The Goderich Signal-Star, 1974-05-09, Page 11 .
addition
approved utlust
The. Alexandra Marine and General Hospital has just
received word from the Ministry. of Health in Toronto that
they,,have approved of' the project to proceed to construc-
ttidn for the expansion of the Emergency and .Radiology
epartments.
,1°L ----",-The Hospital and the Ministry of Health have been
working, together on the plans' for the past few years and
the Board of the Hospital is pleased to get the go ahead.
The Board is proceeding with working drawings im-
mediately,,
K.G. Dunn, Chairman of the Board, has stated that the
number of emergency visits has increased from 3855 in
1969 to 9697 in 1973.
Mr. Dunn also said there is a possibility that a new Boiler
-Plant might be 'included if sufficient funds are available.
Council okay. s
.loan for track
Only Councillor Elsa Hayden - However, when it became clear
voted in opposition to Goderich the raceway officials were con-
Tovfin Council loaning funds to sidering a building, the matter
,the Goderich Trotting and was brought back to the council r
Agriculture Association for table for deliberation and
construction of a building clarification. ' w,
which may be used for dispen- Reeve Deb Shewfelt pointed
sing alcoholic beverages at the out this request of the Trotting
° race track. -Council reached a Association' was not different
decision on the matter last from other years when the
Thursday evening. organization had borrovled
Before the vote, however, funds for improvements at the
Mre. Haydon made it clear to raceway. • He said ..the
the representatives of the Association had an excellent
raceway that she was not op- record for repaying loaner
-posed to the consumption of "That is a real recreation •
alcoholic beverages - indoors or centre down there becauee we
outdoors,, at the race track or have an active race.association,
elsewhere. soccer. association, baseball
.-..--,.the lady :told the 'meeting association"eesaid Shewfelt.
her only concern was "you're, going to spend, that
knowlingly using municipal - money down there anyway. If
funds to construct a building is nice to have someone• who is
which could become a 'bar' at willing to do the work":' ,.,.
sonie future date. "I think, we should loan them
"It just doesn't sit right with• the money", said Councillor
me", she admitted.' "4 am , Leroy Harrison. "They ',have
'uneasy about using the town's always • paid it back other
money°for creating an outdoor yeafs". •
drinking place".. Councillor Frank Walkom,
Councillor Dave Gower, said he wags "opposed to using
asked why the Association taxpayers' money" to create a
could not borrow funds from a, drinking spot at the race'trad
bank or other company whose However he was remindedthat
business it was to make invest- liquor licenses are obtained at
ments. • He learned from Ken Goderich Memorial Arena
Crawford' of the Association which is also town property
that the group. has "no "There will be several uses
borrowing power" since it only ,for this building", pointed out
manages . the raceway . and • •Ken . Crawford who said the
raceway • funds under the premises would probably be
Dungannon Agricultural s used by all' groups with . ac -
Society charter. fivities at"' the Agricultural
Councillor Gower,' expressing , Parks
sortie opposition to the plan, • "I 'will probably vote for it",
reminded the Association the offered Councillor Eileen
town would ,have to either Palmer. "It.is an added attrac-
borrow funds or raise through tion in •our town":
taxation the money required to Deputy -reeve Stan Profit,
build the shelter to be located who made the motion that the
between the arena and the money be. loaned, to_ the
present grandstand. o , •Association for the'project, ac -
"Has thetown authorized a used council of behaving "like
bar on town property?" asked a bunch of 'old ladies at the
-Gower, who indicated he was • quilting party". He said 'he
not in favor of such approval. saw the loan as just one more
He was told the idea had • step in the raceway's bid for in-
been'approved in principle, the creased public. support, and ad-
tnatter being left with a special "led that it would be up to the
committee of council to work Ontario Liquor Board -whether
out the details for what was or not a license.will be granted
originally ' eepected, to be an for the building.
outdoor beer garden not in- The vote passed easily - eight
volving a permanent building. to one•
Coastguard cutter
'coming for summer
--.A 96 foot radar -equipped
Canadian Coastguard .cutter
will, be stationed in Goderich
Proposal
on display
A • preview viewing of The
Square paint -up proposal will
be held next 'Wednesday, May
15 in North Street United
Church at a dinner meeting for
the business community and in-
vited guests.
