The Goderich Signal-Star, 1985-11-13, Page 4Elie SoAdaY* the ;t
e
ot)runt ,talfurite NITA
213t tfob ant ;
1iF
e
I04ll> l?ltdrft li ,'our'
stray f neral a existence end'..
take advantage 9 every o rtwiity.
that., pest;Ino . ear
.? <,
At this moment, X ear the day fiiy four
year-old son is inflicted on the world. Until
that day, I will maintain a measure of
responsibility for his actions. After that, I
absolve myself of all responsibility.
On the weekend, my son seized an
opportunity to have one our frequent talks
about the complexities of life, a draining and
probing exercise that lays bare all my
inadequacies. The kid has the ability to
In aiy: e
u c e life to sire a ',ter'ms, a quality I
reduce Cth,..
suspect is inherent in 11 children, and get
right to the heart of matters.
I know when he's got that I've -got -to -talk -
to -you look on his face"and while I try. to
avoid the probing process, he manages to
yrKs;: so>4
,.
gears ,Iev+rs afn bl�ttons Ivlyas -
e, sktl
or
t � e kid c0i1r
Pouthe en y hewas consumed
the1•4460iribriesof',actuallYdrivaingthis`
big hunk of machinery: "i
11
Op th nki
AT'matter :o► ••100•:rt " d 1 t•
that
t aft, r nurseryschool Ism}, going to goto
f$r�scboolr7r
>,,v a►a�l ll•t sc ootV' 1. ask incredulously as
visions. of mersebooi :d.;bar exam vanish
e before m'ty,eyes.... �..
{
It took most ofthe day to sort j rough h
experience but by 'evening he had Made a -
career decision. He approached as.I read
the daily paper at the kitchen table, hopped
up on the chair on his knees, rested his chin
on his hands and looked in my direction.
• I knew I couldn't escape. As soon as we
made eye contact he began setting me up for
his decision.
"Wel;, yea dad," he says twisting bishead
around. "I • wanted- to be a digger 'diver
before but nowI think I'll just go to forklift
school andiearn to derive a forklift and get a
job. Where do forklift drivers get jobsdad?"
The kid is of the opinigli that. any self-
respecting father would find work operating
heavy machinery. He has difficulty coming.
'lvethefolk ?" he:ask . 1
"No. I write stories and fake slid dev'elo,
pictures .for . newspaper, ". It's r:.'Vgtr
wor ' I o f r .
.fen... .�' ...'
iota" � �
��({ ��rppe�$ f
71:areer.r
,that' all you, do? :he, a skO, > .s
straight face:
"Weil, yea, that's aboLit t; Alh, i et's ;see
there's Other things:lrkel. .ray vo ce trails " )
off intoe umble as T'm Overcome with the.;
fear that on a comparative scale, digger and 3
forklift drivers enjoy, as `rather.flofty-,and
prominent position on• the ranking system, ,/
Journalists: tsuspect were, hard-pressed ,to
evenrnake his'list.
"Just• get through nursery school kid," I
fireback. "Then we'll talk about it.'')
Opinion
THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT
SINCE 1848
the
o
Gderic `°
SIGNAL -STAR
EMT ALL ROUND COMMUNITY NEW IN CANADA
tOrculaeon Class 3500.45001 00 a: a Bever Newspaper Cwnpeaaon 1984
P.O. BOX 220 MUCKINB ST. INDUSTRIAL PARK GODERICH, ONT. N7A 4BS
PUBLISHED BY: SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED
Founded In 1848 end published every Wednesday et OoderIch, Ontario. Member of the CCNA and OCNA.
8u Iptione payable In advance 1120.00, [Senior Citizens 419.00 privilege card number required) In
Canada, 11100.00 to U.S.A., 1190.00 to all other rise, Single aoplee 00C. Olmplay, National end
Classified lining rates available an request. Please ask for Rata Card No. 16 effective October 1,
1885. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising
apace occupied by the Item, together with the ble sliowence for signature, will not be
charged for but that balance of the edvsrtlssment will be paid for at the applicable rats. In the event of a
typographical error advertising godde or services et a wrong price, goods or services mey not be sold.
Advertising Is merely an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. The Signal -Star is not responsible
for the loan or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other meterlale used for reproducing
purpose,.
President and Publisher Editor Advertising Manager
DON HUBICK
ROBERT G. SHRIER DAVE SYKES
FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES...pleeee phone (619)524-2614
Second class
mail registration
number 0716
Member:►CNA
CCNA
History will be the judge
The town of Goderich will have a new council in place, at least elected, and the election .
will have produced a new four -member Public Utility Commission and finalized the town's
representation on the county board of education.
What is interesting to note about an election campaign is that incumbents are often given
the edge because their names are familiar to the majority of people and they have a record,
be it good or bad, to rely on.
New candidates, on the other hand, offer an uncluttered view of municipal government,
void of complacency and the trappings of sameness. Both positions have advantages and
drawbacks.
It is becoming more commonplace to hear about the work of council and the measure of
creditattached to its accomplishments.
