The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-09-20, Page 5%i
PAGE 4--GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1979
Goderic`h
SIGNAL—STAR
The County Town Newspaper of Huron
founded In 14111 and published ovary Thursday at Goderich. Ontario. Member of the CWNA
and OWNA. Advertising rates on request. Subscriptions payable In advance •14.39 In
Canada, •33.00 to U.S.A., '33.00 to ell other countries. single copies 33'. Display advertising
rates available on request. please ask for gate Cord No. 9 effective Oct. 1. 1979. Second
class mall Registration Number 0716. Advertising Is accepted on the condition that. In the
event of typographical 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 advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a
typographical error advertising goods or se� service
Icos at a wrong price, goods or may '
not be fold. Advertising Is merely an offer kr Sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. The
Signal -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
DONALD M. HUBICK - advertising manager
Mailing 'Address:
P.O. BOX 220, Industrial Park, Goderich
Second class mail registration number — 0716
Business and Editorial Office
TELEPHONE 524-8331
area code 519
Agriculture is big business in Huron
If anyone had any doubts that agriculture isn't
one of Huron's prime industries, a look at some
figures recently drawn together by the Ministry of
Agriculture and Food office in Clinton should set
the record straight.
Don Pullen, Huron's agricultural representative,
said this week that the 1978 total estimated gross
farm income from crops and livestock was
$253,935,548. That's not small potatoes.
The figures also showed that Huron is Ontario's
top corn producer with a crop in 1978 valued at
$58,280,000; first in the production of white beans
valued in 1978 at $6,718,000; first in barley
production with a crop that in 1978 sold for
.$4,853,000; and first for turnips valued at $4,200.000
in 1978.
Huron was also first in Ontario in 1978 for cattle
marketed, with sales totalling $73,513,182, It was
second in poultry production in 1978 with sales of
chicken and turkeys bringing $15,750,000; third in
1978 in dairy production with sales amounting to
$29,687,025; and third for hogs in 1978 with hogs
marketed bringing $41,356,814.
Other crops registering substantial income in-
cluded hay valued at $12,690,000; wheat, $2,688,000;
mixed grains, $7,694,000; and soybeans, $1,790,400.
Apples proved the leader in ,fruit sales in Huron
with $371,900 realized from 244 acres. Peas were the
big vegetable market (behind turnips) - 2,073 acres
valued at $862,460. Five hundred and seventy-five
acres of potatoes brought $499,100; 100 acres of
cauliflower netted $248,000.
In addition to all these things, Huron produced
oats, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries,
asparagus, green and wax beans, cabbage, sweet
corn, onions, field tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots
and sheep and lambs. •
Talk about the food basket of the province and
you are talking about Huron County. Let's hear it
for Huron. -SJK
A vital service with a heart
Next week is Public Health Nurses Week, seven
days set aside to recognize the women (and men?)
who supervise the health care of general public.
What do you know about the work done by the
nurses at the Huron County Health Unit?
Joanne Buchanan has done 'a story this week
(front page, second section) about the day-to-day
duties of the public health nurses in Huron. It is
provided for your enlightenment..... and for your
enjoyment.
Public health is -an often misunderstood service.
Sometimes it is looked upon as something for
people who can't afford to pay - a kind of a charity
organization for certain segments of society where
money and maybe even understanding are in short
supply.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The
citizens of Huron County pay handsomely for its
public health staff. It isn't a handout. It is a
valuable health support service that has the public
welfare at the heart of its mandate.
Whether it is an immunized population or senior
citizens or new mothers or school children or in-
dividuals with specific health needs dependent on
the public system, health nurses are interested.
They have a heart for the troubled and. lonely, and a
trained eye and hand for the sick and distressed.
They are on the go 12 months of the year .... and
they are involved 24 hours a day every day of the
year.
This week it is a bouquet for the health nurses in
Huron County and a special thankyou for the "job.
they do for the citizens here from all walks of life.
