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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-07-07, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2016. Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Lori Patterson, Brenda Nyveld & Dawn MacLeod The Citizen is published 50 times a year in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $36.00/year ($34.29 + $1.71 G.S.T.) in Canada; $160.00/year in U.S.A. and $205/year in other foreign countries. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Mon. 2 p.m. - Brussels; Mon. 4 p.m. - Blyth. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON NOG 1HO email: info@northhuron.on.ca The Citizen P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM 1H0 NOG 1 HO Ph. 519-523-4792 Phone Fax 519-523-9140 519-887-9114 E-mail info@northhuron.on.ca Website www.northhuron.on.ca Canada ..ocna CCNA Member of the Ontario Press Council We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or Department of Canadian Heritage. photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright CMCA AUDITED Just clean up your own yard Among the biggest issues at a recent meeting between some Brussels residents and Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan was complaints about some owners who have let their properties become eyesores. It's understandably frustrating for those who try to make their homes and yards appealing when a neighbour doesn't care how his property looks. The problem illustrates the fine line between private and group rights. The property owner says it's his property and he can do with it what he likes while annoyed neighbours seek to force him not to bring down the overall appearance of the neighbourhood. In their frustration the neighbours turn to government to solve the problem for them. Ironically many people who ordinarily complain about too much government interference often want government to step in and force their neighbours to get in line with neighbourhood standards. It becomes a difficult situation for the municipality. Huron East requires someone filing a property standards complaint to sign the document. Many people just want the municipality to make the problem go away and don't want to make matters worse by being seen to call down the government on their neighbour. The obvious solution is for each property owner to take personal responsibility for his own property. Certainly some people don't have the same financial resources as their neighbours to fix up their house but people don't need to spend a lot to at least make their yard tidy. If they don't then it becomes a complicated issue of people demanding that their government step in to force people do what neighbours want — usually when the municipality would rather not. So homeowners, you can save a lot of problems for yourself, your neighbours and the municipality by just taking care of your property in the first place. – KR Playing Russian roulette It appears, since there has been no declaration of a strike by Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) or announcement of a lockout by Canada Post as of Monday afternoon, that Citizen readers, at least in the local area, should receive their issue on time this week. Beyond that, it's a matter not just of inconvenience but of the future of the post office that saner heads prevail. Canada Post is more important for people in rural Canada than most Canadians. As dispersed as our rural residents are, it's nearly impossible to find a profit -oriented alternative to the post office. While Canada Post management seemingly would prefer to rid itself of the burden of delivering letters (as the strike approached it even advised businesses to find alternatives for delivering their bills) and concentrate on parcel delivery, distributing letters (and newspapers) is still very important to small businesses everywhere and ordinary residents in rural areas. CUPW and Canada Post seem to forget that the postal service belongs to us, not them. While they play chicken, they endanger the future of a postal service thats still essential for many of us. – KR Think it through In the wake of the temper tantrum that was Britain's vote to leave the European Union, residents of the United Kingdom are anything but united – except in living the reality of the old warning about acting in haste and repenting at leisure. Since the "Brexit" vote, the British pound has plummeted, increasing the cost of imports or foreign vacations. Scotland has announced plans for another referendum on leaving Britain. European leaders meanwhile want Britain to leave as quickly as possible. This wasn't the glory that was promised by leaders who urged people to vote to leave Europe. This should be a warning for those who make breaking up seem too simple. During two referendums in Quebec, sovereigntists made it seem there would be no adverse complications to leaving Canada. Luckily we escaped finding out how wrong they were. Now, south of the border, Americans are having their own revenge fantasies as many of them contemplate electing Donald Trump president. Here's hoping they're watching what's happening in Britain and realize that hasty action can bring more grief than they want. – KR Letters Policy The Citizen welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and should include a daytime telephone number for the purpose of verification only. Letters that are not signed will not be printed. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and content, using fair comment as our guideline. The Citizen reserves the right to refuse any letter on the basis of unfair bias, prejudice or inaccurate information. As well, letters can only be printed as space allows. Please keep your letters brief and concise. Looking Back Through the Years July 8, 1959 While the village of Blyth boasted no bowling green, its residents continued to perform well at competitions throughout the province. Harold Vodden and Wilford McNaughton together placed second in a tournament held in Wingham. Both men received handsome jackets for their efforts. The local pair won three games in the tournament, but would eventually be edged out by Stuart Robinson of Goderich, formely of Blyth, and Cliff McManus of Goderich. Sheila Henry won a record player for winning an essay contest. Henry's essay on highway safety won her the top prize in the contest, which was sponsored by the Wingham detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police. July 9, 1970 Brussels Village Council held its regular meeting on July 7 and passed on some good news to ratepayers in the village. All members of council were present when they passed the new tax rate for the year, which dictated that the Brussels mill rate would be reduced by six mills. The Grey Township home of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Smith was completely destroyed by fire after a Sunday afternoon blaze summoned Grey Township firefighters to the home. While all of the family's possessions were lost in the fire, members of the fire department were successful in preventing spread of the flames to a nearby barn and driving shed, which, according to The Brussels Post, were in imminent danger as a result of the blaze. Nancy Brent of Bluevale graduated with honours from the Grade VI Pianoforte examination that was held at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Brent, a pupil of Brussels music teacher Mrs. Edwin A. Martin, was the class's highest placing student. At Brownie's Drive-in Theatre in Clinton, the double feature being offered for July 9-10 was Once Upon a Time in the Old West starring Henry Fonda, followed by Those Darling Young Men in their Jaunty Jalopies, starring Tony Curtis. July 2, 1986 Two members of one of Toronto's most inventive theatre companies were making their way to Blyth to serve as senior members of the Blyth Festival children's workshop this summer. Leah Cherniak, co-founder of Theatre Columbus, and Daniel Brooks of the same company, were set to be in Blyth for the five-day workshop. The workshop was aiming to concentrate on timing, rhythm, character development and movement, as well as other clown theatre techniques. Drift by Rex Deverell opened at the Blyth Festival – the second production of the season. While the acting of Laurel Paetz and Ron Gabriel was said to be good, the production's script suffered. With the first two productions of the Blyth Festival season winding down, rehearsals for the third and fourth productions of the season – Gone to Glory by Suzanne Finlay and Lilly, Alta by Kenneth Dyba – were already set to begin. The productions were set to begin on July 15 and July 22, respectively. July 10, 2002 It had been over 30 years since a Huron County native had returned to the area with the Stanley Cup in hand, but that's what Boyd Devereaux, a Seaforth native and member of the Stanley Cup -winning Detroit Red Wings was set to do. On July 16 at 1 p.m., Devereaux said he would be returning to the town with the trophy and that he was looking forward to the "grand cavalcade" that would accompany hockey's greatest prize. After months of debate at the Huron County Council table, a forest conservation bylaw was finally passed. Bernie MacLellan, chair of the agriculture, public works and seniors committee, said he had spent hours on the phone with people and that he hoped the final bylaw would be acceptable to residents. A cool, damp spring left many fields far behind the expected growth that would normally be present by late June. However, after two weeks of exceptionally warm temperatures, many area corn fields saw a significant boost. With just under a month left until Blyth would be celebrating its 125th anniversary, the parade committee was still busy seeking entries for the historic event that would make its way down main street. At the time, Candace Howson and Phil Black of the committee said that only five entries had committed to the parade. Three young athletes from Blyth and Belgrave were set to compete in the Royal Canadian Legion's provincial track and field meet in Sudbury. Megan Campbell of Blyth would compete in the high jump and triple jump, Amy Cook of Belgrave would compete in triple jump and long jump, while Jenna Taylor of the Blyth area would participate in the shot put.