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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-04-04, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL4, 1990. Opinion Mabel’s Grill At last After more than two months of unpleasantness in Blyth over the uncompleted, over-budget renovation of the George Radford Memorial Ball Diamond, Blyth village councillors came up with a timely and wise decision Thursday night that should please everybody, including the Blyth taxpayer. The decision to pick up about half of the cost overrun on the project by using grant money from the PRIDE project and to give the Industrial Slow-pitch Tournament Committee an interest-free loan so it can pay for the rest was one of those situations where everybody wins. Councillors deserve congratulations for finding a suitable compromise. Councillors were caught in a situation not of their own making in the whole mess that has surrounded the project. As in many cases, council had agreed to help a group make improvements to a village facility, by applying for grants only available to municipalities. The groups, acting in the interests of the community, were willing to work hard and put money up to improve the community. It has happened dozens of times from the Legion Auxiliary putting in a lift at the arena to the Lions Club putting in a wading pool, to the various improvements Blyth Festival has made to Memorial Hall. It’s always worked out well before. This time it didn’t. A mess developed as the project just plain got out of control with everybody thinking the other guy was minding the store. To rehash who was to blame for what would take from now until the turn of the century and would gain nothing but more bad feelings. Wisely council decided it was time to halt the pointing of fingers and come up with a solution. The solution they came up with was creative and inexpensive for the taxpayer. Yes it means that money under the PRIDE program that might have gone to some other recreational improvement gets used up in a project that was supposed to be financed without its use but in return for this, the village gets a magnificent facility that will serve hundreds of people, children and adults, for years to come. Now the healing should begin in the community. It’s time to sit back and praise instead of condemn. The efforts of the Slow-Pitch Tournament Committee will result in a fine new facility for the village. Radford Construction will have done $15,000 worth of work for only $7,000 when the company’s $6,000 donation and the $1,000 donations of the Radford and Scrimgeour families is taken into account. The people in Blyth and the surrounding community will have gained something th^twill continue to be a big part of the community long after the hard feelings are forgotten. The down side * of nationalism After nearly a half-century of seeing fighting the spread of communism as the main enemy to world peace it’s easy for westerners torelax and applaud what is happening in eastern Europe these days. At last, we say, things are looking up over there. The changes in the Soviet Union and the countries it held under its thumb are truly breathtaking. The combination of globalization, a rotten economy brought on by the failure of central planning under the Soviet system, and growing nationalism have created pressure for change that Moscow couldn’t control even if it wanted to. Bat as in most things, there is good and bad to the changes. Nationalism can be a good thing if it allows people to feel confident about itself but it has a destructive side that is being witnessed in these countries formerly held in control by Soviet oppression. While it may be easy to applaud efforts of subjugated peoples like the Lithuanians or Estonians to break free and have ther independence, what does one make of the hatred and killing that has been unleashed in some places between people of different backgrounds. Jews in the Soviet Union are trying to leave the country, fearing a return to the kind of violence against them that once characterized life there. Over the centuries, nationalism has been the greatest cause of war when a country’s pride and ambition bring it into conflict with its neighbours and Europe, with so many nationalities pressed together in such a small space, has often been a powder-keg waiting to explode. It’s to be hoped that the loosening of the strings of power by the Soviets doesn’t create a situation that might be as dangerous to world peace as the confrontation of super-powers was. town hall. People in the know, however know that the real debates, the real wisdom reside There are people who will tell you that the important decisions in town are made down at the It’s a hairy time of year 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 So­ ciety. Since not just everyone can partake of these deliberations we will report the activities from time to time. MONDAY: Julia Flint said the Soviet troops rolling into Lithuania to prevent it becoming independent make her nervous. If this is Glasnost she can’t see much differ­ ence than the bad old days, she said. Billie Bean wondered if Cana­ dians would feel differently about what was going on in Lithuania if Quebec decided to separate here. How would we feel about the troops rushing into Quebec to occupy the province? “Would anybody notice?” Hank Stokes wondered. “We’ve hardly got enough troops to occupy Ottawa let alone a whole pro­ vince.” TUESDAY: Julia and Tim were comparing results from watching the Academy Awards presentation last night. Ward Black said he never bothers staying up to watch a lot of people and can’t figure out why other people do either. “I mean 90 per cent of the people never go to see any of the movies that are nominated anyway so they don’t even know what the movies are about so why bother watch­ ing.” Hank Stokes had the answer. “They’re waiting for the inevit­ able,” he said. “One of these years one of those dresses is not going to defy gravity any more and they want to be around to see the result.” WEDNESDAY: Tim O’Grady said an article he read in the paper has him all confused. Billie said all articles he reads in the papers have him all confused. Tim said he had just begun thinking he could help prevent heart attacks and stroke by taking an aspirin a day and now the doctors are coming out on the other side telling him he’s putting him­ self in danger taking it. “I wish they’d make up their minds”, he said. Billie says he figures he’ll still take aspirin every day. “It may not do much for my heart but it may get rid of the headaches I get everyday just listening to the news.” THURSDAY: Billie Bean says he wishes he could get a job where you can have as much bargaining power as the Hydro workers. “I mean who else could be in a situation where they can shut down the province, get thousands of people laid off from their jobs and make everybody who operates a compiler system quake in their boots at the thought of a power failure. Well, said Julia, she could think of one other group that could have that much power. “Imagine,” she said, looking at Hank, “if farmers Continued on page 5 The Citizen. P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. N0M 1H0 Phone 523-4792 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 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 advertisment 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. Editor & Publisher, Keith Roulston Advertising Manager, Dave Williams Production Manager, Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968