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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-12-15, Page 4PAGE 4--GODERICHSIGNAL-STAR , THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1977 Gr'N^p1AN coMMUN/l}� PCNA de N'WSIA,SRS COM 1.1 PCNA Goderich SIGNAL -STAR The County Town Newspapers oj Huron Founded In WS and published .very Thursday at GoderIch. Ontario. Member of the CWNA and OWNA. Advertising rotes on request, Subscrlptlons. payable In advance '17.00 In Canada, '17.00 to U.S.A.. '20.00 to all other countries, single copies 30 cents. Display adver• rising rates available on request. please ask for Rat. Card No. 0 effective Oct. 1• 1077. Second class mall Registration Number 0710. Advertising Is accepted on the condition that, In the event of typographical error, the adverrlsing space occupied by th..erroneous Item, together with reasonable allowance for signature, wlli not be charged for but the balance of the adv.rtlsemenl will be paid for at the applicable Yate, In the event of a typographical error advertising goods or services at o wrong price, goods or service may not be sold. Advertising Is merely an offer to sell, and may be wllhdrawn of any time. The Signal. Star Is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts or photos. Business and Editorial Office TELEPHONE 524-8331 area code 519 Published by .Signal -Star Publishing Ltd. ROBERT G. SHRIER — president and publisher SHIRLEY J. KELLER — editor EDWARD J. BYRSKI — advertising manager • Mailing Address: P.O, BOX 220, Industrial Park, Goderich Second class mail registration number — 0716 Need new tact The Goderich Ratepayers' Association sound at all like suggestions. They sounded 'has been heralded by this newspaper as an more like demands. important addition to the municipal scene. There was no indication in the printed Membership in the organization has been sheet that the organization had done its encouraged. mostly due to the fact that homework where the lighting project on first indications were that the ratepayers' The Square was concerned. No mention association would become well acquainted was made of the fact that the businessmen with municipal matters and would make in the core area were raising their own every effort to co-operate with council to funds to purchase the light standards to be ensure that the best interests of the installed around the outside of The Square. ratepayers in Goderich were served. No praise was offered for the efforts of the businessmen to improve the downtown, At a recent meeting of the ratepayers' Discussion indicated that the ratepayers' association. it was learned that 100 citizens association was concerned only about the are. now members of the organization. That town's financial commitment to the shows that 100 people were willing to ro ect, but the poorly worded, negative support the group with a $2 membership fee project, brief set an unfortunate tone at least and many of those same people which led to a series of verbal exchanges plan to get out to meetings to learn more about the town's affairs. That's good: which would have been better left unsaid. In the second "suggestion" there was no :Also at that meeting of the ratepayers' indication that the ratepayers' association association which attracted 30 people a members knew that all of the town's budget decent showing for any type of public meetings are held in open session. Not only meeting in Goderich - members coked are taxpayers invited to attend, they are their concerns about municipal ex - urged to be present to hear why tax dollars penditur.es. They wanted to' know why are spent the way they are in Goderich. Goderich's mill rate is higher than the mill Hardly anyone in Goderich took advantage rate in towns of similar size a legitimate of council's openness this past spring. The question, of course. And they seemed to visitors' chairs in the council chamber zero in on some particular concerns like w(Te empty despite the editorial pleadings snow removal and parks development and ,,f this newspaper to attend 'and to be in - a new vehicle for the town bylaw officer. formed. All worthwhile questions. '"The presentation of the ratepayers' At last week's council meeting, several association at the meeting of December 5 members of the ratepayers' association was argumentative to say the very least. It were -in attendance. At the end of the offered no constructive, helpful advice for meeting. during the citizens' question and town council. It did not leave an impression answer period, a printed sheet containing of co-operation. It did not show that. two "suggestions" was presented to town ratepayers were there to learn as much as council members.. Those "suggestions"' to complain and find fault, were that the ratepayers' association In future, it is to be hoped that for the objected to the proposed lighting on The good of the entire community, the Square because it is