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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-01-17, Page 4. The County Town Newspaper of. R uron founded to um and published exert' Thursdgy ut Gpderkb. Qntarlo• Member of the..CCNA end' OWNA. aduer$ising rads .Qn voquest, Subas.dpttone payable /,i advance 16.00. In Conde. 1140 tp y S.,A., '3$.001,0 ell other cquetrles,,iingle apples 3¢`. Display odvs;rtlslag. rotes gvglleble on reeeeSt. Please ask for Rate Card No. .9offoctivo Sept. 1, 1979. Second dais mall Registration Number 0711. Advgrtislng Is accepted on the tendltlon that In the event of typographical emelt. theadsortiing space occupied by the erroneous Item, together with reesoliablo allowance for signature. w.11400t be charged fol but the balance of .the advertisement will be paid for et the applicable rate. 7n the event al typographical error advertising goods or services at wrong price. goods or service may not be sold.'Advertising:is merely an offer to soil. and may be withdrawn at time. Tho Slgnol-Star Is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts or photos. J " Business..and Editorial Office TELEPHONE 524-8331 area code 519 Published by •S•igna.l-Star Publishing Ltd. ROBERT G. SHRIER — president and publisher SHIRLEY J. KELLER — editor. bONALO M. HUBICK -'advertising manager :.. Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 220, Industrial Park, Goderich Second class mail registration number — 0716 Hewas an unusual man _. BY SHIRLEY J.KELLER The Rev. G.L. Royal said it best in his eulogy at the funeral on Monday. He.said W.E: (Bill) Elliott was "an unusual man in that he was net usual-". With those few words, Mr. Royal .described the . beloved historian who died peacefully last Friday and left such' a precious legacy to the. whole of Goderich and environs .... volumes and columns about the people who settled this area and the places they built. The stories that Bill Elliott wrote were each a literary masterpiece. They were painstakingly researched to the most miniscule detail, Bill never left, a stone unturned when delving for the truth and the truth was never altered no matter how unsavoury.. His manuscripts were imaginatively 'prepared, cleverly worded and professionally 'presented,always grammatically perfect in a proper and decent fashion. For Bil.l_Elldott was a.stickker.for...deiail.l..a.nddiot:.._. accuracy. He was never satisfied with anything less than perfection, and often . sent red circled corrections to this editor, accompanied by curt remarks desighed"to teach and improve. He loved newspapers and the printed word with his whole heart, and he -dedicated his entire life and being to maintaining the freedom of the press 'that was so dear to him. Even so, he would • never compromise •his 'own personal convictions and beliefs for the press.' Nothing ,bizarre, nothing ,tainted came' from Bill Elliott" typewriter. ' He was a tireless worker, and despite failing eyesight,whieh allowed, him to work only a few 'hours each day on his -stories, Bill Elliott continued to research articles about his hometown until the day he died..There was .so much he wanted to do. Unlike other men and women of advanced years who are c'on'tent to 'sit arid reflect on the past, Bill . Elliott toiled faithfully and- relentlessly for the future. Not his future, but our future. Mr.''Royal said Bill Elliott would often stride past his door like a man with a purpose. That was. ineed Bill Elliott. He was never timid or uncertain in his step. He went full stride at anything he did. He was a man who lived every day, pf his 96 years to the fullest extent, an example and an inspiration for all who knew him. Bill Elliott's friends are of all ages. That's un- derstandable, because Bill Elliott never grew old. His quick wit and sharp insight didn't fadewith the passage of time. He remained alert and interested in everything around him, and he was a favorite friend and conversationalist of many, many younger than himself. Bill Elliott was a gentle man, who delighted in all of nature's loveliness - the flowers, the• birds, t'he sunshine, a 'squirrel. He was a loving husband and father who deserved the respect ,and the love he received from his family in return. He tivas a�quiet man, a private_pers*o `J#etidrrt— tolerate sham and pretence but he appreciated•. sincerity and effort. He expected no .plaudits for himself but he heartily approved of and regularly handed out recognition .,,for; completed ac- complishments in others: He was• truly "an unusual man" in that he.was not usual". He possesed -a pure and complete faith in God and a determination to live that faith which .never flagged through his years as a soldier, as a journalist, as a historian. .Bill--Elliott,---was''happiest• scanning with his magnifying glass the documents so important to his historical features.. His fingers flew as he.,scribbled his notes in shorthand. Then it was a -steady peek -- peck, peck. as he turned those ,notes into'polishe,d. copy on his typewriter., . The Signal -Star joins the community in saying farewell, to Bill Elliott, knowing full well that the thanks and the appreciation' of many grateful people goes with him. That's "430",Bili and God's speed. • No way to make friends There may have been some technical reasons for. Goderich'town council failing to listen directly to the Conklin Lumber representatives before' reaching a•deciSion Monday night ori the'provision of services to a proposed Conklin subdivision in Goderith Township. But such technicalities seem weak at least; especially since Conklin represen- tatives sat through two meetings of town council this month, fully expecting to 6e heard. To be sure, technicalities seldom deter council members in Goderich from much. In this case, ene could claim that the mind