The Goderich Signal-Star, 1975-10-30, Page 14PAGE 4--GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30M 1975
EDI;TORIAL COMMENT
Parents! Beware!
Last year in the Pre -Halloween
edition,---Ithis newspaper carried an
editorial which watNonsidered around
town,to be a.big joke. The editorial - of
the front page variety, too - stated that
Goderich kids were basically good and
could be depended upon to act in a
responsible manner at all times, even
oh Halloween. Everyone said the
editorial was , ludicrous, -a bad ex-
- periment in reverse- psychology.
On November 1 last year, it seemed
,the people were right and the editorial
was. sentimental slop. Kids don't
behave, people said. Look at the
destruction in the Square, they scoffed.
Think about the lack of respect; the'
defiance of authority, the complete and
utter abandon of principles, the people
said.
Despite all that, this newspaper still
has faith in the youth of Goderich.
There area few bad apples in every
barrel but the majority of young folks
in -this,. town -are. responsible young
adults who never have been and never
will be riot seekers on Halloween night
any other night.
In the Letters to the Editor column
this week, however, Police Chief Pat
King puts- his finger on -the cruxgof the
problem. That .problem is parents...
parentswho,fail to guide and direct
their .children sufficiently to convince
them that standing around on The
SqOare waiting- for something to
happen is not only dangerous but
contributing factor when that handful
of rabble-rousers move in to play to an
audience of their passive peers.
WI'tho.ut gaping spectators to feed their
egos and fuel" their stupidity, a few
troublemakers would soon disperse or
be dispersed without incident.
Parents are strongly urged this -year
to have control of their children and
young adults this Friday night. Know
'where your young folks are. Be in:
terested enough to talk to, them, im-
pressingupon them that by'being on
the sidelines as innocent spectators in
any dubious situation, they are inviting
trouble, ensuring unreasonable blame
for their generation and abdicating
their right to be regarded as sensible,
responsible young adults.
Parents might also save themselves
considerable embarrassment by co -
,.operating this Halloween with Chief
King's plea. Th)s will be a no-nonsense
Halloween in Goderich. The town
means business:
Fun for all
The 'Halloween hoopla at the Huron
Historic Gaol is a great idea. .There's
little doubt there will be plenty of
spooky atmosphere if plans as outlined
on the front page of this edition go
ahead as scheduled.
Parents of Goderich would be well–
advised to spend the 33 -cent admission
price for themselves and their children
to attend,, From the ghostly movie to
the flickering faces of weird, and
wonderful jack -o -lanterns the evening
sounds like something which will long
be remembered by young tykes as well
as moms and dads.
Every.so often, this 'newspaper hears
criticism of Goderich for its lack of
activities in and for the community.
Surely this first, Halloween' effort at the
gaol then, will be recognized as an'
imaginative and truly community,
oriented event that is worthy 'of the
support of citizens. Undoubtedly many
willfake advantage of the planned
agenda to treat their families to .a new
experience and a whale of a lot of
fun.—SJ K
Hunt safely please
Several years ago, the Ministry of
Lands and Forests, now' known as the
Ministry of Natural Resources, laid the
foundation for a sound method of
creating. a safe environment in which
hunters can enjoy their sport, by
initiating the Hunter Safety Training
Program:
Responsible for conducting the
program, Ontario's rod and gun -clubs
are ' to be congratulated on the
thoroughness with which they carried
it out. Hunting -accidents reduction in
the province is exceptional. '
To further improve the statistics, the
Ontario Safety League requests ex-
perienced hunters to share their
knowledge this fall with the younger
men, many of whom will be
shouldering. a gun on their first hunt.
They need your"guidance and wisdom
in gun handling. "
' Besides all the points you can teach
them on gun maintenance, they need to
know the importance of:
+ Treating every gun aS if it were
loaded, .until they personally inspect
„,;,the gun to make certain it isn't. +-
Pointing the muzzle in a safe direction,
so there is no possib,i,lity of it pointing
at a person or member of a hunting
group. + • Identifying the target as
game. Inexperienced hunters should
study pictures to develop a clear idea
of the outline and features of the game
they intend to. hunt. + Practicing self-
control to insure that all actions in gun
handling become habit. + Deciding on
zones of fire that each, hunter will use
in order to prevent the disaster of
firing on a companion. + Unloading.
the gun before putting it into a car or
boat, climbing a•' fence, stopping for
lunch or entering camp. + Sitting close
in a blind to prevent one hunter from
getting in front of another hunter's
muzzle. + Resting a gun in such a
position where the movement of a boat
or dog will not cause it for fall and
discharge „accidentally. + Walking
cautiously, with. shooting .finger away
from the trigger guard, so that as trip,
slip or fall will not discharge the gun.
