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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2007-08-30, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2007.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 ($30.19 + $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 Aug.30, 1950 Worries were increasing across the area as a mother and son remained in critical condition following a car accident. Mrs. Mervyn McCauley of Morris Twp., and her eight-month-old son Barrington, were being treated at Wingham and District Hospital after being seriously injured in a two car collision. The accident occurred at the intersection of the side road and Conc. 6 in Morris, two and a half miles from Brussels during a heavy downpour of rain. Mrs. McCauley was thrown from her car, suffering a fractured skull, her condition considered very grave, having not regained consciousness yet. Young Barrington also suffered a fractured skull, but was showing hope as he was regaining consciousness on a regular basis. Mrs. McCauley’s other sons Gerald, three, and Donald, eight, also passengers involved, suffered severe cuts and bruises but were released from hospital following minor treatment. The occupants of the other vehicle involved in the accident also received injuries, but were released from hospital in a few days following minor treatment. Both cars involved were severely damaged, possibly destroyed completely. Continuing in the trend of bad news, a barn in Grey Twp. was completely destroyed by fire in a lightning storm. The large frame barn belonging to Clifford Alcock was struck by lightning during the storm, and Alcock, upon hearing the clash, rushed outside to see his barn burst into massive flames. He was able to remove some chickens that were in the barn, and thankfully no more livestock and very little crop was being stored in the structure at the time. The Brussels fire brigade responded to the call, but the fire had gained to much headway by the time they arrived. Only a negligible portion of the large loss was covered by insurance. Aug. 30, 1961 A meeting of the Blyth Memorial Hall board saw agreement on improvements to be made to the Hall. The board’s finances would allow only minor repair, but it was agreed that tenders would be called for for some touch up painting on the outside of the Hall, and donations from local businesses would see new furnishings be put up inside. In honour of the 50th anniversary of its creation, a replica of the U.S. Navy’s first aircraft was flown at San Diego. One of two replicas, the Curtiss A-1 hydroplane was successfully landed on the water off the West Coast. The other replica would go to the Smithsonian Institute. Aug. 30, 1972 A provincial grant of $7,000 was going to help the efforts to purchase a historical piece of land in Egmondville. Approved by the Ontario Heritage Foundations, the grant went to the Van Egmond Foundation in order to help in the purchase of the Van Egmond home, and restoring it as a historic site of the area. Fundraising still needed to be done to attain the remaining funds needed for the purchase, but Foundation members were very optimistic. Proving that global pollution is not a new concerning issue, scientists across the world were making known the damage being done by air pollution, not only to people, plants, and animals but now to artifacts. Of concern at that moment was the damage being done to important and historic artwork in various areas around the globe. “The contaminated atmospheres over modern industrial centres and shortening the life span of many forms of art,” said Dr. A. J. Haagen- Smit, biochemist at the California Institute of Technology, “Frescoes, stonework, tapestries, paintings, have all been subject to some kind of chemical attack.” Playing at Brownie’s Drive-In in Clinton was The Hot Rock with Robert Redford and George Segal. Also playing was The Undefeated, starring screen legends John Wayne and Rock Hudson. Included in the dusk-to-dawn thrill show were the horror flicks Dr. Phibes, starring Vincent Price, Murders in the Rue Morgue, based on the Edgar Allen Poe classic, Count Yorga,Vampire, and Wedding Night. Aug. 31, 1988 A fast approaching deadline for a reply from federal funding officials on the matter of a grant to support the Blyth Festival was extended. The deadline would foretell the fate of the Festival, and whether they would indeed receive the federal and provincial funding of $1.8 million, to go towards major expansion plans for the Memorial Hall. The delayed response from federal Minister of Communications Flora McDonald pushed the deadline made by the provincial government forward, a deadline which had threatened to force the Festival to reapply for funding under a different grant program which would have provided only one-third instead of one half of funding required for the expansion plans. Festival officials were not worried, and remained hopeful that the grant would be approved. Local fundraising