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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1985-11-20, Page 4i1 ef5 t: y.r prr h ;p. ski St' L SaCuurday a ep 4k!5A1 Of d FYYV psychology profesSOr the University, studY>util3, eke ' pact of•telev vi &tal den Sug- gests that children *in Ch "ors�out at Fysp vv?vG4 )(n s7Fow� f+J w��g�'e t�e4 . uccessfulla►t the action, tend tobe, s They are, Dr. Jay Bishop observed, more active in other areas of their lives and in- quisitive at school. Somehow it's difficult to picture Pierre L..i rldeauBrian ot" ' Mulroney demonsbaa..t vely.i crating Mr. Rogers for an obvious feux s;, Did .Frank Miller everr shout obsoenitt< at Mr. Dressup as a chit The evidence would suggest that is the case. However, I could envision Rene Levesque janping up and down in obvious delight as e meWowrk and ye !Ott:404414,MM t a :get r?rloa°, la�o'01a;fl�lst�eedteleviston.laro,' vfllg�row into a mover and a. shaker, e rose* Feasons. Television.js agood babysitter for parents ... who can'the bother to do things for�their children but it obviously is not box mind - numbing, brain cell destroyingiwe hadbelieved it to be. 999, of tele -149 us, . 0: Sfleiselect t� Sd1 ' � I ly sew it wi�c`en em, enetwr: ge to the set and discuss the program why. its over, There's no doubt television has replaced cid ±lieu ti e t t nothing� . . this agent and.wat; ua,g� 'night, *It 'she o like the kid's ~stye. THE NEWS PORT FORGODERICH & DISTRICT SINCE 1848 rhe, _■ c�oaerici, SIGNAL -STAR 7' PEST ALL ROUND COMMUNITY NEWSPAPE 1aCANAAA (CYaua an Class 3500 45001C CMA Bator NewspWM nr Cwn984 P.O. BOX 6@O HUCKIN8 BT. INDUSTRIAL PARK ®ODERICH. ONT. N7A 4B8 PUBLISHED BY: SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED P o•ended In 1848 end published every Wednesday at Ooderloh, Ontario. Member of the CCNA end OCNA. S ubscriptions payable 1n advance 8122.O0. (Senior Citizens 819.00 privilege cord number Camden. Nd] In Caden. 990.00 to U.B.A., 4180.00 to all other countries, Single copies BOC. Olapley,er Classified advertising rates available on request. Please ask for Rate Card No. 18 rffec, ttiv s dobe 1, 1888. Advertising is accepted on the condition that In the event of a typographical space aooupled by the erroneous Item. together with the reasonable shows oe• for loabls rate. t the event of e charged for but that balance of the advertisement will be paid for et the .ppnot en sold. typographical error advertising goods or services at a wrong price, geode or asrvices may for th el s a or damage an of unsoer to licited d manuscll, end may be ripts rph to any or other m to s1-8ter le not ala used for reproducing for the lots ar damepe Advertising Manager DON HUBICK purposes. President and Publisher Editor ROBERT G. SHRIER DAVE SYKES FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES...pleese phone [6191524-E614 Second class mail registration Member: number 0716 PCNA cCALA Young people deserve credit Recently the Signal -Star has published many letters dealing with the subject of teenage drinking. While the letters may have focused on a problem and concern that exists lathe communi- ty, it doesn't tell the whole story about our adolescents. le of the This week the Signal -Star would like to pay deserving tribute to the young people comipunity who have, over the past months, distinguished themselves athletically, academically and musically. In October, the Signal presented a special commencement edition highlighting the academic achievements of GDCI graduates. The entire 12 -page section was devoted to graduates and award and scholarship winners. Also last month, the high school's stage and concert bands and choirs put on an entertain- ing performance during its annual concert. Pictures of those talented musicians were displayed on the Community page. Most recently, GDCI athletes demonstrated the determination and athletic excellence that has been a distinguishing mark of this school. Both football teams won championships. The senior girls won another basketball championship and the juniors reached the final. Excellence isn't measured only in championships, awards and sholarships. But our young people have won their share. Congratulations on a job well done. D.S. The best kept secret by Todd Mowatt Fish stories Sugar and Spice LS your life a cultural wasteland? -Do you do the same old things, talk to the same old people on the same old subjects all the time? Are you scared to take a risk, smile at someone you've never seen before, do something the neighbors will mutter about? Do you want a decent tombstone, not flashy, but dignified? Of course you do. You're a good Canadian. You believe in personal decorum, censorship, the family as a unit, and capital punishment. On the other hand. Do you go for a swim at midnight, sing a song at dawn, smoke marijuana, drink fairly heavily, march in protest parades, live in sin, abhor censorship and capital punishment, and contrive to do something that will offend friends and neighbors? Alcohol. It's the