Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-01-31, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2007.Editorials Opinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie GroppAdvertising, Ken Warwick & Kelly Quesenberry The CitizenP.O. Box 429,BLYTH, Ont.N0M 1H0Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152,BRUSSELS, Ont.N0G 1H0Phone 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 $30.00/year ($28.30 + $1.70 G.S.T.) in Canada;$90.00/year in U.S.A.and $100/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 Jan. 31, 1962 The son of an infamous fascist leader was to be wed. Romano Mussolini, a jazz musician and son of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, was to be married to Maria Sciolone, the sister of silver screen siren Sophia Loren. The U.S. House of Representatives was fitted with a new dining room, reminiscent of the elegance of the past. Indonesian troops were being groomed for battle, waiting for commands from the capital. The troops could be involved in warfare if Indonesia decided to move on to Netherlands-held Dutch New Guinea, which Indonesia claims as their own territory. Jan. 31, 1973 In a vote of more than 2-1, the directors of the Blyth Agricultural Society decided to discontinue the Blyth Fall Fair. Several reasons were given for the change. One was the difficulty in getting people to help and to organize. Another problem was the decline in attendance, but the greatest problem with the event seemed to be the difficulty in finding a president of the Society if another fair was planned, as there seemed to be no-one anxious to take the position. The president of the Agricultural Society asked the head of each department of the former fall fairs to analyze whether their particular event would be missed. Most said that the entries made in their divisions were generally of good quality, but were not very essential or in demand as far as the community participants. Further discussion was held, but eventually it was decided that for the time being, it was better to leave the Fair to the past, even if it was still up for further appeal. Jan. 28, 1981 A devastating fire left an Auburn family homeless. Lloyd and Vera Penfound and their three children were taking refuge at a relative’s house after a fire destroyed their home on County Road 4, a mile and a half south of Auburn. The Blyth firefighters were called to the scene, and were assisted by fire tankers from Clinton and Wingham. Still they were unable to salvage the home, as the fire was already well underway by the time firemen arrived. A nearby shed was left without damage as was the surrounding barns. The cause of the fire was thought to be a wood furnace. Damages had not been estimated yet, but the house was covered by insurance. The family was not without aid, however. The community worked together to pitch in what it could to help the family in getting what they needed to recover. Over 200 snowmobiles from Clinton, Blyth, Kitchener, Waterloo, Walton, Wingham, St. Helens, Goderich and surrounding areas attended the annual poker rally. Starting in Auburn, the route stretched 30 miles. A total of 331 poker hands were sold and 122 prizes given out. Excellent weather and lots of snow provided a great backdrop for a day of fun and sport. Playing at the Park Theatre in Goderich was Popeye, starring Robin Williams. Also playing was the Mountain Family Robinson: “They survived nature’s fury ... but not the government!”. Jan. 31, 1990 Thieves made off with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from the Old Mill, south of Blyth. The factory outlet was broken into by smashing the glass of the front door. Once inside, the thieves removed over 70 ladies leather jackets, the value of which was estimated at over $23,000. There were no witnesses, and the OPP were still investigating, but had no suspects. Icy road conditions resulted in a two-car collision on County Road 12 in Morris Twp. A 52-year-old Chesley man and passenger were southbound on the road when they began to fishtail out of control. The northbound vehicle driven by a London man entered the southbound lane, attempting to avoid the out of control vehicle but it swung back and the two collided. The London resident was taken to Wingham and District Hospital and was treated for minor injuries, while both Chesley men escaped without injury. There was no estimate of damage, but both vehicles were described as demolished. The drama continued in the feud between the Blyth council and a local business over bill of costs for construction on a ball diamond. Business owners were reported to have said they were ‘disturbed’by a letter sent to them from the council detailing their role in the overrun costs for the reconstruction of the diamond. Council put the blame solely on the company’s shoulders, demanding that it speed up the completion of the process, and also pitch in an extra $1,750 towards final costs. Trouble arose when the business exceeded its initial estimate of $6,000 for the reconstruction project, instead submitting a bill for $11,559. Council