of council was "made up" and was "not to be confused with facts". It is surprising that Goderich town council would• vote 8-1 (Elsa Haydon • voted against the motion) Monday evening on a matter without allowing itself the opportunity to have the last minute, up-to-date information on the project right from source Voters" in Goderich have'a right to expect that aside from extending a courtesy to council chamber attenders, the mayor and councillors would have been eager Co learn first hand what Conklin representatives had to say to -council. Surely somebody had some questions ,for the Conklin delegation. If not, surely comments by the -Conklin delegation would have been at worst harmless and 'at besThelpfui. • The truth is that Goderich town councillors'made a decision on the matter strictly from committee .findings. This isn't unusual, of. course. Many decisions are finalized in this manner. But in this case, the decision to move toward'. annexation was not given as the reason for going into committee of the whole. That reason was • clearly a motio4 by Elsa Haydon seconded by Deputy -reeve Allen to extend sanitary sewers and water services to Goderich Township provided certain criteria were meta ' Yet unknown to anyone else in the council chambers, the annexation study was -obviously what was on the minds, of the -committee m.embtrrs when they opted for the closed session. Immediately upon reconvening in open -council, a three-page typewritten joint sub-chrnmitfee report prepared by Deputy -reeve Bob Allen, Reeve Eileen Palmer, Councillor ' Stan Profit, Mayor Harry Worsell and Commissioner of Works Ken Hunter, was presented complete with a recommendation to study annexation of a portion of Goderich Town- ship. 'It ,was that recommendation that had been discussed for about 40.minutes in committee of the whole. • . - Had the Conklin delegation (or Goderich Township representatives to the joint committee for that matter)an inkling that annexation was the • topic, it would have been even more imperative to them that they be given .a chance to speak to''the- :matter,before a final vote was taken. .Th•is newspaper does not take exception at this' timerto the -decision of council. The right or wrong of it isn't•at issue here. • What is disturbing is that council' refused to ex- tend a privilege to the representatives of a cor porate citizen in Goderich..That.'s shoddy behaviour on cou•ncil's part and smacks of municipal snob= hery. It is not something of which citizens here can he ' proud. It isn't something that will endear •Goderich to its rural neighbors. - SJKr Frozen flight Wants hearing aids. by Dave Sykes EDI1DR DEAR -• Ser-vices, -.is. in its.'fourih ..:._ 'and .Mail ..them to: year under the able co- • ordination of Mr. Gordon Canadian International Kerr •a. staff member of Hearing Services, 54* ,Dear Editor,, On several occasions during the past five years I have appealed to your - readers for discarded hearing aids:. The response to my appeals has been richly rewarded as hearing aids poured in from cities and -_ towns ,from coast to coast. I have since retired from the Ontario Ministry of Education but my interest in helping, hearing•.,imparte4 children in the West Indies has not waned. This program, now known as the -Canadian International Hearing -Humber College of Strathburn Boulevard, Applied Arts in Toronto. Weston, Ontario, M9M Gordon, along with Dr. 2K7 __ Donald Hood, an All -contributions will be audiologist, and Mrs. acknowledged . and Nancy Hood, a teacher of receipts will be issued for the deaf, make an annual' all cash donations. pilgr.•iiii age to St. Vincent, Thank you, West Indies, where for `hearing' hearing impaired made ,.on children and adults. have - hearing cell . fitted -with hearing—in ids. • Indies. • 'once again, our appeal behalf of impaired , the West a The time has arrived, for this program to be extended to other West. Indian countries as :the . nejed,tothelp their hearing impaired is equally great. Once again I ask your readers to dig ()tit any old or discarded hea:_ng aids Sincerely, George Mason. ants talent Dear Editor, The Goderich- I~aketown Band has been. having . membership problems lately. We have lost- a.: number. of good.: members. who have left town for further education, and. also a number who have put the band lower bn their priority' lists. _. . It is very concerning because without better support we may not be' able to fulfill.. the customary role in the community. It. would be most gratifying. to see' some - talent from the high school and community at large help . swell the ranks. Won't you please help? ,A summer• . without music is like a summer without sunshine. With thanks • Jim Peters 75 YEARS AGO • Ice 'cutting has not yet commenced and so far but few fish 'have been caught in or near the harbor, though herring have been caught in large • numbers, a few miles south of this port. _• Four robins have been wintering in the,old Platt salt well, property and may be seen almost any day' The contractors for the 'outsidebreakwater have started making cribs and the work on them is performed expeditiously as a steam hoist'is-used to .as and place.the timbers. The C.P.R. contractor has built a trestle track about 20 feet high over Sgaw Island to the point opposite Macdermotts'• steps and rails will soon LOCKING be placed sothat dump cars may run over it. - Mr. E.N. Lewis, M.P. for West Huron, took the oath and his seat in the Commons on Wednesday of last week, he being the twelfth' to sign the roll. .The mammoth two revolution Hod press, Which The Star has talked about for several weeks, was this week erected and installed by Mr. Cal Martin, an expert from the Toronto Type Foundry Company. History was made at the opeing session of Huron ',County Council here on Tuesday