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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1984-09-05, Page 4, At the time of this scribbling I trust the faithful are exercising the franchise JO typically Canadian fashion and voting in churches, gas stations and libraries across the,land. For today,(Tuesday) the daily offerings of . the press suggest that we are on the verge ,of a new era with respect to federal politics. And there is some basic truth to that. For many of us, and I refer to those Canadians, like myself, under the age of 25 (or 30 or better but who's counting) Canadian politics has been 'limited to the servings of the Liberals under the direction of Pierre Trudeau. Since 1968 our vision of politics has been rosy, or slightly •less than, depending on your leanings. Considering that we have known no other leader, a tempestuous, impetuous and often incorrigible man, whatever is to follow now villee�taftgybedifle-rentf - -- Politics has changed a lot since Trudeau danced on the seen and one candidate in this election says the politician is a different animal as well: Peter Worthington, former, publisher of \the Toronto Sun, says with conviction that more and more people are trying to get into politics fo the money. He says the game has reached stage where it is not only lucrative, but an appealing business to get into. No doubt there are politicians with a genuine and sincere interest in serving their ridings and constituents, but Worthington says many run simply because the money's good. And 'considering today's economy, politics is fairly firm ground to be standing on, And then there are rumors that the fringe benefits are on the substantial side as well. A man has to be rewarded for his efforts, - constant travel awl -upkeep -of two-- homes, r -upk -of.....two- homes, not to mention the number of raffle • and draw tickets ourfederal ,Ps are expected buY.1 Wan a; fed has #4lt when it comes toafghansand glass turkeys, While Worthington 'ha1070004 rather lofty and admirable ideals, t h not doge much to get him elected. Pat 40 openly admits that even if he were a federal politician, with a hefty paycheque,. his mandate wouldnot include changing conditions for his constituents. His PO, he insists, would be to create a system that would welcome change and allow; Canadians to effect that chap Men don't often get elected or rich on ideals. But politicians can, Worthington claims. r Our politics niay be entering a new era, and along with that, one would have to include the methods of campaigning. Campaigning, while still a necessity, is I wonder if people still shake hands, stand at bus stops waving, to no-one ain;artlalr and pass out bumper stickers, Some s do, obviously, because the ,nightly hews has been inundated with footage. •oi oggizrg, walking and talking .politicians w ing an unsuspecting eloctorate with promises of a new Canada. There's no need to listen to any of it. The election is over before we vote. Polls clear up the entire mess and put it into perspective. Polls can declare winners weeks before we even get inside the little booth so that by election day,. Canadians $might feel like they are wasting their time. Why not just 'declare a winner from the polls and quit wasting so much time and money on a campaign and cal/lipaign. Simply phone people and find out how they'll vote. It may be cheaper in the long run, providing the calls are made on Saturday during the two -third discount period. I ¢'s met flees. pol.><iarg pealalP_.:bark--ints .., more important stuff. • Member: Second class mail registration number 0716 BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1983 THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT SINCE' 1848 1 Founded in 1848 and published every Wednesday at Goderich, Ontario. Member of the CCNA, OCNA and ABC \Audit Bureau of Circulations. Subscriptions pay*bis in advance '20.85, (Senior Citizens '17.05 privilege card number required) In Canada, '55. to U.B.A.,'55. to all other countries, Bingle copies 50'. Display. National and Classified advertising rates available on request. Please asir for Rate Card Ne. 14 effective October 1, 1883. Advertiiing is accepted on the condition that in the event of typographical error, the advertising epees occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance for signature; will not be charged for but that balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error advertising goods or services at • wrong price, goods or services may notbe sold. Advertising is merely en offer to sail, and may be withdrawn at any time. The Signal -Star is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproducin Apogee. PUBLISHED BY: SIGNAL -STAR PUBL4SHING LIMITED ROBERT G. SHRIER -, President and Publisher DON HUBICK - Advertising Manager [DAVE SYKES - Editor• P.O. BOX 220 BT. the GO\ HUCKINS BT. INDUSTRIAL PARK GODERICH, ONT: N7A 4BB FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES...please phone (519) 524-8331 Oh what a summer The resumption of the regular school year in September traditionally signals the end of summer. Soon the countryside will be ablaze in the colours of autumn and our activities and priorities will change with the weather to suit and compliment the season. Clubs, groups, organizations, school and church groups, service clubs, munici'al committees and boards and a host of other organized bodies will resume their normal schedu:es, fresh froma summer holiday: . And while the -pact -of activities tends to increase in the fall, the past four months have been anything but listless.