The Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-12-10, Page 4PAGE 4,—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1986
We used to huddle excitedly on the
couch, bouncing on legs that were tucked
up underneath us and imagine all kinds of
terrible scenarios.
But then, for two older sisters and
myself, the parent -teacher interview night
was an evening of absolute torture and
endless waiting.
There was never any serious considera-
tion (except on my part) given to holding
such interviews during school hours,
thereby releasing children from the bon-
dage of school. No, stuffy bureaucrats, in-
stead opted for the double whammy, mak-
ing us go to school during the day knowing
the night would be miserable when the
teacher finished with our parents.
It was easy to tell when parent -teacher
interviews were approaching. Teachers
tended to smile a lot and were substantial-
ly more patient with the collection of
miniature rogues they guardedly called a
class.
DAVE SYKES
Smiling teachers, I recall, made us
rather uncomfortable. Inevitably, it was a
clear signal that the teacher had "the
goods" on you and was more than willing
to blurt out the entire, sordid story to un-
suspecting parents.
• Mrs. Brenner was a lot like that. Almost
vindictive, she relished the role, knowing
we were squirming uncomfortably in our
seats.
I suspect that every student has been
taught by a Mrs. Brenner for there is a
sameness and universality about teachers
like that at the elementary level.
Mrs: Brenners tend to be more square in
shape than anything else, mesuring ap-
proximately 5' 2" in both height and girth.
They wear stubby little shoes,(size 5 at
best) and walk in quick, short little steps
giving the impr(sion they are always in a
hurry.
Mrs. Brenners have spectacles idly
darigiing un their chezi, ai _1__ end of black
glasses holders. When she did wear her
glasses, Mrs. Brenner invariably looked
over the top while offering an icy stare. It
was a look that froze kids in their tracks
and poked large holes through the false
bravado of the most daring of students.
Mrs. Brenner was gaod at staring and it
was' a look that haunted me through grade
school. It was enough to discourage any
deviant acts brewing in our minds. It is a
stare that I became reacquainted with
soon after marriage.
Anyway, when it became subtly ap-
parent that Mrs. Brenner was being more
patient than usual and when she sported a
sarcastic grin, we instinctively knew that
parent interviews were rapidly
approaching.
It meant that in a•few short days, every
student in the class vainly attempted to
recoup any points lost during the past mon-
ths. Even students who never strayed from
their desks or uttered a word out of turn,
felt cnrnnPlh d to shower Mrs. Brenner
with verbal niceties.
Mrs. Brenners were almost
superhuman. While writing •on the
blackboard and with their backs turned,
they had full vision of the entire
classroom. It is a skill that seems to be in-
herent in teachers and parents.
So Mrs. Brenner tortured us by just smil
ing a lot and as we sat on the couch while
mother dutifully collected the data on her
childrens' school careers, we tended to
conjur up thousands of seemingly airtight
defences for our behaviour.
The alibis tended to be both' bizarre and
numerous because you never knew what
Mrs. Brenner's version might be. One had
to be prepared when mother returned from
the interview.
While I would claim to being a most ar-
dent academic, I had to reach into my bag
of alibis on occasion to produce suitable
retorts to Mrs. Brenner's claims. Mistaken
identity was a popular choice.
This week, my son brought home his
'_.kcs' first ever
parent -teacher interview prompted the
nostalgic reflection.
I wonder what kind of stories the kid will
come up with.
Opinion
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And then they shopped
And on the seventh day they shopped.
Retailers across the province are embroilled in a dispute with the government over Sun-
day shopping and many stores have openly defied the controversial Retail Business
Holidays Act.
Many grocery stores in major centres have opted to open Sunday in defiance of the Sun-
day closing law and while the province's major department stores had geared for Sunday
openings this past week, they cautiously adopted a wait-and-see attitude. '
Ontario's Sunday closing laws have been unanimously upheld already by the Ontario
court of appeals. However, Toronto furrier Paul Magder launched an appeal with the
Supreme Court of Canada and a decision should be rendered on the matter by Dec. 18.
The province's major department stores are waiting to see if the Supreme Court rules that
the Sunday closing law is in violation of the Charter of Rights. The Ontario court of appeal
ruled it didn't violate the Charter because it was based on the "pause day" rather than a day
of religious significance.
While retailers wait for the courts to judge the constitutionality of the law, they continue
to open and police continue to lay charges. Over the past weekend, more stores defiantly
opened for business and more charges were laid.
Retailers are taking advantage of the pre -Christmas rush, just as they take advantage of
the lure of Boxing Day sales. To get around the law, The Bay opened only for employees and
invited guests, which seemed'to fall in the fringe areas of the law. As a result, no charges
were laid.
