HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-08-11, Page 4B►i)lttCi SIGtI+jAi, STAB?!, TRSI�t,4,X, AUU•U1ST
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'Published by Signal -Star Publishing' Ltd. M
Business and Editorial Office ROBERT G. SHRIER — president and publisher
TELEPHONE 52441331 SHIRLEY J. KELLER — editor
area code 519 EDWARD J. BYRSKI — advertising manager
Mailing Address: ,
P.O. BOX 220, Industrial Park, Goderich
Second class mail registration number — 0716
Good decision
It wasn't easy for Goderich Town Council
Monday evening to come to .a decision
about passing the necessary bylaws to
allow another convenience Store to be
established in Goderich, this time at the
corner of Bayfield Road and Bennett
Street. A recorded vote showed only five of
the nine council members in favor, leaving,
of course, the remaining four council
members opposed to the proposal. Those
who voted against the bylaws did so
because of their, conviction that changing
the official plan to permit another .con-
venience store was foolish since there is
already quite enough of these neighborhood
variety stores in the area.
The planning board had gone through the
same kind of thought process when that
group took a look at the original request for
rezoning. Just like some council members,
planners struggled with the question of
whether or not another such store was
needed .... `whether another convenience
store would hurt those citizens already
engaged in that type of business..
But finally, the planning board decided,
as did council Monday evening, that it was
not its decision to legislate to what extent
business competition would be permitted.
Their decision was to be based solely on the
use of the land and the compatibility of that
use with the surrounding neighborhood.
Given this set of guidelines, it cannot be
argued with any degree of success that the
southwest corner at the intersection of
Bayfield Road and Bennett Street is un-
suitable for a commercial outlet. Certainly
immediately to the south and north of the
property, commercial enteIi 4ses are
flourishing. It is highway property, ideally
located to conveniently serve the new and
growing residential district known as
Suncoast Estates and Delbar Subdivision
without disturbing the quiet of 'those
residential streets.
There are those who insist that new
business • locations should not spring up
until all existing commercial buildings are
occupied. These people probably- feel
nothing makes a community look less
prosperous than to have vacant stores and
business locations standing as stark wit-
ness to economic' failure. At the same time,
new business locations inject vitality into a
community. They often bring not- only
improved convenience, service and prices
to the consumer, but a greater sense of
pride and a whole new set of objectives for
the entire business community.
Cities, towns and villages everywhere
have experienced similar happenings.
They may have suffered or prospered
because of too much competition ... or the
lack of it. But always it must be the
privilege of business to locate 'where it
chooses, when it chooses, providing the site
can be legitimately cleared for the project.
Planning board and council made the only
decision open to them. Long live the free
enterprise system. - SJK
Need basic rules
1
A„suggestion from the Parks Committee
that in future, beer tents be banned from
Court House Park will probably meet with
considerable disagreement, both from
elected officials and private citizens. It is a
suggestion which is bound to conjure up all
sorts of reactions in all types of people. It is
predictable that much of the comment will.
stem from individual outlooks and highly
personal beliefs and interests.
This newspaper has commented in the
past concerning the great financial suc-
cess of beer tents. It is a proven fact that
the group or organization that can get a
permit for a beer tent - almost anywhere -
has a sure fire solution to its money raising
problems. It is also a sorry commentary on
the priorities of people when the future of
community projects depends more and
more on the "number of cases of beer that
can be vended during a particular event.
This summer in Goderich there has been
the beer tent at the beach during the
Sesquicentennial Celebrations and the beer
tent in The Square during the Kin Carnival,'
the 'craft show and the sidewalk sale,
Upcoming -is a Festival Garden (beer tent)
at the skydiving performances at Sky Harb-
or on Labor Day weekend and the beer
garden at the arena during the Octoberfest
Party October 1. There seems littledoubt
that more and more fund raisers are
climbing on the beer tent bandwagon to
turn a fast - and certain - buck.
