The Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-08-31, Page 4s�•
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PAGE 4— THE GQpER1 1I SIGNAL -STAR, T RRSPAT. AUGUST 31, 1978
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Goderich-SIGNAL STAR
—
The County Town Newspaper of Duron
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Business and Editorial Office
TELEPHONE 5244331
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
Board meeting open now
There's more good news this week from Mrs. Jo
Berry, chairman of the board of governors of
Alexandra Marine and General Hospital. Mrs.
Berry reports that beginning with the September 18
meeting of the hospital board, the press will be
welcome to sit in on deliberations.
The board of the hospital met last Wednesday
evening to discuss the Ministry of Health's special
grant, and it was at that meeting board members,
agreed -to allow the press to attend monthly board
meetings " for a trial period until the end of
December. It is understood that at that time, the
value of the reports to the public will be assessed,
and if the board feels continued coverage is
desirable, reporters will then be admitted on a
regular basis.
This newspaper is grateful to the hospital board
for reconsidering its former position of closed
board meetings, even for a trial period. What's
more, this newspaper is certain the people of
Goderich and district are encouraged by the
board's decision for it is well known the public is •
interested in what goes on at the local hospital.
Recent months have been full of tension and
Huron -
turmoil for the members of the, board of governors
at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital. This
newspaper heartily commends each and every
board member for his or her hard work and per-
severance. The trust of this community in board
members was proven worthy this summer as it was
demonstrated that conscientious men and women
charged with heavy responsibility at the hospital
can turn things around and put operations on an
even keel once again. Good work, friends.
Board members- have also noted that the general
atmosphere at the hospital is improving, that staff
members are working efficiently and effectively
together, that the medical profession is co-
operating in all ways to ensure budget restraints
will be met without jeopardizing patient care and
that the public is vitally aware now of the tight rein
that must be held on expenditures at the hospital_
Surely' now Alexandra Marine and General
Hospital•is well on the way to new heights in service
to mankind, and the people of Goderich and area
can continue to feel proud of the team effort shown
by everyone connected with AM&G. - SJK
theatre country
With the summer season drawing to a close, it is
time to reflect again on the theatre productions
available to Huron County residents through July
°and August. Huron County must surely be one of the
few Ontario counties that can boast two fine
theatres, each one thoroughly entertaining though
each one distinctively different.
Personal''' preferences count for so much in
theatre, making it difficult to assess the most
successful production at each theatre. But for the
purposes of this editorial, only two shows will be
discussed. They are Oklahoma which was staged at
Grand Bend Country Playhouse and The School
Show which delighted so many folks at Blyth.
The unique flavor of each theatre is un-
mistakable: The Grand Bend areatheatre, though
housed in a barn, is steeped in urban sophistication;
the Blyth theatre, upstairs in a pleasant, air-
conditioned auditorium, is drenched in grass-roots
simplicity. Both are charming.
Oklahoma, a well-known Broadway and
Hollywood box office bonanza, was colorful and
tuneful, backed up with a 20 -piece pit orchestra that
executed the Rogers and Hammerstein score with
some skill at Grand Bend. Packed houses enjoyed
the production, and audiences were properly ap-
preciative, chuckling and chortling quietly at the
humor and smiling and applauding in the right
places for the Music_
The School Show, an original play written and.
played by Ted Johns, was an absolutely delightful
version of the teachers' strike in Huron this last
school year. The music was recorded but that didn't
matter to the capacity crowds. At at least one
the Johns' humor and even stepped totothe
performance, audiences gaffa-wed shamelessly/at
in tune to the
hoedown harmony as it filled in between acts/
Yet for those people Who attended both ,shows; it
wouldn't be easy to pick the one that/was most
enjoyable. Both seemed exactly right for the time
and the place.
And that's what is so great about Huron County's
two, theatres. They are at different ends of the
county .._. and at opposite ends of the entertainment
scale. But together they offer good entertainment
at a reasonable price for Huron County residents
and their guests. There is something for everybody
and it is bouquets this week to both theatre groups
and their faithful executives. Next summer can't
come too soon. - SJK
Darcy never, never dull
Darcy McKeough has resigned from provincial
politics. While some people will say good riddance,
most of the people in Ontario will feel just a little
sad and maybe a little apprehensive about Darcy's
departure.