No doubt, people would readily welcome the extra day of shopping this time of year but it
is inconceivable that Sunday shoppers would be out in force the rest of the year. It would', in
some cases, provide a convenient alternative but it's difficult to speculate on the success of
the venture over a 12 -month period.
A recent Gallup poll suggests that 53 per cent of Canadians would favor Sunday shopping.
The numbers favoring the removal of Sunday closing laws ranged from a high of 70 per cent
in British Columbia to 45 per cent in Quebec. Ontario respondents were close to the national
average at 54 per cent.
The poll indicates that a slight majority favors Sunday store openings which is up four
points from a similar poll conducted three years ago.
As the law stands, Ontarians are now able to buy milk, bread, tobacco and ,magazines at
convenience stores and drug stores are open in all communities. People can buy a pizza or
go out to eat, irrespective of the day Sof the week. You have to wonder if provincial law
should distinguish between allowing its residents to buy a bag of milk on Sundays while it is
against the law to purchase a Pierre Cardin at a major department store.
But the rationale behind the `pause day' law makes good sense. It's important for people
to have a day to recharge or to regenerate. Sunday has traditionally been respected as that
day of rest and a day one spent in quiet pursuit of family and personal interests.
As is the case now, when one major store makes the decision to stay open on Sundays, the
others feel compelled to follow suit or face the loss of substantial, potential business. If
stores were allowed to remain open, it would mean that many more people would be work-
ing and it would create a sameness to each day of the week.
Is it hypocritical on our part to expect to be able to buy cigarettes, milk, pizza etc. on Sun-
day while denying other the opportunity to shop for clothes or groceries?
Ting to be featured in the Star
The work of syndicated cartoonist,
Merle Tingley, will be appearing as a
regular feature in the Goderich Signal -
Star.
Tingley was born in Montreal. Hardly
anyone calls him Merle Randolph; he's
affectionately known as "Ting".
He graduated from Montreal High
School, but his editor says he can spell
anything but words. That's why he draws
pictures for a living — and he has become
pretty good at it.
He did take an art course, but left after
one year to become a draughtsman. That
career was short-lived when he doodled" a
worm into a building plan. Apparently
engineers don't like worms in foundations
of their solid structures. (Today, "Luke
Worm" appears hidden in all of Ting's
cartoons and readers of all ages enjoy
the daily challenge of unearthing the
little critter with the corncob pipe. )
With Hitler on the warpath, Tingley
joined the army in 1942. Shortly after, His
Majesties>Canadian Forces were logking
for a cartoonist to enhance the army
magazine Khaki. Ting got the job. Later
he was transferred overseas to serve on
the forces daily "The Maple Leaf".
The art department of an advertising
agency picked him up after the war, but
the cartoon bug had bitten and you can't
have much fun with beans, soap and
deodorants.
Hitting the road on, a second-hand
motor bike he visited newspapers from
coast to coast, but to no avail. The would-
be cartoonist took 'a job as a photo -
retoucher at The London Free -Press in
1947. Two months later he wormed
himself into the first Free Press
cartoonist's job. He's still there.
Ting cartoons are now syndicated to a
number of daily and weekly papers
across Canada.
Never having lost his ties with the
troops Tingley has entertained our peace-
keeping forces in Korea, the Mideast, the
Congo, Cyprus and Europe. Added to
this, are two missions to the Pacific and
the Far East sponsored by. the American
government.
Among his many laurels are 15 national
and international awards including five
for humorous writing. Two children's
books and eight volumes of his Free
GODER/CH,
HERE w COME
Press cartoons add to his credits.
As- a designer for London's fantasy
park, Storybook Gardens, Ting has been ,
on the advisory committee since its
inception in 1958.
Merle Randolph Tingley has one wife,
• Genie, two sons, two cats, and a dog, and
of course, Luke Worm.
A `moving
Most people would not dare attempt the
task I took on last weekend without the aid
of specialized vans and a substantial con-
tingent of trained laborers. Even with this
kind of professional force, the job often
takes people several days to complete.
Therefore, I felt justifiably smug at hav-
ing accomplished the entire ordeal in one
day, using only a borrowed. pickup and
what grudging g girlfriend ri nd couldelp I obtain
my younger
kid-
napping my� g
brother and coercing their assistance.
Despite the tribulations, you' might say it
was "a moving experience."
Tt be truthful, I hate moving. I wouldn't
do it at all if I could convince my
employers to consider moving new job
sites closer to my current address, rather
than have me go through the stress of
relocating my personal belongings. So far,
I have never been fortunate enotigh to find
an employer this understanding. Instead, I
do the next best thing and travel light.
ro
Operation Eyesight offers another chance
Dear Editor:
Christmas! Before long your readers
will be experiencing that loveliest season
of the year, so what do they think about
Christmas?
