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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-08-28, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2008.EditorialsOpinions 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 FAX 887-9021E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.comWebsite 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;$101.00/year in U.S.A.and $175/year in other foreign countries.Advertising is accepted on thecondition that in the event of a typographical error,only that portion of the advertisement will becredited.Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth.PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141PAP REGISTRATION NO. 09244RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON N0G 1H0 email: norhuron@scsinternet.com Letter to the editor Aug. 29, 1962 A picture of former United States president, Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first still newspicture ever to be relayed across the Atlantic by satellite. His grandson, Dwight David Eisenhower II pulled the switches to start the transmission. Famed movie star Charlton Heston was busy filming his new picture 55 Days at Peking. Heston played an American officer who fights in the Boxer Rebellion of China in 1900. Shot in Spain, other stars of the film included Ava Gardner, and David Niven. Also completing work on a new film was silver screen sweetheart Sophia Loren. Her new picture, Five Miles to Midnight, was being shot on location in Paris, France. While on holidays, Prince Philip teamed up with yachting magnate Uffa Fox to compete in a sailboat race at Cowes in the Isle of Wight. After twice colliding with other boats, the pair had to attempt to bail out their own craft with buckets. Aug. 27, 1969 A rabies scare was becoming increasingly evident in Blyth. Police had asked locals to be on the lookout for animals who seemed to be acting strangely. Parents were also warned to make sure their children did not come into contact with stray cats or dogs in the neighbourhood. Five cats had already been euthanized, and free clinics were being held in the area for the inoculation of pets. A 16-year-old girl from Wingham was killed in a severe car crash which occurred at the intersection of Hwy. 4 and Hwy. 86. The girl’s father, the driver of the vehicle, and three other teenage girls all escaped with minor injuries, but all suffered from severe shock. The other vehicle involved in the collision was driven by a Kitchener man who also escaped with minor injuries and was released, but was charged with dangerous driving. The mishap was yet another in a list of collisions which had occurred at the very same intersection. Agricultural representative for Huron County D.S. Pullen reported that the hot and dry weather that the area had been experiencing was now affecting farmers’ crops. Many were hoping for rain soon in order to ensure the maximum growth of corn and pasture before the frost of the autumn arrived. Aug. 29, 1981 Director of public health inspection of Huron County, Ed Harrison, had a warning for homeowners preparing to rip out newly-banned urea formaldehyde insulation from their houses. He recommended that no one panic and that test results should be available in the near future, before dramatic action was taken. Both federal and provincial governments were making inquiries and holding review boards to determine the toxicity of the material. Several firms in South- western Ontario had set up programs where, for a fee, they would test a home for the presence of formaldehyde gas. Eleven people were sent to hospital, most with minor injuries, cuts and bruises, following an explosion at the Huronview nursing home in Clinton. According to the fire marshal’s office, the blast occurred when fumes from a broken gas line were ignited by an electric pump. The incident caused an estimated $500,000 in damages, and severely damaged the building’s auditorium. Many residents were evacuated as emergency crews arrived, but everything was eventually returned to normal within a few days. Those in hospital had either been released, or were in stable conditions. No charges were being laid in the blast as it was expected that the explosion had just been result of flaws in the construction of the building when it was first planned in 1953. Corrections to layout and gaslines would be made as the building was repaired. Aug. 30, 1995 Seaforth resident Charlene Townsend was crowned Queen of the Furrow at the annual Huron County Plowing Match, held in Dungannon. Townsend was presented with the crown by former Queen Shannon Craig of Walton. Runner-up was Kim Baan, also of Walton. Paul Dodds was Champion Senior Plowperson, and Jonathon Hugill was named Junior Champion, beating out his brother Jason, who came in a close second. Members of the Brussels Barracudas swim team celebrated the end of their excellent first season. Members of the team were: Matthew Elliott, Ashley Gropp, Cynthia DeWit, Stacey Hahn, Christina DeWit, Michelle DeWit, Drew Thomas, Rachel Elliott, Samantha Thomas, Cassie Bootzin, Lisa Blake, Trish Bonsma, Michelle Smith, Melissa Badley, Jessica Spink, Aaron Richmond, and Katie Clark. Coaching the team was