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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-05-27, Page 19JUNE EVENTS June 6 m Men's Fastball dance at arena June 6 - Famous People Players, at GDCI June 12:,13,14 - Women's Softball Tourney June 13 - Goderich Rotary Club Charity auction sale at Saltford Hall June 26, 27, 28 - Optimist Music Festival June 27, 28 o Friendship Days June 28 m Founders' Day Parade the1 IGNAL.- $.TAR 133 YEAR -21 WEDNESDAY, MAY 27.1981 SECOND SEL'I'ION Kids learning how to ima BY CATH WOODEN Ten -year-old Andrew Scott looks up from his painting and begins to explain what it is all about. h "Well," he offers, "it's about what it feels like to be lost. See, this spaceship blasted off of this planet without this guy. And so he's hiding out because; there's these meteors that could flatten him, and a volcano, and fish monsters. And well, he could just get wiped right out." Mona Mulhern sits down beside Andrew and they talk about his painting. Mona suggests a few improvements, they talk it Over, and she moves on to her next student. Mona Mulhern is trying to offer children • in Goderich ate approach to art thaattheey'do not get at school. Through -a course ad= ministrated • by Goderich Recreation Director Jane Netzke, Mona has been cultivating the artistic imaginations of 23 children 9-11 years old° As a professional artist, she feels that there "is not enough emphasis" on art ine on paper braining for youngsters and hopes to offer another course in the falleThe 23 children she teaches are divided into three classes a week for eight weeks, and the young ar- tists will be finishing up soon. "We've barely scratched the surface in eight weeks," says Mona. "There's great potential in these kids." Mona explains her approach to art teaching. "We talk about something, like being lost, or dreaming and then we see if they can put the idea to work. I try to get them to feel how things work." • Her young students have studied tone, color, basic drawing, water colors, and movement. They also looked at some Stratford Gallery, art packs, and Incited Bob Nephew's darkroom. Mona hopes to expand the course in the fall and winter to accommodate the children who have taken this one. "There's a need for an arts and crafts course for kids and Jane (Netzke) has been really super. I'd lake, to get a weaver involved next time, andmaybe teach,some'basic pottery. "There's lots of things for kids to do in the summer, but not in the winter. There are a lot of kids who don't want to play hockey.," Eight-year-old Lasa Empson describes the collage she is working on, as she spreads herself out on the floor of the Elgin Street studio where Mona has her classes. "This is a treasure collage," she ex plains. "It's supposed to be a land of clues. You follow the arrows and, go different directions, and if you find the right way, w you get to the secret treasure. The background is supposed to be a rainbow." Lisa dips her brush in a few different colors and mixes' them 'in the lid of her paint set. 'Ws* more'fun than schoolart. We can do anything we want. She tells us to fill the page and use lots of colors..." Her voice trails off as she become re -absorbed in her creation. Says Mona, "They've got the imaginations. It's learning to visualize it that is hard." Andrew Scott's painting about `Being Lost' includes spaceships, fish monster, meteorites, and volcano. Mona Mulhern has a whole group of boys who like to put a space theme in their art. (Photo by Cath Wooden) Judith Camp, 9, looks up pensively from her `treasure collage' entitled, The Catipiller Family. (Photo by Cath Wooden) f Ten -year -ofd Erhm Mulhern spreads herself out on the floor of the Elgin Street studio where her mond, Mona, conducts an art course for children. (Photo by Cath Wooden) ; A ... Mona Muihern's Thursday night students gather round to discuss' their classmates paintings. Mona hopes the rec department will' join her again in the fall to offer another art course for tries. (Photo by Cath Wooden) Gary Doak, a verteran of dad fs w andHu eoaei1 i ll- F' by Cath Wooden) Gary Doak has hung up his skates Patrolling behind the bench BY DAVE SYRES For 16 seasons Gary Doak patrolled the blueline for four National Hockey League teams handing out stiff body checks and blocking shots. But now the Goderich native is .patrolling the area behind the Boston Bruins' bench as an assistant coach to Gerry. Cheevers. Gary's playing career carne to an end early in the 1980-81 season and he easily made the transition from hockey gear to a three-piece suit and a position in the tur- bulent world of hockey coaching. He is just one of the many players making the switch to management and coaching careers, a move that was made without hesitation. "Gerry talked it over with me last year in the off season and suggested I could help him behind the bench," he said. "I was on the verge of retirement and we had good defencemen so I thought it was a good op- portunity." Gary began the season as a member of the Bruin defence corps but after a dozen or so games