To numerous people, far and wide it
means the celebration of Jesus. Christ.—
God's gift to the world. To children who at-
tend -Sunday School it means the excite-
ment of rehearsing for the Christmas play
and singing carols.
What though does it mean to numerous
people in the Developing World?It means
another day of struggling to live. The
destitute and curable blind have no hope
unless some person who feels compassion
for them sends $25.00 to Operation
Eyesight Universal, P.O. Box 123, Stn.
"M", Calgary, Alberta T2P 2H6. This
$25.00 will restore a person to sight paying
for hospitalization, surgery, cataract
glasses and follow up care.
If the patient is the breadwinner of the
family it means that he or she can once
again work to provide for their family in-
stead of having to beg. A card is sent to
exp.
erience'
Moving always makes me think of an old
George Carlin routine called "A Place For
My Stuff." Carlin's theory was that the on-
ly reason people have houses in the first
place is so they have a location to park the
various and sundry pieces of "stuff" which
human nature seems to require people to
obtain.
"If people didn't have to worry about all
this stuff --everyone would just walk
around all the time," Carlin supposed.
"Not a bad idea George," I thought, as I
attempted to crowd four rooms worth of
"stuff" into the cramped box of a half -ton.
"We can do it in one load. We'll be done
by three," I had assured my shanghaied
assistants. Two loads and several hours
later, those wards had returned to haunt
me. 1 had moved in here with only one load
of stuff. Why all now have more? Did my
stuff possess some mysterious power of
reproduction unknown to modern science?
It hardly seemed likely.
LETTERS
each' donor with name, sex, age and ad-
dress of every person whose sight is
restored.
We can never match God's priceless gift
but we can enable a blind person to see....
By so doing we shall have a truly Happy
and Blessed Christmas.
Sincerely,
Kay,Racicot
Surnrnerland, B.C.
VOH 1Z0
Donations aid USC Canada
Dear Editor,
The Unitarian Service Committee of
Canada, founded by Dr. Lotta
Hitschmanova, C.C., still needs $2 million to
reach its fund-raising°objective.
USC Canada fosters self-reliance in
developing countries such as Nepal,
Bangladesh, Lesotho, Botswana, Indonesia
and Swaziland by supporting self-help com-
munity projects in preventive health care,
food production, clean water, sanitation and
education. Your donations are matched by
the Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA) and the provincial govern-
ments of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskat-
chewan and Manitoba, and can be sent to
USC Canada, 56 Sparks Street, Ottawa, K1P
5B1, or through any branch of the Bank of
Montreal.
John Martin,
Chief Executive Officer,
USC Canada,
56 Sparks Street,
Ottawa, Ontario
KIP 5B1
is not always a pleasant one
•
Single male journalists, creatures of
mobility that we tend to be, are generally
the trend-setters of the "travel light" set.
A colleague of mine once moved his stuff in
excess of 100 miles in the back, of a Honda.
Of course he admitted to making two trips,
but that still
leaves us
would make your average with tuff collector
green with envy.
Transporting your stuff, of course, is on-
ly half the battle. Once you've got all your
basic stuff into the new abode, you must
make arrangements to get all kinds of
other stuff hooked up.
"The gas man cometh," promised the
voice on the phone.
"But when?" I wondered, as I spent the
first night in rely new residence camped
out in the living room, huddled under a
small electric heater, waiting for someone
to coifle and light my fire.
In addition to the gas company, I was
visited by representatives ot the cable
from
this
angle
Patrick Haft's
Company and the telephone company dur-
ing my first week of occupation. All of
these organizations charge what is known
as a r"hookjup" fee. In some cases,.I have
to wonder hew much hooking up has ac-
tually done.
The telephone line, for example, was
already turned on and registering a dial
tone when the serviceman arrived. He
plugged it into an existing jack, made a
test call and left. I could have done that. In
one case, I actually did -
During an earlier move, I found myself
unable to be at home for the auspicious
telephone installation ceremony. The ser-
vice man simply dropped the phone off at
my office and I took it home and plugged it
in myself. Yet, I was still charged for a
Service call. Bet the guy really sweated
over that one.
At least it's all over now. I'm connected,
cabled, on line and cookin' with gas. The
only thing I have left to do is sort out the
contents of all the boxes which currently
litter the floors and shelves of my home.
Even though 1 have completed the
physicalrnove, it seems I have still not
found that elusive "Place For My Stuff.
GI