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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-11-19, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009.Editorials Opinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie GroppAdvertising, 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 Letter to the editor Nov. 18, 1965 It was with feelings of deepest sorrow and profound regret that the community learned of the untimely death of Dr. John Kelly, DVM of Brussels, with occurred at his farm while he was feeding the cattle. Dr. Kelly had survived a serious illness in March, but had gradually returned to his usual duties. A life- long resident of the area, Dr. Kelly was in his 54th year at the time of his passing. Brussels students were among the award recipients at Wingham District High School’s commencement. Playing at the Lyceum Theatre in Wingham was The Flower Drum Song, starring Nancy Kwan. Campbell Soup Company Ltd. required the services of a “female” cost-billing clerk. Philishave electric razors were on sale at Anstett Jewellers for $17.95. The annual Grey Twp. Federation of Agriculture’s meeting and banquet was being held at Cranbrook Community Centre. Rev. Bert Daynard was the guest speaker. Turkey dinner tickets could be purchased for $1.25. President of the Federation was Wilfred Strickler. Secretary-treasurer was Rae Houston. Savings at Smith’s Rexall included Wilkinson’s Sword, stainless blades, 69 cents; a 200 box Kleenex, 15 cents; Listerine, 98 cents and Loving Care hair colour, $1.95. Nov. 18 1981 Staffing and working conditions and salaries were the major issues of stalling a new collective agreement between the Huron County Board of Education and 245 secondary school teachers. Area residents would have a chance to watch a group of local doctors perform live in a different type of theatre. The doctors would be singing in a variety concert slated for Blyth Memorial Hall in aid of the Clinton Public Hospital fund. An old-fashioned family night was being planned in Blyth. A group of residents came up with the idea to bring together friends and neighbours with some old-fashioned fun and entertainment. Readers noticing a lack of news on head lice in The Blyth Standard were told it was because the school had been given a clean bill of health since the problem had begun in September. The 16th annual meeting of the United Church Renewal Fellowship was held in Barrie. Rev. Robert Scott of Londesborough was one of three elected for the first time to the board of directors. Grade A chickens were selling for 89 cents a pound at Zehrs. Cabbages were three for 99 cents, while a 10- oz bag of fresh spinach was on sale for 49 cents. Grapes were selling for 77 cents, and a 750 ml bottle of Sprite, Tab or Coca-Cola was 29 cents, plus deposit. Playing at Goderich’s Park Theatre was The Watcher in The Woods. The matinee was a double feature with The Magic Christmas Tree and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The Blyth and district centre’s board discussed the need for a full- time arena manager. Susan’s Hairstyling was advertising a special on perms at a cost of $20 or $18. Nov. 19, 1986 Kathryn Todd, RR2, Lucknow emerged the clear winner in the election for West Wawanosh councillor. She tallied 177 votes while her competitor received 127. An era had come to an end on the main street of Brussels with the official takeover of Stephenson’s Grocery by Ron and Trish Clarkson, owners of the Brussels Variety. The business was re-named Brussels Village Market. A Blyth trucker, Clarence Baillie received a national award for bravery at a reception in Toronto. Brussels native Marty Rutledge was the Brussels Bulls player of the week. Tuckersmith reeve Bob Bell suggested the county re-instate the fox bounty, saying the fox population had become extremely high. Nov. 20, 1996 Top pledgers at the Brussels Skating Club’s skate-a-thon were Tanya Franken, Jenna Fischer, Troy Backhaus, Stacey Hahn, Crystal Gibbons, Carolyn Exel, Michelle Smith and Cody Subject. John Stewart was chosen Citizen of the Year. Blyth and area got a first response team. Firefighters completing the training were: Brad Montgomery, Mike McDonald, Murray Black, Russell Nesbitt, Kevin Warwick, Jim Howson, captain Frank Wilson, Dave Lee. lieutenant Vernon Bromley, Mike Moore, Ian Wood, David Sparling, Dick Poore, Clarence Baillie, deputy-chief Bill Burkholder and chief Paul Josling. Ron Ritchie became the new owner of Stickers Restaurant in Auburn. Steve Henderson was the Brussels Bulls player of the week. Marsha and Bobby-Jo Lovell opened their new business Health Touch Holistic Services in Brussels. The two sisters offered an alternative to chemical treatment of illness through reflexology and aromatherapy. Ransom was playing at the Park. DEAR EDITOR, I am encouraged by the response to the concerns raised at the Nov. 4 ARC meeting. The Facebook page, Save our Brussels & Grey Central Schools, has over 500 members as of today and is an excellent place to contact others and share views. However, there are also others who need to know our concerns and I am taking the liberty of listing them beginning with the premier as the decisions made in this area affect not only Brussels but also the province. • Premier Dalton McGuinty, Legislative Building, Queen’s Park Toronto ON M7A 1A1 • Huron Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell, Albert Street, PO Box1794 Clinton, Ontario N0M 1L0 Telephone 519-482-5630 or fax 519-482 3149, cmitchell.