There's no doubt about it. Darcy McKeough was
never dull. And what's more, he was never dumb.
He may have been disturbing and disquieting,
daring and devillish, but never never dreary or
doltish.
Whenever there was controversy - a drastic
change in government thinking, perhaps - Darcy
was usually at the core. It was Darcy, you will
recall, who pushed for regional government and
practically everybody knows the furor and the
argument that caused throughout the province.
Why, the echoes of that Darcy dream still clang in
the ears of- provincial politicians. Just mention
regional government in Huron County and you'll
find grown men and women shaking with anger and
quaking in fear.
More recently = just this term, in fact - Darcy
wanted to balance the Ontario budget. He promised .
he _would do it and many, many people applauded
from the sidelines. But Darcy couldn't deliver. One
of Darcy''s suggestions you will remember, was to
increase OHIP payments by a substantial amount.
And You know what happened to that one. The
Ontario government had to reconsider its position
because the anguish of the taxpayers could be
heard in every corner :of the Ridings, and the Big
Blue Machine began to cough and sputter in the
wake.
Yes siree, Darcy kept them on their toes in.
Toronto. He added a sparkle and a style to the
Legislature that put him in a class by himself. He
wasn't really arrogant; he was simply determined.
He wasn't unconcerned and uninformed; he was
only visionary and exciting.
So there will be no more of Darcy's road shows _...
no more pleading with municipal politicians to cut
their spending to "meat and potatoes" and no more
cajoling the ,public to participate in municipal
funding to an even greater extent. Darcy's gone
now and oddly enough, the people of Ontario are
going to miss him. He was just different enough to
be endearing. - SJK -
HPB on protection trail
For those persons who are paranoid abo at an-
cer-causing agents, there is reassuring new§ this
week from Health and Welfare Minister Monique
Begin. The federal minister of health says that
additional restrictions on the use of nitrite in the
curing of meats in Canada are just not indicated at
this time. Miss Begin has made a thorough
evaluation of all the available information on the
benefits and risks associated with nitrite, and has
concluded that the elimination of nitrite froni
Canadian meats would not be warranted.
Nitrite and nitrate, a related chemical, have been
used to prevent the formation of botulinus toxin in
cured meat products - bacon, ham, wieners,lun-
cheon meats etc. The federal department of health
is looking for safe and effective substitutes, but to
date .there 'simply are none. Truth of the matter is
that without something in cured meats to prevent
the growth of a micro-organism which causes
botulism, consumers would be exposed to the very
real risk of serious and often deadly ..disease.
The Health Protection Branch- (HPB) of the
departinent of health has recently,coneiuded a long-
term: study in which rats were' given diets that in-
cluded 25 per cent cooked bacon made with or
without nitrite throughout their lifespan. The in-
cidence of cancer was unchanged in animals given
the nitrite -cured bacon as compared to those
receiving bacon without added nitrite. Miss Begin
feels this study should give Canadians added
assurances about the safety of nitrite under
practical conditions of use.
Ideally, of course, HPB would like to safely
reduce the unnecessary use of nitrite still further.
Canadian scientists will continue to monitor world
experience with nitrite and additional in-
vestigations on the safety of"nitrite and of possible
substitutes are being planned jointly with health
„officials of the United States and the United
.Kingdom.
In the meantime, lovers of cured meats can
continue to eat with comparative confidence that
such foods, are as safe as most on sale at super-
markets everywhere. If you listen to all the experts,
though, you will limit yourself to a diet of only the
purest water and organic herbs.... and then only
when you are absolutely certain neither you nor the
good you touch has been polluted by ,sun, air -or
hidden environnhental dangers. - SJK
•
•
d
Dear Editor:
W. E. Elliott's interesting history of the -Stewart family in the
August 10th issue brought to mind this photo that happens to be in
my possession. It is a photo of the Stewart orchestra led by
George Stewart, florist (back row, left) and taken, I believe, at
the Sunset Hotel in the year 1917 or '18 where the orchestra en-
tertained the summer guests_ The bearded- gentleman is my
father, Henry Barker. Can any reader furnish the names of the
other musicians?
