HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-06-03, Page 4^4
PAGE 4 —00DERICHSIGNAI nST eft WEDNESDAY. JUNE 3, 1981
•dave
sykes
'WA
i::..
*CNA
• eOle
do
a't
Second class
• mail reaiswation
number -41716
Ging away for a- weekend had• never
presented any insurmountable problems in
the past. At the last minute some un-
derwear, seeks, toiletries and a change of
clothes was carelessly tossed into .the
Tourister and this agent was on the road in a
matter of minutes.
But with a family, preparing for travel
isn't accomplished in the same efficacious
manner. In fact, the moat gruelling aspect of
travelling with 'a family is the packing and
unpacking.
I still prepare for the OP to visit family in
Cambridge in the same manner. Golf clubs
are tossed in the trwik and the Tourister is
packed in a flash and janunedin wherever
space permits.
With a little guy, though, the procedure is
lenghty and laborious and to be honest, I
was quite unprepared. Fortunately the
family vehicle is of the compact variety or
the little- lady would have had this writer
packing up everything in the house.
• ,Dempite weak protests en my partthe bulk
of our worldly belongin n was jammed into
every nook of the car. Perhaps that should
be qualified, adult space was at a prerniurn
but everything young Bradley owns was
crammed into the back seat and trunk.
• The little fellow is barely into life and
already his wardrobe is substantially larger
than his father's. I soon smspeethe will.be
infringing upon my closet space as well.
Anyway, in preparation for this modest
trip, it seems that it would have been much
•simpler to attach the kid's rooneto the top of
the car and -provide him with all the com-
forts of home. It appeared that everything
he owned was somewhere in the vehicle
anyway.
Going back home for mweekend used to
be a pleasurable trip but now half my time is
engaged •in packing and unpacking. Next
time I may have all the goods shipped by
truck in advance.
To begin with, it is a meticulous science to
get everything peeked and arranged in the
car in some semblance of order. Generous
parents and grandparents invariably add to
my packing woes by giving us needless
things to take back.
The little lady also thought it would be a
marvellous idea to stock up on diapers by
• taking advantage of discoed prices..
as
far
as she was concerned the rear window space
was being wasted and diapers could easily
be stacked there.
At the store I casually informed the young
clerk that I would take 10 boxes of diapers
and showed her a box with the price tag on
it_
She looked at me, her eyes widening in
surprise and asked. "Ten boxes? You want
ten boxes of boxes of diapers." All in a voice
loud enough for everyone in the Store to hear
and it is safe to say, there was much
snickering and giggling among the
customers in line. I failed to see any humor
in the matter.
So I trooped out ef the store and piled 10•
boxes of medium size Pampers in the car,
compounding my packing problems for the
return trip home. Add some goodies from
mom and the in-laws and the situation
nearly had me in tears.
But in my impeccable and methodical
manner, everything was squeezed, cram-
med and squashed into the car and there
was even a little room left over for the life
partner and 1.
Arriving home the unpleasant chore of
unpacking begins again and it's days before
everything gets put back in the right place.
The little lady doesn't take my ' griping
seriously and suggests that mothers have a
more demanding job. B,I sure have to
sympathize with all the dads in charge of
loading and unloading.
SINCE 1848 • • , '•
THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH 8/DITRICT
•Feweled UM lewd published emery Wednesday aft 6cm/wick Ontielo.Weraber of the CollA and OWNIL Admits -
lisle, Wes Oltrequest.rSubsofplksma payable in advance 911.311/ hs Caned.. 17.10 to U.S.A.. 15.44 40 all other coun-
tries. single copies sr. Display ealsetrlising rates wallable an request. Meese aik for tete Card 140. 14 erffecthe Oc-
tober 1. 11116.,Secoad clew well lbagishation thansber 4714. Adwerithiret Is accepted on the condition that in the
went of typographical arrow. the advertising space occupied by the erroneous heat, together with raasonoble
c !lowance for signature. will not be charged for but that balance of the advertises/sent will be paid for at the co-
pilatide rata. In the went of a typographical ewer eihnswishis goods or services at a wrong price, goods or IMITViCIPS
may not be sold. Advailtisleg b merely en offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any thaw The Signal.Ster l net
responiiiite faith. teas or—ape of assolisited resawalpti. photos Welber onaterlais used for naprodudng pur-
poses.
PUBLISHED-BYiSIGNAL-STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED
ROBERT G. SHRIER-President and Publisher
DONALD M. HUBICK-Advertieing Manager
DAVID SYKES-Editor
P.O. IX 220.
HUCKINS ST.
INDUSTRIAL PARK
04-P47 A 'IR&•
o J
tue ae
•
FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES please phone (519) 524-8331
Tough driving laws good
The Ontario Government is getting a little tougher with
drivers, new drivers anyway.
