Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-07-29, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 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 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON N0G 1H0 email: norhuron@scsinternet.com July 30, 1986 McGavin Farm Equipment marked its 50th year in the business with over 200 people crowding into the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre to help the Walton landmark business celebrate the milestone. The business had grown steadily in the area since Gordon McGavin first began selling farm equipment from his Walton-area farm in 1936. The story of McGavin Farm Equipment was told by bookkeepers past and present, including the business’s first bookkeeper, from 1951, Frances Storey. The story was then rounded out by Mary Lou Vincent, the then-current bookkeeper. While reminiscing, Neil McGavin commented on the cost of the phone bill for the year of 1946, which was $32 for the entire year. Vincent said that the company, at the time, was running a phone bill of $1,000 a month. The Blithe Spirit Tea Room had new owners, Gary and Sheilla Wallace, formerly of Toronto. Sheilla said that one distinct feature she would be bringing to the tea room now that she was the owner was china dishes that had been in her family for four generations. She also added that she loved to bake, so that the dessert menu would always be stocked full of treats for the sweet tooth. The Country Fair was held at Memorial Hall on the previous weekend, where popular Blyth Festival actors each took their turn being a part of the festivities, including Peter Smith, who took his turn in the dunk tank. He got wet several times, but didn’t stop issuing challenges, urging people to try and dunk him once more. August 1, 1990 Blyth Councillor Ken Brown resigned from his position at the July 24 meeting of Blyth council. After Brown had missed several meetings, he stated that under his current situation, he would be unable to continue his duties as a councillor. Selection of his replacement was set to take place at the August 8 meeting of council. A temporary site for the Walton post office had been chosen: the Walton Tea Room. The Belgrave Kinsmen announced that they would be unveiling new plans for the Belgrave Arena on August 8. The Kinsmen announced that they planned to replace the front of the arena with a community centre, which was going to be a joint venture with the township of East Wawanosh. A public meeting was set for August 8 in order for the Kinsmen to receive public input on the proposal. July 29, 2004 For the first time in its history, the Brussels Invitational Fastball Tournament over the Civic Holiday weekend was cancelled. The event was cancelled because there were not enough participating teams for the tournament to go ahead. The 2004 tournament would have been the 33rd season that the tournament has been held. Blyth was set to host the 103rd Fire Association of Ontario convention. On July 30, the new Emergency Services Training Centre was unveiled with its official opening. The convention continued throughout the weekend, with a full program at the Blyth Community Centre, which included breakfasts, games and the Miss Firefighter competition. Madeleine Meilleur, Ontario Minister of Culture, was in Blyth to announce a contribution to the Blyth Festival in the amount of $14,239 to help the Festival promote its 30th season as part of the Cultural Tourism Marketing Fund. The announcement came before an afternoon performance of Anne Lederman’s Spirit Of The Narrows. Huron County resident David James was struck by a tractor trailer driven by London’s Ryan Currie while travelling on Hwy. 4 in Hullett. According to the Ontario Provincial Police, James was lying on the road. Currie attempted to avoid the man, but James was rushed to London Health Sciences Centre with serious injuries. July 31, 2008 A fire rushed through the Grandview Restaurant in Blyth, devastating the structure and leaving it out of business for over a year until its eventual reopening. Fire Chief Paul Josling estimated the damage to the restaurant at $150,000. The process to designate the Brussels Library as a historical site had officially begun after Huron East Council voted a motion through at its July 22 meeting. The bylaw, which was drafted by architect John Rutledge, was still in loose terms, and a final draft would eventually be negotiated with the heritage committee, followed by a public meeting. Joe Hallahan received his award for being named Citizen of the Year for the Blyth area, while Nora Stephenson and Fran Bremner received their awards for being named co-Citizens of the Year for the Brussels area. Three young ladies had decided to vie for the title of Ambassador of the Brussels Fall Fair: Darby Alcorn, Kari Bell and Melinda Dorsch. The decision was set to be held on August 9. 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 Bait and switch Bait and switch is an old con game where the crook shows the sucker an inviting object, then once the money is committed, delivers a vastly inferior product. That, in effect, is what the government of Ontario has done for thousands of its citizens who believed its promise of a good return for investing in generating electricity from solar panels. That the government has reconsidered the original 80.2 cents per kilowatt hour through the Ontario Power Authority’s (OPA) MicroFIT program and replaced it with a 58.8 cent rate for ground-mounted solar panels isn’t the issue. If people are offered 58.2 cents they can decide whether they want to proceed with their investment or not. The problem lies in the thousands of people who have invested in solar generating systems based on the economics of an 80.2 cent price who are now being told they can only receive the 58.2 cent rate. Owners of these systems are now faced with paying for their installation and operation through revenues that are 27 per cent lower than they expected. Drive around Huron County and you’ll see dozens of these solar installations sitting flat, as yet not hooked up to the power grid. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture estimates there are 11,000 applications for MicroFIT solar projects that have not been approved by OPA. This backlog has been building since January (some critics say OPA has been purposely not approving ground-based systems since then). Hard-headed (hard-hearted?) cynics can say people should not have proceeded with installing the panels until they had signed contracts from OPA. To be sure, it’s the people who didn’t trust their government enough to go ahead who have turned out to be the wisest investors. But many farmers proceeded based on assurances from solar equipment companies that it was just a backlog of processing at OPA that was a problem and they should get the installation done while the weather was good. The government, and OPA, has known about the surge of ground- based solar applications for more than half a year. If they were reluctant to pay the higher rate to that many applicants, they should have said so earlier. If they knew that farmers and landowners were being told by equipment dealers that it was safe to go ahead even without a signed contract, then they should have issued warnings to keep people from being sucked in. As it stands, the government owes it to people who believed its promise of an 80.2 cent rate to honour that price to everyone who had applications in the system as of July 2, the date of the change. If it doesn’t, it’s no better than those sleazy, bait-and-switch crooks. — KR Multinational tensions When U.S. President Barack Obama met with British Prime Minister David Cameron last week, the elephant in the room was the difference in opinion between their countries over the oil giant British Petroleum. Obama was heavily criticized by some in the U.S., for not tackling Cameron over what was seen as his government’s over-protective attitude to BP throughout the company’s disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and on what influence the company might have exerted on the Scottish government in the 2009 release of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the Libyan bomber of the Pan Am flight that killed 270 people over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. BP has been a handy whipping boy in the U.S., no doubt in part because it’s seen as a foreign company that’s harming Americans. In Britain, where it’s an iconic example of British success, the government sees it in a more understanding light. Those who support globalism against protectionist tendencies to want ownership within countries, like to argue that multinational companies know no homeland and owe no loyalty to the country where they’re based. Yet this case shows that’s false. BP is treated differently in the two countries because of its nationality. It’s also become so big, it can even affect international relations between two countries. When companies become as large as governments, complications ensue. — 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.