HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-10-04, Page 4PAGE 4—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1979
Goderich`
SIGN.
LST
R
The County Town Newspaper of Huron
Founded In 1640 and published every Thursday at Goderlch. Ontario. member of the CCNA
and OWNA. Advertising rates on request. Subscriptions payable In advance '16.00 in
Canada, '35.00 to U.S.A., '35.00 to all other countries, singlo coplos 35'. Display advertislq
rates available on request. Please ash, for Rate Card No. 9 effective Sodt. 1. 1974. Second
Gloss moll 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 bo paid far of the applicable rote. In the event of a
typographical error advortl§Ing goods or services at a wrong price, goods or service may
not be sold. Advertising 1s merely an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time.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
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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
Aministrator on the ball
Goderich people should be proud of their hospital
administrator, Elmer Taylor. Taylor, relatively
new to Goderich and to Alexandra Marine and
General Hospital, has just completed service on a
provincial small hospitals study committee and
was immediately reappointed to a provincial bed
allocation committee. That demonstrates Taylor's
ability as a hospital administrator and points up the
respect he and his hospital ....your hospital ..
command in Toronto.
Taylor had plenty. of influence on the study
committee into the needs of small hospitals in
Ontario. And .it shows. The Ontario Minister of
Health, Dennis Timbrell, accepted eight of ten
recommendations made by the committee and
every one will be a benefit to AM&G as well as to
the other small hospitals in Huron County. - '
The minister has agreed that hospitals with 100 or
Let's hear it
for newspapers
• Next week is Canadian Newspapers Week.
October 7 to 13 has been set aside tosalute the
newspapers Tn the nation for the job they do week
after week for the people of this great country.
There's lots that could be said about newspapers
but perhaps the most important fact is that people
believe their newspapers. A readership survey
conducted by Signal -Star Publishing Ltd. a year
ago proved overwhelmingly that SSP's weekly
newspapers are trusted sources of. information.
Whether it is an ad or a news story, readers say
they can depend on what they read in their papers.
And•'that's quite a claim to make.
A recent Gallup . poll taken shows that people
really do have confidence in newspapers. They
rated newspapers as fifth fordependability, right
behind the church, the bank, the military and the
school. They rated newspapers as more trust-
worthy than the courts, television, organized labor,
government and big business.
That's an enviable position to be in.
Have you been reading your newspaper faith-
fully? - SJK
fewer active -treatment beds will be permitted to
stay 10 beds above the guidelines of 3.5 beds per
thousand population before their budget base is
affected. That's good news for Goderich.
The minister has also agreed that hospitals of up
to 50 approved beds should be exempted from
further application of the active treatment bed
guidelines. That's good news for Clinton, Seaforth,
Exeter and maybe even Goderich. Taylor believes
the minister accepted the committee's recom-
mendation that hospitals of up to 50 active beds
should be exempted from application of the
guidelines and if that is so, Goderich will be very
much affected by the decision.
Taylor's special interest shows up in another of
the recommendations accepted by the minister.
That one involved a suggestion that the ministry
pay the total net cost of operating hospital-based
ambulance services. Another plus. for Goderich.
Goderich will also benefit from the decision of the
minister to accept a recommendation that small
hospital capital funds be priorized to enable them"to
make structural changes recommended by ac-
crediting and licensing bodies and for conversion of
active treatment to chronic care beds.
Likewise, Goderich hospital will be 'able to
provide improved service to the community
because the minister accepted a committee
recommendation „thatwill permit AM&G to im7
plement alternative programs, such as conversion
of active beds to chronic beds, when there is a -
demonstrated need.
Board members at AM&G are justifiably proud of
Elmer Taylor. And they are delighted that he has
been selected to serve on the bed allocation com-
mittee to begin meeting soon. They know that just
as their ideas for a dynamic small hospital were put
forward in a .realistic and .forceful mariner in the
last instance, their opinions and concerns about bed
allocation will also be voiced in a winning way by
Taylor in his new role.
So .it's a tip of the editorial cap this week to•Elmer
Taylor. The whole community will be waiting to
hear the results of the deliberations of the bed
allocation committee, secure in the knowledge that
Goderich's hospital administrator will do the
people proud. - SJK
Lock up those poisons
In the next 10 minutes, another Canadian child
will be accidentally poisoned. Each day, 136
youngster fall victim to this rapidly -growing threat
to their health and well-being. And the pity of it all,
is that itis totally unnecessary.
Parents of young children must be constantly
aware that little ones will eat and drink almost
anything. It doesn't matter how foul it smells or
tastes to adults. If it glitters, gleams, makes a noise
or is pretty -colored, it is only a matter of time
before an inquisitive youngster will want to touch it,
taste it or smell it.