The Ontario Safety League agrees
that the fall is a great time of year for
outdoor sports activity. The League
wants you to live to enjoy it.
to
A
trhc 4oDrrtcfj
SIGNAL—STAR
The County Town Newspaper of Huron —0—
Founded
-O—
Founded in 18413 and published every Thursday at Goderich, Ontario, Member of the ('IRNA and
OWNA. Advertising rates on request. Subscriptions payable in advance 111.00 in Canada, $12,50
in all countries other than Canada, mingle copies 25 cents. Display advertising rates available on
requokt. Please ask for Rate Card Nb, 8 effective Oct. 1, 1975, Second class mail 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 fot but the balance of the advertisement will he paid, fr at the
applicable rate. in the event of a typographical error advertising goods or services at a wrong
price. goods or service may nit be sold, Advertising is merely an offer to sell, and may he with•
drawn 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
Mailing Address:
P.O. BOX 220, Goderich
Second class mail registration number -0710
Published by Signal -Star Publishing Ltd. •
ROBERT G: SHRIER—president and publisher
SHIRLEY J. KELLER—editor
JEFF SEDDON--editorial staff
DAVE SYKES—editorial staff
EDWARD J. BYRSKI"-advertising manager
rj
Ai season S (11d1
o.
DEAR READERS
The big, story this weekend building, well 'balanced and
in Goderich, is the opening of ' well situated. It should help
Suncoast Mall, the much to attract many more
talked about, .much an- shoppers to Goderich, both to
ticipated shopping plaza that browse through the mall and
had this town • and the to visit Shoppers' Square
surrounding communities in downtown, Lots will spend
a flap for weeks and weeks on money here, too.
.end last year. Needless to say, Huron's
But now that's ally history first -shopping mall will have
and 'Suncoast Mall is opening the attention of nearly all the
this week. 'Of all the people in towns and villages in the
Goderich who are happy to . county. Ali eyes will be
see the doors opened to watching to determine the
shoppers, the happ,,iest must effects' of the mall's opening
be Bert Alexander and• Ken on business ,ventures across
Hutchins of Suncoast. Huron. To be sure, the im-
developments. pact of, the mall will be of
A brief chat with Bert tremendous. interest to
Alexander this week revealed ' merchants and consumers-
it
onsumersit was "one ' hell of a lot of alike.,
work" to build a mall. 'It is But for -today, the opening.
unlikely that Ken Hutchins of the Suncoast mall in
would' dispute that statement: Goderich is'sexciting ' people
The citizens of Gode?ich- for miles around. In this
need not be ashamed of the respect, the mall developers
appearance of the mall on can he proud 'of their
opening day. It is an at- achievement in a gigantic
.tractive looking expanse 'of , undertaking.well executed.
,,r
Meet Raggedy Anne. Shtt could -he anyone of dozens of
little girls and boys who will he going out Friday evening,
llallowcen, in sepr•ch 'of treats and UNIiCEF funds. The
Signal -Star hopes that motorists will use special
precautions on Hallotticen iiIght to protect Raggedy Anne
an(I alltihcl• goblin friends. It is also hoped that Raggedy
Anne will hi' safety conscious herself by using makeup
instead of a dangcyous face mask; refle+tl,ive tape for
(ll'coratenn on her costume; and all her best safety rules
flit. the outdoors such as crossing only at inttvr•sections
.end not darting out into traffic from any vkhere. She won't
ee;lt any of her loot itn•til she gets homc,\either. Finally, it
is important that citizens of Goderich and area keep their
porch lights burning 4o that Raggedy Anne and her
friends N ill not stumble ani!°gel hurt while on, their shell
out rounds, 1 '' ('vcryhody works together, this Hltilloween
e;tn ht sat( „'ti happy.
nt
-I- + -I-
There's
There's more exciting
happenings in Goderich, too.
GDCI students are presenting
their very first musical next
weekend. It is.. to be hoped
that Goderich's citizens will
get out to see BRIGADOON
and support the local students
in this ambitious effort.
Musicals aren't easy to
stage. ,• They require much
attention to detail plus the
added worry of ensuring that
the 'musical content is of top
quality.,. Neither the acting
• nor the props•should upstage
the music; the music must
become an• integral part of
the performance and not
something which is
beautifully done but hardly a
complement to the production
as a whole.. '
Many students and
teachers are throwing
themselves into the
presentation of. Brigadoon.
From a cost standpoint alone,
Brigadoon ' requires a. sub-
.stantial outlay even before
costumes and props. '
So get over to GDCI any
night next • weekend.
Encourage your friends to go
with you. Give the kids a
boost and help musicals to
become an annual event at
the local high school. They're
"good for everyone.
+++
The mail strike is over a
week old now and to date,
people seem to be coping well
with the inconvenience.
Makeshift delivery methods
are springing up all over the
place, challenging folks to use
their ingenuity to get
messages from Point A to
Point B without -the help of the
post office.
Here at the Signal -Star, co
operation of most customers
las been the key to a con-
tinued flow of 'news and ad-
vertising. In the editorial
department, for instance,
we've found little difficulty in
receiving news items from
local and area residents.
