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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-06-10, Page 4, • .:„ . PAGE 4 --GODERICHSIGNAL-FTAR, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10,1981 • ..syket • • 11. SINCE1848 THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH 8t.DISTRICT Ilenedsd la lab sad gablIshoil every Wediesallar et &Wert& OfliOriel. allearber of tbe CCNA end OWN*. Adana- ilibirleffens prgable in advaice °17.51 In Coned.. nese to U.S.A.. MAI tool! other ewe Wiwi, shrew espies IN•fllsgagasfearlfilog rotes ovelleble on request. Please ads for late card tbs. 51 effective Oc- . tibia 1. IMO. kcal. dans fawn flegistratiorn reveller iiii. AtWoarolfii tt.= !het Ibt the onset. qf lgosignighlad anat. fhb sialvertishqs spec* occupied by the erroneous It.... together with reasonable . allessileas forsignalage, bii abeaged 40, 5.4 thin below= of the advertisement, will be paid for et the SW .1 • ...,,plIkrilskpratir.ballsenWfutqf a flongropiskel gnaw Whiertisleg gossiper senricsisei Felro7Z, .4.,1..;,,tAgLIt#110100:141..11011**11110111.11Mik Oa Offer to sell. and may be rolthilrown at any tbuse.Ilhe ‘4.1.71:14Stor Is not . laillfellaible reemouseriple. pilot= or craw eseterfelt elm@ vor reptireltliev There is a certain ethereal quality about the month of June that even makes stepping on bugs in bare feet a rare treat. June seme to do that to me. It brings a sudden realization to the fact that summer has arrived and there is a precipitous urgency to do summer things. And I am beginning to_ develop a. slight paranoia about enjoying the fine weather, associated with the month. Even as this responsible piece is being written, yours truly could compile a lengthy list of seasonal activities that have not been touched. For instance, I haven't; barbequed assorted chicken pads, watched a lovely thing get a tan, removed birdie do do from my windshield, squished a crawly creature in bare feet, swallowed a flying bug, dipped my slender body in a swimming pool, watched a lovely thing get...well, readers can judge that my summer has thus far lacked panache. I am not lamenting the fact that such fun times have been pre-empted by the rigors of the work day, there is still math of the summer to indulge in silly things. My energies have been chanelled in responsible directions, though. Without any previous knowledge or savvy this garrulous gardener tees been meitculoasly_ grooming the, yard and environs. Sort of adding a green touch in the hooaestead. I envy people who actually know what they're doing but I goabout my landscaping business while assuming the airs of a veteran. But I am convincedmy act hasn't fooled the neighbours. Not being mechanically minded by nature, even the operation of a wheelbarrow provides a test. So last fall I decided pur- chase said piece of machinery. Apparently it's standard equipment for all gardeners. Now if you own a wheelbarrow, it must be put to practical use. So I proceeded to pull weeds and unwanted greenery from gardens and beds andplace them into neat little piles and I somehow managed to get several dirt piles spread about the yard. It has become so confusing. I move one pile to another with the new wheelbarrow in an effort to consolidate but invariahiy the piles increase in number and size. It doesn't make the least bit of sense. I have a sneaking suspicion that the piles of weeds and dirt are breeding at night behind my back. War will be waged in the battleagainst the sinisterpiles. Forsaking the piles, attention was turned to greening up the flower beds in front of the Sykes castle. During a recent visit, mother lovingly took clippings from 800 plant varieties, suitable for transplant here. Now I hate to hurt mother's feelings so the miniature jungle was dragged home while great visions of growing green things filled our heads. But I should know better than. to get my hopes up. These cuttings were carefully planted in numerous locations and gingerly propped up with mounds of live -giving sail. Some water was applied and I had every confidence that my yard would be a garden of delight. However, gardening can be a cruel form of punishment. I don't have the foggiest notion if these plants have names, but many • of them are now leaning decidedly and sickly to one side. Leaves that were once alive with colour are novelimp and lifeless. Some plants, in a strong showing of revenge, have simply toppled right over and wiped out any confidence I bad in my gar- dening ability. However, a few green things are shakily poking out of the garden plot. But it takes a few months before I know if they're weeds or vegetables. Second class mail registration number10716 • PUBLISHED BY:SiGNAL-STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED ROBERT G. SHRIER-President and Publisher DONALD M. HUBICK-Advertising Manager DAVID SYKES-Editor ItOlt - ILIse • HILKKINS ST. OrmitTnIA1-• PAP ----,CODERatammeet, , . . • .1 • 'BMWS OR (MEAL OFFICES place joie (519) 524-8331 Farmers finally got a chance to Iash out at government -• Thursday in a three-bour meeting with federal and provintial ministers in Torofito. For farmers and their respective organiz' ations, there must be some consolation in the fact that their problems •nre recognized and government at least offered an at- ".......