Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-01-13, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1993. There is a price to pay Huron County Council has told its committee chairmen and department heads that they should prepare their 1993 budgets so that there is a zero per cent increase in the mill rate. It's a great goal, and one that will hopefully be followed by local municipalities and by the school boards in these tough times, but let's not fool ourselves that there is no cost. Some of that cost showed up in the Huron County Roads Department's Needs Assessment given to county council on Thursday. In an effort to cut tax increases required by things like the Huronview and Huronlea building projects and the burgeoning costs of the search of a county landfill, the county has been pruning its budget for such things as roads for a couple of years now. The result is that for the first time in recent years, the amount of money needed to bring Huron's road system up to standard actually increased at year's end. To bring the roads department right up tc4psnuff would require $47,680,000, up from $44,666,000. County Engineer Denis Merrall pointed out there isn't any immediate emergency if the roads department falls a bit behind, and he's right. Huron county has one of the provinces best road systems. If the purse strings are held tight too long, however, the situation could become worse. To see how things could be, one has only to look at the provincial road system. Once the term "Queen's 'ughway" meant the best in this part of Ontario. That was back in the days when Ontario was on a road-building mania in the 1950's and 1960's. For many years now, however, the province has been living on the capital built up in those years and the road system has slipped badly. With the exception of the Highway 4 improvements, the provincial highway system in this area now lags far behind the county system in quality. What's more the province is trying to unload highways 83, 84 and 87 onto the county system and, aside from the cost, county residents might be better off to accept in terms of the quality of service they can get. The other factor to remember in saving on road building is the unknown of disentanglement process. In the name of simplifying the tax system, the province is trying to unload local road grants in favour of taking over the whole welfare burden. Even in these times of unemployment and higher than usual welfare, this is a bad deal for rural municipalities. Welfare is a much lower cost to Huron taxpayers than the combined costs of the hundreds of miles of county and municipal roads. So yes, let's applaud the attempt of county councillors to hold the line on tax increases, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking there isn't a price to be paid.—KR Eliminate stupid choices One man's bottom line, is another man's potential disaster. That seems to be the case in two recent ecological disasters that have had a terrible effect on human beings and nature. Citizens of the remote Shetland Islands have been paying the price for stupidity after a single-hulled oil tanker tried to save a little time and money by going through the dangerous islands during a storm and ended up wrecked on the rocks. Meanwhile residents of the little community of Oakville Manitoba finally got home for the first time since Dec. 21 on the weekend after dangerous chemicals spilled in their community as a result of a train derailment. They came home to burst water pipes, stores with rotted produce and Christmas merchandise that will never be sold. The oil in the tanker was bound for Canada. It might have ended up in your furnace or gas tank. It would be hypocritical to say the oil shouldn't have been shipped at all. Similarly, the chemicals in those tank cars in Manitoba provided jobs for someone when they were manufactured and will be needed by some other factory or farm down the line at their destination. The products manufactured with the chemicals may end up in our homes. Surely we can do something to make sure that the least harm possible is done. Surely the bottom line, the few dollars or cents saved here and there, doesn't excuse short cuts that can endanger nature and an entire way of life. For Shetland Islanders, the meagre resources they have could be wiped out by this careless, short-sighted tanker company. Tourism could be wrecked by the publicity the island gets. Farmers are worried that oil, carried on water vapours, could damage their sheep and the fine wool they produce, wool that is one of the main products of the islands. Also in danger are multi-million dollar salmon farms. We have no right to hurt one group of people to have cheap oil for others.—KR When the bough breaks Photo by Bonnie Gropp Looking Back Through the Years From the files of the Blyth Standard, Brussels Post and The Citizen FIVE YEARS AGO January 13, 1988 More then 160 friends, neigh- bours and relations dropped in to pay tribute to Jennie and Wilbur Turnbull of Brussels to celebrate their 70th anniversary. Their wed- ding took place on January 9, 1918 The Blyth Atoms travelled to Wingham on December 30th for their first game in the Regional Sil- ver Stick Tournament. They won the consolation Silver Stick. Some players on the team were: Ryan Chamney, Henry Bos, Michael Bromley, and James McNichol. It took three attempts to find a date for Blyth Festival's annual meeting, but those who finally attended heard the familiar story that the theatre was once again in the black. After doing business of more than three-quarters of a million dol- lars, the theatre showed a surplus of $9,500. Ethel man, Dan Pearson won $100,000 in the Wintario lottery. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food celebrated its 100th anniver- sary. James S. Ryan, RR5, Seaforth was appointed to fill the McKillop council vacancy left after the resig- nation of Councillor John George in December. Brussels Bantams won the Arthur tournament consolation champi- onship. Blyth Universal broomball team competed in a provincial champi- onship in Clinton. John Jewitt, RR1, Londesboro was acclaimed as chair of the Huron County Board of Education. Dorothy and Jim Schnieder opened Manchester Video and Variety in the former Auburn hard- ware store. 17 YEARS AGO January 14, 1976 Work began on the rejuvenation of Memorial Hall theatre under a Local Initiatives Program grant from the federal government. The project was under direction of the Blyth Centre for the Arts and was Continued on page 6 C itizen The North Huron P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM 1H0 NOG 1H0 Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 FAX 523-9140 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/,/ear ($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, Llstowel, 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. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Sales Representatives, Jeannette McNeil and Merle Gunby Serving Blyth, Brussels, Auburn, Beigrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and the surrounding townships.