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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-12-16, Page 6DAVE SYKES • Stability is an essential ingredient in > life and I can literal* quint the moves I've made onone h and- ores of the major moves of xray life was aftcaptiog a Job offer from Signal - Star Publishing as mythree-year stint in the journalism prcgram was quickly coming to an end. anew little of the town of Goderich but decided to accept the offer. While I had set a target of remaining erre the . chilly lly of Lake Huron for about two years, the end of the year will mark the completion of rny seventh year in this organinition and town. My arrival in Goderich didn't necessitate a convoy d aiming vans. clothing was toss- ed carelessly i do the back seat of the '68 green Uhevelle that leaked whenever it rain- ed and the golf dubs were lovingly placed in the trunk. I was ready to face life in Goderich The apartment suited my needs adequately until a sweet young thing propesed rnaniage add I was famed seek larger i t® Again, the move was a relative breeze con- Adoring my were, limited. Clothing was tossed into the beck seat of the car and the golf cube were loviegly placed in the trunk. By this tirne, , I bad also acquired a $40 television set that worked fuse if you talked to it in soothing t,. My, make that our, final move was to our own house and it's -the moat of junk that accrues in a few short years of marriage. That jurat is std sitting in the basement and I suspect it multiplies at night when I'm That's ane of the hazards to getting mare Tied relatives pawn off their junk on newlyweds because "yoci're jest gig started." Just getting started. in the junk Anyway, this drivel is leading to the an- nouncement nt another move. ani ' to theex- isting and the etitodal depaitenest is hi a In feet, this sedtdous scribe, is in line for en office of 144 eery own, an tulaWallsive alcove vdtha'dew ofthe The move was planned for the weekend el ilaticember Is but is now delayed aril Satur- day. However, In azdicipation of meeting the December 12 deadline the editorial meet cleaned up the office that looked like an miplosion occumed there five years of I havededuced after the claming session, are the most avid of junk collectors. Three of us hauled several large garbage bags of papers, files and memorabilia out of the office. The only disturbing aspect of the move was that the entire contents of my desk, refleethig seven years of labor on your weekly,favecile were neat, crammel into one baa. It is a humbling experience when awe's en - hire career is mducal to a awe pt1e of trinkets and a few photographs that tucked neatly into one small box. It 't seem fair. to be honest, the tools of my trade are limited. The box contains numerate files, reports and detailed studies that just may come in handy someday for research pur- poses. The remainder of the bore contains 8, relatively useless business cards, scotch tape, a stapler, ruler, telephone &missy, a few note booms and some pictures that were kept for posterity. Much to the amazement of newsroom I even removed a few suggestive pictures from the kinetin board. There was a tinge of sadness, however, with the realization that te,healthy ladies will not move into the new office. Those pictures were merely kept as a sotw a of inspiration. Someday there will be another move and it will be too soon. I1;tl;bz, Second doss rno.i regiSteattc is niwnbe 0116 SINCE 1848 THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT ya.wfef wow phoneme eweey Webb ashy trr.isetd►, °Merle. we it d the CCNA mud OWe&. Adobe- ilbgbyyretie ..abw.t. febeertetbeitgielebfelwf/wtee'itA PSeCeeedia ,11.46+. U.S.A., °SILAp Ne an ethos, ca.! Mae, cityfeeeple. SOK 6fegewr6wtiali.ester errdl`ei/e toe r+eesest f ea&few wN.Card Of ad+F.ctive Oc- tober 1, i161. fecowf dam ewe f.yliAretiser i/arier 67if: ltirastiebte b eateetea « Hoe erwditioo iiwe tw th0 swat ef typ.erephiaii error. As ethreet ale. slice erccrpl.d by 90. erreeptwee Hem, , tepther with reeseesiote elle nates fee siyw.tan., "MI wM 11. dr/rs.i far bet fiat below,.4 the edhowifisimarte *ON be pate fes .t th..p egeeiitrerter./wtire.sewtd.typeyyrepiioWewer edirertlebee pets«wwfc..Nawrens price, geode sre.rekee easy wet he telt. *fe.rtleleg ts wevelyr sea dila to son, wad wry M whIsiri ere et awry time. lir 3ipal4ier h.et eifeletesibferfer Ore kat err I_nese etws.Ndfee rwwwwofpts, Oyster ...h"wed far reprff.t a per - PUBLISHED BY:SIGNAL-STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED ROBERT 6. SHRIER-President and Publisher DONALD A& HUBICK-Advertising Manager DAVID SYKES-Editor BOX 22 , 041/0tIMS ST. iIMMI MITA L PARK. GODEftlOfr1A41111 GO.' NI MOSS sS CDR Eofr'ORf9tt-OifKS phase pl, . (S19) 9444331 ouncil has a battle for ,Assaf :Gettyc ` ll tothe candidates vWardenspm before the election last Tuesday, they tveretoldthattiMesweretough. Roth candidates, Novick Township Reeve Harold RobinsonGoded& ?orrnship lie, Gnat Stirling, bild. the.to problem facing the coma Wasthatothglation, pergola to ane and,it.putsawsteainon girdles inusta'dbler4 y to government *ending. With price* tlesilicouncilammt take the imbalive to trim b w may. county has done a good joid1E in recent years and the increase in the ectintyrialutaitionhasbeen modest. . The donned has been trimmed in cel years, with deputy-rdeputy-remes taken off the niter. The move hasn't seemed toalterthettlicieneyot'gov tonthatlevel eredithesaisossavedtthettpapayern- y. ,• -These days, the word inflation law eveyo ne's lips and certainly it should be on the mind of governments. > egardiessofthelevet While the warden was cautious to mention that he wasn't sure what could be done