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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1983-01-12, Page 4GE -4 -GODE;RICH SIGNAL'STAR WEDNEeS.DAY, JANUARY ,183 The following column w written by Buchanan for Dave'Sykes who as: • Joanne Bucbab. the flu. Guess he forgot to touch wood after' he wrote last week's column about not getting sick. Cars and I do not get along. Ever since I got my driver's licence at age 16, I have -had nothing but trouble. The very first time I borrowed my dad's car for an evening out with my friends, I ran into a speaker at the drive-in. Have you ever tried to park as close to one of those things as possible with five friends all shrieking instructions at you? Perhaps it was a poor choice for my ver first outing behind the wheel and I should have been forewarned. Things didn't improve after I bought my • very own car five .years later. I WAS so proud of that little' `brown Vega *Pi,the: sporty white stripes. But that poor car was doomed from thetomentTsteppedbehi d` the wheel. J . ' First I drove over a cement abutment, (you know those, things: you. park yut car up against in a parking lot -only T.forgot 'I had parked up against it). Needlessto say, this did not do the underside•,of Amy car much good. Next, I was backed into by a, van who was trying to make more room for a transport truck to round a corner. I sat there helplessly while the van inched closer and closer, all the time wishing my hornworked so I could blow it. As winter settled in, I .drove into email- • tless ditches and snowbanks on country -roads while on assignments. There were .a few flat tires thrown in for good measure too. The final straw came then my Vega, innocently parked on the street in front of my. parents' home, was run into by another car' which had slid on some ice. The back seat was pushed into the front seat and.I literally had a compact ; model on my hands. After )1 got married, I tradedin the many -tunes -repaired Vega fOr a larger atipdel of ear.My luck didn't change Much though,; The only difference was that in- stead •of running to phone my dad every time I had 'a mishap, I now phoned my husband. At least I seemed to have graduated from accidents to mostly mechanical problems. A few years ago, my husbandlth r up his hands in disgust and said, Ira your car, you look after it:" So I did. Every time I heard it making a strange noise, turned the radio' up a little louder to drown it out. After my radio stopped working, I learned that mechanical problems probleMS 1,94141 BA away by ignoring them. I anytg, they get worse. Recently as I listened to my husband curse women drivers (just because it had taken three quarts of oil to fill my calr), I wished with all my heart that Goderich . had a transit 'system, Unfortunately, car transportation in this town and for my job is a necessary evil. But I'm sick of.paying ;' for gas and oil,. insurance, licence plate. stickers and repairs. And I know things. won't improve.I still can't parallel park. BLUE RIBBON AWARD Second class mail registration number -0,716 • SINCE 1848 THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT Pounded Ih 1000 and published every Wednesday of Ooderkh, Ontario. Member of the CCNA and OWNA. Advar• tising rates on request. Subscriptions payable in advance '1010 In Canada. '50.00 to U.S.A., .50.00 to all other count- • tries, single copies SOS. Display advertising rates available on request. Please ask for Rate Card No.19 effective'Oc. tabor 1, 1002. Second class mail Registration Number 0710. Advertising Is accepted on the condition that In the event of typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together withreasonable allowance for signature. will not be charged for but that balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the ap- plicable rate. In the event of a typographical error advertising goods orservices at a wrong price. goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell. and may be withdrawn at any time. The Signal -Star Is not responsible far the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproducing pur- poses. PUBLISHED BY: SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED ROBERT G. SHRIER-President and Publisher DONALD M. HUBICK-Advertising Monager DAVID SYKES-Editor P.O. BOX 220. HUCKINS ST. INDUSTRIAL PARK GODERICH N7A 4B6 FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES please phone (519) 524-8331 Disturbing allegations Thousands of Canadians across the land have been quietly contributing, some for many years, to a charity which, they were told, brought direct and badly -needed. aid to Third World countries. They are the people who have supported children abroad through the . Foster Parents Plan of Canada. Their contributions, according to, the literature provided by FPPC, provide assistance not only for individual children, but to the entire family and in some cases to the community in which the fainily lives. There was a disturbing interview on CTV's Canada AM. program recently in which a spokesman for one of the United Church's publications (not The Observer) stated that the plan does not deserve support for several reasons. The first was, according to the spokesman, that the child beneficiary and his family are often targets 'of envy in their villages because they have so much more than their neighbors. This man also stated that these fortunate youngsters often try to utilize their new-found foster parents as a means of seeking admission to Canada on immigrant bases. Asked by the interviewer why, since the plan is so ill - administered, The United Church Observer still carries an advertisement for the Foster Parents Plan, the spokesman replied that the advertisement is a source of revenue for the publication.' • This man claims that he has, personally visited many countries in which the plan is operative and has based his conclusions on first-hand observation. The program which aired this interview has a• vast audience across the entire country, so there is no doubt that many foster parents have been • left wondering