Jay Hahn. Playing at the Park Theatre in Goderich were two Walt Disney pictures, A Kid in King Arthur’s Court, and special added attraction Runaway Brain. Also playing was Sandra Bullock in The Net: “The edge of your seat nail-biter, exploding with suspense.” THE EDITOR, Are you 55 or older, living in Huron County and wanting to add some more physical activity to your lifestyle? Town and Country Support Services announces the launch of our new Wellness for Seniors initiative, a part of the Aging at Home strategy from the SW LHIN and Ministry of Health. Recognizing the importance of exercise and wellness for seniors and older adults. Town and County has taken a lead in developing programs and is calling on Huron County seniors to make a difference. We are looking for you to be a voice and mobilize small groups to tell us what you want and need to enhance physical activity and social opportunities in your community. Perhaps you would like to play badminton, organize a hiking group or an indoor walking club. Perhaps you would like to be involved as an active living leader or exercise instructor. Town and Country provides training, certification and honorariums for our volunteer leaders. On Wednesday, Sept. 10, everyone is invited to attend the annual Seniors’ Fitness Fair, to be held at the Betty Cardno Centre in Clinton from 1-4 p.m. There will be a variety of activities such as blood pressure checks, mini-fitness assessments and information on our programs starting in September in Wingham, Clinton, Bayfield, Seaforth, Zurich and Exeter. There will be demonstrations in the fitness centre with a chance to view the new Bio-Step machine, a recumbent elliptical exerciser on loan from Adavantage Fitness. There will be samples and recipes for healthy snacks offered by the community food advisors and a chance to meet with staff and talk about exercise programs you would like in your community. Over the next year, the goal at Town and Country is to hear from as many of you as possible about exercise for seniors. Remember that keeping well is easier than getting well. Being active is a key factor in maintaining a healthy and happy lifestyle. For more information, please call Town and Country at 519-482-9264 or 1-800-563-8246 or e-mail cphillips@tcss.on.ca Cheryl Phillips, Exercise Co-ordinator Town and Country Support Services. 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 Obvious, and hidden, victims Besides the sad deaths and illnesses caused by deli meats tainted by listeria, the ramifications of the problems at Maple Leaf Meats Toronto plant will have a much wider and more long-term effect. The federal government’s plans to turn over food inspections to the manufacturers themselves may be one of the political victims of the incident. The news of the illnesses and deaths surfaced at the same time as opposition parties in parliament were calling for the release of a document that outlined its plan to offload responsibility for food inspection to manufacturers. A Canadian Food Inspection Agency employee had discovered the document and passed it on to his union because it would have meant that inspectors lose their jobs. The employee was fired for leaking the proposal. But reaction to the outbreak is likely to go much wider. Such events claim a lot of collateral victims when public fear drives governments to create tougher rules. The repercussions of the Walkerton water contamination tragedy are now being felt in farming circles with new regulations to protect municipal well-heads that make farmers fear they’ll face additional costs or loss of income without any compensation. It’s likely that small food processors will pay the price for the problems created by one of the country’s largest processors. It’s almost certain that new, tougher rules will result that will be hard for the little companies to afford. Ironically, because they can afford to meet these new regulations, large companies like Maple Leaf may in the long run benefit from reduced competition from small competitors. In tragedies like this, there are the obvious victims, those made sick by the infection, but there are others who pay a price who have nothing to do with the problem in the first place. — KR Rewarding bad behavior Some commentators suggested Barack Obama’s chose Delaware senator Joe Biden as his vice-presidential nominee last week so he could have a tough-minded attack dog to take on Republican candidate John McCain when the fight gets dirty in the U.S. presidential election this fall. Sad, but probably true. Mr. Obama caught the imagination of many around the world with his inspiring speeches about a new way of politics, but his early lead has evaporated over the summer as the McCain campaign ran negative ads. Such is the reality of politics. We claim we’re tired of dirty politics, but when attack ads come out, we almost always respond. Word is the Conservative Party is set to launch yet another round of negative ads against Liberal leader Stéphane Dion in hopes of winning a federal election expected this fall. Every time they’ve done it in the past, they’ve gone up in the polls. Will Canadians reward bad behaviour again with another boost for the perpetrators? — KR &