year, ;which is roughly,fourtimes the - rate of population 'growth. - - �N . __Unlike the large metropolitan' areas of Europe= and Canada, most big U.S. cities d'o not11ave-an efficient public transport system. This means,.that many working • people, often driving- alone and con- ' :''suming- - a gallon.. every 10 or 12 miles, must commute,: to offices and factories - "Kat may be anything from 30 -to 50 miles'' or. til ,,,,.,r-w-wnwnr-w•.r•n w,• wa,,nnrr from their horns. Such patterns of wasteful consumption' of energy also are part of the Canadian lifestyle, but to. a much lesser extent. Clearly,°North America's greed' for oil and other sources of energy will not abate in the near future. But hopefully more realistic priorities will . be established during the next few. decades. The United 'States, 4fi rat of all, will have to plan and build -e er j fftcient trap sportation systems for the .future. That will mean: building fewer heavy, super, -0powered. automobiles,' and Many more w compacts. It will mean a' vast rail • con-' strucldion program for trucks burn .up four to sic' times as rriwch fuel per ton= • mile- as itio'tra'ins, according to a study' . carried out by"the .Rand Corporation for'. ,: the U.S. National Science Foundation. It will require _vision „and imagination for' North America n•s:fo alter their incredibly wasteful system of personal transpor= tation. - But the changes must come. _ For) `of you •,• contern= plating a winter holiday in the sun and fun of Florida, Signal- Star Fditor, Shirley Keller has some good news,, i£ you've been, concerned . about • how serious the gasoline .shorta-ge 'nay be • south df the' border. . Mrs. Keller left ,Goderich New Years Day soinewhat ori'- earned about, the rrvin g prospects but in two .letters since, one mailed' frbm „Lexington,. ,Kentuc;Ty•-- on January 2•and the second from,. Cordell;e Georgia on, January 3, she reports no difficulty in ptir- -WeJjust (nettedd i9 in Munro Michigan. , The gasoline atten- dant there was friendly and -completely' surprised by ,. our question 'Can •-we--get some ', gas?' a• 'How much deo You want?' be inquired " 'Can you •Sill it'' ' we a.sjced" r.. ' . he answered; .Of course,'s , ,looking it us as ,though -we'd just grown another head." - `I'll - pour- it • out on the ground as long .as you .want to „paxy,'fo it;' " tie aid." ' ' -_- We - filled up' again at chasing'gas for the trip.' Dayton., ,:.no problem,' at air. From Lexington= --she °wrote, We drove on° to. Cincinatti and 'On the way here the radio' stopped for 'dinner and 'could blared the -news that;Arnericans__ have ,purchased. more .gasoline 0 '.were unable to buy gasoline there 'but we' didn't need because of Che .New Year "We arrived . in` •Lexington Holiday. If that was so we, must and.filled up before retiring for have been lucky." t. the night. The Kentucky sour-- tesy was everywhere. -9 he , station here had only high test gasoline, but it was cheaper by three . cents than the regular " gasoline- in Ohio," =or. ".Seemed :funny, .alt we heard 5now'no��l�s more or less • BY RON SHAW G. C, During the mitdle '60s the - sport of snowmobil#ng, burst upon the scene, with an impact that i8 seldom seen. Not. ,since' Henry Ford'' revolutionized transportation with the • ,,,;,automobile ha$ a mechanical- innovation so drarnati•lly of--• fected $7 rpany, people in. North -- A erica. When:l Bombardier began to perfect. the power tob-bogan lt is doubtful that its recreational , possibilities ' were fully ' visualized. It was seen as a potentially useful innovation to those individuals - and' com-° panies ,who .found it necessary to operate away from roads P• during, wintef months •but mass -prduction , and competition • from other manufa`ctyrers, .ought the,.price down to a point where anyone could af- ford a,. machine and the snowmobile boom was on. Now, in the middle '70s those close'�°t7r snnwmobiling predict °' a renewed boom, despite a" possible ' shortage ; of gasoline due to the energy/ crisis and a somewhat ,less ;tae economic • situation. tarIn n a/recent editorial" the "On- Snowmobiler"� (a non ali ed publication) notes,_. ";W a think we are sitting on the br nk` of the next,si owmobile" :explosion '*"°A-`•mor.e moderate and reasoned explosion _than during the 60s....but an • ex- plosion nevertheless." -•..,;`Why7 First be,�ause sour, present machines. are 'great. They ate"reliable they will get' people out there and back and .