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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-11-05, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009.Editorials Opinions 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.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 Letter to the editor Nov. 4, 1965 Huron County residents were heading to the polls to vote for the nation’s next government. Conservative Elston Cardiff had just retired and Robert McKinley had been brought in to take his spot in the party. Maitland Edgar went into the race representing the Liberal party and the NDP had Carl Hemingway in its corner. Canadian National Railway was advertising a train ride from Brussels to Toronto, which would cost $3.30 for a one-way trip. The Lyceum Theatre in Wingham had just welcomed the Beatles’ classic Help onto its screens. Costumed winners of the Brussels Legion’s Halloween dance were announced, with Mrs. Frank Rutledge winning for best Halloween costume. Nov. 4, 1974 Tom Cronin, owner of Cronin’s Hardware, situated on Blyth’s main street, sold his business to a couple from Aurora after years of ownership. Blyth village councillors expressed their displeasure with two Huron County departments at a meeting where the plumbing and planning of the area were discussed. While Blyth had been having its problems with both departments, the issue of another rate increase was raised, bringing about the displeasure and debate. A sensitive sprinkler head caused Blyth’s fire alarm to sound. The sprinkler, which was at Howson and Howson’s milling complex began spraying water. The sprinkler mishap caused little damage, however. While Halloween was quiet in the area, for the most part, there were some vandals who took it upon themselves to rearrange the bleachers at the Belgrave baseball park, flipping them over a nearby fence. Clint Eastwood was seen brandishing a very large gun in the advertisement for his new film, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, which was playing at Goderich’s Park Theatre. Nov. 5, 1986 Halloween damage, while described as more of a nuisance than anything, resulted in an abandoned and derelict house being set ablaze. In addition to the blaze in Brussels, there were also several small street fires started in the village as well, all extinguished with no incidence. The Brussels, Morris and Grey community pool showed profits in its first year, turning a profit of over $12,500 in 1986. The Huron County Board of Education faced a loss of two potential trustees as the deadline for the controversial Bill 30 slowly approached. Londesborough’s annual novelty auction received a high profile donation from Ontario premier David Peterson: one of his ties, autographed. The auction, which was held by the Londesborough Lions as part of their Back The Biter Day, which was raising funds for an equipped van for Lion Ron Nesbitt. The Brussels Town Hockey League celebrated its 10th anniversary. In 1986, the league had six teams, comprising teams from Monkton, Bornholm and Perth as well as a few local squads. An advertisement from the Seaforth Golf and Country Club assured golfers that there was still great golfing weather ahead, advertising clubs and bags to ensure that area golfers were ready for the new season when spring rolled around. Nov. 6, 1996 Despite the fact that its popularity had grown among parents in Huron County, junior kindergarten was being considered for cancellation in 1997 by the Huron County Board of Education. The cancellation was suggested to board trustees because the program would not have been provided at no cost to the taxpayers any longer. A grievance had been filed by the Elementary School Teachers’ Federation, appealing the staffing formula. President of the Huron Women Teachers Federation, Willie Laurie, said the grievance was filed due to seven schools, or nine classes, where the staffing formula was being contravened. The Brussels community was looking ahead to the Brussels Hands On Environmental Fair at t he Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre. The fair was to be a day of enlightenment and fun, featuring exhibitors and speakers from a wide range of environmental backgrounds. Walton Public School held its Halloween parade, which saw ghosts and goblins, princes and princesses parade through the school, showing off their Halloween costumes. Several exchange students were welcomed by F.E. Madill Secondary School. Three students came to Huron County from France and one was from Mexico. Upon arriving in Canada, the students said, they expected to see three things: big forests, bears and cold temperatures. Mel Gibson’s thriller Ransom was showing at the Park Theatre in Goderich and Blyth was preparing for concert visits from John McDermott and Frank Mills. THE EDITOR, I was both shocked and dismayed to learn recently that Grey Central Public School in Ethel is up for closure. Where are the brains of the people who are making this threat?! This school is the envy of every educator who has ever seen it. It’s physical environment is about as perfect as a school environment can be. Where else do you find a public school that is on a 22-acre parcel of land, bordered on the northwest by a river (the Maitland River). There are trails along the river along which classes can study the life habits of beaver and the many waterfowl that inhabit the area. There is an area of hardwood bush, a softwood stand and a meadow with pond and marsh. Everything that will spark a child’s understanding and appreciation of nature is right there. No hundreds of dollars and hours of time needed to bus the children to another location. This school has been maintained in excellent condition, and has a student body of about 200 students. There is room for another 50 – I’d be looking at ways to make it possible to fill those spaces – not threatening to close this jewel. I am a retired teacher who had the luck to be included on a science outing there years ago, and I can assure you, I was overwhelmed with envy of the lucky people teaching there. Personally, if I still had young children, I would certainly be moving mountains to have them included. I suspect the Avon Maitland Board of Education is just lusting after the mega dollars that they would get by selling the land – riverside property is in high demand. But this would be a one-time gain, one that could never be equal to the priceless educational value provided to generations of children at that location. Why can’t they understand that providing the best learning environment possible is what all children deserve - especially rural children, who often haven’t easy access to other learning facilities, as town/city kids do. I can think of many adjectives that I would apply to such a decision, starting with short-sighted, narrow - minded, mean, uncaring, stu- pid…could easily go on and on – but I’ll let others do that, I just hope and pray that enough people will add their eloquence, their powers of persuasion, their common sense,and the influence of their numbers, to convince the board of education to back off from this senseless idea. Sincerely, Wendy Hoernig 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 Silo thinking harmful A discussion between Huron East councillors and Mike Ash, superintendent of education with the Avon Maitland District School Board (reported in last week’s Citizen) illustrates how working in isolation can be counter-productive for our communities. Councillors asked Ash if the economic impact on a community was considered when a decision was made to close a school such as Brussels or Grey Public Schools. Ash said while the board tries to co-operate with municipalities, its primary interest is in the education of the students. Once upon a time schools and economic development weren’t separated. They were both functions of the community. But our communities have been sliced and diced these days to separate functions into specialized silos. The taxpayers’ dollars in education may be spent in a way that will undermine the economic health of the community that the municipal government is trying to nourish. But you don’t need to even go outside the education system to see silo thinking. Last week Premier Dalton McGuinty proudly revealed his plan for elementary schools to be the centre of youth activities from day care, through kindergarten and on to school, including after-school programs. He called this a community-centred solution, yet at the same time his government’s funding programs are encouraging closure of community schools. How useful is a school 10-15 miles away going to be to a parent seeking day care or after-school care? Doesn’t it make sense to keep schools in the community if you want community-centred child care? Somebody’s got to look at the big picture here, not get stuck in a specialized world that doesn’t see the whole community’s need. — KR Makers versus sellers It’s hard to ignore the battle between cable companies and television networks recently as each fills the airwaves with pleas for your support. In a way, the battle mirrors what goes on in the food industry where the people who grow the food struggle while those who process and sell the food prosper. In the television business, broadcasters say they can’t afford to keep creating local television news unless they get some some of the cable companies’ revenue from subscribers. Cable companies say they’d have to pass this along to subscribers and call it a “tax”. Cable companies have always made money for delivering something, not for creating. They began as a way to deliver American television channels to Canadians who didn’t want to live with just the Canadian channels. Do they even care if we have Canadian content? But then the television network’s bleats sound phony too when you consider they’ve always chafed at content restrictions that mean they have to create programs and not just rebroadcast American shows. Perhaps both sides protest too much. — KR &