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The Citizen, 2010-03-25, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 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 24, 1948 The Blyth Lions and their ladies enjoyed a pleasant night out as the Blyth Lions held their annual Ladies Night banquet at the Exchange Hotel in Goderich. Approximately 40 people were at the event, which featured a chicken dinner with all the trimmings. Mrs. John Heffron held a St. Patrick’s Day party at her home where euchre and bridge were played. Claire McGowan of Blyth was named the assistant superintendent position at the annual Children’s Aid Society meeting. McGowan had proven herself to be a hard worker and she said she derived much pleasure from her work of helping others. A maple syrup boiling was responsible for a false sounding of Blyth’s new fire alarm at 10 a.m. one morning that week. The alarm was sounded due to a maple syrup fire at Mrs. Margaret Harrington’s house. Her son was boiling sap in the barn and a neighbour noticed smoke pouring out of the barn’s crevices and the alarm was sent out to the telephone service and then throughout the town, which resulted in swift action from firefighters and citizens alike. Floods resulting from the spring break-up of the winter’s snow, along with torrential rains were responsible for millions of dollars worth of damage throughout western Ontario. The “rampaging” Maitland River caused the most concern for local residents as conditions of high water and jamming ice was reported in Goderich, Wingham, Listowel and Walkerton. Blyth, however, was said to be one of the more fortunate centres during the flooding, experiencing only minimal flood damage, largely because of the Blyth Creek. March 28, 1968 Brussels Minor Hockey held a tournament at the Brussels Arena, which brought teams from Wroxeter, Lucan, Monkton, Belgrave, Oakridge, Atwood, Paisley and Brussels to the community to play. The tournament spanned all divisions from Tyke to Squirt and up to Bantam. Over the previous weekend, vandals had entered the Gentlemen’s Club room and destroyed a considerable amount of the Club’s property. The report was featured under the headline of “How Mean Can They Get?” and the actions were described by The Brussels Post as “deplorable and it is hoped those responsible will be apprehended and punished as they deserve.” The first meeting of the Brussels Wallflowers was held at the home of Joyce Triebner where items like the distribution of the member’s pamphlet and the outline of club requirements, both collectively and individually, were discussed. March 21, 1990 Peter Smith was named the new artistic director for the Blyth Festival. Smith had appeared in several Festival productions, including Girls In The Gang, The Right One, The Mail Order Bride and Another Season’s Promise. Smith was set to take over on May 1, when he would begin the business of choosing the plays for the upcoming season of the Blyth Festival. Alan Caldwell of Londesborough was spending time in London’s University Hospital after being struck with a tree over the weekend. Caldwell, along with two of his neighbours were working in a sugar bush where there were several trees leaning above them. One of the trees unexpectedly split in two, striking Caldwell on his head and shoulders. At the time of publication, Caldwell was listed in fair condition. The newly-organized Blyth Rutabaga Festival called out to local artists for a festival logo as part of a contest. The aforementioned Rutabaga Festival also got a significant boost from Blyth Village council, receiving a $5,000 loan in order to get the festival up and running. March 22, 2000 The Huron OPP reported a significant drop in the amount of break and enter violations that were reported to them in the villages of Blyth and Brussels. There were just five reported incidents in Brussels in 1999 and just five reported in Blyth as well. To compensate for a two per cent increase in the general tax levy from Huron County council, the 2000 Blyth Village council budget was being discussed with a decrease in the Blyth mill rate. This move, however, would result in a deficit of approximately $100,000, if the $225,000 to repair Gypsy Line was set aside as council had planned for. The transition board for the municipality of Huron East held its first meeting on March 14, despite the fact that final approval on the restructuring proposal had not yet been received. The Blyth Midget Bulldogs swept their Ontario Minor Hockey Association final series against Alvinston, earning the title of E Division all-Ontario Champions. The Livery Film Festival began in Goderich with the screening of The Cider House Rules, which earned Michael Caine an Academy Award. 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 Why first response is needed David Lew, chief of emergency services for Huron County told county council last week that, given the county’s far-flung geography, it’s almost impossible for the county’s land ambulance service to meet provincial benchmarks for emergencies. That is why it’s important for local fire departments to have first response medical training. Lew said the provincial standard is to have paramedics on site of an emergency within eight minutes – six to have a defibrillator on scene. The county’s standard has been 17 minutes. But residents in areas served by fire departments with first response medical training are much more fortunate because volunteer firefighters with defibrillators and some medical training have been able to respond much faster because they’re closer. Yet first response medical has been controversial among municipal councillors. Many are adamantly against it, feeling it’s an expensive duplication of service. They might think differently if they were on the receiving end of that care. Newspaper reporters have been on the scene of emergencies many times where firefighters have been there, giving care and comfort, for many long minutes before paramedics arrive. For residents in northern Central Huron and southwestern Ashfield- Colborne-Wawanosh these are factors that deserve careful consideration as the squabble with North Huron over fire coverage areas continues. Blyth-area residents have been among the few in the county with access to first response medical coverage from their fire department for many years now. How many lives have been saved because firefighters could respond faster than paramedics? — KR Some southern perspective After a long struggle, the passage of a health-care reform bill means U.S. residents will finally have something approximating universal health care coverage. The U.S. plan looks nothing like what we have in Canada. People will be forced to buy their coverage from health insurance companies, some of which have been raising premiums up to 40 per cent in the last year. The U.S. already had the world’s most expensive health care system and it’s likely to cost more now. Looking at the vicious battle south of the border, Canadians can only be grateful to Canadian pioneers who gave us medicare early on, before insurance companies became as powerful forces of opposition here as they are now in the U.S. Tommy Douglas had to battle doctors in Saskatchewan to impose public health care there. Lester Pearson faced opposition when he created the national health care proposal, but nothing like the war to the south. Canadians still spend a lot on health care. Our provincial governments spend almost half their entire budgets on health. The cost will continue to be a problem as expenses grow every year. Still, for all its faults our system provides more care to more people for less money than our southern neighbours receive. — 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. Letters to the Editor THE EDITOR, Consumers across Southern Ontario have been rediscovering the delicious taste and freshness of local Ontario grown foods in increasing numbers the last few years – fresh vegetables, flowers and local meats; things like fresh pork sausages, cornfed beef tenderloins and healthful grassfed beef. These nutritious and tasty products are all locally produced from neighboring farms where they can visit and see how the animals are grown and treated, and have the satisfaction of showing their children the healthy, happy animals, and the security of knowing where their meat comes from. Unfortunately the local meat option for our families is going to be history if the current trend continues. Never-ending costly facility upgrades threaten the viability of the local small abattoirs. Continued on page 7