Their efforts are sincerely appreciated. - SJK
It is a parental responsibility
Vandals are in the news again in Goderich. Since
this newspaper has expressed a multitude of times
its dim view of such society sickies, this time the
thoughts of another newspaper will be expressed•.
That newspaper is The Exeter (N.H.) News Letter.
Apparently Exeter is having a vandalism
problem too. The police chief there insists van-
dalism is not on the rise. It simply moves from
place to place. He said when his officers drive the
vandals out of one spot, they go to another.
The News Letter called for vandalism to be
halted, no 'matter where it occurred. The
newspaper suggested that more police officers
patrol on foot rather than in cruisers ... and that
more police staff be assigned to evening duty.
Two more suggestions were put forth, both of
them having been mentioned numerous times in
The Goderich Signal -Star. The News Letter urged
citizens to inform police right away when they see
anything suspicious happening .... and asked
parents to keep a closer watch on their children.
"Apathy on the part of townspeople will not help
matters," the newspaper correctly stated.
"Parents should be more strict about the hours
their older children keep and where they are
allowed to go after dark. They should make sure
teenagers know that civilization would collapse if
everyone became irresponsible and destructive of
'other people's security and property."
All that is fine ... if people are heeding. If not, the
best solution still may be to make a public example
of offenders when they are found guilty of van-
dalism. There's nothing like a little humble pie to
correct a vandal's haughty stupidity. -SJK
Booze eats up food budgets
There •are many Canadians, including most of
Canada's farmers, who will tell the world that on an
international average, Canadians buy their food at
a very reasonable price. That belief is often borne
out by government -type sta(stics, hauled out from
time to time to quiet vocal consumers who are
protesting this or that cost increase.
When it comes to booze, however, Canadian
consumers (and farmers) are silent. But there are
statistics there, too and they are interesting.
Canadians spend 14 percent of their food budget
on alcohol, stats from the International Labor
Organization say. That's quite a slice of the food
basket dollar if the estimates are anywhere near
correct.
Incidentally, the British spend 18 percent of their
food budget; the Australians 16 percent; the. Irish 15
percent; the French, Danes and Swedes only nine
percent.
But here's the cruncher. The citizens of the
United States of America spend only' six percent of
their food budget, on the suds. Surprising eh? And
perhaps some indication why the people of the USA
continue to enjoy the highest living standard in the
world? - SJK
CPP' '
4
Stilt tlRitt18fi11 B17 t0S11#art „ Ioe
The significance of man
by Jeff Seddon
Closing
Dear Editor,
Another season at Point
FarmsProvincial Park
has drawn to a close. The
park officially closed
Se`ptember 16 for the 1979
camping season.
This year the park
opened to the public for
camping on May 11 and,
maintained a 65 per cent
occupancy rate the
remainder of the sum-
mer, despite several
rainy holiday weekends.
Camper nights were up
approximately 13 per
cent over the;same period
last year-. ,The total
number of camper nights
were 40,512- as of August
31, 1979.
Enforcement - wise
DEAR EDIT
Point Fauns had a busy
year. This year a total of
68 charges were laid
compared to 12 charges
over the same period in
1978. •
Contact with ,park
visitors by enforcement
personnel. increased
,considerably. There were
780 verbal warnings
given, 14 campsites and
108 persons evicted. In
1978, 31 verbal warnings
were given and four
persons evicted. Most
rowdyism occurrences
were vehicle -related with
approximately 70 per
cent of all charges laid
under the Liquor Licence
Act.
It is interesting to note
that even though the
enforcement staff were
twice as busy this
summer, rowdyism
complaints decreased
considerably:
Norm R. Richards,
District Manager,
Ministry of
Natural Resources,
Wingham.
Appalled
Dear Editor,
As„ a faithful reader of
The London Free Press,
I've always enjoyed their
articles on local news.
