HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-05-18, Page 6PAGE 6--GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, MAY 18, 1978
Thanks, Dorothy
Dear Editor,
I would like to thank
Dorothy Wallace for taking
the time to express her view
of 'the current controversy
,regarding book banning by
the Board of Education. This
viewpoint is one being ex-
pressed quietly by many
citizens in the area and one
which deserves wide
publication.
It is unfortunate, however,
that the Board of Education
has chosen to avoid the issue
by, passing it to a committee
rather than taking the op-
portunity, as it has in the
past, of supporting its
teachers in setting an ap-
propriate curriculum.
The Board has thereby
established the principle that
any vocal group may in-
fluence the curriculum of-
fered in our schools, the
criterion being only the
loudness of the group.
Censorship of a book
already judged to be among
the best in the world is in-
credble.. I•t deprives students
of an opportunity for a
broader view of , the world
which can only be an asset.
We can no longer pretend
that Huron County operates
in isolation from the rest of
Ontario. and the world but
should welcome every op-
portunity for a wider
viewpoint. Anyone reading
the books concerned can
appreciate the principles
being set down. One who has
not read the books cannot
discuss them nor can he offer
an intelligent opinion as to
their literary merit.
Yours truly,
Margaret I. Rivers
•
Let down
Dear Editor:
First I felt dismay and let-
down when I was informed
that by mistake my' lengthy
letter in your last week's
paper appeared without my
signature. The letter gave
some facts and some im-
pressions concerning the
Square area improvement
projects which I,• as a citizen
and a Council member, see
reason to support' and
promote.
Then I Was somewhat
comforted by the thought that
the letter was so obviously
mine that everyone who
cared to read it must have
taken it for gra nted"that only
a mistake could have .left it
without my name.
DEAR 'DIT
Now I feel like saying a
word of comfort to The
Signal -Star. I notice that the
second page of the main
section of The Globe and Mail
frequently carries a boxed -in
area under the heading of Our
Mistake; on most days there
are two or three corrections
of the mistakes the paper has
made.
So you see - it can happen
"in the best of families''.
+ ++
Speaking of letters - I would
like to thank Mrs. Dorothy
Wallace for her civilized and
thoughtful letter on the
literature courses offered in
our secondary school. Those
of us who appreciate the
philosophy she expresses
share her concerns and
conclusions.
+ ++
Still on the subject of
writing - here is something I
have meant to say for quite
some time. Jack Riddell's
column is another piece of
thought and information
sharing I very much ap-
preciate. I like the idea that
he does not talk to us just
around election time; but that
he keeps in touch on a regular
--basis: I feelthatin'his way he
is treating us as adults and
@quals.
Yours sincerely,
Elsa Haydon.
•
Good work
Dear Editor:
The Huron County Unit of
the Canadian Cancer Society
would like to express their
appreciation and gratitude to
all the residents, industries,
business firms and
association of the Goderich
area who contributed so
generously to the 1978 Cancer
Campaign for funds.
You have helped the
Goderich Branch to attain, as
of May 15th, the remarkable
total of $12,500.00. This
achievement combined with
the other four Branches in
Huron has enabled the Huron
County Unit to exceed its 1978
goal of $40,000.00.
The excellent results of this
fund raising will help the
Cancer Society to continue its
great work of assisting
residents of this area, as well
as countless other Canadians,
through its programs of
service to cancer patients,
research and public
education.
A special "thank you" to
the. Goderich Branch Co-
chairmen, Harold Chase and
Les Pitblado, and all the
other fine volunteers, cap-
tains and canvassers who
have marched on the
sidewalks, knocked on doors
and covered both the hard
surface and dusty sideroads
in order to achieve this
wonderful result.
Sincerely
Ross McDaniel,
Jim Remington,
Campaign Co-chairmen,
Huron County Unit,
Canadian Cancer Society.
Huron lucky?!?
Dear Editor:
We of "good taste", can
take comfort in therdecision
of the Executive of the Huron
County Council to lend its
support to the banning of
"dirty books" in senior high
school classes. In. presenting
such a motion to Council, the
Bayfield Reeve said:,"It was
the feeling of the Executive
Committee there should be a
return to good taste in
literature."Those of us who
are disturbted over the decline
in all the Arts have now found
the champion we need.
There are far too few today
who have a familiarity with
and understanding of
literature -- sufficient to
qualify them for the right to
determine what others should
read. This is most ap-
propriately illustrated in the •
deep insight displayed in the.
Deputy -Reeve's observation.
It is difficult to escape the
cleverly concealed wisdom in
his statement: "I think it's
the next thing to pornography
and I can't really tell the
difference." Such enlightened
declarations emphasize the
eminent qualifications of the
Council and do suggest that
we may not have been giving
it the credit it deserves.
How fortunate the residents
of Huron County are.! Their
elected Council represen-
tatives have not interpreted
their mandate so narrowly as
to be concerned only with
political, government and
administration matters. With
remarkable insight they have
recognized that the electors
voted them into office in
order to have them deal with
educational matters, book
banning, censorship and "a
return to goqd tastein
literature." This perception,
of course, makes the
residents doubly fortunate;
they in turn can expect only
good taste in all of Council's
reports and public tit-
terances. No senior high
school students need fear any
objectionable material in
Council's communications.
We commend Council for
its stand; but we wonder if it
has gone far enough. We
Here for the
Holiday Weekend?
Drop around to the New
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R
would like to think that it will
extend the scope of its con-
cern beyond the three novels
the members want banned.
Although John Steinbeck has
won the Nobel Prize for
literature, this is no reason
not to be grossly offended by
his Of Mice and Men. Such a
perverse suggestion sends a
shudder through all decent
people. Examples of ob-
jecti6nable passages too
numerous to mention can be
found in much of the world's
literature;" in Shakespeare,
Dickens, the Greek tragedies
and even as some have
pointed out in unexpurgated
versions of the Holy Bible
itself.
