Loading...
The Citizen, 2008-09-04, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 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; $101.00/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 Sept. 5, 1962 A record number of students were enrolled for the 1962-63 school year at Blyth Public School. An increase of 28 students was observed when a total of 181 children arrived for the first day. Principal at the time was Ronald Higgins. A 17-year-old high school student had come up with new technology to help those with hearing disabilities. Called the “Neurophone”, the device was very different from former hearing aids, as inventor Pat Flanagan explained. Two insulated electrodes were placed over the temples and sounds were transmitted through the nerves directly to the hearing centres of the brain. “Actually, it isn’t a sound you hear,” Pat said, “It’s more like hearing a thought.” Details of the risks involved in using the drug thalidomide had begun raising apprehension about supplies of the drug which might have been brought into the country unknowingly from overseas, where it was regularly sold as a sedative. Names of products which contained thalidomide were released in a list to consumers in an attempt to ease worries and provide security. The drugs listed were not sold in North America but some doctors received samples. If such substances were found in any amount by Canadians, they were asked to immediately turn them over to health authorities. Maria Popovich, 31, wife of No. 4 Russian cosmonaut Pavel Popovich, was revealed to be a flier in her own right. She was formerly a civilian airplane pilot, and was also once a flight instructor. In 1958, when she took part in an air show as a stunt flier, she had then logged over 800 flying hours, even more than her husband, who she married in 1955. Sept 1, 1976 A freak windstorm hit Blyth during an already violent thunder storm. The force of the winds knocked down trees and damaged several buildings, as the twister seemed to sweep on a path through the middle of Blyth and out to the east. A strange but destructive incident just east of the village was indicative of the storm’s strength. A driving shed on the farm of Murray Siertsema, with poles planted four feet into the earth was picked up by the wind and dropped nearly 250 feet away from its original location. The farm equipment being stored in the shed was not touched, not even a tarpaulin draped over a tractor was moved, just the building was ripped off the ground. The Blyth Fire Department was able to save a barn in Blyth which was threatened by spontaneous combustion. The family of Gordon Carter noticed smoke coming from the barn and called in the emergency. The hay crop had ignited in the upper levels of the building, and firemen were quick to reply. All contents of the hay mow as well as animals being kept in the barn had to be removed from the building while firefighters pinpointed hot spots of the blaze and extinguished it successfully. Despite some minor damage to the upper level of the barn, the overall structure was saved and would be good as new after a few repairs. The village of Blyth had now raised over $85,000 to fund renovations for the Arena. In comparison, the town of Goderich, with ten times the population, had only been able to raise $75,000 for its arena fund, and had been fundraising for weeks longer than Blyth. Sept. 2, 1981 Three fires plagued Blyth all in one week, causing much damage and much more work for the Fire Department. The barn of Hendrik Smid was severely damaged by flames, and remained smoldering even a week later. Two firemen required medical attention after fighting the blaze. Before being called to the Smid’s residence, firefighters were called to help put out a burning combine. The combine was owned by John Phelan, and was thankfully salvaged, all except for the heavily damaged engine. A couple days before that, the firemen were called to another barn fire, this time on a farm near Wroxeter. The barn, owned by Keith Small, was destroyed as well as 80 sows and 300 fat hogs. Lightning was suspected to be the cause of the blaze. Playing at Brownie’s Drive-In Theatre in Clinton was the controversial romance film Endless Love: “She is 15. He is 17. The love every parent fears.” Also playing was Alan Alda and Carol Burnett in The Four Seasons, as well as Richard Pryor and Cicely Tyson in Bustin’ Loose: “He’s mad. He’s bad.” Sept. 6, 1995 A Brussels woman sustained serious injuries in a farming accident in Morris Twp.. The 66-year-old was standing beside a manure spreader that her son was working on when she leaned against the spreader and her dress became caught in the power takeoff. The force ripped her clothes and pulled her into the machine. She was taken to Wingham and District Hospital, then transferred and transported by air ambulance to