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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-01-03, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2008.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 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com Website 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 $32.00/year ($30.48 + $1.52 G.S.T.) in Canada;$95.00/year in U.S.A.and $175.00/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 Jan. 3, 1962 The state of Massachusetts provided treatment for a special and unusual patient. King Saud of Arabia was treated at a Boston hospital for an abdominal ailment. The King was later seen dining at a restaurant in Lynnfield. Scientists were speculating the concepts of space travel aided by actually deep freezing a human for years at a time. The idea was that if a person could be deep frozen and brought back to life months, years or decades later, they could be sent to other planets, or even to the stars without requiring any food, water, or oxygen in any large quantities. The main problem with suspending life through freezing, however, seemed to be that it had to be done very quickly and simultaneously. Every organ in one’s body must stop functioning at the exact same moment, to prevent some parts of the body to begin decay while others are still functioning. In order to resuscitate a person in such a state, body temperature must be brought back up to normal rapidly, and a jolt of electricity would be shot to the heart and lungs to restart their functions. The excitement over all these developments was heightened by an incident involving a man in a snowstorm. A bulldozer driver was lost in a snowdrift in the Caucasian mountains and became frozen stiff. After being found frozen 30 hours later, he was successfully revived through adrenaline injections and intensive massage therapy and heat application. Jan. 6, 1971 Auburn’s Knox Presbyterian Church held its closing service after 110 years of community fellowship. The Ability Fund was undergoing new changes in name and image, in hopes for more successful campaigns. It would now be known as the March of Dimes, to be represented by the symbol consisting of an evergreen tree with a branch missing. The second campaign for funds held under the new name was being held in Blyth. The organization raised money to be used to rehabilitate handicapped persons so that they are able to lead their own lives, and can support themselves. Jan. 7, 1981 Generous Blyth residents housed several people overnight after an eight-car pile-up in a particularly destructive snowstorm. The accident occurred in the afternoon, on Hwy. 4 4, three miles north of Blyth. The OPP were still investigating the causes of the collisions. Two pedestrians, officer Jim Dore of Wingham OPP and Ronald Marshall of Strathroy were injured and taken by ambulance to Wingham and District Hospital. Both men were released the same day, but Marshall suffered a fractured ankle. Blyth village employees were called out to man the barricades set up to prevent northbound traffic from entering the accident area. Harold Ferguson, owner of the Blyth Inn, opened his doors to serve and accommodate stranded travellers. The pile-up seemed to have occurred when Mr. Ronald Marshall collided with Mr. Floyd Herman of Blyth. The police officer was out of his cruiser examining the damage with Marshall when another car ran into the Marshall truck. The investigation was continuing. Jan. 3, 1990 A Brussels man had his severed hand successfully reattached. The right hand had been severed by a hydraulic wood splitter at the Falls Reserve Conservation Area. Rushed to the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich, The victim was immediately sent to London University Hospital. After 11 hours of hard work by surgeons, the hand was successfully reattached, tendons and all. More procedures would have to be done to fully complete the reattachment, but things were looking bright, doctors were pleased with the progress and it was expected that the man was could look forward to full recovery of all his former hand mobility. The former owner of the Brussels Stockyards pled guilty in Provincial Criminal Division Court in Goderich to the theft of 1,103 head of cattle valued at $685,000, as well as $104,330 in cash from Brussels Stockyards, money which ultimately came out of the pockets of local cattlemen when banks refused to honour cheques from the company in payment for the cattle sold. These charges came after the accused had fled the country in the direction of West Germany to start over after a failed attempt at business ownership in Ontario. He had attempted to make off with over $500,000 in cattle and cash from the Brussels Stockyards. After draining all the money he could from his own business, he planned to take his family and return to West Germany to live. The accused was found guilty, and was to be sentenced within the following month. Playing at the Park Theatre in Goderich was Look Who’s Talking, starring John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, and Bruce Willis. Also playing at the Lyceum Theatre in Wingham were Fred Savage in The Wizard, and She-Devil. THE EDITOR, When a decision