was growing strongly easing the demand on the Festival raise their half of funds. THE EDITOR, I have just had the privilege of spending five days in the delightful village of Blyth and area. It is the home of some of my ancestors, the Kraehlings and Mills of Auburn. The remarkable assistance offered me by the Voddens with their incredible collection of local history has been immeasurably helpful. Their willingness to share and take me on ‘tours’ to help me understand my history cannot be praised highly enough. Right from entering from the highway, the excellent sign announcing BLYTH, to the very clearly-read, decorative street signs, the obvious pride in their Blyth Festival and the refurbishing of Queen Street’s smart shops, have all made my visit so special. It would be very remiss of me not to mention my incredible hosts Emerson and Phyllis of Mitchell’s Countryside B&B. I did not have the time to spend exploring Blyth as it should have been done, but I will be back, with any luck, next summer. Thank you until next time. Millie (Kraehling) Thompson, Dryden, ON THE EDITOR, If you are still thinking about whether or not you want to take University of Western Ontario courses this fall, you have just a few more weeks to register. Courses being offered in Psychology 020 Introduction to Psychology (full credit), Biology 101 a/b Genetics in Everyday Life (half credit), Environmental Science 021F Environmental Issues (half credit) and Anthropology 025 Cultural Anthropology (half credit). Anyone interested should contact Western directly. Students who are new to Western should call Cindy Cripps at 519-661-3698 or e-mail ccripps2@uwo.ca. If you have been enrolled at Western before contact Donna Moore at 519-661-2111, ext. 85159 or dmoore@uwo.ca. There is generous financial aid available to prospective students who want to pursue post-secondary studies as well as bursaries available to individuals over the age of 60. Through the WISE program, selected high school students in Grades 11 and 12 can take a Western course at no charge. For more information contact those above or the Lake Huron Learning Collaborative office at 519-524-4151/1866-376-0984. Jennifer Laurie, Community Eduction Developer LHLC 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 Creating an impression A recent poll conducted by Angus-Reid showed Canadians still have a strong resistance to censorship, even when they believe in the cause. Of 1,000 adults questioned as to whether they would support a ban on smoking in television shows and movies, 52 per cent said they would be against a ban, despite the fact Canada has been one of the most proactive countries in the world in discouraging smoking. That a majority of Canadians resist the idea of a ban on depicting smoking on screen is commendable, but it must be matched by a commitment from creators of mass entertainment to responsibly portray smoking. Since a sizeable minority of the public still smokes, it would be unreasonable to expect that no one would ever be shown smoking. On the other hand, the United States Centres for Disease Control conducted a study last year that showed the number of incidents of people being portrayed as smoking on screen is equal to 1950s levels, a time when many more people actually did smoke than today. What does it matter? Television and movies help create our impression of that society in general is doing, especially for impressionable young people. If the “cool” people on screen are smoking, it appears to be cool. If the majority of people on screen are smoking, as they are in some films, then it must be the thing to do. Creators of mass culture create a sense of what is “normal” in life and so they must take responsibility for that power. Whether they’re creating the sense that everyone is smoking or everyone is taking drugs or everyone is having sex at the drop of a hat, they are influencing the views in young people of what is acceptable. It’s a scary power that few want to acknowledge. — KR Staying above the fray The deaths of three Canadian soldiers last week, always a sad and highly-publicized event, took on new emphasis because the soldiers were from Quebec where opposition to the war in Afghanistan is highest. Quebecers’ opposition to a war is hardly surprising. A majority has been opposed to every war, with that stance causing crises in Canada during two World Wars when conscription was needed to find enough replacements for the war effort. Being against war is a good thing but it has its limitations. There are wars that simply shouldn’t be fought, but there are others that can hardly be avoided. Letting Adolf Hitler murder and imprison people, for instance, would hardly be a proud moment in a people’s history. Canada’s role in Afghanistan can be debated but our soldiers are there for a noble cause, to free people from tyrannical dictators. These soldiers deserve the respect of not being used to score political points. — KR & Letters to the editor