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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-07-23, Page 4PAGE 4 _GODl;i H SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, ,1906 Can yo.i recall the last timeyou en- countered a 13th floor in an elegant hotel or do you still find yourself avoiding cracks in the sidewalk in keeping with a childhood superstition. Progress has eroded many of society's myths, wives tales and idiosyncraci but at recent newspaper article suggests superstitions have basically escaped unscathed over the years. Some superstitions have been faithfully handed down and observed over centuries. Society has long, fostered a fascination with the number Lind as previously mentioned, many buildings simply avoid the number in floor schemes. And people have long regarded Friday the 13th as an auspicious occasion, a day steeped in superstitious tradition. Twice, I have been . subjected to extensive dental work on that fatal day and lived to tell about it. DAA Y . Some of the time-honored superstitions suggest that we shouldn't walk under lad- ders, which is more good common sense than superstition, and we should be on the lookout for black cats. Today, of course, we Opinion are- much more sophisticated and -ra- tionalize that walking under a ladder could be hazardous to our health if something fell from above. But, like walking on the cracks of ° the sidewalks, there's always that nagging remembrance of superstition. Superstition, in most cases, is just a series of events borne out of habit. Sports figures are notorious for following routines that ultimately become superstitions. Once an athletes convinces himself that his pre- game ritual was instrumental in achieving a victory, he will follow the same pattern ad infinitum. Wade Boggs of the Boston Red Sox Was been the leading hitter in thermaior leagues for the past few seasons and adheres to a rigid diet of chicken before every game. By virtue of the evidence, it would be safe to • assume the man will grow feathers before I• he wins another batting title but he con- tinues to maintain a lofty average. Many players are superstitious about their pre -game meals and almost every athlete has pre -game rituals that are follow- ed religiously. I would bet that even local fastball and slowpitch players probably follow a certain pre -game ritual that could extend from a meal to the way in which the uniform is put on. One player readily attributed a rather agile feat on the field to the fact that he was wearing his "lucky underwear." I had assumed it was a superstitious reference that had nothing to do with his mating habits. But with ball players, one can ne er be sure. Baseball, footleall or hockey player ve taken to not shaving or changing clothes during a winning or losing streak. Many players will wear the same clothing or make certain they put their uniforms on in the ex -- act same manner before each game. The common belief is that by not perform- ing the same rituals it could have a direct outcome on their performance or even the outcome of the game. It's almost as.if they control what will transpire. Former basket- ball great Bill Russell intoned that it was unlucky to be behind at the end of the game. Some players go to great lengths to preserve superstitions. They will step over a base on their way on and off the field or make desperate attempts to avoid stepping on the foul line. Others will sit on the same spot on the bench and go through the same ritual everytime they are at bat. As for this agent, superstitions are for the feeble minded. But, come to think of it, I am in a bit of a batting slump. No where's my pair of lucky underwear? Gderici*THENEWS PORT FOR GODER.ICH & DISTRICT SINCE1848 4 BT ALL POUND COMMUNITY NEW®PAPF INuton UCANADA JjjjCruu:�C'ns, 1501) 850010 01,4 y,.iu;r Nu,Ouucr Com SIGNAL -ST P.O, BOX 22o HUCKINS ST. INDUSTRIAL PARK ODDERICH, ONT. PUBLISHED BY SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED 7A 4BE Founded In 6 and published Member the CCNA end ®� Subscriptions payable advance Ha00, (Senior Citizens 519.00 piegecardnumber requedn Gonadal, 5130.00 to U.S.A.,5o0 all r'cNotional end cI Illvert rates available on raqueat Please ask for Rte Cord No. 18 effective October 1, 1988. Advertising le accepted ontho condition that in the avant of o typographical error, the advertising lice f o rate. t the avant of e apace occupied by the erroneous item, together with the reasonable allowanlca for signature, will not be charged for but that balance of the edvertleement will be paid for ieet the applicable a or ble rate. services ..nos not n Bold. typographical error advertising goods or services et e wrong pr responsible Advertising heoo ie merely en offer nsolliicited manuscripts,rewn et any photos er ofme. The her mettegriele8used fort reproducing for the loan or damage r Advertising Manager DON HUBICK purposes. General Manager Editor SHIRLEY J. KELLER DAVE SY Publisher: Jocelyn A. Shrier FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES.°.please phone [519]524-2614 Second class • •mail registration number 0716 Member: CCNA What a weekend! What a weekend! Sometimes it appears as if a summer's worth of activity is piled .into one weekend. This was one of those weekends. The town of Gpderich has been a fairly active place this summer as evidenced ley the number of events offered and the traffic in the area. It would be impossible and implausible to suggest there is nothing to do in Goderieh. The annual Festival of Arts and Crafts,unfolded'in the leafy 'retreat of Courthouse Park over three days and was an obvious success. Under the direction of Michelle Hansen and the Goderich Recreation Department, the Festival continues to attract a wide crossection of talented craftsmen and artisans. While the heat may have been overbearing at times, the , park, at least, offered shade. Of course, the biggest attraction of the weekend was the Sesquicentennial celebrations sain Colborne Township which represented the culmination of a year of planning, meetings much preparatory work. From the opening ceremonies Friday evening through to the church service and giant balloon release Sunday, the Sesquicentennial celebrations will be remembered for a long The festivities offered a weekend of fun, food and frolic for the whole family and the time. • parade Saturday was fitting for a celebration of that magnitude. The success of the entire weekend reflects the work of the township's steering -committee, its chairman, Shirley Hazlitt and all the volunteers who gave so much of their time to ensure the Sesquicentennial weekend would be a success. All the committee chairmep ands their workers should be congratulated and commended for a fine effort. The program of events \ catered to all tastes. ' Many people returned to Colborne Township this weekend for the celebration and Many more from the neighbouring towns, villages and townships helped Colbornites celebrate 150 years of history and township life. - . While the festivities may be over for now, the memories of the Colborne Sesquicentennial will, no doubt, linger on in the minds of residents. t. one for sports enthusiasts in the Goderich area.' The d was also an The weeken ac Goderich Ladies Slowpitch League sponsored its annual three-day tournament at Agriculture Park and the Goderich Men's Ball Hockey League held a 12 -team tournament at the Goderich Community Centre. On Saturday morning the annual Goderich es0 km Clas& Run was held:a total of 87irun- ners from the area competed in the one -day event. This event, organized by the recreation department, has become popular among running enthusiasts. Theweekend was full activity and there's more to come. four - The two Goderich men's leagues, slowpitch and fastball, will be. hosting major Duckin' the eat 1 t. ., 1,...,1;: a. al :%.11, ,L.'.l.y..r I, y Paul Hartman n It : was a weekend ` to remember Wow, what a weekend. As wondrous fate would have it, the luck of the draw enabled this intrepid reporter - photographer -interested onlooker to work on what turned out to be one of the busiest weekends of the summer thus far. It was the weekend of the Colborne Township Sesquicentennial, a Ball Hockey' - tournament, the _Classic Fun Run, and a Ladies' Slowpitch Tournament. me • The Colborne celebrations supplied with a colossal dose of on-the-job ex- perience; Transporting cameras about the head and shoulders, I dashed off purposeful- ly urp il ly to the parade Saturday ing,eaear intent on capturing p p mod events spore, taneously in the heat of the moment. It was hot all right. • All the advertisements explicitly stated the parade was to begin at 11:30 a.m. SHARP, so I checked out the territory to predetermine the most advantageous posi- tion for the purpose: of taking a simple black and white photo. Few realize the delicate planning involved to obtain just the right angle, composition, and exposure. Personal- ly, I tried to find shade. precisely The parade, eventually starting p at 12:10 p.ni., was glorious in its diversity and awe-inspiring in its length. Selecting a utely- dressed four year grassy spot neau 8 old, I proceeded to take pictures for the next hour anda half, knowing full well ninety percent of them would not find a home in the upcoming, paper.their Our local politicians were notable in d the festivities. attendance of Dswill unfold in *red- - a naments over the long holiday weekends and the first Tiger Dunlop y August. More about those events will appear in future editions. This weekend, the Shoppers' Square Association is holding its annual Sidewalk Sale and `� O r hill events will take place in Courthouse Park during the weekend. A story INT` 1 s bear , would 'concerns over the Bluewater Centre. I w f the victims of 'last Thursday s escape many children's ren s f detailing the events There certain by Mike Ferguson Member Murray Cardiff, provincial Agriculture Minister Jack Riddell and Health Minister Murray Elston were there, all placed together in the same horse-drawn carriage. With that political' troika, and with talk of right-wingers and left-wingers in a caucus, one wonders what direction the horse would travel if it had wings. e know a "rural" riding is completely dif- ferent than a city one, but observing the Minister of Health was refreshing, he being responsible for the biggest piece of the budgetary pie, and with the massive pressures of the extra -billing dispute most n the certainly on his mind. He lined up } .... ......... �.�.