•. • most of the early complaints of noise` and seat ,padding and . lighti'ng. and mecihanical troubles have• been corrected.'' The nevApaper: also_ suggesti_ that further corrections will take place annually and in -all their observations.. they are(' - probably ab1Y q ui te ,right- The: gr«wth;' it is suggested, :will come ,from the urban • <mnarket. This however will ' Yom' mean • that- fa`ciliti.e4, through which the urbanite may Use -his new snowmobile,. must . be - provided and as a resvilt recent „ years have seeti the .establish-". menet of recreational facilities ' catering to the. snowrnobiler and a- extension of. service fit camping, and other, summer recreational, facilities;', to in- clude .. -the new winter Sport.. Out, "of all,,Nhis grown a new....:Sni a ..to.. the' s.port which .sereili as . a double/, aid -ed sword racing. /R.acin'g - provides additional r ern.te 'to ' t'ho--fledgling win tlit .. establishment -;but -•b -the same - tinie stirs up farther interest in snowmobiling among those who Might not have otherwise become involved. This is not fry say. that' racing snowmobiles is anything new. Nd doubt --the first-day or two of theearly-ma•t;hines crossed trils in a farmer field some sort of race was held but high o`r anid .2eracin ' for b g g 8, g mioney, is really just getting off the ground. It is however begin- ning to catch on•nndin years to come could foreseeably be in a league with the big auto races like Mossport and Daytona. It has been .suggested. that , the 'average urbanite will -tend to be more competitive thanhis' • rurai'•counter part and the out come has been an almost,"mass acceptance of the new sport by the spectator • as well as the snowmobiler. who, enters' his • machine 'in ,that •'competition. Large crowds are now paying . out $2 or , ," a' head to take in snowmo e races, And so --"'-the - spiralbegins. More people' take `a' bigger in- terest in the snow machines, more .machines are sold; the corlipetititrn - gets. better', the"------ Machines .the' •-."..,-w,-M.iii 'chines get,betfer, and,. more people- turyi ,out to see those, - Machines race. As a result of all 'this, snowmobile"racing has become a sales tool of the -rnariufac- turers.. They enter factory • - teams in -:the big league races having adopted,, -•the slogan of auto manufacturers "Win on Sunday; `sell on Monday."., Following the manufacturers lead other companies have begun pouring their advertising 'and promotion dollars into the sport. ;Companies • like "Hoch"; - who produce spark , plugs; are ,throwingthe financial and moral support behind the4new 'raging aesociationg: Si; are •non related' companies like "Benson ' and' .Hedges" who this year gave the bntario'Snowmohile Racing Aasociation no less than "'beX3a0n0 ,, Q-ft,o co'fimnpean tces ioints: 1937( With tanudltthatw4. moon.; ponl u0p) fo! nesee and G gia eor seem wide ,open as yet but President Nixon has signed a bill setting the national speed•lixnit at 55 miles • per. hour. Any- state which _doesn't.- comply , wil-1 be on the radio on the way down --penalized • in taxes. was the 'plight 'of New Yeai° travellers, many of whom were reported stranded for lack of gasoline, but we had no troub atF all only courtesy and ser- vice." The follow!ng• day Mrs. Keller .writes, "sArrived at Cor-- dell'e,'Georgia about 6:30 p.m. this evening; one more lap to - our destination in. Florida: 'No • trouble at ',all; with gas, none' whatsoever. -In Ohio the speed limit was already lowered -to 55 miles per hour ''with' State, :'Troopers le—everywhere-but we -saw--- no_ police in, Kentucky where the speed limit Was still 70 miles aperhour today:" Mrs. ,Keller ! S "'expectedto siimmariie 'the gasoline -situation and. -.the possibility of driving to Florida for ,holidayers .after her arrival in spnshirie state but for the ..lrnoment it seems residents v ,ting their holiday u'�i the sun have little standing in the way. "Everyone is most courteous • to boot. We, hearing -h about • rice' but g5�g we've P -found ,noneall." - "The spa limits irir, Ten.