is made that is right for Ontario agriculture, it is only right that those responsible get a message of appreciation from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. That’s why we’re sending an open letter to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and his colleagues. We also recommend that farmers across the province contact their MPP, to pass on the industry’s appreciation. Our sincere appreciation to the province is for the recent decision to get $130 million into the hands of beef, pork and horticultural producers. Current economic conditions have resulted in devastating losses for these producers. This announcement may provide some breathing room and hope to them. Our letter states the government decision to provide the special funding ‘shows an understanding and appreciation of the agricultural sector, its impact on the well-being of Ontarians and the livelihoods of the 650,000 Ontarians who depend on the farm sector for their jobs.’ With such investments the government ‘clearly communicates that the success of Ontario farm families is the foundation of strong rural communities, a healthier population, and a cleaner and more sustainable environment.’ This assistance to agriculture is just a part of the formula we know is essential to the future success of Ontario agriculture. Another element is a recognition by our federal government that Ontario agriculture needs Ottawa’s active participation to develop long-term programs and plans that work in Ontario. Our letter to Premier McGuinty promises OFA’s support and the participation of all farmers to secure action from Ottawa. “We will stand with you to secure the programs, funding and trade policies fundamental to the success of Ontario agriculture and the Ontario economy as a whole,” the letter states. Recent announcements from Ottawa have been speaking of programs previously announced. Recently the pork industry wondered out loud exactly what Minister Ritz was offering its beleagured producers. The conclusion seemed to be: “nothing new was coming from Ottawa.” The OFA and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, will continue to work together to convince our federal government that more needs to be done. Our federal politicians need to be reminded that money invested in agriculture goes a long way to keep the citizens and the economy strong and healthy. Geril Kamenz, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture 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 Predictions useless for 2008 January is named for Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, who looked backward and forward. It’s perhaps not surprising, then, that our news media spends so much time, as the new year approaches, in looking back at what happened in the old year and making predictions about the new one. The irony is that looking back at 2007 makes it obvious that trying to predict what will happen in 2008 is foolhardy. For instance, few a year ago could have predicted the spectacular rise of the Canadian dollar, at one point reaching $1.10 U.S. This one change is reshaping the country. While travelling to the U.S. for vacations or shopping instantly became more inviting for consumers, and many consumer goods became cheaper, the damage to Canada’s economy will be slower to judge. Manufacturers will find it even harder to compete internationally and many companies may be forced to close factories and send production of their products to the U.S. or Asia. The effect of the soaring dollar has already been felt locally in our most important industry: the agricultural sector. Cattle producers, having barely survived the BSE crisis, now found their prices dropping again because their cattle are overpriced in the American market they’ve come to depend on. Meanwhile one of the most vibrant parts of the farming business in the past decade has been the hog industry as producers reconfigured their entire industry to take advantage of export markets. When this movement started, the Canadian dollar was nearly 40 per cent lower than the U.S. dollar. As the dollar reached parity and beyond, producers suddenly found themselves getting 40 per cent less than the prices their expansion was built on, while their costs rose. The rising dollar also hurts tourism, one of the region’s other important job creators, by making it less inviting for Americans to come north. Meanwhile a year ago nearly every “expert” was predicting a federal election that never happened. While Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives pounced on the new Liberal leader Stéphane Dion with attack ads, the governing party was never able to get enough public support to win a majority government. Will it happen this year? This time last year there seemed to be only bad news coming from Iraq. By the year end, there were at least some hopeful signs that the “surge” in the number of American troops was bringing at least a few notes of peace. Such changes prove that while you may want to look ahead, particularly if you are a business owner, you also better be prepared for changing conditions. The one thing that can be accurately predicted about 2008 is that it will be unpredictable. — KR & Letter to the editor