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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-04-08, Page 4PAGE 4 - GODERICkf SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 198i Ontario Pr•ernier and Liberal leader David Peterson is probably rubbing his hands in glee, thinking Ontarians are dy- ing to know when a provincial election is going to be called. Frankly, it's going to take more than that to stir up some excitement. He's being coy, which is totally out of .character for a politician. On the weekend he told 1,800 delegates to tklg party's annual meeting they should e r4ady, willing and able to don election battle gear. That much we know. It's the when part that Peterson is withholding for titillation. I would submit to the premier, with all due respect, that the ploy is not working. There have been no reports of people leaping from their basement windows in frustration and, in fact; the average On- tarian doesn't appear to be mildly stimulated by 'the prospect. DAVE SYKES It can be stuffy stuff. If you know what I mean. „ About 15 years ago, the Rhinoceros party was formed in Quebec to inject a little life and vitality into an otherwise staid political campaign. The party can- didates were hand-picked to poke fun at traditional, sedentary politicians. The party's platform has been altered over the years to reflect and address the salient issues of the day, but original policy included measures such as moving the Rocky Mountains east to fill in the Great Lakes. Call it radical, call it ir- responsible, but someone has to defend the relevant concerns of the people. Sometimes those lakes just get in the way anyway and it wouldn't be great to have mountains for a change. Peterson could use a man like Bill ( Spaceman) Lee on his team. A former major league baseball pitcher of some H seasons with the Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos, Lee clairms he has the right stuff to run for the Rhinoceros par- ty in the American presidential election. A pragmatic pitcher, Lee was the type of ball player who did his own thing and was likely to comment to the press, after being asked whether he preferred natural grass or astro turf, that he wasn't sure "because I've neyer smoke astro turf." Lee left major league baseball in 1982 and for the past few years has been pit- ching and playing a little outlfied in a semi -pro league in New Brunswick. That's quite a few fastualls from the ma- jor leagues. Lee recognizes that running for the presidency of the United States is no small chore that can be tossed off with less than a perfunctory effort. Still play- ing ball in Atlantic Canada, he figures his quest for the White House will mit af- fect his baseball career. "I can campaign between innings," he said. Admitting that he really has no qualifications for the job, the Spaceman figured that after eight innings of right - winged Rambos, it was time they went to the bullpen for a left-handed rhino. And the man who has gorse to the mound with a propellor -topped beanie, suggests he can finance his presidential bid through a two-bit campaign, a frugal approach that will limit contributions to 25 cent cheques. That approach, he figures, should muck up the banking system. Lee's running mate is gonzo journalist,, Hunter S. Thompson, author of Fear,,and Loathing. Their strategy is simple. Deduct Al Haig, divide Gary Hart, multiply Jesse Jackson and move Pat Robertson over to the lowest common denominator and the team should come out of Iowa with a .357 average. And that should lead to the White House. It took the Ontario liberals well in ex- cess of 40 years to acquire some semblance of power in the province. I have a feeling Peterson isn't likely to gamble employing someone like Lee as an advisor. Opinion THE NEWS PORT FOR 0ODERICH & DISTRICT SINCE 1848 . • the S / EBT ALL ROUND COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IN CANADA r uaiien� Le,[.s 'IbUU a500I :: C n. A f3rtuu NewsPePar Conwewpn 1'964 I.G NAL A to.0`90 HUCKBNE ST. INDUSTRIAL PARK. ECDERICH, ONT. N7A 413Er PUBLISHED BY SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED Founded In 964® erAd published every Wednooday et ®oderich, Ontario. Member of .the CCNA and OCNA. • Subscriptions payable In advance $22.00, (Senior Citheens 896.00 privilege card numbs] required] In Cenede, (68O.00 to U.S.A., S19O.00 to all other eountri®s,' Bingle copies 60C. Oleploy, National and Cl000lflad odvortieing rates available on request. Please ask for Rate Card No. 9S effective, October 1; 19$B. Advertising le accepted on the condition that in the avant of o typographloel error, the advertising opera occupied by the erroneous Item, together with the realeanebic. allowance for signature, will not be charged for but that bal®nce cif the edvertfsgmsnt will be'peid for et the applicable rote. On the event pf a. typographical error advertleing• goods or aervlcee at o wrong price, geode or oervloee may .not be sold. Advertising Ie merely en offer to sell, end may be withdrawn, a, t'eny timo.•The Blgnel-Steele not responsible fpr the lose or damage of pneolloltod menusorlpee, photoa or other materiel° used for reproducing purpoeoe• General Manager SHIRLEY J. KELLER Editor DAVE SYKES Advertising Manager DON HUBiCK . FOR ROSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES...pleeee phone [599)524-2694 Second class mail registration • number 0716 Member: CCNA,/f Sky Still clouded over rain Talks between "United States President, Ronald Reagan and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in Ottawa this week have at least served to get Reagan to admit that his country has some liability in the•acid rain question. Mulroney is pressing, and rightly so, for some joint action on the part of the two govern- ments and the development of a treaty to reduce acidic emissions. - Reagan has been rather inflexible on the issue,to date but it was reported.tha't he would go as far to admit that American sources were. responsible for 50.