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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-01-17, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013.Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Acting Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny ScottAdvertising Sales: Ken Warwick & Lori Patterson The CitizenP.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. N0M 1H0 Ph. 519-523-4792 Fax 519-523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. N0G 1H0 Phone 519-887-9114 E-mail info@northhuron.on.ca Website www.northhuron.on.ca Looking Back Through the Years CCNA Member Member of the Ontario Press Council 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; $130.00/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: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON N0G 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca January 26, 1911 Felt footwear being sold by I.C. Richards was reduced in price with men’s felt long boots being reduced from $3.75 to $3.25 a pair. In the harness department, an $18 single harness was reduced to $15 as part of the sale. The Brussels Post featured a letter from Henry Rann of Mattoon, Illinois to his brother John Rann of Cranbrook. “With pleasure I subscribe to The Post which is like a letter from home,” the letter read. The annual oyster supper was held in the Ethel Town Hall under the auspices of the Ethel Women’s Institute. The supper was “a decided success in every possible way” The Brussels Post reported. January 19, 1961 Details for the opening of the new Brussels Public School were released and included a march by current and former students and teachers from the old school to the new school. The march would be led by the Brussels Legion Pipe Band. Upon arriving, the school’s ribbon would be cut by Inspector Kinkead, assisted by two of the school’s younger pupils. McCutcheon Grocery was having a sale with a 15-ounce can of pork and beans going for 33 cents and Facelle Man Size Tissue being advertised at 29 cents a package. The Brussels United Church was holding a skating party at the Brussels Arena on Jan. 24, while the Mercy Brothers Orchestra would be performing at the Wroxeter Community Hall on Jan. 20. Admission for the concert was 75 cents. Farmers were asked for their attention in The Brussels Post as they were told “It not only contravenes the Highway Traffic Act, but it is difficult to keep town concessions and sideroads free of snow if the plow is being continually lifted for milk cans and vehicles left on the gravel portion of the road,” a notice placed by Grey Township Road Superintendent Earl Bowes. “We are not responsible for any damage that may occur.” January 20, 1987 The Huron County Board of Education voted to give itself a four per cent raise effective Dec. 1, 1988 “and each year subsequent thereafter.” The annual stipend for a trustee was $4,800, while the chair of the board received the annual stipend, plus 50 per cent for an annual total of $7,200. Members of the Blyth and District Fire Department were busy on Jan. 17 and 18 when they were summoned out to three different calls within 36 hours. On Jan. 17 firefighters answered a call at a home just north of Blyth at 2 p.m. where they were forced to battle a “stubborn” chimney fire. That night they were sent out to a home west of Blyth to battle a house fire at the home of Don Hill. The most serious blaze of the 36 hours, however, was when Blyth firefighters had to lend their tanker to the Wingham Fire Department to help battle a blaze at Garniss Farms northeast of Belgrave. The machinery workship on Bill Garniss’s farm was on fire when Wingham firefighters responded late on the evening of Jan. 18. Blyth firefighters were called in for help 15 minutes after the Wingham department arrived on scene. The workshop fire proved to be stubborn as well, fueled by oils, greases, paint and oxy-acetylene. The fire roared out of control, according to The Citizen, but firefighters were able to save the farm’s nearby buildings. At its Jan. 11 meeting, Brussels Village Council voted to support the switch to full market value assessment for county and education taxes. January 19, 2006 North Huron Council regrettably accepted a letter of resignation from Clerk-Administrator John Stewart. The letter told council that Stewart would be retiring from the position at the end of May. “I’d like to say thank you for the work you’ve done over the last number of years,” said North Huron Reeve Doug Layton, who responded to the letter on council’s behalf. An all-candidates meeting was held in Holmesville on Jan. 13 and as the meeting was presented by the Huron County Federation of Agriculture, the main focus was on a risk management plan. Huron East Council heard concerns about the proposed beef plant near Brussels as some taxpayers objected that their tax dollars would be put towards paying for the plant. The OPP seized over $3,000 worth of marijuana in Blyth that police say was in the suspects’ possession for means of distribution. A 43-year-old man and a 25-year- old woman, both of Blyth, were charged on several counts in connection with the incident. Brussels Variety was sold to Tom Kim, who said he would be keeping on former owner Ruth Lowe of Brussels as a staff member. Huron County submitted a letter of intent to the Greencover Demonstration Project Fund for help in implementing best practices in the sinkhole catchment areas in Huron East and West Perth. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright A good way to start the year The news that negotiations between the Township of North Huron and the Municipality of Morris-Turnberry over fire service got off to a good start last week is an encouraging way to begin 2013. With University of Guelph professor and East Wawanosh native Wayne Caldwell acting as mediator, councillors from the two municipalities apparently talked to each other, instead of past each other. Councillors seemed to actually listen to proposals for changes in fire agreement instead of rejecting them out of hand. This dispute has been festering for too long. The lack of honest dialogue almost led to a useless waste of money in creating a second fire service to serve Morris-Turnberry alone as that municipality tried to bargain from strength. That in turn led to a stormy rejection from hundreds of Morris-Turnberry taxpayers who turned against their own councillors. If Caldwell can continue to rebuild bridges between the councils of the two municipalities he will have done a service even larger than solving the fire issue alone. In rural areas we can’t afford to waste energy fighting our neighbours. Instead, we need to work together to pool our resources and energy to solve problems that are bigger than any one municipality. Few neighbouring municipalities are entangled more than North Huron and Morris-Turnberry, with Wingham, the largest community in North Huron, being almost surrounded by its neighbour. So here’s hoping that this happy start to 2013 continues and we can look forward to finding a solution to the fire service issue, and a rebuilding of neighbourhood ties. –KR Ontario’s healthy health report Health care is the largest item in the provincial budget and survey after survey shows it’s the service most residents feel is most important, so it was good news this week when a new report said Ontario has one of the most efficient health care systems in Canada. The Fraser Institute, a conservative think tank, is not normally a friend of more centrist governments like Ontario and Quebec but this report ranks Quebec tops and Ontario second for getting the best value for the money spent on health care. The report uses data from government bodies such as the Canadian Institute for Health Information as well as the Fraser Institute’s own surveys, to assess each province’s system in four areas: availability of resources, such as the number of surgeons; the actual use of resources, such as the average volume of diagnostic scans performed by radiologists; people’s access to resources, including wait times for various procedures; and clinical performance, such as hospital death rates and readmissions to hospital. Most of the time we hear what’s wrong with the health care system. On one hand we hear people have to wait too long for treatment or we hear the sad story of people who must leave the country to get a revolutionary treatment for a rare disease because health officials haven’t approved the treatment yet. On the other hand, we hear over and over that we can’t afford our health system and that we must drastically alter the system before it bankrupts the country. The government of Premier Dalton McGuinty has taken many innovative steps in an attempt to improve service while slowing soaring costs. Some, such as the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), have become the target of promises by Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak as something he would get rid of if he gets to form a government. The Fraser Institute’s report card shows McGuinty’s government must have been doing something right. Health care will continue to challenge all provincial governments and whichever party forms the next government here in Ontario. Health care costs have been growing much faster than the rate of inflation. If uncontrolled, they threaten to suck money from all other provincial programs, particularly with the federal government signalling it won’t be funding so generously in the future. It will take a constant search for ways to deliver more value for the money to keep health care affordable. The Fraser Institute report at least shows Ontario’s on the right track. — 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.