Transportation and Communication Minister James
Snow announced measures that will impose probationary
periods •onenew drivers and change -the deme*Ipoint
•
Arjtent
So any new dniver in Ontario, regardless of age, who has
• not held a licence in the proviace for the past three years,
• will be put on probation. New drivers trail have to com-
• plete two one-year driving periods free of suspension
• before theprobationary status is lifted.
If a driver acaemulates six demerit points in the firet
two years the licence is suspended for 30 days. Now,
Ontario drivers mast accumidate 15 demerit points before
the licence is su.spended.
Once a licence is suspended, the driver will have to go
through two one-year probationary• periods of safe
driving.
The changes announced by Snow are good ones. Too
moaner yoimg drivers in the province are careless and often
the hnmateirity of youth leads to an unsafe driving at-
- • titude.
• That is not to say that all young drivers are of the
careless variety. Many new drivers of all ages, with the
properrulesof the road still!resh hi -their Mhitisr arenrre
• than "carefid and often hesitant on the roadairay.
There are definitely more responsible new drivers than
those who are irresponsible, but few have given young
drivers a bad name. The new probationary period and
suspension upon accumulation of demerit points may
insert a degree ei responsiliffity.
Now if a driver on probation is guilty of careless
driving, racing or exceeding the speed limit by 50 km per
hour, his or her licence will be suspended for 30 days. Or
even two convictions of speeding over --16 km per hour
would result in suspension. •
The changes won't mean anything to careful and
prudent drivers who just receive their licence. But for
those with an impatient foot, suspensions may provide
came to ease up on the gas. D.S.
More help for teens
It was disturbing to note that a high study by the Huron
County Medical Officer of Health indicated that 50 out of
50 students tested had used alcohol at least twice a week
Ile same testing procedure eroduced results that
suggested two of the students were using drugs of some
kind and three-quarters of the high schoolers were
smoking.
In this day, some of that statistical information would
not even raise a prudish eyebrow or cause parents to
throw up their hands in despair. Society is well aware of
what goes down but sometimes turns the other cheek_
• There is reason for dispair, however, in the fact that out
of only 50 students tested, all bad been alcohol users and
on a fairly regular basis. O-nly 50 students weretested, but
would it be fair to assume then that all high schosil
students are familiar with alcohol on more than a casual
basis_ •
The statistics caused a stir among members of county
council and a passioned plea for more progiums for the
adolescents Wow. communities. There was no elaboration
on the type of programs that should immediately • be
initiated but at /east there was general concern that a
sector of society was being ignored.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Harry Cieslar said it was
imperative that 'piddle health extend its services 'to in-
clude adolescents_ The Huron County Health Unit does
provide resource information to high school teachers but
Dr_ Cieslar recognizes a bigger need beyond that service.
Goderich Police Chief Pat King bus approached the
Huron County Board of Education about instituting a drug
abuse programin the county's schools. But it is now quite
clear that such a program would also have to deal with
aleoholabuse atlength.
Government funding is available for a wide range of
programs covering a wide sector of society. Surely it
would be wine to clime' mane funds in the direction of
adolescents And perhaps we wouldn't have to worry
about alarming statistics' such as those released at county
council_ D.S.
can tolerate almost anybody. I can
tolerate political, religious, and disco
fanatics. I can even handle people who blow
their noses and put the tissue hack in their
pocket_
But don't ask me to try and get along with
someone who insists upon expounding the
virtues of getting up in the morning, doing
calisthenics, and eating a hearty breakfast.
These people make me grind my teeth.
I have always been of the opinion that
one's morning ritual is nobody else's damn
business. And people who try to force their
business down -others' throats are,
„, , bably
subversive.
, ‘
As you may have gummed, I ane net one of
these persons who is up at the creek of dawn
humming Morning Has Broken. If I had my
way, I would hot be up at the crack of noon
humming anything.
I have tried several waking up methods
throughout my life, and none of them seem
to work. My body sinmiy takes hours to
respond to daylight conditions_ When the
ti....
alarm goes off at the latest possible
moment, my first impulse is to throw it out
the window.
After several moments of staring at
myself in the mirror and looking for
wrinkles that weren't there the evening
before, I realize I have exactly 17 minutes to
get ready for work. Then I am simply on
automatic pilot.
Newsroom cohorts understand my
morning -time hatred. As I sit at my desk for
an hour, staring at the paper and drinking
coffee, they shuffle past and shake their
heals They think I lead a wild night life.
This is not true_ I simply require 16 hams
of steep every night Naturally, I never get
it.
I believe that morning rituals are a
learned behavior as opposed be inherited
One's habits depend upon the trimmer in
which one was awakened for school in the
morning as a child.
When I was 'a mere sapling, there was
Light and lilacs
by thth Wooden
D
EAR- • READERS
BYSHIRLEY J. KELLER
Of all the conim' *nifty projects that need
support, perhaps the one with the most universal
appeal is the hospital.
The health care facility in any town touches
the lives of just about everyone. Often in a very
dramatic way. Whether it is a birth, an xray, an
emergency, an operation or chronic illness, the
hospital develops an intimate relationship with
nearly every family.