*illt‘egr•ftWeaftWerheseeseseeessee eaee 'More 'than 900 farmers- were 111 alidiagtospeiddeFederal Agriadture Minister, Eugene Whelan, his °dad° counterpart, Lorne Henderson and Ontario Treasurer; Frank Miller. The meeting was an • historic one in tbat govenunent recognized a genuine need • tolisten to farmers' concerns. But the point of the matter was that farmers wanted definite commitmentinf help from government Many are losing their farms in the face of adversity and need • relief from soaring interest rates. Merest rates have risen to record heights as a direct • result of federal government policy to prop up the dollar , and there is little Miler can do about that. However, he has pledged to work on solution in the next three weeks. But goverrunent policy and interest rates are not the only culprits and farmers admitted that many have ex- panded beyond their capabilities. However, they are justifiably. angry at a system -that is driving costs up. and driving farniers from the land. • • Foreign owners are able to offer struggling farmers a good dollar for their land and that has led to serious concerns about foreign and absentee ownership.. There were no firm solidions resulting from the three- , kiginic4fiervinaviatmarzyieridealriawar,„realizr:.,,,,,„; that the best approach is through a co-operative effort It is time the government took the problems seriously, • though, and offer long range planning. • ShOrt-term subsidies on interest rates or marketable • products will not provide • the security the industry is seeking. Recently, Treasurer Frank Miller burdened Ontarians . with a tough budget that provided the government with increased tax revenues. Perhaps some of that revenue will be re -directed to aid an ailing farm industry. He has promised some decisions will be made in the next three weeks and it will be interesting to see what kind of commitments he is willing to make to the farming in- dustry. D.S. Who needs Grade 13 A recommendation to abolish Grade 13 from the secondary school system has solicited reactions from students, parents and educators across the province. The proposal has serious ramifications for the education system and the government may soon be pressured for a decision on the subjett The subject arose from a report of Duncan Green, a, former board of education director, who was com- missioned to take a year-long look at the secondary school system and its future. Green produced 101 recom- mendations in his report and had the audacity to suggest that Grade 13 be abolished and a four-year credit system be instituted. That main „recommendation has drawn cornnient and briefs fro -in across the province and they -have not been decidedly in favor ci or against the proposal. The report and reactions to it will be forwarded to the government in September. So, it will either become another costly commissioned report or the government will make a firm decision on the recommendation. The fate of the report rests in the Legislature and reaction of parents and students will surely have some Perhaps I am sentimental to a fault, but I spent Sunday morning staring at my shoes. I had planned to get tip, get dressed, go buy my Sunday Star and black coffee -to -go, and use up an hour sitting on my window sill reading, but it didn't work out that way. You see, as I was tieing up the shoes in my traditional double bow, one of the laces disintegrated in my hands. The laces had been going for a long time and parts of them were reduced to several strands of white thread. I sat there holering the pieces of shoelace wondering what to do. When one's shoelace breaks, it is a sign that pretty soon, the whole shoe is going to bite the dust. The pair of shoes we are talking about here are getting pretty old. They are of the sneakervariety, made of white leather, and ride right up my ankles. They have round toes with air holes in them and are unclut- terd by stripes. The tongue has become elongated with tugging, and every contour of each shoe le • impact. Many Canadian provinces have already opted for a four-year system but Ontario has maintained a five-year program as a pre -requisite for entrance to university. Students may willingly accept a four-year credit system and welcome the extra year of earning power. Systems • and habits are difficult to change and the arguments on the validity of Grade 13 can be endless. Many students, certainly, will argue that Grade 13 is necessary in preparation for post -secondary education. Others, would undoubtedly welcome the change in format and the chance to pursue a career a year earlier. The validity of Grade 13 is a decision that will rest with the government following careful scrutiny of briefs offered by students, parents and educators. In the case of some students, it surely provides a necessary year of development, emotionally and academically. But for the most part, a four -credit system appears feasible and logical. But then again, the final decision rests in the Legislature where anything is feasible but not always logical.D.S. matches every contour of each foot Perfect- ly. They lean slightly to the outside to match my bad posture. They are perfect. I love them. You can understand my dismay when the lace broke. I began to wonder if the shoes had seer better days and that perhaps the time had come to retire them. As I perched en the edge of my bed gazing at my feet, my mind wandered throigi the long history of those shoes. I discovered them in a $1 to $14 no frills shoe store on Spacrma Ave. in Toronto the same day I quit my hated job at the Ex- ecutive Car Wash. It was late October and.I had destroyed my Adidas walking through suds for the two-week duration of the job. I decided,I deserved new shoes. I walked all the way home in them and they didn't even give me blisters, as new • shoes are prone to do. Had I been exposed ta a high jump pit, I could have set a new Olympic record. - D EAR EAR READERS BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER I attended convocation at the University of Western Ontario's Alumni Hall- on -Monday. It was a special occasion for the Keller family as our daughter and sister graduated with her degree after four long years of paying city rents, long distance telephone calls and car main- tenance bills. That's from a parent's perspective, of course. Our daughter views it strictly as an academic achievement - and a miraculous survival. Naturally, we