about inflation, a decent effort wound suffice. Cost cutting without chopping essential services is not an easy task and ultimately someone does suffer tosonne extent as a result. But as longas gave -melt is committed to a certain measure of restraint, it is at least taking a responsible approach with the money of the taxpayers of the comity. And restraint does ad mean government is less efficient dram acempliih as s/loch. A policy Of restrakg, as advocated by the_warden, is mere ya commitment tothe public that funds will beused wisely and items will be- prioritized and phased when necessary. Following the sweating -in ceremony, County Judge F. G. Carter, told council that dines are not astough asthose experienced Willis smutty daring the depression adding that council certainly had the capacity to do something about the preseasituation. . While the task may feel lice a heavy burden as county council enters a new year, it can easily be dealt with at each committee meeting and each general council meeting. The little things add up. D.S. Compensation for all With some orgathation and firm pressure the HUFFY group may getsomea ctioon front goveurnmeet. fforneownerra with- Ureas Formaldehyde Foam Insulation have been pressuring the . government for compensation for months and finally their pleas have been heard, in part The government announced that it will give grants to thousands of fan across Canada whose homes are insulated with area formaldehyde foam. But, of course, there is a cath. The foam must be emitting excessive amounts of pseud t heoccupantshealthmustbeaffected. Consumer Affairs Minister Andre Ouellet made the annodince r lentthisweek buttthedetails of the grants were not unveiled. It is estimated that as many as 80,000 homes in Canada contain the foam insulation but OuelIet estunatted that only 10 per cent or about 0,000 homes would be eligible undertheterritsofthegrantsy • The foam was banned last December and since that time the govertunent hasbeen conducting tests in affected homes, The tests indicated that 10 per cent of the test homes had normal formaldehyde gas levels. There are other sources of gas in the hone but those with the foam insulation had higher readings. For many homeowners, the foam has led to vomitting, dizziness, coughing, nose bleeds and skin irritation. The minister told the House that the grant plans will be available before theCMistmas recess. While the government is now willing, to offer some compensation, Oueliet said it was not an, admission of galt But it was the same government that offered sub- sidies on the installation of the insulation. If the govern- ment promoted the use, it should be prepared to honor claims. Compensation for people who have developed illness because of the foam is fine. What happens to those who do not experience any health problems with the foam? The government is ignoring them and yet, the value of their houses has declined rapidly and it is unlikely those hones can be sold on the market. - But the government is only taking its responsibility so far. Homeowners have a right to be angry but it is unlikely their pleas will lead to justice. D.S. Buddies By Cath Wooden DEA-R'1EADERS. SHIRLEY KELLER In a little publication I read entitled Bits And Pieces, there's always a whole lot of horse sense Anda few gems of wisdan too. This month I read a couple ofshortbits that I want to share with you. They certainly aran't seasonal. They have nothing at all to do with Christmas. But they do have some back-to-back coinmentt on the the kind of problems that confront each of us in the business world. And I thought you would enjoy the stories. - maybe even find some measure of help in them. The first is a story about a man who walked into the New York City rent -control officeand asked if someone there could tell him the name of his landlord. "The man you pay your rent to," said the clerk. "Don't pay no rent," said the man. "Found this , vacant building a few months back and moved in. Been there ever since." `Well, what are you worrying about?" asked the clerk. "You have no complaint" "ante I do," retorted the than. "The roof leaks and if somebody don't came and fix it, Pm gonna move out!" Stupid you say? Sure enough. But there's a whole lotof stupid things going on in this world. And there's a whole lot of stupid people doing than. Take this real life example. Business at the Levi plant is slow and workers fear layoffs are imn:rent. nevi jeans aren't the thing anymore. Designer jeans are "in". Now what would you dein that case? Hope that designer jeans lost their appeal? Look for another job? Plan a winter of budget meals and collecting your unensploynert cheque? Chances are you wouldn't take the option chosen by the staff. Their actual decision was to go on strike. Reminds me too of the fellow whose father was a First World War veteran. At (bristrnas time, the Royal Canadian Legion in the community where this family lived usually brought a turkey and a basket of goodies around to the house. One year, the Legion Christmas basket con- vener wasa little slower than onual. It was a few days to Christmas - and the basket still hadn't arrived. Thesonof the agingvet was furious. "If they don't soon bring it," he promised angrily, "Fm going to go out and buy our Christmrasdkmera Stupid people. They are, soeanvinced that they have some God-given right to a home,, a job, a Commas dinner - you name it - that they fail to see their demands as unreasonable, wirealistic and totally unacceptable. +++ But thea there's the other side. Thank good- ness there isalways the other side. A small boy was sent by his mother to pick a quart of raspberries. -He didn't want to pick the berries - anything .but that - bit he made his way slowly with heavy feet toward the raspberry patch. Then a happy thought came to bin. He would not pick one quart of raspberries; he wouldpick two quarts! He would surprise his mother. Strangely the thought changed everything. He couldn't wait to see the smile on the mother's face when he showed her the extra quart The story stopped thee. Obviously the lesson was taught: if you have a positive attitude about your work, italways goes better. But in my opinion, the story should haw continued on. Mother comes, she is over-joyed at her son's doubled efforts. She smiles wanly, gives him a big hug and makes his expectations of approval come true. Lesson learned. Ah, but what if Mother coarses along, frowns and shouts, "You've picked too many green ones. And look how these berries are squashed andbraken." What has the boy teamed now? You're right, He's learned you do only what you are told, when you are told. Doing something extra doesn't hold any rewards. Going the extra mile can be wasted effort One of the most touching eulogies I ever heard delivered was at a funeral recently where the officiating clergyman said he'd been speaking to the son of the deceased "What do you remember most about your dad?" the pastor asked the son, a full grown man: The son related the time when he was 13 and his ° dad had been sick. It was fall and the ploughing wasn't done. So the boy hitched up the team and turned thesod on the field When he bad finished, his father put his arra around the boy and said, "You did a fine job. I'm . plroud of you son. Thanks." °line son recalled, "My dad didn't see the crooked furrows or the telltale areas where the plough had skipped oat of the ground. He only saw the effort I'd given and he made me feel ten feet tall when he expressed his approval* It was Colonel Hadand Sanders who said it best: "Don't be against things so much as for things." ' +++ ft's all in your attitude after all. Whether it's a vacant bulling with a leaky roof - ar an 'extra quart of raspberries - how you perceive it will make all the difference in the world. Perhaps more than you'D ever know. You realize don't you that there are only seven (count "em, semen) shopping days left until Christmas? For those of you who started buying presents in October and can't seem to stop, this is a blessing: However, those of you whose watch tape and wrap- ping paper are still untouched are probably beginning to bite your nails in panic. Well, stop! I have come to save the day with what you've all been waiting for - a handy dandy gift guide for those hard-tabuy-for loved ones. More marital disputes are caused by husbands presenting wives with thoughtless Christmas gifts. Many is the household on « bristmas morning with hubby lying un- conscious on the kitchen floor with the cord of a toaster or blender or ft -Tel Pattie Stackerwrapped around his sorry little neck. Your wife wants somethibg for herself. You are getting closer with items such slinky night st>aff, or `Linda Levelace's Guide to Relieving Tension' but you must admit there's an element of selfishness there. Now you wives, avoid knitting things for hubby. If it doesn't turn out, you are sunk. You don't want him walking around with a sweater on that goes down to his knees. And if it does turn out and he doesn't like it, you will becrusheetl. Men aren't hard to buy for when you think about it. If he is the handy dandy type, don't actually buy hirn building stuff, just get him a gift certificate and he can get his owm. Gifts certificates may be the ultimate copout, but they are easier to wrap than wrench sets - or beer. I needn't say anything about what to get for the teenager in your life, He or she will no doubt have already supplied you with a list of records with wierd names. If you feel embarrassed about going into a record store and asking for Cheap Twigs or Martha and her Muffins, fret not You are not alone. Everyone has a wierd aunt. You can always be safe with a wierd aunt and buy her gloves or pretty soap or a needlepoint kit. Bit the secret of making your wierd aunt's Christmas happy is to find out why she is wierd and buy her more of it; i.e., Scotch, Vodka, an elephant gun, spandex body suit, dice . And what about your mother-in-law? How . about a three-week paid vacation in Poland? lust joshing. If you are buying presents for nieces or nephews are cousins, it's smart to. get something to keep the little sackers oc- cupied on Christmas day. Buy them a you- assemble -it present and hide one of the parts. That'll keep 'em busy. If you are a kid and are wondering what to get your morn and dad with the $6. et you have saved up, listen up. It doesn't do any good to ask them what they want because they always ask for dumb stuff like, "Just a hug and a kiss," or "You can do the dishes for six months." There ain't no way you're gonna fall for that one, right? Buy your dad a gas can for the snowmobile. Now, if you don't have a snowmobile, buy him a gas can anyway and he might buy the snowmobile to go with it. You must use your head. Buy your mom a Rubies Cube. It'll drive her crony into the wee small hours of the night and shell never notice that you are still up watching television and making peanut batter and frozen orange juice sandwiches. There are certain things nobody of any age should buy for nobody of any age. Self- help books such as How to Lose Ugly Fat, How Not to Burn Food, and •." w..r, elk Surgery Made Posy, are de!ie =.r:. for obvious reasons Wen, that should give you all sawn ideas or take away any ideas you had for in- novative Christmas presents, Take heart, if you blow it this year, there will still be 300 shopping days until neztChrist mas.