But on Saturday, Sep-
tember 1,1979, I was
appalled at headlines that
read "Souring of
Vanastra".
We are a young com-
munity tryng to raise our
standards equal to those
in surrounding areas. We
are under constant
criticism from other
areas because of where
we choose . to live, and
then to my dismay, the
Free Press who I'm sure
had a few, to say the
least, subscribers in
Vanastra, jumps on us
also.
The pictures taken
were in 'poor taste, the
rubble pile apparently
was moved ,,long before
the article was ever done.
There could have been
some pictures taken of
completely renovated
homes, or of the park, or
indoor swimming pool.
If Helen Connell
(Edito'r's• note: Ms.
Connell was the former
Free Press bureau chief
in Huron) would have
spoken to the principal of
R
Vanastra Public School,
he could hate told how
well the children behave
here. We have no van-
dalism in our school that I
am aware of. Please
check surrounding area
schools-!
You make us sound like
poor people. I have a
great deal of respect for
people here:- There are
many trying to pull
everything together.
We have ,:.• cubs,
brownies, guides,
baseball teams, tennis
courts, curling club,
skating rink, swimming
pol and a recreation
centre that is always
arranging dances."' This
year we had our first fair
which turned into a huge
success.•
Turn to page 5 •
75 YEARS AGO
Work is now in progress
on section two and three
of the C.P.R.. line on the
Guelph end and con-
siderable progress has
been made on section
eight which starts at
Goderich. Since the first
sod of the C.P.R. line was
turned last week, . the
gully at the foot of
Dunlop's hill and the hill
along Attrill's flats have
been visited by large
numbers of citizens
making inquiries about
what is going on.
On Monday evening 13
Italians arrived at this
depot and were at once
taken to the C.P.R. work
in Colborne, '-
The auditorium at the
Cotiegiate was well filled
on Friday evening, the
occasion being the
opening promenade of the
fall term.
LOOKING BACK
Mechanics seem to be
pushing the work
nowadays on the 'library
building and it seems that
the new public building
will be ready for use this
fall.
Park , caretaker Watt
informs The Star that
some time during
Wednesday night,
someone stole nearly a
dozen fine geraniums
from the flower beds at
the Court House.
Some of the boxes at
hotels and other public
places Were opened last
week by members of
Ahn;rn.eek Chapter,
Daughters of the Empire,
their contents going to the
Alexandra Hospital fund.
The one at the Ocean
House held $3.50 which
included 140 coppers and
three quarters.
25 YEARS AGO
Contract for the new
Huron County Court
House to be built in
Gaderich was let by
County Council at a
special session here
Tuesday to Ellis -Don
Limited, London. The
firm submitted the lowest
of 10 tenders, for $564,631.
Added to this will be
special contracts
totalling $75,630 which
include elevators and
inside furnishings. It is
anticipated that con-
struction will be started
within 10 days. The
building will likely be
ready, for occupancy
early in 1956.
Goderich started to get
back to normal yesterday
after a terrific rain and
wind storm lashed across
the town all day Tuesday
and early Wednesday
morning knocking down
trees and limbs all over
town and disrupting
hydro for several hours.
Hopes of building a 20 -
unit housing project in
Goderich to ac-
commodate elderly
persons were expressed
here Monday by Mayor
J.E. Huckins after a town
council delegation
returned from visiting a'
similar type of ac-
commodation in Owen
Sound:- -.
Goderich is growing up.
Although the new, official
population figures have
not been released as yet
by Town Assessor
William Sturdy, there is
sufficient evidence at
present for us to make a
confident guess they will
be within a dozen either
side of the 6,000 mark.
5 YEARS AGO
The matter of land-
scaping The Square met
with little enthusiasm
when' town council held
its, regular meeting last
Thursday evening.
Bob Sproule has
returned to Goderich to
re -open his shoe business
after three and a half
years of travelling
around Ontario as a shoe
salesman.
