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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2007-04-05, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2007.Editorials Opinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie GroppAdvertising, Ken Warwick & Kelly Quesenberry 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 ($30.19 + $1.81 G.S.T.) in Canada;$92.00/year in U.S.A.and $175.00/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 April 5, 1950 Former Czechoslovakian foreign minister Vladimir Clementis was to face trial due to a large Communist Party purge in Eastern Europe. Diplomatic sources said that Clementis’ resignation left the Czech government almost entirely in the hands of “Moscow-minded” Communists. A new device was being used by Major League baseball players hoping to improve their batting. The “batting tee” appeared much like a miniature tetherball pole with a baseball attached to a mid-length chain. As the player continues to hit the ball, each time it comes right back, which was to improve reaction time and accuracy. One of the first to use the device for practise was Chicago White Sox outfielder Gus Zernial, who reported that he had developed a much sharper eye at bat. Ambassador-at-large Philip Jes- sup was accused by Senator Joseph McCarthy of having “an unusual affinity for communist causes.” At a press conference held upon Jessup’s arrival in New York from London, the accused stated that there was simply “no substance” to McCarthy’s claims of communism in the State Departments. A cement truck driver had a frustrating run of extremely bad luck. Emanuel Silva first experienced this misfortune when he wrecked his cement truck on a hillside. He remained unhurt, and somewhat composed following the crash. However a couple days later, Silva was helping to haul the same truck up an embankment when it suddenly burst into violent flames. Enraged and at the end of his rope, Silva ran on foot to where his own car was parked, gunned the engine and purposely crashed it right into the flaming cement truck. After emerging from the wreckage again unhurt, Silva said, “A man gets mad sometimes.” April 5, 1961 American scientists were pondering a solution to the large amount of atomic waste being created in the U.S. and more importantly, where to put it. The most worrying question was whether radioactive material would stay harmless indefinitely once it’s dumped into the sea, or even if the waste should be dumped at all? As increasing amounts of the waste continued to be dumped in American waters, many feared possible leakage, endangering residents of the shoreline, as well as the environment itself. Contamination of the fish was worrying not only because of the health of the sea creatures but also the health of the sea creatures being consumed by humans. In an attempt to solve this problem, experimental dumping was taking place in the Santa Cruz basin off the coast of California. Large amounts of radioactive material and debris were being dumped in containers of several different sizes and shapes, including a 55-gallon steel drum and reinforced concrete cylinders. The containers are lowered by cable and photographed during their descent to 1,000 fathoms. After a specified length of time, the containers would be photographed again, and hauled back to the surface. Even if the greatest of lengths were taken, many of these experimental containers were already beginning to leak and crack, causing alarm in many environmental organizations who were already opposed to the idea. Scientists continued to discuss possible eco-friendly alternatives. April 5, 1972 Huron-Bruce MPP Murray Gaunt announced the approval of a provincial grant worth $5,250 to the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority for an engineering study on a proposed weir in the Falls Reserve Conservation Area in Colborne Twp. The study was to determine the efficiency of constructing a weir across the Maitland River above the falls in the Falls Reserve Conservation Area. It will include hydrologic studies, preliminary soil investigations, water quality analysis, determination of suitable types of weirs and the estimation of costs. Members of the Brussels Novice team who won the Zone first place trophy were: Robert Demaray, Scott Wheeler, Doug Cousins, Leslie Williams, Brian Deitner, Kevin Pennington, Kevin Hergott, Brian Armstrong, Gary McCutcheon, Mike Pfeiffer. Coaches were Bob Richmond and Frank Stretton. April 3, 1991 The Blyth Royal Canadian Legion presented Jim Chatterton with a cheque for $5,000 to go towards the purchase of a customized, wheelchair accessible van. Presen- ting the cheque was Donna Govier and Gordon Haggitt of the Legion and Joe Chatterton, Jim Chatterton’s father. Winners of the Video Game Challenge, held by the Brussels Optimist Club were: Chris Burkholder, first, Grade 7/8; Joey Befurt, first, Grade 5/6; Tyler Bragg, first, Grade 3/4; and Christopher Henry, first, Grade 1/2. Playing at the Park Theatre in