- or istlessor event -less in the town of the Goderich. It is not unusual for one to hear the off -handed remark there is ''nothing to do in town." However, it'appears to be quite evident that the range of reacreational, cultural and general interest activities in the Goderich and Huron County area would cater to every need. There is an abundance of professional theatre within easy driving distance of town and by mere virtue of geography, the area offers miles of sandy beaches and provides a natural setting for water enthusiasts. The newly created and revitalized St. Christopher's Reach park has added a new and most welcome dimension to the waterfront. Local citizens and tourists alike have used the area for liesure activities, strolls and picnics. t Boating enthusiasts have made Goderich a port of call along the fake Huron shoreline providing adequate • respite and protection from the fickle lake waters. But throughout the summer monmths, local service clubs, church groups and other organizations, anti the municipality and its branch departments, namely the recreation department, have laid out a menu of summer activities that offered something for everyone. It seemed that there was something to do each and every weekend in Goderich. One of the highlights, of course; is always the Canada I)ay• weekend which this year combined with 'Ontario's Bicentennial celebrations to create an event -filled weekend. .The visit by the tall ships flotilla and the Bicentennial Showcase at the arena added immeasurably to the Bicentennial activities here. Sporting events form a big part of activity in town and again this year there was everything from men's and women's slowpitch, and fastball tournaments to soccer, ball hockey, bike races, a fun run, horse races and other activities arranged by the recreation department. There were splendid concerts in the park on Sunday eveings, a four-day music festival, pancake breakfasts, beef barbeques, a fish fry and beer tent on The Square. There was the Festival of Arts'and Crafts and plenty of promotions offered by the business community. No doubt there are events we neglected to mention here but the partial list at least serves to illustrate that there is a lot going on in this community and in the surrounding area during the summer months. Hopefully, the fall and winterwill be as -enjoyable. Consider health care An 80 year-old Kitchener woman has launched a very ef- fective campaign for what many people believe is a good cause. She has obtained well over 5,000 signatures on a petition which she hopes to present to Premier William Davis in person. Lydia Tomlinson wants the province to open a lotto}, profits from which would be used to assist with health care. Her§elf an arthritic, the woman says she has nothing against sports and recreation, the causes to which most provincial lottery profits are now devoted. However, she is convinced that our first, and greatest need is 'more public funding for our hospitals and medical services • Premier Davis has already indicated the likelihood of the province providing financial assistancetfor a domed sports stadium in the city of Toronto. Provincial funding comes from the pockets of all taxpayers in Ontario -not just those in Toronto, the city where the obvious benefits of a multi-million dollar stadium would be enjoyed. If vie who live beyond frequent -user distance from such an expensive recreational facility are to he expected to help pay for a domed stadium, it does not seem illogical that provincial funding be more readily available for one of our greatest needs in rural areas -less costly health care services. Wingham-Adva dee Times. 7'1 The first day, by Pat Raftis POSTSCRIPT JOANNE BUCHANAN There are basically two types of people in this world. Morning Pepple and Night People. If you're one of those people who bound out of bed in the morning, full of energy, eager to face the day's work and perhaps even go for a five - mile jog first, you're a Morning Person. If, on the other hand, you're one of those people who prefers to stay up late at night watching Johnny Carson and old movies but can't drag yourself out of bed before noon, you're a Night Person. I fall into the latter category. Unfortunately, my job doesn't allow me the luxury of sleeping until noon every day. Instead, I show up at the of- fice as close to nine as possible each morning. I'm there in body only though, not in spirit. I ar- rive yawning, g-unt out a few 'good mornings' to co-workers (it's best if I don't have to talk at all and stagger to the coffee machine. I devour several cups and sit at my desk while waiting for the caffeine to take effect. At 5 p.m. when everyone else is leaving the office, I'm just get- ting started. My brain has cleared and I can finally work efficiently. I used tot ink I was weird but lately i've been reacting ni6fe and more magazine articles sup- porting the Morning Person -Night Person theory. Behavioural scientists long attributed such differences,,to personal eccentricities or early conditioning. But this thinking has now been challenged with the introduction of a new science christened 'chronobiology' by biologist Franz Halberg. In a laboratory at Harvard University, Dr. Halberg examined small amounts of blood taken from a number of his patients, and he found that the oells in the samples seemed to fluctuate in number, depending on the time of day they were drawn from the body. When the blood was taken early in the morning, the cell count was up; a few hours later, it was down; still later, it was up again. With further testing,'he discovered that the same repetitive patterns could be detected in heart rate, metabolic rate and even body temperature. By the end of the fifties, he had gathered enough scientific data to propound an entirely new theory about the way our bodies work. Dr. Halberg's explanation; Instead of perfor- ming at a steady, unchanging rate, our systems actually function on a 24 -to -25 hour timed cycle. Sometimes we're accelerating, sometimes we're slowing down. Sometimes we race, sometimes we rest. We achieve peak,efficiency for only a limited time every day. Halberg dubbed these bodily cadences "circa- dian rhythms". His findings were greeted with little more than a nod from the science establish- ment. But in the past 13 years, more and more researchers have grown increasingly convinced that the discovery' of circadian rhythms may have been a medical breakthrough of major im- portance. As a result of the data now being collected, chronobiologists can tell you when to eat the most and still lose weight, what time of day you're best equipped to handle the toughest challenges and when to exercise for maximum effect. They can even tell you when to go to the dentist with your highest threshold of pain I perhaps dentists' offices should start operating on a 24-hour basis like Mac's Milk. for us Night People who probably have the highest pain tolerance at 2 a.m.!) It's a biological law of human efficiency that to achieve your best with the least effort, you have to co-ordinate the demands of your activities with your biological capacities (now I'm beginn- Mg to understand that I didn't fail my math ex- ams because I was dumb in math but because we always wrote the exams early in the morning before my biological clock was ready! Do you think my former math teachers would buy that one?) According to circadian theory, we do our