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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-09-18, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 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 TOCIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON N0G 1H0 email: norhuron@scsinternet.com Letter to the editor Sept. 19, 1962 The Blyth Legion held a very well-attended party to celebrate a mortgage burning. Over 200 people visited the Legion Branch to celebrate its success in paying off all debts acquired through repairs made two years prior. Officiating in the ceremony were: Donald Sprung, president; Harold Badley, former president; and Stanley Lyon, treasurer, who was given the honour of lighting the match. Auburn Memorial Community Hall had set a date for its official grand opening. The small community and hall association had been saving funds since 1947 in order to construct the building, which was to commemorate those who lost their lives in the two great wars, and also to honour the early pioneers of the district. The ribbon- cutting ceremony was to be complete with a musical program and a catered dinner for the entire community. Internationally, outraged youths took to the street to protest ongoing conflict. Thousands of the young generation of Algiers marched through the capital, shouting “Sbaa S’neen Baraket”, meaning “Seven years are enough.” They were demonstrating against the threat of any continued war in their torn nation. Female tennis great, Karen Hantze Susman defeated rival Justina Bricka in a U.S. tennis singles championship match, taking the crown. A rising screen star was gaining attention during the filming of Not On Your Life, co-starring Robert Preston, and Tony Randell. Georgia Moll, 24, was being talked of as the next big thing. Italian-born, the young actress could already speak six different languages fluently. Sept. 22, 1976 The Bruce County International Plowing Match Committee was busy preparing for its annual event, now only a week away. It was continuing to exhaust all available land surrounding the Tented City to accommodate the unprecedented demand from exhibitors. More land to be used for parking, plowing, and other special events had to be contracted from adjoining property owners. The Ontario Plowmen’s Association held the authority to rent space to exhibitors, but it was the Bruce County land committee that held the responsibility to provide the land. Contracts for such lands were obtained several years before based on the needs of previous events, but this particular year the heightened interest had changed plans and caused much frustration. Grants totalling more than $20,000 were provided from WINtario Canada to support six different projects in Huron County. Projects included the relocation and repair of a library in Bayfield, tennis court upgrade in Exeter, softball equipment in Goderich and Ashfield, sports uniforms for Howick, and new hockey equipment for the Wingham Ringettes. Sept. 16, 1981 The Friends of Blyth conducted their Celebrity Sweepstakes draw, and there were several winners from the local area. Prizes for the draw included a hockey stick owned by Wayne Gretzky and a pair of ballet slippers owned by Karen Kain. The Blyth Summer Festival officially closed its 1981 season with much success. In recognition for all their hard work, all the youth ushers who had helped out over the season were treated to a pizza party courtesy of the Blyth Centre for the Arts. Ushers for the 1981 season included: Debbie Scott, Kim McDougall, Bernice Passchier, Lori Charter, Suzanne Tamblyn, Rosemary Hamm, Trudy Passchier, Pauline Webster, Deanna Bearss, Jay Sidell, Lance Bearss, Ken Whitmore, Pete Cook, Billy Glousher, Paul Pierce, Brian Pilgrim, Brad Ferguson, and Scott McDonald. Morris Twp.’s 125th anniversary celebrations were enjoyed by all, but they had left the community with a $10,500 deficit. Though the numbers were disheartening, the committee wasn’t losing hope. There was still $4,000 worth of souvenirs left to be sold from the event, and there was still some township funding left to help offset costs. Sept. 20, 1995 Though the number of participants in the Brussels Terry Fox Run was down from past years, the amount of money raised was up. In total, pledges raised totalled more than $4,500 to be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. This number didn’t include the $100 raised by students at Walton Public School. The sun was shining bright for the 75th annual Belgrave, Brussels, and Blyth School Fair, which turned out to be a glowing success. There were over 2,000 exhibits, way up from past events. The Brussels Fire Hall was officially opened at a gala ceremony. On hand for the ribbon cutting were: reeve Ford Workman, Brussels councillor and fireman Dave Hastings, and MPP Helen Johns. Playing at the Park Theatre in Goderich was