There is no attempt here to argue con-
cerning the right or wrong of beer tents.
What's more, there's .no attempt to
diminish the great contributions that are
made to community work as a result, in
part, of the beer tents. There isn't even an
attempt here to curtailthe beer tent craze.
However, it does seem imperative that
the town take a look at some basic rules
regarding beer tents in future. The Parks
Committee may be too severe in its
suggestion to keep beer tents out of Court
House Park but its members may indeed
have indicated the importance to consider
where beer tents are best located to serve
the interests of the greatest number of
taxpayers. Another suggestion 'from the
Parks Committee to ' charge groups or
organizations sponsoring beer tents with
the responsibility to clean up inside the
premises or to reimburse the town crew for
its labors, might be worth considering. It
might give rise to some other similar
improvements which would provide a
greater measure of satisfaction to beer tent
patrons and abstainers alike.
Beer tents are on the increase. Let's
think of ways to make them as compatible
with the total community as possible.—SJK
Hard to understand
Ontario Liberal leader Stuart Smith has
called for a public inquiry. into escalating
costs on the Bruce nuclear power project
and his comments have resulted in some
interesting rebuttals:
The most difficult to comprehend are
those by Hydro chairman Robert Taylor,
who said that no public inquiry is required
because Ontario Hydro is well aware of the
problems.
In fact, -he says they've been aware of the
problems for the past' two years.
The question arises, then- why didn't
Hydro do something at that time ' to
I straighten, out -the situation?' Why weren't
they successful in getting the construction
, company to Improve their performance
and efficiency?
Those questions are of particular interest
to all Ontario residents, because the Bruce
power stations are going to cost them
$400,000,000 more, than , originally
estimated. That figure is beyond the
corn rrehension of. most people, although
die ratnificationel' are becoming quite.
ave fru one most hydro bilis theme days.
'at
The contract for the mammoth con-
struction job is open-ended, in that the
company is paid on a cost -plus -fee
arrangement. There is little incentive for
them to worry about the costs.
As a result, it appears to be fairly
common knowledge that the pay scale on
the job is excessive and the work ethic is
negligible.
It is rather- obvious that many of the
employees realize they have an ex-
ceptionally good thing going for them and
'are in no hurry to see their opportunity
ended by finishing the project. The longer it
carries on, the longer they keep their fat
pay cheques rolling in. So why hurry?
This is the type of attitude that prevails
on many government jobs, and the tax-
payers keep paying the bills.
Actually, it would appear that a few
heads should roll... and the sooner the
better.
=-p'rom Batten Around, by Bill Batten,
editor of the Exeter Times -Advocate.
k-?
Bore memories. This photo was sent of the Signal -Star by Bob Henry who 'otwr. Nice bunch of 'young people.” Can you identify these youthful
w,t% an employee of the Signal -Star a few years ago. Bob writes: ,"This is a Irotn another time? if you can, write -a letter to the Signal -Star, B
hutckyard skating party some time ago, between 1918 and 1920, maybe 'idustrial Park. Goderich.
BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER
Have you ever gone to
church and discovered that
the minister's sermon seems
directed right at you?
Last' week it was a similar
situation with the news in and
around Goderich. If you will
remember, last, week's Dear
Readers was about the
nuclear energy program
safety aspects, positive side.
That column was written on
Friday. Then on Monday,
Greenpeace XI sailed' into
Goderich harbor, bringing
with it a crew determined to
make it perfectly clear to the
people of Goderich who will
listen that the nuclear energy
program should be aban-
doned immediately.
So as a result, last week the_
Signal -Star carried a story on
its front page which pointed
out the Greenpeace attitude.
In the interest of fair play,
this newspaper also
presented in that story, the
other side of the argument —
the Atomic Energy position.
