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The Citizen, 1989-10-18, Page 5Sisters pool talents to operate Blyth store With all the trade to Blyth Festival and the leather wool stores, Bev Elliott felt there was need in the village for a store like Christmas and Country and it was partly that quaint uniqueness that is the trademark of the store that appealed to the new owners, sisters Wilma Scott and Deanna Snell. Deanna explains, "We've both always loved the store - the Christmas and Country part - and thought the two businesses would lend themselves to each other,” referring to Wilma Scott’s Flowers which Wilma presently operates from her home near Belgrave. The pair plan to incorporate the fresh flowers into the selection already offered at Christmas and Country. Wilma, who states she always loved gardening, took a beginner course in flower arranging at Conestoga then completed the advanced course at Fanshawe Col­ lege, which she says, “touches on everything. It really gives you some idea of what you might be in for.” Professionally, she began two years ago with her daughter Melanie’s wedding. “I did the flowers for her then started doing them for other weddings, working out of my cellar and den,” she Letter to the editor Articles hardly touch issues THE EDITOR, In regards to your editorials of August 2/89 "Drought a sign of times ahead”, re: the "greenhouse effect” and your front page story August 30/89 “Local streams fail pollution test” on the Maitland River watershed. It has gone beyond our realm of thinking that with all that has been written and said in the media about the environmental damage being done to this planet, that both people and governments (at all levels) continue to carry on as usual, totally oblivious as to what they are doing and to the impact it has on this world now and in the very near future. We don’t know how people can look at themselves or at their children everyday and say "It’s not my problem”; "I’m not doing anything”; "1’11 be gone long before it effects me”; “I’m not going to worry about it, I’m going to enjoy myself anyway”; "They’ll come up with something to fix it”; or "My little bit isn’t hurting”. The list of excuses goes on and on. The plain and simple fact is we have to stop what we are doing to this planet now. Let’s not keep procrastinating the issue any lon­ ger. We are destroying the water, air, and soil (the life support system of this planet) at such a rate that in a few years it probably will be too late to reverse or stop the total destruction of life. There is already a possibility that it is too late now. Are people willing to take that gamble when the odds are stacked up against them? Your articles do not even begin to scratch the surface of the problems facing life on this planet everywhere. They don’t even re­ flect the stark consequences of what human activity is doing to the ecological systems that support all life. The fact is that at the present rate we are polluting all of our water ways, by the end of this century or shortly after, we will be out of fresh drinking water. The Great Lakes will be just as smelly, stagnant, and contaminated as the Maitland River is now. All the contaminates that are in our water says. She decided to operate the business on a larger more organiz­ ed scale last November and moved into a workshop in the back of her home in January. A greenhouse was added two days before Moth­ er’s Day. That was another issue that precipitated the decision to pur­ chase Christmas and Country. "I was getting to the point where I would have to expropriate the garage for more workshop space,” said Wilma. "Also, it is not as handy a location either.” The present shop is located about three miles west of highway 4 between Blyth and Belgrave. Wilma and Deanna, who is presently working on the advanced course at Fanshawe, began to consider the purchase of Christmas and Country late in July or early August, but never came to a decision until September. "I had been out of the work force for a year,” said Deanna, who along with her husband owned and operated Snell’s Grocery Store for many years, "so I was somewhat relunctant to get back in,” she finished. Wilma and Deanna will be open for business at Christmas and systems are leaching into the water tables and wells. Tap water in the cities taken from the Great Lakes and samples have shown 134 different chemicals (most toxic) identified in them. Fish are suffo­ cating from lack of oxygen in the water due to nitrates from farming. Farming is not the only source of chemical pollution going into the rivers. Household chemicals and those from lawn spraying are just as deadly. The fish are dying from chemical exposure in the watersheds. It’s estimated that more than 80 per cent of the carp in our rivers have lip cancer. Eating only one large lake trout from Lake Michigan in a life time is a potential cancer risk. Trout, chinock and cocho salmon, walleye pike and yellow perch from Lake Michigan contain high levels of PCB’s, DDT’s, dildrin and chlordane. It is not recommended you eat any fish that are caught in Lake Ontario over 12 inches as they have been in the water too long and their toxic content is too high to be deemed safe. Even northern lakes note polluted In Northern Ontario you could once drink the water directly out of the lakes year round, but now fecal coliform makes that unsafe. The latest report from Environment Canada refers to the lower Great Lakes (Ontario and Erie) as a sewage lagoon. All the watersheds that flow into the Great Lakes are just as bad as the Maitland River. In fact the Don River in Toronto is in a little better shape than our own river. Estimates to clean up the Don River alone, just released by the Ministry of the Environment Ontario run over a billion dollars. The effect on wildlife throughout the Great Lakes Basin is appalling. We have so badly polluted the water': hat animals are being born deformed