Goderich residents
may soon be able to voice
their opinions about what
facilities should be at Sky
Harbor Airport which
will be purchased by the
town shortly. The town
airport committee
Tuesday decided to
recommend to town
council that a . public
meeting be held regar-
ding airport facilities in
October.
The . new students'
council° ,.at G.D.C.I.
consists of Leslie
Williams, Pat Conlon,
Pete Willis, David Ross,
Brenda Thompson, and
Mike Donnelly.,
DEAR
READE
BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER
Clinton News -Record Editor Jim
Fitzgerald has become somewhat of a
hero on Clinton streets since his recent
slrmish with Mayor Harold Lobb and
Clinton town council. I visited with
"Fitz" last week and watched as
citizens came forth in fairly significant
numbers to shake his hand and slap his
back.
The reason? Fitzgerald has' been
fighting for more openness at Clinton
town council meetings .... and ap-
parently, the people. of Clinton are
solidly behind him. Obviously they
want to know what's going on at town
hall ... and why.
There's no doubt about it. Fitzgerald
has been getting plenty of attention
from the media on this one. That's
really not surprising though. Anyone
who has any interest in politics at any
level, knows that access to public in-
formation and trustworthy reporting
are two things that are necessary for
greater ,awareness ,and better un-
derstanding everywhere.
But Fitzgerald isn't the only
neWspapermain • inn this area who is
having troubles with a council that goes
behind closed doors to discuss matters
that could properly be handled in open
session. Last week, Bill Batten, editor
of The Times Advocate in Exeter,
wrote a sizzling column about Exeter
town council's disposition to closed
council chamber doors.
Apparently Exeter councillors have
been prodding citizens to assi,the
local police force to keep a check- on
law breakers by reporting to police
anything suspicious or by taking down
license numbers of any cars they see
breaking traffic rules.
Batten suggests that before town
council recommends that citizens
"take whatever steps necessary to
keep the town as law abiding as
possible", town council should first
"set their own house in order".
Writes Batten; "Ironically., the most
flagrant examples of withholding
public information from the public in
the last couple of years has stemmed
from council's' deliberations over
police offices. There's little doubt they
have broken procedural laws, but what
is most arinoyipg is the fact they have
chosen to go behind closed doors to
make some very important decisions
affecting local taxpayers."
According to Batten, council went
into closed session to discuss buying
property for the new police
headquarters. Not only was the press
and the public barred from the
discussion, the mayor had:•to break a 4-
4 tie vote and there wa's no indication to
are municipal voters why the decision
was so close, what were the arguments
or why the chosen site was deemed best
by council.
Meeting behind closed doors isn't
new, but it is abhored by citizens who
are genuinely interested in knowing the
reasons behind municipal decisions.
It is interesting to sit back and hear
the lament of other newspaper people
in the area, and to be able at the same
time to feel a little smug about the
situation in Goderich. As has been
stated in this newspaper time and time
again in recent months, Goderich
citizens enjoy one of the most open
councils It is possible to have:
Whereas Clinton council passed its
municipal budget in closed session,
Goderich town council holds all its
budget sessions in open session. In fact,
people are invited .... yes, urged ..,. to
attend the meetings that lead up to
passing the budget.
The same kind of frank and open
discussion is generally enjoyed
whether it is police matters, fire
agreements, salary increases for
municipal employees, controversial
matters or public relations pieces.
To be sure, Goderich town council is
the exception and not the rule. And
sometimes I wonder, iF the people of
Goderich really appreciate this quality
of council as much as they should.
It doesn't usually show by the at-
tendance at public and open meetings.
Nor does it always show when council
asks for volunteers or for assistance in
special cases. _It doesn't even show
when council makes a tough decision
on behalf of the community.
Maybe n1 re citizens should reflect
on the excellent relationship they have
with their council members and let
council members know that their open
door policy is acknowledged and
esteemed. J
O