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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1991-07-24, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1991. Editorials Keeping all options open There were several comments, following Thursday's meeting of the North Huron Community Development Area in Brussels about how organizers seemed ready to listen to the people who attended. In a time when it often seems politicians and bureaucrats think they know what's best for people, participants in this meeting were surprised by the openness. The process chosen by Jason Chu and Brian Treble of the Huron County Planning and Development office is different than the process chosen for other community development areas in the county. Where the other areas concentrated on council members and the paid staff of municipalities, the North Huron area has concentrated on getting as much public input as possible. Al the first meeting they asked people to name the things they thought their community should be proud of, what they would dream of for their community in the future and what were the problems and challenges people could foresee. At Thursday's meeting they let people decide which of these concerns and dreams should be grouped together, then let each person rank the relative importance of those categories, and finally asked people to join the group or groups they were most interested in. "They're really listening to people", one surprised participant whispered. Someone else said after the meeting that it was really a "constituent assembly" of the kind some people have been promoting to reform the constitution. At the end of the first meeting of the group in Wingham last month there was a skepticism among many people that their contribution really mattered. By the end of last week's meeting people could see a pattern forming, could see that they had set the agenda for the meeting and there was a generally good feeling about it all. It's the type of feeling that is missing all too often these days: a feeling among people that they really do have control and that they're being listened to not being manipulated. We believe in democracy but so seldom do we trust people to be democratic. Il stands to reason that the more good minds you have thinking about a problem, the more chances you have to find the innovative solution. But too often we distrust the ordinary guy to do the thinking. We've delegated responsibility to experts and the ordinary guy either gets off the hook of having to take part in the democratic process, or gets frustrated because his ideas never have a chance to be acted on. People at last week's meetir.g seemed pleasantly surprised they had been actually able to come up with ideas that made sense. It wasn't the planners, after all, who spoke out about their dreams; not the planners who decided what dreams or challenges came together and not the planners who decided what committees to set up and what ones people should work on. The planners simply worked to help the 40-50 people bring their ideas together. So far the meetings are a model for the way a community can put its best minds to work on its own problems. Those who have missed out and who want to help shape the future of their community can still come out to future meetings with the knowledge that their ideas do count and will be heard. Vive la difference! Sometimes things changes so slowly it's tempting to declare there is no change, like a glacier moving slowly, but powerfully down a mountain. But some times there are small things that almost go unnoticed that illustrate great changes have been made. While there is still much worry that women do not play a role in political life proportionate to the number of women in the country, there were two encouraging signs on the weekend. In British Columbia the battle for leadership of the governing Social Credit Party was not between two men, not even between a man and a woman, but between two women. That most right-wing of parties, not only produced Canada's first female premier, but almost produced a female successor. In Toronto, early polls for this fall's election for mayor show a woman leading the way. She's leading a man, but another woman is close behind in third and a thud woman holds down fourth place. There's still a long way to go. It's still difficult for a woman who values her family life to find the time to go off to the provincial or national capitals to sit in Parliament. These results, however, show that progress is being made and as long as it is, there's the hope real equality will come in politics. Almost harvest Looking Backward ONE YEAR AGO JULY 25,1991 Tim Fritz was named assistant coach for the Brussels Bulls Junior "C" Hockey team. Scott Pettigrew of Wingham was appointed head coach. Rev. Ramirez, pastor of Blyth United Church, left for a holiday trip to the Phillipines. Area students, Corinna Stephens, Gerald Knight, Tracey Fischer, Craig Jefferson, Heather Morton and Dianne Hall were named Ontario Scholars. Brussels slock car driver Murray Ducharme returned home after a successful racing weekend in Michigan. Mr. Ducharme, in his first year of driving, won his first race at Kalamazoo Speedway and also captured the trophy for top rookie driver. Michel Tremblay's Albertine in Five Tinies opened at Blyth Festi­ val, starring Anne Anglin, Cheryl Swarts, Lynn Woodman, Meg Hog­ arth and Norma Edwards. THREE YEARS AGO JULY 20,1988 Three young Auburn boys appeared in Blyth Festival's pro­ duction of Fires in the Night. Ben Thomson, Wesley Huizinga and Earl Thomson made their stage debut as bush children. McKillop taxes increased by 15.6 per cent overall. Hundreds of people attended the official opening of McGavin Farm Supply in Walton. MP Murray Cardiff was the guest speaker at the event. Melanie Knox of RR 1, Londes- boro placed first in the Bantam Division of the Legion Regional Track and Field meet in Kitchener in both the running long jump and high jump. She was then moved up to the Midget Division where she took a fourth-place ribbon in the Triple Jump. Her wins qualified her for the All-Ontario meet in Peter­ borough, where she placed ninth in the long jump. The Blyth Inn slowpitch beat out 15 others to win the title at the annual Belgrave Kinsmen tourna­ ment. G.R. Steven Sparling earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Distribution from the Continued on page 5 The Citizen P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 The Citizen is published weekly In Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $20.50/year ($19.16 plus $1.34 G.S.T.) for local; $19.16 + $1.66 for each month after March 31/92 + G.S.T. for local letter carrier in Goderich, Hanover, Listowel, etc. and out-of-area (40 miles from Brussels); $60.00/year for U.S.A, and 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 © Copywright. AWARD 1990 (*CNA Editor & Publisher, Keith Roulston Advertising Manager, Dave Williams Assistant Editor, Bonnie Gropp Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. 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