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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-08-05, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5,1992._______ E ditorial Precious moments Canadians seem to take a special kind of hero to their hearts. While some nations celebrate sheer success Canadians, Canadians save a special place for those who have overcome great adversity through physical and mental toughness and great courage. Capturing our hearts wereTerry Fox, by attempting to run across Canada, despite having an artificial leg; Rick Hansen who wheeled around the world in a wheel chair, and now Silken Laumann. In an Olympics where Canadian athletes have won more gold medals than any recent event, it is Laumann's bronze medal in rowing that is closest to the hearts of many Canadians because of what she had overcome to win it. On May 16 she was warming up for a race when another racing shell smashed into the side of her boat. Her ankle was broken and the tip of the boat severed the muscle and drove hundreds of splinters into the leg. The damage was so bad the muscle would have been cut off if Laumann had not been a world-class athlete. She was told to forget competing in this Olympics. She did, for about three days when her determination made her think about at least trying to fight back. Doctors had reattached the muscle, secured the bone with screws and removed the splinters in a series of five operations which would have a normal person still in a wheel chair. Within days, however, Laumann was doing upper-body excercises in her hospital bed. It was May 25 before she could fly back to Canada. On June 12, just 26 days after the horrible accident, she was back training, though she had to use crutches and a cane to get to the boat. She amazed everyone, even her coach who admitted being "sick for a couple of days" after seeing her distress at the time of the accident. "The injury was pretty horrendous, the bone was exposed. When you think about it, everything must heal. The bone, ligaments, tendon and muscle have all been severely stressed. I thought the Olympics were a chance in a million." At first content just to aim at being at the Olympics, Laumann kept revising her goals as she improved. By Sunday morning's race, she wasn't content to just have reached the finals. Whan an American edged past her with just a few meters to go for what would have been the bronze medal position that famous determination was rekindled. Once more she dug down and with a few powerful strokes surged ahead at the finish line to take the medal. Although she hadn't allowed herself to think of a medal earlier," when the crunch came near the finish, I knew I didn't want to come in fourth". She will likely be the greatest of Canada's heroes at these Olympics...that special kind of Canadian hero. We pick our heroes well. We can't hope to match the skills of top-class athletes. We can emulate the courage of a Silken Laumann, the determination not to let adversity get us down. — KR Rosy memories, forgotten truth Things just aren't as good as the old days, a new Gallup Poll seems to indicate. "The leaders of today don't stand up as well as previous leaders" a Gallup executive said. Canadians don't think their leaders of today have as high ethical standards as past leaders. Brian Mulroney doesn't seem as good as Pierre Trudeau; Bob Rae looks weak beside John Robarts. Right across the country the trend is the same as people long for the good old leaders of the past. How soon we forget. Fifteen years ago Pierre Trudeau was hated...not just disliked...hated! He in turn had been elected in a swell of optimism in 1968 because Canadians were happy to put behind them the carping and constant tummoil of the minority-government years of John Diefenbaker and Lester Pearson. Today people long for men like Diefenbaker, Pearson and Trudeau. Canadians always want the former leader or the next leader but never the current leader. Joe Clark is turfed out of the Conservative leadership for Brian Mulroney, then people yearn for his return as an ethical man. Our confrontational Parliamentary system with the endless haggling of question period helps create quick disillusionment with leaders. Our media who seek conflict, who like to build up potential leaders, then tear them down once they are in office, adds to it. We forget the scandals of the past, too. Diefenbaker's government had the Munsinger scandals, Trudeau's the "judges affair". We have the right to expect our politicians to show real leadership and to play down partisanship. Beyond that, they're only human. —KR Standing tall Photo by Merle Gunby Looking Back Through the Years ONE YEAR AGO August 7,1991 Former Blyth resident and Cen­ tral Huron Secondary School track star Vivienne Stephens and her mother Joyce were officially sworn in as Canadian citizens. Walton Women's Institute cele­ brated 35 years of working in the community. Tom Warner preached his first sermon as new pastor at the Brus­ sels Mennonite Fellowship. A former Brussels resident, Greg Haasnoot, a blind swimmer, won three golds and a silver at the provincial games for the disabled in Hamilton. THREE YEARS AGO August 2,1989 Blyth and District Fire Depart­ ment fought two fires within the week. A Grand Valley family was returning from the Caravan Theatre Company when their car caught fire on highway 4 near the Queens Villa apartments. The car was com­ pletely destroyed. Blyth firemen were also called to the farm of Jack DeJong on Cone. 13 of Hullet township to extinguish a fire in newly combined straw. The flames burned several acres of straw but winds kept it away from uncombined portion of the field. Brussels firemen were called to extinguish a blaze in a wheal field at cone. 3, Lot 30 of Morris town­ ship. Jim Bolesworth of RR 1, Ethel was unloading grain when he noticed that a fire had started in the back of his combine's cab. The cab and wiring harness were complete­ ly destroyed. FIVE YEARS AGO August 5,1987 Post production work was com­ pleted and the first screenings of Blue City Stammers were conduct­ ed in Toronto. The film, which was shot in Blyth, was distributed to Cineplex-Odeon for general theatre release. Blyth Festival was honoured by Ontario Citizenship and Culture Minister Lily Munro. Mrs. Munro attended a performance of Girls in the Gang and presented a plaque to Festival President Marian Doucette and General Manager Tim Chap­ man for the contribution of the Festival to Canadian theatre. Got a beef? Write a letter to the editor C itizenTheNorthHuron P.O. Box 429,P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont.BRUSSELS, Ont.Publisher, Keith Roulston N0M1H0 NOG 1 HO Editor, Bonnie Gropp Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 Sales Representatives, FAX 523-9140 FAX 887-9021 Jeannette McNeil and Merle Gunby 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; $31.03/year ($29.00 plus $2.03 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. 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