Following this formal un-
veiling of the decorating and
color ,scheme, the proposal will
be on public display 6n The
Square,.
Police week
During Police Week, May 12
,to 18, the Goderich Detachment
of the Ontario Provincial Police
"bill hold open house everyday
etween 1:00 p.m. and 7:00-
1 p.m.
Open house will include
tours of the station, a &splay of
safety posters made by area
public school students and a
possible filmstrip, "The OPP in
Action."
', A uniformed officer will be
available ".to explain police
work and conduct tours.
extral he
tifies move
My
r.illlothe.rs greal
are
Six area publi'School students this week on prizes ina
Mother's Day poster contest. Senior winners are in the back
row and .juniors are in front. They are (from telt, back row) -
Kathy Milburn, Grade 7 at Colborne 'school, third, Marjorie
O'Neill, Grade 6 at Kingsbridge school, second;. Vera . Van
Dupen,• Grade 7° at Colborne school, first: (front row, left to
tl
iiAixecl reactions
on teenage drinking `U
this year to aid in 'search and -
rescue operations -on -.Lake
Huron. .
The cutter Rapid is due to
arrive, here May 17 or 18, Capt..
H.G. Gould said during, a talk
about search and rescue at the
regular meeting of the Goderich
Sailing, Club May 2. -
Capt. Bould, a coastguard of-
fiter, heads the, Rescue Coor-
dination Centre at Trenton.
The coastguard cutter was
formerly 'stationed in ' Nova
Scotia, .It was through the ef-
forts of Capt. Gould that it was
assigned to Lake Huron.
Although the cutter's home
port will be Goderich, it will
dock occasionally in Kincar-
dine.
It will be responsible for
patrolling' the area between
Sarnia arid. Tobermory. A
smaller 77 foot coastguard
vessel will patrol Georgiajn
Bay. '
Capt, Bould invited the
public to visit the Rapid when
it is in port and get to know the
skipper and crew.
He said the Rapid's crew will
also be responsible for 'main-
taining a weather reportposted
dry-•) blackboard Beside the cut-
ter*, -locking area.
Thi•. Rapid is "part of the
nationiAt de network of search
and red ue operations cool. -
di t d far the coastguard
right) Lisa Rayne, Grade 3 at St. Joseph's -School, first: Lonny.
Doherty, kindergarten at .St. Joseph's School, third; Jackie
.Dalton, Grade 4 at St. Joseph's school, second. Posters were
judged by the Goderich Art Club. The contest was sponsored
by .Goderich Pre -Life. (staff photo) r,
y,.
In 1954, Textral Fibers Ltd., 'obtaining the site and the loan
of Elmira, started operations 'began last September.
with a staff of four. The com- The company, liked the site
pany now has 89 efnployees, (it,s not far from Elmira) and
president F.G. -Burgess said the availability of labor.
during a telephone, interview Mr. Burgess- said that the
Monday.
Textral plant in Elmira cannot
The company's growth work to° full capacity because
created 'a need for expansion, there is what he termed -'a
resulting in a new industry for critical shortage of qualified
Goderich, people",
The Signal -Star last week ° Although no, definite date
reported that the company pur- has been set for construction of
chased a five acre site at the the new plant, to be located on
Goderich Industrial Park. Highway 21 next to the Signal -
It will, build a 24,000 square Star •building, it will start soon,
fopt plant on the site,. which . '
ceuld `employ 1,30 persons when . • ri
in full operation, ' 00
Mr. Burgess said most em11,
-
ployees will be hired from the
supervisory and technical„„,
Goderich a -yea. Only a per -
few nex f We.
sonnel will be transferred from -
the Elmira operation. Text Wednesday, May 15 -
Heading the Goderich plant afternoon and evening the
will be Robert Tease. Red Cross” will welcome blood
„ The plant's • operations will " donors to the small gymnasium,,.
involve manufacturing needing at GDCI.
