The Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-03-25, Page 4PAGE 4 --GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1987
ssimionimor
The government has undertaken an
ambitious and concerted propoganda
campaign to reduce rampant slothfulness
and the.apparent degeneration of the
Canadian body.
In short, Canadians are simply out of
shape.
And the government of Canada, Fitness
and Amateur Sport to be more precise,
intends to do something about it. Now
governments tend to mind their own col-
lective business unless a situation has
deteriorated to the point where firm,
definitive action is required.
Given that, it would be safe to assume
our midsections are protruding noticably,
our muscles sagging uncontrollably and
we have more "bounce per ounce" than
Ys allowed ...law, ...,... _ ..__...,. .._. _.. .,....
So the government is prepared to spend
perfectly good tax money to battle the
sags and flabs and protrusions through
the promotion of Fitness Week, .a celebra-
DAVE SYKES
tion of physical ( ouch) activity from May
Now I've got nothing personal 'against
physical activity. In fact, I've spent satis-
fying moments watching other people ex-
ert themselves in strenuous activity.
So 4ast spring, during Fitness Week,
over six million Canadians, or 25 per cent
of the popr%lation, participated. Over
12,500 events of every description took
place in communities across the country.
Fitweek begins with Sneaker Day, a
day when every Canadian is invited to
wear sneakers to the office, at school, on
the job or shopping. People becari're so
engrossed in this fitness craze that they
particpated in events like elderobic
moonwalk, Get Up and Go programs at
schools, aerobicnics ( outdoor events with
physical activity and food), dancing,
MOGA Madness (the most outrageous
group activity), running, walking, bad-
minton games and assorted other ac-
tivities that make people perspire.
It all sounds like perfectly harmless
ftrr►: I ; i r
fact the
government ploy to get people to run,
walk, play, gyrate, leap, twirl, stretch
and generally engage in vigorous, gut -
wrenching, physical activity.
It would take more than a Hostess
Twinkie to lure this sedate seribe out of
the lounge chair. Nice try, though, on the
part of the feds.
1But I'm sure there are as m►y non-
participants lurking in comfy chairs and
sofas across the country. People who, by
choice, would rather watch Bolwing for
Dollars, than actually attempt the real
version at the local lanes.
There's no reason these people can't
participate in Fitweek, though, and the
following events have been designed with
those people in mind.
Thy Refrigerator Ramble- in this sanc-
tioned event, participants are required to
ramble to the fridge for snacks and
beverages at'every commercial break.
• This. promotes .phyaill. 44vitY enc,
prevents entrants from loading up with
an entire evening's worth of snacks.
Aluminum Pumping- Everybody's into
building bodies through iron pumping or
weight lifting. In this event participants
are asked to lift aluminum beverage
cans, filled of course, at regular intervals
to foster the development of arm ,
muscles. A track suit is mandatory in
this event.
Drive'N Walk- it has been said that
people in Goderich will drive around The
Square 73 times to get a parking spot in
front of the store. In this event, the
driver, wearing a straw hat, sunglasses
and shorts, is allowed to circle The
Square only 46 times and park in the
nearest spot. Taxis are allowed if the
distance to the store exceeds 29 feet.
Snack for Fitenss-instead of gorging
oneself with easy snacks, eat only snacks
••like peanuts or pistachios that..regtt.ice„ . .
some physical.. exertion. Wristbands are
required for this event.
Opinion
THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH &DISTRICT
SINCE 1948
Godericn
EBT ALL ROUND I OMMU�N`+TVNEW®PAPER INCANADA
C",.,.'35) 4500 f
SIGNAL -S_, AR
P.D '20 HucKe VB err. INDUSTRIAL PARK B®DERDDH, ONT. N7A 413E,
PUBLISHED BY SIGNAL-STAR.PUSLISHINIG LIMITED
'Founded in 1846 end published every Wednesday et Goderich, Ontario. Nlembsr of the CCNA and (CNA.
Subscriptions, payable In advance eme.00, (Senior Citizens $19.00 privilege card number required] in
Canada, 850.00 to. U.S.A., 860.00 to ell other countries, Single copied BOC. Dlsploy, National and
Clasalfied advertising, ratae available on request. Please eek for Rate Card No. IS effective October 1,
1986. Advortieing le accepted on the condition that In the event of a typographical error, the advertising
space occupied by the erroneous Item, together with the reasonable allowance for signature, will not be
oho, -god for but that balance of the' advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rote. In the event of e
typographical error advertising goods or nervicee et a wrong price, goodo or services may' not be sold.
Advertising Ie merely en offer to self, and may be withdrawn at any time. The. Signal -Star la not reeponeibls
for the loss or damage of pnoolloltod manuscripts, photos or other materiels used for reproducing
purposoe.
General Manager` Editor. Advertising Manager
'
SHIRLEY J. KELLER DAVE SYKES • DDI HUBICK
FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES...pleaae phone IE191624-2sl4
CCNAJ /
Second class
"mail registration
number 0716
Member:
eNA
A winiing tradition.
