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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-06-17, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2010.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; $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 June 23, 1948 At least $500 was still needed to reach the required amount of floodlight contributions at the Blyth Agricultural Park, which were close to being completed. Donations had been made by dozens of members of the community, but much more was still needed to fulfill the financial obligation. Nearly 650 people were checked at the free chest clinic at Memorial Hall the week before. The clinic, which was organized by the Blyth Lions Club, was set up to detect several breathing illnesses, including tuberculosis. Former Blyth Mason W. W. Taman was honoured by the Exeter Masonic Lodge, after having moved there in 1901. Taman joined the Blyth Masonic Lodge 50 years prior and moved to Exeter just four years later. Taman was honoured for his 50 years as a Mason, but also his 75th birthday, which closely coincided with his anniversary. A community-wide picnic was hosted by the East Wawanosh school community. Several events were held with several exhibitions also on display throughout the day. There was also an unfortunate death on June 21, when Harvey McCallum displayed a porcupine which he ran over while travelling just north of Walkerton. The Blyth Standard declared the porcupine “a very large specimen.” June 20, 1968 The Majestic Women’s Institute (WI) received a presentation from the 4-H Club girls at the WI’s June meeting. A Squirt Softball league was formed, comprised of teams from the Brussels area, including teams from Brussels, Newry, Belgrave, Ethel, Atwood and Bluevale. The schedule began on June 10 with Brussels defeating Bluevale by a score of 32-10. Dr. K. Zyluk, who had immigrated to Brussels from England concluded his practice at the new Medical and Dental Centre in Brussels, abandoning his practice and moving to Wingham. Zyluk had been encouraged to come to Brussels, where a doctor was badly needed, being offered free rental of the building for one year if he signed a long-term lease or bought the building. Neither deal was completed. “Some of the doctor’s patients were disappointed to find the doctor gone when they came to his office,” The Brussels Post reported. “Several inquires are now underway and prospects of having another doctor in the not-too-distant future look good.” June 20, 1990 The Wingham branch of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were investigating a robbery that occurred during the evening of June 12 at Humphries’ General Store in Walton. Approximately $1,200 in cash and several packs of cigarettes were stolen. Finance Minister Michael Wilson was in Wingham to discuss the new GST, saying that farmers would win with the new tax, which would enable the Free Trade Agreement and was necessary for the Canadian economy. Blyth Village Council approved its budget for 1990, which came with an 8.66 per cent tax increase. The budget passed with no discussion. McKillop Township Council also approved its budget for the year, raising taxes by 9.2 per cent. A fly-in picnic was held at the home of Jim and Leona Armstrong. Jim had been an avid aviator for several years and was in the midst of showing his son the ropes, as he is seen in The Citizen cranking the propeller for his son Brian, who sits in the cockpit. June 19, 2008 There had been a number of bear sightings throughout Huron County, spanning from the Walton area to Bayfield to Wroxeter and all the way up to Kingsbridge. From pictures that were obtained of the bear, it was determined that it was a yearling bear. Blyth’s Joe Hallahan was named Citizen of the Year for his work with the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association as well as additional volunteering throughout the community. Nora Stephenson and Fran Bremner were named co- Citizens of the Year for the Brussels area. Federal Liberal candidate for Huron-Bruce Greg McClinchey held a barriers dinner to benefit and raise awareness for the Huron County Accessibility Advisory Committee. Guests were assigned a disability and they were required to eat their meal and participate in the social aspects of dining while experiencing what it was like to be blind, have reduced mobility or be hearing impaired. The planning stages had begun for the first County-wide collaboration on a Doors Open event with Haunted Huron, which would officially take place later that year. Ghost stories and the scarier aspects of Huron County were revealed for this fresh take on Doors Open. Against The Grain was set to open at the Blyth Festival. Carolyn Hay drew on life experience to write this play, which detailed the epic struggle between father and son. 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 Getting back some control Next week the future of the Brussels and Grey areas will be shaped by people outside these communities, acting on guidelines set down by provincial education officials – and local people have very little control over their destiny. Trustees with the Avon Maitland District School Board will decide on the future of the Brussels and Grey Central public schools at their June 22 meeting. Local parents and community representatives have pleaded their cases, now outsiders to their community will have the final say. The trustees will be acting under funding models and occupancy guidelines set down by the province. All these things are beyond the control of the local community. It’s widely known that one of the greatest sources of stress is a feeling of lack of control over your life. Smart employers, for instance, have come to realize their workers will be happier and more productive if they can shape the conditions under which they work. The other side of this is that the more involved people are, the more they take ownership and accept responsibility. Community schools have benefited by this over the years with thousands of hours of volunteer effort by people in the community. Take away that sense of belonging, tell people that they have no real say in the future of key components in their community, and people don’t feel so inclined to devote their time to making things better. You may even promote apathy in the community that feels there’s no point in trying to make a difference. Our country is currently under the thrall of a top-down management model both in government and big business that says intelligence resides in the executive offices and management systems must be put in place to control all those below. It’s the very opposite to a democracy that seeks to harness the intelligence and efforts of everyone involved. Even if the system is out of kilter, communities that want to remain lively and healthy need to find ways to try to regain control – if not of institutions like their schools, then the things we can do something about. Otherwise, we risk falling into despair, cynicism and alienation. — KR Adjusting expectations There’s been much fear-mongering again this week about the potential poverty of future retirees as federal and provincial finance ministers met to discuss pension reform. Union officials picketed the meeting, calling for government to double the deductions and payout of the Canada Pension Plan. Employers have been warning increasing deductions would be a job killer because the employer has to match the employee’s deduction. Meanwhile the warnings have been issued that people just aren’t saving enough. We’re told if you want to have a $50,000 annual retirement income, you must put away $2 million in savings. Of course part of the reason people haven’t been putting away savings, is because the $2 million figure that gets flashed around every year at the RRSP deadline, seems impossibly beyond reach so why even bother? Most of our parents would shake their heads at all this. Many of them got by with little but their old age pension and a small amount of savings. They knew that they weren’t going to be able to live extravagant lifestyles but then they never had. They’d grown up in the Great Depression or the war years when people had no choice but to live simple lives. The projections for the lifestyles of future retirees seem to be entirely different. Rather than a time when they can live cheaply because their mortgage is paid off, they don’t have to spend a lot on transportation and clothing to go to work and they have no kids to support, it seems that future retired people will have even more time to consume. They’ll have time to travel, and they expect to. They’ll keep on buying and buying at a time when their parents cut back on consumption. It’s the expectations of retirees that have changed. If expectations are lowered a bit, maybe the retirement savings “crisis” isn’t such a big deal after all. — 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.