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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-03-10, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2011.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 norhuron@scsinternet.com 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 $34.00/year ($32.38 + $1.62 G.S.T.) in Canada; $115.00/year in U.S.A. and $175/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: norhuron@scsinternet.com March 8, 1950 Grewar’s Groceteria was having a sale where custom sliced bacon was selling for 55 cents per pound. Farmer’s style sausage was on sale for 39 cents per pound. Celebrations for St. Patrick’s Day were underway with a dance at the newly-renovated town hall in Brussels set for March 10 and a St. Patrick’s skating carnival was slated for March 17 in Belgrave. Information on physically challenged children in Huron County was being collected by area Lions Clubs and the collection of information was to be closed on March 10. St. John’s Anglican Church in Brussels was set to hold an unveiling and dedication service for the new window on the east side of the building on March 12. The new Girl Guide postal badge was won by three local guides, Lavarre McNair, Mary Agnes Higgins and Sheila Porter. The girls had the distinction of being the first Girl Guides in Ontario to receive the badge. The “cheery harbinger of spring” the robin was spotted by John Rowland flying around Brussels earlier in the week, leading residents to wonder if warm weather really was on the way or if several days of sunshine had fooled the robin into venturing out of the nest. Miss Mary Lott of Brussels celebrated her 90th birthday on March 3. The Lockport, New York native first made her way to Canada with her parents, settling around Darlington, Ontario before eventually making their way to western Ontario. March 6, 1974 With the budget for 1974 being presented to Huron County Council, there were concerns that there wouldn’t be enough money to go around. It was proposed that taxes might be raised due to costs associated with running Huron County. The price of severance applications was raised from $40 to $50. The new price would take effect June 1. Despite the hopes of Blyth Village Council and Huron County Council, the Blyth sewage project would not be sped up. A meeting between Blyth councillors and Huron MPP Murray Gaunt went well, but the target date of 1976 set by the Ministry of the Environment would not be able to be accelerated. March 5, 1986 The construction of a new supermarket in Brussels was in the process of being held up over less than an inch of encroachment onto the street allowance. The demolition of the Queen’s Hotel was delayed because of the .07 feet of the hotel that was on the street allowance. Warner Andrews of the Auburn and District Lions Club was awarded the club’s first-ever Citizen of the Year award. He was chosen for the award due to his tireless efforts as a member of Auburn’s board of trustees, as well as his efforts in other areas. The award was presented by Lions Club president Bill Robinson. The Blyth Legion sent four teams to the inter-zone cribbage final tournament with three local teams eventually comprising the top three teams. Harold Cook and Willie Dougherty finished first after winning eight of their nine games. A tourist resort was in the early planning stages for West Wawanosh. Dungannon-area residents Al Sherwood was in the midst of planning for a resort called Sherwood Forest Lodge. Plans for the project were drawn up by Auburn-area architect Nick Hill. March 26, 2003 Because of the swift onset of spring, 2003 was not a great year for maple syrup production so far. The warm weather pleased everyone in the area except for syrup makers, said Suzanne Robinson of Robinson Maple Products, RR2, Auburn. Kraemer Concrete was in the midst of purchasing two lots in the Brussels industrial park for the construction of a concrete plant. At the time, representatives of Kraemer Concrete of Brunner, said it was still too early in the deal to tell if the plant being built in Brussels would work out. The cause of a house fire that killed Brussels resident John Lowe was officially listed as undetermined. Huron East Council began discussions regarding municipal fire areas. Huron East, at the time, had three different fire departments, each with its own chief. The meetings were set to discuss a reorganization of the departments into one Huron East Fire Department. Area students were preparing for the 57th annual Sears Drama Festival at Elmira Secondary School. Students from F.E. Madill Secondary School, St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School and several other areas schools would be sending students to the March 26-29 competition. The Brussels Optimist Club was set to hold its fourth annual fundraising dinner and auction. The event would raise funds for Jesse’s Journey: The Foundation for Gene Cell Therapy as well as funds for Brussels and area community betterment. 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 Missing out on the big issue Voters in most of this newspaper’s coverage area can only sit on the sidelines of what promises to be one of the big issues when a provincial election occurs this fall. Premier Dalton McGuinty recently announced extension of the all- day kindergarten program, part of an idea that schools should become community centres to look after kids while their parents are at work. Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak has said that if he is elected the program may go ahead, but only if there’s enough money. He points to the large provincial deficit that already exists even before the spending of $1.5 billion annually to put all-day kindergarten in all schools. For parents in Brussels, Blyth and Belgrave, it’s all academic, so to speak. They won’t have a community-centred school to send their kids to by the time all-day kindergarten is implemented in all schools. Instead they’ll have to face the choice of whether they want to send their tykes on a lengthy bus ride to a school out of town, or look after them at home. As for schools looking after kids until the parents are done work, it doesn’t make a lot of sense if you have to drive 15 km. out of your way to pick up your child after work. You can make an argument, as Hudak does, that the province simply can’t afford the program. You can argue, as McGuinty does, that it’s an innovative program that will pay dividends in the future by giving students a head start. But there are those who might have benefited from this visionary policy who won’t be able to because the government gave millions in this area to fund a new megaschool instead of keeping community schools open. Those services that could have supported the community, will now be absent – and for many, inaccessible. Rather than becoming a leveller, giving children an even start, the program will now be a greater divider between those who can take advantage of the program and those too distant for it to do any good. It’s a missed opportunity. — KR Bought with our own money With a provincial election this fall assured, and a federal election a strong possibility this spring, we’re certainly getting a good feeling about the province and country we live in — at least if you watch the ads on television. For months, the federal government has been blasting us from our couches with ads for “Canada’s Economic Action Plan”. It’s the kind of advertising that’s justified on the basis of informing us about government programs, but much of it is a softening up for the federal election, whenever it arrives. We’re told that tax breaks to help you enroll your kids on sports teams are part of the Action Plan, even though they were promised before the recession that hit in late 2008. The tax cuts boasted about include a planned 1.5-percentage-point reduction in the corporate tax rate that will really come once the Action Plan is wound down. More legitimately promoted are retraining programs for laid-off workers. The government is spending $20 million on TV ads which all but attach the Conservative Party logo in telling people they should keep the good things rolling by re-electing Conservatives instead of those dangerous opposition parties. It’s not just Conservatives who are spending your money to make you feel good and want to keep a government in power. The Ontario government has been spending millions telling us about the value of making movies to our economy, as well as the expanding all-day kindergarten program. One can almost hear the old “A place to stand, a place to grow” jingle behind the ads – except that, or course was the feel- good theme of a previous Progressive Conservative government. Pardon the cynicism of voters if they remember that both Stephen Harper and Dalton McGuinty promised to clean up abuses like this. They were going to bring new ethical standards to government spending. Until recently, the provincial government has pretty much adhered to that policy but, like negative advertising, they probably know it works and will take advantage if it helps them get another term. — 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.