Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-08-10, Page 4PAGE 4—THE GOD RICIN SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, AUGi: T 10, .19.78 . theGdench +e SIGNAL—STAR The County Town Newspaper of Huron rounded In 1040 and published every Thursday of Goderich. Ontario. Member of the CWNA and OWNA. Advertising ragas on regoat. Subscriptions payable In advance •13.00 in Canada, 9'1.00 to U.S.A...20.00 20,01 othor•co0ntrles. singlo copies 30 centra. Display adver- tising rakes available on request. Please ask for Rate Card No. 0 effective) Oct. 1, 1077. Second class mall Registration Number 07111. Advertising Is accepted on She condition that. In the event of tyllogrophlcal error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous Item. together with reasonable allowance for signature. will not be charged for but the balance of the odvertlsamv --wJ.-'------+- - - :rasa. in dm event of o typogrtiphlcal orrar'cidailffkang goods or services ai ci wrong price. goods or service,prrpy not be sold. Advertising Is merely an offer to sell. and may be withdrawn at any. time. The SIgnol-Star is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts or photos. Published by Signal -Star Publishing Ltd. ROBERT G. SHRIER — president and publisher SHIRLEY. J. KELLER — editor EDWARD J. BYRSKI — advertising manager Business and Editorial Office TELEPHONE 524-8331 area code 519 Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 220, Industrial Park, Goderich Second class mail registration number — 0716 Thereis a problem A story on the front page of 'last week's Clinton News -Record reports that for the first seven months in 1978, there have been 74 liquor offences in that town as compared to 42 offences during the same period in 1977. For the last weekend in July, Clinton town police issued 13 charges to young people found travellingwith liquor in their motor vehicles. Usually.only three or four charges are handed out. Chief Lloyd Westlake of Clinton Police isn't sure why there are so many more offences, but he does believe the fines are too low. He thinks it is only fair to increase the penalties as the number of liquor offences go up. The Seaforth Police Chief, John .Cairns seemsto agree. Seaforth's liquor offences have doubled for •the first half of 1978 and he would like to see the fines made a little stiffer. He says the, area's $54 fine for liquor offences is too low. Exeter Police Chief Ted Day admits that liquor charges are "up quite a bit" in -his area and agrees many of those charged are between 14 and 18 years of age. He doesn't know why there are so many young people drinking these days, although he does believe the lowered drinking age has contributed to the problem. And, says Chief Day, raising the age again to 19 won't help a bit. Youthful drinking is just something society will have to "contend with" because it has already "gone too far". Wingham Police Chief Bob Wittig was unavailable for comment, but the police officer who was interviewed agreed with Exeter Chief Day- that the $54 fine is adequate for first offenders. Both men felt though, that when liquor offences become routine for. an .individual, the fine should be in- creased dramatically. Wingham liquor offences are on the rise, too, according to the officer, but the problem age there appears to be more like 16 to 18 years. Not too many 14 year-olds are charged for underage drinking, he said. Right at home, of ,course, liquor charges are up. Chief Pat King made that observation a few weeks ago when he presented his -six-month report and this newspaper carried the story. What's more, Goderich detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police are reporting a definite upswing ill_drinking offence. According to Constable Bill Wilson, so far this year there \ have been 163 liquor offences against 199 for the whole year in 1.977. From the point of view of the majority of policemen' interviewed, the fines are inadequate for drinking offences in Huron County. Most certainly, the fines for third, .fourth and...fifth-.time ..offenders .. are way too low and it is up to the courts to make these penalties much more severe. But is that the total answer? Will the drinking problems end with heavier fines? + + Judging from the facts, it would be safe to say that Huron County has a drinking problem. With four outof five municipal forces claiming that the biggest trouble is with children as young as 14 years, it would also be safe to say Huron County has a teenage drinking problem. Again, the question must be asked, "Why?" But not just, "Why is the problem getting worse?" but more correctly "Why are so many young people drinking?" After a recent Dear Readers column about the drinking problem, the editor received a telephone call from an older teenager who challenged the Goderich Recreation Director, Mike Dymond, to make a list of the recreational opportunities ex- clusivetg for kids between the ages of 13 and 19. The • recreation department, of course, must bear in mind that teenagers have an aversion to being lumped in with people who are younger or older than they are. p . A quick check with • the recreation department revealed that while many of the recreational programs are certainly geared to citizens of all ages, activities strictly for teenagers aren't all that well attended. A recent dance drew only 150 kids.._.. -from Goderich-and area .,.. a poor demonstration of the need for things to do. Still the challenge remains for the Goderich Recreation and Community Centre board to make some renewed effort to communicate with the youth of this community. Do