The Goderich Signal-Star, 1982-09-29, Page 4PAGE 4 -GODERICH SIGNALSTAR, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29.1982
DAVE
SYKES
'i 1
My suspect toil on your favorite weekly,
you might say, is tied up in words.
Words of the English language strung
coherently together to form sentences
(sometimes), paragraphs and subsequently
stories that appear as grey colimnar bits on
these pages. Naturally, since this job
revolves around words, spelling is , or at
least should be, an integral part of the job.
While mistakes, in one form or another,
have appeared on these pages on occassion,
I have remained steadfast in the belief that
they are a direct result of my lack of typing
skills. And since this community newspaper
' is dedicated to providing something for
everyone, we throw in the odd mispelled
mot, to appease that segment of the
readership looking for faux pas,
Spelling, as it relates to the English.
language, is a tedious and arduous task.•Our
words are often complex and confusing,
with too many variables and exceptions to
ee _see
the rules.
There is a crusade by Ken Tilleana, a
Chatham resident who has ,written to this
newspaper on the subject of spelling, to have
Thursday, September 30 declared Spelling •
Spotting Day. Tillema is on a one-man
crusade to have cities across the continent
observe International Spelling Spotting
Day, a day on which heurges citizenstie
realize that laf is better than laugh and that
only can be ritten as onely.
The man is a member of the Simplified
Spelling Society which claims that the
confused English style of spelling is con-
tributing to illiteracy in this country. But
shud words be spelled exactly the way they
sound? I suggest that may only add to the
confushon for many peeple.
Simply, words sound diffrent to everyone
and if left to interpretation it would create a
hole new language. Of.course hole is spelled
"whole" meaning something in its entirety,
unles the whole happens to be an opening or
a hole.
Simplified spelling wood have its touchy
spots too, where similar sounding words
have diffrent meenings and difrent spelling.
The society is crusading against the use of
silent letters in the English language and is
lobbying for the abolishun of same. They
would suggest that have be spelled hay,
build becomes bild, bread would be bred and
so on. Would well bred then make reference
to one's breeding or a, well stocked cupboard
at home?
The bugs haven't been worked out.
But there are signs that simplified
spelling is creeping into our world,
especially in the advertising game. Brand
names often reflect pronunciation rather
than correct spelling and words such as nite,
thru and donut are as commonplace as the
properly spelled versions.
There is no doubt that phonics and spelling
must present a confusing picture of our
language to youngsters in stool, but, for the
most part, they are able to cope with the
shoulds, coulds, woulds as well as there,
their and two, too and to.
Rules are rules but often we all slip into
the habit of relying on pronunciation to aid
spelling. In one submission- to- this
newspaper, a grade school youngster had
the word artyfishall in the middle of a
prepared text. By tapping my limited
resources and putting my mind on a Grade 2
level (it wasn't difficult) I came to the
conclusion the child made a phonetic at-
\ tempt tospell the word artificial.
And it was a decent attempt as far as I
was concerned.
We all have our pet spelling peeves
though. I, for one, could not spell com-
mitment or accommodation, if my life
depended on it.
BLUE
RIBBON
A\YARD
1979
Second class
mail registration
number -0716
SINCE 1848
THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT
rounded In ISN and published every Wednesday et Ood.rldr. Ontario. Member of the CCNA end OWNA. Adver-
tising rates an request. Subscriptions payable In (advance .10.110 In Canada. libel to U.S.A.. 'Wee to all other coun-
t tries, single copies Sr. Display advertising rotes available on request. please ask for Rat. Card No. 11 effoetive Oc-
tober 1. 1141. Second class scall Registration Number Sill. Advertising Is accepted on the condition that In the
event of typorephlal error, the advertising specs occupied by the erroneous Item, together with reasonable
allowance for signature, will net be dumped for but the* belong:* of the advertisement will be paid for at the 'w-
alkable rat.. In the event of a $yeogreehlt.l error advertising goods or services et • wrong price. goods or services
may not be sold. Advertising Is merely an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. 1h. Signal -Star Is not
responsible forth. loss or damage of urwlldfed manuscripts. photos or other materials used for reproducing pur-
poses.
