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The Citizen, 2013-07-04, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013.Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith RoulstonAssociate Publisher & Director of Sales: Ron Drillen Acting Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: 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: 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 N0G 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca July 6, 1961 The students of Mrs. Frank Thompson’s class held their second Musical Recital on June 28 in the new auditorium at Brussels Public School before a large crowd made up of parents and friends. The show consisted of classical and popular music. Thompson’s students contributed piano solos, vocal solos, and duets to make the evening enjoyable. The Llashmar Drive-In Theatre LDT in Clinton was showing a double feature of The Facts of Life starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball along side Oklahoma Territory starring Gloria Talbot and Bill Williams on July 6 and 7. On July 8, 10, and 11, The Magnificent Seven with Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen was in the theatre. July 12-14 featured Carry On Nurse featuring Kenneth Connor and Shirley Eaton. July 6, 1988 While suffering the effects of the worst drought since the “dirty thirties” many area fields were hit with a killing frost on June 28 that left many plants twisted and seared. Some crops were ruined, but others still stood a chance if a plentiful rain was to fall within the next week or so, ending six weeks of drought in Huron County. Well-known local weatherman Boyd Taylor of RR3, Walton confirmed what many Huron County farmers already knew, that June, 1988 was one of the driest Junes on record. He said the Environment Canada weather station at Orchill Farms and Orchards in Morris Township recorded just over 16 millimetres of rain in June. In contrast, by the end of June, 1987, 102 millimetres of rain had been recorded at the same station. July 6, 2006 Forty-two students from Mrs. Scholten’s Grade 12 religion classes at St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School were challenged to address an issue of social justice in the world. One group of students chose to raise money to grow awareness of the needs of children in Africa, and to then act on it. Through a partnership with Free the Children, it was determined that $7,000 would be enough money to construct a primary school in Kenya. Students from the entire school raised over $5,000 to buy the bricks that would be used to build the school. The bricks were posted in the foyer of the school beside interesting facts regarding the need of schools in Africa. When a local philanthropist found out that the school was just short of their goal, he donated the remaining money so that the goal could be reached. Another group of students decided to address the needs in their own community. The Huron County HIV Network works to support folks in the region who are living with HIV/AIDS. This organization is run by volunteers and has very limited funds. The student team raised nearly $1,000 to replenish the coffers of the Huron County HIV Network. The Blyth Lightning U13 co-ed soccer team went to Clinton to play a game against the Clinton Liverpool team. Both teams had chances to score but neither team was successful, resulting in no scores in the first half of the game. In the second half of the game, no one scored until the last 10 minutes of the game when a tripping call was made which allowed Clinton to score against Blyth on a penalty shot. Soon after, Clinton scored another goal. Blyth was unable to score any goals, leaving the final tally at 2-0 for Clinton. July 5, 2012 Eric Coates resigned as the artistic director of the Blyth Festival. He announced he would be leaving the position he had occupied for over 10 years at the end of the season to take the job of artistic director at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa. He made Having Hope At Home part of his 10th season as artistic director. Appropriately, it was the first play he directed as artistic director 10 years earlier. During his tenure with the Festival, Coates produced 28 world premiere plays. Jo-Ann McDonald of Walton received a letter informing her that she would be presented with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. The award was given to individuals who lead and volunteer within their community. McDonald has been involved with many different local events, including fundraising through Walton TransCan, working with Duff’s United Church and the UCW, the Brussels Agricultural Society, working at the Brussels Fair, coordinating volunteers for the Grey Township Heart and Stroke Foundation annual canvasing, helping with Homecoming celebrations in both Grey Township and Brussels. Years of school closures were a key component in helping the Avon Maitland District School Board to balance its budget said board vice- chair Randy Wagler, who praised the practice while admitting it was difficult to close schools. 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 Seeing people like us One of the things that makes life in Huron County more special than rural life just about anywhere else in Ontario is currently on view with Beyond the Farm Show which opened at the Blyth Festival on Friday. Going beyond The Farm Show, which first portrayed Huron County farm residents on stage in 1972, the new play updates life of the county to the 21st century large-scale reality, yet also portrays the wide range of human experience within an area that might seem homogenous to an outsider (or even an insider). After interviewing dozens of county residents, the actors of the company improvised short scenes, distilling the essence of conversations that might have lasted hours into two or three minutes. By turns funny, touching or thought-provoking on their own, the scenes come together like the dots on a Pointillist painting (or using a rural analogy, the squares on a patchwork quilt) to create a larger image of life in this area of rural Ontario in 2013. In doing so, the creators of this show have done what art is supposed to do: reflect human life in a way that entertains, moves and makes us think. In the age of globalization, seldom do most people in the world get to see people like themselves portrayed in art. Most often, through easily-available media like television and movies, they see people who live in perfectly-decorated, million-dollar houses or apartments in California or New York, work in exciting white-collar jobs and wear clothes chosen to portray the latest style. It’s not healthy for people to always see a lifestyle glorified that has nothing to do with their own lives. It can make people feel their life isn’t worthy of notice. Through the Blyth Festival, Huron County people have had the rare opportunity to see the lives of people like themselves examined and celebrated for nearly 40 years. This on-stage recognition of the value of their lives can give people a sense of worth – can create a healthy wholeness because we’re not always seeing ourselves as something less that the images we see portrayed all around them. The Festival is a rare jewel that makes life here special, but it must be supported. Once excitement over the presence of the theatre was such that it was just an automatic part of the summer to go to all the shows. Now fewer people attend everything and more people wait for others to tell them what is the “must see” play of the season. In the same way that a local shop won’t be there when you want it if you don’t support it regularly, an institution like the Blyth Festival must get regular support to continue. Beyond The Farm Show illustrates why we need this theatre in our region and it is a perfect reason for people who haven’t been to the theatre for a while to get back in touch. –KR A climate change by default Canadians who have been distressed by the current federal government’s lack of concern over climate change, may finally get a more active policy, thanks to U.S. President Barack Obama. Last week the U.S. president proposed his Climate Action Plan to reduce carbon emissions that a majority of scientists say are changing the world’s atmosphere and making the climate unpredictable. To some extent, Obama is able to tackle the issue that most politicians (including our own Prime Minister Stephen Harper) have been ignoring since the Great Recession of 2008 because of fortunate circumstances. U.S. greenhouse gas emissions have been dropping through a combination of the recession, more efficient automobiles that burn less fuel, and new gas and oil discoveries that reduce the need to import oil and make natural gas cheaper than coal for generating electricity. Focus in Canada has been on Obama’s statement of the Keystone XL pipeline which would carry petroleum from Alberta’s oil sands to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries. He said the pipeline will only proceed if it can be demonstrated that the oil will not create more carbon emissions. Married as this Alberta-based Prime Minister has been to the oil industry, he has tended to ignore climate change issues including emissions needed to get the oil out of the oil sands. With our biggest oil customer now committed to helping prevent climate change, Harper can’t ignore the issue much longer. –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.