•per cent of the emissions darnaging forests and lakes on either side of the border. It was just last week that Reagan had promised to again goafter nearly $2.5 billion to help alleviate the situation. ,Promises have been emanating from south of the border but little, if anything has been done of a concrete nature. The president's admission that US companies are responsible for .damage this side of the border is in noway addressing the issue. But it has been suggested that Reagan will not press American industries to substantially reduce harmful emissions through binding legislation. And he is not in a position to offer firm guarantees that his monetary promise will materialize. In fact, Congress may not see fit to grant Reagan his wish. . Measures to reduce acid rain on either side of the border will require substantial financial commitments on the part of both government and industry. Costly systems will have to be employed to reduce harmful emissions from coal -burning plants located in the Great Lakes basin. But so far, only Mulroney and Environment Minister Thomas McMillan appear genuine in their quest to commit to an attack onacid rain abatement. And perhaps it's time we talked tough about the problem with Reagan and demanded some firm commitments. Admission of liability is only a start. What we need is some commitment to action. In the final day of Reagan's visit, and in his speech to the House of Commons, he agreed to con— sider the prime minister's proposal for a bilateral accord on acid rain. Consideration is a start. Substantive action is the next logical step. D.S. A positive influence Tuesday was a happy day for area motorists, as students at)oderich District Collegiate Institute announced the formation of a SADD chapter at the school. Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) is an organization with roots in the United States, that encourages young people to take seriously, the responsibilities that go with drinking alcohol, or (not and) driving motor vehicles.. Students, like older motorikts, must choose to do one or the other, not both together. Principal SADD organizers Tammie Allen, Carolyn Cox and Becki Martin, and other students who will follow their lead by joining the program, are to be congratulated for dernonstratir'lg that they care enough to make a concerted effort to rid the roads of the car- nage wrought by drinking drivers. There is a long road ahead of us all, in the fight to reduce end irr'r,paired driving, but the youths involved in this program have already demonstrated their ,willingness to head -in the right direction. — P.R. It started with the whales. Next came the baby seals, the whoop- ing cranes, the federal Progressive Con- servative party supporters — the number of creatures on the endangered species list continues to grow every day. The latest group to make the list, however, is one unlikely to inspire Greenpeace to take up its cause. After all, how many would flock to join a cam- paign to "Save the Baseball Free Agent"? "They hunted us down like dogs," said one widely -ignored free agent. "It's get- ting so a guy can't make more than $1.2 million a year playing baseball anymore. Now I ask you, how can I support my family on that?" 1t is a sad state of affairs indeed, when 'a man who has just turned down an offer in the ball park of $1 million, can no longer expect to sift through a stackful of even higher offers for his services as a player of games. Where are our ' priorities? "Collusion," among owners of profes- sional baseball teams must be at the heart of this strange turn of events, the players have declared. Surely no right- thinking owner would, on his own, have hit upon the idea of denying these free agent sportsmen, most of whom are in their declining years, the opportunity to earn more money than the President of the United States. It's un-American! And it's not only the free agents that are having trouble adjusting to this unheard-of wave of stinginess that has practically forced most Major leaguers into selling pencils on the sidewalks. We 714E1( ALL , OMN,qaouy Lo /N& AN Hoar? 3L EEP 0 GbTTA G070 u/C:40VK TY✓REE UJEEK5 EARLS / oderich campaign d district 1962 cancer objective set at .$4,000 25 YEARS AGO April 5, 1962: The Cancer campaign objective for Goderich and district has been set at $4,000, is was announced this week by Miss Gladys McDowell, brarich campaign manager. Thisis part of Huron Unit's 1962 objective of $16,000 which must be raised during the April campaign. About 175 canvassers from many organizations in Goderich have been lined up for the One -day blitz which is to be held on Thursday, April 17. In the rural areas around Goderich, the canvass will g on during the entire month of April and some 60 canvassers have volunteered to serve in this area. Funds raised in Huron are used to finance service work in the coun- ty as well as general education and research programs across Canada. During 1961, Huron Unit spent over $3,000 to help 76 pa- tients in the county. A further $1,072 was spent on cancer education in Huron. More than014,000 was forwarded to provincial headquarters . to help finance extensive research projects. The objective for Canada this year is $3,519,000. A 94 per cent increase in job placements, over the same period in 1961, is reported for the first two months of 