The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-04-21, Page 4is
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PAGE 4.—GODER1C11-1 SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1977
Morality at home
The subject of "filth" in books on the
English courses at high schools in
Huron will be the topic of a special
meeting Monday in Clinton. The Huron
County Board of Education will discuss
the problem with those persons who
,a w have comments to make - pro or con -
regarding the subject matter of
classroom English texts. Anyone who
feels keenly regarding this current
dispute should plan now to attend that
session.
4i
•
It should be an inter„estmg and
enlightening evening. While most
citizens assume the majority of per-
sons who attend will be there in op-
position tc, the "filthy books", there is
every reason to expect that many
persons will be present to either
support 'rhe inclusion of such books on
an up-to-date and complete English
course or at least argue in favor of the
school's right to choose which books
are necessary to give the best op-
portunity for well-rounded English
students in local high schools.
A fp-eat deal of the problem regar-
ding the "filthy books" centres around
the i nability of some parents and other
adults to understand how these
exismples of literature can become
lnustruments of learning. Perhaps it
would be helpful if, at Monday's
rneeting, an English teacher from the
county could teach a sample lesson
from one of the books in question, ,someone else's eye?
showing exactly how the situation
would be handled in the classroom.
Maybe too, the same teacher could
explain simply and directly just how
these books by modern Writers are
every bit as vital to the full educational
process as any of Shakespeare's works
or Dicken's classics. Possibly it could
be shown how the objectionable bits of
language in the books fades into the
background as the power and beauty of
the story unfolds.
It is hoped as well, that board
members will remind parents and
adults of the duty of educators to assist
in the preparation of young people for
the real world with all its filth and
corruption. Shielding students from
obscenity and perversion won't make it
go away. Educating them to un-
derstand it and deal with it must
surely give- young people a clearly
defined choice along with a better -
than -average chance of choosing
wisely.
For those Goderich and area parents
and adults who are incensed by the
thought of GDCI students studying the
books listed by a Blyth area resident
when he appeared before the board
(mentioned in last week's Here in
Huron, Page 5) it should be pointed out
that not all those books are on the
course of study at the local high school
or in fact in any Huron high school.
However, it would be interesting to
know how many of these same in-
censed parents and adults are 'also
enraged and offended by the day-to-
day language and behaviour of the
people with whom they work and relax.
Are they expending as much energy to
clean up the community environment
where filth is concerned? Are they
looking inward and removing the
beams from their own eyes so they can
see clearly to take the speck out of
Morality begins at home and in the
community. The schools only build on
the moral fiber that is already a part of
the students they educate. Are the
parents and adults in Goderich and
area, in Huron County sending morally
upright, strong youth to the schools?
Or are the products of the homes in
Huron somewhat weak and wobbly,
easy victims for the wiles of the world
and the "filthy books" of today? —SJK
What price you?
How much are you worth? That's not
asking about stocks and bonds, real
estate and personal assets. - That's
talking about you personally - your
body.
An article written by Arthur J.
Snider notes that every man is a six
million dollar man. He disclaimed the
estimate of a, few years ago which
advised that the human body was
worth something less than $1. After
checking prices of the components of
the human body which are available
from supply stores, it turns out the
human body is priceless.
Hemoglobin, for instance, „is worth
$285 a gram; insulin, $47.50 a gram;
bilirubin, a bile pigment, $12 a gram;
collagen, $15 a gram; albumin, $3 a
gram. And then there are the less
known constituents: acetate kinase, a
substance that activates an enzyme'?
$8,860 a gram; bradykinin, (amino
acids), $12,000 a gram; alkaline
phosphatase, $225 a gram. There's a
follicle-stimulating hormone worth $8
million a gram; and prolactin, a
hormone - that stimulates milk
production in the breast glands at $17.5
million a gram.
The average is $245.54 per gram
times the body weight. A 168 pound
human being is worth something like
$6,000,015.44.
And how much would it take to
assemble these synthetic molecules
into cellular structures and then into
larger cell components? Something
like $600 billion or even $600 trillion.
The cell components into cells? Figure
$6,000 trillion.
Then you would have to assemble the
cells into tissues, tissues into organs
and organs into a functioning human
being. At this point, man is unable to
compute his own worth. Suffice it to
say the human body is priceless - and
every human being is precious beyond
words. —SJ K
Prepare to die
With the saccharin battle still going
on, word is received this week that the
140,000,000 persons in the world who
are drinking artificially fluoridated
water are toying with disaster.
