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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1986-02-12, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1986. Quick action, wrong issue It's hard to know if Agriculture Minister Jack Riddell in his proposed legislation to save farmland is 10 years behind the issue or 10 years ahead. Preservation of farmland is not a big issue in rural Ontario these days. Preservation of farmers is. And preservation of farm communities is, too. Unfortunately, Mr. Riddell seems to be moving in the wrong direction on that issue. What was to be hoped was that he would introduce "right to farm" legislation that would mean basically that urban people who move into rural areas have to live by the farmers' rules. Instead of barns having to be so many feet from residences, it would be residences that had to be so many feet from barns. What hopefully could happen after such legislation was that the local townships could relax the restrictions on rural reverences, particularly on existing farm houses. The crisis for us right now is the destruction of rural houses and barns by corporate farm owners. Most recent rumour we've heard is that the big corporations are offering more for a farm with the buildings removed than they are with the buildings still standing because they don't want the hassle they get from people when they tear down buildings. Buildings are being taken down because the tax system is a disincentive to keeping them up. Tough severence rules say they can no longer be divided from the property because people are worried that "city" people will come out to Huron County and complain about the smells and noise of farming. We need those houses standing, filled with people who buy in our local stores and pay taxes to maintain roads, schools, etc. The solution is to let the people come (most will be local town people who are used to farm smells and be willing to live with them) and rearrange the rules so that the farmer's right to be free of harassment from non-farm neighbours is protected. Yes, preservation of farmland is worthwhile but at the pres- ent time it is so far down the list of priorities for an agriculture minister that one must wonder where Mr. Riddell has been for the last decade. It was a hot topic in 1976. In 1986 we're more worried about having farmers left to farm the land Mr. Riddell wants to save. What he's proposing is comparable to the government of Ethopia taking up its time drafting flood -control legislation. Positive thinking Two different villages, two sets of problems, two sets of solutions but one thing in common: positive thinking. Last week the councils of both Brussels and Blyth met and councillors in both communities showed positive attitudes toward the future, not the kind of short-term, clutching of the purse strings, that can paralyze a community's progress. In Brussels' case on Monday night it was action on trying to draw new jobs to town by setting up an industrial commission with surrounding townships and beginning negotiations for the purchase of industrial land. In Blyth it was the pledging of continued support for two success stories in the village: the Huron Pioneer Thresher Reunion and the Blyth Festival. Both organizations have pumped millions of dollars into the local economy over the years. Both are making plans for the future. Council was supportive of the plans of each of them. It's easy to see the gloomy side of things, all the reasons things can't or shouldn't be done. It's far better to keep pushing to change things, to keep the things strong that are strong and to make things happen when they haven't been happening. Something can be done Senseless vandalism is one of the things that gets people upset more than anything else these days, often because they feel nothing can be done to stop it. The public has become cynical about the actions of the justice system to crack down on even major crime, let alone smaller incidents of stupidity. There's reason to take heart every now and then, however, when the system does work. Such is the case of the senseless destruction of flagpoles and theft of flags from the decorative planter installed by George Radford Construction as part of its renovations on main street of Blyth. It took only three months from when the improvements were made until a group of young men wrecked it. The case upset people in the community enough that police were given extra incentive to solve it. They eventually tracked down the culprits and discovered that flag -stealing was a "game" they played and they had in their possession dozens of flags from a wide area. Things didn't stop there, however. Fearful that the courts would be too lenient on the youths, both the company and the village of Blyth wrote to the crown attorney asking him to seek strong punishment. In the long run, perhaps to the surprise of the men involved, the punishment was tough but fair. They were each given one year's probation, ordered to make full restitution and sentenced to 75 hours work for the community. They've paid a price but won't have criminal records. The case can stand as encouragement