controlled temperature and In the afternoon only, the
rl humidity, Mr. Burgess said. Kinettes will be providing a'
•
These conditions are babysitting service' for blood
required . for .converting °syn- donors who must bring their
thetic fibres into yarn forthe children to the clinic with
kni•ttin'g -and weaving industry. them. '
Final products are underwear, •Perlens who have to go out
-polyester double knit material, in the evening to previpus
stretch' hosiery and outerwear. engagements .should keep in
Mr. Burgess said establish- mind•, this afternoon clinic -
ment of the 'new industry here with free babysitting service-
was helped by John Mitchell which will' permit them to give
with the London office of the • their ;Life-savingdonation•early
Ontario Development Cor- in the dav,
poration and Spence Commings Blood is urgently needed big`
with the . Huron County the Red Cross again this year.
Development Office. - The need • is; going up every
In a.seliarate interview, Mr: year, • according" - to local
'Cummings said that work—On ,organizeee- Be sure to• attend
dlnit
mond say problem
er-rated;Chief King ore concerne
BY BILL DIMMICK
reduce the'amount of drinking
hut would not stop it com-
Goderich is buzzing as talk of • ple'tely, she said. ,
a scandal is on the lips•of-the "It was just getting too easy
population. Are teenagers for them," she maintained.
abusing alcohol° at Goderich Something had to be done to
Memorial' arena when ., the keep the underaged drinkers,
building is open for public from escaping notice•
roller skating? "I don't fault the staff down
Mary Donnelly, a member of there (the arena)," she said. •
the Goderich Recreation and • Everybody, the arena staff,
Community Centre Board, police, parents and teenagers,
maintains that yo%tngster.s--corn- should get involved and
bining roller skating and booze become aware of what is hap -
present a serious problem, pening, she suggested.
" She made her allegations at Mrs. Donnelly admitted she
the board's regular monthly has never been to the arena to
watch roller skating. ' She
relied on observations 'of
parents and teenagers for her
information --
•Arena, manager Bill • Lumby
Was the only adult interviewed
who is directly involved in
roller skating., It is part of his
job. '
Does he have a problem with
drinking roller skaters? "No
problem at all," he said.
Mr. Lumby_was upset if not
irate about the 'story • in -last
week's Signal -,Star. Although
some teenagers drink before
skating, ' the majority of
youngsters go to the arena for
wholesomeerecreation, he main-
tained.
There ,are "the odd couple of
persons the odd night" that
cause trouble, but the arena
„ staff ejects them froni'• the
premises.
"Considering the amount of
kids we have coming here we
don't hale any real, problem.
When you get that many kids
you're bound to get a few bad
apples," Mr. Lumby said.
As for Mrs. Donnelly's
allegations there "wasn't a
of it. shred of evidence, die main-
"Fram what I've heard lot tained. He felt the newspaper
of parents have been talky g to story shouldn't have appeared.
their, kids about it," she said. "It was rotten for Mrs. Don-.
Discussion between parents nelly to bring it up when the
and youngsters (coupled with press was there," he said.
better' supervision would Recreation director Mike
meeting April 30. -
The Signal -Star, last weeks'
p i ntefi a story �about her -com
ments, Reactions to the story
have been varied.
Some persons are concerned
about the alleged problem..
Others complain „ about the e
front page postion• and the size
of the headline the story
received. ,And some suggest no
' probleti'n exists,
This past week the fS hal-
Star talked to person;,. volved
with the arena, tI O°recreation
board and undoera'ged drinkers.
Mrs. Donnelly ,had reasons
for publicizing drinking roller
skaters during -an op n' meeting
of the recreation boar"d.
Some persons have
suggested, since the meeting,
that. family involvement in the
problem 'prompted her to
discuss it. Mrs. Donnelly
denied the suggestion. She said
a complaint by a concerned
parent was her reasonfor
airing the problem.
Although Mrs. Donnelly
couldn'tdefine what she meant
by .the problem, she was
anxious to make people aware
Dymond Sided with Mr.
