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The Citizen, 2012-09-06, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 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 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; $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 September 9, 1965 The new Grey Township Central School, situated on the southern outskirts of Ethel, officially opened its doors on Sept. 7. The enrolment was 307 students, which was higher than expected. There were nine teachers on staff with James Axtmann acting as the school’s principal. “The modern, well-equipped school has nine classrooms, auditorium, principal’s office and utility room,” reported The Brussels Post . “Six 66-passenger buses provide transportation for the children of the wide area served by the new school.” Principal of Brussels Public School, K.L. Ashton said that the school’s total enrolment was 172 students, down slightly from 1964 due to some students leaving the school for the new school in Grey Township. There were, however, no additions or changes to the teaching staff from the previous year. Joyce Kellington, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Kellington was set to receive the Golden Cord, the highest possible award from the Girl Guides. Kellington was to be presented the award officially in October in a presentation to be held in Brussels. September 2, 1987 Bob Rae, leader of the New Democratic Party of Ontario, was in Clinton as part of his election campaign. Rae spoke to, among others, Paul Ryckman, company manager of the Sherlock-Manning piano factory. Rae told Ryckman that if the New Democrats were to be put in power, he would put policies in place to help such places. At the time, the factory was the last remaining piano manufacturer in Canada and The Citizen reported that it was teetering on the edge of financial collapse. Brussels’ figure skating champion Kevin Wheeler brought home yet another gold medal from a competition in St. Gervais, France, alongside his pairs partner Michelle Menzies. After taking the gold in France, the pair moved on to a competition in Obertsdorf, West Germany. Angela Nethery, Huron County dairy princess for 1986/1987 advanced to the semi-final stage to become the province’s dairy princess at the Canadian National Exhibition. She was one of 10 semi- finalists. September 14, 1994 With an average increase in attendance of 15 per cent over the most well-attended reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association ever, many said the 1994 reunion was a resounding success. Marian Hallahan, secretary for the association said that over the three days, approximately 16,000 people came through the event’s gates. An RR5, Brussels man found approximately 150 marijuana plants growing in his corn field and contacted Wingham OPP immediately. The plants ranged in height from six to 18 inches and had a total potential street value of $2,000. Helen Gowing was named Citizen of the Year for Blyth and area. Gowing was chosen by several nominators due to her extensive volunteer record. Gowing also served as the owner of The Needlecraft Shop and as the chairperson of the Merchants’ Association. Members of the Huron County Board of Education spent time in the new school year studying a report on the establishment of parent councils in Ontario schools. As the November municipal election drew near, Mason Bailey of Blyth became the first to throw his hat into the ring to become Blyth reeve. Members of Brussels Village Council reluctantly agreed to apply to the Ontario Clean Water Agency for a grant to increase the storage capacity at the village sewage plant. The grant would pay for a modification of the current plant that would turn one of the two aeration tanks at the plant into a sludge- holding tank. September 6, 2007 Five girls were scheduled to vie for the title of Brussels Fall Fair Ambassador. Anna Glen, Mady Deitner, Kiley Deitner, Chelsey McLellan and Sara Baker would all put their names in for the respected position. The first part of the annual Field Crop Competition, sponsored by the Brussels Agricultural Society and run in conjunction with the Brussels Fall Fair was completed. Jeff Cardiff came out on top when it came to winter wheat, while Bruce Higgins took gold in barley and Don Fischer’s white beans placed first. After a year of poor attendance at the Blyth Festival’s Young Company show the previous year, organizers were hoping that the 2007 show, Wireless, would help turn that trend around. Local firefighters were dispatched to a straw fire in Central Huron. The fire was one of two on Aug. 31 that were set within hours of one another. Police said they were investigating the fires as arson. The Central Huron fire was discovered first, as then firefighters were sent to the second fire, which was in Blyth Road in Huron East. 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 significant anniversary Saturday night saw the celebration of an event that seemed insignificant at the time, but changed Huron County. Most of the original cast members of The Farm Show gathered in Blyth Memorial Hall to mark the 40th anniversary of the original show in the summer of 1972. Who among the dozens who attended the original presentation in Ray Bird’s barn near Holmesville could have realized what was beginning that day. The people who filled the threshing floor and hay mow of the barn were mostly neighbours who came to see what had been cooked up by a bunch of Toronto actors who’d spent the summer interviewing them and working beside them before they returned to the Bird farm for the mysterious alchemy of creating a collective theatre piece. No doubt a few of the people being portrayed worried about what they would see. In the end most were charmed and entertained, and honoured to see their lives and their way of life treated with such loving care by the actors. Still, they must have wondered what would come of it all. The Farm Show went on to take the Toronto theatre scene by storm that winter. In the spring of 1973 it came back to the area. People who’d never seen professional theatre before, who would have been put off by the high-fallutin’ world of Stratford or Broadway, filed into auction barns, Brussels’ Chrystal Palace and the basement of Memorial Hall (the upstairs was still unsafe for public use). They didn’t see princes or aristocrats in fancy dress, but farmers and housewives like themselves. They took new pride in their work because it was worthwhile enough to be the subject of a hit play, one that would tour to England and the U.S. The show was instrumental in the creation of the Blyth Festival, creating an audience of people who saw people like themselves on stage and liked it. More directly, it was contact between Atwood-born Paul Thompson, the show’s director, and Blyth-born James Roy that led Roy to contact Blyth residents who wanted to see a theatre in Memorial Hall. Many of the original cast of The Farm Show would later play important roles as actors, directors and writers at the Festival, again helping tell stories about the region for the people of the region. Thompson and The Farm Show creators helped shine a light on the contribution of rural people to our society. In this day and age when rural life seems to be overlooked by urban decision-makers, when media outlets that once helped us talk to each other are withering or have disappeared, the Blyth Festival which they helped to create is an important venue for rural people to see their issues portrayed just as The Farm Show did all those years ago. — KR Put the money to work Teachers and other civil servants who are facing wage freezes are arguing the financial crisis the provincial government is using to unilaterally impose contracts is bogus. If the government hadn’t cut corporate taxes, they argue, there’d be money to pay for important government services. The provincial and federal governments themselves must be wondering about the effectiveness of the incentives they gave to businesses to grow. The idea was that if corporate taxes were lowered, there would be more money to invest in expansion, thus creating jobs. If Ontario, and Canada, charged lower taxes than other jurisdictions, companies would set up here, creating jobs and fueling the economy. But Ontario is in a financial crisis because government income has stagnated because business isn’t growing. Meanwhile, Statistics Canada figures analysed by The Globe and Mail reveal that the rate of investment in machinery and equipment has declined in lockstep with falling corporate tax rates over the past decade. At the same time, the analysis shows, businesses have added $83-billion to their cash reserves since the onset of the recession in 2008 Last week new statistics showed they added another $23 billion in savings in the last three months, rather than investing the money to create jobs. Governments’ carrots to business to promote growth haven’t worked. If businesses don’t start investing this cash the tax cuts should be cancelled and ways found to tax this “dead money”. — 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.