A letter with the address of National
Health Federation, Monrovia,
California, attached, suggests that
fluoridation contributes to tooth decay,
rather than prevents it; that babies
consuming infant formula manufac-
tured in areas where there is a
fluoridated water supply are risking
heart damage; that people on poor
diets and in poor health. are more
susceptilole to fluoride poisoning which
results in mottling of the teeth or
dental fluorosis; and that the rate of
cancer deaths is 20 percent higher in
areas where the water is artificially
fluoridlated.
The letter goes on to talk about
hypersensitive individuals in whom
fluorides can cause skin eruptions,
gastric distress, headache and
weakness; about people with kidney
disease, diabetes, hypoglycemia and
hyperthyroidism who are adversely
affected by fluoridation") about enzyme
poison which accumulates and can
lead to complications in bone, teeth,
kidneys, thyroid, reproductive organs
and liver.
Now that it is possible that the air we
breathe, the food We eat and the water
we drink can cause illnesses of all
types and degrees of seriousness, it
would be well to prepare immediately
to meet our Maker. There's no time to
delay. — SJK
A
gtjc &onitrich
SIGNAL -STAR
—r] — The County Town Newspaper of Huron ---(J —
Founded In IMO and published every Thursday at Goderich, Ontario. Member of the
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Business and Editorial Office
TELEPHONE 524-8331r
area code 519
Published by Signal -Star Publishing Ltd.
ROBERT G. SHRIER — president and publisher
SHIRLEY J. KELLER — editor
EDWARD J. BYRSKI — advertising manager
Mailing Address:
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Second class mall registration number --0716
Imagine that
� By DaveSykes
BY SHIRLEY J.-KELLER
It's an old chestnut, I know,
but a note this week from
Mayor Deb Shewfelt brought
it up again. His Worship
enclosed a copy of a London
Free Press story entitled
"Oxford to get planning
powers" and wrote-, "I am
convinced more than ever
that Huron County is slowly
losing their local autonomy
Eby refusing to -face the facts of
reorganizing the county
structure".
The story enclosed by the
mayor outlined that fact that
Oxford County, the first
restructured municipality in
Ontario, is the first non -
region municipality to
assume greater local
autonomy. Oxford, the story
pointed out, is the first
Ontario county to be
delegated authority to deal
with local planning matters.
To date, eight Ontario regions
have been given such plan-
ning powers.
The Free Press story
quoted G.M.Farrow,
executive director,of the
Ministry of Housin's plans.
and administration division.
DEAR READERS
Mr. Farrow attended an
Oxford County Council
meeting to advise members
his ministry was.prepared to
"recommend to the minister
that he delegate some of his
approval functions to
council".
Oxford now will have the
authority to grant subdivision
approvals and comment to
the Ontario Municipal Board
on whether certain zoning '
bylaws of municipalities
conform with the county's
official plan.
Farrow said the main
advantage is that planning
decision will be made by
people who know the local
situation. As well, it will
serve to speed up local
planning business.
Another interesting point is
the fact that the county
planning director announced
two more persons will be
required in the planning
department - another
secretary„ and another
planner.
And finally, according to
the story, Warden Ken Peers
had this to say: "We always
hear complaints that powers
are taken away but this looks
like an opportunity for us to
get some responsibility back.
These are quite large
responsibilities and they will
cost us, but decisions will be
made locally."
+++
Back in Huron County,
local county councillors have
voted against restructuring -
that is streamlining its
operation in such a way that
the provincial government
feels more respo'sibilities
could be handled efficiently
and effectively locally.
While -Hit matter hasn't
come up in the last few
months at county council
sessions, it was a hot issue
last fall. At that time, county
councillors decided - not
unanimously by any means =
that restructuring was, un-
necessary in Huron County
Council since everything here
is just about as good as it is
going to get.
One of the main bons of
contention was reducing the
number of members on
county council. In effect, it
would have eliminated some
deputy -reeves from county
council, and not surprisingly
it was generally the deputy -
reeves who were in opposition
to the move to "streamline"
the county operation.
One of the terms tossed
around in the council
chambers was "getting rid of
the deputy -reeves" - . . and
from the debate on the sub-
ject, . it was obvious some
members of council thought
the matter was akin to ac-
tually shooting the deputy -
reeves one by one to cut down
on expenses at the county
level.
Another angry 'debate
•ensured over, a, suggestion
that county municipal
boundaries be redefined so
that areas of interest could be
determined to better serve
the needs of the people
residing in those areas.