1
PUBLISHED BY: SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED
ROBERT G. SHRIER-President and Publisher
DONALD M. HUBICK-Advertising Manager
DAVID SYKES-Editor
P.O. BOX 220.
HUCKINS ST.
INDUSTRIAL PARK
GODERICH N7A 436
•
FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES please phone (599) 524-8331
Anew beginning
On Friday evening, ' hundreds of graduates of GDCI bid
a final farewell to high school life. A life that has been
filled with friends, assignments, tough exams, learning
and growing up.
- The high school auditorium was filled with proud
parents, friends and relatives who, no doubt, gave serious
thought to the new phase of life the students are entering.
That new phase must appear to be challenging -to the
graduates of the Goderich .area and at the same time,
somewhat frightening. While many are pursuing a career
in the labor force, others will venture into theworld of
post -secondary education in search of a degree.
It was heartening to note at the commencement exer-
cises that so many Goderich and area clubs, groups,
organizations, unions, businesses, corporations and in-
dividuals take an active interest in the education system.
Several deserving students were awarded scholarships
and awards, that not only provide some needed funds, but
deserved recognition of scholastic achievement,
leadership capabilities and participation.
The 'interest in these graduates is widespread in the
community and understandably so. These same students,
should they choose to return to their home town, will
become the businessmen and civic leaders of the future.
The town has an investment in these young people and one
day it will pay dividends.
For now, many of the high school graduates will be
scattered across the province, pursuing educational and
work-related goals. It has been amply evident in the past
that they carry the necessary tools of education with
them. The county school system equips them with the
necessary education to fulfill dreams, goals and am-
bitions.
That fact has been well documented.
And as our graduates set out to begin a new life in the
world of business, academics or labour, the community
wishes them well in these new endeavors and offers
complimentary support. D.S.
Community benefits
It's the time of year when a lot of buying is going on.
Next to Christmas, the' fall season is probably the busiest
for consumers and merchants.
As at Cnristra,a ,, it -is -surprising the numder orpeopie
who shop out of town. There are too many of them. True,
many local and area residents do support their local and
area stores, but many also take their business out of town
to nearby cities.
Do they give their actions much thought.
There is more to shopping locally than putting money
into the pockets of local retailers. The town merchants
pay commercial taxes which go to support everything in
the area from policing to education to recreation and
welfare. By keeping our local businesses in a healthy state
we are really keeping ourselves and our community in a
healthy state. For every business that folds in this town,
the tax burden will be just that much heavier on everyone.
There are times of course when all of us find it
necessary to go out of town for the purchase of a specific
item. But we owe it to ourselves and to our merchants who
go to a lot of effort to stock .a, wide variety of goods, to
always check locally for the item before hitting the high-
way-to-the-city-1—
igh-
way to -the -city— — --- --
The habit of city shopping got its start with the affluent
1960s and cheap gasoline. Prior to that most people did all
their shopping at a couple of local stores. It seems to us
they were adequately clothed and satisfied with prices.
The competition was still there in the form of mail-order
catalogues.
We're no longer in the affluent 1960s or 1970s. Times are.
tough for many and gasoline is anything but cheap today.
It's tini'e we got back to some basics.
One of the basics of community life is that outside
communities aren't much heap when the local community
centre needs fixing up or the roads require extensive
repair.
It's something to think about the next time you need to
buy anything from a new lawn mower to a winter coat.
( Listowel Banner )
Lights make a difference
About 15 years ago, many :.motorists in Ontario installed
"running lights" on their vehicles for use during daylight
hours. They believed the lights reduced their chances of
being nvolvedin highway collisions._ -_ _ _ _. _
However, the government banned the use of the lights
but now there is evidence to suggest they should recon-
=wider tlfatediet -
There's strong evidence that driving Wiffilowfieams on
during the daytime is a safety factor. When Greyhound
Bus Lines ordered its fleet to operate continuously with
headlights back in the 1960s, daytime collisions decreased
by 24 per cent in the first year.
More recently, when the Checker Cab Company in'New
York City used headlights during daytime running in a
one-year trial period, collisions were reduced by over
seven per cent.