and are dying at an alarming rate. Ducks and birds are being born without bills, no wings, no feet, or as something that Country on October 21 and will hold an Open House closer to the Christmas season, "possibly the first weekend in December,” says Wilma. Plans for the business will not be extreme, the major change being the inclusion of the fresh flowers, which means, however, Christmas and Country will now be open year round. “The flower business is a service industry,” says Wilma, "so you’ve got to be open. You just can’t shut down.” Wilma’s daughter Meribeth will also be helping out in the store, and Deanna hopes that her two children will lend a hand when they are home from college. The ladies state that delivery will be available just about anywhere, "within reason,” Wilma adds smil­ ing. There will be a minimal charge added for delivery except for funeral arrangements. Wilma and Deanna maintain they plan to keep the same line that has been original to Christmas and Country - The Christmas decor­ ations and accessories, unique country crafts and the upstair Wicker Wonderland. "It is our desire,” Deanna states, "to con­ tinue the same quality service that people have become accustomed to at Christmas and Country”. doesn’t even resemble their spe­ cies. The increasing amount of deformities in humans is also directly related to the chemical dumping in the ecological systems. Species on this planet are becom­ ing extinct at the rate of 50,000 per year. We are destroying their life support system, but we also rely on that very same system. The "greenhouse effect” will have an even more devastating result on water quality of the lakes and rivers. Rivers and streams will dry up completely or their flows will be reduced to a trickle. Lake levels will drop by about eight feet. The growth of fecal coliform and other bacterias will accelerate as water temperatures rise. Rising oceans will contaminate water wells with sea water in low lying areas around the world. Health and the quality of life will deteriorate rapidly. All water supplies will virtually become unfit for human consumption. The "greenhouse effect” on water will happen within the next 20 years. Water degradation also has no boundaries. The problems are the same all around the world. When it comes to draughts and torrential rains like last summer, you are looking at the direct result of the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is caused by the use of fossil fuels, deforestation, and the use of chloroflurocarbons (CFC’s). The devastation that these contributing facts do individually are enormous, but combined they are monumental. I can remember reading about the so called "green­ house effect” back in 1967 and 1968. The scientists warnings about what would happen now have become real, only they are far more excellerated than was ever antici­ pated. The use of CFC’s which is eating away at the earth’s protective ozone layer will mean an increase in the amount of sun’s rays reaching the earth’s surface, thus causing more heat. The sun’s ultra­ violet radiation which is reflected away by the ozone layer will mean that in 20 years if you go out in the daylight, you will get skin cancer. Continued on page 23 THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1989. PAGE 5. Sisterly partnership WilmaScott, front, and hersister Deanna Snell tend the foliage in the greenhouse at Wilma Scott’s Flowers outside Belgrave. The ladies will soon begin business as the new owners of Christmas and Country in Blyth adding fresh flowers to the inventory. Big Brothers need help THE EDITOR, The Clinton-Blyth area is now served by a local Big Brothers Association in conjunction with North Huron Big Brothers Associa­ tion. The Big Brothers Association was formed to assist boys who have no father at home or a consistent male image in their lives. Big Brothers are matched with boys ages 6-16, and spend 1-2 hours a week with the Little Brothers. They may go to a movie, take a walk, go fishing or do whatever they both enjoy. Being a Big Brother can help put stability, love and caring into the life of a young boy. Give the best gift of all -- your time and your friendship - and be a role model to a Little Brother. The rewards may be endless. Anyone interested in becoming a Big Brother or have a child who would benefit from this association, please contact: Executive Director, Cheryl Miller, Goderich, 524-4361 Mabel's Grill Continued from page 4 Alberta government took over his packing plant. "Just our luck,” Tim said, "why couldn’t they have taken over the Oilers before the Gretzky trade and left Peter Puck with the hog plant.” "Yeh,” Hank said, "the Ameri­ cans don’t want our hogs anyway but you’ll notice they didn’t put any countervailing duty when we ship­ ped them Gretzky.” FRIDAY: Billie Bean said he wasn’t feeling well this morning and he thought he might have to Gary Jewitt, Clinton Jeff Hearn, Clinton Steven Sparling, Blyth Cheryl Miller, North Huron Big Brothers Association, Goderich. History appreciated The Editor, I have recently received a copy of your paper in which you celebrated Brussels’ Homecoming a couple of years ago. This was a result of "the girl at the bank” phoning to you to say I was interested in receiving old pictures of your village. The contents of your special edition were much more than I had ever hoped to receive and I am very pleased with your help. Arthur L. Price, Sidney, B.C. [born in Brussels back on July 15, 1909.) take the day off work. "It wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact it’s a gorgeous day out there would it,” Julia asked. No, Billie said. "I think I’m coming down with something. I hear there’s a Friday the 13th virus going around.” Tim said he hated to break the bad news but that virus only infected computers. Billie said it was nice to hear computers got sick too. Maybe if they all get sick more often they’ll leave a few jobs for us humans.