Loading...
The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-02-01, Page 2PAGE 2 —GODERICH SIGNAL=STAR, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1 , 1979 Tid Bits...Tid Bits...Tid Bits... Tid Bits...Tid BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Since we have a Woolworth store in town, 1 thought you might be interested in the following. The company that invented the "five-and- ten" is 100 years old in 1979. As the F.W. Woolworth Company begins its second century, the variety store syndicate that turned a New York farm boy and his Canadian wife into multimillionaires and won a nostalgic place in the hearts of shoppers, has become one of Canada's largest department stores, and a major retail force in- ternationally. In Canada, the Woolworth Company comprises 100 Woolco department stores and 210 Woolworth depart- ment and variety stores. Sales in 1977 were $1,125 million, making it one of the four top department store operations in the country. Although the Woolworth name has been in Canada only since 1912, there have been stores here with --Woolworth connections since 1897. Right from the beginning, Woolworth's was a family affair. A cousin of Frank Woolworth, S.H. Knox, was also in the five-and- ten business, and he moved into Canada, starting with a store at Queen and Yonge Streets in Toronto, which opened in April, 1897. The cousins merged their businessess in 1912. The story off Frank Winfield Woolworth (1852-1919) is one of the great sagas of • North American business. A penniless farm boy from upstate New York, he became a store Clerk who decided to capitalize on the fad for "five -cent sales" by opening his own store. View earliest plans for seniors' centre BY JEFF SEDDON Preliminary plans for converting MacKay Hall 7?nto a senior citizens centre in Goderich were drawn up recently be a steering committee consisting of 12 senior citizens. Janet Kalbfleisch, seeretary of the steering committee, said , the group met with Goderich reeve Eileen Palmer and commissioner of works Ken Hunter and came up with about a dozen suggestions aimed at converting the town owned hall into a recreation centre for the town's senior; citizens. She said the recom- mendations were changes the committee felt were obvious. She added that a second committee had been appointed to tour the facility and .take-• close look to§ee if any struc- tural changes or major renovations have to be undertaken. • She said the second committee hoped to take advantage of the ex- perience of town coun- cillor- James -Magee. Magee is a retired ar- chitectural designer and planner and' offered to. work with the senior citizens on the MacKay project. Magee said the tour of MacKay will be taken on Monday mor- ning. The steering committee plans to meet Civic Corner The Goderich Recreation Board meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers at town hall. The Goderich Tourist Committee also meets tonight at 8 p.m. in the ma o'r's office at town hall. Goderich Town Council meets on Monday, February 5 at 7: 30 p.m. in the council chambers at town hall. • The Goderich • Economic Development Committee meets on - Thursday, February 8 at noon in ,.the Candlelight Restaurant. LACAC meets on Thursday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers at town hall. again in mid February and also plans to take a bus trip to St. Mary's to tour that town's senior citizens centre before it makes any formal recommendations on the project. Magee will be joined by Dick Berryman, Percy Blundell and Everett Sperling on the sub- committee. Some of the suggestions made by the steering committee were - renovations to the en- trance of MacKay, new flooring, washroom renovations and alterations to the basement floor of the building. as well as new heating, plumbing and wiring. Kalbfleisch said the stairs at the front en- trance of MacKay would be changed to ac- comodate senior citizens that may have a difficult time navigating them. She said some members of the steering committee felt . the stairs were ^ "uncomfortable". and wanted them changed. A stairway at the rear of the -building also needs- changing according to the committee recom- mendations. The back staircase provides the only access to the basement of the, building - from its interior and the committee felt that anyone wjth any type of physical handicap simply could not negotiate the staircase. The upstair portion of .