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The Citizen, 2016-07-21, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016. Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Lori Patterson & Brenda Nyveld 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 When the weather gets crazy The ban on open fires imposed by Huron County's fire chiefs is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to weather-related problems the county is facing as millions of dollars of farm income depend on timely rain coming prior to the important pollination period for corn. Farmers have suffered drought before so there's no way of knowing if the current conditions are related to climate change but certainly Canada as a whole is exhibiting the kind of extreme weather that many climate scientists say will be the result of the changing climate. Earlier this year we saw the devastating forest fire that burned 2,400 buildings in the northern Alberta city and burned 1.4 million acres of forest, tinder -dry due to a lengthy drought. Last week it was the opposite problem for people in areas of Saskat- chewan as storms dumped four inches of rain on some places within hours, causing flooding that meant many people had to be evacuated. Here in Ontario, rainfall has been a fraction of the normal amount since spring and we're in the kind of weather pattern where even thunderstorms aren't yielding much moisture. Whether this is directly linked to climate change or not, Canada's weather situation should be a warning about how important weather is to important aspects of life. — KR It's the guns, stupid The insanity continued in the U.S. on the weekend with three police officers gunned down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by a well -armed ex - Marine, apparently in retaliation for the shooting of a black man by the city's police two weeks earlier. It's the second targeted murder of police officers in response to two recent cases of black men being killed by police, the latest in many, many similar incidents over the years. So many of these tragedies have one thing in common: access to military -quality weapons that make killing efficient. The police killings, for instance, would not have been possible without high-grade weapons. With the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this week and people allowed to carry weapons openly in Ohio, there's great potential for even more tragedies. On one hand are the opponents of Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, who are convinced he is so dangerous he must not be allowed to become president. On the other side are many Trump supporters who think they need to be armed for their own protection. The possibilities are frightening — especially for police who might find themselves caught in the middle. In some more enlightened future time, Americans are going to look back and wonder how their government could have allowed military weapons to be available to anyone with the cash to buy one. Until then, innocent people will continue to die needlessly. — KR We take democracy for granted The failed coup that attempted to unseat the elected government of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is a reminder to Canadians of just how much we take our democracy for granted. Last fall we saw an orderly transfer of government in our federal parliament between parties with distinctly different views about how the country should be governed. Despite their differences, there was no fear that one party would refuse to relinquish power, just as there wasn't a decade earlier when the change in government went in the other direction. Even if we should somehow elect a leader who refused to recognize the will of the people as expressed in an election, our judicial, military and police institutions are so long-established in our democratic tradition that they would not support a coup. In many places in the world, even where democracy has taken root, it is a fragile institution. Turkey, for instance, has a longer tradition of coups by army leadership than it has of elected governments. Countries like Russia are democracies in name, but hardly in practice with President Vladimir Putin controlling most of the media and destroying anyone who is seen as a serious threat to his power. We have been given the precious gift of democracy, a gift that thousands of Canadians have given their lives to protect. This is not something to be taken for granted. We must all play our part by taking part in our democratic system by being informed and active. — 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. goGui WON Ina IMO j'1taSea✓ tS.Le," Tafiklakis $ .l • — 1r 0 ID Looking Back Through the Years July 23, 1970 A number of Brussels riders, all members of the Maitland Valley Saddle Club, were all set to participate in the Gymkana and Horse Show that would be presented at the Listowel Fairgrounds the following Sunday. Jacquie Workman, Ivan Campbell, Lawrie Campbell, Brian Workman, Scott Wilson and Jim Garniss were among those local riders who would be heading to Listowel for the event. The Brussels Post reported that this would be the first time the team had attempted a musical ride in their show. A large barn on the farm of Jim McCall just east of Blyth in Hullett Township was completely destroyed by fire. The fire was detected by a neighbour, who called the Blyth Fire Department to the scene just before midnight on July 16. The firefighters stayed on duty for most of the night. The barn was declared a lost cause shortly after the fire department arrived on scene, but efforts concentrated on saving the nearby house from the flames. Two -hundred pigs and a neighbour's threshing machine were all lost in the blaze. July 16, 1986 Blyth Reeve Albert Wasson reported back to Blyth Village Council that he was unhappy with the waste study that had recently been approved by Huron County Council. The study, which was set to cost between $150,000 and $200,000, and would be 50 per cent funded by the Ministry of the Environment, would stand to punish area municipalities that had their waste issues in order, Wasson said to council. Wasson was one of seven Huron County councillors who opposed approval of the study. The Bluewater Kennel Club was set to host its annual dog show in Blyth, welcoming dozens of competitors and over 90 breeds of dog, said Florence Pullen. This show would be the fourth held in Blyth since it moved from Exeter. Jason Lee, a 12 -year-old Blyth resident, was chosen to play Sandy Purves in the Blyth Festival's upcoming production of Another Season's Promise. Lee's Purves would be the youngest member of a family on stage that would span four generations. July 24, 2002 The Avon Maitland District School Board passed its $131 million budget, which was said by accountants to be balanced. Local teen M.J. Horbaniuk entered her second year of racing at the Grand Bend Motorplex with three wins during her first year. She began her second year with two first - place finishes and one second -place finish. The 15 -year-old driver from Londesborough was finding success following her sister Erica's footsteps. With the success of The Outdoor Donnellys leading the way, ticket sales at the Blyth Festival were said to be up 10 per cent from where they were the previous year. With Bamboozled: He Won't Come In From The Barn Part II and The Drawer Boy being produced in the second half of the season, those at the Festival had high hopes for the 2001 year in Blyth. North Huron received good news in that the township had been approved for a Canada Day celebration grant in the amount of $3,500. Vandals targeted Oldfield Pro Hardware in Brussels, using a BB gun to shoot out some of the store's windows. As a result, a small hole was left in the window that was said to cost $500 to replace. Similar damage was done to another business across the street, resulting in another $500 in damage. July 16, 2015 Several Huron County Council members continued to have concerns regarding the proposed Goderich-to-Guelph Rail Trail. The councillors were representing the interests of over a dozen landowners adjacent to the trail who were worried about trespassing and safety, among other things. On the positive side of the trail, author Lynda Wilson was set to publish her book called Walking Home. The book recounted Lynda and her husband Doug's trip along the trail. They were some of the first people to travel the trail from end to end before it was officially opened to the public. Canada Post announced that Wingham native and Nobel Prize- winning author Alice Munro would be honoured with her own stamp. North Huron and Morris- Turnberry struck a cross-border servicing deal after months of debate and stalling negotiations. The Blyth Lions Club welcomed dozens of residents of the Blyth community to Blyth Lions Park to help celebrate the 70th anniversary of the club. There was a barbecue, dedication of two new benches at the park and plenty of swimming in the Lions wading pool.