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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-02-19, Page 4PAGE 4 —GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19,1986 Hucksters, and those that pretend ° to possess a refined knowledge of the garne of amateur hockey will continue to inflict fables on the less pretentious about the state of hockey in this town. Junior hockey arrived back on this pond for the first time in many a year and post mortems on the fate and state of the Junior C Sailors would have been considered less than kind even if the words had tumbled out of the mouth of Harold Ballard, The last time Ballard's team laid claim to Lord Stanley's silver prize was about the time Goderich was an active entry in what must have been a rather robust and talent - laden Junior B league. The hot stove lounge . at the local ice palace on game nights is rife with tarnished and embellished memories of those junior days in Goderich when the guys from the Big Six teams in the NHL held the wallet open for their junior affiliates. That spon- �AvE SYKES elm sorship meant a great deal to the teams and talent could be scouted and secured with the right connections. Hockey aficionados will convince you that in the days of the Junior B team, the hockey Opinion was worth watt ing and the players knew fu11 well that inspirational play could buy their ticket out of this joint and lead to the NHL. Reminiscing fans can recall the fiesty ef- forts of players like Gary Doak, Larry Jef- frey, Bob Leduc,. Dennis Williamson, Bill Gallow and a host of others who have moved on or settled in this picturesque town. In retrospect, our sporting heroes, whether they be local junior players or pro- fessionals, and their exploits are magnified in time. We tend to remember the good plays, the quick -paced games and ex- cellence in the face of adversity. Mediocri- ty, if it indeed existed, tends to get blurred and faded with time. The local Junior C Sailors will have to live in. the shadow of those memories for a long time and the comparison may always exist. But this town's foray back into the battles of illilinr hnek' ' is on diff,'rwnt 1 'rrtic thic time. There is no sponsorship, .there is no working relationship between the team and its junior D gounterpart in Clinton or even with the minor hockey aystein. The team struggled this year and while its play more often than not reflected that of a first-year team, there were also indications that hard work and determination could translate into some fine spectator hockey. It cannot, to be fair, be compared to the fine Junior B teams that competed in Goderich and fed the teams up the ladder with some solid talent. The Goderich Sailors dropped out of the playoffs i three straight games but in their only home playoff game they extended the ,Port Elgin Bears to double overtime before losing 7-6. They, deserved better in that. game but more importantly their effort salvaged something out of a testing ground year. I only witnessed six or eight junior games this season but last week's playoff game was one of the better encounters offered at the arena in recent years. Hopefully, the players learned that effort, and hard work produces results. The many fans in atten- dance weren't disappointed and got good value for their attendance buck. The game should have fueled the -prospect of better hockey in the years to come. The Sailors didn't produce a "win" for their un- tiring effoiks last week but they gained some respect in the process and that, perhaps, is more important in this case. It,'s tough to corral Gthe enthusiasm of youth into gainful expenditure of energy when their more intent on impressing a �oung lady at the rink. Just ask coaches Ron Sbwerby and Dan Duncan. There were some junior sparks flying again in town, just maybe they can be fann- ed into a flame again. • THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT SINCE 1848 o the eric i - SIGNAL-STAH P.O. BOX 220 HUCKIN$ ST. .INDUSTRIAL PARK GODERICH, ONT. N7A 486 -EBT ALL POUND COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IN CANAcIA prnauun Cine+ 3500 450010 0 ". 1 Bette, NnwsIn0 ' Cunveut•on 1984 PUBLISHED BY SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED Founded In 1848 end published every Wednesday at Goderich, Onterlo. Member of the CCNA and OCNA. Subscriptions payable in advance $29.00, (Senior Citizens 619.00 privilege card number required] in Canada, 660.00 to U.S.A., 660.00 to 'all other countries, Single copies BOC. [Healey, National and Clconified adv srtising5rataa,evailable on request. Please ask for Rate Card No. 16 effective October 1, 1985. Advertising le accepted on the condition that In the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous Item, together with the reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for bus that balance of the advertisement will be paid for et the applicable rete. In the avant of a typographical error advertising goods or services at wrong price, goods or /services may not ba sold. • Advertlaing is merely en offer to Bell, end may be withdrawn et any time. The Signal -Star is not reaponelble for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproducing purpoaea. General Manager SHIRLEY J. K.ELLER • Editor DAVE SYKES Advertising Manager DON HUBICK FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES...Please phone [519)524-2614 Second class mail registration number 0716 Member: 4PCNA CCNA Getting hosed at the pumps What will it take before Canadians get a break at the gasoline pumps'? It took, a lot of drill -type questioning from the opposition before Federal Energy Minister Pat Carney would concede that the world 'price for. crude oil had dropped sharply. (!aruey says consumers will have to wait several months for the cheaper oil to work itself into the system before they see lower prices at the pumps. World crude oil prices have declined by nearly 30 per cent over the, last 12 months, but the price of gasoline has failed to come down. How long must we wait? • Dennis Baxter, manager of media services for Imperial Oil 141., says Imperial's prices at the pump in ttwo or three months depend on their supply of crude oil at the time. He said a fluctuating world price does not always affect Canada's prices in short term. So when' does , it leave the consumer? Last week, Energy Minister Carney turned down a request by. NDP leader Ed Broadbent which called for the governfiient to demand that federally -owned Petro Canada !ewer its 'prices. No can do, the minister replied. It seems the minister feels it,would be bad business for the government to dict ate pricing policies to teh crown -owned company. It's also bad business to pump the consumers' wallets dry. It's time to let the consumer benefit from a decrease in the cyst of world oil. The federal government is getting its fair share of taxesfrom the high price of gasoline, ih one year, federal taxes on gasoline have rise 58 per cent while gasoline taxes in the United States stayed the same. Town rewards employees This time of year, municipal fare tends to be dollar oriented as the council and its commit- tees and boards prepare budgets for the calendar year. It. also' marks. the time of year when council and the employees of the corporation line up for pay increases. - Pay increases can sometimes appear to be the most ambiguous and unfair practice known to man. Every working person firmly believes that their work is worthy of a meritorious increase. Every working person believes that what he or she docs is a vital cog in the organizational link. We all think we are deserving of more than we recievc, It's a natural tendency. And it's natural to be suspect when others receive increases in ex- cess of our own. Town employees received four per cent increases across the board for the 1986 calendar year but the town also gave employees the opportunity to plead their case for a merit orious increase which some people were allotted. . Municipal and government employees' wages and salaries are a matter of public record in view of the fact that, the average taxpayer contributes to every wage and salary. Those employees have to live with that. However, judging by an anonymous letter to the paper, the disparity between the top and bottom paying jobs doesn't sit well with all employees. With across the board percentage in- creases, the disparity continues to widen and only once has council made an attempt to deviate from the process by granting larger increases to the smaller wage and salary earners. There is no question that'people have to be paid for their qualifications, their experience, their responsibility and their contribution to the operation of the town. And with the latest in- creases; cbuncil has obviously made a statement about rewarding effort. D.S. By Susan Hundertmark Itis not the job of doctors to decide who can afford to pay for service Dear Editor; Irebeent xp eased points f view which 1..... E i'T r F 8 have been expressed regarding the propos- C ed Health Care Accessibility Act. Both the articles and the letters have been infor- mative and enlightening. The motives and practice of medicine in this area have never been suspect or at issue. Remember the pro- posed Act is provincial wide legislation. • I have been chastised in a recent letter to the Signal -Star for suggesting that doctors see only one viewpoint. That stateinent was a headline which the Signal -Star decided to run. The; headline was in reference to my comment that the paper was only represen- ting one side of the issue. The proposed legislation has given rise to many concerns and issues. Let us deal with one –extra billing. Last summer a 73 year old pensioner in Toronto was billed $950 following two eye operations. He was re- quired to pay the amount out of his own pocket then be reimbursed by OHIP. OHIP reimbursed him $471.80. We cannot allow a, system to develop in which there is one form of medical care for the rich and another for the poor. 111 patients cannot predict when the services of a doctor will be required let alone wait until they can afford to pay. A 1985 poll conducted by Goldfarb Con- sultants of Toronto showed that 70 percent of the public disapproved of extra billing. Some have suggested that it is balanced.. ' billing, not extra billing. When it comes out of the pocket of the patient above and beyond what OHIP reimburses, it is extra billing. . A position taken by some physicians is' that they are able to judge if a patient is able to afford it or not. It is not the job of doctors to decide who can afford to pay for service. Simply because