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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-05-21, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009.EditorialsOpinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie GroppAdvertising, 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 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 Letter to the editor May 20, 1965 The Brussels ladies’ bowling team placed fourth in the final bowl off of the season at Fordwich. Members of the team included Marilyn Higgins, Marlene Rutledge, Lois McArter, Karen Coleman and Merle Cousins. The men’s team, George Cousins, Mel McArter, Jack Higgins, Jack Lowe, Brian Rutledge and Dave Hastings placed third. Brian Rutledge received a trophy for the highest singles score of 348. Ontario Hydro presented the Hydro Show Time at the Brussels Legion. The “lively two-hour show, packed with new ideas” featured cooking demonstrations, lighting hints, laundry tips and electric heating information. It was sponsored by the East Huron Agricultural Society Women’s division. Admission was 50 cents. At the Lyceum Theatre in Wingham Don Knotts ad Carole Cook starred in the comedy, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, a story about the “really top secret weapon of World War II”. Mrs. Violet Scriver was conducting a cooking school at Cranbrook Community Centre. Weekend specials at Willis’s included two 20-ounce tins of creamed corn for 37 cents, one pound of shortening for 37 cents, a package of 100 tea bags for 75 cents, and Raid for $1.09. At Brownies’s Drive-in in Clinton the double feature was Alfred Hitchcocks’ The Birds, with Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy and Suzanne Pleshette, and Tammy and The Doctor with Sandra Dee and Peter Fonda. May 15, 1974 Happy days were happening in Hullett Twp. as taxes took a slight drop. A dispute over the cost of auditing the township’s financial dealings had West Wawanosh asking for the resignation of its auditor. East Wawanosh council investigated the possibility of forming its own recreation committee. Morris councillors voted to pay $400 towards the Blyth recreation program. Another successful season ended for the Blyth Bantams who made it to the All-Ontario finals. Members of the team were: Dennis Knox, Tom Pollard, Steve Bromley, Brian Bromley, Larry Howatt, Brad Bromley, Garry Manning, Ken Stewart, Steve Howson, Mike Siertsema, Terry Powell, Doug McClinchey, Dale Whitfield, Terry Pierce, Phil Arthur and Sandy Marshall. Coach was Ted Williams and Charlie Bromley was manager. Bill Long, coach of the London Knights, was the guest speaker at the Blyth Minor Sports hockey banquet. Ryan and Tatum O’Neal starred in Paper Moon, the feature at Brownie’s Drive-in. Also on the playbill was Charley-One-Eye, starring Richard Rountree. May 14, 1986 Brussels Lions celebrated its 40th anniversary. Evalena Webster was named Citizen of the Year for Blyth. Brussels taxes rose 6.2 per cent, while West Wawanosh residents faced a three per cent increase. Dozens of friends and former colleagues from Brussels area and across Huron County gathered at the Brussels Legion to congratulate Cal Krauter on his retirement from public life. Among those present to honour him was Huron County warden and Grey Twp. reeve Leona Armstrong. Blyth Public School students raised nearly $2,500 with Jump Rope for Heart for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The highest pledge getter was Jackie Caldwell, who brought in $227. Eight Blyth Brownies flew up to Guides: Erica Clark, Kerry Hallahan, Kimberley Ferguson, Carrie Ansley, Laurel Campbell, Tina Burkholder, Pauline Stewart and Jennifer Cucksey. Brussels Bantams ended a successful season, winning their division championship, and defeating Blyth to take the Group title. Team members were: Barry Blake, Jonathan VanKeulen, John Steffler, Bruce Johnston, Rod Nicholson, Ian Johnston, Steve Wheeler, Jeff Earl, Mike Fraser, Dean Nicholson, Ken Jamieson and Brian Alcock. Manager was Dave Wheeler, while coach was Joe Steffler. Amanda Gamble, Valerie Humphrie and Colleen Collins were the newest members of the Brussels Brownies. Receiving awards at the annual inspection were Brussels Cadets: Jody Boynton, Chris Mathers, Lisa Glanville and Mike Vader. May 15, 1996 Members of the first 4-H Chinchilla Club were: Kendra Brigham, Jackie Brak, Debbie Hoggart, Teresa Oliver, Steven Haak, Stephanie Oliver, Joe Oliver, Blair Trewartha, John Storey, Wes Beacom and J.C. Beacom. Twister was the feature attraction at Goderich’s Park Theatre. The former headquarters for the Huron County Board of Education in Clinton was sold to a Dorchester builder whose intent was to turn the building into retirement apartments. OPP investigated mischief at East Wawanosh Public School, which resulted in damage to the yard. THE EDITOR, Past fire and carbon monoxide incidents compel us to remind all cottage owners to make safety a top priority as they open their cottage for the season. Fire chiefs across cottage country want everyone to have “Peace of Mind for Your Piece of Heaven.” That’s the theme of our province- wide public safety outreach to help prevent fire and carbon monoxide-related tragedies in cottage country. Remember these five tips: 1) Change all smoke alarm batteries and install one alarm on each storey and outside all sleeping areas. 