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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1983-10-26, Page 4PAGE!--GODERICII SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1983 'aims DAVE SYKES She was a beauty in her day. Her sleek and well defined lines blended well with the gentle curves off the overall contour. In a word, she was streamlined. The passing of time has a habit of creating idealized and embellished memories. Oft' times those memories are purposely and conveniently contrived, to flatter the dreamer's ego. For me, the memories will be mostly good ones; memories that will provoke a smile when conjured up; niemories that will provoke nostalgia and reminiscences of carefree days. The relationship began over eight years ago and there was an immediate and instant attraction. It was the kind of bond that links man and his machine into a secure unit. There exists a certain relationship bet- ween a man and his first car that is difficult to translate into concrete terms. Few women understand it; few men ever forget. There were longing glances through misty eyes last week, as the trusty and rusty Lemaus, vintage 1974, was hauled off to the scrap heap. That venerable machine that once exuded speed and fiery life and epitomized all that was wrong with the car industry, big engines, big cars and poor gas mileage, was now incapable of travelling the length of the driveway. The end to the partnership and affair was imminent and while I was resigned to the eventuality of that termination, it was sad to see her rely on the hook of a tow truck for mobility. Her body had succumbed to the diseases and ravages of time and was reduced to a proliferation of rusty metal. There was no despondency in the Sykes household as the Lemans was un - Member Second class mail registration number 0716 BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1983 THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT SINCE1848 Founded in 1848 and published every Wednesday at Goderich, Ontario. Member of the CCNA, OCNA and ABC Audit Bureau of Circulations. Subscriptions payable in advance '00.95, (Senior Citizens '17.95 privilege card number required) in Gonads, *55. to U.S.A.,'55. to all other countries, Single copies 50'. Duplay, National end Classified advertising rates available on request. please ask for Rate Card No. 14 effective October 1, 1983. Advertising ie accepted on the condition that in the event of typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance for eigneture, will not be charged for but that balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error advertising goode or services at a wrong price, goode or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely en offer to sell, end may be withdrawn at any time. The Signal -Star is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materiels used for reproducing purposes. PUBLISHED BY: SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED ROBERT G. SHRIER - President and Publisher DON HUBICK -- Advertising Manager DAVE SYKES - Editor C:6 eieVi.\\CII a P.O. BOX 220 HUCKINS BT. INDUSTRIAL PARK f3ODERICH, ONT. N7A 486 FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES...pfeeee phone [5191524-8331 A logical move The Board of Police Commissioners for the town of Goderich has asked the four fellow municipalities sharing the central police dispatch system to provide input on a proposal that would have Goderich fire calls routed through the dispatch system. Currently, fire calls are answered on one of six phones located in the homes of members of the Goderich Fire Department. The members of the department and their wives, have provided this service for many years without questioning their responsibility or the effectiveness of the system. Admittedly, the arrangement was a loose one.The phones were covered 24 hours a day but with more wives working or simply having to get out of the house to attend to personal and family chores, the possibility of the fire phones being left unattended increased. The firemen, while they are more than willing to assn ne the responsibility for the fire phones in their homes, are concerned that fire protection in the communi- ty could suffer. The potential exists for the phones to be unattended at the precise moment a fire call was made. It is a major responsiblity and one that a select few firemen should not have to bear. It puts a great deal of responsibility on their families too. Town officials would like to have the calls go through the central dispatch system located at the Goderich Police Station on West Street. They have asked officials from Wingham, Clinton, Exeter and Seaforth for their input with the hope of implementing the system on a one-year trial basis. It is the logical step to take for several reasons. Most notably, it would provide a better fire protection service to the community. It would eliminate the remote possibility of the fire phone being left unattended. Statistical infor- mation provided by Chief Pat King suggests the calls could be handled by the five dispatchers without placing their primary task of providing a dispatch service to five municipal police forces in jeopardy. Secondly, it would remove the responsibility of answering the phones from the ranking officials of the Goderich Fire Department and their families. If the pro- ject works out successfully, then the other towns may be encouraged to have their fire calls routed through dispat- ch. Ostensibly, the police conunission and firemen are con- cerned with providing the best fire protection for the citizens of the conununity. With all due respect to the firemen and their families. that can now be best ac- complished if calls are handled by central dispatch. Heed legislation As of November 1, 1983 it will be mandatory to protect all children, under five years of age, in an appropriate car set or restraint device. There is mounting statistical evidence suggesting that the mandatory legislation is well overdue. It is fact that highway deaths and injuries