But once again, county
councillors could not conceive
of a plan which would, for
instance, split up Goderich
Township into perhaps -three
new segments - one attached
to Goderich, one to Clinton,
one to Bayfield. Yet ,for all
intents and purposes, that's
what happens every day of
the year . - naturally and
happily - as residents from
various points in Goderich
Township gravitate ac-
cording to custom or choice to
thf
out
as
m
g
er
dir
or
im
dc
dei
to
cl
51
one of these three cen
shopping, churl
recreation, fire pro
medical services, etc,
+++
While the system at
council seems effi
especially to new mea
much of that efficiency
result of years of,
ministratiye leade
shown by the late John
and the county's
administrator BillHnly
Citizens who:
attended a county
.,meeting in Huron Coved
and certainly those
who have had thedpp
to work closely with
county for any reason
well aware of the el
system of administrat
the county offices. C
tunately though, there
tendancy on the pail
county councillors to
that this efficiency
something to do with
performance ... whennt
most observers would
that the greatest pert
of the county business
„go on just as efficie
county council was dish
entirely. There are
continuedonp
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it
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upr
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net
wil
Disturbed
Dear Editor,
We are disturbed by
discussions of the possible
break-up of our country,
Canada. How can we express
our goodwill to our French
speaking fellow Canadians?
Families quarrel but with
love and willing hearts the
quarrels are resolved,
because the family is im-
portant. So it is with our
country w,jth its beauty,
DEAR EDITOR
'freedom and diversity. With
one of its members gone
Canada is incomplete. It was
a French Canadian, born in
Quebec, who composed "0
Canada".
Are you searching for a
way to express your frien-
dship towards the people in
Quebec? Please write a note
or postcard expressing your
feelings about tifis important
matter. in French or English,
to: Citizens of Quebec, c -o
Council of Canadiati Union,
14 0 Peel Street, Suite 925,
Two Torontonians
who love Canada.
Education Week
Dear Editor:
Education Week - April 17-
23 is an opportunity for the
public to re -discover
education. Although
educators promote a can -
timing dialogue with the
public, Education Week of-
fers, an opportunity for
teachers and students to
showcase their achievements
and their talents, to
demonstrate the 'state-of-the-
art.' It is also a time when
critics sheathe their swords,
at least temporarily, and help
to establish a balanced
Sirice all of us have been, at
some time, a part of the
Ontario education system,
our experience qualifies us as
"critics' and we tend to
continuedon
present
one or more
compare the
teachers. ,
favourably with Ont
classroom experience.
is natural,
But every one 0, u
our lifetime have.n!
intense and abidingInntn
on our develo011ent °
decisions. we rem,
these teachers with;
their effect on us is,in
That is what teaching_
about. But more oft5!L
Cal
o at
eek
coot
000.
figi
red
ana
db
ion
and
to
g ec
dial
75 YEARS AGO
Those who arc disposed to
growl at the recent advance
in the prices of me -at in
c;oderich may find comfOrt in
the fact that the rise is
general, and even more
decided. all over the country.
The Toronto Star says of the
rise there. "Not long ato.
sirloin steak of the tenderest
kind.. could be purchased for
15 cents. Now it costs 20 cents
LOOKING BACK
and the buyer must not kick if
he discovers that he has
lugged home a substantial bit
of bone."
Captain Snell who is at-
tending University in
Toronto, was rooming with
Mr, McIlwaine who by „some
means was attacked with
smallpox which. it is said.
was • communicated to, the
genial captain.
25 YEARS AGO
Goderich Pee Wees
qualified without qu9stion to
enter semillinal play against
Wingh'hm yesterday when
they swamped Exeter 14-0 in
the first game of Group "B"
play in the Young Canada
Week hockeytournament for
towns of 1,500 to 5,000
population for the_ Elston
Cardiff trophy. Art Peachy
led the way for the loca4'with
four goals followed closely by
John Payne who drove in
three. Ron Williamson in the
Goderich nets scarcely had
,any work to do as the local
lads ran all over the op-
position.
The executive of the Old
Home Week Committee has
been empowered to negotiate
a contract, if feasible, to
bring in a circus to Coderich
during the 125th anniversary
celebration August 3 - 7.
5 YEARS AGO
Preliminary discussions
are underway - with the
OFic nuuS tdruaoehrdnii oei cnMt t_ hut jitearPiPcprPn:al .r°gi isrnn;.1.
acceptance of thecopnrsn
r ent na r drttehoYder sscyPol 1Lpofr°0u:tnriPhi diosn_ :_e°11
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