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The Citizen, 2010-03-11, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010.Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Reporters: Shawn Loughlin, 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;$105.00/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 PAP REGISTRATION NO. 09244 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON N0G 1H0 email: norhuron@scsinternet.com March 10, 1948 The third annual meeting of the Blyth Farmers’ Co-operative Association was held at Memorial Hall. The meeting’s attendance was estimated at 100, the majority of whom were directly related to the welfare of the Co-op, either as shareholders, patrons or both. The meeting’s special speaker was Leonard Harman, general secretary of the United Farmers of Ontario. President of the Co-op, Simon Hallahan, welcomed everyone to the meeting and read from the previous meeting’s minutes. Hallahan spoke to the audience about his three years at the top of the Co-op and said he would stand for one more year. When speaking of the future businesses coming to Blyth, including the production of Blyth creamery butter, he said, “This is your own business, your own plant, see to it that you support it and help it prosper.” March 7, 1990 The proposed Blyth Rutabaga Festival was approved and the first festival was set to take place from June 22 to June 24. An adult community was being planned for Brussels. Village councillors heard plans for a 31-lot adult community to be built at the north end of the village. There was also a hearing scheduled for April on another apartment complex that was being proposed for Elizabeth Street, on property that was being used as a tennis court. The developer had his plans approved by village councillors and hoped to be renting apartments by September. “I think we need it,” said Brussels councillor Dave Hastings. After the approval of this proposal, there was also discussion of moving the tennis courts to the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre site. There was a concern about the courts’ lights disturbing neighbouring residents after dark, but that issue was set to be resolved at a later date. The Brussels Library was hosting an event called “Phantom of the Library” which would be comprised of several events and activities for students over their March Break. A new program at the Callander Nursing Home allowed for Brussels Girl Guides and Pathfinders to “adopt a grandparent.” One night every month the girls had been going to the home to hear the residents’ stories and to spend time with a group of 10 of the Nursing Home residents. West Wawanosh council adopted a road budget for the year that came in at just under $300,000. A report on the Belgrave Community Centre showed volunteers pitching in and scraping the ice surface after each use with shovels, a practice that has continued over the years. The Disney classic “The Little Mermaid” was playing at the Park Theatre alongside an early Tom Hanks film, “Joe Versus The Volcano,” which was being called the first comedy hit of the 1990s. March 8, 2000 Huron County passed its budget, which came with a two per cent tax increase and not a hint of debate from any of the councillors. Former Blyth Public School student and current NHL rookie Justin Peters was pictured pouring drinks and helping out at the Trinity Anglican Church’s Dining Out program, which served up St. Patrick’s Day stew to several diners that day. Pauline Blok, a Grade 12 student at F.E. Madill Secondary School began a co-op placement with The Citizen. Blok planned on taking one year off after graduating high school and then pursuing a career in broadcast journalism with hopes of landing a radio career. March 5, 2009 The concept of the North Maitland Educational Centre for Excellence was discussed at one of the Central East-North Huron Accommodation Review Committee meetings, but was brought back down to Earth when members were reminded by trustees that the centre was simply an idea at the present moment. “We have amazing members of this community who can assist with everything. This will strengthen the new community we have here. It’s exciting and I’m proud to be a part of this,” said ARC co-chair and Morris-Turnberry councillor Mark Beaven. The Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association received a Trillium Grant for $15,000, which was hand-delivered by Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell. The Threshers planned on using the grant to refurbish some old buildings and ensuring the existing buildings will be suitable for continued used by the community. Nancy Rennick was named the new director at the Huron County Health Unit. Snowarama proved to be a big day in Londesborough once again, raising $14,000 for the Easter Seal program. While there had been a thaw just before the event, many of the activities went ahead as planned, with sledders taking part in a scavenger hunt, but no snowmobiling was permitted. A good time was still, however, had by all. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs. We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright Put people ahead of map lines Pity the community that gets sliced up by being on the edge of municipal amalgamations. That’s the case of the Blyth community and the resulting turf war could actually endanger lives. For generations the townships that made up the extended Blyth community, from West Wawanosh in the west to McKillop in the east, Hullett in the south to Morris and East Wawanosh to the north, worked together in a remarkable sense of co-operation which created a fire department that led most others in skill, training and equipment for fighting rural fires. The beginning of the end came with municipal amalgamation that paid no attention to communities and only to political boundaries. The traditional Blyth community was shredded like the wings pulled off a butterfly. Blyth itself, and East Wawanosh became part of North Huron, with its headquarters, and therefore its administrative point of view, in Wingham. Thinking of those parts of the Blyth community outside of the North Huron borders is not a high priority. While these new amalgamated municipalities started out as marriages of convenience, the politicians running them soon started thinking they needed to be “united” units of their own. The focus was inward in each, leaving the fringes, like the Blyth community, out of focus. The old Blyth District Fire Area Board soon lost McKillop, now part of Huron East. Then North Huron withdrew from the arrangement, deciding it should have a united fire department governed, not by a board representing all the member municipalities, but by North Huron council. It would bill adjacent municipalities for service and they wouldn’t have any say in setting that cost. When the bills came, Central Huron and Ashfield-Colborne- Wawanosh didn’t like the price. In Central Huron’s case, they decided to provide fire service to all of the former Hullett Twp, right up to the southern edge of Blyth, from the Clinton fire station. Instead of being close to the fire station (the new Blyth station will actually be built in Hullett), people in Londesborough and northern Hullett will have to wait for Clinton to drive the extra distance. Meanwhile areas of southern West Wawanosh may have to wait for the Lucknow fire department to arrive at emergencies north and west of Auburn, according to current ACW thinking. Fringe areas of amalgamated municipalities that have more in common with portions of the adjacent municipality than they do to the majority of their own municipal structure are being badly served by rigid interpretation of municipal boundaries. Politicians should remember real communities don’t follow the arbitrary lines of municipal amalgamations. In this case, this turf-protection by the municipalities is endangering the lives of area residents. — KR Holding our breath Both the majority and the minority reports of the Accommodation Review Committee for the Huron East-North Perth are recommending that the Brussels-Grey community retain one school when the dust settles from this round of school soul-searching. For most people in the area, of course, this is not the news they’d really like to hear. They’d like both Brussels Public and Grey Central schools to stay open. Politics, however, is the art of the possible and it seemed from the beginning that keeping both schools was not a possibility. Sometimes it seemed both would be lost. Of course having the ARC recommend something doesn’t mean that’s what will happen when trustees of the Avon Maitland District School Board finally vote on the matter in June. Still to be heard is the staff recommendation that will be put forward in April. As seen in the North- Central Huron review last year, what the staff wants is likely what will be accepted, no matter what the community wants. The next few months will see the community holding its breath, hoping for the best outcome to try to keep a community vibrant. — 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.