Daytime use of lights have been mandatory year-round
in Sweden since 1977. So far, there hasn't been a full report
issued, but partial data for one year shows multiple
vehicle collisions were reduced by nearly five per cent.
A federal law requires head and tail lights on motor-
cycles to light up automatically when they are put into
gear with the engine running. And the province of Ontario
mandated the use of motorcycle headlights at all times in
July of 1977. /
A big plus for using headlights during daytime hours is
that they increase the "safety gap" by making highway
passing less risky.
Brightness becomes the main factor in detecting objects_
as ambient light declines and the ability to discriminate
colour is lost. Bright colours and shiny burnpers fade as
that tight fades.
Irunriiii Tights, bre the other hand, ensure that a vehicle
stands out on the road, regardless of background. And
these can be either headlights or a combination of
headlights_and.driving lightsr.for example.
Tests by Transport Canada researchers on two-lane
highways, first with oncoming vehicles unlit, then with
their low beams on at various intensities, showed unlit
vehicles created a more dangerous" situation than
researches expected.
During those tests, drivers underestimated the distance
of upcoming lit vehicles, reporting them to be closer than
they actually were. And they overestimated the distance
of oncoming unlit vehicles.
In the light of this evidence from Transport Canada, it
was concluded that it's safer driving during the daylight
with the low beams on,.especially on two-lane highways,
as well as anytime light conditions are poorer than nor-
mal.
Tia spa is h4 lime
By nave Sykes
DEARREADERS
SHIRLEY KELLER
I had the extreme pleasure to attend the an-
nual commencement exercises this past
weekend at Goderich District Collegiate
Institute.
I admit it. I probably would not have attended
had I not been one of the platform guests that
evening. I was presenting the Signal -Star awards
on behalf of my company.
Funny thing how your interests in the high
school seem to rise and fall with the activities of
your children and the children you know. It
shouldn't be that way at all, for when you think of
it, your future and mine rests with the kids in our
present school system. We should be interested
in what they are accomplishing.
souls of the ordinary kids who live in and around
Goderich.
' For a moment or two, it all came flooding back
to me..I remembered my own high school years,
and my faltering .attempts to entertain an
audience similar to this one. I recalled the pride
of beim on the team and I knew instinctively
these kids were experiencing what it is to feel
worthy because one is doing something wor-
thwhile.
My reminiscing .ended as the graduates began
to fileacross the stage. One by one they came,
and I was hurled into the future.
Would that young lady became a famous
journalist, perhaps an author? Would that young
I usually feel younger and more alive after I've man mastermind the bridge over which my car
been to the high . school. Teenagers in Grades 9 would travel someday?
through- iS. have always bre m, ' favourite -jean How many byes- W: that- youngster io"u-c'1'r—
people. Theyare so full of life's pep and vinegar, whenshe becomes. a nurse'? Does the cure for
so optimistic about the world and their role in it, • cancer rest with that upcoming chemist? Will
so full of the potential it will take to cure all the my grandchildren learn to become decent,
earth's woes. productive citizens because that one studied to
I was fascinated by the young people I saw be a teacher? .
there. The band members. The choir members. Some of the graduates were nervous. Some
looked bored. Some were totally relaxed and
happy. A -few seemed angry and uncomfortable.
A few more took it as a big joke. Many appeared
relieved;
But all of them should have been proud of their
achievements. For each one is an achiever.
The • valedictory address was exceptionally
light-hearted yet appreciative and poignant.
Dean Doherty admonished the class to "hold
your heads high" and I began to hope his
message didn't get lost in the rhetoric. Would
those words sound to the students like more
platitudes of another graduation speech?
The graduates. Other students. They were so
poised and confident I found myself thinking,
"Surely this is�. what educationis all about.
Surely the ultimate goal of any teacher is to
produce students like these who will take their
places in the world without fear and trembling,
sure in the knowledge they have the training and
the skills to give a good accounting of themselves
wherever they are."