most pervasive odour in a hospital emergency room. It's a significent cause of accidental death. It's a national pastime, associated with sports and leisure ac- tivities. In small towns like Goderich, it's a major problem among teenagers as well as adults. People in small towns suffer twice as many problems with alcohol as the average person in the province. It's also Goderich's best kept secret, according to Norman Giesbrecht of the Addiction Research Foundation. "There's an awful lot of denial of this sort of thing. And as long as it's denied, there won't be much work towards solutions." says Giesbrecht. This denial is the underlying problem making educational programs offered by school teachers, the clergy, counsellors, and newspapers ineffective. It's wrong to focus on teenage drinking when, if every single teenager stopped drinking, we'd still have accidents and pro- blems. Since the majority of people drink, the whole community should be concerned with alcohol abuse. Since the effects of alcohol abuse touch everyone in society, it is everyone's respon- sibility to stop the abuse of alcohol. People think they are invincible when they drink and until everyone believes that the prevention of alcohol abuse is their responsibility too, the death and destruction and waste will continue. it's a cynical comment on our society, but Gerry Conroy of the Addiction Research Foun- dation makes the observation that this week, Addiction Awareness Week "is just another futile attempt to point out the obvious - as a society, we're not going to quit drinking and driving, because we're addicted to cars and booze." S.D. The ballot boxes are back in storage. The nunicipal clerks have dutifully compiled heir new lists of elected persons. Some lame -plates have been replaced. The people lave spoken. What did they say? Across the province, many mayors, reeves and other office holders were ac- claimed. Some of these individuals were . newcomers to local politics. In other cases, whole councils were returned by acclama- tion. In a number of municipalities, there were not enough candidates to start with. Where elections took place, the shortage of interest and commitment was loud and clear. The majority of eligible voters did not bother to go near a polling station. In many municipalities the turnout was anything from 25 to 35 per cent. To vote or not to vote is an individual choice. It appears to me that as we noisily de- mand this democratic system in South Africa, Afghanistan and other distant coun- Of course you do. You're a good Canadian. You believe in individual liberty, acid rain, dirty movies and sexual irresponsibility. It doesn't matter which group you belong to, or whether you're somewhere in between, you all have much in common. You despise the government, but won't elect an alternative, since you despise it even more. You are caught by inflation and high interest rates, whe to kpare a 60- the place you year-old farmer trying going, or a 20 -year-old punk trying to maintain his habit. You are basically anti-American, nthough ifou were asked why, youcould notgiveh answer that was articulate. You feel frustrated, in this land of wood a few rocks, but the ship's bottom is still and water, not to mention nuclear power, sound, and we haven't hit the big reef yet. If because, if you are getting on in years, you we do, we can always scramble into the see everything eroding around you, and if boats, and become the new Boat People of you are short in years, you see nothing but a North America. stone wall between you and your We've had the French-Canadian aspirations / separatism thing with us for generations, You wonder vaguely, if you're old enough, John A. MacDonald almost put the country tries, we are not exactly enthusiastic about its privileges and responsibilities in our own back yard. Although the voter turnout in Goderich was only 45.6 per cent t compared to 61.3 per cent three years ago) the figure is higher than in most municipalities. Some people explain the drop in local interest and par- ticipation by the fact that the mayor, the reeve and the deputy reeve had beets ac- claimed. This theory is not substantiated by the figures in other municipalities where the mayoralty races brought out only 28 to 35 per cent of voters. It was a good sign of interest that there were 12 candidates for the remaining six seats at the council table and that the public utilities and school board representatives could be elected. Such interest and offers to serve are great and these individuals° in- itiative and efforts must be recognized with appreciation and encouragement. Even as what became of the Canadian dream: "The twentieth century belongs to Canada." And if yod read the papers and analyze the news, you realize that, while Canada still has a high standard of living, we are very low on the totem pole when it comes to production, strikes, economic stability, peace, happiness and goodwill toward men. ' If you're very young, you don't give a diddle. There's lots to eat, warm