were proud as punch as our girl strode across the stage to kneel before the Chancellor and be hooded with the apricot of the nursing profession. It was a strangely intimate moment for us, even though we were separated by rows and rows of other graduates and adoring families. The special convocation speaker was a gracious lady by the name of Edra Sanders Ferguson. Mrs. Ferguson graduated as a lawyer in 1930 - the only woman in her class. Since that time, she has honed her craft during a long and illustrious career as a St. Thomas lawyer. In 1962, she was appointed to the bench. On Monday, Judge Ferguson became the first person to receive an honorary doctor of laws degree from UWO in 1981. I've heard lots of speeches in similar surroundings, but none has impressed me so much as Edra Ferguson's warm and sensible address to 400 lawyers, doctors, dentists and nurses. A short, plumpish white-haired woman, Edra Ferguson looked like somebody's grand- mother ... and sounded just as wonderful. In hers dignified regalia, she stepped to the "Like my new shoes?" I asked my housemates when I got home. They turned their heads and giggled, but I did not care because my new shoes made my happy. Since then, my shoes and I have ex- perienced many things together. They have touched the soil of half a dozen provinces, and have been to the bottom of the lake at least once. They were the shoes I was wear- ing the night I spent several hours trying to put a Vega back on the railroad tracks between Blyth and Auburn. They are the shoes that have bits of green, red, and blue paint on them for every time I moved and had to paint some furniture. They are the shoes I simply must wear on Sunday mornings when I go get my Sunday paper and coffee -to -go, or else Sunday mor- ning just isn't Sunday morning. I snapped out of my daydreaming and looked at the shoes with a critical eye. 'They are old. They are ugly. They are nearly destroyed. New laces would look disgusting polished podium amid some of the most brilliant minds in Western Ontario and wowed them with her homespun sentiments. She spoke about her name - Edra. She said her father had assumed his child would be a son to be named Edgar. At the birth of his daughter, he rather grudgingly agreed to 'adjust Edgar to Edra. I would guess that Edra was challenged throughout her childhood and adolescence to reach for anything she had an aptitude to do. She was never constricted by the limiting and traditional careers and goals for females even in the early years of this century when ambitious women were considered hussies. As the only woman m her university graduating class so many years ago, she said she could really identify with the one male graduate in the 1981 nursing elms. Just as men have had to get used to the threatening feelings they have had concerning women in what had always been male -dominated fields, now, she warned women will need to cope with similar feelings they will have about men getting into traditional female roles. ' The question that each person needs to ask himself or herself when selecting a career is whether or not there is the ability and the desire to do the job. She said people shouldn't concern themselves about being the first to cross over traditional male-female lines ... or anything else for that matter. "If you believe in what you are doing and the idea is sound - press on," said Edra Ferguson. "Remeniber, it is not wrong just because it is married" in them," I thought. "It is time to throw you away and buy some new shoes," I announced. I took them off, wrapped them in a paper bag, and put them in the garbage. "That's that. There's no point in clinging tO the past hie barnacles to a ship," I continued. "No sireentJust because Fm throwing away an old yucky pair of shoes does not mean I am going to dismiss everything 1 did in them as meaningless experiences. Nope. They are only shoes. And they have served their purpose." I put on some sandals in preparation to eawnplete my quest for the Sunday paper and -coffee and went out the door. Something was wrong. I could not bring myself to go on. It just wasn't the same without those shoes. Like a mad person, I rifled through the garbage and took out the shoes. I put them back on, broken laces and all. "Yessiree," I said as I bounded out the door. "They are only shoes, but they're all mine." But Edra Ferguson said something else that deserves to be repeated. She claimed that true happiness and fulfilment cannot be attained unless the total person is developed. She said so many young graduates go out to make a name for themselves in their chosen field, or to make vast stuns of money and hoard possessions. She suggested that not many of Monday's graduates would have the wisdom to see this ancient fact. I agree with her. It takes someone very farsighted and experienced to know that you just don't get lasting satisfaction from being top in your field with a big bankroll. But, Mrs. Ferguson told graduates, make no mistake. They will learn that lesson. "It will become more apparent to you as you see more people who have achieved their professional and financial goals and yet are depressed," said Edra Ferguson. The solution? Get involved in helping, says Mrs. Ferguson. Whether you are helping your business clients or your associates; whether you are involved in community worI5, or some service organization; whether it is minor sports or municipal politics, give of your time and yourself for others. If you concentrate all your energies on your profession and yourself, adds Mrs. Ferguson, there may come a day when you are bored ... and It is just plain horse sense if you ask me. But it seemed so profound coming from a distinguished lawyer, judge and woman such as Edra Sanders Ferguson. And it was timely topic too, at Monday's pomp and ceremony connected with Western's 233rd convocation.