Members of council roust realize they become part of a team and must become effective
team players. That is not to discourage or discredit individuality, but, ultimately, it is the
work of council as a whole, as a unit, that counts.
Individual concerns and viewpoints are expressed at the council table and differences of
opinion lead to discussions from different angles, offering alternatives and new
perspectives. Differences of opinion must be respected as much as the decisions of the
municipal body as a whole.
The administration of municipal government is an ongoing process and sometimes it's
difficult, if not impossible, to adequately and accurately assess the effectiveness Of a coun-
cil. The effectiveness of the body will be determined by the individual strengths of the
players. But every council must also live with the efforts of previous councils.
In that respect, the taxpayers of the town of Goderich have fared well. A combination of
egressive councils and astute administrators, has augered well for the town and its
residents. Much has been accomplished in the way of servicing and planning over the past
decade and while the cost of progress is reflected in the tax bill, increases over the past ten
years have been modest.
Taxpayers have had their first look at the three-year term and for the most part it has
worked out well. Council has been reasonably progressive and business -like and much has
been accomplished. While it can be argued that the present council merely administered
what previous councils planned, the same will hold true in another ten years.
Councils must build on the groundwork laid before them and make decisions relevant to
the time. Credit is something that must be equally shared and no doled out in good measure
for mere longevity.
Credit, much like respect, is something that is earned and governments are often left t
the ravages of time. History will respond in kind when warranted.
Council has certainly taken a more business -like approach to its work and many of the
committees of council were disbanded to streamline the operation. That Inas resulted in a
few people handling more work and making more decisions rather than all councillors get-
ting their hands in on several committees and its issues.
('ouncil has sometimes reverted to an old traidition uf closed sessions and while it is a
necessity at times, the frequency of those sessions must be looked at. Council must trust the
public with certain information.
Council can be satisfied with its efforts over the past three years but that is now history,
The decisions made in the next term will have long-term impact in the town f) S.
Andvve:*tll remember'them
wew
.... Y
By Dave, Sykes,
Sugar and Spicy By Bill Smiley_
For years or more, we got along fine with
ordinary storm windows.
Oh, I'll admit they caused a certain
amount of domestic hassle, chiefly because
they were put on too late in the fall, or taken
off too early in the spring, according to the
old lady.
But she was always in a rush to "get
things done." I get them done, eventually.
Never once did i fail to find someone who
would put them on before Christmas.
And they were kind of ugly. And they did
warp. And they did have to be painted. And
it was costing more money every year to get
someone to do the job.
But, ah, what a good feeling I had every
fall when I'd conned some guy with a strong
back to do the job. I wouldn't touch them
with a six-foot pole.
It's a big house, and there were 14 of the
brutes, weighing about 70 pounds each. I
don't mind heights, as long as I'm not
attached to the ground. I've been up to 32,000
feet, all by myself, in a Spitfire, and higher
than that in passenger jets.
But it takes all my nerve to climb a step
ladder and change a bulb in the kitchen,
with my someone holding the ladder.
There was no way I was going to climb 30
feet up a ladder, carrying a 70 pound storm
window, and punch and hammer it into
place.
I always had a vision of a wind catching
the storm broadside when I was halfway up,
and taking me off for a hang-gliding trip.
That actually happened to one chap who
was doing the job one fall. A gust caught him
and he sailed off the ladder, landed on his
feet like a cat, still clutching the window,
and nothing was damaged. He just grinned.
That was Jim Fletcher, a young fellow
who was completely unafraid of work. Made
his living at cleaning floors, windows, etc.
and built up a nice little business, scrubbing
out banks and stores and such at nights.
You don't see too many merchants or
bank managers in there scrubbing their
floors after they've closed, do you? Might do
them good.
Jim used to charge $14 to put on the
storms, which included washing them, and
washing the outside of the regular windows,
storing the screens. It took him a couple of
hours. In the spring, he'd take them off,
wash everything again, store them, for$10.
The price went up steadily after he went to
greener pastures, and the quality of the
workmen went steadily downhill. Some of
the young guys I hired took twice as long and
charged twice as much. Sometimes the
window would stick and they'd leave it with
a one -inch gap around half of it. One bird put
his fist through a storm and bled all over the
place. Another dropped one and glassed half
my front lawn.
Last year, I had a young fellow, newly
started in the cleaning -up of properties,
raking leaves, that sort of thing, I gave him
the job of doing the estate, provided he'd do
the storms.
He looked pretty duaious, but agreed.
Brought his wife around on her day off to
hold the ladder. Well, he got them all, but he
was peagreen and his legs were rubber,
when he'd finished. He swore he'd never do
them again.
But this time it was costing me almost
$100 a year to get the brutes on and off. Not
to mention a great deal of harassment from
the distaff side, and a frantic search for a
putter-onner. Nobody on unemployment
insurance was vaguely interested.
All this, combined with the energy crisis
propaganda, made me cave in,, and we had
aluminum storms put on. I could have paid
$100 ayear for the next 13 years if I'd stuck
with the old wooden ones.
"But look what you'll save on fuel", you
say. That's what they all say. Probably 50
bucks a year. "It will increase the value of
your house", someone else says. Maybe. By
a few hundred.