kids really want to spend -their iirg's`-'drink g aitid'driving"around? If so, why? If not; is there something else they would sooner be doing? But it doesn't stop there. Citizens all over Huron County must begin to recognize the magnitude of the problem and must look closely for the causes of so much teenage drinking. Does it have anything to' do witnthe declinewf family living? Church going? School discipline? Is there too much money available to kids? Too much freedom? Too little respect for authority? Too much knowledge? Too much exposure to life too soon? There isn't just one simple solution. The answer will come in a combination of things, perhaps in the total upheaval of Huron County's style of living. It may require some altered thinking on the part of parents and other adults. The reaction of many people to this editorial will be to throw up their hands and say, "We've been round that mulberry bush before. There is no an- swer. Most kids will grow out of it. Everybody has to have a fling sometime. It's too much hassle to get involved with this kind of problem: What's the town doing? What's the church doing? Let the police deal with the kids if they get'into trouble. It may take awhile but they will learn. If they don't 'there's nothing we -could have- done -about --it .anyway. Kids don't want us to interfere. They want to beleft alone .... so let's leave them alone. We just don't see how - we can help." Hopefully there is somebody out there who will accept the challenge and make some kind of an effort to put Huron County youth at the very top of a list of priorities for the coming months. There's no doubt the kids are worth the struggle.-SJK Freedom -how sweet it is Given as most of us are to beefing about our government, our school board, our country — or whatever, we seldom stop to consider all the freedoms we enjoy and often abuse. Three Canadian lawyersrecently visited the. Soviet Union to gain a better understanding of the legal system in that nation. Their interest • was occasioned by the trials of two Jewish dissidents who wanted to leave the Soviet and take up residence mother countries. The Canadian lawyers learned how such objectors are treated in Russia. The dissident, no matter how high his level of learning or how important his work, is immediately fired from his job. Usually he can find no other employment, even as a •street sweeper. After a short period of unemployment he is charged under a section of Soviet criminal law which states that he is guilty of vicious hooliganism or, of living as a parasite off the state and when found guilty is . sentenced to a labor camp. If he happens to be off military. age he will be conscripted into the army for at least two years and,,PPM , discharge cannot leave the country because he is then in possession of "military secrets'. All Canadians who enjoy the freedpm to criticize the government, malign the prime minister, receive unemployment insurance benefits, at top rates for months and years and free to leave the country whenever they please, should give a little thought to the alternatives. -- The Wingham. Advance -Times. Is your immunization protection up to date? Sun stroked BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER There was a telephone call a few days ago from Mrs. Betty Reid of Saltford. It was a rather strang,e i. call from a woman who is usually very precise in the way she outlines her message. Mrs. Reid on this day was rather at a loss for words concerning her reason for getting in touch with Signal -Star. Betty Reid is the mother of a special child. Betty's daughter is mentally handicapped and for years now, Betty has been working along with anyone 'who would help her to carve out for her daughter a meaningful, productive and_ happy life. She has gone the full route in this community and over the years ..has•--seen---rn-any-of. her dreams for her daughter realized. There's.no doubt about it. Goderich and area people, now are more and more aware of the needs of the mentally han- dicapped and the fact that these people should be brought out into the community to live and to work and to play right along with everyone else. One of the most suc- cessful "integration" programs has been the system at Victoria Pulbic School . and Queen By Dave Sykes GEAR READERS Elizabeth School. Under one roof and through the co-operation of Victoria Principal Don O'Brien and Queen Elizabeth • principal Bonnie Graham, mentally handicapped kids and the kids in the regular public school system get along just, great. They un- derstand each other's 1 -imitations as well as each other's abilities. It is a super learning op- portunity for all the children at the school and it continues to improve, the mentally han- dicapped can function effectively and happily in this world. ++ Betty Reid's concern wasn't for the :school.. hours situation. It was for the leisure time program for._ the. mentallyhan- dicapped in Goderich and • area. It was for the provincially funded project, that has been going on in Goderich for the past two years under the capable directio"hr of Jane Netzke. Jane has been working out of the Goderich Recreation Board Office. Her salary and the money for the program was supplied through the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services. That program is scheduled to end with September and Betty Reid is disturbed. She's disturbed because her daughter and a good many other people like her daughter are going to be the big losers. Because of Jane's hard work, mentally han-• dicapped youngsters•and oldsters in Goderich and area are developing some