Last week, the board at Alekandra Marine and
General Hospital announced it will be testing its
relationship with the citizens who use the local
health care centre. It will be going to the people
this fall for $250,000 which represents just a little
• more than hall the cost of a new Critical care
area for the hospital.
The campaign for fends will need careful
organization. The board is already beginning a
rigorous meeting schedule to make certain that
the campaign runs smoothly and efficiently. In
fact, the very prefirhinary planning looks so
excellent one can hardly imagine the project
metmeg lIp in inse.--ray. -
But along with the organination, there will
need to be a commitment on the part of many,.
many citizens be budget for a generous donation
to themuch-needed project.
That will require full and repeated
dissemination of facts concerning the purpose
for the new construction ... and the reasons why
the hospital board is asking for community
funding when public financing is the usual route
for such costly additions
This newspaper is always eager to report
facts. What's more, there is every indication the
hospital board is happy to supply facts about this
project to the newspaper.
Still, it will be the responsibilityof the people
to take time to read the facts - and to encourage
others to be informed as well.
Some of the first facts have already been
published .... but they bear repeating.
• The critical care area at AM&G is one of the
busiest deparhnents in the hospital. It is
estimated that one in every 10 patients admitted
to AM&G each year, passes through the critical
care area.
It is in the critical care area that some of the
most dramatic health services available at
AM&G are supplied. It is not over-stating the
matter to say that human life often hangs in the
balance within the critical care area at AM&G.
In recent months, the future of the critical care
area at AM&G has been a concern of the medical
staff and the hospital board. In the field of
medicine, tremendouschanges are taking place
almost daily. Improvements in equipment and
care are occurring almost daily as well, and
what was up-to-date yesterday is outdated today.
It takes constant monitoring, of enhipment and
care to keep a hospitel current_ It also takes
money- large amends of money.
It means that while every hospital in the
province is constantly clamoring for new and
better equipment, additional space and im-
provements in care, the health ministry's money
tree gets stripped in a hurry.,
It means there's a waiting list for provincial
financing ... and it now takes at least five years
to get approval for any capital growth.
It means that many worthwhile and necessary
projects get shelved because the province just
doesn't have enough money to go around.
_ m
It means that responsible health care -
managers such as local hospital boards, need to
look to community fund-raising campaigns to
provide that essential additional money.
At AM&G, the provincial health ministry has
recognized the need for an improved critical
care area. It is clear, however, that by the time
provincial money becalms available for it
maybe five years hence, the critical care area
may well be so severely outdated that safe
standards wouldbe in question.
The time to move is now. As board member
Bob Dempsey stated, the board would be ab -
cleating its responsibility by putting the project
on ice for five or more years.
What to do?
Quite rightly, the board decided to ask the
people of Goderich and area to invest in their
future health and welfare. Sure, it will require
some of us to dig deep, both for money and for
time. But doesn't that seem like a small sacrifice
to make for a better system cf health care at the
local hospital for thom we care about?
,You're right- $250,060.1s alot of money.
But we have alot of blessings here in this part
of the world. If we all put our shoulders to the
wheel - if everyone does even a little bit - the
$250,000 will roti in easily and we'll have an
improved, well equipped critical care area at
AM&G that could swing into action next year to
help save lives and bring comfort to you and
yours.
Talk ft over with your family right away. Make
a decision about what you can do to help out.
Then get ready for October's community fund-
raising campaign and high-level hospital care
from cradle to grave.
various stimuli for me to respond to (or not)
in the a.m. When my brother was a pre-
schooler, he and his neighborhood pal would
arise during the simmer at 7 a.m. and
practice their screaming abilities under my
window. This was always a pleasant way to
begin the day.
• During the school year, my father was the
one fond of ising early. One of his favorite
tricks was to loudly te rgle to the ttme of God
Save the Queen or The Orange Blossom
Special_
He also enjoyed waking us up by tiptoeing'
into our rooms, arranging the covers around
us cosily, whispering in one ears that it was
time to get trp and closing the door behind
hint. This made it virtually impossible to
rise to greet the morning.
My mother had a slightly different
method. She would bound in, open the
curtains, shout "Time for school” and begin
vacuuming briskly. -
In later years, a different father wham I
worked for in the summer time would
ly pound once on my door and gruffly
re "Hurry up." This would give me the
impression I was late and I would get ready
in a colossal panic before I realized 1 had
plentyof time..
It should be now obvious to you that my
distaste of the morning hours is not my
fault. 1 have been the victim of cir-
cumstance. I couldn't get hp in themorning
even if 1 wanted to because I have been
conditioned not b. So there.
I don't think people like me should be
required to get up in the morning. It isn't
fair, you know. We are efisabled. And I don't
know where people get off saying how im-
portant breakfast is and all that, because all
it does is give people like me a complex
about our worth to society.
I think it is time we stood up for our rights
and our on pieces on the Canada Food
Guide and the tarn cards of the country...1
think it's time we wre allowed to go back to
bed
11 4
it