he assumed the role of assistant coach, specializing in the defensive^aspect 'of the game_ Initially he was somewhat uncomfortable in the role, having switched sides frau player to coach, but he had little time to get accustomed to the new job when Cheevers underwent surgery for an apen- dectomy. "Around Christmas Gerry had his ap- pendix out and 1 took over coaching duties National lfioekey League anima, but up his skates this season for about six games," he said. "There is a g duties behind the Bosfon Brains' bench with Gerry Cheevers lot more to the job than people think. A �t' `ism Zia ff `a pi�'ni t `Cie Yi %gam: 2 ola...ci t aka�i� f "oh'"rtap' ol°`r people a'f' t times, concentrative on everything. The game appears fastet from that position and you see more than sitting on the bench as a player." The transplant to a coaching position ended 16 years of effective, disciplined hockey with four clubs. A, product of the Goderich minor hockey system, Gary moved.to the Detroit Red Wings at the age of 19 in the old six -team version of the NHL. Shortly after he was traded to Boston, a team that along with the New York Rangers, had solid reservations on the final two spots in the standings. The Bruins were a dismal team but later they were to gell into a league powerhouse under the leadership of Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr. fl "When I was traded to•Boston I thought it was the end of .the world. They were always at the bottom of the Ieague." he said. "But there was no team like the 1970 Bruins that won the Stanley Cup. There was a closeness on that team that I haven't experienced since." Gary also played with the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canuck's before ' making his way back to the Bruins. His defensive toil didn't draw superlatives from sportswriters on aregular basis and his play was unpretentious. Simply, he was a defensive defenceman who worked hard at his craft and could be counted on to get the job done. He played some of his best hockey late in his career, especially, during a two-year stretch when lot and compared to those standards. Gary was not a prolific puck -handler and his point totals paled by comparison. But his forte was solid and unassuming defensive work. He blocked shots, played the man and became the Bruins steadiest performer when Orr was checking out with bad knees. Today's game is rapidly changing though, and teams have exchanged a veteran roster and truculent style for youth and speed. "People think it's easy playing hockey and having a couple months off but with a long schedule. training camp and all the bumps. the season takes its toll." he said. "Perhaps L could have signed a contract with another team for a year or;two but I wanted to -stay in Boston and coaching gave me that opportunity." Leaving the rigors of the game and the Bodin blueline for coaching has been an easy transition for Gary and he claims he hasn't had the urge to occasionally remove the suit jacket and show a young defenceman how to body check during a game. There was no withdrawal. "If I was totally away from the game I know i would miss it." he said. "But I was on the verge of retiring and have really taken to coaching now.'. Gary's main responsibility is handling the defence and with help from spotter and general manager Harry Sinden, said the two -coach system is working well. The ., #'i fi1l.0-gX0.—Mri iGtl« sod s__.._.t' '1 4? s tart. wn,a,hot.Mizarmota.G much as they could handle in the playoffs. in the preliminary playoff round. but Gary Today's defenceman are a more mobile insists the season was a suer ess. "We just peaked too early. We were the top club in the league during a 30 -game stretch in January and February while fighting with Minnesota for eighth Spot," he said. "They put it together and won the series. It was the best they played all year and they played better against us than the Islanders." But Gary doesn't begrudge Minnesota their due and claims they are headed in the right direction with youth and draft picks. The Bruins will be looking for some goaltending and anothernstrong centre for the 1981.82 season. Rick Middleton and Peter McNab carried the offensive load for Rostov and Gary said the defence chipped in with an impressive 80 goals..They have a Rood. c - dung defence but require some help in goal and up the middle. The Bruins got cff to a horrendous start last season. losing nine of its first 13 games and at Christmas were wallowing in 16th place They salvaged the season with a strong second half showing that produced an eighth place finish to the final standings. Minnesota put a damper on that surge but (Darr is optimistic about the team's future For now. Gary's future is teaching the art of defence to promising youngsters and hopefully. will be void of the briken eye sockets, cheekbones and collarbones that he suffered as trophies of his accomplished play in the NHI .. And if he takes a liking to the three-piece t c qtly_ who l ows a ,ca „j„__f n Denver or Winnipeg could lure him to a top coaching position in the league.