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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-06-19, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2008. Looking Back Through the Years June 20, 1962 President Kennedy would be seeking more privacy during his summer vacation by using the summer home of singer Morton Downey on Squaw Island, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. The President’s family would occupy the two-and-a- half storey house for about a month beginning in July. A structure being built in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania appeared to be ‘inside out’. It was called as such because of its exterior structural steel framework instead of the conventional interior post and beam construction. The designers of the structure called it the “first truly contemporary steel office building.” A three-and-a-half ton circus elephant escaped in Paterson, New Jersey. Norma, as the elephant was fondly called, was cornered in a nearby lumber yard by her keeper, and could not be led home until a male elephant was also brought out as bait to lure her back to the circus. The priest of Blyth St. Michael’s and Clinton St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Churches was killed in a tragic two-car collision, which occurred on Highway 21. The crash also took the life of a Clinton woman. Huron County voted in a landslide win for Progressive Conservative party leader for the Huron riding, Elston Cardiff. Ernie Fisher, Liberal candidate, came in second, followed by Carl Hemingway, New Democratic Party candidate, and Earl Douglas, Social Credit candidate. This election marked the first time in Huron’s history that four candidates stood for nomination. June 17, 1981 Blyth’s Horseshoe League completed construction of the horseshoe pits in Lions Park. They wished to thank all those who helped with digging, and would be holding a meeting to lay out league rules and membership fees. Several people attending the Foresters’ chicken barbecue came equipped with various containers to the take-out line as well as armed with contributions to the meal. Approximately 1,150 people attended the annual chicken dinner. The hall in which it was held was newly constructed to replace the one the burned to the ground in a fire earlier in the year. Most were very pleased with the way it had turned out. The Londesborough Lions Club sponsored the Londesborough bike- a-thon. The pledge money from the 20 kilometre trip would go towards various community activities and events. The Huron Pioneer Threshers and Hobby Association announced they would be entering a float in Morris Twp.’s 125th anniversary parade. It was hoped this appearance would create more publicity for the club, and their upcoming reunion. June 20, 1990 The Ontario Provincial Police were investigating a robbery which occurred at Humphries’ General Store in Walton. Const. Ken Balzer stated that the police were notified after owner Bill Humphries discovered the break-in while opening the store in the early morning. The thieves had gained entry through a basement window, and approximately $1,200 in cash was stolen as well as some some cigarettes. There were no suspects at the time, but the investigation continued. Russell Wilson, honorary member of the Blyth Festival board of directors snipped the ribbon to unofficially open the addition to Blyth Memorial Hall. Also taking part in the ceremony were: Murray Cardiff, MP for Huron-Bruce; Jack Riddell, MPP for Huron; Albert Wasson, reeve of Blyth; Helen Gowing, original board member of the Festival and Don McCaffrey, building committee chairman. June 21, 1995 Lieutenant Governor Hal Jackman was an honoured guest at the season opening of the Blyth Festival. He spent time talking to attendees and took part in ceremonies marking the Festival’s 21st season. Weather was sunny and warm in time for Blyth’s first annual country festival. Attractions included face painting, horse drawn wagon rides, child entertainer Dickie Bird (a.k.a Richard Knechtel) as well as numerous other events and activities. The interest was high and the turnout large for auditions to be part of the Blyth Festival’s Young Company. Young actors from across the area came out to try for a spot in the popular theatre troupe. So many came out, in fact, that the Company scheduled a second day of auditions to give everyone a chance. Playing at the Park Theatre in Goderich in its second week was Batman Forever, starring Val Kilmer, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, and Tommy Lee Jones. June 21, 2007 Huron Perth Catholic Grade 10 students earned the top results in the annual Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. Blyth youth park was ready to rock and roll after three years in the making. Belgrave United Church Women celebrated their organization’s 45th anniversary. THE EDITOR, May proved to be a bad month on Huron roads. Two people lost their lives. As well the Huron OPP officers investigated nine personal injury collisions, up from six the month before. We also investigated 64 collisions without injury, up from the 56 of the month before. A very dangerous trend we are seeing on the road is driver distraction. Most drivers do not realize how quickly a collision can occur. Most drivers do not think of their vehicle as a potential weapon. Driving with your knee while drinking a coffee and talking on a cell phone is unacceptable. Doing your makeup while driving is unacceptable. Reading the paper while driving is unacceptable. Changing your clothes while driving is unacceptable. We live in an age of multi- tasking. Our lives are so busy that we need to accomplish too much in too little time. However, the time to multi-task is not while you are behind the wheel of a vehicle. Driving is a privilege, not a right. Pay attention to the task at hand and drive safely. Focus, buckle up, slow down, relax. Const. Joanna Van Mierlo Huron OPP Community Services Officer THE EDITOR, Here is an opportunity to make a positive contribution. Rural Response for Healthy Children needs volunteers. Just some of the benefits are training and on-going support, a chance to support children, mothers, fathers and families, enhance skills and experience and work on worthwhile projects, Students are also needed this summer to provide child care during our Kinderoo school readiness program in Exeter, Wingham, Clinton and Goderich. Volunteers can also learn to be a puppeteer for Kids on the Block. If any of this sounds enticing contact me at dbeuermann@rrhc.on.ca or call 519-482-8777 or 1-800-479-0716. Dorothy Beuermann All things are relative There was a time when Monday’s announcement that two more nuclear reactors would be built at Darlington nuclear station east of Toronto would have caused massive protests, but all things are relative. At one point the major concern about nuclear energy was what was going to happen to the spent fuel bundles which will remain radioactive for hundreds of years. That problem hasn’t gone away, but right now the environmental concern is more short term. The emphasis is on cutting greenhouse gas emissions that most experts agree are changing the climate and endangering the future of humnity. Strange how perceptions change. Nuclear power was once touted as the source of limitless clean energy but nuclear accidents suddenly made us fear it. Then came cost overruns in building plants and suddenly people predicting we’d seen the end of nuclear power. But climate change and greenhouse gases came along and coal-fired electrical generators pouring out tonnes of carbon became the new concern and now nuclear power looks good again. For many years governments were pushed to get on the bandwagon with green energy. Why weren’t they generating more energy from wind, critics and the media asked? Didn’t they know adding ethanol to gasoline would greatly reduce emissions and make car engines more efficient? When governments did heed the call for these forms of energy, the critics immediately came out on the other side. The downside of windmills, whether noise and flickering light for neighbours, the possible deaths of songbirds or the uncertain supply of energy suddenly became all you read about. As for ethanol, the media has been full of nothing but the faults of this fuel in recent months. In another five years everything will probably be turned on its head again. The relative values of these forms of energy will shift and so will public opinion. — KR The wild, wild east For those old enough to remember the days when “westerns” dominated television and movies, there was something familiar about the breakout of Afghan prisoners from a Kandahar prison this week. The prison breakout was a staple of the old western, though the method was a horse with a rope tied to bars, not the Afghan twist of suicide bombers and truck bombs. But perhaps the analogy with the “old west” is an apt one. While the conflict is often referred to in the media as the “war” in Afghanistan, there is little similarity to what we think of as war. The Taliban seldom has enough strength to openly attack NATO troops. NATO and government troops are acting much like the U.S. marshals of the old western, trying to bring order to a frontier society where the power of the gun rules. Will the peaceful Afghan people who just want to get on with their lives get a chance? The story continues, in real life. — KR Letters to the editor 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 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; $101.00/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. 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