We're grateful for this kind of
participation.- Thanks to all
of you who are helping -in an
way.
If the strike is prolonge
as many are predicting it wi
Abe --new pnd pressing needs
will, have to be met. This kin
of p'toblem solving can tax
the energies of all types of
business and commercial
ventures as well as in-
dividuals. But where there's
a will* there's a way,.. and a
good many Canadians are
siding with the government.in
its stand to be firm with the
postal employees.
Right now, it seems the
postal workers have become
the natipnal sacrificial
lambs, so to speak, either by
choice or by design. If Prime
'Minister Pierre Elliott
Trudeau and his government
hope to make their country-
wide wage and price
guidelines palatable ' to the
people, they're going to have
to remain staunchly within
the confines of their own
legislation. tht `means the
Bv I),ir Sykes
ykes
BB Shirleg J. Keller
postal workerswill either
have to settle for the
government offer..,.. or suffer
and cause suffering to
Canadians coast to coast.
This time it is a safe bet the
government means business.
There has to be an example
somewhere, and the postal
workers may very well be
just that. It isn't a pleasant
prospect for anyone.
Speaking of Prime Minister
•Trudeau, the weekly
newspapers of Ontario had a
special opportunity last
Friday to talk to the country's
leader. Mr, Trudeau Set
aside one hour during his visit
to Toronto to talk to weekly
newspaper reporters about
his wage 'and price
guidelines.
The Goderich Signal -Star
was represented by Dave
Sykes who also carried the
banner.for The Clinton.New,s-
Record and The Kincardine
News.' Who says Signal -Star
publ•ic.ations aren't
progressive and aggressive?
+ + +
One final' thought: During
the past week, I've had the
opportunity to meet with
several senior citizens from
around town for 'various,.
reasons. ' How 'wonderful
these men and women re0y
are! How fortunate a tom-
munity is to have theiai •.ex-
perience and their energies
from which to'draw.
So a tip of the hat. this week
to all the seniors in Goderich
and area. Please continue to
view yourelves as special
citizens with • special rights
and privileges. . Don't_ let
anyone • detract from your
vitality and commitment.
Keep right on sharing and
caring.., for you are just what
the doctor ordered for a
modern --world sick with over-
activity „and under -
a ciievernent.
And to the Lions Club of
Goderich whose members
unanimously .agreed to assist
senior citizens who are
unable for whatever • reason to
pickup,.their, old age pension
cheques (should that become L
necessary'Wcause of themail
strike) a hearty vote ofU
thanks. That is indeed a'1'
service to the community and
a worthwhile exercise for
humanity. It's an example•
that is worthy, of note.
Call to complain
Dear Editor:
With reference to the letter
:two weeks ago to you com-
plaining ..about . the poor'
quality of reception over
Bluewater Cable TV.
Over l00 letters of com-
plaint 'were received by the'
undersigned,, opposing any
rate increase by Bluewater
Cable TV, on the grounds of
poor picture transmission
quality. These „ were
presented to.' the' CRTC last
February and on 25th June
the CRTC rejected the
requested rate increase
"lentil such time as
r:„,nificant technical im-
provements have been
made". This was dul.y
reported by your paper.
As Mr. Durnin says in his
letter, Bluewater has ap-
parently chosen to ignore the
complaints 'and" also ap-
parently to ignore the com-
ments by the CRTC, as there
has been no noticeable im-
provement in E,uewater
Cable picture quality.
If you are not getting a good
clear picture with good
natural color on all channels
ninety percent of the time,
then call to complain. It is
only 'by making your com-
plaints known every time you
are not happy with the picture
reception from Bluewater
Cable, that they may decide
to do something about it.
During,the day, phone lion
McIntosh, President , of
Bluewater Cable TV at 482.
•9233 and any time after six,
phone your complaints to
Bruce Davey at 482-7150.
After all,,you are paying for
good reception, so why not -
demand it.
Sincerely,
A.G. Coombs
RR 5, Clinton
Consumer Alert Committee:
Chief's advice
Dear Editor:
Thisjs a copy of the letter I
have prepared for all school
children to take home. In case
some of them get misplaced
or lost, I would apreciate
publication of the letter here.
HALLOWEEN will soon be
with us again. The younger
children look forward to their
"trick or treats" and we trust
that it will be a fruitful, and
safe, time,for them.
As you are aware,
Halloween also brings, with it
acts of vandalism committed
by a very small segment of
our youthful citizens. Many of
our local problems at
Halloween take place on The
Square and it has been taken
for granted by some that that
is where "the action is '.
Many of the young persons
who gather at The Square do
NOT do anything unlawful
(they are there to watch) but,
unfortunately, they DO
provide an audience for, the
small number who commit
these acts of vandalism.
Probably, if there was , no
audience of their peers, some
(continued on page 5)