whether they are spending their money wisely or perhaps even injuriously.. Such foster parents have long been assured that their money was being used in an extremely effective way. The allegations are so damaging that-th'e United'Church is morally obliged to either substantiate or deny them. And further, an independent body with experience in the field of foreign aid should, be asked to clarify the entire situation for participants in the Foster Parents Plan. — The, Wingham Advance Times 1 The grass is greener Funny how the grass is always greener in the next field. The person who is employed longs for a few weeks away from work. The one who hasn't a, job longs for the op- portunity to show his skills and get a regular pay cheque. An employer worried about big debt financing for his business, thinks how fortunate are those who can work within a weekly budget from the money he provides at each month's end. The employee wishes he was the boss and have no one to answer to but himself. The householder with the small lawn wishes he had more room to grow vegetables in the summer. The one with half an acre of growing greens thinks it would be easier to shop at the store than pull out weeds. Workers in Nova Scotia dream about those big salaries in Alberta and Ontario. Workers in Alberta and Ontario dream about the peace and contentment of working and living in Nova Scotia. Bank tellers think of the glamor of journalism. Jour- nalists think of the freedom of regular working hours in a bank. Can we never be satisfied? — The Digby Courier Minister is wrong There is little,/ in the world more sacred• than motherhood, but the institution took" a -beating last week) fr,m Judy Erola, the federal minister responsible for the status of women: Erola suggested that the tax exemption allowed by the federal government for dependent wives be eliminated or reduced by a healthy margin. The minister claims that the exemption, which will be $3,100 for 1982, will save families money on income tax, up to $1,500 in some cases, depending on income. Suddenly, the minister wants to penalize women for staying home and raising families and Erola's statements sparked a great deal of controversy across Canada. The minister says the government could use all the money it emptions to' help working mothers across day care services. esture is a noble one and working mothers saves on the e Canna..: p:yf rola's -if lib iiotMist''Erse the. savings -to -pay for. -day- care. -ex penses. But the suggestion only serves to penalize women who don't have jobs. That kind of statement would lead one to believe that only the more affluent of women are staying home to tend to the children and household because they are financially secure. And, for that reason, Erola suggests they shouldn't have a tax break. It isn't only the affluent and well-to-do that choose to stay at home 'and raise families. It's a rather personal decision that is not simply a choice of the rich but a per- sonal choice for people of all income levels. By suggesting the exemption bre eliminated or severely decreped, Erola was wrongly making a value judgment about women who stay at home. Certainly many wives choose to stay at home with childrenfor personal reasons, although the second income would greatly enhance the family income. t • That is not to suggest that working women with children do not require some type of assistance with respect to day care costs but that help should not be at the expense of the family in which the wife decides to stay home. It doesn't seem right that Erola should suggest taking money from one sector and giving it to the other. If she believes that working women deserve a bigger break, then give them that break and allow them to deduct ei her the total cost of child care or a a major portion of it. S. And justice for all t seems that some of Ontario's lawyers are upset about the number of young people graduating from law schools and entering the profession. The practising lawyers have set up a study aimed at determining whether or not limitations should be set on the number of law students which can be accepted for training. In other words, too much Competition for business might do some nasty things to the existing structure. We doubt that many layers are in favor of this totally undemocratic approach to -an economic problem. Those who do see a need for limitations on competition are scarcely in line with the, concepts of free enterprise and justice for all, which should be the watchword of their profession.—TI)e,..Wingham Advance Times Security by Dave Sykes DEAR READERS SHIRLEY KELLER What combination of factors need to be present in a rural community to attract new industry? This is a question many industrial commissions and development committees in rural Ontario have been asking themselves for many long years. To get the correct answer to that question, it doesn't hurt to study.the. reason Huron County's, present industries exist. Why are they here? Take Dashwood Industries for an example. That's a sizeable manufacturing industry smack in the middle of rural Ontario. Why is it. here? How does it survive? What are the advantages? The disadvantages? Historically, Dashwood Industries is the little business that grew. It began with the Klympp family's planing mill. It featured the en- trepreneurship of the Klumpp sons who put their ideas and their abilities to work in their own village for the men and women they knew so well and cared so much for. Although the main plant moved to the Exeter area a few years. back - although_ it expanded again and again to become a nationally known window and door manufacturing concern - it has managed to maintain that indisputable tie to Dashwood and Huron County. Something, similar could be claimed at Champion in Goderich. The,Sully family has for many years been synonymous with Goderich. The industry was here mainly because it was where the Sully family wanted it to be. Though - other opportunities 'would beckon, old loyalties remained Strong as Champion went on to become an internationally recognized name with an imposing share of the.world market. Goderich was home to Cayley Hill when .he made his decision in favour of Dearborn. It wouldn't be surprising if he looked at Goderich with a great deal more faith and much less trepidation than some strangers might. The same could be said for the Shriers of Signal -Star Publishing Company Ltd. Qfoderich is their home now. They grew to appreciate this locality enough to feel comfortable with the variety of opportunities to be found here upon which to build.a viable industry of benefit to their chosen customers. • It doesn't seem unreasonable then to assume that love and acceptance of this segment of Ontario on the part of would-be industrialists is a weighty consideration when looking for in- dustrial interests to establish here.