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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-05-21, Page 4I ;w 11I04 SXCy144.14-$''T44AR, WEPNgSD4Yn MAY ;! 1989 A: CNA BLUE RIBBON AWARD Second class mail registration. number -0716 4,1 .$11;0.1844 a q4 THE. NEWS PORT FQR GODERICH & DISTRICT 401,1ndRd,ip'.11fSltSind pabUshed every Wednesday et Goderich. Ontario. member of the CCN* and OWN*. Meer- tlalap rates on request. Subscriptions payable inadvanca •1H.Op in Canada, '35.00 to U.S.A.. '35.00 to all other conn. tries, single, copies 35". Display advertising rates available on request. please ask for Rote Cord lie. 10 effective Sepf.il. t txt. Second class mall Registration Numberf171i..Advertlaing is accepted on the condition that In the avant of typographical error. the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged far but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. in the front of: a typographical error advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or service may not be sold. Advertising Is merely an offer to sell, andmay be withdrawn at any time. The Signal -Star Is not responsible for the loss or dgmoge of unsolicited manuscripts. photos or other materials used for reproducing purposes. PUBLISHED BY: SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED ROBERT G. SHRIER - President and Publisher SHIRLEY J. KELLER - Editor DONALD M. HUBICK - Advertising Manager DAVID SYKES - Assistant Editor P.O. BOX 220, HUCKINS ST. INDUSTRIAL PARK GODERICH N7A 4B6 FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES please phone (519) 524-8331 Tomorrow should be better It was certainly hands- in friendship across the border between the United States and Canada when the students of Western High School in Bay City, Michigan,,,visited Goderich and area last weekend to play several band concerts. Anyone who was in the audience at Goderich District Collegiate Institute Friday evening must have been deeply stirred as just under 100 smiling and wonderfully warm youngsters from the USA performed 0 Canada with a depth of feeling that defied explanation. This was followed by The Star Spangled Banner and an exciting program of marches, big show tunes, old . melodies, new musical compositions, familiar favorites and not -so -well-known scores and arrangements. The show delighted not only the ear but the eye as well. Travelling with the band was a group of pretty girls in sparkling costumes - the Westernettes and the Varsity and Junior Varsity Majorettes e They went through all manner of precision drills. and dance -like contortions, leaving the large crowd ooing and aahing throughout the evening. But the biggest thrill of all was the feeling of genuine goodwill and caring that permeated .the room. There were no strangers there, no aliens. Brotherhood is an overworked word between Bay City, Michigan and Goderich, but it was in, around and through the men, women and children from both countries who were assembled in that gym- nasium last Friday evening. What an experience? What a pleasure? What a privilege? One comment on the way out was this: "Maybe there's some hope for the world after all." Yes sir, maybe there's hope indeed. Maybe there's always hope when people take Vie time and the effort to, get to know one another, teshare with one another and to accept one another for what they are. Maybe there's always hope when young people are raised in a community where there's more than sanitary sewers and organized recreation and daily school classes and fresh air. And .maybe the true key to unity rests solely in this grassroots community approach which demonstrates so clearly and beautifully that tomorrow will be better if the emphasis is on today. -SJK Trustees rekindle flame The recent action of the Huron County Board of Education trustees to each take a $600 per annum cut in pay is a welcome first for the area. More than that, it will surely renew hope in the breast of Huron County taxpayers that 'there is 'still something valuable about the system which allows voters to select representatives who are not only ready to serve but are personally committed to the cause of providing the best education possible at the most reasonable cost. There are mixed feelings aroundthe county about the decision the trustees made to take less in their pay packets this year. The Wingham Advance -Times editorial last week, for instance, pointed up that the voluntary cutback was "an act of good faith" by board -members who were not really overpaid at all.. The editorial said, " Committee and full board sessions are long and arduous. Some members.pf the.b.oard must drive 50 or 60 miles to attend meetings in., Clinton 'and return to their homes, often late at night." There are other opinions that trustees were in- deed, overpaid. That opinion was expressed quite adamantly by Goderich's own representative Dave Gower who claims that Huron County board of education trustees don't work nearly as hard as municipal councillors: • Undoubtedly Gower was referring to the "between meeting grind" which most interested and aggressive Goderich town councillors, for instance, maintain week in and week out. Having been on both sides of the fence, Gower is in a perfect position to judge. Still others have the opinion that the token dollars saved by the dedicated trustees is just a drop in the proverbial bucket. The real money is to be saved, these people feel, but cutting administrative salaries and, heaven forbid, some teachers' salaries. No matter hew -hard one tries to justify public purse salaries in Huron County which are in excess of $35,000 per annum, it just won't wash with the majority of taxpayers here who continue to feel gouged. And finally, here and there throughout the county there are those Who say board trustees were simply grandstanding - making a poignant pitch to pacify the people who.are,going to have to make up a 14.65 percent increase in education taxes this year. Translated into dollars and cents, that's a whopping. $2,000,000 More across the county. To be truthful, there may