HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-04-22, Page 4PAGE 4—GODERICH SIGNAL STAR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 1981
dave
sykes_.
t
I am rather despondent.
Returning to the rigors of work after a
Fong weekend -of -food, beveragrr re2fi ,r rte,
a small contributing factor to the despon-
dency. True, Easter is the first long
weekend break after three gruelling months
of winter, but the source of my malaise goes
much deeper than that.
You see, I didn't get a dam thing for
Easter.
That's right. There wasn't one thoughtful
or considerate person who cared enough to
slip a gooey treat under my bed on Easter
morn.
Easter was- just another day for this
dutiful derelict of the deadline. I didn't
.
awake to find a trail of jelly beans leading
from the bed to a hidden chocolate treasure.
There were no secret notes directing me to
a basket full of eggies and bunnies. There
was no chocolate bunny with colourful
ribbons, no eggs with mushy centres, no
jelly beans, no decorative little chicks on the
easter basket, no...well, in short, my Easter
basli etrwascmtat_yt s „ , —
Large sigh!
Big kids aren't supposed to admit to being
disappointed but there is enough kid left in
me to want an Easter goodie. But it was not
to be.
But watching little relatives cram
chocolate things in the general vicinity of
their mouths provoked a bit of nostalgia. As
a child, there was more chocolate on my
white shirt than I managed to shovel into my
mouth.
Easter was always one of the biggies and
ranked close with Christmas, birthdays and
school holidays. And at Easter, at least in
my family, everyone had to put on their best
outfits for church.
That meant I wore a white shirt with a
little bow tie and shiny shoes. The girls in
the family always had brand new hats,
prissy little gloves, white ankle socks and
white patent shoes. Anyone would have been
able to pick us out in the dark from a mile
The best part of Easter process was
having to search for the goodies left by the
bunny. Little notes would direct us to
various locations in the house until the loot
was uncovered and carefully taken to the
bedroom for scrutiny.
I often wondered how the Easter bunny
found the time to write those little notes or
leave a trail of jelly beans. But then kids
don't often question the methods or source
when chocolate and candy is involved.
Parents sure do get away with an awful lot
of sneaky stuff though. And it takes kids a
few years to catch on to those devious
methods.
This year mother had a housefull of kids
and grandchildren and the bunny delivered
hordes of stuff to my nieces and nephews.
One of nay nephews was pleased with his loot
but he lost some respect for the Easter
a
bunny in -the process.
He simply couldn't understand why most
of_ the._children gotneat stuff and my seven -
week old son (his cousin) didn't get
anything. Somehow, he thought the Easter
bunny was more understanding than to
neglect a little person.
I tried to explain that the bunny realized
my son was a little too young to indulge in
the Easter offerings. Next year, I offered in
explanation, the bunny would be sure to
leave the youngster something.
He seemed somewhat appeased by the
explanation but I'm sure his glowing visions
of the Easter bunny is now slightly tar-
nished.
But more important, the Easter bunny
neglected this big kid and I'm beginning to
wonder if he really exists.
Perhaps, if some kids have more goodies
than they can handle, they would consider
sharing a little treat with a big kid.
BLUE
RIBBON
`AVM RD
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number -0716
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Tough time for industry
Business and industry form the heart of 'a community,
providing jobs and growth potential for any city or town.
It is industry that spawns growth but lately economics
has eroded the industrial base of many communities. Not
that such erosion is gnawing away at industry here, but
last week one local industry was forced to relocate for
business reasons. .F
-,While the Economic Development 'Committee ;iwaa.
pleased with one company's plans for expansion, they
regrettably accepted the news that Envirosound Inc. was
moving plant operations to Guelph.
It is always difficult for a small town to lose industry
and jobs but the company could not work around the
problem in this location. Company president Terry Wilton
explained that the move was purely a matter of
economics.
The company was - simply too far' removed from its
direct market area. The company has only been in the
Industrial Park for over a year but needed more work to
keep the machines in operation.
Unfortunately, that work wasn't in the Goderich area.
It is a difficult enough task for the economic develop-
ment committee and the Huron County Development
Offlee to attract industry to,lthe area without having to ,
sbattle against industrial losses and plant relocation. But
perhaps it is a battle that will have to be fought.
Luckily the Envirosound relocation announcement was
tempered by the news that Huromic Metal Industries will
expand its Industrial Park operation. Council has ap-
proved the sale of a parcel of land and Bob Patterson
hopes an additfon can be built this year.
The expansion could mean 1D. o 15 new jobs at Huromic
and that's welcome news whenanother industry is forced
to seek better markets outside the Goderich area. D.S.
