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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-12-08, Page 4I A nose for fashion Photo by Bonnie Gropp C The North Huron E.) itizen eNA P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM 1HO NOG 1H0 Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 FAX 523.9140 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Sales Representatives, Jeannette McNeil and Julie Mitchell ruff 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 © Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 Got a beef9 Write a letter to the editor. PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1993. Here it comes again engendered by the Christmas season the new year when the new list of for Huron County is released and a second round of meetings and testing begins. Last time, because the criteria for choosing a site included ignoring all higher class farmland, most of the sites chosen were in lower areas of the county, in Grey and Howick in particular. The requirements to protect farmland have been relaxed this time and it's uncertain what effect this will have on the location of the sites. Perhaps other areas of the county will be hit harder this time. There will no doubt be a moment of panic for those landowners who find themselves on the list. This time there should At least be some confidence in the site selection process, however. Angry property owners last time pointed out how little depth there was to the water table or how close their property was to a river. Eventually they were proven right and all the sites were rejected. Hopefully this time out the process will again prove what common sense made immediately evident. The site selection process forced on the county is long, expensive and often maddeningly complicated. The obvious isn't obvious under this system until a few thousands dollars worth of testing proves it obvious. And the system continues to be complicated more by the various government agencies involved. While the local committee is now preparing to choose the next list of candidate sites, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food is now questioning the ranking of the criteria used to choose those sites. Huron had relaxed restrictions on using better farmland. OMAF feels they relaxed too much. Everybody gets frustrated by the system, but then it's a system set up to carry out an impossible job. No matter where the landfill is eventually situated, there will be unhappy neighbours. Huron County officials, however, seem to be doing their best to make the process as fair as possible. When the new list of candidate sites is released next month, let's hope everybody stays calm and lets the checks built into the system weed out the bad choices. If that doesn't work, then it's time enough to panic. — KR Discovering the value One of the challenges for the new federal government will be to make Canadians aware .of what parts of government are good value for the money they pay. There has been the trend in recent years, to complain about taxes and feel that everything paid to the government is wasted. Many people feel justified in cheating the government because they have convinced themselves they are cheated. The Mulroney government tried to be honest about the GST. Rather than hide the tax, the government felt people should know what they paid. The result however, has been to remind people constantly of how much tax they pay. A huge black market has resulted as people try to cheat the government (and as a result the honest people have to pay even more because government revenues are down). Yet there are many bargains in the government services we get. Most obvious, of course, is in health care. Canadians pay a smaller percentage of their gross national income to medical costs than Americans, yet everyone here has free medical coverage while 40 million Americans have no protection against financial disaster if they face illness. But there are other cases of true value in our government-assisted services. Tuition at a major Canadian university totals just over $2,000 for a year. Most universities in the U.S. have tuition fees of 10 times that. Few of us arc reminded regularly what government saves us, while we're reminded every time we buy something, how much government costs us. The government, if it wants to rebuild confidence in the system and curb the legitimacy the black market is attaining, must find some way to remind us of the rewards we get for those taxes. It's part of a multi-pronged attack Finance Minister Paul Martin and his colleagues must undertake. There is no doubt some reform is needed to government programs. There are inefficiencies in the system that must be rooted out. There are ways that the same dollars can be made to benefit more people. But simply making us aware of the value we get for our tax dollars might go a long way to reassuring Canadians that government is not, in itself, evil. — KR Paul's Perspective This week members of the Ontario Parent Council were announced. I wish to thank those of you who applied and requested information on the Council. The key to success in education is the involvement of the parents. In Huron County a group of parents got together in Exeter to talk about violence in the schools and community. I commend the action of the South Huron District High School Parents Association for organizing this forum. One of the consistent messages that the Government of Ontario has heard from across the province is that parents want a voice in the education system. Our government knows how important parental involvement is to a child's education, that is why Dave Cooke, Minister of Education and Training, created the Ontario Parent Council. It is our firm belief that by making it easier for parents to have a hand in how their sons and daughters learn, our young people will learn more effectively. When we looked at parents' role in education in Ontario, we discovered that although many parents are involved in various ways, parents as a group_do not have a voice at the provincial level. But parents are the first educators a child encounters, and they have much to offer. Their insights and experience into the way children should be schooled represent a valuable resource for our government and our schools. We obviously weren't alone in our view. In the month that followed the announcement of our plan to create the council, the Ministry of Education and Training received more than 3,000 requests for information. More than 1,100 applications were sent in. I know that Dave Cooke was impressed by the quality of applicants, and was encouraged by seeing how many parents were eager to commit their time and energy to this new organization. The new council will have two main roles. One will be a policy role to provide advice on elementary and secondary policy and program issues to the Minister of Education and Training. This will be the first time parents have direct access as a group to the Continued on page 5 Letters to the Editor Accolades for Mills, choir THE EDITOR, THE EDITOR, I was one of almost 1,000 people Once again, the community has who had the pleaure and privilege rallied to the aid of the less to see the Frank Mills concert in fortunate in our area, and with Blyth, Sunday. What a wonderful performance it was. tremendous generosity and a true outpouring of love, begun to share in an exciting uplifting manner. We Not only was there a four-piece at the Salvation Army Family back up band, but the Blyth United Services are so thankful that we Church choir under the direction of have the privilege of acting on Phyllis Boak, was there as well. behalf of the community, and want Phyllis and the choir can be to extend to those who have given congratulated for their superb so generously, and continue to performance. Also Christmas and give, our sincere thanks on behalf Country did a terrific job of of those less fortunate amongst us. decorating the stage. Every year, we come to the I and many others were misty- community on their behalf, and eyed, listening to the beautiful every year we never cease to be arrangements of Christmas music. amazed at their generosity and "A first class act!" love. Acting on behalf of the Lois van Vliet, Blyth. community and working within the community, the Salvation Army THE EDITOR, Family Worship Centre, and I would like to take this Family Services, thrill in the joy of opportunity to thank the people in reaching out to those, who, because the Blyth community for helping of physical, emotional, or spiritual Huron United Way. Although we problems, are lonely hurting or did not reach our goal this year, we depressed, and sharing on your will remain loyal to the universal behalf and in a practical manner the hope of providing support to our love and compassion of our Lord local citizens in need. A person or Jesus Christ whose birth vie two cannot do it alone. It is only by celebrate. the compassion of many concerned If you have any questions with citizens, working together to regard to either The Salvation volunteer their time and dollars, Army Family Services or Family that our goals will be met. Blyth is Worship Centre, please do not a very service-minded community. hesitate to contact the numbers Your support is appreciated. shown below. Mary Ann Howson donated The Salvation Army Family much time to helping to bring our Services Christmas and Winter plea to the people in this area. Relief Appeal Because of her, and others like her, Mrs. Captain Edna Rowe the agencies supported by Huron Box 610, Wingham NOG 2W0 United Way will be able to Phone: 357-3757 continue their programs — programs that offer so much hope to so many The Salvation Army Family in need. Worship Centre Captains Roy & Margaret Scott Connie Argyle (Pastors) Executive Director, Box 610, Wingham N)G 2W0 Huron United Way. Phone: 357-1951 Dreams of peace and goodwill will likely be shattered early in candidate sites for a landfill site E ditorial