2) If your alarms are more than 10 years old, replace them. 3) If your cottage has a fireplace, or gas or propane appliances, install at least one carbon monoxide alarm. 4) Clean heating appliances and barbecues before use. Keep an eye on your barbecue and ensure all combustibles, as well as children and pets, are kept well away. 5) Check with your local fire department, municipality or the Ministry of Natural Resources for restrictions on campfires or burning brush. Visit www.safehome.ca for further tips. Enjoy the summer of 2009 while being fire and CO safe. Chief Bruce Burrell, President Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs Patrick Burke, Ontario Fire Marshal and Chair of Ontario Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council. 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 Undermining our democracy While Canadians are sending our troops in harm’s way to help bring the dream of democracy to Afghanistan, evidence mounts that we aren’t willing to make the effort to avail ourselves of the rights and responsibilities of democracy at home, even by taking the time to vote. The latest disappointing example came in the recent provincial election in British Columbia when fewer than 50 per cent of eligible voters bothered to cast a ballot. Interviews with people on the street blamed it all on a “what’s the point” mentality, arguing that all the politicians were the same so it didn’t matter which party won anyway. This could be the excuse of the lazy voter who doesn’t want to engage long enough to find out what the issues are and where politicians stand on those issues. They’d rather go golfing, play video games or watch “reality” TV instead of dealing with reality. But perhaps there are larger forces at play in society that contribute to the sense that it really doesn’t matter if we participate in democracy. Part of the malaise may be rooted in a top-down, anti-democratic philosophy that pervades both politics and business. The current governance model assumes that all wisdom and intelligence resides at the top of the pyramid. In politics, decisions are made in the office of the prime minister or the premier and relayed down to the caucus of the governing party. The intelligence and wisdom of government backbenchers and opposition members, is ignored in favour of the non-elected “experts” in the leader’s office. This attitude has been ingrained in the system. The municipal amalgamation accomplished through the arm-twisting of the Harris government was predicated on the notion that the fewer politicians, the better, with the result that more power and decision-making in these larger municipalities was put in the hands of municipal employees. Look at the situation with the local schools where board of education staff has a plan (probably had a plan before the accommodation review process started) that completely ignores the wishes of local parents. The sense of hopelessness pervades the workplace in most large organizations where the “McDonald’s system” is in place. In the name of uniformity, just as with a burger franchise, all the thinking will be done at the top and employees are never to think as individuals. With the fall of communism, we proudly declared victory for our system, saying it was only logical that a top-down system that didn’t listen to the ordinary citizen would fail. We then went out and adopted the same kind of top-down decision making which discourages people from taking part. Now, perhaps, we’re undermining the democracy we claim to be willing to fight for. — KR Impossible decision Canadians who normally show their sympathy for oppressed people around the world have found themselves in an impossible position with the recent demonstrations by Tamils living in Toronto. The demonstrators demand Canadian sympathy and action in support of the cause of the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka as the government seeks to obliterate the remnants of the Tamil Tigers rebel army. Canadians are sympathetic to claims the Sri Lankan government may be going too far but they also worry about being manipulated by demonstrators carrying flags celebrating the Tamil Tiger terrorist group. Demonstrators were likely frustrated and disappointed to the indifference of Canadians to the plight of the Tamil people. Their first step in building support would be to put down the flags. — KR &