I marvelled again at the scope and the
maturity of the GDCI band. 'I thrilled at the
excellent choral work of the GDCI songsters. All
this talent springing from the throats and the
I was thinking back now to a conversation I'd
had with my eldest Son who is at university in the
USA studying for his Masters degree in ac-
counting.
With all sinceerity he was able to tell me that he
had tremendous respect, for the educational
system in Ontario, partictdarly in Huron County. -
Now that he is competing with students the world.
over, he has discovered what an excellent
training he . got here - and how much better
prepared he is to face the challenges of post
graduate study because of it.
Abd suddenly I knew that when my turn came
to stand before the students - when I would have
their whole attention for a few brief minutes - I
would reinforce the valedictorian's statement
that they should�indeed hold. their heads high. I
Would'them- •What.. er ggr �.before—
them
leer
them had discovered long after commencement
night - that the education available at GDCI is
truly "world class".
And as the strains of the postlude died away
last Friday evening - as the lights dimmed in the
GDCI auditorium and the students left for the
last time to scatter to the far corners of the globe
- a .little of my heart went with each of them.
I had been to their commencement exercises. I
,had glimpsed a bit of their past = and maybe even
some of their future. l had revelled with them in
• the pride they felt at their scholastic success and
I shared their excitement about getting on with •
their goals in life. -
I'm holding my head just a little higher this
week because of them, the graduates of GDCI.
'Thanks guys and gals for the future you
represent -for all of us.
Move would be unfortunate for museum
Dear Editor:
I am writing in response to
the suggestion that the
Huron County Pioneer
Museum may in future be
relocated inarta tra.
Although I realize that your
council isat a preliminary
phase of its investigation of
tills possibility, -at this tine'
wish to express my concern.
I feel that this move would
be unfortunate both for the.
museum and for Goderich,
Having the museum in
Goderich has been a mutual-
ly beneficial arrangement.
The museum has undoubted-
ly benefitted by the thriving
tourist business which
Goderich enjoys, for many
factors, but certainly, for its
location. Residents of the
county often bring their
guests and families to the
museum in conjunction with
visits to the Historic Jail, to
the waterfront area, and to
the Square.
I certainly do not think
that the- public would visit -
the museum to nearly the ex-
tent if it is moved to
Vanastra._ From. a tourist's
point of view; -it would .be a
poor location. So the purpose
of having a museum for the
education and enjoyment of
the public would . be
thwarted. The other half of
this symbiotic relationship,
the town of Goderich, is ob-
viously proud to be the home
of the museum. Many local
people, who have shared this
pride, have donated artifacts
and money to augment the
collection. All of these people
will, I feel, be upset should
the museum be moved.
council could likely tap into
other revenue sources
( government grants, public
fund raising, etc.)
I fervently hope that Conn-
- erl -will -not -decide -to-go
ahead with this move. And
from the number of others I
I share Mr. Scotchmer's
concerns about the safety4of
the collection in the present
building, and totally agree
that major improvements
and even -re -building may be
required. But consider the
money spent in purchasing
the Vanastra building and
the sum that will be
necessary to renovate it.
Add to this the enormous
amount it will cost to
disassemble, pack, ship, and
reassemble the thousands of
museum items, and you
have a sizable sum which
could be applied more wisely
to improving the present
site. And if that capital was
made available, then the
have talked to about this, I
know that the Sentiments I
have expressed here are
shared by many, many other
Huron County citizens.
Yours truly,
Sally Walker
'ower inadequate.
Dear Editor,
• Regarding your front {rage
story and editorial on the
watef expansion project,
may I please be permitted a
few comments.
First of all I would like to
state that it is your right,
indeed your duty to be
critical of elected govern-
ments, of which the P.U.C. is
a part.
What infuriates me is
when you use a totally untrue
statement with the inference
that the source of same was
the P.0^C. The case in point
is your allegation that the
water tower has a "capacity
of 1.5 million gallons". Now I
couldn't care less if you
believe our water tower
holds 1.5 Million gallons -but
you didn't receive that figure
from the P.U.C., because we
have continually and con-
sistently stated its capacity
to be 225,000 gallons (U.S.).
We believe the small
capacity of the tower to be
totally inadequate, resulting
in our town -homes, industry,
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