Follow a few simple rules for the safety of your
children:
t,y1. Medicines of all kinds should be kept high and
locked away. Prescription drugs should be kept in
child -proof container's. Don't ever call medicine
candy. You will be risking deliberate but innocent
overdosing ly tag" who at the first opportunity will
sit down to feast on aspirin or cough syrup or
mommy's diet pills. Flush unused meldicines down
the toilet.
2. Household cleansers should be stored on high
shelves, and not below the sink. Keep all your
cleaners and solvents in their original containers.
Never put them into a soft drink bottle or an empty
beer bottle. When you are finished using them, put
them away. When the containers are empty,
discard them carefully, making sure the kids can't
get them. Pour any unused portions down the drain,
when safe for plumbing. ..
3. ' highly dangerous compounds such as
kerosene, paint thinners, pesticides, insecticides
etc. should be stored and locked away in the
basement, in the workshop- or the garage. Leave
them in the original containers. Discard partly used
portions or empty containers carefully.
Children and poison don't mix. That's the theme
of a national program on poison prevention that is
being sponsored by the Canadian Pharmaceutical'"
Association. You are advised to know your poisons, •
know your antidotes and keep the hospital's
emergency number handy. It only makes good
sense. - SJK
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DEAR
REALE
ti
tr
More lovely
By Dave Slykes
DEAR EDITOR
made, sidewalks torn up,
new type pipes laid and
new sidewalks laid.
Dear Editor, The middle of the busy
While spend1ng_ Jgw_20th_stxeet—be arse- a
days holiday in Goderich garden with flowering
recently, we were so trees, shrubbery and
pleased to see that some flowers. The sidewalks
improvements were also were landscaped and
being 'made to the benches put in here and
Square. This reminded us there. All this has
of the wonderful change brought more business to
which has been made in downtown Birmingham.
downtown Birmingham. Now, ,Goderich doesn't
Seven city blocks have need this kind of massive
been transformed from a alteration. Ithas'a lovely
bleak stretch cif buildings setting, but just to see the
into a veritable oasis of new sidewalks started is
beauty. a very good sign. -of the
The merchants co- concern of the citizens to
operated well, while the make Goderich more and
alterations were being more lovely.
Keep up the good work
Goderich. You were. so
kind to me when I came
to live withyou all and we
–do- feel--•th-at--Goderrch is...
still our home.
Sincerely
. Bob and Dorothy
Venus
,Birmingham,
Alabama
May God heli
Dear Editor,
It would be possible to
challenge Hydro
Chairman Macaulay's
naive and simplistic
comparisons concerning
the cost of nuclear
derived electricity in a
great many ways but
such things get tedious.
Suffice it to say that since
going' nuclear, Ontario
Hydro has assumed debts
of monumental
proportions, lost the
confidence of foreign
investors - i.e. shrewd
U.S. financiers . - and
subjected its customers
to an ongoing series of
major price hikes,
One of the tenets of.
propaganda is that,if you
repeat a statement often
enough, it will ultimately
become accepted as a
fact. The statement that
nuclear energy is `safe
and clean' represents a
classic example.
It is flattering indeed
that the correspondence
columns of our small
town newspaper should
be read by Hydro's
Chairman, and further he
should feel moved to pen
a reply. I know from
personal experience that
over the, past decade the
Goderich area has been
carefully monitored by.
the nuclear interests. The
question is why!?
Evidence would
suggest that for some
time Hydro has been, and
still is anxious to get this
area involved in their
Turn to page 5.6 .
•5 YEARS'AGO
At a meeting of the
Florence Nightingale
chapter, !ODE:. last
Monday. tcn.dollars was
voted as their con-
tribution to the fund of
fighting the white plague.
Dr. J.L. Turnbull has
returned to town and is
again in active practice.
The Goderich Cement
Brick Company started
this week making a rock
faced brick and on
Wednesday. ' made 15,000
and a larger number
yesterday.
The dog poisoner had a
big day on Monday, when
he put a number of
canines in great torture.
Walter Sharman is"
making preparations to
put down . a gra•nolithic•
LDDKINc- BACK
walk along t east side
of Albert Street.
C.A. Reid and Com-
pany are putting an
engine house addition. to
the Doty Company's
engine works on Brock
Street..
Alex Robinson, the
Newgate .Street livery
man, has started- a bus
from town to Saltford for
the convenience of work-
men •employed at the
C.P.R. work in that
village.
'!5 YEARS AGO
Population of Goderich
has been estimated of-
ficially at 6,001 for 1954,
town assessor O.W.
Sturdy said yesterday, an
increase of 326 over the
figure 5,675 set last year.
In addition, Mr. Sturdy
said, the town's'. Collegiate Institute
assessment has been Plowing Match 'on
increau d by more than
$56.0,00101.
A borrowed shovel was
used when ' officials
decided on the spur of the
Moment last week to hold , A maximum grant of
the official sod -turning $5,000 has been made to
ceremony for the new
$640,000 Huron County
Court House being built in
Goderich.