`MacKay houses the stage and the committee felt that the wings of the stage would heed' a facelift. The main floor of the -building also needs replacing as well as the cloakrooms on the first and basement floors. The committee also felt that the basement of MacKay needed reorganizing. The downstairs now houses three rooms and a kit- chen that is open on three sides. .The committee wants to look into the prospect of opening the two main rooms up and enclosing • the kitchen area. The wiring of the building, plumbing and heating is also in need of replacement if the_ seniors are to make any investment in the building worthwhile. The committee wants 1.lt's the best financial investment we've ever made!" Joe and liana Keating. Brantford Dealership Here's your opportunity to be part of a highly successful, promotion -oriented Canadian business venture expanding rapidly across the country. ROTO -STATIC, the revolutionary residential and commercial carpet cleaning system, offers you a financially aggressive Authorized Licensed Dealership Program. As an independent owner -investor or owner - operator you can enjoy high retuntson your investment in your exclusive area. This patent - pending system is recommended by major carpet manufacturers. Write or call for more information and find out how ROTO -STATIC can lead you to financial independence. ROTO -STATIC CARPET CLEANING SYSTEM 134 Colnmercial Ave. Ajax, Ont. L1S 2H5 (416) 663-0520 tiON 11 professional opinions on the condition of the services and feels that if MacKay is to be main- tained by senior citizens efforts should be made now to make the building as efficient to operate as possible. Along with new services the committee feels that circulating fans on the ceiling of the main floor would help to reduce heating costs. - --- All,the recom- mendatins made by the steering committee are to be carefully dealt with to see if they are feasible. Kalbfleisch said the committee wants to consider the renovations while at the same time keeping in mind proposed and present use of MacKay. She said some suggestions for recreational uses for the hall were ceramics and woodworking- as well as - social gatherings such as card parties. She said the committee felt a calendar used to record . all bookings for MacKay was essential to "make sure everyone gets time" in the building. The steering com- mittee also plans to offer township residents a. chance to take advantage of the proposed senior citizens centre. Kalb- fleisch said the com- mittee felt that since township residents will be making use of the senior • citizens housing units planned for Goderich rural .residents may as well take advantage of the recreational facility planned at MacKay. Several months of in depth study and planning for the conversion of the building will be done before the seniors are ready to make ap- plication to the, federal government for a New Horizons grant. The government has a scheme whereby, senior citizen groups can develop centres such as MacKay and receive federal money for con - ,versions, renovations and equipment. The seniors Were told by 'a New Horizons spokesman that Goderich ..would be eligible for ,grants but could .not say how much money would be available. He said the seniors should organize plan a project and apply for the money and the government will ;•r•either approve the entire project or trim it in order to keep it within the confines of the funds New Horizons feel can be justified for the MacKay project. Severances to cost more Inflation has" hit the cost of severing your property. Huron County council approved a $25 increase to the cost of approved "severances Friday which means that the total cost of getting a severance will now be $125. The county's land division committee, "recommended to cgllj .al that the extra $25 be tacked on the cost of an approved severance to heti) offset ad' -ministrative costs the county has in processing land divisions. The ad- ministrative porttsin of the severance will now be $75. Girvin Reed, chairman of the land division committee, told council that an application for severance will still be $50. He explained that anyone wishing a severance applies to the land division committee for approval and pays $50 with that application. If the application' is ap- proved an extra $75 is tacked. on _ and the severance processed. Reed said unapproved severances will not cost more in 1979. it still costs $50 to be told no. FRAMING SALE 20" •AII Frames & Framing Material (Glass, Matting, etc.) - Applies to all stock on hand and custom orders PASSPORTS I.D. Pictures While you wait. Colour or Block & White HURON CAMERA CENTRE 112 Th. Square Goderich 524-7924 HH married Jennie Creighton, a young Canadain seamstress from Picton, Ontario and together they opened "The Great Five Cent