believed to he ratepayers' association will take more unnecessary, and that following budget thought in the preparation of their briefs. It preparation, committee heads should is always good to remember that - most identify two or three of the most significant members of town council have years of discretionary items in their budgets. valuable municipal experience to their In ho.th instances, it was evident there credit and that a positive, informed ap- hadn't been enough thought put into the proach is the best tacticto employ wherr wording of the "suggestions". They didn't dealing with any elected officials. —SJK S. UP R TUE 01 ABOUT Ct1 rMI&s? AVOID FRAYED CARDS DAMAGED PLUC�i KEEP AWAY FROM I-1 AT HERE'S HOW 70 MAKE YOURS FIREPROOF! USE ONLY LIGHTING SETS BEARING T44i5 SEAL O cO6E A FRE5H TREE,BEND A ts1EEPLe — IF IT BREAKS REJECT --TREE „ IT 5 -TOO DRY U5E ONLY OtJ 15 -AMP CIRCUIT MAKE A, FRESH DIAG- ONAL CUT AT BUTT KEEP TREE IN REGULARLY—FILLED WATER CONTAINER Ontario Safely League 701O.“0 Postcard pretty By Dave Sykes BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER Sunday harness racing will be enjoyed on four Sundays during 1978 if everything works the way it is presently planned. Permission for Sunday racing will be written into Bylaw 51 of 1968 which also permits such activities as baseball. hockey and duplicate . bridge on the Lord's Day. Actually the decision to amend the bylaw wasn't a difficult one for town council. In general, town councillors were sympathetic to the needs of the Goderich Trotting Association, Reeve Bill Clifford summed it up for everyone by saying it was a "reasonable request". There will be those, of course, who willfrown on yet another extension of the bylaw which allows all sorts of sports on Sundays. But to be realistic, Sunday racing and -even betting on Sunday is r DEAR READERS permitted under the provincial statutes and is carried on in the neighboring town of Clinton. Goderich town council cannot be faulted for amending the bylaw in this case. • - About the only touchy part of the whole thing with respect to the ,local churches, is the possibility the Sunday racing may begin fairly early in the afternoon, Some church leaders might be concerned that worship "services those four Sundays might suffer ever so slightly but this does seem to be a minor concern. Those who wish to attend church will be there. It has always been thus. And, some will argue, given four Sundays , in 1978 the Goderich Trotting Associati'on might seek to extend . that to even more Sundays in 1979. People living in the neighbourhood of the track could be particularly dismayed at such a prospect, but it does seem a remote possibility at least for July and August. Clinton Raceway has that_market pretty well sewed up for this part of the country., The Goderich Trotting Association has made it perfectly clear that the reason for Sunday racing at all in 1978 isto•help pay off the debt on the grandstand which is expected to be built in the spring. "It is understood that without a proper grandstand, the Ontario Racing Com- mission will not allow race meets to take place. It' was Ken Crawford who told council -earlier this year that without a grandstand, racing is "dead in Goderich." There is somedispute in certain quarters concerning the need for a grandstand at all. It has been stated that the horsemen in the community have the greatest interest in the grandstand -because of the gratefully by the people benefit their • organization Goderich as a welcome gets from it. dition to the town's to But at last week's council facilities. meeting, it was made clear It may be true that by Crawford and Larry horsemen derive file great Jeffrey of the GTA that their benefit from the grandsta group was spearheading the but it cannot he denied the drive for funds to construct grandstand is an asset to the new seating facility. community at special tin Certainly Goderich Town of the year. It just addso Council has made it abun- more dimension to t dantly clear that no tax possibilities when one dollars will be spent on a new considering Goderich as grandstand. ideal location for living. Deputy -reeve Eileen And while the subject Palmer said last week that if-' initiative is up for discuss' the 'horsemen were it should be pointed out t generating the enthusiasm more and more it and the energy to complete necessary for citizens tog this building project, the town hold of the challenges and should indeed provide the things done in the commu support and co-operation the without draining the pu group requests, That is coffers. generally the feeling around It'tvouldn'tbefair tobyp the community, too. Since the . the contribution made grandstand is to be built GDC1 students and interes through the efforts of the citizens where the,, n GTA, it should be received Turn to page Hur its to the boa: n Co Wet d to ien drop bran ge e tea of ands ers Greeting Dear Editor: In order that WWI veterans of the 161st Huron Battalion receive recognition, a number of copies of a "1917 161st Sgts. Mess" greeting card were printed and sent to addresses in Canada and the U.S.A. The original' military Christmas�l- card , was sent from 161st headquarters, Witley Camp, Sussex, England in December 1917 by a former Goderich soldier, Sgt. R. Redferri;`to his family at Newgate St. Chas. Young of Newgate St., brother-in-law, of Sgt. DEAR EDITOR Redfern, (killed in action several months late'', at Cambrai) gave the card to a friend, Mrs. Verne Smith at South ' St., who, last July, loaned it to the writer. The 1917.Christmas card, printed with names of nearly 50 161st N.C.O.'s, is a souvenir, because the "Huron Regiment" only two months later, was absorbed by other battalions and thereafter, had no identity as a unit. Among those on the 161st Christmas mailing list are other WWI veterans of Goderich and area, of whom we had knowledge, as well as individuals who are next-of- kin. Tending financial and active support for the project was L. .A. (Les) Riley, a federal customs officer at Goderich whose father was a member of the 161st bat- talion. Printing was done at the Goderich Print Shop by Ken Miller whose father. the late Norman Miller was also a member of "the Hurons". It is hoped the 1977 fac- simile of the "1917 161st Sgts. Mess'greeting card" will help perpetuate the memory of Huron County's WWI ser- vicemen, both "departed" and "in the flesh" Skating rink Dear Editor, One Sunday evening, not long ago, I was driving around the square. The night was clear and crisp, and a light „blanket of snow was covering once again our fair town. The setting was serene and peaceful. It reminded me very much of something I would find on a Christmas card.' My imagination then began to stray and I thought how fine it would have been, out there enjoying this lovely Yours truly, 0evening". And what better way A. N. (Sandy) McDonald, to enjoy it than by skating around the square. By mean, a skating rink in courthouse park. Our park is so beautiful -it is there for our use inwi as, well as summer. Ire that Goderich already sufficient skating faciliti our arena. It seems how' these are only Sfcoresspoll or ti in hockey, skating. What 1 would like to se the park is a picture outdoor rink, a place tos for those people who lo he outdoors, and fors het who love to be tog doesn't have to he elabor just a place to have somef I know there enlist bea Turn to peg 75 YEARS AGO A meeting of the Shorty Hockey Club was held in the Bank of Commerce rooms this week when the following officers were elected: Honorable President -I -1,K. Jordan; President -J .D, O'Connell; first vice- president-E.V. Campion; second vice -president -Fred Shannon; secretary- treasurer-C.H. Day and mascot -Bobo Kiely. On Sunday the harbor was frozen ober and measuring the ice on Monday morning it was found to be six inches - thick in places. It was not fit for skating all over the LOOKING BACK harbor. The many -boys who have risked their lives skating on the harbor and river during the past week should take timely warning and avoid untimely death. The farm on Huron Road owned by the late S. Sloane and occupied by Robert Imrie, has been purchased by Thos. Tilt, the sum paid for it being $2,700. D. McDonald's dog was poisoned the other day, thus showing that the dog mur- derer still lives. 25 YEARS AGO Music Night presented by the Goderich Blue Water Band under the direction of Mr, E.H. Close, provided a rare musical treat in band music for an appreciative audience in the G.D.C,1. auditorium on Monday evening. A gigantic family Christ- mas party of employees with their wives and children -- numbering between 750 and 800 -- was held at the Goderich Pavilion Tuesday night by the Dominion Road Machinery Company] Limited and its rapidly expanding Dominion Road Machinery Defence Production division. Alex Mallough, 18, had a cold swim in Lake Huron on Saturday when he was thrown 20 feet out into the water by the straining of a Cable, which hit him in the chest while he was working near the foghorn on the outer breakwater. 5 YEARS AGO The Local Initiatives Program, a Federal em- ployment incentives operation aimed at providing jobs in worthwhile social or public projects, announced late last week the approval of a Goderich submission, Co - Pilot. Co -Pilot is d' social services program originated by Maurice Blanchard, whose aim is to provide young people with information counselling in matters drugs, birth control, vene disease and similar sl problems facing youth. was r2 in excess f $600 g who last Friday Alexa nursinstaff at l Marine and Generra'against Hos took to the ichockey g doctors for a o to The funds of glnte the purchase Care equicot• and C equipMent. Diana Oke and of Fisher, Second Goderich GII1 d heir MMonday received evening at a s ceremony. 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