Tuesday, Gordon Baxter
of Goderich Township,
won the special trophy for
hest plowed land; 'crown
and finish.
Following instructions
issued by town council
last Friday night,
Goderich police •depar- Students at Vrctoria-
tment has started to Public School have been
getting on -again,' off -
`again holidays since
September 23 because the
school's new heating
system isn't hooked up
and cold weather makes
classroom temperatures
too low for education in
comfort.
the new swimming pool
at- Judith Gooder.ham
Memorial Playground by
the Ontario Department
of Agriculture.
5 YEARS AGO
enforce a by-law passed
recently by council which
states that citizens may
not live in a trailer for
more than 60 days in any
one year.
One of the youngest
students taking part in
the Goderich • District
Although plans for a
nuclear power generating
station in the Goderich
area seemed to have been
dropped last summer,
Ontario Hydro still has its
eye on the Lake Huron
shoreline near here as a
potential site for one.
This year's class
valedictorihn at G.D.C.I,
was Maureen McCauley,
daughter of.Mr. and Mrs.
Pete McCauley. Special
Year 5 awards went to
Ontario Scholar Glen
Naylor ..__....for highest ..
average and excellence
in math; and Ontario
Scholar Maureen
McCauley for proficiency
in math and science.
Ontario Scholarships
were also awarded to
Randy Keller., Susan
Freeman and Mary Van
Rooy.
BY $HIRLEY J. KELLER
Dogs and postmen are age old
enemies. I don't know why. Some
people suspect it because of the
uniform and there may be some reason
to believe that's so. Apparently milk-
men and meter -readers and oth.er
sundry uniformed types are bait for
dogs who prefer most casual attire on
their people.
Goderich posties were sympathetic
this•Week to an article which appears in
the current edition of Maclean's. An
item there, datelined Winnipeg, is
entitled " The postman . always
screams twice and is ill about the
painful and dehahilitating injuries
suffered by postmen in the per-
formance of their duties.
Goderich postmen are sympathetic
because two of their tanks have been
bitten in the last two or three weeks by
dogs. Both posties needed hospital
attention for their injuries. After
something , like that, it is un-
derstandable that all the postmen are
• just a little unnerved as they make
their rounds. It isn't much fun when the
family pooch bares his teeth and snarls
at you as you attempt to deliver a letter
from Aunt Liz and a packet of money-
saving coupons to the household.
In Winnipeg, there is a proposed new
dog policy with (pardon the pun) some
real teeth in it.... butt not enough to suit
the mailmen of that city. The policy
calls for fines of up to $500 for owners
who neglect to scoop up after their
• puppies while off their own property,
but it doesn't do much to protect the
postman's clothes and body from
vicious attack.
It does call for a fine of $50 for the
first biting offence ... postmen in-
cluded, of course ... but the Winnipeg
posties aren't satisfied with that. In
1978 in Winnipeg, 30 city postmen were,.
bitten by dogs and not long ago, one
postie almost lost his testicles when he
was attacked by a canine on his route.
The Winnipeg postmen want stricter
enforcement of the dog bylaws and
stiffer penalties for dog ownersi WFose
pets get outside the law.
Interestingly enough, dog owners in
Goderich as ' everywhere else in
Canada, are liable for a postman's lost
wages and 'his torn uniform if the
damages inflicted by the dog total
more than. $100. But there's a problem
,with this, of course. It is to identify the
dog, find the owner and enforce the
law. That's not always easy.
There are all sorts of things postmen
can do to protect themselves. Some of
them are downright ingenious.
For instance, there are pepper -laced
sprays which postmen can unload on a
persistent pooch. There are high-
pitched whistles that send the dog
scampering for home and quiet. There
are even tranquilizer guns that stun the
charging dog (if the postie is a good
shot). And there are the usual sticks for
defence ,.. not a great deal of help if the
animal is large and strong and bent on
revenge.
I guess the real solution rests with
dog owners. And postmen admit that
by far the biggest majority of dog
owners are very responsible for their
dog's behaviour. Either the dog is
properly penned up if it is not to be
trusted, or it is carefully supervised by
the owner when loose.
But it only takes one careless dog
vwf1'er and one angry dog to cause a
miserable incident for a postman ... or
for that matter, anyone else who
happens by at the wrong moment.
' If you have a dog that doesn't like
uniforms, do the postmen of Goderich a
favor. Keep it under control at all
times. If you don't like the animal to be
tied, then fence in an adequate dog run.
If you prefer not to pen the dog up
outside, keep it in the house. If none of
the above solutions suit you, perhaps
you should think twice about having a
dog at all.
Dog lovers want the very best for
their dogs. That - includes a clean
behaviour record. So dog lovers make
'certain their pets aren'-t put in a
position where their natural ingtincts
are tested beyond the norm. •
It makes good sense ,... and it keeps
postmen safer and happier too.
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