new interests. They are swimming bowling, and weaving and playing hockey and driving cars and dancing and learning to play golf. They are involved in clubs1 and organizations; they are going to night school; they are µinvolved in municipal . recreation programs of all types; they are getting an op- portunity to learn about hunting and gun safety. ''It is a new world for the mentally handicapped in this part of Huron County. The impetus may have come through "seed money" supplied by the Ontario government, but it is a .worthwhile program that is providing a lifetime of living ex- periences for many people. But it is scheduled to end soon. And Betty Reid and many other parents of mentally handicapped children with whom Betty has spoken, are con- .cerned. What will the future hold for their children? Will they fade into the background • again? Will they possibly never reach their potential or will anyone ever wonder about their potential? +++ ' Betty Reid said she has contacted a good many people who 'would' like to see this program con- tinue in some forth in this community. It isn't just, the families of the mentally handicapped. If it were, the program would surely have failed. No, according to Betty, the people who have been involved with the program in even the most remote ways are gung-ho for its continuance. Perhaps the most en- thusiastic of all are the leisure buddies - the folks who have made special friends of the .com- munity's mentally handicapped and who have seen with their own eyes the tremendous steps forward each of them have made. From a brief chat with Jane Netzke last week, it was evident that the program has worked well, in Goderich. Even Jane has been surprised on occasion with the results. As far as Jane is con- cerned, it is because the mentally handicapped of this area have been "really, really well ac- cepted." She feels the Ministry's money has been well utilized in Goderich. She admits that the Ministry cannot continue in- definitely with the fun- ding and she admits that the Ministry has hopes that in areas like Goderich where programs 'have been successful, the local citizens will respond by voicing their support for the program to be over and paid for through the municipal budget. Nothing would \please Betty Reid more: And nothing would be more helpful to the mentally handicapped and their families. In fact, nothing would be more satisfying to Jane Netzke and the members -of the recreation and com- munity centre board. +++ In the past, there has been discussion about these "government make work projects which are left penniless at the end of a certain period in the hope that the municipality will pick up the tab. Much of the discussion has not been too positive. To be sure, it is difficult in the face of high property tax bills and ever increasing prices for life's essentials, to give Turn to page 5 • 75 YEARS AGO Fred Shannon; who for Some time past hasrbeen the capable stenographer at Dickinson and Garrow's legal offices, has received an„ ap- pointment to the railway mail services department of the civil service at Ottawa. The Government in- spector of marine boilers was in town last week and examined the one on the steamer Iroquois. 'l'he steam yacht Sapho, which came into port about 4 o'clock Monday afternoon, was the admiration of all who visited the harbour during her stay. She presented an exceedingly neat appearance and all her appointments are the e ' LC:DK1NG BACK best.The Sapho is a comparitively new yacht and li"er hull, which is 100 feet in length and draws eight feet was built in Benton Harbour, Michigan. Alex Robinson, the former proprietor of Colborne House, has bought out J. Halliday,'s livery business. 25 YEARS AGO Elston Cardiff, 64 -year- old Brussels farmer swept to victory for the Progressive 1Con servative party in the new riding of Hurdn in Monday's election defeating the Liberal standard bearer, Andrew"' Y. McLean, 44 -year-old Seaforth publisher, in a " battle that was undecided until returns from the last few polls were received. Work is slated to get underway tilts week on construction of the new swimming pool at Judith Gooder'ham Memorial Playground following awarding of the contract to David Ross of Goderich. It is expected to be finished in 12 weeks. Goderich will have a recreation and arena committee accordinga.to a bylaw passed by town council at its meeting last Friday night. 5 YEARS AGO The strike by members of local 682 of the International Union of Chemical. Workers. agains t•. Domtar Chemicals Limited Sifto Salt mine in Goderich is now in its tenth week and some Goderich businessmen are beginning to express concern over the effect the lost wages may be having on the town of Goderich. Lee Ryan, son of Eugene Ryall of 128 Britannia Road West in Goderich, won the singles title - in the Provincial Lawn Bowling Association's second stage playdown at the Fairmont Lawn Bowling Club al London on July 28 and advanced to the Provincial Cham- pionships in Kingston last Saturday. There he was edged out by Dave 18u'rrows from Burlington. As runner-up he received a clock- troph y. The Dominion Road Machinery Company Limited announced this week that Douglas Culbert of Goderich has been selected as the 1973 winner of the "Cham- pion" University Scholarship. Despite gloomy forecasts by economists about the future of business for North America, and indeed the world, Louis (Ned) Bishop, President of Sheaffer Pen Company, maintains the future, for his company at least, remains bright, Mr. 'Bishop was in Goderich last Wednesday for meetings. with the local plant manager Bill Gardner. •