be a bit of justifiable concern in every camp. The spending of the Huron County Board of Education is a complex accounting that baffles al but the most informed. In fact, some educators and administrators admit that education funding is a horrendous maze of grants and ad- justments and chargebacks and book entries and holding treasuries that absolutely defy easy public understanding. For that reason, Huron County citizens shy away from school board business. They feel like out- siders; they' act disinterested; and they remain unconvinced that there is not another, less wasteful and more economical way. For the large part of the time, that's the way administrators and trustees and even teachers like it. There's far less hassle that way. But every so often, it is to everyone's benefit to catch the imagination of the taxpayers in Huron County. And each time that becomes necessary, it is .more and more difficult to get a positive, united and constructive response. No one involved for any length of time with, the Huron County Board of Education should be surprised at that turn of events. In this case, though, the county trustees took a step which deserves a little more faith on the part of ratepayers in Huron County. Inthis case, the trustees have made what could be a small begin- ning on the long road back to some much needed mutual agreement between the schools and the people. There hasn't been much of that in the last decade in Huron County. It's high time somebody made some effort to rekindle the flame of trust which is the, only thing that will cauterize the old wounds and mke way for lasting healing. - SJK DEAR" READER Spouting off by Dave Sykes Says winter sidewalks are too dangerous Dear Editor, .. Re headline "SALT SPREAD FREELY HERE", Goderich Signal -Star, May 14, 1980, first page. From the first paragraph this writer submits that Council's assumption imposes misjudgment and hints of brain -washing or propaganda; Otherwise, why didn't they essay this claim when snow and ice were copiously all around, affording Council and everyone else a' more accurate assessment? When snow and ice are Countrymen? Dear Editor,, May I enquire, via your page, of the names and addresses of any Viet- namese or other South- west Asian families who have come to this area. We now have Mr. Lam Long and his family living in' Seaforth, and we thought it would be nice for them to get to know others of their culture. Perhaps they could have a, get-together in the not too distant future: I can be reached at General Delivery, Egmondville, Ont. NOK 1W0. Grace Hussey nowhere to be seen is hardly sophisticated timing. Respectfully, it is suggested that most off the town's Council drive cars, etc. everywhere, (likewise non - Councillors), even short distances of only two or three blocks. Therefore, they are not cognizant of the frequent very dangerous conditions of the icy sidewalks in town, which many pedestrian voters and taxpayers, are forced to use. The roadways are usually promptly cleared and protected for vehicle traffic. Not so the sidewalks, or, crossing - places for walkers where icy snow is piled up and hazardous to walkers endeavoring to climb over them. Many times this past winter, snow became perilous ice for several days before sand or salt was scattered ' on sidewalks; recalling such as Victoria Street, when snowy footprints' became slippery hills -and -valleys of ice, forcing pedestrians to shuffle along extremely carefully, with or without any support, guarded solely by wishful, silent prayers. Not in the past five winters have . Goderich sidewalks had proper winter -safety attention. All that's needed for corroboration, apart from patients attended by private professionals, is to consult the hospital(s) records to learn something about the number of spinal ver- tebrae injuries, hips, elbows, arms, wrists, legs, ankles, broken bones or sprains from tails on icy spots, even from sidewalks in front of Turn to page 5 • Adult -icy. skating -would be nice Dear Editor; First, I have wanted to write an ode to Goderich since moving here in July of 1974 but this must suffice. After being Stratford natives and lifelong residents it was hard to leave but now our family feels very happy in this friendly, well kept town. It is pleasant to walk or bicycle its quiet, well treed -streets and con= template the earlier occupants of Goderich's Historic Homes. One thing we miss 'is adult (only) skating to contemporary organ music, Tuesday and Saturday nights in winter. Some good local Thanks to donors Dear Editor, The Red Cross Cam- paign for Goderich District is now at a close, $3,707.64 having been raised. Through the medium of your newspaper, we would like to thank everyone who has con- tributed to the success of this campaign. Included are -the 'captains, the canvassers and par- ticularly the people of Goderich and district who gave generously in support of the Red Cross. Quite frequently, during the campaign, the numerous canvasses that are taking place in Goderich and district were mentioned. Perhaps it is time once again to broach the subject of a United Appeal to the various charitable organizations. Sincerely, Betty Garland, Chairman, Goderich District Red Cross Campaign. Sponsored by Maple Leaf Chapter, I.O.D.E. skaters drive to Stratford and Mitchell but it is a long way on cold wintry nights. There seems to be a full schedule of young arena users and their fans. I appreciate the free time for moms and tots bi- weekly but Sunday af- ternoon family skate was noise and confusion. There must be working and retired adults who once enjoyed skating who would enjoy this exercise of their' hearts, lungs and circulatory systems. This could be paced, rhythmic motion, uninterrupted by darting, falling youngsters. Some suitable taped music could be used. My husband and I would be happy to pay for the privilege of skating weekly or bi-monthly as a pleasant way to fitness. Perhaps this could be considered by the Director of Recreation, Jim Moore, his staff and committee members when scheduling next winter's ice