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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-04-19, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2012.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 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. N0G 1H0 Phone 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; $115.00/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 April 29, 1965 The Brussels Boy Scouts were holding a paper drive on May 15. People were asked to have their newspapers and magazines tied and ready for pick-up by the scouts. The Brussels Lions Club hosted District Deputy Governor Ray Cooper of Fordwich at their regular supper meeting on April 26. Cooper would speak to the topic of “How to be a better Lion”. Also at the meeting, club member George McCutcheon displayed the cup the Lions Dart Team won in the local Legion dart club competition. Grey Township’s Mr. and Mrs. Marinus Van Veen celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. They were honoured with a dinner at the New American Hotel with their friends and family. April 22, 1987 Nico Peters of RR4 Seaforth, a farmer and formerly an ordained minister was acclaimed as the provincial Progressive Conservative candidate for the new riding of Huron on April 14. The 36-year-old candidate received overwhelming support from the nearly 400 supporters in attendance at the Clinton meeting. Blyth Village Council was continuing the fight to recover a $500 severance fee charged by the Huron County Land Division Committee for its purchase of land for the town park. Councillors felt the fee shouldn’t have been paid. Nearly 40 Brussels residents attended a ratepayers meeting held in recognition of Local Government Week. Members of Brussels Village Council, the Public Utilities Commission, committees of council and appointees of various area boards and committees were present to answer questions from the residents. April 20, 1994 The Village of Blyth ended 1993 with a net revenue of nearly $30,000. As a result, village councillors were expecting that the mill rate for general purposes would be frozen for 1994 and no increase would be imposed on the village taxpayers. The village began 1993 with a net revenue of over $66,000, auditor Paul Seebach told councillors at their April 13 meeting. A freeze to the mill rate, however, was not set in stone, as councillors were still waiting on budget estimates from Huron County and education tax rates. Nearly 100 people came out to the Auburn Community Centre for a public meeting to discuss the abandoned CPR railway which runs from Goderich to Guelph, running through Blyth and Walton along the way. Area councillors wanted to gauge the public’s interest in the property, because the townships only had a limited amount of time to act. “The provincial government is in the process of purchasing the land and is looking for appropriate uses for the line which are compatible with the landowners,” said Hullett Township Reeve Tom Cunningham. The meeting was called “a catcher’s mitt for ideas”. Blyth Village Council began investigating the possibility of a salt/sand storage facility as an option for Blyth’s Infrastructure Works Program. The suggested structure would be a four-bay facility that would stand at the same height at the existing facility beside the Blyth Fire Hall on Mill Street. The estimated cost of the new facility would be $25,000, council was told. April 19, 2007 The annual am920 Ontario Open Country Singing Contest was set to be held at Blyth’s Memorial Hall on June 8-10. The competition was limited to the first 110 participants to register. The eighth annual Brussels Optimist annual dinner fundraiser was set to be held over the weekend. The event had raised over $125,000 in the previous eight years, benefitting the Brussels Fire Department, the Brussels Conservation Park, the Make A Wish Foundation, London’s Sick Children’s Hospital, cystic fibrosis and Jesse’s Journey. After first discussing a potential 30 per cent increase to the year’s budget, North Huron Council brought the budget down to a potential five per cent increase. Some councillors were pleased with the lower increase, while others admitted that going with the lower increase could hurt the township in the future. “The days of zero per cent do catch up with you unless you have reserves,” said North Huron director of finance/treasurer Donna White. “Because let’s face it, costs go up every year for everything and that’s no different for the municipality. Everything costs us more too.” The Seaforth and District All Girls Marching Band celebrated their 50th anniversary. Former Belgrave correspondent for The Citizen Helen Stonehouse celebrated her 90th birthday in Wingham. Matthew Cardiff, son of Jeff and Cathy, competed in the Great Canadian Geography Challenge and finished first. The F.E. Madill Secondary School student was now destined for the international competition in San Diego. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright Pay now? Or pay later? Huron County councillors went through a delicate balancing act last week before approving a one per cent tax increase. The increase could have been even smaller (about one-half per cent) but some councillors were afraid saving too much now would have meant greater tax hikes later. It’s a difficult tightrope to walk and where one stands often depends on personal philosophy. Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh Reeve Ben Van Diepenbeek stated the case against trying for the lowest increase possible. He recalled that in the early 1990s, county council held the line to no tax increase for several years in a row. While he was not part of that decision, he told council, he was around for the consequences, when there were several years of steep increases because things that had been delayed couldn’t be put off any longer. On the other hand, Goderich Mayor Deb Shewfelt argued to keep the increase as low as possible, legitimately pointing out that some Goderich residents were struggling to deal with expenses caused by last year’s tornado. In the end, although some councillors had argued for a three per cent increase to build up the county’s reserves for future expenses like bridge repairs, council compromised with an increase slightly larger than necessary and a small addition to reserves. There are those who don’t even agree with the idea of building reserves. They say that money actually belongs to taxpayers and should be kept in their pockets until it’s needed. But in many ways municipalities are the best-run government sector. Though provincial overseers hover over municipalities like a mother hen, it is municipalities that seem to best anticipate future expenses and set money aside. The federal and provincial governments finance projects through borrowing. The county council debate shows the consideration and the tough choices councillors have to make – all the while knowing that no matter what decision they make, taxpayers on both sides of the debate will disagree with them. — KR Making sense from tragedy The inquest into the deaths of Huron County OPP officer Vu Pham and his killer Fred Preston wound up in London last week. The coroner’s office has made several recommendations to the jury but the sad fact is that while changes might be made to try to head-off some deadly confrontations in the future, we’ll never prevent them all. Evidence at the inquest showed that Preston was on a mission of revenge against his wife when his car was stopped by Pham south of Walton two years ago. Pham was shot by Preston who in turn was shot by Pham’s partner, Const. Dell Mercey. Many of the recommendations deal with trying to better identify victims of domestic violence, as Preston’s wife had apparently been for years. Domestic violence is a plague on our society that we should do everything possible to stamp out, but the state can’t be present to prevent abuse everywhere two people are alone together. The jury has been asked to consider other proposals, such as changing the Highway Traffic Act so that someone who has been pulled over by police is prohibited from getting out of their vehicle. Preston got out of his car and fired at Pham and Mercey before they knew what was going on. The rule might help in some cases, but does anyone think it would have prevented Preston, in his state of mind, from disobeying a law to stay in his car? The sad fact is that no matter how many laws we pass, no matter how we try to head off tragedies, there will be incidents in the future when out-of-control individuals will make all our systems seem futile. A look overseas at the current trial of Norwegian gunman Anders Behring Breivik who massacred 77 people last summer in order (in his sick mind) to protect Norway from being taken over by Muslims, shows the impossibility of knowing what is going on inside people’s heads. Hopefully the recommendations of this inquest will make a difference. It would give at least some meaning to this senseless tragedy. Sadly, they cannot prevent all similar cases in the future. — 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.