- '7,••• - We would like to thank everyone Ari Geirriclf and area, tfor their, support this year in A, our skating endeavours:" ale .were pleased to place second in the, Stamford 5--o terrtatiinintai Dande. Competition in •Niagara '`'Falls, second in the Western A • Ontario Sectjoiial.Cornpetitions „in Windsor and fourth in the Canadian Central, ,Division Championshipsoo„a.nd so must `��ao,�K toMMvnrrrr, •CNA assot��;s" • 1110 N SIGNAL -STAR The County Town Newspaper of Huron - ' • Founded In 1848 and published every Thursday at Goderich, Onme tario. Member of the CWNA and OWNA. AdveitIsing ratesDon request. Subscriptions payable in advance. $8.50 in Canada, $10,00 in - ail countries other than Canada, single copies 20 derit8" Second cites mall Flegistrstlbn Number 0718. Advertising is accepted on'the condition that- in the event of typographical error, the advertising space occypied by the erroneous Item, together with reasonable allowance for signature, will not be Charged' for .but the balance of the'advertiliembnt wilt pe paid for: at the applicable rate. In the , event of a typograptllcal error advertising goods or services atia wrong Mice; goods r service may not be Bold, Advertising is merely an offer."''to sell, and may be withdrawn at ;tiny time. The Signal -Star is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts dr photos. M a _, Business itod.Editorlai Officio • _ Putbijstted. by., Signal -Star Publishing Ltd. • =83 TELEPHONE•52431 ROBERT G. EHRIER--.president and.publisher area code 519 itSHIRLEY Jr KELLER-editor, ,,a• x.MaINng Address!'.. RA S Awe-iiiditorlsl gaff , , J. BYRSKI--•advartl manager e0. llrOx ,xio . �Glodirlali EDWARD J. Sioefid clic mall rogIstlrtfof number -0116 DAVE R. WILLIAMS--advertising r`pri telt'etlw The Western' O►nta'r'io'Section helping us to select a suitable par•ner....,in the next week or so• for -me, and. as ;soon as it . is. decick d. we will begin working itis d io try 1s '°'rung a Canadian Championship to .Goderich\ . • I am sorry that Shirley finds she •is not able to"keep up the . rigid practise schedule we have to maintain and . to keep her .held in school wor up k rf Chatham °lis year: leave competition `tskating. We hanks` to :those who are sup= -- enjoyed skating .together.„ porting us 'financially with our � Once again, thanks ``"to 1929. ensee ex to The -Home was -first known as: the House of Refuge, then the County Home, and" 'was given the .name ' of Huronvi$.w in l9�C{0. 1 - Something that many people . do not know is that there is a cemetery on the grounds, where a" iota: of the residents of years ago are buried. There has"been' a cairn built -with the names of the former residents ' .buried there inscribed on it Ehe am_.c last' name m e re orded_ _--� s a>u' __-_ these competitions everyone; ' will'learn°-aM^ "'ca"n - I would be remiss, if I failed Spending several days in a at the Canadian Champion- to mention the Horne " life, ..total to a ttend Ehe practise ships t the end -df the. month. Which we Residents are _en- , ''Sincere'l`y, joying, at Huronview. It is a" 'RU ty,.Ormandy-and swell ' known fact that -•--the Shirley'Ma adden: supreme virtue of anyone's life * * is Cove and 1 am sure that the watchword here-at.-Huronview .is Love. All -the, staff `are so kind and considerate with the 4folk in their -,cafe, it would be • rather unfair to name any.per- sonally. However, there is one .who deserves special mention - Mrs. --Jacob, the supervisor of nurses, who makes time in her ' busy days to take a persona's in -: U terest in each one of us. sessions, and r ornpetitions, "our meals, our travelling expenses, ice time, etc., can run into a lot of money _ and we appreciate your support. WerVoulc a.11 b i'll x to thank the man ,.manypeople who are support ng us With their good wishes 'and 'their interest. Special thanks to the- Jeffries, the.•taithbys,..the.Dierolfs and the - Feaigans., -from . Goderich. who `came to cheer us and' to. Mrs -.