time. Sincerely, G.R. Maguire Your help is badly needed Dear Editor, An Open letter to: All -'local service clubs, sporting organizations, community groups, businesses: As you probably already know, Goderich is planning ' quite' an extensive CANADA WEEK CELEBRATION this summer on Satur- day, June 28 and Sunday, June 29. It w'll involve several service- clubs and organizations within our community, and a dozen or more separate events, ranging *;from a giant air show at Sky ' Harbour Airport to a blue -grass type music festival at Harbour Park, plus a sailing regatta, •fireworks display, bike tour, dance, band concert, and beef barbecue on Sunday afternoon, a parade! It is with reference to the later that we, as part of the Canada Week Committee of the Goderich Tourist Com- mittee, would like your support. With the exception of the annual Santa Claus Parade, Goderich has not had a parade since the gigantic Sesquicentennial parade in 1977. Your Tourist. Committee believes that a parade would add another dimension to the celebrations for that weekend and, if suc- cessful, could become an annual event. The parade is to have as its themes the following two ideas: "Friendship Days: Helping Our Neighbours" and "Founder's Day: Then and Now". Floats would be welcome, using either of these themes, and prizes and trophies willbe awarded in several categories. What we need now, in order for the parade to become a reality, are entries from varies service clubs, community groups, and businesses. Will, -you take part in our celebrations, and enter a float? We have lots of ideas, and would be willing to make suggestions, if you would give us a call. The parade is slated for 2 p.m., Sunday, June 29, with marshalling to take place at the arena. Registration forms, whichcan be found „elsewhere in this paper, should be mailed to The Goderich Tourist Com- mittee, 59 Victoria Street Goderich. D.R. Bundy and P. King, Parade Organizers, Goderich -How you deal with your stress makes big difference BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER Do you realize that if people could learn to deal more effectively with the stress in their lives, mankind could prevent from 50 to 80 percent of' all disease? That's pretty heady stuff isn't it? Maybe you, like me, just can't quite understand how that could possibly be? But wait a minute. Think it over. It doesn't matter whether you are a housewife or..a doctor, a secretary or a teacher, a student or a tiny tot, stress is present in your life. It has to be. Specialists say that the total absence of stress of death. Stress is the stuff that wears and tears on the body .... I think of it as something like waves lapping the lakeshore. The action is always there ... and if the waves stop, the lake goes stagnant and dries up. Then there are stressors .... things that cause a variation in the waves. That's right, you could say the wind is a stressor. If you get too much wind you get a storm on the lake that can sink ships and cause all manner of destruction. In a human life, though, the stressor can be just about anything. It can be a new exciting experience or an old one that has grown commonplace. It can be a sad happening .... or a joyous thing. It can he a busy day ... or a do=nothing evening. They are all stressors that result in some kind of action on the body. It follows then, that the right amount of stress isnecessary and good. But how do you tell what's your ideal stress level? And what happens if you are over -stressed ..,. or under -stressed. Everybody's ideal stress— load is different, of course. A very simplistic rule of thumb, I suppose, would be to say that if you are getting too little stress, you'll be. bored, If you are getting too much stress, you'll be frantic. Somewhere in between boredom and frenzy is your normal. Sound interesting? Some people wonder how a housewife, at home alone all day with husband and children out of the house from nine to five could possibly be stressed. What in the world would cause a housewife to take up drinking to calm her nerves? Well, I'm no expert on stress, but from the little I learned at a seminar on Stress in the Workplace held last Wedrl'esday at Bluewater Centre, I know that if a person is caught in a job which to the individual feels endless and without a sense of completion, stress can be the result. If you ask me, that kind of stress is worse than,the stress of a busy office with angry and demanding people in and out all day. At least at the office when the day is done, you can home feeling you met the needs of people while at the same time accomplishing some things 'that were new, different and challenging. And how can a small child suffer from stress when all he does all day is play in the yard? Maybe if you were living in constant fear of getting your behind spanked for stepping out of line, you'd feel a little bit of stress too. And it might be intolerable stress if you really didn't understand where the line was. What about the senior citizen who has a regular income, a quiet life in a comfortable home and a fairly healthy body with which to enjoy it all? Could be the stressor is loneliness for children who are too busy to visit or to write or to telephone more than twice a year. See how stress can make people sick? See how it can cause headaches and nausea, stomach ulcers and bowel irregularity, loss 'of appetite and mental anguish? See how more serious illnesses can grow out of• stress that isn't properly controlled? And see how it can cost millions of dollars to treat the diseases brought on by unmanaged stress? This column is too short too deal with the answers. Perhaps life itself it too brief to get down to the nitty-gritty of a solution ,for every stressor. Maybe we'll never be able to understand precisely those things that over -stress or under -stress us., personally. But this much I know. Each human being is under some measure of stress every minute of every day. How much stress he feels and how he deals with it will determine how healthy he stays and how long he lives. It's just that important. 7