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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-12-16, Page 4between Mulroney and "Joe Canuck" as being a pleasant affair. "So, 'Bri,' me and the boys down at the plant were just wonderin' about this free trade thing? You gettin' paid to sell us out to the Yanks, or what?" "Oh, by the way, `Bri,' why don't you try the seafood platter? I hear the mussels are particularly 'tangy' this season." "Like some wine with that 'Bri'? Bet- ter get a bottle of domestic while we still can, eh? Guess you won't miss `Sudbury Chante' when the tarrifs come off the im- ported stuff in a few years. Dorn Perignon's more your style anyway (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), right?" I don't know. I suppose dinner with Brian Mulroney would be all right, as long as he was picking up the tab personally. However, if it was me, and my turn to pay, gi'e me Vana every time. PAGE 4—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1987 Last week Ontario lost a special man. A man who was able to help another family despite his own suffering and grief. Last Tuesday evening, Barrie -area resident Fred Schouten died at home of a heart attack at the age of 36. The name may not be all that familiar but what he and his 27 -year-old wife Karen did just two months ago will be remembered for a long time. Mr. Schouten was the father of an in- fant -girl born Thanksgiving Day and known throughout the world as Baby Gabriel. Baby Gabriel was born without part of her head and brain, a condition known as anencephaly. Because of this condition, Baby Gabriel would not live more than hours or a few days. For the Schouten's, Baby Gabriel was to be their first child. But when they were told of the baby's condition eight, months into the pregnancy, they turned what was a sad situation for them into one which could help another family Lou -Ann DeBruyn through a crisis. They decided to carry the baby to term. Her birth and subsequent donation of her organs would help other children have a better chance at living. In making their decision, Baby Gabriel became the first anencephaUr baby put on life-support for the purpose of organ donation. Baby Gabriel was born Thanksgiving Day, the day after her mother's birthday. A few days later, her heart was giving another little Canadian a chance at life. Paul Hole received Baby Gabriel's walnut -sized heart when he was just four - hours -old during a delicate operation at the Loma Linda, California hospital. Without a heart transplant, he would have died. Baby Paul was released from the hospital at the end of November although he had his parents will live near the hospital for about one year. The Schouten's decision regarding their infant daughter has opened the door on infant transplants - with both positive and negative responses. What they did by allowing Baby Gabriel to be born and kept alive on life- support helped another family whose baby surely would have died. From what would have been two infant deaths, one child has been given a chance at life. No doubt there are people who disagree with the Schouten's decision and the doe tors who went along with the decision. In fact, questions have been raised throughout the various media concerning the possibility of using the organs of severely handicapped babies for transplant purposes. In the face of all the hoopla around Baby Gabriel, what we must remember is the fact that it was the Schouten's deci- sion to donate their infant daughter's organs. A decision that only they could make. No one told them what to do. It was a decision based purely on what they felt was right. It was a decision which may have helped save another baby's life. Baby Gabriel was the first anencephalic child who was kept alive for infant transplant. She will not be the last. Since her short life and sad death, at least two other anencephalic children have been brought to term and their organs used to save others. Each day, we hear of another child or adult who is in need of a liver transplant .,..a heart transplant ..> a kidney transplant. The list goes on and on. What we have to ask ourselves is how can we condemn those who choose to pro- long one life when their life or the life of a loved one comes to an end? As Dr. Tim Frewen, director of pediatric critical care at the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario (his depart- ment cared for Baby Gabriel while she was in London on her way to California for the transplant operation; he also helped co-ordinate the donor-recepient matching), said in a Free Press article, "He (Mr. Schouten) saw the special things that could come out of their adver- sity. And he was proud she could con- tribute to humanity and the saving of children's lives." Fred Schouten died one day after his and Karen's second wedding anniver- sary. Baby Gabriel was born on Turn to page 5 Opinion THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT SINCE 1848 P.O. BOX 220 HUCKINS ST. INDUSTRIAL PARK 0ODERICH, ONT. N7A 4B6 thej j 4 E T ALL ROUND COMMUNrTY NEWSPAPEIA W CANALIA e r 1 C 1 y IGsaiown Caeca 3500-4 500 C.0 N A Bens. NenaP ' Co, Ue ,n 1984 Go SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHER BY SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED Founded in 1848 and published every Wednesday at Goderich, Ontario. Member of the CCNA and OCNA, Subscrip- tions payable in advance $23.00, (Senior Citizens $20.00 privilege card number required) in Canada, $60.00 to U.S.A., $60.00 to all other countries, Single copies 60c. Display, National and Classified