Goderich was the Kevin Costner epic Dances With Wolves, the winner of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. THE EDITOR, I’m proud to have been a farmer. Give farmers sunshine, a reason to be optimistic of the future and good health and you will never have better neighbours, friends and just plain old time farmer-to-farmer and farmer-to-urban dwellers’ respect. This was shown March 28 at our farm sale at Bluevale. Since BSE hit followed by poor commodity prices in general – there have not been many smiles. Stress could be seen on many faces at farm meetings and in coffee shop atmospheres. Farmers feed cities and we are proud of it. My wife and I hope the optimism and good cheer we saw from all who attended our sale, from Simcoe to New Liskeard from Goderich to Belleville and all points in between, continues long into the future. We appreciate the support of everyone who attended. It’s been overwhelming. The best to everyone in 2007. Glen and Marianne Warwick. 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 Lessons in citizenship The comment seemed to be universal among the people in the hall at the annual Junior Citizen’s Awards dinner at the Ontario Community Newspaper Association’s annual convention in Niagara Falls this past weekend: “I feel as if I’ve done so little,” The reaction was natural after listening to the accomplishments of the 12 young people, aged 12-17 (plus one group of teens) whose stories had been told as their awards were presented. Some of those stories had received attention before, such as that of Jenna Lambert, 14, of Harrowsmith who, despite having little use of her legs because of cerebral palsy, still swam 32 km across Lake Ontario last summer to raise $170,000 for a new pool for the Kingston Y Penguins swim team. Others had incredible stories of thinking of others even as they had plenty of reason to focus only on their own problems. There was Maddison Babineau, 15, of Hamilton. At age four the had raided her piggy bank to donate to the MS Telethon on which she had been featured with her dad who was dying of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). As if losing her father wasn’t enough hardship in a young person’s life, at age 12 she was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. She got her class involved in walking all night in the Relay for Life, raising thousands of dollars for cancer research. When she was offered a wish from the Children’s Wish Foundation, she asked that the money be used instead to help build a school in Kenya. When her cancer returned, she worked from her hospital room to sell jewellery to raise funds for her school in Kenya. Lieutenant Governor James K. Bartleman, in presenting the awards, told the young people they were examples of the kind of involved citizenship needed to make the country and the world a better place. Coming from a man who has used his office to rally Ontarians to donate more than two million books to fill libraries in northern communities, this message takes on added meaning. The stories inspired people in the room to try to be better citizens themselves: to put aside their petty concerns and think of the bigger picture. In other words, to be good citizens, not just consumers. As the Old Testament put it: “And a little child shall lead them.” — KR Taking the wrong message The biggest ongoing scandal in recent weeks has been the danger to pets from tainted pet food made by a Mississauga international pet food maker. There have been calls for more regulation of the pet food industry following the discovery that wheat gluten used in the foods was contaminated with melamine, a chemical used to make plastic kitchenware here, but used as a fertilizer in China, where the what gluten came from. But in all the concern for more regulation to save pets, the media and complainants seem to have missed the larger issue that affects humans too. Wheat gluten was being imported despite the fact North America has huge acreage of wheat grown by North American farmers. There are plenty of restrictions on the chemicals our farmers can use on their crops. In fact the approval process for new chemicals for Canadian farmers is so slow, their competitors in the U.S. are using new products to boost yields or cut costs, long before Canadians can. Yet while we create more and more regulations for our own producers to meet, through international trade, we swing the doors wide open for competing products when we have no idea under what conditions they were produced. Wheat gluten is a pretty innocuous-sounding product. What if it had been used in human food production with no checking of what was used in its production. We have an expensive, and dangerous, double standard here. On one hand we worry about danger from our own manufacturers and producers. On the other, through World Trade Organization rules, we’re not allowed to restrict imports over the way those products are grown. Some day it may be humans who are dying. — KR & Letter to the editor