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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-02-28, Page 87W • 6 dave sykes l !J I have a new playmate. Last week readers were shocked to learn of the sudden departure of half of the Sykes -Seddon combination that has appeared regularly on this page. Jeff left our office in great haste to, pursue a new and challenging career within the company and I was left without a playmate. To' be honest, I„ believe my partner was developing a nervous tick and at times was prone to a severe •saliva displacement problem (slobbering). While being dragged, kicking and screaming fromthe office, he muttered rather incoherently that he "didn't want to play anymore." The rigors of being a columnist tends to do that to normally sane adults.. lout- neither- - Jeff no -r-- - I----w-ere presumptuous to assume that either one of us was a sane adult. We knew better. And in all modesty, our mish-mashed musings and demented perspective on life achieved a hint of notoriety with the readership. It defied all logic to be sure. Jeff and I go back five years and two months when the Signal -Star beilieved my qualities would blend in with the weekly newspaper. I was vulgar, foul- mouthed, narrow-minded, demented and terribly sick. I was apeefect partner. Working with -Jeff was an experience and fortuneately I am still alive to tell about it. The caricature that•appeared beside his column depicted Seddon in a reclining position, phone to ear and feet up on the desk. My desk, never his. He was afraid of getting' horse droppings on his desk and preferred to prop the cowboy leather on my desk top_It sN' as an ongoing battles During the lighter moments of our employment, 'which was most days of the week,we were easily given to distraction. One of the favorites was closing the editorial room doors and playing a stylized version of basketball with tennis balls and garbage pails. When the token female member of the pulsating newsroom staff refused to join the game, she was generally pelted with tennis balls. It's rude to refuse an invitation. There was also the odd hockey skirmish with miniature stick (we only had one) and the editorial tennis balls. The female member refused to play ,goal despite our insistence. And pounding ourthis light-hearted prose that, readers feasted 'on .weekly was no easy chore. At times i was more labor than fun. The column faces a Tuesday morn jng 10 a.m. deadline and generally by 9.30 we sat facing each other groping for a meagre inspiration. "What the hell you gonna write about?" he would ask. "I don't know got any ideas," was my humble response. Somehow we managed to fill the space but the deadlines took a beating. One of the strangest aspects of our wori1ing relationship Was the fact that people always confused us. That was difficult to comprehend but it happened consistently. My identity was .limited to being the guy at the top of the page with the seagull and I suspect Jeff was recognized in the same way. With his departure I have a new, playmate at the bottom of the page but I face a new problem. I am surrounded by worrien. As I sit in the pulsating newsroom there is one on either side of my desk. It is difficult to determine whether the fact they ignore me is their way of being friendly. • They___ dial _smoke.,play tennis, hockey, talk sports, goof around or adorn their bulletin boards with rude pictures. I think I'm developing this nvous tick, tick, tick.... • Winners in the Grade 4, 5 and 6 category of Legion Branch 109's annual public speaking contest held last Wednesday evening included, left to right, Lori Millian of Colborne Central School who placed second for her speech op Jimmy Skunk, -Mike Howe of Robertson Memorial Public School who placed third for his speech on Blg Brothers; and Mary Michelle Morrissey of 'St. Mary's Separate School who placed , first for her,speech on Shoes. Mary Michelle will advance to the zone level in Clinton on Saturday. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) Winners in the Grade..7 and 8 category of Legion Branch 109's annual public speaking contest held last Wednesday evening included, left to right, Kim Fritzley of Robertson Memorial Public School who placed second with her speech, My Pet Peeves;Chuck Egener of Colborne Central School who placed first with his speech on Nervousness; and Helen Conlon of St. Mary's Separate School who placed third with her speech on Tennis. Chuck will advance to the zone level in Clinton on Saturday. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) the derich� 1 132 YEAR -9 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1980 SECOND SECTION Nervousness, pet peeves and big brothers are the topics of winning speeches Goderich Legion Branch 109 held its an-. nual public speaking contest for elementary - and high school students on Wednesday evening, February 20 at the Legion Hall. Seventeen •students competed in the contest. The • judges were . Pat Kira,Goderich Police Chi` f, Shirley Keller, —Gadarre13---Si•g•n-al St Editor, and 'Madelaine Edward, a former school teacher. Mary . Michelle Morrissey of St. Mary's Separate' School won first place in the Grade 4, 5 and 6 category with her speech on Shoes. Lori Millian of • Colborne Central School was second with her speech, Jimmy, Skunk and `Mike Howe of Robertson Memorial Public School was third with his speech, Big Brothers. Others chosen to speak and represent their schools in' the Grade 4, 5 and 6 category included Robin Wark of Colborne won first place in the spoke on Bringing in Central who spoke on Grade 7 and 8 category Wood and Lisa Baechler Sailing,. Deane Dunne of