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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1983-10-19, Page 4• SYKES • J The days were and cool then and it seellnedthe romance would last forever. It is difficult to;^remember when the romance Hot took hold; but it gripped with a fervor and passion. The romance is gone now,'I sadly suspect, or at least waning. This past week I watched some of the World Series action with passive interest team wond t nor e ifct the action even invaded t I neither hmy living room, provoked thoughts of carefree, youth- ful days when baseball mattered. • Baseball was life then and, as a.youngster, baseball players were idolozed as larger - than -life men who played the game out of the same sense of competitiveness and utter love for the game that permeated our school ground and backyard games. Their names were familiar ones and their every move was emulated to perfection on the ball diamond ?� Wecollectedthetrfacesonbaseball a s,, • hy the thousanck, memorizing the statist information an the back. We -adopted their names on the,;bsil. dla tenndt,transf. me g our amulet -efforts 'into major league contests of unparalelled magnitude. Those stacks of baseball cards, by the thousands and tattered ball gloves, once revered as the most prized possessions and memorabilia of youth would later suffer the ultimate ignominious fate and be tossed out as trash. Life ultimately seemed to hinge on the outcome of the World Series then, and in the naivete of youth we believed that baseball was the most urbane of games. It tran- scended life and when the boys of summer were between the white lines, nothing else seemed to matter. Those were times when afternoon games were the curse of the beloved. They were times When you -w uld race a(lt►e m school, drop basks by/the,front dial` l►a the verhanda, and excitedly Writhe television -set.ph, hoping to -catch the final few.I rings• Tiley were ' times' when eyery self respecting baseball fan would feign sym- ptoms of some serious but dubious disease, just to get an opportunity to watch an af- ternoon fternoon game. They were times that produced legitimate heroes, men who seemed worthy of the sandlot emulation heaped upon them by adoring youngsters. They were times when each titanic struggle would immediately be• relived and replayed on the neighbourhood baseball diamond, sometimes with different out- comes to suit our likes and whims. They were days when those crisp, cool autumn afternoons sadly raisedthe, prop- speck of the .end of another baseball season. We didn't let go willingly or without a r struggle, but when those autumn days turned cool the games:turned to football eventually street' hockey. Played with the same intensity and jiassion. But those days are gone and I cannot idololze men, younger than myself, who command a salary often in excess of $200,000 for playing a boy's game. I am familiar, still, with some of the veterans of the teams, but_only because they approach 40 orhave passed it and refuse to let go of the little boy in them. 1? too an unwilling to let go of that spirit, that little boy that wants to go out and play baD. But, Ifear the magic is gone, and the World Series: has been merely reduced to a series of baseball games. Qh, if only those carefree days of yputh could be relived. I still wouldn't mind getting out and playing a few innings after watching. the game on television though. Member: *CNA Second class mad registration number 0716 THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT SINCE 1848 Founded in 9041 and published every Wednesday st Goderich, 0n fano. Member of the CCM,fifGNA and ABC Audit Bureau of Circulations. 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SHRIER - President and Publisher DON HUBICK - Advertising Manager DAVE SYKES - Editor P.O. BOX 220 trtiei 'HUCKINS 8T. am" INDUSTRIAL PARK OOOERICH, ONT. N7A 486 FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES—please phone f IS19] 6249331 Decision needed Certainly everyone in town, including motorists, parents, school children, and councilors, recognizes the potential danger that exists for pedestrians and motorists at the corner of Bayfield Road and Bennett Street. It is an extremely busy corner at certain times of the • day. Employees travelling to work in the mall or points in the industrial park use Bayfield Road to get to and from work. School children attending St. Marys, Robertson, Goderich and District Collegiate and even Victoria School, cross at the intersection. To further complicate the pedestrian and traffic flow, there is a service station and convenience store on the corner. At certain times, it is an extremely busy intersection. That, is not a point for debate. Council has beenaround the issue before over the past couple of years. The traffic committee of council has recommended that lights be placed on Bayfield Road, preferably at the Bennett Street intersection. The ministry claims that the intersection barely met the standards for traffic lights before the Suncoast Drive extension was opened. With that road now open, the ministry would suggest that it takes much of the traffic flow off of Bayfield Road. Suncoast Drive is intended to be a four -lane road bet-, ween the provincial highways.The ministry would like the lights there. They will not pay for lights located elsewhere. A delegation at council Monday outlined its concerns and asked that council proceed on its own and install traffic lights at the intersection. Council, and rightly so, was bound by an earlier decision to wait for a traffic study conunittee report before agreeing to install traffic signals at any intersection. That report will be available to council in November and it will be incumbent upon council to make a decision at that time. No-one