Support bike-a-thon
Hopefully this Sunday biikers will be out in packs for the
Annual Kinsmen Bike-a-thon for cancer.
The Kinsmen and Kinettes have worked diligently on
the ride for the past few years to support the fight against
cancer and boost research efforts.
Pledge sheets are available at several locations in town
and if possible .everyone is urged to haul bikes out of the
garage and basement and, take part in the ride. If you are
unable to participate at least support a biker with a
modest pledge. Every donation helps.
Drivers are also urged to exercise more caution Sunday
as the bikers wend their way through town streets. The
ride begins at 2 p.m. from the Suncoast Mall and bikers
will be on the designated route for at least two hours. D.S.
Give students a chance
This time of year college and university students are on
the prowl for summer jobs. And in a few short months the
number of job seekers will swell when the high school year
ends.
That will put a lot of young people on the summer job
market and some ofthem will be looking for their first
full-time employment.
Many employers in the Goderich area have an active
summer employment program and they are fully aware
of the benefits of student labor. Young people have a lot to
offer business and industry.
But the task of finding a summer job is not an easy one.
The economic climate has dictated cutbacks', in several
areas and jobs are simply not as plentiful as they once
were.
t
Students now may have to knock on several doors before
any opportuniV prsents itself. The Student Manpower of-
fice does a lot of the door knocking for students in advance
and is successful in making needed placements.
Many businesses and industries co-operate with the stu-
dent placement centre annually which indicates they were
more than satisfied with student labor. But the jobs are
tougher to find each year.
Students and young people have something to offer the
labor force but they have to be given the chance to display
that initiative and talent.
If you have any openings during the summer or could
use some extra help, contact the student placement office
and give a student a chance. D.S.
amou f lage
Isikt
Photo by Guth Wooden
EAR READERS
BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER
April makes me think of spring ... and spring
makes me think of daffodils. Daffodils make me
think of cancer .... and cancer makes me think of
new hope. Newhope makes tne think of April and
spring ... and round I go again.
There's no doubt about it. The bright yellow of
the cancer campaign daffodils gives almost
everyone a lift And when we're talking about
such a dramatic and Often devastating disease as
cancer, a lift is just what we need.
Hardly anyone has been untouched by cancer.
Most people have a mother, father, brother,
sister, friend, fellow worker or acquaintance
who has done battle with the illness.
And hardly anyone is complacent about
cancer. Most people will admit the disease
commands respect simply because it isn't easily
controlled with a tablet or two taken regularly.
Very often, treatment- involves surgery or
chemotherapy or a combination of the • two.
Almost always, there's a stint in hospital and a
constant vigil following treatment to ensure the
disease is in check.
Cancer is not something to be taken lightly.
Despite the Canadian Cancer Society's efforts
to reduce ignorance surrounding the disease, it is
safe to say that there are many, many people
who haven't taken the time to learn much about
the illn ess-or the seven danger signals of it.
There are still more people who know the
danger signals, but who choose to push them to
the back of their minds. Sometimes it is just
reluctance to take care of their own bodies, but
most often, I suspect, it is nothing but fear to face
facts.
Perhaps Terry Fox has done more than most
cancer sufferers to tell the world` that cancer
must be met head on.
Terry keeps on demonstrating in such a
powerful way that there's absolutely no way to
duck the disease when it strikes. The only thing
to do is to fight and fight hard to win the battle
with it.
Thanks to Terry Fox, the battle with cancer is
, getting easierand easier to fight. Thanks to
Terry Fox, there's more money to spend on
research and there will be more and more
methods for doctors to use to control and
eventually cure the disease.
+++
It is just a little over 28 years ago that my own
mother was stricken with cancer.
For a long time her disease was not diagnosed.
Precious time was lost treating her for in-
digestion and kidney ailments and nerves and
just about anything else you can mention.
But then, even if time had been saved, the
doctors just didn't seem to have the weapons to
use against the disease. Surgery was the most
prevalent procedure ... and when it failed, there
was nothing much else to try.
My mother died.
Since that time, I've known many people who
had cancer. Some of them have died, but almost
all of them lived much longer (and in greater
comfort) than my mother lived after the disease
was discovered.
A good many of them are still living and en-
joying life every day.
I have a very good friend, for instance, who
had cancer of the larynx. After surgery, he
couldn't speak.
But thanks to years of therapy and hard work,
he is able to carry on a conversation again. He
feels great. He looks great. And -he's a real in-
spiration to everyone who knows him.
