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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-03-14, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1990. Opinion Players deserve better fans One of the ways a community’s personality is expressed to other communities is through the actions of its sport teams and its sport fans. Those judging Brussels by the current Brussels Bulls series with Hanover Barons may get a good impression from the hockey players but a bad one from the activities of the fans. While Brussels Bulls didn’t show their talents to their high level in Friday’s loss, they showed their grit in coming back time after time despite being behind. There was little good to be said for a portion of the capacity crowd, however, who acted boorishly all night long and finally caused a long delay until police could clear the drunkards out of the stands. During the evening some fans persisted in using a crude chant to insult the visiting coach. Those parents who had brought their children along to the game must have wondered if they had made a mistake. But the behavior late in the game when the fans kept delaying the game by throwing garbage on the ice (including beer cans), was beyond excuse. Fans were asked once not to throw things on the ice because players could get hurt. Moments later, more was thrown on, including missiles aimed at the Hanover goaltender. That mess was cleaned up just in time for more. As game officials waited for police to remove the rowdies, still more garbage cascaded out of the stands. Twelve people were charged by police with liquor offences. The Bulls’ players deserve better from their fans. With the team facing elimination going intolast night’s game the Bulls’ season may be over by the time this is read. Whether it is or not, the players have given Brussels some proud moments. For the most part they have been a class act, always working hard, giving many thrills, giving the tough Hanover team a run for its money for the first time in years. The players have been proud ambassadors for Brussels. Too bad the same can’t be said for those few imbeciles who marred Friday’s game. The little train that couldn't Imagine a world where the people who ran the highways department decided they really didn’t like running highways and wanted to sell baked goods instead. Imagine a world where the airlines decided they’d really rather be in the mining business. It sounds silly until you look at the country’s railways who seems interested in doing anything but running trains. The move by CN Rail to try to sell off the rail line from Stratford to Goderich and from Clinton to London shows again this kind of backwards, Alice-in-Wonderland world where the railways seem interested in hotels and real estate and just about anything but running trains. CN says the rail line ’ s sale is an excellent oportunity for someone to get into the short-haul business but local politicians smell a rat. They sense the move may just be the first shot in a campaign to close down the line. They may be right given the fact CN gave potential buyers only until March 15 to obtain an information package on which to base their bids. They then will have a month to make a preliminary proposal for purchase. If you were going to sell your house you’d figure on giving potential buyers longer than that. The railways seem to spend more time figuring out how to get out of the railway business these days than finding out how to make a profit in it. There must be a course in creative bookkeeping for those in the accounting department to show how some lines they want to abandon are losing money. At least a private company like CP Rail can seem to have some excuse in abandoning a line like the Goderich to Guelph line through Bly th which appeared it could be profitable if only it worked harder at meeting the needs of local customers. The company is set up to make a profit. But what do we make of CN, a government-owned company that was set up to serve the country, not private shareholders. In the case of the Listowel-Wingham branch line, company officials at an abandonment hearing in 1988 insulted customers in an attempt to prove they weren’t really going to provide the extra business they said they would to keep the line alive. Other companies would have been jumping with joy to hear people promise to make something that wasn’t profitable back in the black. With 6000 carloads a year on the two lines up for sale, one would wonder how evenCN’s accountants could make the remaining lines look unprofitable enough to abandon them. Still, never underestimate the inventiveness of a railway that wants to get out of the railway business. Spring breaks 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 Soc­ iety. Since not just everyone can partake of these deliberations we will report the activities from t£i time MONDAY: Julia Flint said she just gets sick these days hearing all the talk about Canada splitting up again. “I thought we went through all that once and got it over with,” she said. ‘‘Well”, said Tim O’Grady, ‘‘at least if Quebec decides it wants to get out, Canadians are civilized enough to let it happen peacefully and not fight over it.” ‘‘I don’t know”, said Ward Black. ‘‘It might seem easy now but wait until you lawyers get involved in figuring who gets what. When lawyers can muck up a divorce so badly, just think what P.O Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 they can do to a country splitting up. We might end up at war in no time.” ‘‘In which case,” Billie Bean said, “who gets the army?” “They get the only tank and we get the only warship that still floats,” Hank Stokes said. And who, wondered Julia, gets the national debt. “They’ve got to take their share of that since between Trudeau and Mulroney a good chunk of it went into projects to buy votes down there.” “Well,” said Tim, he thought there was an amicable trade. “We’ll take the national debt but Continued on page 5 The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $19.00/yr. ($40 00 Foreign). 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. We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. 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