Mortal Kombat: The Movie, and the chick flick classic, Clueless. THE EDITOR, Drunk drivers should get full sanctions first time. The Ontario government has plans to target drinking and driving, by escalating the administrative sanctions for repeat drinking drivers, which measure 0.05 to 0.08 blood alcohol concentration (the “warn” range). The reality is, virtually everyone caught drinking and driving is a repeat offender. For the Ontario government to draw distinctions between first and repeat offenders is really just perpetuating a myth. In fact, the distinction between these groups is, at best, blurred. Today's impaired driving offenders are not just casual social drinkers who inadvertently made an error in judgment. That may have been true to some extent in the past, but after more than a decade of public awareness campaigns, it is no longer true today. Responsible people have listened. Impaired driving offenders have demonstrated they are unwilling or unable to make responsible decisions when it comes to drinking and driving. Under the administrative sanction on the first instance: an impaired driver should be suspended for 30 days and undergo a remedial measures course and have ignition interlock in their vehicle for six months or until they can demonstrate to the satisfaction of governing authorities that the interlock is no longer needed in the interest of public safety. By putting the sanction on the first instance it will keep the roads in Ontario the safest on the continent. Doug Abernethy Ontario RAID Report All Impaired Drivers 3-200 Memorial Avenue Suite 191 Orillia, ON L3V 5X6 705-329-3338 doug.abernethy@ontarioraid.ca www.ontarioraid.ca 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 It’s not a game In an interview in Saturday’s Globe and Mail, Jeffrey Sachs, well- known economist and author lamented the progress of the current election campaigns in both Canada and the U.S. Pointing to the serious issues that face our countries and our world, he declared: “It’s not a game.” But you’d never know it after the media coverage of the first week of the campaign. CBC television Sunday night gave the results of three different polls judging how Canadians would vote. There have been television panels and newspaper columns discussing who won the first week of the campaign. Who “won” remains to be seen but one thing is certain in this “horse race” coverage of the campaign: the country loses. At a time when many of the world’s top scientists are concerned about the future of human existence on the planet because of climate change, a silly image on a Conservative website of a puffin pooping on the shoulder of Liberal leader Stéphane Dion gets more attention in the media than the contents of Dion’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There is no serious discussion of the differences between the green plans of the NDP, Green Party and Liberals or discussion with informed experts about what the consequences will be of delaying taking action as Prime Minister Stephen Harper advocates. Neither is there informed discussion of the economic consequences of either taking action, or not taking action. The media claims that “leadership” is the biggest issue, yet leadership seems to come down to nothing more than image — a feeling about someone. The ultimate of this can be seen south of the border where Republican fortunes have been instantly revived by the appointment of Sarah Palin as vice-presidential nominee because a lot of voters think she’s “their kind of person”, rather than from what she stands for. Despite the failure of the media to provide the information needed, each voter has a responsibility to get past the glibness of the coverage and the superficiality of party campaigns which show no respect for voters by trying to manipulate them with images. Take the time to dig out the facts. Make an informed choice. Our future depends on it. — KR Beyond our control When the U.S. economy catches a cold, Canadians sneeze, which makes the current financial crisis south of the border so concerning. The bankruptcy of one of the largest investment banks in the U.S., Monday, reinforced the perilous state of the American economy. Since we tied our future to that of our southern neighbour with the free trade agreement many people have reaped prosperity, but we have also made ourselves vulnerable to foolish political policies over which we have no control. Most troubling in the current U.S. election campaign is the fact no candidate wants to mention the massive government deficit built under the reckless years of George W. Bush when he tried to carry out both sides of a conservative agenda: cut taxes while fighting two expensive foreign wars. It’s an issue that must be dealt with yet both presidential candidates promise instead more tax cuts. Canadians have a lot to lose through this convenient amnesia. — KR &