St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. THE EDITOR, Wednesday, Sept. 3 marked the beginning of the 52nd season of the Seaforth and District All Girls Marching Band. Well known in the area for participation in local parades and concerts, band membership offers much more than music instruction to girls in Huron County, regardless of ability. Each year, the group devotes volunteer time to perform at Huronview and Huronlea, as well as elementary school music nights. Every September, band members assist the Van Egmond Foundation with their annual Ciderfest celebration, as well as performing there. In recent years, the group has travelled and performed in England and France, Disney World, Calgary Stampede, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee. This past March break, the girls combined performing with humanitarian aid and teaching music in Dominion Republic. Through the commitment of the Huron County community, this valuable volunteer-driven program continues to offer wonderful opportunities for area young women. Members learn volunteer, leadership and organizational skills along with the discipline of teamwork. In addition, band membership continues to work to enhance music skills taught in the classroom. Membership is open to girls age 11 and up regardless of their musical ability. Instruments are provided at no charge and may be used for in- school music instruction. Positions are presently open for flag bearers, flag twirlers and dancers as well as musicians and girls wishing to learn to play an instrument. For further information, contact Charlie Kalbfleisch 519-565-2244; Sharon Thompson, 519-525-3924 or Penny Breen, 519-524-9306. Sincerely, Charlie Kalbfleisch, band director Sharon Thompson, band co-ordinator Penny Breen, band co-ordinator. 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 Efficiency has its price In an effort to meet consumer demand for low-cost food, our food processing industry has become ever more concentrated and “efficient”. The crisis over a listeria infection in some Maple Leaf Meats’ prepared luncheon meats, now accounting for a dozen deaths, shows that effic- iency can extend to making people sick when something goes wrong. There is an argument to be made that large corporate plants produce safer foods than smaller, family-run processing plants. These companies have the money to afford the latest equipment, they can train their employees in food safety issues and they can put in place systems to prevent contamination. From government’s standpoint, there’s the additional attraction that by concentrating food production in a few plants, fewer government inspectors are needed. The other side of the situation, however is that when something goes wrong, more people get hurt. When small, neighbourhood operations provided our food, if food was tainted, a small number of people were exposed. Because the supply chain between processor and consumer was so direct, it took little time to trace the source of an outbreak. The other issue for consumers in the Maple Leaf situation is the lack of alternatives. Those long familiar with the Schneiders name, for instance, might have turned quickly to that product, until they found that Schneiders’ meats are processed in the same Maple Leaf plant that was contaminated. So are familiar names like Shopsy’s. The Maple Leaf situation also points out how fragile Canada’s food production system has become. In a world obsessed with security, this crisis shows our food system is a weak link. — KR Do we deserve democracy? When a western democracy sends its warriors off to fight, we usually say they’re fighting for democracy. On the homefront, however, ordinary citizens don’t seem to value democracy enough to work for it. Too many voters seem ready to latch onto an easy reason to choose a leader or a government, rather than pay attention enough to understand the ramifications of casting their votes. Remember in the 2000 U.S. presidential election when many voters said they found Al Gore too stiff and preferred George W. Bush because he seemed like the kind of guy you could have a beer with? How many lives were changed by that foolish assumption? Barrack Obama and John McCain, the candidates in the current U.S. election are trying to reshape perceptions of themselves among lazy voters who see Obama as too “foreign”, McCain as too old. Here in Canada, remember all the fuss when Prime Minister Stephen Harper shook hands with his son on the first day of school instead of hugging him? For the media it was a too-perfect illustration of the coldness they saw in Harper. Meanwhile many reject Stéphane Dion because he looks like the geek from high school, (forgetting that the class geek generally became the most successful adult). Democracy requires more than easy judgement. We’re wasting sold- iers’ lives protecting democracy if we don’t work at it ourselves. — KR &