one is not on social assistance does not mean that they can han- dle the added financial burden of medical care. Besides, who of you wishes to discuss your finances with your doctor. Although in Goderich we are fortunate to have some choice between physicians who extra bill and those who do not, in some areas of the province patients have little choice when requiring the services of cer- tain specialists. There have been concerns voiced by physicians about their ability to perform their jobs effectively if they were controlled financially by OHIP. There is no evidence to confirm that doctors who extra bill have a better relationships with their patients or do better work than doctors who do, at extra bill. Some would argue that extra billing is the basic right of a free profession. The ban on extra billing will not effect the professional autonomy of physicians. Doctors will con- tinue to have considerable influence in the health care system of Ontario. Many issues remain to be addressed. Let us begin by banning extra billing. Sincerely, M. Cicchini, Goderich. Premier is fooling the public, says reader An open letter to: The Honourable David Peterson, Premier of Ontario. I really must congratulate you! How you have been succeeding in pulling the wool over the public's eye! I was so pleased to see that you abolished the Q. C. degree. It is very clever to'erase all of them, even though we both know there were some who were very deserving of the title. None of this! Deciding on anew degree which would be reserved only for those trply deserving, eltheiminating of Q.C. bneoh us, too. Wewanpow Eliminate it with the,stroke of a pen! Then there is your bill for the phar- macists. It is very clever the way you have made them the scapegoat for what you and I both know is the government's debacle in , funding a drug plan. It would nevir do to ad- mit the problem and try to come to terms with it. That would be a very unpopular move politically, despite its integrity. Then, of course, there is the health ac- cessibility act. How pre you able to keep on saying that it is over money, when you know it is all about the power to do with health care whatever you wish, with no in- terference? To continue to blame the physi- cians and placate the public, when it is they who will'be most affected is truly a stroke of genius. I need not mention.the ignoring of the ar- bitrator's decision, with. regard to judges' salaries. Why should we be honourable? r Many, inere is the elimination of the board of the LLBO. Of course, you and I both know that despite the problems, there really is not one ounce of good on that board. Ex- perience and knowledge of the system have no value whatever. So much for responsible democracy ! My only concern is whom will you blame if something, • like the passing (9f the health care accessibility act, backfires? The only person I see to take the fall is you. It may be time to think twice about your own future, and less about Bob Rae. Mr. Peterson, would you be kind enough to let me in on who is next? Janet 'Thomson, Goderich By the sound of it, sciatica should be an exotic flower, with crimson petals and sultry scent. In reality it is "low back and/or leg pain .and has sometimes other symptoms." In this case, the nerve that is responsible for my right leg, suddenly decided not to do its proper duty. Amusing stories provide useful relief dur- ing a hospital stay. In this respect, some of the reports coming from the Huron County Council have been priceless, concerning the "to be or not to be" situation of the Library Board. The county is asking to be exempted from provincial legislation. The reasons have been a bit elusive, until now. A report presented to the council on Feb. 6 includes this statement "It is now our intention to legalize the system which had been in place since the inception of the Huron County Library." Thank to Hallett Township Reeve Tom Cunningham, the 'present Library Board chait°man, for putting his finger so perfectly on the tvery spot of public concern! At times the county pretends to be a little kingdom unto itself. One need not legalize what is legal. The county . admits that the intended change that involves" a special act by the provincial parliament is simply to legalize what the county has done, less than legitimately for nearly two decades, in a selective mish-mash of procedures. How funny and how incredible. It is just a couple of weeks short of three years since I started to write two regular columns. In due course the "Why bother" will continue inthe Focus. However, as only one deadline will be more itab a for or Srgeae n the future; this is my last Star column. Continued common interests will no doubt keep us in touch from time to time, in some Ammumain ELSA HAYDON form. There is quite a bit of an old firehorse' in me. I have always tried to reduce apathy in. public affairs. 1 have attempted to rescue municipal governments from obscurity between elections, treating them as rele- vant growing and breathing bodies, with strengths and weaknesses. I have tried to show "the other side". Greetings to those who understood what I was trying to do. Best wishes to those who did not. Someone reminded me recently how right John Lennon was when he said "Life is what happens while we are making other plans."