- , Nor is it pompous to predict that when this love and acceptance is present in visionary wren and women, -truly exciting things can bethe long- term achievement right here in grassroots Ontario. Another thriving industry in Goderich is the Domtar operation. The reason for location in Goderich is the salt deposit. Plainly and simply, the Sifto portion of Domtar would not be in Goderich if there were no salt: Similarly, the main industry in Bayfield is the it ouristindustry— -butit would not -be possible - without the proximity to The lake .and the breathtaking sunsets and the natural attributes for the development of facilities. To the north is the Bruce Nuclear Power Development, located there because of the physical suitability of the site. Other industries. too, will eventually spin off from BNPD as a result of the reality of the project's successful operation. They will be possible because BNPD ., exists. The harbour access draws :Great Lakes Shipping to Goderich and a stable agriculture base is attractive for W.G.Thompson. Some industrialists will trade prime location for the assurance of adequate workforce at a price considerably below other areas. Some will see low priced land and modest operating overhead as an enticement. A few will move out of urban centres to avoid endless, expensive hassles over such things as planning regulations, environmental controls, development restric- tions and so on. However in many cases, industrialists are ' discovering the expected savings to be garnered by moving to a rural community are more imagined than real. While the quality of life here in good old Huron is better than average, there has to be substantial and tangible financial benefits to the industrialist, that will fall directly to the•bottom line on the year-end statement. It's all based on the survival of the fittest after all. From the, standpoint of the rural communities themselves, some tough facts need to be faced. No community wants a industry to arrive on the scene that will exploit labour, endanger health, create problems for the neighbourhood, cause unnecessary headaches for schools, hospitals and other municipal services, severely increase property taxes or otherwise conflict with existing business and industry. • When you get right down to it, at the present time the choices 'are limited for new industry in rural Ontario .... and the opportunities are'few• But ,the mentality is changing. Rural municipalities are beginrijiig to adapt to the demands of industry ... and industrialists are less enamoured now wFth slick,sleek size and circumstance. We're seeing the start of a mini industrial revolution, a time perhaps when small will be beautiful (and profitable) again. And when . people will be grateful to think individually once more in return for some mighty .valuablenon- negotiable returns such as peace of mind and personal pride and/performance satisfaction. It can't come soon enough if we are to succeed into the year 2,000. Christmas Bureau assists 292 Huron families Dear Editor, - -., ,y_e tYUe„tp ,take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the people of Huron County for their sup- port of another successful Huron County Christmas Bureau project. This year the Bureau provided assistance to 292 families in- cluding 635 children in the County. This represents an increase of almost 30 percent over 1981. This would not have been possible without the support of the communi- ty. The Huron County Christmas Bureau is operated as an annual pro- ject of Family and ETT AIM Children's Services and is designed to co-ordinate Christmas giving and ensure that no children are missed at Christmas. This project is operated totally with volunteer help and is financ- ed by donations from the community. Family and Children's Services provides co-ordination and supervi- sion and covers operating expenses as our contribu- tion. Because of this, the sup- port of the community is essential. We continue to find that the people in Huron County help their neighbours in a kind and thoughtful way, and the 1982 Christmas Bureau supports this point of view. The total project t was co- ordinated this year by Mrs. Audrey Royal of Goderich. Mrs. Royal began work in September and donated countless hours to ensure successful operation of the Christmas -.-...Bureau..,.., Jackie Harrison ; also -' volunteered many hours and provided efficient secretarial service to the Bureau. We are most grateful to I,rs.- Royal and Mrs. Harrison for their generous and capable con- tributions. This year, under the fine supervision of Mrs. Ellen Connelly, • volunteer co- ordinator of ,the Goderich Bureau, 67 fainilies (143 children) were able to enjoy a happier Christmas» Mrs Connelly. the Goderich 1Cin- netteClub, and . other generous individuals spent many hours arranging space, ^ co-ordinating dona- tions` and assisting families.,..,_ Without the capable assistance of people like this, • we would be unable to ,eon= duct the Christmas Bureau. We also wish to express our appreciation . to the various people who were kind enough to donate space from which we could distribute goods. In Goderich, the Suncoast Mall allowed us use of space which provided uswith a convenient location. In addi- tion, various stores and in- Turn to page 5 •