Much of the information
carried in fast week's story
was the material to be used
for this week's Dear Readers
column. It dealt ,.witil. the
management of spent fuel
management and nuclear
SEAR ':REA EIERS
waste disposal. This column
won't repeat( the viewpoint
expressed in • last week's
s tory. •
+ + +
I had only a brief chat with
the Greenpeace crew and I
must admit they seemed like
genuinely concerned citizens.
To be frank,, genuinely
concerned -citizens are a rare
commodity these days, no
matter what the issue. In
general, people just don't
care about anything more
than their own immediate
and basic needs and wants.
Fear of tomorrow, just doesn't
grip the average Joe Citizen,
surprisingly enough not even
the fear of death and 4 what
may come after. Everybody
lives for today it seems.
The thing that unnerve's me
about 'the Greenpeace at-
titude is the gloom #nd doom
approach - creating the
impression that Ontario
Hydro and the people from
Atomic Energy of Canada
Limited are all a bunch of
bungling idiots who, are
blithely leading us to certain
and hideous destruction
without a care for life or limb,
now or in the future.
Newspaper staff learns to -
listen to both sides of every
y�P
situation. Usually in doing so,
one can find some common
ground from which to build
understanding and eventually
agreement..
Not so in the nuclear
question for as in the case
of ,Greenpeace, the matter is
clearly stated. The
proliferation of nuclear waste
must be stopped completely!
And here even Greenpeace
types often tend to disagree
with each other. Some believe
it is imperative to end the
nuclear program forever .......
others will allow that the
program should be halted
only until some of the
questions about management
and disposal of nuclear waste
are answered.
+ + -I-
The
The argument continues .,..
and so does the nuclear
program. It appears that the
pro -nuclear people are all in
positions of authority in the
inner circles whereas the
anti-nuclear folks are always
on the outside looking in. In
, between are the hundreds and
thousands of men and women
who just don't know, can't
make up their minds or don't
care one way or the other.
To be sure, those who hold
the pro nuclear viewpoint are
great optimists. Conversely,
,eiej>C*
DEAR
r.
Names listed
Dear Editor,
Persons in car (editorial
page picture, Aug. 4) are: in
front seat Joseph B. Swaf-
field, sons Clarence and
Edgar, of Cleveland; in near
seat Mrs. Swaffield and
Nellie Root. Mr. Swaffield
always said he was the first
Goderich boy to come back in
a car. He was ar, uncle of Mrs.
Hume Clutton, Mrs. Chester
Feagan and W. E. Elliott and
in his retirement years
resided on Toronto Street
here.
W. E„Elliott
Duraq
Dear Editor,
Did you lose the in -
'formation on the picture of
the old car that I brought in to
you? (Page 4, Aug. 4,1977)
It was taken on The Square
in 1905 near where the Royal
Bank is. McLean's Men's
Wear was in that block.
Joe Swaffield (the driver)
owned the car and they drove
it from Cleveland Ohio to
Goderich in 1905.
With him in the front seat
are his sons, Clarence
(centre), and Edgar. In the
back seat are his wife Sarah
E
D
perhaps, it could be argued
that those who ,subscribe to
the Greenpeace attitude are
pessimists at best and
alarmists at worst.
I'm reminded of the old
farmer who lived near my
family when I was a child: He
didn't have a car or ,a tractor
because he felt motors were
dangerous and (Co costly. He
didn't. have electricity
because it was a fad that
could ..kill you if it got out of
control. The result was that
this man worked hard frcn
sunrise to sunset to eke,, out aa,
meagre existence while his
neighbors, lived in relative
comfort and ease, safely and
economically. In the final
analysis, the old farmer died
as everyone else eventually
will, and new generations go
on driving cars and using
electricity more extensively
than ever before.
Was the old farmer wrong?
No. Motors may be dangerous
and electricity can kill. But
he sure missed out on a heap
of living because he chose the
low-risk route.
+++
If you dont alreacly watch
Star .Trek on Channel 13 at 5
p.m. Monday through Friday;
do so one day soon. That's a
program that provides some
ITDR
(Brophy) Swaffield and
Nellie Root who later married
,Edgar.