Store" in Lancaster, Pa., on June 21, 1879. It was a roaring success and the future, magnate of the five-and-ten was on his way. When he died in 1919;40 years later, Frank Woolworth was the head 'of a chain] of merged businesses with more than 1,000 stores in the U.S., Canada and Britain. His personal worth was estimated at $65 million. The retail organization he built continued to flourish. Today, the F.W. Woolworth Company is, -a major multinational retail organization with consolidated sales in the $5 -billion range. The move into full department -store • operation began in 1962 with the inauguration of the Woolco Division. There are, now Woolco stores from coast to coast and the intention is to open eight new Woolcos annually for a least the next five years. The Canadian operation accounts for some 20 per cent of consolidated safes. Throughout its history, the Canadian company has been managed and staffed by Canadians. Eighty-five percent of all purchasing is done froth Canadian'sources. Happy • birthday Woolworth! +++ One of the best jazz bands in the land „is radiating from Hamilton's Mohawk College, according to a recent press release from there. Students have been coming from all over Ontario to study music with some of Canada's best, the release says. On New Years Eve, the Mohawk • College Jazz Band was Seen on CHCH- TV in a one, hour special. They have also released their first record album; are included in -the CBC Stage Band Festival Album; and have been heard several times on the national network show, CBC Radio Jazz CANADA. This summer the band will again give concerts of old and new jazz in parks and bandshells throughout Ontario. Should any of you people reading this, wish the Mohawk College Jazz Band to enliven our scene in Goderich this summer, contact the Department of Music at Mohawk College, Hamilton (416) 389-4461 ext. 429. +++ It's not everyday that'a movie is made ,in Canada with a star like Tony Curtis in the lead role and when that movie is being made so close to home, it is of special interest to the,people in the area. A large group of actors from Talent Search Productions in London are being sent to the set of "Title Shot" in the Memorial Arena in Kitchener where they will play roles varying from policemen to reporters to general extras. Dorothy O'Connor of Grand Bend and Curtis Michael McCone of Clinton will be part of this group. The movie covers a world boxing match'. Tony Curtis plays the role of coach of one the con- tenders who wants to guarantee he will win his $4.5' million bet on his boxer by hiring a snyper to- assassinate the op- ponent. Will he win his bet? There'-'§ only one way to find out and that's to go see the film when it's released. Perhaps you'll recognize O'Connor or. McCone if you know them. +++ The winner of $1,000 in The Goderich and District Community Grandstand Lottery this week was -Edward -Miller - of Warren Street in Goderich. He held lucky ticket number 0272. +++ Mr. and Mrs. William Kraul of R.R. 7 Lucknow returned home recently from a visit to 'Florida and Edinburg, Texas. While in Florida, they visited Mrs. Kraul's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Waldon. Bits... +++ Tid Bits. Denise Dalton of Kingsbridge was chosen last week as the co- ordinator of the com- munity school at Kingsbridge. Watch this paper at a -later date for the full details. Donations for the George Buchanan Memorial Award fund may be sent to Harold Bettger, 131 West Street, Goderich,„N7A 2K7. The fund now stands at $1,550. A bond will be purchased with this money and the interest from this bond will provide for an annual award to given to music students at G.D.C.I. 'in memory of the late Mr. Buchanan, a wll-loved choir leader. .• `Attention ensioners” Henry, W. Block If you have no taxable income, but qualify for a Provincial income tax credit, HSR Block will prepare the return for you ata special low pride. At H&.R Block, we are ijlcorrie'tax special IStS. H&R BLOCK THE INCOME TAX PEOPLE 19 Victoria Street North Open 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Weekdays, 9-4 Sat. Phone 524-8658 OPEN SATURDAYS - APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE Come, hear & see .... Appearing at: BETHEL PENTACOSTAL TABERNACLE Corner Waterloo and Elgin St. S. GODERICH SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4th . 11:00 A.M. LAST WEE -I( ALL /978 /WDELS /L1T GD REFRIGERATORS, RANGES, WflS#ER 3. DRYERS, FREEZERS VRC&VPTS, TELEV/S/Of' ETC, MUFFITT APPLIANCES & TELEVISION 308 HURON ROAD 524_4361 GODERICH SANYO, RCA, HOOVER, EUREKA KELVINATOR, ADMIRAL WHITE. WESTINGHOUSE GOODS