af- ternoon when, for the first tine in at least 22 years, a warden was named by acclamation. To Earl Campbell, Reeve of Hay Township, went the unique honor of winning the seat without a vote. A one -mill increase in Huron County's tax rate is indicated in'. the provisional 'estimates for 1955 submitted to Huron County Council here yesterday by County Clerk Treasurer A.H. Erskine. A busy Mime for the Huron County Children's Aid Society 'during 1954 was reported 'to County Council here yesterday by. Mrs'. Mary P. Chaffee, Superintendent of the Society. Grain shipments for export, considered heavy for this time of the year, have been going out of Goderich by C.P.R..,and -. C.N.R. of late, BACK 5 YEARS AG,O A "cherished hope" of Stanley Township Reeve Anson McKinley was realized Tuesday af- ternoon in Goderich as members of Huron County Council selected the vice-president of. McKinley Farms and Hatchery, R.R. 1 Zurich, as. their warden for 1975. McKinley eliminated two' opponents in a vote. before a packed cham- ber. Beginning February 3, Goderich Town Council will be meeting Monday evenings and not Thur- sday evenings as has been the custom for move years than anyone on the present council can remember. Rusty Ormandy of Goerich and . Karen Osborne of Chatham made it two in a row, winning the novice dance competition at the Central Canadian divisiotials figure skating championships Friday in Brandon, Manitoba. The win.gaulifies them for the Canadian Finals to •be held , in Quebec City January 27 to February 1. High winds ac- companied byfispring-like minor damage in and around the Goderich area this week. . The winds, which gusted 'up to 54 miles per' hour, kept Goderich PUC and Public Works employees busy over the weekend with downed power lines and tree branches. DEAR REALE BY SHIRLEY J.KELLER As I sit here `.yping.this column, I have just poured myself a fresh cup of coffee. Coffee seems to -stimulate the thought processesor something ... and I rarely write this column without first going to, the coffee shop here at Signal - Star'. But this is the only place I drink much coffee. At home, and in restaurants, I drink tea. I think tea is my very favorite hot beverage. I'm not alone either. I 'know many people who prefer tea to coffee ... and yet, have you noticed how tea drinkers are penalized for that preference? It's true. When I'm out to dinner in a restaurant for instance, the waitress comes by with a coffee pot almost as soon as I Sit down. She asks politely and with a broad smile, "Coffee?" ' When ' T smile back and answer politely, "No thank you. But I would like some tea please," the friendliness can disappear from her voice and she says, "I'II bring themenus." When I get my tea, it is often at the end 8f the meal and usually after everyon ielse at the -table is on the second -r third} - cup of coffee. And do I get a second pot of tellike the coffee drinkers? Not on your life. If I press for it, the waitress might consider runningsome more hot.water over my weakened tea bag, but if I want a second pot of tea, I'm required to pay for it. Som e establishments advertise a "bottomless coffee pot" but I have yet to run into a eating place offering a bottomless tea pot.. That's di scl-i m ination wouldn't you say ? ' Occasionally f get a chance to eat -at one of those lovely dinners prepared by church women. Even -,there, it never fails that the gals circulate first with the coffee pot ... and when you indicate your preference is,for tea, they have to" go hack for a pot stashed'at the back of the stove or worse yet, they have to make tea ... if they can find the tea hags. And, there's something else that pothers me about getting 'tea in public establishinents. And that is the ap- palling way the tea is made. ' In mostt I k bag is placed ,in a cold pot and hot water from the carafe is poured over it. . Makes a passable cup of tea ... but certainly not the quality most tea drinkers expect. That takes a warmed pot and water that is freshly boiled and , absolutely jumping as it is applied to •the tea. ' In some places though, you get a pdt 'of warm water with a tea bag on�the side. That's the pits as far as I'm concerned. Just the pits. Why is it• that public eating places take such pride in their coffee and will serve anything for tea? And then there's' the vending machines. Now there's something to raise a tea drinker's ire. Vending machine coffee isn't the best in the world,. but you can drink it in most instances. But vending machine ' tea is the worst excuse for the brew of anything I've ever tasted. Self- • respecting tea drinkers wouldn't dream of buying tea" from a vending machine. This fact isevidenced bp -the • fact the hardly any vending' machines offer 'tea . eating aces now, a tea Seems strange that we can put men on the moon and extract oil from the ocean floor but we can='t get a good cup 'of tea from a vending 4, machine.. Wouldn't you....think that someone somewhere - a tea drinker perhaps - would invent some way to get' decent tea out of a mechanical gadget? And there's one thing mord I think deserves to be mentioned, on behalf of tea drinkers everywhere. And that is that while cream and sugar is regularly offered in public places to tea drinkers as well as coffee adiots, rarely is lemon available. , And that's a shame. For some tea grannies, lemon is as important to a good cup of tea as ice cream is to a banana split. Jt seems you have to go outside North America to- get a good cup of tea in a public eating establishment. I'm told they know how to make tea in Japan and in China and in England ,and in Ireland and in Scotland and in Australia and in New..Zealand and in Africa. , - v But seldom in 'Canada?. And almost never in. the -United States•?.lbw that's really,a pity. n r •r.r a•. • s a KGFd fiv.••.._.