advertising rates available on re- quest. Please ask for Rate Card No. 18 effective October 1, 1987. Advertising is 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 far but that balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. The Signal - Star is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproduc- • ing purposes. General Manager SHIRLEY J. KELLER DON HUBICK News Editor Features Co-ordinator Sports PATRICK RAFTIS LOU -ANN DE BRUYN TED SPOONER Advertising Manager FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICE...please phone (519)524-2614 Second class PCNA mail registration Member: number 0716 a No time like present In light of last week's historic signing of the first-ever nuclear arms reduction pact bet- ween the United States and the Soviet Union, there is, at last, definite cause to hope for the eventual lifting of the nuclear shadow which has hung over the world for over 40 years. That's the good news. The bad news is that a nuclear shadow has hung over the world for more than four decades - and still does. Even after the proposed dismantling of the entire class of in- termediate range nuclear missiles is complete, the capability for the two superpowers (plus several coutries with smaller nuclear arsenals) to destroy the entire planet many times over, still exists. The summit focussed the world's attention on the USSR and the USA, the two most promi- nent actors on the nuclear stage. However, nuclear war is a global concern and to diminish the threat will require global cooperation. Not only must the Americans and the Soviets con- tinue to work toward disarmament, but they must include other nuclear capable countries such as China, India, France, England etc. in their talks. Non-nuclear countries like ours also have a part to play in this drama, for their encourag- ment to keep the doom -wielders at the negotiating table is vital. Toward the end of his lengthy term of office, former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau launched a peace initiative of global proportions, which perhaps contributed in some small way to the eventual signing of the current agreement. American leader Ronald Reagan is also nearing his last days in power and it seems ironic that only now has he been able to achieve anything resembling progress on nuclear arms reduction. World peace is too important an issue to be left as a final grandstand play to be used by world leaders to leave a positive final impression of their government in the public memory. Western leaders should be forced by public sentiment to make arms reduction a first priori- ty with their governments. The phrase "better late, than never," might excuse procrastination on less vital issues, but in the case of nuclear arms elimination, allowing the matter to reach the "' stage can only be fatal. - P.R. Ducking responsibility By turning the issue of Sunday Shopping over to individual municipalities, Liberal Premier David Peterson's Ontario government is beginning to sound like a broken record. Does the government expect that by delegating the issue to municipalities, that it will suf- fer the same fate as the proposal to sell beer and wine in corner stores, and simply fade away? Whatever the reasoning, Goderich Town Council does not like the province's buck -passing philosophy on issues of a contentious nature. Council, in a motion passed at their Dec. 14 meeting, has decided to inform the province of their displeasure with the delegation of the issue. Sunday shopping would mean a major change in the socio-economic structure of this pro- vince. Workers linable to spend their traditional day of rest with their family, changes to the credit structure, altering of people's recreational and social routines, are only a few of the connotations of such a major change as retail legislation. This weighty issue is not one which the provincial govenment should be allowed to duck. The provincial govenment should not be allowed to escape its responsibilities, out of fear of making an unpopular decision one-way or another. - P.R. If the people who come up with such things, ever decide to hold a "Take Your Favorite Canadian to Lunch Day," they can expect to count me out. Not that I haven't lunched with a lot of Canadians in my time. In fact, some of my best friends, not to mention my entire family, are Canadians. It's just that the results of two recent surveys, one na- tional, one international, seem to indicate to me that dining with someone from the Great White North would be about as much fun as eating soup with chopsticks. The international survey 'was con- ducted by something called the Economist Intelligence Unit (does this mean they economize on intelligence by using as little as possible in their work - whatever that is?), who have annouced that Canada is among the most boring countries on the planet, based on their criteria. I placed little stock in this survey when I saw it published, assuming it was just a planted news item, dreamed up by someone in the Latvian Depart- ment of Tourism. Then I saw the second survey, and reconsidered. It seems in a nationwide survey, Cana- dians choose as the person with whom they would most like to have a "quiet dinner and discussion," Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Now come on! If you took this same survey in the United States, the anwer would be over- whelmingly either Vane White or Pat Sa- jerk, depending on the gender of the respondents. Corning in close seconds would be people like Hulk Hogan, Jim McMahon, Jane Fonda and Cybil Shep- pard. Americans