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Townsman, 1991-11, Page 28N©pl]* Readers' comments keep author •au•thor He used to own the press that print- ed hundreds of thousands of words a week in several weekly newspapers but now Godcrich author Bob Shrier saves up his words and publishes his thoughts in book form every couple of years. His sixth book, Thoughts, comes off the press this month. A firm believer in the power of positive thinking, Shrier believes if people would use the words "I can" which work for them instead of "I can't" which work against them they could succeed in places they never thought possible. It certainly worked for him. A high schooldrop out who started out selling shoes, he later worked in advertising sales for the Thompson newspaper chain before buying the Goderich Signal -Star in 1965. Later he added a web -offset printing plant, and seven other weekly newspapers and saw his staff grow from six to 200. And grow was the operative word, he says. "I used to love to see people come into the com- pany and grow. I found it interesting to watch them progress." A little help from an expert in being heard Over the years few people have had trouble hearing the booming voice of Jack Riddell, the former auctioneer and school teacher who served as Ontario's Minister of Agriculture during the Liber- al government of David Peterson. Rid- dell, who never needed a microphone to make himself heard above the crowd, is now going to help other people get their hearing to. He's started a consulting firm at his farm home near Exeter to help oth- ers find their way through the maze of bureaucracy in Queen's Park or in Ottawa. "I think I can open a few doors," he said recently. He spent 17 years learning the ropes inside Queen's Park after his upset by- election win. Although he was by-passed 1)y Peterson when David Ramsay was named Agriculture Minister in his place and decided to retire before last year's provincial election, he continues to be an outspoken supporter of farme?S, saying the farm income problem is critical and that society neglects that sector at its own peril. JackRiddell Lends booming voice to others He sold the business but today Shrier's inspirational messages are heard regularly on CKNX radio and television as well as in his books. "Whenever I think I might stop writ- ing my books, I get a letter from a reader telling me that something they read made them see where they had to change or what they had to do to solve Early start on music career Stratford musician Tom Crerar admits he can't read a single note of music but that hasn't stopped the young musician from recording his first tape at the age of 20. He paid to have the recording made at a London recording studio. "That way I don't get into any arguments about how the music should sound," he said. On the recording arc two of his own compositions: Things you Say and Across the Room. He describes his music as pop and says his biggest influences are U2 and The Cure. Although he's committed to music, he really doesn't expect to hit the big time. "I wouldn't want to become so famous that I didn't have a life, but I'd love to be able to make a living at it...it's a risk I guess, but you've got to take it. Anyway, I'm not really in it for the money but it's nice to think people would even like to have a copy of my tape." 26 TOWNSMAN/NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1991 a problem. It's then I realize I can't stop. As long as I can help someone, I will keep on writing." Going for the top for good When Townsman wrote about Bruce M.P.P. Murray Elston in its last issue, he was the interim leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. Since then he's announced he wants to drop the "interim" label and run for the party leadership after all. Elston had been reluctant to seek the leadership because of the added pressures the job would bring to his young family. But in November, as the deadline approached for becoming a candidate at the February Liberal leadership convention pressure began to build for him to reconsider. Liber- als from all across the province showed up at a meeting in Walkerton to show support for Elston and final- ly, just days before the deadline, he announced he would be a candidate. 1