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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-04-02, Page 21dave sykes Inside Rec. department's summer line up ...................... Page 2A Father Moynahan passes away . Page 3A Knox minister studies Judas.....Page 6A Huron milk producers hold annual meeting...... ....... Page 7A Captain Comet .. . ........... Page 10A I've got .to do something. My problem is of no great con- sequence but from my own point of view there is a great urgency in finding a solution. The problem is my body. Not that I digake it or anything but at the moment it's the wrong size. I am definitely not a fashion - conscious type of guy but rather have a penchant for wearing whatever feels good regardless of looks. So I am not exactly a trend setter. And buying clothes is more of a chore than a pleasure so I often avoid shopping for years, limiting my wardrobe to whatever comes rny',Stay at Christmas and birthdays in the form of gifts. It's cheaper right? • But in following that fashion philosophy, inevitably you reacha point where the wardrobe is limited to old socks and underwear. And management took a dim view of the underwear -socks apparel in the office Ernie Little, 80, of Goderich has had these second hand skates for 45 years and he's not about to hang themlup yet. After skating for 76 consecutive years, it's pretty hard to quit. Ernie could be seen just last Thursday making his rounds at the rink during the public skating hour. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) 40.4 00 nay insistence that it would look get .ith a tie and the right pair -,of Shaw.>. So oil the weekend I was forced into a shopp;%ng excursion, which I detest, but nontheless I took' an optimistic ap- proach and entertained visions of buying some really swell clothes. In fact, it wouldn't have been sur- prisi.r g if fashion magazines or even Simpsons and Eatons offered a hefty sum demanding that I appear on the pages of their catalogues. Not so. To clothing store sales people I am probably a most difficult customer. Not that my manner is brash or unpleasant but rather, they don't make clothes to fit mybod. As difficult as that may be to .believe the problem does exist. Shirts that fit around the collar and shoulders have enough chest room for me to invite a friend in to button up. To get a good fit I have to gather up the eXcess, material and staple it under my armpits. Pants have now become a source of the dench 132 YEAR -19 concern for this scribe as well. My regular size was too tight andthe helpful sales girl sugge5l d I try a larger size. They were, naturally, too large and I enlisted the aid of four employees to hold them up while I scanned the product, front and back, in the mirror. The whole process was discon- certing, especially when I emerged from the dressing room and found the entire store's staff gathered for -a first hand look. They were snickering and laughing and my sales girl said: "I told you it was worth a look." Naturally, since one size was too small and the other too large, I asked the sales girl for the inbetween size which, I thought, would be a perfect fit. "Sorry," she said. "Nobody makes a size like that. Nobody ever asks for it." "What the hell do you mean nobody makes it or asks for it," I yelled. "surely. there are other people with my build who buy pants. 0 shoUl, just buy dressy longun Ierwearr "I'm sure we Gould alter a pair for you sir," she offered kindly. "We Itave staff here that could do wonders and in your case I'm sure they could come close." Close. That's the story of my life and after a day .of shopping I was close to stuffing several sales persons into the bargain bin head -first. Yet, despite the difficulties, I made several purchases leaving a trail of salespeople, doubled over in fits of laughter, in my wake. Now, however, I am anxious to model the newly purchased clothing articles bit again, I am fearful of ridicule. -. So if you see me in the new duds try to overlook the staples, elastics, belts, suspenders, gathers, darts, pleats, fasteners and zippers and just say; Great looking threads. To get a fit I will either have to put on weight '(impossible) or go on a diet. impwwwisimummem, SIGNAL -ST, Still skating at 81 Ernie BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Learning to ice skate is like learning to ride a bicycle. Once you do learn, you never forget. Ernie Little of Goderich... is .proef.of this.. He will be 81 years old in June and he still hasn't hung up his blades..•In fact, you could see him skating : around-; - at the Goderich arena just last WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 1980 SECOND SECTION asn't hung them up week. It was his first time on skates this year but last year he was quite a regular at the rink. Ernie has been skating for 76 consecutive years now, having learned at age four on "spring Skates". Those were the kind of skates that you strapped onto your shoes, he explains: At age 75 he skated on a • pair •of 15 year-old• wooden skates which he still owns. The skates he •uses today are, only 45 years old but' they are second hand. He lost his pair before, them in a house fire and bought his present pair at a "hawk shop" in London: • Ernie says he used to. do "lots of tricks on skates" and has won "lots of prizes" but what 60 always liked doing International pen pals.. finally meet after 15 years BY JOANNE BUCHANAN After 15 years of corresponding, Gail Currie of Goderich met her pen pal, Kitty Zim- merman of Germany, on the weekend. Gail and Kitty, who is Japanese, began corresponding as teenagers through Pen Pals International. Kitty lived in Tokyo at the time and she had another pen pal as well. His name was Werner Zimmermann and he was a steward for Lufthansa, a German airline. On a stop over in Tokyo, he went to:. visit Kitty and