The Goderich Signal-Star, 1975-11-06, Page 14PAGE 4—GODERI.CH SIGNAL -STAR, TI i S ., ,OVEMBER 6, 1975
Public notice
1tever the citizens of Huron County
were -needed to get involved in a public
meeting, the information meeting set
for Clinton on Wednesday, November
1$ at 8 p.m. is the -,time. That's when
Huron County's restructuring com-
mittee is looking for an exchange of
ideas with an eye to improving local
government. And that's when critics
and reformers should join forte with
county officials to air the issues and
discuss alternatives.
Not long ago, the people of this
county learned county councillors had
turned down two restructuring
proposals. Some residents were
'delighted;` a few were disappointed;
most were disinterested. Now the
courity committee is investigating and
studying services which might be
improved by grouping them under two
or more municipalities ... or maybe
even, under a county ;wide system. And
the,committee is asking your opinions,
seeking
your suggestions.
Public meetings in Huron Co• unty
usually aren't well attended. Too many
citizens fail to accept their. respon-
sibility to be aware and active; too
many shrink from voicing their
opinions in a public meeting where
someone in authority cart hear and
perhaps agree; too many sit idly by
while their future is decided for them
and then bitterly complain and protest
when there is no recourse open to
them.
The Government of Ontario has been
telling the people of this province for
months now, that unless they get off
their butts and start showing some
initiative to handle their own affairs in
a more businesslike and efficient
manner, the opportunities for people to
make their own decisions will be
eroded as hired government em-
ployees move in to realign, their af-
fairs.
Your county council is encouraging
you to have 'your say, to make your
contribution to the decision-making
process in Huron. It's your future. It's
your money, It's your lifestyle. It's
your neck.
Go to Clinton November 19. Get
involved. It's your duty.
Well done Goderich
It was one 'of , the quiete
Hallowe'ens on record in Goderic
After several years of bedlam on Th
Square at Hallowe'en and nation -mid
publicity last year because of it, thi
municipality in 1975 was a model
citi en t if _—operattlorrdeserving- o
praise and commendation.
There were some anxiou
moments for some skeptics Frida
when it was learned. that som
dynamite had -been reported missing i
the community. A few expresse
concern that there would be publr
reaction to* this newspaper's story.
out linin
g precautions that had been
taken by the -local police force in
conjunction with community -minded
citizens and service clubs.
But as Friday night and Hallowe'en
_faded into Saturday morning and
November 1, it was evident that this
lotdr b .proud .:o ice .young
'-people, their parents, the police, the
service clubs and the many, many
citizens who made, it a properly fun -
filled occasion for young and old. f'
There areseveral things which could
be cited as contributing 0 to this year's
happy' Hallowe'en. Chief Pat King
credits the well-planned attractive
activities of the evening as having a
tremendous bearing or)\the ,pleasant
outcome of Hallowe'en this year. A
concert at the high school for teenagers
and, parties at the arena and at the
Huron Historic Gaol 'for the younger
st kids provided alternate outlets for
h. youthful exhuberance, the chief felt.
e With last year's pre -Hallowe'en
e episode resulting in a complete review
s of Goderich's police force as well as
of some staff changes and additions, the
..total public image - of -the- "town's
policemen has improved. The open
s meetings of, the. Goderich Police
Y ,Commission undoubtedly have also
e helped to create better relations bet-
e , ween the police and the residents of
d Goderich.
c Another factor was the interest
shown by the community's
businessmen, individual citizens and
service groups. They did more than
talk; they worked shoulder -to -shoulder
with each other and with police to
ensure.a safe and sensible Hallowe'en.
But most importantly, parents and
their children obviously got together to
• harnmer out some vitalguidelines and
work out some • amicable and
reasonable solutions with which each
could live. Moms and dads knew where
their young people were on Hallowe'en
; kids understood their limitations and
obeyed them. •
This concentrated effort by many
has proven what can be accomplished
when there is communiction and co-
operation. Hallowe'en 1975 should
provide the catalyst for some future --y
planning triumphs" and a brighter
outlook for all ages and all interests in
time to come
•
Time and traffic
With the opening of the Suncoast
Mall on 'Highway 21 South came the
traffic .:.. and the traffic tie-ups. ,fin
Wednesday morning as the mall
opened its doors to a waiting crowd, -
• cars spilled over from the' packed
parking lot onto both sides of Highway
21. Visitors and'citizens crawled from
the southerly approaches to Goderich
to the' Five Points, some motorists,
snarling all the way.
But that was last week during the
grand opening of the mall. This week to
date, traffic has been less, to and from
the new business centre. Still it is time
to Iookagain at the question of whether
or not to widen 'Highway 21 South from
the Britannia Road intersection ... and
just what kind of a redesigned corner is
required to alleviate' the problems
which are building there.,
Future plans call for a street to be
opened from Highway 8 to Highway 21
just north of the mall development ,at
Suncoast Drive. When this, work is
completed, much of the Highway 8
traffic now using Highway 21 up 'to
Britannia Road would be diverted onto
the new bypass route.
Therefore, if Highway 21 South was
widened from the South end, of In-
dustrial Park up to Sunc9ast Drive or
possibly even Bennett Street to provide
easy access to Highway 8 and the west
end'of Goderich from the mall and the
industrial park, there would not seem
to be a great deal of need for widening
Highway 21 all the way to Britannia
Road.,.
However, this may still be a
debatable point, and it now seems the
majority of town council is Committed
to widening the entire length of High-
way 21 through Goderich.
For the present, some consideration.
could be given to lowering the' speed
limit to 30 mph from 45 mph at the mall
entrances. Traffic leaving Gderich via
Highway 21 South now is permitted to
pick up speed at approximately the
northern' entrance to the mall. Until
there Is a through lane and a turning
lane in this area, the safer 30 rndph
speed limit should be in force.
But without a doubt, Highway 21
South is destined to be busier, and the
interesection at Britannia ,Road will -,be
a bottWeck until redesigned. At the
present moment, the new design of this
,intersection is undecided.
This newspaper has, taken the
position that Highway 21 should, be a
through route, and . ,., he ,j,og onto
Britannia Road shou :