HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1976-02-11, Page 2
pplussEk4
ONTARIO
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1976
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
*CNA
Sub'Scriptions (in advance) Canada $6.00 a year. Others
$8.00 a year, Single Copies 15 cents each.
,/-••71%ss,
Brussels Post
Leaders should lead
No buses, no school
For the 947 residents of the village of Brussels, 45
miles northwest of the Twin Cities, $3 million is a lot
of money. That is the estimated cost of a sewage
treatment system for which the village council has
unanimously voted.
It is probable that the council has made its decision
against the wishes of a large number of residents. A
petition asking for a public vote on the sewer project
was signed by 300 people. It is • a reasonable
assumption that most of them wanted a vote because
.they wanted to oppose plans to provide a' sewage
system for a village that has never had one.
The objections are on the ,grounds of the tax
burden that will be put On property owners. They are
underdtandable. Even when spread over a long
term, with the aid of provincial financing, the system
will put a tax burden of about $10,000 on the typical
householder. Retiring that debt can easily double
the annual local taxes.
Retired people, living on pension incomes, form a
large part of the pop ulation of a village like
Brussels. It is understandable -that many of them
view with dismay the prospect of a big tax increase,
and would, if they had a chance, vote against it.
None the less, it is no longer tolerable that Ontario
urban centres can continue to pollute rivers. Brussels
is on both sides of the Maitland River, and yet
continues to rely on outhouses, cesspools and septic
tanks. Evidence given at an Ontario Municipal Board
hearing was that the Maitland in Brussels is polluted
by fecal bacteria at rates up to 36,000 times what is
considered acceptable. The river has become an
open sewer.
Brussels village council, led by Reeve Jack
McCutcheon, has had a hard decision to make. The
right thing is also the unpopular thing. It must have
been tempting to do the timid thing and dodge the
council's responsibility to make a decision.
It is especially to the credit of the council as a
group that it has made its decision unanimously.
There was no councillor who took the cheap and easy
route of courting short-term popularity.
Municipal councils in some larger centres could
usefully follow the example of the Brussels council,
which has done what it was elected to do: display
leadership and make decisions.
(The Kitchener-Waterlbo Record)
Local lady has
sister to Guatemala
'itie past week has caused some
anxious Moments for Mrs. Lee
Deitner, who has.been waiting for
some word, as to the whereabouts
of her sister, Sister Madeleine
Graf of Hamilton, fortherly of
Chepstow , Ontario.
She went to Gautamala in
August of 1975, for several years
Missionary wOrk, including
Studying Spanish then teaching in
that country She was apparently
in Guatemala City the night of the
earthquake.
thus far all that has been heard
by her family in 4hacitt,
Amen
by Karl Schuessler
I don't know what's wrong. I'm trying to be
a good father. Take an interest in my' girls...
Do the right thing by them.
Now that I had that matter about breakfast
all taken care of, I thought I had school
departures all smoothed out, No more rush
stuff. Grab a piece of toast and gulp of milk
and dash out to the yellow school bus. Thanks
to me we're on a schedule. Everyone takes his
turn making breakfast. We get up at a decent
hour. Any one in his right mind knows the kids
have to go off to school with something
substantial in their stomachs.
But we ran into some trouble on
Wednesday, It wasn't getting something in
their stomachs kind of trouble. It was getting
them on the bus kind of trouble.
It's all this snow we're having. The buses
didn't make it on Monday. Chalk off one
school day. They went on Tuesday. And then
on Wednesday the word came through the
telephone party line. Buses will be an hour
late today. Visibility and driving conditions
poor. Then further word. No buses today.
"Wheeel I We don't have to go to school
today!" the girls danced up and down.
Again? You two are going to m is,s another'
day of school? If it's not snow, then it's ice. If
it's not long weekends it's March breaks. If
it's not P.D.. day — that's professional
development day -- then it's P.A. day
professional activity day.
And while the professionals keep on
developing, my kids keep on lolling around
the house,.
I looked otitside.The weather doesn't leak
that bad outside. A little blowing and
snowing. But the roads are clear.
I phone the school. "No school again today,
'Oh, we're holding school today, Sir. It's
just that the buses out your Way didn't get in,
Logan township buses didn't Make it. But the
1.1ibbard and Fiillartori buses did."
"Then I can bring the kids in theit,"
"Yes, 6£ course, but you'll have to take
there back home,
When put down the receiver, the girls
stared at me, i could read every word iii their
stone faces and silent glances.
How could:you, Daddy? How could you do a
thing like that? Don't you want us to have fun?
Like everyone else?
Why ,can't you be like other daddies? Do
they call up the school? Do they want to drive
their kids to school? What's wrong with you,
Daddy? What stone age did you come from?
Why can't you be like every other daddy? Just
accept it. Just say, "School's out today. No
school today. What's wrong with you, Daddy?
Nothing. There's absolutely nothing wrong
with me. What's wrong in defending the tax
,payer's dollar? What's so wrong with wanting
to get the most of education? To get the most
out of my money?
Kids should be in school on a Wednesday --
not baking chocolate chip cookies, or watching
day time quiz programmes on tv or cluttering
up their room with scrabble boards and
monopoly sets. Satutdaysand SUndays that's
okay, but on Wednesda no.
It was a cold and silent ride into Mitchell
when took the reluctant scholars to school. I
listened to their sighs and complaints, None of
their friends would be there today. Who could
Sarah play with at recess? With so many
gone, there will only be study sessions and
half classes. Maybe there wouldn't be any
milk for lunch. . Maybe the milkniati didn't
make it either, They've missed two classes
already. Was it really worth it? Was it
really worth it? For them?`
Forget that. Was it really worth it for me'?
Shovelling out the driveway. The price of gas:
me slippery toads, My tame. My driving back
and forth two times. That's seven Miles each
Way, Almost thirty miles. '
Sarah phoned me up at noon. She forgot her
lunch. She left it in the Car. No, I wouldn't
have to bother to drive in again. She could
wait until two o'clock. The school' was closing
early today, So would I please be at school
right at 2;001
flow do you like that? There went my day of
peace and quiet: My Wednesday, my day at
home when I Was going. to get so Many things
done.
• And I'm winding. up being an all day taxi
driver.
But darn it! I don't care. All I knOW is thiS.
on Wednesday — any Wednesday--my kids,
should AO- to school.
through a reporter on the scene,
that supposedly had spoken to
Sister Madeleine. The Message
sent back Was that the only injury
in the home Where she had been
living was one person with a
broken arm.
She has not been in contact
With her family directly , due to
the fact that all Methods of
communications are out. It has
been linpossible contact
anyone, even by hani radio,
Nothing has been heard front
Sister Madeleine since the latest
earth, treinkurS in .Guateitiala.
for
15
boa
A
Nov
Adv
rec
boa
cent