-Ernie Barker,
197 Hayfield Rd.
'BY
SHIRLEY J. KELLER
Mothers in the district
probably won't be sorry
to see summer holidays
end, and ,school begin.
Particularly those
mothers with children
over the age of six.
For those women with
children under six,
there's a chance there
are some kindergarten
types in the kiddie group_
And watching a little one
trudge off to kin-
dergarten for the first
time can be a heart -
wrenching experience.
I was never that kind of
a mother, though_ I was
always pleased to see my
children go to elementary
school. With all three of
them, I was getting
weary of answering that
plaintiff question: "What
can I do now, mom?" I
could barely wait until
some teacher with tons of
ideas and never-ending
energy would take my
children out of my care
for most of the day .__ and
put them to work"at mind-
expanding pursuits.
I got a little less excited
about the day my
children set off for high
school for the first time.
That -signalled the
beginning of a new era
with new problems and
new challenges that I
didn't particularly
welcome until it was
absolutely necessary.
With the youngest of the
NNW
DEAR READERS
Keller clan still in
elementary school, I
won't have to dealwith
those feelings until next
September. Right now,
that seems a million
years away_
As most of you who are
regular readers will
recall, the time when I
seem to get the weepiest
about children starting
school is when they go off
to university for the first
time_ I really find that
hurdle . the toughest,
probably because I'm
finally aware the children
are moving out of my
home and away fr-.m my
influence into the big
wide world of total
realism. I don't know who
I pity the most. Myself for
the loneliness I feel after
so many years? Or the
kids for the respon-
sibilities and difficulties
they will have to en-
counter by themselves?
+ + +
But enough of that. This
year for the first time in
seven years, I have only
two children in school ._._
and neither of them
making any critical
changes to another level.
So this September will be
routine for me .... and
frankly, I'm looking
forward to it.
My daughter will be
going to the University of
Western Ontario in
London this year, and
with the eldest son having
spent four years there
and other members of the
Keller family scattered
thither and yon
throughout the city,
London seems almost like
home. Much closer than
Guelph where she studied
last year "___ or Toronto
where she went to school
this summer_
And we'll be_ back to
three around the table
Monday to Friday .... and
psychologically, that
makes me feel almost
free of meal -planning and
other domestic chores_
+++
I was interested to read
this week that Hibbert
Township students who
attend St. Columban
School and Tuckersmith
Township students who
attend St. James School
in Seaforth, will be riding
the school buses with the
secondary school
students this fall. This
action means a cost
saving for the Huron -
Perth Roman Catholic
Separate School Board
and an entire bus
route for United Trails.
Naturally there are
some concerned parents,
moms and dads who feel
that the influence of high
school kids on younger
kids won't be good. But
the fears of these people
will probably be allayed
in a month or te The
same kind of a tran-
sportation system works
well in Goderich;Exeter,
Clinton, Seaforth,
Stratford and Kinkora,
according to Jack Lane,
superintendent of
business and finance for
the HPRCSS board.
We were living in Dash-
wood when our two eldest
children first started to
school. The village had its
own school and our
children were able to
walk to .class_ Then came
the central schools and
the wide -spread fears of
parents in Dashwood for
their children who must
now ride that horrid
school bus every day.
I remember the fears
parents had ___ fears of
children getting sick on
the bus, of little children
falling asleep because of
the long ride to school,
the long day at school and
the long ride home; of old
kids getting into good-
ness -knows -what on the
bus; of drivers being
careless or, worse yet,
uncaring; of children
missing the bus at either
end and causing great
inconvenience to parents.
But the buses arrived
that September, the
children got on the buses„
and within a week or so,
everybody was talking
about another problem_
+ + +
Of course, the idea of
integrating bus routes
isn r- new, but in my
opinion, enough study
isn't given to integrating
more bus routes_ Up to
now, it is generally the
board of parochial
schools that study the
possibilities most closely_
The public school board
to my knowledge, hasn't
really studied the
feasibility or examined
what cost savings - if any
- there would be to run-
ning one bus down a
township road and
picking ilp all the
students, regardless of
age or destination.