-Brady from Seaforth, Mrs. Johnston 'from Bayfield; Blaine l Poore of Wingharn, and•Teresa,i and Mrs. Daly •of London . who were also in our cheering sec- tion. ' r Thanks. to` the Goderich Figure Skating "Club and lastly to our •parents for all the early mornings, the, late nights and the travelling they -dci.,for, Ik " Sh•irl-esr wants to thank Mrs. Ormandy for making .,,her skating dresses for'_'h: I am very happy that I was asked 'by our Section to,go with the team to. the Canadian Figure Skating Championships as an observer. I know I will learn a lot and I want to thank the, Section for asking•,ime, Pirating 'fourth :in the CanadTn Central Division .Championships did riot qualify us to skate in . the -Canadian Championships, but perhaps -it ✓1•n was a '`blessing inNdisguise"•. as 'ndvtP 4ir-ith my new partner I will still 'be able,to coinpete'for two more years in the Novice Sec- _ tion. '°v"• " It has occurred to...ihe-writer .that" --t r short history. of'' our -Horne for the'Aged should be of interest to many of your readers. Of late; have bee g g�,. atherin bits of histary�'ort'iir- mer days find am endeavouring to' put them in readable„ form. Believe , it or not, I am 10' yearsolder, than Huronview, so I would ask that my readers be tolerant: toward defects which no doubt you 'will .detect in these ramblings. ' The first building at Huron - view was built in 1895, by a contractor by, name pf Sam Cooper of Clinton'rMr. Cooper was- as Irishman from the old sod :(but no one -ever ,heli"d That against him). The first superintendent Was Mr, Daniel French. In 1907 Mi. Mutch took 'over followed by Mr. J. Brown in 1.916, Mr. J,B, Reynolds. in 1919, Mr. R.A. Robertson in 1922, Mr. John Jacob in 1924, Mrs. Jacob in 1939;• Mrs. PocoWinyf55 and Mr. HarVey Johnston' in 1956. During Mr. Johnston's tiiiie;the title was changed, µ to- ,ad- tiiinisttator and whe' Mr, Johnston retired 16'1969, Mr. Qhegter Archibald' came to -us. There is 106 acres pt land in connection . with the Home and until recently• it w'nk farmed successftf 1y.. In feet, the place Atone Me was self-supporting. • Our lives are interwoven • With the friends ,we. learn -To know And: we share their joys and sorrows, - 'As we daily come and go. • We do not ask for the ata"ra or moon , ' Or the gold' at the„ rainbow's ends We only want our: cozy room And - some love' that we can spend. •Ilank (R. Henry Leishman) ***' ' Throughout the• year there are hap aa'ys. and ead•days -- days when you're up and days cfystroihy: Christmas to their): Certainly brings many little. pleasures, but in the back 'of their mina it is another year ticked off on a calendar that may only contain nineteen years. - _ It's going to take a major ef- .;:w for.t; to make Christmas a. happy - time for these children. Toy and other gifts are only a ten'i porary diversion. 'The only Ihat._willlift, the cloud from -their minds -is hope. 'That hope lies. in ' the .succtess of ;medical research': - • ; We realize that the new year 'means the arrival of Christmas bills • as . well as the usual crop that come at the end of any rncsnth: For us to "add another accotint • ;•may cause you' -a moment's concern, 'but it is not a demand -just a request. The; amount is unspecified and can be measured only by the size of - your heart -- it' ' a donation to help' the- many chil"ilren with, MD who cannot ask for them • selves. ' That's whywe dpi' hesitate to put their case. know that you will'help'them ,you can. ' 'Fours truly, • Mary Ann Wickham, MDAC'. Construction up when yoti're down. But around' Christmas time we male a -"hef- " fort to create -"happy days, ` dp; we ie helped in this process by . everyone around ,tie. Sometimes it's a verytough job to make people,.happy, even ;Mat t t'ritttrnae time -- and I'm talking about;,the,'chiidren who are afflicted • by muscular, sr Construction permits were worth overs"$l. million' more in 1913 than in 1972 in Goderich. The number of ' permits issued increased by 77 for a total value of $3,124.250," Roy Breckenridge, building inspec- tor, nspector, 'told ' town council in his year end report. Permits for commercial establishments nt nb'ered 36 and., four were for"apartment buildings. - • , Five govern?neat' and' :in- stitutional permit's were issued. -Sixty went for single f atntily dwellings, 14 for garages, and 1111or minor residential repairs. For building deinolition, five were issued, nine authorized, swimming pool construction and the balance parmitted erec•- tion of 14 signs