Lumby. There is no serious
problem. ,
Mr. Dymond said, it was the
same old story; When 400
youngsters get together there is
hound to be a few Who 'cause
trouble.
No changes are planned in
arena policies regarding roller
skating, he said.
Police Chief Pat King took a
moderate stand.
He said the majority of
voungste.rs ,roller. skate and
have a good time without
booze. It isomostly the same
ones who get into other trouble
;that -drink at the arena.
It would be almost im-
possible for the pol ice • to com
pietely stop ' underaged
teenagers from drinking at th,e
'arena.
Most• teenagers • recognize
local officers. Unle•raged
drinker, can quickly hide any
liquor -°before officers spot it.
'The only way local police can
prevent 'yctunsters from
bringing liquor into the arena
is by using spot Checks. .
Unfortunately, . Chief King
said, many innocent youngsters
would he checked too.
When Youngsters are caught
drinking, their parents 'are of-
ten indifferent.. Parents are
pert. of the problem, thief King
said. 1"
The chief suggested` that the
hest way to solve the problem
would be for the teenagers to
police themselves. It would
prevent' the majority from being
victimized. by •a few trouble
makers.
Don . K.Aconnell is a
teenager who often skates at
the arena. He works as- a
cruiser.
Cruisers skate free in ex-
change for their services. They
patrol the rink and help
prevent trouble.
Don said afew skaters drink
but the ' majority don't. Those
who do, usually drink before
arriving at the arena:
He termed it " bit of a
ark manager
problem," as someone possibly
could get hurt .,when * the
.drinkers play. silly games,
Don has not seen anyone
hurt vet,,
The interviews with Don and
the others made conclusions
obvious.
The majority of th'e
youngsters have not been
drinking when they skate. The
arena is not "a skid row. Some
youngsters do drink just prior
to or during skating. Stopping
the practice is impossible.
Whether, it ' is a `problem or*t
not seems' to be a rrrat°Cett'f
opinion.
�ys small.
n theatre - can survive
The Park Theatre has recen-
tly changed hands and the
horizon for movie buffs in
Goderich is suddenly brighter.
April 1,was -the date Famous
Players took over the local
operation and since then
current, popular and well -rated
shows have, been . running for
viewers from Goderich as well
as Huron, Bruce' and parts -Of
Perth Counties.
The previous owners booked
shows for The Park that, accor-
ding to 'resident manager John
Lyndon, were old and Often
poor viewing. A current show
for a smaller town is one that
was in Toronto or London
around six months ago. For
two years Mr. Lyndon waited
"fer good shows to- he sent ' to
him but they never arrived.
"When a show arrived I
would phone the distributor
and explain to them that it just
wouldn't .sell and I would
plead with them to send me
something a little „more
popular' .h said.
"I reel that I have been in
this business long enough to
know what type of audience to
expect and on this merit I can
judge how a particular movie
will draw audiences", he ad-
ded.
The' only way Mr Lyndon
could explain the failure of The
Park to view recent films was
poor management -in t he upper
echelons.
"Comparisons . were always
made to Toronto before a film
was sent to me", he said.
"How anyone can compare the
reaction of a city of 2,000,000 to
a town of 7,000 ,is beyond me
but they constantly did it".
"If a etlick sold in Toronto
they might have sent it to me a
year later, 'Tf it didn't sell they
wouldn't even try it in
Goderich", he claimed.'
The most recent example of
the selling power of good
movies in a small town was
when American„ Graffiti was
hooked at •The Park. In 10
days Mr. Lyndon estimates that
over 9,000 people saw it in the
Goderich movie house.
"The market for good movies
is definitely here," said Mr.
Lyndon, "If the next few
bookings are successful then
the townspeople will no longer
have to drive t� London to see
a good movie because I will, be
hooking them here." o"
"I would eventually like' to
get to 'the point '.where I can
have two complete showings a
night",'said Mr. Lyndon. "In.
this way I can give service to
people who want to come to an
early show and I can still draw
the customer Who can't make it
by eight o'clock."
•
A little support from the
Goderich residents now wilt
showetourists this summer that
just because the pdhuiation is
small, entertainment does not
have to he second rate.