to the community that something can be done to curb vandalism and a warning to , those who think this kind of thing is a gag, that the "laughs" could be costly. `00 REALIzE-, IF He KEEPS MIS t 7, NE COULD PUT U.S OUT OFA ,)0127 1" The world view from Mabel 's Grill There are people who will tell you that the important decisions in town are made down at the town hall. People in the know, however know that the real debates, the real wisdom reside down at Mabel's Grill where the greatest minds in the town (if not in the country) gather for morning coffee break, otherwise known as the Round Table Debating and Filibustering Society. Since not just everyone can partake of these deliberations we will report the activities from time to time. MONDAY: Ward Black was storm- ing this morning about the waste of money that C.B.C. is. "To think they use my tax dollars to make garbage like that," Ward said. (Have you ever noticed people claim they never listen to CBC or watch CBC television but they always know about all the things the corporation does that they think is a terrible waste of money?) Anyway, it seems there was this guy on the radio who played a sculpture. Not played with sculp- ture but played on one, making some kind of music. "The thing that gets you," Ward says, "Is that this guy probably got a Canada Council grant to make the damned sculpture in the first place, then another one to sit around and bang on the thing and pretend it was music. Damnedest noise you ever heard. I could give my grandson some pots and pans and a wooden spoon and he could probably make a better sound." "Well," says Billy Bean, "look at it this way. Be glad it was just radio. That sculpture probably sounded better than it looked." TUESDAY: Hank Stokes was talking about this television show he saw the other night about women going through this big- time business course at University of Western Ontario. Seems these women are moving right in to the big jobs in companies but they've got problems being accepted as one of the boys. Hank says, they must be paranoid. Julia Flint tried to say something but Billy Bean beat her to it. "I mean they get all these high -paid jobs that men could be doing but they say they're hard used. I'd like to earn what some of those broads take home." Julia had her mouth open to say something when Ward piped in with "And did you hear that B.S. about women having to get more aggressive if they're going to make it with the men? Men aren't aggressive. They don't have to be bitchy like women to get their points across." Julia was about to say something when Tim O'Grady said it was time to get back to work and everyone else got up and left. WEDNESDAY: Billie Bean was saying that there's plenty of people complaining that the dollar isn't worth anything anymore. If it isn't, he said, he'd be quite willing to take that garbage off everybody's hands. He wouldn't even charge for waste disposal. FRIDAY: Julia said she was interested to see all the luxury the Duvalier family in -Haiti had managed to build up in one of the poorest countries in the world. Luxury cars, luxury houses, luxury clothes. And to think, she said, Papa Doc was just a quiet country doctor. Hank said he hoped that Ontario doctors didn't watch too much television and catch the idea that maybe this was a way around the OHIP fee schedule. Warden to intervene in planning dispute BY BOB MURPHY A meeting is to be arranged which will bring together the mayor and reeve of Exeter, Huron County Warden Leona Armstrong, the chairman of the county's planning and development com- mittee and the county planning director. Decision to arrange the meeting was made by county council during its regular session Thursday and upon recommendation of the exe- cutive committee. ' The meeting is to investigate questions and concerns raised by Exeter with respect to the planning department's handling of the proposed Huron Tractor subdivi- sion in Hay Township. Exeter had opposed a bid by Hay Township to seek a zoning change of property in the township's southeast corner in order to accommodate an agricultural re- lated industrial plaza. An Ontario Municipal Board decision last year ruled that the zoning change should not be allowed without documentation of a needs study. The county planning depart- ment is currently conducting the study and Exeter wants the county to pay for the town's planning consultant who will be monitoring the study process and representing Exeter's interests. Hay Township Reeve Lionel Wilder will also attend the meet- ings in his capacity as chairman of the county's planning and develop- ment committee. Exeter Reeve Bill Mickle advis- ed county council that his munici- pality is in favor of the meeting. ize [640523 Ontario Inc.] Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. P.O. Box 152, P.O. Box 429, Brussels, Ont. Blyth, Ont. NOG 1H0 NOM 1H0 887-9114 523-4792 Subscription price: $15.00; $35.00 foreign. Advertising and news deadline: Monday 4 p.m. • Editor and Publisher: Keith Roulston Advertising Manager: Beverley A. Brown Production and Office Manager: Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968