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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-04-08, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010.EditorialsOpinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Reporters: Shawn Loughlin, Denny ScottAdvertising Sales: Ken Warwick & Lori Patterson The CitizenP.O. Box 429,BLYTH, Ont.N0M 1H0Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152,BRUSSELS, Ont.N0G 1H0Phone 887-9114 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.comWebsite 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 thecondition that in the event of a typographical error,only that portion of the advertisement will becredited.Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth.PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141PAP REGISTRATION NO. 09244RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON N0G 1H0 email: norhuron@scsinternet.com April 14, 1948 The Belgrave Athletic Association began the early planning stages of the erection of a new hockey arena. The old arena, however, was set to still be used until the new one was operational. The Blyth and area Boy Scouts were holding their annual paper drive. The scouts asked people to bundle up their waste paper and to leave it out front of their homes for collection. Proceeds from the drive would go straight to the boys’ summer camp fund. The CKNX Barn Dance broadcast, which had its humble beginnings on the Memorial Hall stage in Blyth, drew a sell-out crowd. Those who were at the show said they believed it was the biggest show to be in the hall in a very long time. “The crowd was so dense, it was almost impossible to dance,”The Blyth Standard said. An Irish-Scotch Night concert was held at Memorial Hall, which was sponsored by the Blyth Agricultural Society. Proceeds from the concert went to the betterment of the quality of the Blyth Fall Fair. The concert was being held on April 14, the day the newspaper hit the shelves, so prospective patrons were urged by The Blyth Standard to “get the dishes washed and the chores done up early and come to the Hall.” April 11, 1968 The newly-formed Brussels Wallflowers held their third official meeting at the home of Judy and Kathy Work. The meeting began with the 4-H Club pledge and was followed by a brainstorming session about what the members of the group would want to see in the perfect guest room. Morris Township council paid their general accounts at their April 1 meeting. Several fox bounty pay- outs were authorized, with hunters being compensated to the tune of $4 per kill. The popular team of Barbara Bain and Martin Landau were featured in a picture as two of a team of five from the CBC’s program Mission Impossible. The couple, who were married in real life at the time, had brought success to the program, with Landau recently winning a Golden Globe for his performance. April 4, 1990 A settlement had been reached in the lengthy dispute over the George Radford Memorial Ball Diamond. The Blyth village council and the Blyth Industrial Slow-Pitch Tournament Committee reached an agreement to cover expenses that had already been paid by the village and costs necessary to return the ball diamond to its previous playing condition. From a sports standpoint, the settlement meant that the diamond would be ready for use in just a few short months, with those involved estimating that the diamond could be ready to host games by July 1. The plans for the Huronview North project, which would eventually become Huronlea Home for the Aged, were given final approval by Huron County council, allowing commencement of the $21 million project. Jim Axtmann, then the principal of Brussels Public School, had decided to retire from his position at the end of the school year. Axtmann had become principal of Brussels Public School in 1987, replacing Ken Scott. Axtmann, who was no stranger to the area, had spent 21 years at Grey Central Public School before taking over in Brussels. Robert Bateman of Ethel was driving alone on a Grey Township concession when he struck a cow in the middle of the road. Luckily, no one was hurt. OPP officers said there was a heavy fog that night, which made it difficult for Bateman to see the cow on the road. April 5, 2000 Brussels council approved its budget for 2000, which included a three per cent rate increase to the municipal mill rate. The increase only added $6,601 to the budget though, said clerk-treasurer Donna White. Blyth council realized a small surplus at the end of 1999, carrying forward a $6,568 surplus into 2000, which didn’t include $1,000 that was placed into reserves, but was not used. Huron-Bruce MP Paul Steckle sent a letter to The Citizen,urging local secondary schools students to consider taking advantage of the Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation’s Excellence Awards, which was available to Grade 12 students who planned on continuing onto post-secondary education. The Avon Maitland District School Board announced that it would not, as other school boards had, run a deficit in 2000. Having a local hand in the education of area students was paramount to the board, which said. “The board is also not willing to provide the government with an excuse to remove trustees from a future role in overseeing local education.” Six winners from the Avon Maitland District School Board system were on their way to the Canadian Science Fair in London after winning at their public schools. 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 What’s a job worth? The release last week of the so-called “Sunshine List” of Ontario public servants who received more than $100,000 in pay last year is cause to consider what a job is worth. For many ordinary people working for themselves on farms, in shops or in services, or those working for these kinds of small businesses, the news that 63,761 people earned more than $100,000 working for the provincial or municipal governments, school boards, boards of health or hospitals can be sobering, or downright infuriating. Yet every one of those people could justify why they deserved every penny of their pay — even people like former Ontario Power Generation president Jim Hankinson, who was paid $2.15-million for about half a year before he left the job. Many public servants probably could find reasons why they should get more — in fact one newspaper columnist suggested the list was counterproductive in keeping salary costs down because many people would see what others are making and want more. Back in the 1990s, the public service went through something called “pay equity” as the government of the time tried to ensure that women in its employ received “equal pay for work of equal value”. Lots of people working in areas that aren’t taxpayer-funded would love to have that kind of guarantee, but the hard reality of the marketplace won’t allow it. One could argue, for instance, that a farmer who provides life-sustaining food, is as important to the health of our nation as a doctor or nurse who treats illness, yet our society won’t pay the price for food that it would take to give farmers equal pay to people who work in health care. Many people who work outside of government circles must live with the reality that they’ll never earn as much as people who work for government. Still, it can be tough to take when the school board that says it can’t afford to keep your community school open, can find the money for 74 employees to earn their way onto the Sunshine List. So people who can never hope to earn $100,000 a year must pay taxes to support the salaries of people who do earn that much, but then tell you there’s not enough money to keep your school open. Pardon the people who pay the bills if they think there’s something wrong with this picture. — KR Dumb decisions tip balance Prime Minister Stephen Harper has no greater friend in his hope to win a majority government, than those judges, crown attorneys and, most recently, National Parole Board officials who make decisions that go against citizens’ innate sense of what is just. Harper has staked out a law and order niche, calling for harsher punishment for lawbreakers and proposing to increase spending on prisons by 27 per cent in the most recent budget. Opponents argue this is wrong-headed, that the crime rate is actually declining. But then along come people like the member of the appeal division of the National Parole Board who quietly, gave a pardon to Graham James, one of the most notorious sex offenders in the country. James, a junior hockey coach, molested boys who played for him. Only a few like former National Hockey League player Sheldon Kennedy, had the strength to come forward to testify against him. A pardon, which removes James’s name from regular criminal records, offends citizens’ sense of justice. It makes people want to change the system and if that means getting tougher, so be it. Recently an Ontario crown attorney added to that sense of injustice when she dropped charges of possession of cocaine, speeding, and impaired driving (including a failed breathalyzer test) in return for a guilty plea to careless driving. Ironically, the charges were against former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer, a proponent of tougher sentencing. There was an uproar across the country from ordinary people who were offended by the sense of injustice. The old saying goes that justice not only be done, but be seen to be done. The failure of justice officials to make people feel justice is being done could tip the balance toward the tougher laws the Prime Minister promises he’d deliver if only he had a majority. — 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.