later they were married. They now live in, Frankfurt with their two children, a boy who is seven and girl who is five., Werner is still a steward with Lufthansa and while on a stop over in Toronto in January, he drove to Goderich to visit his wife's pen pal, Gail and her husband Doug. -The Zimmermann family is now on a three week vacation, most of which they will spend in Santa Monica, California. But - they came to Goderich for the weekend so the two pen pals could meet one another in person. - It was a happy meeting too. Both women had recent pictures of one another. . "We both just sort of stared at each other for awhile," says Gail when recalling the meeting at Toronto International airport on Friday evening. During their 15 years "acquaintance", there has never'. been a lull in letter writing between Gail and Kitty. Both years but parcels, photographs and post cards as well. Once Gail'' received a'post card from Kitty in Florida. She said it was kind of funny how Kitty' had managed to get to Florida all the way from Germany and she herself had never even managed to get there from Canada. "Kitty is a good artist and she sends me, pic- tures she has drawn too,- adds Gail. Both women admit they'. love writing and receiving letters. Gail has another pen pal in New Zealand and Kitty has two more in Norway. The weekend went much too fast for the pen pals. The time was spent talking and touring women eorrt+nu�d�vriti-ng' -around Goderich. It was to each other even after Kitty's first trip to they had become busy Canada. wives and mothers. One • The Curries hope to of Gail's four children is visit the Zimmermans in only nine days older than Germany in about three one of Kitty's children. years ' time. Meanwhile The two pen pals ha've Gail and Kitty will sent not only letters to continue corresponding one another over the across the miles. best on a pair of skates .Seaforth Beavers in J932; wasplaying hockey. for the Sarnia .Sailors' in "I played hockey for 1943; and for . the many years and I don't Goderich Industrial feel right on skates now League in 1949-50. The unless I have• a hockey official end to his hockey stick in 'my. hand," he career came at the age of says. 75 (move over Gordie Ernie played hockey Howe) at the Bayfield for the Clinton Inter- Arena when he played mediates in .1916; for the hockey with his grand - Clinton" Colts in 1928; for" son's team. the Winthrop Orioles .in' 1930-31 when they won the Ernie has. skated in all MacMillen Cup; for the four arenas in Clinton and in both of Goderich's arenas. His wife is his most faithful fan. Although she doesn't' skate herself, she watches her husband make his rounds and helps him tighten his skates in preparation. Ernie Little certainly is proof that you're never too old to enjoy ice skating. Gail Currie of Goderlch met her pen pal, Kitty Zimmermann of Germany, on the weekend after 15 years of corresponding. The two women began writing to one another as teenagers when Kitty lived In Tokyo. Kitty later married her German pen pal and now lives with him and their two children in Frankfurt. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) Cath Wooden New Wave has rolled in and"caught me in its undertow. It didn't exactly roll in. My 14 -year-, old, guitar -playing, T -shirt -wearing brother carried it in under his arm in the form of a record. Before I recall this experience, I must explain that my feet were still dry at the time. I' knew that New Wave was a form of music which served to remind me that I am growing older and becoming las tolerant. It conjurred up words in my mind like punk, safety pin, vicious, rotten, vaseline. I also understood that this new kind of entertainment didn't involve the kind of singing and instrument playing that I grew up with. Well, I learned the truth. We were lounging about the living room sucking back Dr. Pepper and eating oatmeal cookies when my unquiet d.heu me jf I wanted to hear his newest record. "Will it hurt my•ears?" "Nah. It's decent." "Is it punk?".._ - He looked 'a't me, pain etching his face. "Punk is gross," he announced. "It happens to be New Wave and it is also Number3 in Britain." The song he played was by a group called the Flying Lizards. It went like this: The hest things in life are free but you cdn give them to the birds and bees I want money That's what I want I want money The female' singing spoke the song. The background sounds were created by someone throwing various musical instruments at a toy piano. Your love gives me such a thrill but your love won't pay the bills I want money "Neat, huh?" shouted my brother over the din. "It only cost about 200 bucks to record." "Play it again!" I cried. Money doesn't get everything it's true but what it doesn't get I can't use . I want money 1 That's what I want I want lot's of money Give Me your money "Play it again!" "Jeez, even I don't like it that much." Little did he know 1 was on the verge of a Great Insight. I was realizing that I was right in assuming that New Wave doesn't involve singing and instument playing. What it involves is the subject of that song. Money. 1 thought, why can't I get involved too?. The fact that I can't sing or play an instrument has finally become an advantage to me. I am working on some lyrics and soon I will record them and become very very rich. Then I will dye my hair green and stand on the stage and tell the spectators they are ugly after paying $34 to see me. Here is a sample of my lyrics: When I die I want a bright pink tom- bstone that will say, 'She's dead because men in white coats took away her Aunt Frieda and that is why she grew up and smoked manure' And on the other side I want a great big dollar sign! I think it is very good stuff. The background will be the 'sounds made by a chimpanzee playing electric harp and my group's name will be Simplex Evolution. '