has really contested the fact, or offered evidence to contradict the fact that a set of traffic lights is required on Bayfield Road for the safety of both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The light is needed and it will no doubt minimize the danger of a serious accident. But the potential for such accidents exists at every intersection and nothing can replace common sense and good safety habits practiced by both drivers and pedestrians. But if a danger exists, then a decision should be made. A new attitude Governments, foundations, and research and com- munity groups are becoming more forceful and direct in their campaign to bring attention to the drinking driver. The problem is something of a paradox in our society. Drinking is an acceptable part of our leisure pursuits and yet alcohol related accidents are on the increase each year. rougher laws arid stricter controls will go a long way to assist in curbing the problem; at least once drivers are aware that the judicial system will not treat the problem lightly. Yet, society has continued to be tolerant, accepting drinking and driving. It's that public attitude and tolerance that has to change before any changes will be evident. The federal health department recently released statistics that indicate the annual per capita consumption rate had risen to over 11 litres of pure alcohol by 1980. Along with that figure, the percentage of drinkers in the population has risen substantially, especially among young people and women. Federal stats suggest that the number of drinks con- sumed each day increases from 2.68 on Wednesday to 3.74 on Saturday and then declines. Unfortunately, the per- centage of drinking drivers, who are killed m traffic ac- cidents reflects that same variation, including the weekend peaks. Twelve-hour licence suspensions were introduced in the last few years to keep the marginally -impaired off the roads and highways. While the program may be acting as a deterrent, it has not put a significant dent in the alcohol- related accident statistics. Stiffer penalties and a shift in public attitude will make a difference. The public doesn't regard drinking offences, such as impaired driving or drinking under age, as socially unacceptable offences. We tolerate them and they are more a fact of life or a simple matter of being unlucky enough to get caught. The problem is an ongoing one that will'eequire a new and tougher attitude on the part of Canadians before any firm results can be detected. The Addiction Research Foundation will be conducting a community survey in Goderich, probably in the new year. We will watch with interest the results of that male survey and no doubt it will reveal many interesting things about our attitudes towards alcohol. J: ,f !Tv Dave gykes DEAR READERS SHIPLEY KELLER A news article in some of the daily papers last week quoted Brenda Taylor, Atlantic region director of the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews, telling a Commons committee that the singing of carols and staging of Christmas concerts in public schools make non-Christian students "feel very different". That kind of news can rock the average Christian to his socks and raise the hackles of all but the very broad-minded in Catholic and Protestant churches. Who in his right mind would think that singing Silent Night and reciting St. Luke's story of the birth of Christ could in any way harm any child, they would ask. It's just one of the ways that Christians give the impression of being smug and self-righteous. They seem to take it for granted that they are.in the majority ... that their thoughts transcend all others and that their purposes are noble enough to be beyond question in Canadian society. Yet it just isn't true. Christians are just another segment of society, a society that is so very diverse and so well informed that its members question just about everything that goes on anywhere in the nation. And with some justification, too. In a democracy such as we enjoy in Canada, people are free to choose what they will believe and live by. And choose they do. Some choose Christianity of course, but a good many do not. In fact, I fear that in today's world, Christians are no longer in the majority as was once the case. And in a democracy, people who do not choose Christianity have a perfect right to question if, in fact, Christian teachings of which Christmas is one, is good for their children attending a publicly funded school. It isn't always easy for me, as a Christian, to admit that others may find my beliefs offensive. But I must accept that it's true ... and I must realize that even though I believe I am right, others may think I'm as squirrelly as peanut butter. I have no right to impose my beliefs by law or any political influence on those who do not wish to live according to them. It's a way of life for a practicing Christian, you understand, to share his or her "faith" with others. It's The Great Commission, Christians say ..