in Ontario have decreased over the past five years in response to seatbelt legislation. We can take chances with our own safety by ignoring seatbelt legislation but it only seems logical that parents would take every precaution in securing those who cannot make that choice. A story in this edition of the Signal -Star outlines the proper procedures for securing children in the family automobile. While it is one thing to provide a child with the protection of a car seat or infant carrier, that protection is suspect if the seat is not properly fastened. Too many children have been seriously injured or killed in a sudden stop or accident because they were not properly restrained when riding in the car. The restraint of infants is a relatively new concept, but one that cries out for compliance. It is sad to still see small children standing beside a parent while riding in a car, but it does still happen. It is pure folly not to recognize the importance of the restraint legislation and it is incumbent upon parents to take the extra few minutes required to buckle up the children. The law states that in Ontario, all children under 16 years of age must be buckled and the driver of the vehicle is held responsible. Infants up to 20 pounds must travel at all times in an approved rear -facing car seat. Toddlers weighing bet- ween 20 and 40 pounds must travel front -facing in a car seat in their parent's or guardian's car. In other vehicles, the lap belt will suffice. Pre-schoolers between 40 and 50 pounds must wear a lap belt and children under 16 years of age must wear the full seat belt assembly. Don't take any chances with the safety of your children. Take preventative and precautionary measures now by knowing and enforcing the legislation. Buckle up and be safe. There has been a great deal of clanking of swords over the demand for traffic lights at the corner of Bayfield Road and Bennett Street. It is to the credit of the town council that most members have chosen to proceed in the more difficult manner - using a ra- tional and businesslike approach. A number of background points could be made. My thoughts go back to the situation a few years ago when the Bayfield Road stretch of roughly one mile in length was turned into a four -lane highway, to the tune of approximately one and a quarter million dollars of public money. It is possible that some of the people now petitioning for the lights in order to tame the highway were among those who favoured the four -lane traffic. We were told at that time ( and i was on the council then) with the same heated urgency how vitally important it was to facilitate a speedier traffic flow. in this town, if five cars have to stop for half a minute at a corner twice a year, it is regard- ed as a traffic jam of lamentable propor- ceremoniously hauled away to the scrap heap last week. Mts. Sykes was ecstatic that "that piece of junk is finally gone from the driveway," and son Bradley was wild with excitement at the prospect of having a tow truck in his driveway. My final memory is catching a fleeting glimpse of the old girl, precariously perched on the back of a tow truck, which whizzed by on the highway. I could barely stand to watch. All that remains now are the fond memories and two rusty, dented and curling licence plates. Neither provides much consolation during these troubled times. Mrs. Sykes has great difficulty com- prehending my sentimentality and obvious affection for the old Lemans. But, as previously reported, the relationship bet- ween man and his first car transcends rational behaviour. Not unlike a niten's initial foray into the tumultuous world of love, a man's first car is remembered and revered in the fashion of his first love. Ask any man to produce the names of his first car and his first love and an immediate and knowing smile forms. Nothing further need be said. A man never forgets. Son Bradley, while he still excitedly recounts every miniscule detail concerning the hookup and tow of the car, has expressed genuine concern for the current and future welfare of the automobile. Assured that parts of our beloved friend may breathe new life into someone else's wreck, he has in- sisted on an informal tour of the junk yard to view the remains of his father's dreams. Who knows, just for old time's sake, I may take him to the wrecking yard for a peek. He is, afterall, worried about the old gal. Winding way By Dave Sykes DEAR READERS SHIRLEY KELLER In a news story I read the other day. I learned that one bank manager had advised a worried farm couple that one of them should commit suicide and collect on the insurance to save the farm. Pretty drastic measures wouldn't you say? But apparently, that's the kind of pressure some farm husbands and wives are under in these difficult times. And the pressure is manifesting itself in all kinds of problems in their day to day life as you can well imagine. In fact, studies going on in some parts of Ontario - one area is Bruce County just to the north of us - indicate that many farm families are in crisis because of the situation. People are reporting frustration, indecision, anger, depression, hostility, aggression and irrationality. I was a farm wife once ... and it wasn't during any kind of a recession. But I found the pressure of things like uncertainty about the weather, the little surprises of nature and the frightening turns in farm prices were just too much for me to handle. I was glad when we left the farm. Not that I didn't enjoy living on the farm. I did. It's a great life for someone with the stomach for it .... and looking around the countryside, I would say there are a number of farmers in the area who thrive on the challenges of farming and are able to cope and conquer on a routine basis. Still from my own experiences, it is not dif- ficult for me to imagine the tremendous pressure brought on by mounting bills, visiting bill collectors and disintegrating investments. As far as I know, there are no easy answeI'k. Farmers are a proud lot. They don't like