That any hockey tournament could survive 38 years in a competitive tournament market
offers testimony-to-the-effat4s& put-for.ih..bY..the spnnsor..i community and service club.
To stage a tournament the magnitude of the Goderich Lions Club's Young Cariadii- eek
requires the dedication of the members of the service club and a good measure of commit-
ment from.the-community as well. .
What was started here in 1949 by a handful of hockey enthusiasts has,endured and surviv-
ed in.the same spirit. The original concept was to provide a tournament for hockey players
of ,peewee age. Intended as•a day of friendly competition for teams in the area, it grew to
become the largest tournament of its kind in the world attracting teams from across Canada
and the United States.
And perhaps it was, extended the greatest compliment when other organizations used it as
a model for their own tournaments. " ,
The Young Canada Week Peewee Hockey Tournament has always espoused the ideals of
friendly competition, sportsmanship and fair' play. And the thousands of youngsters who
have passed through here over the past 38 years have, no doubt, left Goderich with some
rich memories and experiences.
This year, hundreds of peewee age hockey players particpated in YCW, playing over 80
games over the nine -day tournament. Again, chairman Bill••Chisholm and his committee did
a super job. But the success of a venture the size of YCW depends on the efforts of many
other people. The people who volunteer their time to look after refereeing, dressing rooms,.
scheduling, time fteeping and a host of other tasks, are the people who reallymake the tour-
nament fly. •
The Young Canada Week Peewee Hockey Tournament has a rich legacy and an enviable
• reputatie„ to live up to year after year.. Despite some external hinderences, (spring break
and OMHA playoff rules) the tournament continues to live up to its billing.
. And many young peewee hockey players are better off for it. D.S.
Dangers of the season
Spring and the accornpanying warm weather tends to rejuvinate the spirit and the latest
round of balmy temperatures has pushed people outdoors to engage in a myriad of
activities.
There's simply no avoiding the pleasure of outdoor activity after the seclusion of winter. It
feels great to get outside and ride the bike, play ball, walk or even rake the winter debris off
the yard.
Children are especially high-spirited this time of year as warm weather lures them into
forbidden territory. Recently there were a couple of incidents of drownings reported in the
daily press that while tragic, serve to illustrate the dangers of the season.
Local rivers and streams are deep and running fast and the rushing water can easily
.sweep away a child ora negligent fishermen. The footing is slippery this` time of year and
children should be cautioned about playing near rivers and streams.
oderich police departrnentwaccidentsconcerne
®'
caused
alarm was sounded and the fire engine was
at the garage for repairs. For some reason
the ladder truck could not he started.
Necessity resulted in some quick thinking
and fireman Tony Weisser hitched the old
horsewagon that was drawn by horses in by-
gone days, to the rear of the delivery truck
owned by Mr. George Baechler and raced to
the scene of the blaze. Bedding in one of the
second storey rooms had apparently caught
fire and was blazing merrily and threaten-
ing to raze the building when the brigade ar-
rived. With the.use of chemicals, the blaze
was soon brought under control. The fire
engine made its appearance at the fire
about 15 minutes after the horse cart.
25 YEARS AGO
March 22, 1962:
The Goderich Police Department is con-
cerned about the number of accidents in-
directly caused by car headlights being out
of focus and lights burned out. Police Chief
Fred Minshall has, therefore, sent out. cir-
cular letters to all service station operators
asking for their co-operation. This is to ask
customers to turn on their vehicle lights for
a check. In this way, it can be readily
detected if there are high or low beams, or
whether bulbs are out or if there are tail
lights, stop lights, turn signals or license
plate lights.
Observers at Goderich harbour are
casting apprehensive eyes toward ice condi-
tions at the river mouth. With shore ice in
Lake Huron jammed tight in all directions,
there is no natural outlet for a possible
breakup along the Maitland River. The
usual condition, by mid-March, is a clearing
of lake ice before the river break-up. The
fear at present is that a fey days of warm
weather, accompanied by3a heavy rain,
could spring the river ice and create the
same sort of jam that occurred some years
'ago., At that time, the pressure of ice from
the river caused extensive damage to har-
bour installations, breaking the north pier
and pushing the south pier out of alignment.
This occurred before construction of the Sif-
to Salt plant and harbour watchers are
• speculating, as to whether a similiar condi-
tion would affect the extensive Sifto
acreage.
Goderich Township Clerk R.E. Thompson
today received word from the Liquor
License Board of Ontario that the liquor
license vote for Goderich Township had
been approved. However, the date of the
voting has been postponed to Wednesday,
May 23 instead of May 16 as previously an -
I nearly caused a riot in the hardware
store the other day.