In fact, he now donates time out of his busy
schedule each week to talk to other patients with
Ya wn...stretch... sigh... murnble... snore.
By its very power of suggestion, spring
fever has me in its mysterious grips. I do not
know if anybody has an accurate description
of the symptoms of this dreaded disease, but
I affix the label to myself every spring.
I am hoping that Daylight Saving Time
will somehow miraculously cure my inertia
and put my body clock back in syn-
chronization with the clock on the wall.
Spring is a difficult season to cope with.
The world has one foot in winter and one foot
in summer and the weather doesn't know
which way to go. My neurotic being reacts
by wanting to lie down and go to sleep or to
go out beer -drinking, sometimes even at the
;erne time.
Consider your confused columnist's
plight.
She awakens at the crack of dawn which
remely early this time of
tends to come
year. She wants to Jeep some more, but the
sunshine pouring thi97gh the window
prevents this.
By noon, she is nodding off over her desk.
A quick lunchtime nap, and she is energized
for the afternoon. But not for work,
however. The sun is shining and the birdies
are chirping and she sneaks off for some
frisbee -throwing and kite -destroying.
After supper, it is all of a sudden dark and
cold. She turns on the TV and sees hockey.
She turns channels and sees baseball. She
runs to check her calendar.
Shaking, she lunges for the telephone and
dials a number, any number. "Help me!,"
she crieout. "Why am Iso comused?"
"Now now now," answers a soothing
voice. "There's no need to be confused when
the smelt are running. Put on your rubber
boots and let's go."
She is still confused. She never knew that
little fish had legs. She also doesn't know
where they are running to and why she has
to catch them.
She drowns her confusion over several
miles of gravel roads before asking when
they are 'going to catch up with the smelt.
"Soon," comes the answer. "Next
weekend."
She wonders why they have to get such an
early start. "Oh. I guess I was a little mixed
up," comes another wise answer. She
becomes glad that she isn't the only one who
is confused.
She goes home and gets up with the sun a
few hours later and the whole non -routine
begins again.
Got the picture? I think 1 have discovered
the key to spring fever. It is the fact that
nobody knows what it is they are supposed to
be doing during this transitional spring
period.
It is a time of endin it and beginnings, but
not actually doing anything but drinking
beer. Everybody is either going to bowling
banquets or hockey banquets, or signing up
for summer things, or thinking about
cleaning out the garage, or napping.,
It is obvious that our society suffers frau
severe anxiety attacks this time of year
because there's no organized' leisure ac -
tivities to jump into after we jump out of our
long underwear and before we jump into our
fishing, baseball, tennis, soccer, and
swinuning paraphernalia.
As a result, we all fall down with spring
fever.
1 suggest we hire a program co- t' ator
to transform our spring •-ver rt
collective confusion into organized con-
fusion.
How about Budweiser and Carlsburg taste
tests? -
How about races to see who can get from
the Maitland River flats to the Nine Mile
River flats fastest and with the most amount
of beer consumed?
How about a prize for the person who can
sit in front of three television sets and follow
NI -IL playoffs, 'a Blue Jays baseball game,
and the last episode of Dallas, and untangle
fishing line all at the same time?
The possibilities are endless, but I'm too
confused to do the organizing myself. I think
I'll take a nap.
a problem like his. He encourages them and
gives them hope.
In fact, I think my friend is a better human
being now because of his illness. He used his
brush with death to help him see what has real
and lasting value in day-to-day living. And so
many of his friends have benefitted from his
remarkable experiences.
But the fact remains, that 25 years ago, it
would not have been possible for my friend to
conquer his illness. There has been much
progress made in the fight against cancer, and
there is indeed much reason to have hope that
the disease will one day be eradicated com-
pletely.
+++
The campaign for funds for the cancer society
is on right now. The canvassers` have been out in.
Goderich, and I'm almost certain most of you
have been asked for'your contribution.
According to my cancer campaigner, the
results this year are as good - maybe better -
than last year.
That's encouraging. I know many cancer
society workers were concerned that the extra-
ordinary appeal for Terry Fox projects would
have adversely affected this year's cancer
campaign.
It now appears the concern may have been
unnecessary. And it's a tip of the hat to each one
of you out there who has taken this cause to heart
- and to yourpodtetbook.
If you still haven't given to the cancer cam-
paign - or if you'd like to give an extra gift as a
measure of your confidence in the future - do so
today.
You won't be sorry. And who knows? You may
be helping yourself to a healthier tommorrow. Or
someone you love to longer life.
cath
wooden