But it's not the money that bothers me.
You can't take it with you. Seems to me you
can't take a house with you either.
No, it's not the money; it's the stress.
Those windows have to be washed spring
and fall, and maybe a few times between.
According to the brochure, and the dealer,
there's nothing to it. You just tear off the
wooden inside frame, hoist your inside
window, push this, pull that, and the storm
comes in.
You wash it. Then you get out on the ledge,
hanging on by one hand and one foot, 30 feet
off the ground, and clean the outside. After
which , you get back in, you just zip, whip,
slide, lower your inside window, and
hammer back on your now splintered
wooden frame.
My wife used to have a girl who would
come in to help her and they wrestled with
those things, got them stuck, got them in but
not on the rails, and generally found the
whole process like roping a steer.
I don't blame them. I've always had an
aluminum door on my back door, and spring
and fall I nearly rupture myself, swear like
a sailor, threaten to smash the thing with an
axe, and take an hour just to slide the screen
up and let the storm down, or vice versa.
I was always expecting to come home and
find two women, each clutching an
aluminum window, unconscious on my
lawn. Or hanging by one foot from an upper
window, screaming for help.
I feel somewhat like a traveller's friend in
an airport or a railway station, waiting for
the gates to open. Meaningful conversation
is a bit awkward. All the personal things
have been said and the customary wishes
expressed. It is not a good time to get into
the possible consequences of free trade on
the Canadian cultural identity. Yet there
we are, with time left in the uncommitted,
impersonal and busy atmosphere of depar-
tures and arrivals.
I am writing this column facing the still
closed gates of municipal elections, but by
the time it appears in print the votes will be
known. How to occupy oneself while
waiting? For one thing, there is time to take
a closer look at some of the views expressed
last wek, through municipal interviews on
these pages.
Is political rhetoric, in its frequent
disregard for more modest realities, a con-
tributing factor to the collective public
shrug concerning politics in general? Hav-
ing certain goals for community develop-
ment and improvement, can one avoid
becoming a politician in the accepted sense,
It always saddens and baffles me, this
urge of so many politicians to claim credit
for everything, no matter how visibly ar-
tificial and farfetched the occasion. One day
one of them will look at sunrise and claim to
have caused it.
A newcomer might think that until three
years ago when the present (and now outgo-
ing )
utgo-
ing) town council was elected, Goderich was
a wilderness backwater, finally brought into
the modern age by some extraordinary ef-
forts of exceptional talents gathered in the
council chamber.
Goderich has enjoyed a pleasantly steady
progress, each council building on the
endeavors and successes of those it follows
and, with the help of smart administration,
keeping in step with the times and oppor-
tunities.
For municipal purposes, property taxes
go up by a small percentage each year, in
order to keep up with the increased cost of
services, no matter who sits in which chair.
Only a deliberately clumsy and emphatical-
ly incapable council could reverse the local
trend and direction of progressively improv-
ed and enhanced services in the field of
roads, parks, recreational facilities and pro-
grams, and social and cultural needs and
responsibilities. The ball has been rolling
and there is appreciation that the mayor
and the rest of the council have run with it.
Stan Profit is not far out, however, when
he observes in his interview that "what has
happened during the past three years has
been the most comfortable for the council",
because the tough times of other councils
have contributed a great deal towards the
comfort of the passing term. Projects plann-
ed, prepared and set in motion previously
came to fruition during the term when good
work was continued and certain directions
followed.
I am sure that neither Stan nor I wish to
"belittle the passing council's contribution,
only to keep the individual members' minds
and feet on terra firma. Much positive has
been done and can be done; it is not
necessary to grasp at straws.
It is not clear why Mgyor Palmer keeps
including in the list of local municipal
achievements such things as the commer-
cial harbor expansion (federal) or the
Bluewater Centre for young offenders in the
township (provincial) or why she is proud of
the continued and steadily fed rumors about
a major industry wishing to locate in
ELSA HAYDON
Goderich when it is known after all that the
enquiry went out to other area
municipalities at the same time.
With public interest in mind, I have a few
polite and friendly suggestions for the new
council. Firstly, reduce the steadily growing
number of closed -door meetings. Off -hand I
would say that during the ending term there
haveleen more closed meetings and secret
negotiations than in the previous 12 years. It
would be good to have first-hand and com-
plete information on such projects as the an-
nexation of township land and the airport
expansion, both taking a lot of money out of
public coffers.
Secondly, there ought to be a good and fair
review of the present committee system
which was hastily introduced, on Mayor
Palmer's request, at the beginning of the
passing term. It works only for the fire
department (still a separate committee)
and the combined parks and waterfront. It
does not work in other areas. Traffic, pro-
perty and environmental matters have been
bandied about in a most remarkable man-
ner, without the initiative, attention and ac-
tive responsibility these subjects deserve.
Thirdly, there should be no select group of
elected and appointed officials running most
of the show, with or without the council's
blessing. Bring it all back to council, for
open, informed and responsible participa-
tion.
As a member of the public, I welcome the
men and women who have been elected to do
a public job, and I thank all the others for of-
fering their services. Departures and ar-
rivals.
AM