I believe the make of the
car was Duraq.
Yours truly,
Dougall Clutton
Editor's' Note: Thank you,
Mr. Clutton. We did not have
this information, Another
letter this week, also
identifies the people in the
car, but the make of the
vehicle was in question.,
Your picture is waitingto be
claimed.—SJK
Just peachy
Dear Editor,
1 have been following with
interest the peach growing in
Goderich Township.
Contained in the Ontario
Agricultural Commission,
Report of 1881 (a 575 page
volume) is the following: "At
'present we are testing a
number of peach seedlings,
some of which give promise
of excellent results. Mr.
George Cox of the 6th con-
cession of Goderich Township
has grown large numbers of
seedlings from year to year
and among them are four
inkling of what th
could hold for
These days, the..
seem less ridicul
they did the first tin
..., when science fi
just that and nothing
Sometimes I t
attitudes and life sty
evolved in my lifeti
of them to my” like
naturally. But the
goes on. It has to go
everything niust
some direction or fa
existence.
'How will itfbe 50„
today? I do/tit knout:
I'm 'ready to ad
today's decisions
some bearing on th
the future. But wh
choose to follow our
trends as most see
doing, or carve
alternate lifestyle
now are advocatin
inevitable there
changes we'll find
accept and problems
be hard pressed to s
There's no guar
either way will pr
elusive peace and
each of us is seeking;
it is certain we'll •n
that pot of gold at t
the 'rainbow, in this
at least.
very superior ones,;
they are equal to at
known varieties in
flavour, and excel
productiveness. The
equal .prices in our
with any of our best
consider these vari
worthy of general C
in the area."
The report of t
Growers'. Associatiol
states, "Mr. George:.
Goderich Town$hi
nothing better for P
his peach seedlings
3 and 4, and Mr. W.
and Mr. Thomas Hol
Turn'te
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•
75 YEARS AGO
The Star reporter has
watched the bass fishing this
season, and also made
enquiries of, those who are
expert with rod and line, and
observation and interviews
alike proclaim the season of
1902 the best of the past
decade..
The long talked of bazaar in
aid of the Marine Hospital
fund opened on Wednesday
afternoon in the Skating Rink.
It was well patroniked.
Last week P.M,: Seager
issued a warrant, on the
sworn information of S.A.
McGaw, manager ' of °Lake
Huron and Manitoba Milling
Company and on Thursday
constable . Gundry arrested
defendent in Owen Sound and
brought him to Goderich
where he was tried "sand
remanded.
25 YEARS AGO
ovVri Council at a spacial.
r'ieeting_ _on Tuesday _.-af _
ternoop Passed a bylaw•.
•
PK;INIP BACK
authorizing the signing of an
agreement with the Province
of 'Ontario and the Central -
Mortgage and Housing
Corporation to construct a
total of 25 rental houses,. in
Goderich. They - will be
located south of Blake Street
and east of Cameron Street,
one block east of the new
Colle$iat, SYEARS AGO
Alvin ' J. Sherwood • has Officials at Goderich Town
asked aupport-from the Town `'Hall ;confirmed "'on ',Wed.
Coun, il:.in hitt a lic tiot'i,_tb, nesday..mortlitn iihatWa.b law
tire. Municipal Bgard for, a will gaafore the town
franchise to operate a bus
from Goderich to Clinton and
return on a regular schedule.
Both the Goderich ,Blue
Water' Band and the Goderich
All -Girl Trumpet Band will
take part in the annual
Warrior's Day parade at the
openingbf the CNE.
fathers this eves
finalize purchase oil
property, at the mon'
Industrial Park by
Steel Tubing in Godt
Rusty Orinanl
Pamela Craven,
skatingdance pair
members -of- the
Figure'' Skating Ci
another first for the.
club and themseiv
they won the Junior
the Stratford fate
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