clothes, and the old man will kick in a decent allowance so you can feed the slot machines with their war games. But if you're a young adult, just about ready to launch into "real" life, you're so bewildered about unemployment, and escalating university fees, and the increasing shadow of the computer, and the wealth of choices of a future (all lacking in . security) that you can become so depressed you drop out, or dive into a stream and fight against the current. This isn't a doom and gloom column. It's merely a look at our nation today. It is so rife with suspicion, fear of nothing much, anger over nothing much, that we are becoming paranoid. From the Prime Minister, through the head of the Bank of Canada, right down to your local alderman, you have lost trust, and feel that the ship is heading for the reef with nobody at the helm. This is nonsense, of course. Canada has been going through this miasma ever since 1867, and before. Maybe the guy at the helm is blind -folded, and maybe we have scraped some of them could not reach the positions they sought, they have done more than most people in the community. It is to be hoped that they regard this election as a learning experience and will step forward again next time for public service. Kathleen Leamen is one plucky lady. She had attended council meetings steadily for a year and a half prior to the election. Although she did not make it into office this tirne, the morning after the election she said cheerfully that she will continue this learn- ing process and participation, because she finds the work interesting and the increased awareness and understanding rewarding. The knowledge gained might be useful in three years' time. This is the kind of spirit I admire and we need. Being familiar with the municipal work of Bob Allen and Bob Cornish, I was startled and disappointed when they were not among those elected. Bob Allen's hard work, in- formed interest, initiative and knowledge would have been a great asset on the coun- cil. The loss is ours. Bob Cornish, appointed By Bill Smile on the rocks, financially and politically, but he dared to take a chance, and had vision. We survived a terrible depression, and came out smelling of roses (and the stench of our dead young men ), in two world wars. Cheer up, you dour, gloomy Canucks. When you have to settle for one meal of ground wheat a day, and have to huddle around a charcoal brazier to keep warm, then you can whine, though few willilisten just as few of us listen to the people world who are doing just that, right now. Forget about the Yanks. If you don't like their culture invading us, turn off your TV set and get out your eskimo carvingEl. The Yanks won't invade us physically. Unless they have to, and there's not much we could do about that. If you can't afford your mortgage increase, you were probably over'e tended in the first place. Get ride of that monster, with its swimming pool and rec. room and pitch a tent. Preferably in the local cemetery, to suit your mood. Pull in your belts. Dump that extra car, the boat and the cottage. If you look at it objectively, they're just a big pain in the arm anyway. Walk to work. Take a bus to the city instead of your gas -gobbler plus parking fees. Learn to do your own elementary plumbing and electric work at night school. Ladies. Get the knitting needles out and make lots of shawls, sweaters, scarves and wool socks. You did it for the troops overseas. And godawful itchy and ill fitting some of them were, but they childrenkept us warm. Stop spoiling your with allowances. Let them earn their own money through odd jobs, or do without. Lets stop grumbling, and get back to a spartan, rewarding life, where ideas are more important than physical comfort. After you, he said. LSA HAYDON to fill a council vacancy during the term, had worked his way well into the active knowledge, confident and informed decision-making and independent understanding of municipal affairs. There is no need for these men to feel that the voters' decision was a reflection on their past work. It is just one of these inscrutable things that happen in elections in so many places. One cannot always see clearly what motivates electors when they mark their ballots. Somehow a custom has survived, to con- gratulate the persons who gain office by ac- clamation or receive enough votes for an elected position. I have never felt at ease with this habit, in or out of office, because my perception of the nature of elected representation is different. T do not see that these individuals have "won" anything through the elections. They have been givers a temporary opportunity to work on our behalf, in our sight, with our collective resources and furthering our communal in- terests in many fields. Thus I do not offer congratulations. The best I can do is to clear and.open my mind, to observe with good -will and to speak with fairness. The ball is the same and the rules are known, but a new game is about to begin. The players must have a sporting chance.