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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-03-29, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 1989. COP program a good move The Ontario Provincial Police through its Community Oriented Policing (C.O.P.) program seems to be realizing something that all agencies of government could learn: things work best on the community level. Two decades ago ( about the same time the provincial government was moving toward regional government and county school boards), the province took over all one-man police forces, saying they were just too small to be effective. There’s little doubt small communities like Blyth and Brussels would be hard pressed to support their own police forces. Even if they could afford the salary of even one officer, there’d still be the cost of running an office and keeping a cruiser on the road, etc. The move to provincial policing seemed to make economic sense. But when you’re dealing with people, economics don't always make sense. Replacing the local policeman with periodic patrols by the local O.P.P. detachment just isn’t the same. Most people who might have known the local cop by name, known his family and maybe even his dog, couldn't have told you the name of even one officer on the local O.P.P. detachment. Worse, fromapolicingstandpoint, because the people don’t relate on a one to one basis with the police, they tend to steer clear of even talking to the police. The police were cut off from the community and the community was cut off from the police. But somebody at the O.P.P. management level seems to have realized the error of the past. Through the C.O.P. program and through the opening of Extended Service Offices (E.S.O.) the police are trying to become more than distant faces in patrol cars that crawl through town. The E.S.O. office in Brussels, and one to be opened in Blyth as soon as space can be found, will help reverse the trend. The committees of local individuals that will advise police, will help people have direct input into how the police deal with the problems of the community. But best of all, hopefully, will be that people will once again get a chance to know a policeman. A policeman will be not just someone to fear but a real person that walks up and down main street. Children may get to know that police are on their side. A more healthy relationship may grow between the police and the public. The C.O.P. and E.S.O. programs may not bring back totally the days of the village constable but hopefully it’s a start. Beef producers should do their homework for vote Ontario beef producers will be making a decision April 14 that could change the face of beef farming in the foreseeable future. It’s a time for clear thinking and taking the time to get the facts. As cattlemen, including dairy farmers who sell cattle for slaughter, prepare for a vote on whether or not they want a beef marketing commission, they are being deluged by a stream of advertising from two sides that may totally cloud the issue instead of making it clear. The Ontario Cattleman’s Association and the Beef Producers for Change each have mounted an advertising campaign that can only leave producers more confused than ever. Fortunately there is an opportunity to get the facts as free as possible from the exaggeration of advertising copywriters. Monday night, April 3 at 8 p.m. at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre one ofa series of information meetings on the beef vote will be held. Representatives of both organizations will meet face to face to debate whether or not the agency should come into effect. Every farmer involved in the sale of cattle owes it to himself to be at the meeting and get as much information as possible on the upcoming vote. As one cattleman said recently, this will be probably the last chance in many farmers’ lifetime to make a change in the marketing of beef. Whether or not that change is made should be based on as much information as possible being available to the voters. Pussy willows Letter from the editor Private sector can't do it all in theatre BY KEITH ROULSTON The debate of the 1980’s, wheth­ er private enterprise can do things better than government interven­ tion, can gain new arguments for both sides by looking at the sudden burst of theatrical activity in Toron­ to. A decade ago it would have been hard to imagine what is happening in theatre in Toronto. Last week “Les Miserables’’ opened at the Royal Alexander Theatre with $9 million in advanced ticket sales. It needs those huge sales because it cost $4.5 million to mount the show. Meanwhile an entire theatre is being renovated to house the next blockbuster, “The Phantom of the Opera’’ that won’t open in Toronto until September but already had $15 million in ticket sales in the bank. The backers expect to sur­ pass even the New York presale before the show opens. And the show that proved massive musicals could be profitable, “Cats”, is back in Toronto playing at Massey Hall. The show grossed $40 million when it first played Toronto. For the normal Toronto theatre scene, (the scene that provides work for most of the actors, directors and technicians of the Blyth Festival in the winter, for instance) this new commercial the­ atre boom is like an unreal world. Garth Drabinsky, producer of “Phantom” will spend more money just on publicity than the entire Blyth Festival season will cost. While people are rushing to pay up to $80 for a ticket to “Phantom”, famous subsidized theatres like Theatre Passe Mur- aille and Factory Theatre are in financial trouble. These theatres, which scrabbled to renovate old warehouses into theatres in the 1960’s and 1970’s, can only stare with envy as they see Mr. Drabin­ sky spend $18 million to restore the Pantages Theatre to its original glory after it was cut up into six movie theatres in the 1970’s (the irony is that Mr. Drabinsky also owns Cineplex Odeon, the conti­ nent’s largest movie theatre com­ pany). Mr. Drabinsky also talks of building a new 1600 theatre down­ town. Meanwhile Honest Ed Mirvish talks of building a new arts centre near the Royal Alexandra with two new theatres and several cinemas. All of which would seem to support the arguments of those who believe in the marketplace as the answer to everything. Afterall, if Garth Drabinsky is willing to Continued on page 5 The Citizen. P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 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 $17 OO/yr ($38 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, 2pm - Brussels, Monday, 4 p m - Blyth We are not responsible for unsolicited newscriptsor photographs Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright Serving Brussels. Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Editor& Publisher, Keith Roulston Advertising Manager, DaveWilliams Production Manager, Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968