with his speech • on of Robertson who spoke Victoria Public School • N e r vo-u s -n e -ss . K'i m- on &races- --' - -" who spoke on his Trip.to Fritzley of • Robertson • Paul Murphy of Bob -Lo Island, . Cathy won second place with G.D.C.I. won first place Tallow of St. Mary's who her speech, My Pet in the Grade 9 and 10 spoke on Music, Lori Peeves and Helen Conlon . category with his speech Takalo of Robertson who of St. Mary's won third on Sportsmanship in spoke on Guinea Pigs, -"with• her speech on Sports: Karen Hyde, also and• Christine M,cClin- Tennis. - • . of G.D..C_L, was runner - chez of "Victoria who up with her speech on spoke on My Favorite • Others participating at Tutankhamun. Star Swire-r-rting-Hone - - tl�e-Grade ^� u levet Brand -a-- B itoof Chuck ggener of included: Lisa Argyle of G.D.C.I. won 'first place r^!hi;rne Central School Colborne Central who in the Grade 117-12 and 13 category with her speech on Hypnosis. Mary, Lillian Simpson, also of G.D.C.T ,--was runner-up with her speech on The Circus. First place winners • from. Branch 109 will now advance to compete at • thezone level in Clinton on March 1. From the zone level, speakers 'can - advance to the district, area and provincial levels. Queen Elizabeth students win medals Sue paw 34 Legion Branch 109 held its annual public speaking contest last Wednesday evening. Winners at the high school level included, left to right, Paul Murphy, first place in the Grade 9 and 10 category with his speech on Sportsmanship In Sports; Karen Hyde, runner-up in the Grade 9 and 10 category with her speech on Tutankhamun; Mary Lillian Simpson, runner-up in the Grade 11, 12 and 13 category with her speech on The Circus; and Brenda Bolton, first place In the Grade 1T, 12 and 13 category with her speech on Hypnosis. Paul and Brenda will advance to the zone level In Clinton on Saturday. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) It was a merry and noisy evening as close to 200 beavers, cubs, scouts, rovers, and their fathers got together for the annual Father and Son banquet on Wednesday, February 20. The banquet was held at North Street United Church and was part of Thinking Week celebrations. (photo by Cath Wooden) ntroducing Cath Wooden I've become a consumer. There was a time when I didn't place myself in the same category as the rest of Western society, a time when I owned nothing and owed nothing. I preferred to think of myself as a martyr with a Vision rather than vagrant. • It wasn't long ago when this humble reporter found out that all the good Visions are taken and most martyrs do not die in bed whilst sucking back champagne. And, well heck, what else is there to do but crash through the thin ice of solvency and plunge 'checkbook - first into the freezing water that is the territory of blink managers, credit cards, and monthly statements? I have acquired a car. The bank purchased it for me. I just went in there and told the manager I needed a car . and he paid for it and I don't even have to give him back the money right away. I am allowed to give it to him a little bit at a time, so that I hardly even miss it. • Isn't 'that nifty? I got something for nothing. - On the other hand, I had -to pay out my own money for something that hasn't even happened yet and might not ever. It's called insurance. ¶ un- derstarel people buy this not only for cars, hut. also for houses and, animals and themselves. The insurance lady told me that if I give her some money every six months, she will pay to have my car fix>$d if it gets broken. But if it gets broken for less than $250, I have to fix it myself. In other words, I'm probably getting nothing for something. This freezing water is most in- teresting, and also confusing. I have a sister who is quite professional about getting into debt and not letting it bother her. Perhaps she'll teach me the ropes. Mind you, the water warms up considerably when I slip behind the wheel of my brand new used car. I should be ashamed of myself for deriving so much pleasure from a mere 'thing'. But I confess to having a terrific time cruising around and around The Square, my elbow leaning casually on the door, one hand guiding the steering wheel, and the 'other continually adjusting the radio, the heat, the seat position, and the rear- view mirr"ars. I've washed the little beaut three times. Now I've just -goi, to learn .what makes the sucker run. What I know about cars could be stuffed into the hole • left by an olive pit. When we took it out for a test -run, my dad became slightly exasperated when I informed him my criteria for in- spection included interior and exterior colour, and how well the radio worked. I don't know about any other criteria. A phone call to B.C. had to be placed in order to inform another sister about my new 'wheels'. Let me tell you about this sister. She owns a white, 1972 0 Dodge Charger with a great huge engine, mag wheels, a tape deck, and an upside down breather, whatever that means. (She also has a .tatoo, but that's a different story.) I told her I bought I car, "Awright!" she exclaimed. "What kind?" A relatively simple question. "Blue," I answered proudly. I was told I no longer had a sister and was hung up on. Now she thinks I'm a failure. My sister changes her own oil and boughte set of wrenches with her birthday money. She has no sympathy for a female without a tatoo, let alone one without wrenches. And I don't even know where to pour the oil in my car. Maybe she'll give me a correspondence course. By the way, if one of you out there knows where I can get hold of a pair of giant dice to hang from my rearview mirror, I wish you A let me know. 1