1962 by J.D. McLeod, manager of the local branch of the National Employment, Service. During January and February, 174 applicants were placed and 10 transferred to other areas. With bright pro- spects for a year of high employment, McLeod stated that the Goderich situation is perhaps 'more favorable than in other loca- tions. .Several construction jobs in the area are expected to contribute to this prospect. The new Ontario Hospital on Highway 21 has taken on six men as painters as a preliminary to the hiring of staff workers later this month. From the Provincial Department 'of Health comes word that the business administrator for the hospital is now being chosen and that staff appoint - also have to take into consideration the raw deals handed 'people like Boston Red Sox star pitcher Roger Clemens. After all, the man has pitched one. whole good season for the team. And what was he offered? A paltry base salary of around $300,000 and only enough incentive clauses to put him around the $900,000 mark. Imagine the gall of the Sox, expecting the man to actually earn his million by reaching incentive goals. Unheard of! Every union worker in North America, who has ever walked a picket' line in December to obtain a five per cent in- crease will certainly sympathize with, Clemens decision to stage a walkout. Go get 'em Roger! Perhaps the hardest lot of all will be LOOKING BACK ments will follow immediately. Left bn the unemployment list throughout the district are 650 men and 222 women; . comparing with the 1961 figures of' 701 and 214 respec- tively. These are expected to diminish as seasonal work opens in, certain categories, With bicycle licenses having expired at the end of March, the Goderich Police Office is busy issuing new permits to the two - wheelers. Cyclists are reminded to bring their ownership certificates from last year when applying for renewals. The licenses cost 50 cents with a fine being the penalty for anyone failing to secure the '62 plate, Last year, 741 such licenses were issued.~A three- point caution accompanies each license, warning the applicant against "Riding on sidewalks and paths, including Court House Park; riding against traffic on The Square; riding two on one bicycle." The 'police department°promise a rigid check on these offences, due to numerous complaints. A fine of $1 will be imposed on anyone found guilty of these infractions. 50 YEARS AGO April 9, 1937: In the midnight hours of Thursday last, and on into the early hours of Friday morn- ing, the people of Dungannon were battling with the fire fiend which brought upon their village the worst disaster in over half -a - century. Five buildings on the west side of the main street were totally destroyed. Ex- cept for some cement walls which were left standing, everything combustible had been burned away. Ten persons were rendered temporarily homeless and . the monetary loss is estimated between $35,000-40,000. from this angle' Patrick. Raftis endured over the next few seasons by former Toronto Blue Jay batting practice pitcher Bill Caudill, After earning mega- bucks as a bullpen bench dust cover the The buildings destroyed were James Mon- tgomery's general store, the Montgomery residence, Lorne MacKenzie's garage and seryice station, R.A. MacKenzie's hardware store and the Thos. Rivett's ' hotel and restaurant. The fire started about 10:45 p.m. on the upper floor of Montgomery's general store it is believed from an overheated stovepipe - and spread rapidly through the frame structure and to the ad- joining buildings. The first ship to enter Goderich harbor this . year was the Imperial Oil tanker Iocolite, which was piloted in by Captain Russell Knight at 2:30 a.m. Thursday with a cargo of 477,000 gallons of gasoline. The trip Was made without unusual incident and what little ice there was proved no obstacle to the ship which arrived here 22 days ahead of the initial arrival of last year when Cap- tain Dalton Hudosn brought in the steamer Superior. As the Iocolite cleared about 8 a.m. Thursday on the return trip, there was no time for a welcome by the town fathers, but Captain Knight is entitled to the new hat symbolic of the occassion. 70 YEARS AGO April 5, 1917: The timetable for the junior high school entrance and junior public school gradua- tion' examinations will be held June 20, 21 and 22 and the public school graduation ex- amination on June 15 to 22. The timetables are issued also for the Departmental ex- aminations in the high schools. The low school examinations are from June 12 to 25 and those of the middle and upper schools from June 7 to 29. The New Era, published at Victoria Har- bor, has changed hands, Mr. Athol McQuar- rie 'having sold the business to Mr. F.J. Baker, who has been practically in charge of it for some time. The new proprietor is a brother of Mrs. C.A.Nairn of Goderich and both he and Mr. McQuarrie are former members of the Signal staff. past two seasons, Caudill has been released and is now faced with the terri- ble prospect of earning only $3.3 million to stay away from Exhibition Stadium for the next couple of years. Imagine the plight, of the Caudill fami- ly, as they wait breathlessly by the pool for some Good Samaritan ball club to call and offer poor Bill a few innings of work. Who knows? Perhaps next year, sanity will return to major league baseball and, once again, individual players will be able to secure salary figures that exceed the annual budgets of many developing nations. Until then, people on the welfare rolls will just have to get used to getting up a little earlier to get to the second hand shops and soup kitchens before the major leaguers clean out the shelves.