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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-10-18, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 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 October 21, 1965 Known as the Kansas Farmer, Canada’s singing violinist Jack Thynne was set to present one of his farewell concerts at the Brussels Legion on Oct. 22. Following the show, the Legion organized a dance for those in attendance. The first meeting of the Brussels 4-H Sleeping Garments was held at the home of Jack Wheeler, the club’s leader, on Sept. 25. Norma Mair was elected to be the group’s president, Rosemary Blake was named vice-president, Judy Work would act as pianist and the job of press reporter and secretary was to rotate over the course of the meetings. Upon convening for the first time, members of the club decided they would officially be called the Brussels Eight Stitchers. The recreation committees for Brussels, Morris and Grey were set to hold a rummage sale at the Brussels Arena in order to raise funds for the recreation facility and to fund programs being rolled out at the Brussels Arena. October 14, 1987 John VanBeers of RR1, Blyth was named winner of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture’s 1987 award for outstanding contribution to agriculture. Brussels Village Council met for its Oct. 6 meeting and crafted a plan to combat vandals. Council discussed the level of vandalism that had plagued the village in recent years and decided that they wanted to avoid that kind of disturbance as Halloween rolled around once again. Brussels Fire Chief Howard Bernard told members of Brussels Council that he could have as many as 10 people around the village in two trucks to help deter vandalism or any wrongdoing. Hugh Hanly, clerk-treasurer said that local OPP officers were also aware of what had been going on in Brussels in recent years and had vowed to make the village a priority on Halloween night. OPP officers said the village seemed to be a major trouble spot for them due to vandalism, which one year previous included fire being set to an abandoned house. Other measures being taken were a notice being placed in The Citizen reminding parents that they are responsible for their children on Halloween night and to hide away any garbage that might seem tempting to pranksters. The Huron County Federation of Agriculture was unsure about the proposed free trade agreement and said further study was necessary before it could be officially rolled out. The group said the resolution appeared to be a “disaster for agriculture” and that it would threaten supply-managed com- modities and it would not remove the tariff on pork exports. October 26, 1994 A former deputy-reeve, Graeme MacDonald and a former reeve, Charlie Thomas, would be competing for a council seat in Grey Township. There would also be an election for the position of reeve as incumbent Leona Armstrong was being challenged by newcomer Dale Newman. A crowd of concerned onlookers gathered at Cook’s Elevators in Walton as 40-year-old Randy Wood of Seaforth was caught in an auger and emergency responders worked to save him. Representatives of the Wingham OPP said that Wood had entered the silo to turn on a sweeper auger to refill an overhead storage bin when he slipped on some loose corn and his leg was pulled into the operating auger, which eventually blew the machine’s fuses. After firefighters from both Grey and Blyth responded to the incident, Wood was transferred to University Hospital in London where his condition was listed as fair. October 18, 2007 North Huron Council made the decision to appoint Alma Conn to the vacant councillor position in the Wingham Ward. Conn, who used to be a veterinarian in Blyth, was chosen over four other applicants: Joan van der Meer, Annette Lindsay, Ken MacKenzie and Al Harrison. “It’s different being appointed by council rather than elected. Council obviously had confidence in me and I hope to earn their respect,” Conn said in an interview with The Citizen. Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell was elected to a second term and celebrated with her family and a large group of supporters at Clinton Town Hall the night of the Oct. 10 provincial election. That night Dalton McGuinty and the Liberal Party earned its second straight majority government, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished in over 70 years. Mitchell received over 20,000 votes, representing 46 per cent of those who cast a vote. Mitchell beat Conservative Rob Morley by just under 7,000 votes. Trustees with the Avon Maitland District School Board celebrated a decade of unity at their regular board meeting. “I don’t feel there’s any longer a division between Huron and Perth. We are the Avon Maitland board,” said Perth South/West Perth representative Carol Bennewies. 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 Not the way to leave Premier Dalton McGuinty’s decision to resign his position, announced Monday night, is his personal choice to make, but he should never have used the occasion to prorogue the current session of the legislature, which affects all Ontarians. Sadly, suspending the legislature seems like a desperate lesson learned from Stephen Harper – a way to save a government and prevent opposition parties from pursuing scandal. The Progressive Conservatives and NDP have been turning up the heat over the costly cancellation of two gas-fired power plants just before last year’s provincial election (though both parties had promised to do the same thing). This shouldn’t have been the lasting image of McGuinty who, whatever you think of his policies, had been a decent man through his early years. Maybe it was so much against his character to play hardball politics and take on the very teachers’ unions and doctors he had taken pride in making peace with after the turbulence of the Mike Harris years, that he had no taste for the job anymore. Maybe he just read the handwriting on the wall. McGuinty has been a contradiction – both a good premier for Ontario as a whole and a very bad premier for rural areas of the province. Under his watch Ontario has become a leader in education policy and in student performance scores. The medical system has also improved, with wait times reduced for many medical procedures. For a man generally seen as bland, he was one of the most visionary premiers we’ve seen. Watching the province’s old industrial base unravel, he attempted to spur growth through the renewable energy sector. Unfortunately, in creating the conditions to encourage wind turbine companies to set up plants in Ontario, his Green Energy Act gave all the power to the wind power companies at the expense of rural communities. Planning rules were stacked against any local control, making people feel helpless when huge wind farms invaded their neighbourhood. Other policies, such as rewriting the Slots agreements to take more rural gambling revenue to Queen’s Park and away from local race tracks, also seemed like an outright attack on rural Ontario. In the long run, it was the cancellation of those gas-fired power plants in the area west of Toronto that undermined McGuinty’s credibility as a basically honest man. That he would put taxpayers on the hook for the cost of moving those plants in the hopes of saving a couple of Liberal ridings, while at the same time ignoring the concerns of residents of dozens of rural ridings, showed he had lost his ethical compass. He leaves politics with a damaged reputation that may overshadow all the good he accomplished. — KR The law can’t do it all While the media attention paid for the death of British Columbia teenager Amanda Todd has shone a deserved light on bullying and on- line blackmail, it may also do a disservice in adding a touch of glamour to suicide for troubled teens. The beautiful teenager’s death has shocked everyone from ordinary citizens to legislators and brought calls for laws to curb the disturbing practice of harassing young people until some feel their only escape is death. While it would be nice to think a law could end this tormenting of vulnerable young people, the fact is that gangs of young people create their own laws that often ignore what the laws of society might say. Attackers feed off each other, each upping the ante to please their friends as they pile on their attack on the victim. While it’s worthwhile for lawmakers and school officials to do what they can, all the laws in the world will never stamp out bullying. In the long run it’s the victims of bullying who need help. We need to help the victimized understand that this tormenting will pass eventually and that taking their own life is not the answer. We need to get the message through that posting nude photos of yourself on the internet, as Todd apparently did, is a serious mistake that can haunt them for years. Bullying is wrong! Victims of bullying, however, must be helped to be strong enough to survive it if it happens. — 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.