It's not that my appearance in a store
habitually causes widespread panic
among the sales clerks, for fear they will
be worked to the bone ringing up and
bagging my multitude of purchases. In
fact normally, the entire staff of a store
goes on coffee break when they see me
come in the door, assuming that i am
either just browsing, or have come to
make a 79 cent purchase.
All I did was ask if they had any
barbecues?
The clerk at first looked puzzled by, y
request, `and nodded toward an im-
pressive line up propane -powered
models.
I explained to her I did not wish to
Spend in excess of $200 on an 'outdoor
cooking centre, equipped with a more
dazzling array of features than most
modern kitchen ranges. I merely wanted
what amounts to a small metal container
for charcoal,' the sort of barbecue that
could once be had for under twenty
bucks. She began to look worried.
Another sales clerk ( more experienced,
I assumed, at dealing with recalcitrant
customers) was brought. IP.
"Oh! You want 'the kind that uses
those, those..." she searched for the pro-
per word.
"Charcoa 'fjriquettes," I completed for
her.
"I'm afraid they're almost a thing of
the past," she lamented in a condensen-
ding manner more often reserved for
Ozark Mountain hillbillys.
After checking with the manager, she
informed me that, while they had none in
stock, there was possiblity they would be
411,
getting some in the future, no 'doubt with
the intention of placating quaint folk like
myself.
What is the world coming to? Is there
nobody left who is willing to take the
time to make the backyard barbecue
what it should be - a harrowing test of
patience and ancient Boy Scout firestar-
ting lore?
What fun is it to simply go out and flip
a switch end be instantly ' `cookin' with
gas"? Getting a barbecue lit should take
you at least three beers and two carts of
Quick Start lighter fluid. Otherwise, why
bother?
The demise of the venerable briquette
is only one isolated sample of the havoc
wrought by soeiety's continuous demand
for easy way out.
Have you tried to purchase a televisorr
• set lately? Three-quarters of the models
4
LOOKING BACK
pounced. Following are the questions to be
submitted to Goderich Township voters
under the Ontario Liquor License Act.
(1 )Are you in favour of the sale of beer only
under a public house license for consump-
tion on lincensed premises to which women
are admitted? (2)Are you in favour of the
sale of beer only under a public house
license for consumption in licensed
premises to which men only are admitted?
13)Are you in favour of the sale of liquor
under a dining lounge license for consump-
tion with meals on licensed premises?
(4,)Are you in favour of the sale of liquor
under a lounge license for consumption on
licensed premises?
. 50 YEARS AGO
March 25, 1937:
Next Monday and Tuesday nights
amateur talent of the local district comes in-
to its own and by the success whi€h has at-
tended the sale of tickets, the number of en-
trants for public approval of their talent, the
Goderich Musical Society, under whose
auspices the event is being staged, are
achieving well mented success. Almost 20
entrants have already signed up although a
number more are expected. The talent be-
ing displayed for this event's unique show is
of a wide variety. There are quartettes,
trios, duets, dancing, comedy, solo numbers
and ventriloquists.
The Fire Brigade was "caught short" at
about '10:15 a.m. today when fire „broke out
in the upstairs part of a home on the corner
of Waterloo Street and Elgin Avenue. The
from
this
angle
Patrick Raftis
on the market now come equipped with
remote control.
Today's couch potato is an even less fit
specimen than his sofa spud forerunners.
70 YEARS AGO
March 22, 1917:
The Public Works Department will allow
good, clean ashes to be dumped on Albert
Street, north of Anglesea Street. These
ashes will be used for filling purposes, but
must be placed where and when directed by
the Street Inspector. This privilege will
have considerable teaming both for the
Department and citizens. For further par-
ticulars, apply to the Street Inspector or J.J.
Moser, chairman of the Public Works
Committee.
The automobile season is opening, and
dealers in cars are getting busy. Mr.
George Johnston is conducting the
Chevrolet agency at the old stand in the rear
of the Bank of Commerce. Mr. T.H. Mit-
chell, who has been appointed dealer of the
Gray;Dort, received a car yesterday and
will be able to demonstrate its points to all
interested. Messers. Kelly and MacEwan
are again handling the "old reliable" Ford
and also are showing the "McLaughlin Six",
a higher -priced car.
No longer must he even rise from the
prone to switch channels or fiddle with
the color to improve the hue of Cybill
Shepherd's skin tones. He does it all from
his armchair. The lazy lout!
I•.must admit to ha, Ing one of these
devices myself - even though it is im-
posssible, in the living room of my
extremely -functional abode, to get fur-
ther than four feet from 'the TV set.
However, televison is one thing,
barbecues are another matter altogether.
I absolutely refuse to compromise the in-
tegrity of my backyard by giving in to
• the propane conspiracy. I will continue to
combat mosquitos and heat waves, as I
wait to see which will turn white"first, the
charcoal or my hair? it will all be worth
it.
Of course, if 1 had the extra 200 bucks
to spare, I might not,talk so tough.
vommosergentoAfilik