han- douts. They much prefer stable prices that are fair to their out-of-pocket expenses. And that's an honourable way to do business. But more than that, perhaps, farming is no longer a place to be if you are not a keen businessman ... and a bit of an entrepreneur to boot. The successful farmers I know are either well established and without debt or they re careful, efficient managers who understand finances, are up-to-date on farm procedures and have a sixth sense about when to get into something ... or out of it. Sadly, 1 think many farmers have discovered to their chagrin that hard work and self-sacrifice just aren't enough these days. What of the future for farmers? I suspect the farmers of the future - the far- mers with the wit and wisdom to survive and succeed - will have a phenomenal responsibility. They will need to know how to grow an abun- dance of healthy, safe food at a price consumers can afford to pay, while still maintaining their profits at a reasonable level and keeping abreast of the technological times. It won't be a job for the faint-hearted. Or the ill-prepared. AS the numbers of farmers grow smaller and smaller, the numbers of persona dependent on the farmers for food will become larger and larger. One wonders sometimes how long it will be before the demand exceeds the supplies - how long before farmers will have the upper hand in the price war. Many years ago when i was covering Huron County Council,) remember listening to a debate about just such an issue. The subject was the tons, with demands that "something be done". One did not have to be very clever to see that all this was going to happen. Spend more than a million dollars on making a short four -lane highway for faster traffic flow and then spend more money to slow that Tlow. Reports from that time remind us that this was one of the arguments I used when i voted against the four -lane creation. Nevetheless, I am not saying "I told you so", because in all fairness - I felt better about the highway job once it was finished. One of my main concerns and fears had been that the widening of the road would mutilate the streetscape, but that did not happen. On the contrary, the area looks tidier and neater, particularly as the wires disappeared underground. The results are aesthetically superior and that is worth the cost. As to the traffic flow - that is another matter! The corner in question was among the main reasons why an overall official traffic study was commissioned last year. On the committee are two elected and two ap- pointed representatives of the council, with three traffic engineers from the Ministry of Transportation and Communiations. Chief King is secretary to the group who works with the consulting firm of Dillon's, hired by the Town. Under regulations, four traffic elements are counted before a recommen- dation is made concerning traffic lights: vehicular through traffic; vehicles from side streets; pedestrian count; accidents over a period of time. The final report with figures and recom- mendations is expected to reach the council in November. It is illogical and unreasonable to suggest that council is sit- ting on the fence by not making a major and expensive traffic decision a month or two before the traffic report is final and can be discussed as a basis for an informed deci- sion. The petitioners' spokesman quoted from a draft of the study still to be finalized by the committee before its presentation to the Council. Whilst there is nothing wrong with earlier drafts being available to the public, disappearance of prime 'farmland for urban development. The fear was there would simply not be enough productive land available to feed the people of the world. I was never frightened by that, for I am con- vinced that man's ingenuity will always make it possible for him to meet his needs. But I do remember the comment of one long- time farmer who sat back in his chair with his two hands gripping the lapels of his suit when he said, "If the farmers of Huron County put into production all the land available to them right today in this county - if they were really serious about getting the most from those lands - we, the farmers of Huron County, could produce more food than anyone would know what to do with." How much more could be accomplished by today's farmers with today's technology? My heart goes out to a man and a woman who have invested everything they have in their farm, and then have to face a bank manager who tells them the only way out of their troubles is for one to commit suicide and collect on the in- surance to save the farm. But I guess my concern would be it would not be enough ... that even if such a sacrifice were made, the farm would still be in jeopardy because the attitudes and the abilities of the farmer himself would not have changed. Farming isn't a way of life anymore. It is a science. It is big business. It is for trained agrologists only with a background in business and a flair for dealing with the unknown. All others may have to bow out. provided that the information is used prudently, the question remains - how was this strangely timed action expected to serve anybody's cause? As some connection with schools was indicated, I would have ex- pected a more businesslike approach from their spokesman. I am not making a case for or against the traffic lights in question. I am simply and most definitely making a case in support of informed and responsible municipal deci- sionmaking. Councillors Carey and Wheeler had made a sensible motion to table the matter until the traffic report is received. The majority of members supported the mo- tion in a businesslike manner. Mayor Palmer's subsequent ruling to uphold the decision expressed equal political maturity. As the Council was father poorly treated without having done anything to deserve it, I regard it as my fair duty to make these observations. Those of us who expect the Council to handle this case in an intelligent manner, have reason to be justified. I just wanted you to know. ELSA HAYDON 1