• the marching order given by Christ toy spread His word throughout the whole world. No wonder it seems incongruous to the Christian to speak against Christian Christmas activities in the schools ... and even I hesitate to do that. But I am ready to agree that for some people, the Christian Christmas is a bunch of poppycock that should be left out of the classroom as surely as the classroom ignores the Jewish Chanukah. And that viewpoint deserves to be heard in a democratic society. The London Free Press jumped on the ban- dwagon after Ms. Taylor's statement to the Commons committee, and interviewed some prominent members of London's non-Christian groups. They found that in general, such groups see no harm in Christian Christmas activities in the schools. One man, Paul Caplan, chairman of the London Jewish community council's community relations committee, said that in addition to the Christian Christmas, students should perhaps be exposed to some other non-Christian activities and festivites ii,. their programs. He said it would help children to gain a greater appreciation and tolerance for other cultures and religions. I couldn't help wondering how a fun- damentalist (a dirty word in some Christian circles) would react .to that suggestion from his Christian perspective. Not too well I would imagine. The schools do a magnificent job of coping with this problem of basic rights and freedoms. They generally don't force any student to take part in any activity that is in direct conflict with his religious or social background. It's been that way for many, manyyears understand the ground a untworks gse ry well providing people rules. Jesus Christ had a reasonable kind of ap- proach to the situation, I think. He said one time in reference to a person's time, talents and treasures, "Render under Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's." Il, think that advice would fit this situation just about right, and serve the needs of just about everyone. Maybe the public schools of our nation should consider that bit of wisdom, even if it does come from Jesus Christ. Maybe they would find that things like one's personal religious beliefs shouldn't be carried into the classroom unless, of course, they're prepared to put forth all of them on equal time. And that could be a bit of a hassle. As a Christian, I'd hate to see the Christian emphasis taken from Christmas in the schools. To me, if you take Christ out of Christmas, you haven't much left. But if the alternative is to teach young children something about each of literally hundreds of religious beliefs of the world, I'd much rather they spend their time on grammar and mathematics, music and art, science and geography. I'll take my chances and work to spread the Christian message some other way, outside the classroom. 1 ast week I went to Toronto to do three things - to attend a performance of the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet of Swan Lake; to call on my old friend, the Art Gallery of Ontario, where a special group of "Dutch Painting of the Golden Age" is temporarily on display; and to visit the recently renovated and enlarged Royal Ontario Museum now exhibiting a special collection under the captivating heading of "Silk Roads - China Ships". All three events were most enjoyable. The Sadler's Wells performance was the most magnificent Swan Lake I have seen or ex- pect to see. The stunning opulence and ex- travagance of the sets and costumes sur- rounded the quite extraordinary artistry of the dancers, giving the adoringly en- thusiastic audience an experience so perfectly beautiful and uplifting that one's eyes filled with tears of joy. Having been taken out of oneself, one returned newly fer- tif ied. The Dutch showing at the Art Gallery is on loan from the Royal Picture Gallery, Mauritshuis. It includes Vermeer's "Head of a Girl", considered by many art lovers and critics one of the most beautiful pain- tings in the world, if such an expression is valid in the field of art. Together with Jan Steen's lively "The Way You Hear It Is The Way You Sing It", the Vermeer painting was also my personal favourite and alone worth the time and effort of the visit. The collection will remain on display until December 11, 1983. The Museum exhibition also invites the visitor to slip back in time and to explore the romantic images and grim realities of East- West international commerce from the 1st century A.D. to the early years of the 20th century; from caravans of camels laden with silks and other exotic wares - to clipper ships loaded with tea and spices - to the docks of London, Lisbon and Amsterdam where the journey of the aromatic and ex- otic merchandise landed. addition to be- a ing informative, the displays are most at- tractively presented. This special exhibition at t Museum is open until January 8, 1984. he point I am making is the'. we in Goderich are within reasonable distance of obtaining enjoyment and enrichment from what is frequently among the best of its kind in the world. Although there is considerable cultural and artistic movement right in town, with appropriate support for and ap- preciation of these activities, the fact is that of necessity it remains on a more modest level, since the world's great performers or other art treasures cannot be brought here. So we must go to them in larger centres. I wonder whether in all this is a direction and challenge for an initiative overlooked by travel agents and transportation businesses whose thinking is still geared to undertakings of the more traditional kind. Many Goderich people like to go to the theatre, concerts and galleries, maybe with added time to look around. Quite a few peo- ple find it very expensive to stay in Toronto overnight. Others do not like the driving, particularly at night; still others do not drive at all. If such people do not always amount to large busloads, there are smaller, comfortable vans available. Enough people may prefer to sit back in comfort and arrive relaxed, without the need to bother about parking etc. Have the people in travel or transportation business taken the trouble to find out what kind of response there may be, if such tours were offered and organized? Our Recreation Department has done a great deal to further cultural interest and activities. Perhaps the Recreation Office, alone or in combination with a travel business, could take a look at the possibilities and alternatives of including this type of recreation among the many other services it is offering to various groups and individuals. Flow about it? ELSA HAYDON