Children's classics alone
are full of much questionable
material. It's obviously not in
good taste .to have hundreds
of young nubile girls, with
unwashed feet, trying on the
same' glass slipper! Or to
have young girls falling in
love with frogs and turning
them into princes! Or to have
a young prince taking ad-
vantage of a young girl who
has been sleeping for a
hundred yeers! Or to have a
young girl living with seven
dwarfs! We think the County
Council should be encouraged
to ban any literature it
considers in poor taste.
The Council is right of
course in its underlying
assumption that senior high
school students should be
protected against the
realities of life. Much of
reality is not in good taste.
We wish to offer our sup-
port to the Council. We do not
think though that .book
banning is enough. We wish to
invite all concerned citizens
to join us in a crusade to burn
dirty books. Two book bar-
becues will take place: one in
the public square in Bayfield
and the other in the Goderich
Square. (It's better to pollute
the atmosphere than the
minds of senior high school
students). County residents
are asked to bring to either
square, any books that might
possibly be considered to' tie
of questionable. taste. Juries
will be' there; hopefully
Council members will sit on
them; any books judged not
to be in good taste will be
consigned to the fire. The top
prize, for the person who has
the greatest number burned,
will be participation on a
county panel which will
secretly screen for
questionable passages, all of
the Ministry of Education's
Educational T.V. programs.
On the other hand, however,
anyone who submits no book
deemed worthy of burning,
will be running the risk of
being banned for at least one
year from attending any
meetings of Council.
We are extending a special
invitation to the Huron -Bruce
M.P.P. to attend. Many
senior high students have
been "shocked and offended"
to read 'portions of Hansard.
Several, after listening to
tapes of the ."question and
answer" period in the House
have said about some 'por-
tions': "Of all the crap they
have ever heard, that has to
be it, and they can tell you
that if that is the sort of
material that their parents
had to listen to, they would
take away their radios and
T.V. sets."
There is a desperate
situation in Huron County.
Hopefully, citizens in and out
of the county will join us in
our crusade to promote good
taste in literature. In Huron
County, there are still
Dragons and Windmills. We
salute •you, Knights of the
County Council.
Yours truly,
Ken Lawton
Write
a letter
to the
editor
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4iiihigumsARENOW HERE
Where are
her relatives
remains?
Dear Editor,
In a paper, dated April 27th,
which I received yesterday
May 8, I noted in the "25
Years Ago" column
reference to the excavation of
Victoria Park, for the Judith
Gooderham pool.
My inquiry is where were
the remains of these early
settlers put when they were
moved from there?
I was told as a child that
some of my ancestors were
buried there. I would like to
find a record of those. Judith
Gooderham would also have
the same ancestors there.
If anyone can give me any
information I would ap-
preciate it.
Sincerely,
Winnifrid S. Killgore
Mrs. Earl H. Killgore
2200 N W 11 th Avenue,
Gainesville, Florida..
32605
Elliott
article
praised.4::a
Dear Editor:
I want'to join the tribute to
Mr. W. E. Elliott for his ex-
cellent article on the
Robertson family. It is a
masterly, piece of historical
research.
I have never had the good
fortune to live in Goderich but
the article brought back
happy memories of many
visits to the house of my
grandfather, W. R. Robertson
and to the house where two
aunts and two uncles lived for
many years.
My grandfather was one of
the kindest men I ever knew.
For instance, when he taught
me to ride a bicycle on
Newgate Street, his patience
with an awkward ten -year-old
was simply phenomenal.
Yours sincerely,
H. Grant Robertson
u
GODERICH AREA PLANNING BOARD
PUBLIC
MEETING
TUES., JUNE 6th® 1978
7:30 p.m.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS -TOWN HALL
57 WEST ST.
PURPOSE:
To discuss the redesignation of a parcel of land comprising an
area of approximately 2 acres located on the north west cor-
ner of Suncoast Drive and Bayfleld Road from "Residential"
to the "Commercial" land use category to permit the expan-
sion of the Candlelight Restaurant a, Tavern to accommodate
Motel Convention Rooms.
Comments and participation are welcomed from all In-
terested persons.
For more Information call 524-9492.
K. Hunter
Secretary
SUNDAY & MONDAY
MAY 21 & 22
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Sun. - Yokorama Spring Bash Senior and Expert
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Mon. - Second Round of the Spring Series for
Juniors and School Boys
E. OVER 500 COMPETITORS.
nliuIRACING 1BEGINS IAPPROX.
NOON
CHILDREN
ADMISSION 53.00
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GULL$
VARNA, ONT.
(12&under) Si
HNY a4 NORTH OF Hf NS"tt LOOK FOR THE SIGNS,'
DERS
ARIETY SHOW
Thursday, June 29
7:30.9:00 P.M., COURT HOUSE PARK
(In ease of inclement weather this event will be held In the Goderich Community Centre)
The organizers are looking for a good variety of
ENTERTAINERS
Interested -Phone 524-2711
Auditions -Saturday, June 17
• TREES • SHRUBS • ROSE BUSHES •
• CLIMBING VINES • EVERGREENS • ETC.
ROT®TILLER,
LAWN ROLLER AND
FERTILIZER SPREADER
RENTALS
LATS OF FREE PARKING
OPEN DAILY 9 a.m. to 6'p.rn.
FRI. TILL 9 -SAT. TILL S:30
OPEN ALL DAY WEDNESDAY
2:00 P.M. -Vittoria Public School
For informationand registration phone
Music Unlimited at 524-2111
(Musk
Unlimited)
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