best physical work -aerobics, household chores- when•our rhythms are at their peak. In most peo- ple this lasts about four hours. For mental ac- tivities, the timetable is more complicated. Precision tasks, such as mathematical work, are best tackled when your body temperature is on the rise. For most people ( not me), this is at 8 or 9 in the morning. By contrast, reading and reflection are better pursued between 2 and 4 p.m., the time when body temperature usually begins to fall. Circadian theory., also tells us that breakfast should be our largest and most caloric meal of the day because calories are burned faster and more completely one hour after we wake up than they are during the -evening dinner hour. Here are some other interesting findings: Aspirin has its greatest potency early in the mor- ning betr`yeen 7 and 8 and is least effective between $ p.m. and midnight. Caffeine has the ,most impact around 3 in the afternoon (so much for that morning coffee pick-me-up). At this same early hour, however, alcohol has its max- imum effect. Anyway, my point is this: Please don't be of- fended if you call me at the office at 9 a.m. and I sound a bit testy. It's nothing personal. It's just that my biological clock isn't at its peak yet. I think that if we night owls and early birds could become a little more tolerant and understanding of one another, wwe could sdlve a lot more of the world problems. 4.4 So far there is an important element miss- ing in what we have been told concerning the Goderich harbour expansion. It is only , natural that the excellent general news would reach us first, but further pertinen information should have been forthcoming by now. There is a 'model of the commercial pro- ject on display in a store window on the Square and the town officias have received some drawings which were used when the expansion was announced .wind described. On August 13th we were told that "the tenders will be sent out in 30 days and there will be some visible movement at the har- bour in 90 days". From this one concludes that the plans, criteria and details must have been worked out and that the federal governn'ient knows exactly what it is going to do. However, the public is still waiting to hear whrit kind of environmental impact to expect. That is the missing element. Everyone appreciates keenly the increas- ed employment potential, the expansion of business interests and the projected growth for local and area economy. All this can be expected to go hand in hand with our prior knowledge of any possible effect on our en- vironment, as it is the people of this Gown who will have to live with the results. One can rrsasonably presume that in the course of the preparations the federal government has gathered the full' set of all applicable environment data. It is rather disappointing that, as the closest represen- tatives of the local population, the town council has not taken any visible steps to ob- tain and convey to us such vital information. Will the construction of a new breakwall at the Maitland River mouth cause erosion anywhere along the banks? Will it have other detrimental or beneficial effects, short or long term, relating to the river and its life in any way? One of the municipal council members used the expression "historic 'event" when the expansion was announced. Yet a project of this magnitude has never been discussed with the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority whose man- date covers such situations. Is the federal government pulling rank? If so, where does it leave us? Where does the Ministry of Natural Resources come in, if the Con- servation Authority is not involved during the planning? The Ministry of the Environ- ment? Will there be increased or considerably in- creased truck traffic through some parts of town? Is there going to be more noise, dust, odour or any other emission? What effect could possible severe water pollution have on our waterworks intake? Whilst we are used to thinking in terms of shiploads of salt, grain or corn and potash, the recent press release mentions for the first time new commodities such as in- dustrial chemicals and synthetic fuels. Will there be new hazards, with new safeguards built in? How do we know? ' Perhaps there are two acceptable alter- natives: it is entirely possible that these questions can be proved to be ridiculous in which ease it would be useful to hear the comforting answers and explanations from qualified professionals. No political peptalk, please. It is also possible that the true advantages of this expansion project are naturally and inevitably accompapied by, a number of unpleasant consegt{ei ces with which we either have to live or for which reasonable remedies might be offered. In either case it would be to the general and mutual advantage of all parties to have an early start in communicating. Within reason, most people can accept a lot of things if necessary, as long as the situation is handled in a forthright, responsible and businesslike manner. The thing about paying the piper and call- ing the tune is not only an outdated and un- necessarily submissive outlook, it is also out of focus. The public is the pipe, the piper, the tune and the rest of it. A senior government department is not going tooc•ancel a project because some legitimate questions invite open and intelligent answers. The com- panies concerned will not take their business elsewhere when we are seeking understanding of possible problems we might have to share. Our best bet is to coin- municate intelligently at the start, instead of having to untie knots of suspicions and controversies later on. A lot of ordinfiry , little planning and building matters require public meetings. Whatever rules and regulations can be quoted in this case, it is unthinkable that this major expansion project using seventeen million dollars of public money should be carried out without anyone planning to call apublic information meeting. A small town working together at its best is a place and an occasion where fpll infor- mation is not a privileged possession, but is freely and naturally available to the public whose lives might be affected by an event to some degree. Although the harbour expan- sion is fully and directly a federal project, what steps is the Goderich town council tak- ing, in order to make it easier for us to receive complete and informed assurances concerning environmental protection? ELSA HAYDON ....`�.... .. ....... ....4..,,. moi.. ..., ..: .. ..