would probably rather dine out with a relatively -intriguing com- panion like Charles Mason than sit around watching their leader Ronald Reagan fall asleep in his salad. About 2,000 telephone calls made in the area on Christmas Day 1962 25 YEARS AGO December 20, 1962: There will be about 1,900 long distance telephone calls made by Clinton and Goderich people this Christmas day, 350 more than last year. Miss. B. McQueen, Bell Telephone's chief operator here, says that New Year's Day will also show an in- creased total of 1,400 long distance calls, as compared to last year's 1,100. The in- crease, according to Mr. W. Haysom, Bell Telephone's manager here, is part of a current trend towards calling over greater distances. At one time, the long distance call was scarcely contemplated other than emergency or big business. But recent im- provements in telephone facilities and perhaps more important, the actual ex- perience of speaking to friends and relatives even thousands of miles away, have made long distance calling more and more a familiar activity. Brigadier G. MacLeod Ross was elected chairman of the (J jerich branch commit- tee of the St. John Ambulance Association Wednesday night when a meeting of the committee was held at GDCI. Brig. Ross steps into the post vacated by elevation of Lt. Col. T. Murray MacDonald to Western Area Commissioner. Brig. Ross Was also named to head' up the special comrnittee which will be in charge of arrangements for the financial appeal to be conducted early in the year. An eight week course of instruction for babysitters, endorsed by the Ontario Department of Health and sponsored local- ly by the Goderich Recreation Committee and the Home and School Association will commence late in January it is announced But up here, we ask for nothing more than a chance to break bread with Brian "Old Irish Eyes," Mulroney . think people answered this survey very honestly. Second choice on the list, with 11 per cent (Mulroney was the choice of 12 per cent), was former prime mind choiceister Pone Trudeau. This is the only g the list. As a Prime Minister, Trudeau may not have been to everyone's liking, but you have to admit that over beer and burgers, the guy would be a scream. Scoring from one to three per need let were: Mila Mulroney (why r her and Brian eat together and forget the whole thing? ), NDP leader Ed Broad- bent, Liberal leader John Turner (Who voted for him? His Mother? ), Ontario Premier David Peterson, Governor General Jean Sauve and author Pierre Berton. Of the also rans, Berton might be an in- teresting choice. But, let's face it. He's LOOKING BACK by Mrs. J.E. Wright, president of the latter group. The course, which is to consist of eight two-hour training periods, will be conducted by local instructors, included a public health nurse, a social worker, a kindergarten teacher, a representative of the fire department and possibly late in the course a panel of parents will take part. 50 YEARS AGO December 23, 1937 Last weekend, four young Goderich men reached their homes here after having ex- perienced an exciting time as members of the crew of the steamer D.B. Hanna when she went aground in Georgian Bay on November 28th. The Goderich sailors are Bob Muir, Carl Stoddart, Harry Fritzley and Jack Rimmer It was a Sunday evening the Hanna went aground. She was en route, light, from Port McNicoll to Fort William when a sud- den squall swung her on the teeth of Osprey Shoal. Muir, who was on watch at the time, said she struck with two suc- cessive crashes. The ship was not equip- ped with wireless, but the lighthouse - keeper on the shoal transmitted a message and the Hanna rested on, her keel until Wednesday, when the tug Fanny Arnold steamed out froni Midland to the rescue. It took four hours to release the Hanna, which was then towed to Midland, thence by the SS. Arlington to Collingwood, where she was dry-docked. On Saturday afternoon, about 75 persons attended the annual Christmas concert of the primary and font roll department of St. George's Sunday School. Rev. A.C. Calder was chairman. The big event of the pro- gram was the appearance of Santa Claus, who distributed fruit and candy to the kid- dies and also presented the following prizes:best attendance records: Nora Willis and Arthur Bradley; youngest baby- -infant son of Mr. and Mrs. George Bowra. 70 YEARS AGO December 20, 1917 At the meeting . of the water and light commission held on Thursday last it was decided to self Mr. William Forrest one car of lump coal to be used by his tug in keep- ing the harbour open for navigation. Per- mission having been received from the Provincial Hydro Commission to supply power to the Goderich Planning Mills Co. for off-peak power only, the engineer was instructed to install the service. A price of 50 cents per hundred pounds was fixed for any lump coal supplied to citizens at the plant. The engineer reported an estimated cost of $140 to supply electric light services to Mrs. A.P. McLean on Huron Road. The matter was laid over pending receipt of an application. A large number of accounts were passed. The sum of $130 has been sent for the relief of the Halifax sufferers from the IODE Goderich as follows: Maple Leaf Chapter, $15; Gen. Brough Chapter, $10; Ahmeek Chapter, $90; and Soangepaha Chapter, $15. from this angle Patrick Raftis no Vana White. What might be entertaining, would be a dinner with all these people present at once. However, be warned - the most congenial outcome you could possibly hope for Would be an all-out food fight. Somehow, I just can't picture .a dinner