employed a lawyer to state its position, and made it clear that changes to the initial plan which hiked costs up were never approved by council, so the business should be responsible for paying the difference. THE EDITOR, A few weeks ago I had written a letter to the editor, which was published in The Citizen. At that time I asked for information about my grandmother Lillian Alice Howard and the farm she lived on north of Blyth. Since then I have received a number of replies which I appreciate and which have proven to be quite helpful in my research. However, what has come to light in these discussions is that I have no information about Lillian’s husband, my grandfather, John Howard. He was born in 1886. He married my grandmother in 1912 and the ylived on a farm north of Blyth on the east side of the highway. I heard that my grandfather left Blyth in 1953 after selling the farm. Beyond this information, I have no idea what happened. My grandmother eventually moved to Brantford where my mother was living, but I have no knowledge of where my grandfather was and why he did not come to live with her. My research has turned up absolutely no information regarding his whereabouts after the farm was sold. If anyone has any information that might be helpful they can contact me by e-mail at axxaasha@cablerocket. com, by phone at 1-250-949-6603 or by mail at PO Box 1462, Port Hardy, BC, V0N 2P0. Any assistance with this would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Robert Johnson 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 What’s left when it’s gone? Even if you believe implicitly in the marketplace what happens when short-term conditions drive out businesses that would thrive in the long term? That’s a question that was raised by Clare Schlegel, president of the Canadian Pork Council, when he spoke to Huron County pork producers last week. Schlegel’s question went beyond the dilemma that pork producers find themselves in today to embrace the situation with the auto industry, forestry and the pork producers’ neighbours in the beef industry. All find themselves disadvantaged at the moment. What if the law of supply and demand corrects the current situation in five years but none of these industries have survived, Schlegel wondered? Marketplace theory would say if conditions are right, these industries would spring up again, but the pure marketplace doesn’t work that way anymore. It costs so much to start up an auto plant, for instance, that if the auto plants closed in Ontario they would likely never reopen. What’s more, Ontario’s automakers are supported by a whole network of parts suppliers. If the auto plants closed, the parts suppliers likely won’t survive and wouldn’t be there if the plants were to reopen in the future. The same applies for the farming sector. Schlegel said the entire pork industry in Ontario is on the line: not just the producers themselves but the companies that supply the feed, that build the barns, that truck the pigs to market, that process the pigs. If the current crisis becomes so bad that producers bail out, thousands of jobs in related businesses will be lost. If conditions were to change five years from now, the knowledge accumulated by those pork producers over a lifetime would be lost as would the facilities, and the supporting industries. There are those who believe that food will be in hot demand as growing economies around the world prosper and people can afford to eat better. If that happens, Canadian farmers and the rural areas that depend on them, could prosper again — but only if they’re still here. This is why it’s important that governments are sensitive in creating a situation that makes continuance of these industries possible. In some cases, it’s legislation that’s needed. In some, it’s cash. Let’s not call it a subsidy — let’s call it an investment so that we have the infrastructure we need when times change. — KR Losing faith in democracy Parliament went back into session this week and Canadians shuddered. Once again in a minority Parliament they will be forced to watch politicians acting like children as they try to position themselves for whenever the next election is held. Expect everyone to be on the attack — opposition politicians attacking the government and the government attacking right back (remember the negative ads targeting Stéphane Dion immediately after he was named Liberal party leader?) For democracy to work, voters need to pay attention, but who can blame citizens for wanting to turn off all media outlets that cover politics when politicians behave so badly? What can you learn anyway when politicians don’t give information but exaggerated insults? And when the media plays up the conflict rather than the real issues of government, it undermines journalists’ own desire to have people follow the news because people want to avoid listening. To have a healthy democracy we need to find people who believe enough in the process to behave responsibly. Otherwise, the people will turn off the politicians and media who should inform them. — KR &