�9r� onlookers tow, many animated onlookers didn't fully rightup front. The solution for me was to deposit my posterior on the grassy narrows to catch the semi -choreographed contor- tions of the participants. Besides, being "down under" meant there was copious amounts of shade. The ' feature of the evening, for me anyway, was the chance to photograph Canada's•POlk King; -Walter Ostanek. The musician very willingly angled his accor- dion and body, glossy molars and all, towards my camera lens. It was heady stuff. With the weekend over, my tan and job ex- perience had increased proportionately.. Development of all that film was the next • task at hand. More importantly, however, the underly- ing impression I received in heaping quan- tities during the Colborne celebrations was -the fact that "enthusiasm and commit- ment" were words not even descriptive enough to portray the major moversand shakers 'who planned the jam-packed celebration weekend. A tip of the hat must go to all those involv- ed in the planning and presentation of the celebrations. Not only will it be memorable acre t the fact a taller person should be sweltering heat with the rest of us for up- and noteworthy to the thousands of to wards of 30,minutes to purchase that staple residents and visitors who attended, but it f country fairs, the greasy hamburger. also provided this erstwhile press hound u Cardiff stuck around to judge the with unrivalled examples of on-the-job ex - Murray the House of Coing'that it made him think of perience, as well, as being able to witness the House Commons. good people with a look of proud satisfaction Getting down and dirty was the prescrip- on their faces at the realization of a job well tion to shoot this event. Even with camera in done. don't feel safe near centre and In the Y appears in the Community section o the paper. can't be considered safe to camp in the y ly is plenty ta�do here. D edttor, in the tent anymore and how can babysitters I like to express my anguish and LETT ETT FR S feel safe? Since the centre was changed a •i� year ago, we have considered purchasing a The changing of the guard When Prime Minister Brian Mulroney drastically altered his cabinet in an of-o�`t to bolster hisparty's sagging popularity with the electorate, he exlained that the Tories d¢ big � things well and do some of the small things poorly. In an obvious attempt to ensure that the shuffle would be in the context of one of thos41 big things, he added eight new faces, dropped six and changed 12 jobs. Simple arithmetic is apparently one of the small things the Tories do not do well. Dr�pp- e ing six and adding eight brings two new jobs to a cabinet that is already larger than most and is nearing the point when Mulroney will be able to use a full deck of playing cards to allot the jobs in his shuffles. The Prime Minister has taken some calculated rifts in his Massive alterations. His cabinet has been plagued by a variety of scandals in the past, and adding eight new faces will give the opposition some new backgrounds to search in an effort to find weaknesses. However, the Major problerti in Changing 21 jobs is that there is no guarantee that those ministers who were coping capably in their former portfolios wiiY'eontlntte to enjoy the same success in new responsibilities'. In some cases it may be tampering with success and that is always a dangerouserequired I There is no doubt that.the opinion polls indicated some strategics moves and the electorate can only hope that the changes will enable their government to do all b tt r both, big and mien. (peter Time�Advecate) • one o Our car and truck had morntng been ramsacked a baseball 'bat - and gas tank stolen as well as a motorbike: It was lucky for fife that my husband and oldest son had arrived home from a week's holiday Wednesday night as they weren't expected until Thursday. We were awaken at our porch screen door,where my husband and I sleep on hot summer nights) at about 3:15 a.m. by two OPP officers who had noticed our car door was open. Upon inspection we foundthe s in the car and pickup truck had been e paper et much sleep and w ed daylightaroundblame didn't husband and I and when went out for a closer look. Residents clog to guard the home UUL = u,.. allergic. Maybe allergy shots and a guard dog is the only way I will get some sleep and make me - It was then we realized -the "dirt bike and feel safe as nighbour to the centre. Or gas tank were missing from the garage. My husband followed tracks in, the wheat filed' maybe it is the centre that needs, trained and found the gas tank. After the capture of dogs to guard the premises so neighbours one of the escapees, the bike was also found. won't have intruders on our premises. Just a week ago our 12 and 5 -year-old sons I ask for all concerned to join the had slept in a tent south of the house. What if Bluewater Centre for discussion and opi- they had been apt f ached or used them to nions on how to better the safety of our get keys for a vehicle? On the Sunday night homes, farms and camps in this communi- previous, my five-year-old and his friend ty. A special meeting is planned for Sunday, had used the bed on the porch 'and I hate to July 27 with area residents: Phone 524-2107 think what would have happened if the inti- for information. , dent took place that night. . I feel our, personal freedom has been limited after this breakout. My children Jane McClinchey don't feel secure near centre Dear editor, as of this writing, our. home as brokenan a week ' into by three `so- called' children from the Bluewater haveCentre I for Voting Offenders, Neve ettperiet►eed such terror as, listening for r bout 10 minutes to strange noises only to realize, that there were intruders doWnstairts. When .to his peril, my husband called; outt and started down the stairs, they eaeaped with motley, oar car keys,our car and Material front our kitchen drawer, which could only be classified � could in their hands as deadly weapons. We and the neighbours in our immediate area spent a sleepless night as the prompt Turn to page 5.