To be sure, that might
not work at all. But
there's something most
upsetting about watching
school buses criss-
crossing the same routes
_ following each other
like trained elephants
picking up students you
know attend schools
which are almost side by
side.
A few years ago when
this matter came to the
fore, it was suggested
that it would present a
nightmare for those
persons trying to
schedule such a bus
system.
Perha today though,
with the p e of gasoline
creeping ov rathe dollar
mark and with energy
conservation a prime
objective of governments
at all levels, bus tran-
sportation people will
have to tax their brains
and their ingenuity to find
ways and means to cut
down on the expenses for
Turn to page 5 •
75 YEARS AGO
At the monthly meeting
of the Collegiate Institute
trustee board last week,
it was decided to pur-
chase two typewriters for
use in the commercial
department of the school.
Pupils who use them will
be charged a fee of $1 per
term.
The Nordheimer Piano
Company has had on
exhibition for the past ten
days at Porter's book
store perhaps the han-
dsomest piano that has
ever, been seen in
Goderich. It is a full
concert grand, the case
being of a most pleasing
colonial design, finished
in a beautiful natural
mahogany. This piano
will remain in town and
will go into one of the
handsomest of the new
homes which are being
erected in Goderich this
season.
Though the evening
Was very uninviting,
LOOKING BACK
there was a good-sized
audience in attendance at
the lecture given by Thos.
McGillicuddy in the
Temperance Hall on
Monday night.
Last Thursday, '15 tons
of iron spikes for the
repair work on thesouth
pier arrived from
Montreal.
The Women's Christian
Temperance Union will
hold an apron sale on
September 18 and 19 in
the store lately occupied
by C.G. Newton.
Miss Flossie McCreath
has the position at the
post office formerly held
by Miss Nannie Knox.
Rev. Father West left
Goderich yesterday for
St. Thomas to enter upon
his duties as parish priest
there.
25,YEARS AGO
Goderich appears
headed for another
. housing boom with a
decision made by Town
Council last Friday night
to apply for 25 more
rental homes to be built
here. Council' also passed
a motion requesting the
Ontario Department of
Planning and Develop-
ment to send a
representative here to
view prospective lots for
the homes.
Members of locals of
various unions in
Goderichbelonging to the
Goderich Trades and
Labor Council attended
the morning service at
Knox Presb}iterian
Church on Sunday as part
of their celebration to
mark Labor Day.
Nearly 1,000 _people
can't be wrong --and
exactly that number of
tourists sought overnight
accommodation right
beside the lake in •
Goderich this summer
but were told none
existed. This figure was
received. from Miss
Beatrice Bradford, at-
tend ant at the tourist
information booth on the
Square.
Several valuable
racing pigeons were
taken to safety from a
shed on the property of
W.P. Johnson, East
Street, on Tuesday af-
ternoon when a nearby
shed caught fire.
If it isn't "watch the
Fords go by" it will be.
"watch the Ford dealers
go by" in Goderich on
Saturday afternoon.
Hundreds of Ford dealers
have chartered the S.S.
South American of
Detroit and have included
Goderich as a port of call.
5 YEARS AGO
Striking members of
Local 682 of the Inter-
national Chemical
Workers Union ratified
an agreement on
Saturday afternoon that
will ° give_ them a wage
increase of $1.45 over the
terwr of—the three year
contract and additional
fringe benefits.
The Huron County
Health Unit staff
welcomed a new staff
member as of August 1
when John Orr, 26,
assumed the position of
staff health inspector for
the Central Huron
Region.
The weather station
slated for Sky Harbor
Airport will . be con-
structed by Fisher
Custom Builders for a
total price of $14,777.98.
As of August 1 the
former practice of Dr.
M.W. Raithby was-
transferred
astransferred to the hands
of 27 -year-old Dr. Bill
Schilthuis. Dr. Schilthuis
comes to Goderich after
serving for two and one
half years as an associate
with a clinic at Milverton
operated by Dr. K. Pauly.
I3y mid-October it . is.
hoped he will have moved
to his new facilities on
Highway 8