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org Constituency 322 Lambton Street Kincardine, Ontario N2Z 1Y9 Tel 519-396-3007 Fax 519-396-3011 cmitchell.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org Toll Free 1-866-396-3007. •The Honourable Kathleen O. Wynne, Minister of Education kwynne.mpp@liberal.ola.org 22nd Floor, Mowat Block 900 Bay Street Toronto, ON, M7A 1L2, Telephone, 416-325-2600 or Fax 416-325-2608 • The Honourable Leona Dombrowsky Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs ldombrowsky.mpp@liberal.ola.org 11th Floor 77 Grenville Street Toronto, Ontario M5S 1B3 Tel 416-326-3074 Fax 416-326- 3083 Trustees of Avon Maitland Board • Chair, Jenny Versteeg, North Perth, 519-335-3623; vice-chair Doug Pratley, Stratford, 519-273- 2905; Carol Bennewies, West Perth & Perth South, 519-600- 2554; Wilhelmina Laurie, Central East Huron, 519-482-9265; Al Sygrove, Northwest Huron, 519- 565-4534; Meg Westley, Stratford, 519-273-4959; Colleen Schenk, Northeast, OPSBA Huron president, 519-357-1066; Tina Trachsel, Perth East, 519-655-3527; Randy Wagler, Huron, 519-235-4445. When sending a letter to a public official it is always best to keep it short, i.e. one page at most, and specific. You should pose your question and give a date when you expect a response. If you just wish to outline your views on the issue take care to be factual and polite (unless you are a close relative it is not a good idea to make any personal comments). Form letters are not as effective as a letter written by yourself. It doesn’t have to be a literary masterpiece but should reflect your sincerely held 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 We need control of our lives Last week the world marked the 20th anniversary of the remarkable events in East Berlin when protesters tore down the Berlin Wall and claimed for themselves the right of freedom that we in the non- Communist democracies took for granted. In fact we took democracy so much for granted that we’ve been frittering it away ever since. Locally, last week, we saw the results of taking power away from the people and giving it to “experts” who know better than we do. Following the vision of the experts in our educational system, Wingham was ann- ounced as the location of a new elementary school to replace community schools in Blyth, East Wawanosh, Turnberry and probably Brussels. Meanwhile residents of Morris-Turnberry learned they’ll have to pay more than twice as much to get fire coverage from the new North Huron Fire Department than they did from the old co-operative fire area boards in Blyth and Wingham – and they don’t have any say in the matter. We in Canada have been in a process of centralizing power and downplaying the role of grassroots democracy since, ironically, about the time of the fall of Communism. At the federal and provincial levels, the government is increasingly run from the office of the prime minister and premier. Closer to home, community-based municipalities have been amalgamated into shotgun-marriage regional administrative units, depriving ordinary people with a sense of ownership of their own communities. County school boards, already more distant from the people than the community school boards that built the schools now being closed, were amalgamated into district (and distant) school boards. With fewer grassroots politicians involved, more control is given to employees. Employees, living day to day with the realities of running the government, can come to feel they’re the experts dealing with the uninformed elected representatives. It’s easy for the elected people to become representatives of the system instead of representatives of the people. (Has anyone noticed the uniformity of presentations by Avon Maitland District School Board trustees over the latest school accommodation review, as if they all came from the board’s computer?) “Experts” like officials from the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office, convince amateur councillors that things like collaborative area fire boards are really out-dated, and they’re replaced with a new governance structure that increases costs without any sense of control. This centralization of control to the “experts” and diminution of people power has become well established at a time when voters have never been so well educated and well informed, yet they have been robbed of a sense they control their own lives, just as the people in Eastern European countries were under top-down Communism. This system will never be changed until people get desperate enough that, like East Germans, they rise up stubbornly, against all odds. The problem is we can’t do it one community at a time. Rural people must get together to demand they get control back. — KR & Continued on page 7