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The Brussels Post, 1974-12-11, Page 2WEDNESDAY, DECEMB E R 11, 1974 Serving Brussels and the surrounding community. Published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels,. Ontario by McLean Bros-Publishers, Limited, , Evelyn Kennedy Editor Dave Robb - Advertising Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and. Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association, Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $6.00 a year, Others ac_dersiA 7‘1IF $8.00 a year, Single Copies 15 CCAtS.cach. Second class mail Registration No. 0562. Telephone 887-6641. BRUSSELS ONTARIO VERIFIED [:INCUL AVON Brussels Post Post ESTABLRIRE9 1872 Here comes Santa ! "Here comes Santa Claus!" will be the word this Saturday afternoon as jolly old Saint Nick pays a visit to Brussels for his annual parade. And right behind Santa will be hundreds of kids visiting Brussels from all around the area and their parents who will be shopping and enjoying Brussels hospitality. The Santa Claus parade is a lot of work and preparations begin early in the fall.The whole village should thank the Brussels Business Association for being energetic and far sighted enough to keep sponsoring the parade year after year. Santa Claus parades have floundered and collapsed in several area towns which are twice as big as Brussels, leaving the citizens there with no choice but to go out of town to see the parade that traditionalkcelebrates the approach of Christmas. But a village like Brussels, perhaps small in size but big in community can put on a parade that ranks with the best of them. This newspaper and the citizens of Brussels can be thankful for the BBA (which at times has suffered from a lack of support) for their initiative in bringing Santa Claus to our village. Christmastime is a happy, joyful time of the year when we can put aside our animosities and worries about recession and depression, and rejoice together. together. See you at the parade, Saturday at 2 o'clock! Al Snow scene Sugar and Spice By Bill Smiley About this time of 'year, every year, all -,orts of queer things come creeping out of the woodwork and the underbrush and proceed to create a storm. in a saucer. I'm referring to municipal 'elections. It begins back in October, when the local paper starts writing trenchant editorials urging people to offer themselves for public office.This is somewhat like urging people to offer themselves as volunteer guinea pigs to see whether or not the guillotine is working. But any weekly editor worth his salt will be able to demand the paradox of "new blood" and "solid experience" ,on the town council or whatever. These editorials have almost no effect whatever, except to fan the tiny ember in the occasional guy or gal who has a secret ambition to be called "Councillor" or "Alderperson", or even "Your Worship," and to be on the "inside," helping "shape the future of our community." Then the papers, in a creditable effort to drum up some interest, begin to interview the incumbent members of town council, public utilities commission, board of education, and dog catcher, to find out who is going to stand again for office. This probing also has meagre results, at first. Most of those asked reply that they haven't yet made up their minds, or that it's time for someone else to take on their exhausting work load, or that they have found the work very rewarding, but ... Behind this smokescreen of generalities, the potential candidate, in many cases, really means, "I'll see how the wind blows"; or, "Yeah, I'll stand again, if I'm assured a seat by acclamation"; or, "Wait till I see how tough my opposition is." 'Fh is is not so in all cases, to -be fair. Some small-town politicians have a rare combination of honesty and pugnacity, love a fight, and come out swinging at the bell. These are often elected by acclamation, because they scare off potentially excellent candidates Who don't want to become involved in a verbal donnybrook. But behind all the smoke of municipal elections, there is, in most cases, very little fire: Occasionally, there is a stand-up slugging match in which personalities; mud, and other such items are slung about with reckless abandon, while the public looks on With glee. As a Pule, however, the people elected are chosen for public office not because they are honest, fearleSs crusaders for the, taxpayer, but because they are hot quite as bad as the alternatives who are running for the job, Many a itaii; or woman, has been elected because nobody else wanted the dirty job. And many .a strong and capable candidate has been defeated for these very qualities. He has trod on too many toes in an effort to get some action. More and more women are running for va rious municipal offices, which is a very good thing indeed. Women can be quite ruthless when it comes to getting things done, and are much less apt to sit around and bicker or gossip, when on a committee, than are men. Then there is a certain loathsome type who wants to be elected so that he or she can go to meetings.- They usually have a rotten home life. They love meetings. They adore points of order, addenda, and amendments to the motion. They make abrave show of voting against all motions except their own, which are usually so silly, they are almost never passed. Then there are the strong, silent types . They are often elected because their strength and silence are regarded as depth and wisdom, when they are really just stupidity. These people say, at meetings, "Well, I'm not sure as I understand all the ins-and-outs of this here thing, but I'll go along with the majority." Even some young people — 18 and 19-year -olds — are getting into the act. I'm not too happy about this. From what I've seen of this age group, including my own kids, I don't particularly want them to have anything to do with speiiding my money. And of course there are a few people, very few, who are interested in a supplement to their income. It's surprising how much a town councillor drags down in these inflationary times. That's 'why I got into the business. Oh, yes, I was on town council for two years. Unopposed. Acclamation. With two mortgages and two kids, that $75 a year pay as councillor looked mighty good. Each year, I had a moment of terror when the committees were being struck. I was in a panic in case they put me on the Public Works Committee. I didn't know a pot-hole from a catch-basin. After two years, I resigned owing to a conflict of interest. I was interested in being a good councillor. My wife was interested in 'having me home at least one evening a week. As in most of out conflicts, she won. In closing, I salute all the people I haven't mentioned in this column: the dedicated, hard-working, self-sacrificing people who were elected to office and have to put up for the next year with the whining and grumbling of the rest of us. Hang iii there. We need you.