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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-08-17, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17,1994. The North Huron itizene P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Orrt. N0M1H0 Phone 523-47S FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Sales Representatives, Jeannette McNeil and Julie Mitchell r aio 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. Conilonts of The Citizen are © Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 E ditorial r __ i Photo radar unfair to minority There is something inherently unfair about Ontario's new photo radar system, but not for the majority of the people who arc belly­ aching about it. The provision of the new system that fines the owner of the vehicle for speeding no matter who is driving is definitely inequitable. Many a parent is likely to get a surprise in the mail in the coming months after a son or daughter has had use of the car for a few hours. On a commercial level, car rental companies are going to get a lot of bills from clients who had a heavy foot. Theoretically, you could even have your car stolen and have insult added to your injury by getting fined because the thief was speeding when he escaped. (Imagine if you could be charged with murder because a knife you owned was used for the crime by someone else.) But for all the unfairness, the majority of the people who are complaining about the system are simply upset because they're being forced to obey the law. They complain that the 1,600 tickets a day are just a way for the government to raise more money but this is a voluntary tax. If you don't want to contribute to the government, slow down. There is a trend in our society to only consider breaking the law serious if you get caught. Il isn't a crime to speed, just to get caught. It isn't a crime to cheat on your income tax, just to get caught doing it. It isn't wrong to pay cash to avoid GST, it's just a mistake to get caught. Once upon a time there was the feeling that we mustn't do wrong because God was watching us, all day, every day. Somehow that feeling has been lost for most of the population. We need to reinstate the feeling that wrong is wrong no matter where or no matter what time of the day. If photo radar starts making people think twice about breaking the law, perhaps it will be a gain. If it saves lives by making people slow down, then the inequities will be worth it. — KR Reviving the myth The world has been treated this past weekend to a lot of myth making with the 25th anniversary of the Woodstock rock concert in upstate New York. Maybe it's lime to shatter the myth, not keep adding to it. Woodstock has come to symbolize what was good about the idealism of the generation that came of age in the 1960s. Because that baby-boom generation was so large, it has managed to shape the whole society and perpetuate a lot of bunkum about how wonderful the era was. In fact the one bit of idealism about the 1960s is the '60s generation's memories of itself. This was a generation that arrogantly chastised its parents for being too materialistic. In its rebellion it was pledging to live a simple, non materialistic life, in some case even moving back to the land to reconnect with nature. As adults these young people have turned out to be the most materialistic generation in history. Life isn't worth living unless there is a huge house filled with every imaginable gadget. It is so important to have those gadgets at a price that is as cheap as possible that people have journeyed hours to the U.S. to save money, while hurting the economy of their own country or have gone to the underground economy to beat the GST. We arc a generation which has nearly bankrupted our government with our demands for more services, then complained because taxes were too high. What we have bequeathed to our children arc the worst parts of the 60s culture. Drugs have become a major problem among young people. The "free love” concept has survived to create a generation that would jump into bed with each other about as easily as their parents would bestow a first kiss. The outgrowth has been sexually transmitted diseases and the potential for a major explosion of AIDS among the heterosexual community. Perhaps the filling punishment for this self-centred generation is that they arc now parents themselves. Il's a troubled generation, with no sense of direction. It would be poetic justice if the generation turned against its parents and their materialism the way the '60s generation did. It would be wonderful if they could judge their parents, not by the mythology of the '60s culture that the parents have budl up, but by the reality of their lives. What the world didn't need was a revival of Woodstock to make parents feel all warm and cuddly about the 1960s. What it needs is some way of matching the mythology to the reality of the generation — some good old fashioned soul searching. — KR Photo by Janice Becker Looking Back Through the Years From the files of the Brussels Post, The Blyth Standard and The North Huron Citizen 22 YEARS AGO , AUG. 16,1972 Plans for the 45th Huron County Plowing Match were finalized at a well attended meeting held in McKillop Township Hall. The Match is to be held on the Wm. Steckle farm, two miles south of Bayfield. Brussels council applied to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario for a retail outlet for Brussels. The Huron Federation of Agri­ culture continued its fight against. Bell Canada for large toll-free call­ ing areas in the northern part of Huron County. Seaforth residents had unique comments for their newly decorat­ ed post office. "This must be the sexiest post office in Canada", explained one patron. The Harriston Drive-In Theatre featured The Skin Game with James Garner while Charlton Heston starred in The Omega Man. 1 YEAR AGO AUG. 18,1993 The Cunningham bridge on County Road 16, in Grey Twp, was officially opened by Leona Arm­ strong, reeve of Grey Twp. The East Wawanosh landfill was the site of a fire. Landfill supervi­ sor, Brian Hallman said "Aerosol cans began to explode and ignited the household waste section which soon got out of control". Jason Lee returned from a five week exchange to Holland that was sponsored by the Blyth Lions Club. The Trans Can Nationa Motocross Championships were held in Walton. The Goderich Park Theatre fea­ tured Free Willy. Letters THE EDITOR, This letter is to the taxpayers of Morris Township to help clear up some misinformation and explain the situation that the township has put me in due to the reconstruction on our road. This project was not the idea of the ratepayers as the Reeve told me but at the July 5 meeting of council the road superintendent admitted he felt the work needed to be done. I am not the only one to object to this proposal. Council in a 3-2 recorded vote decided to go ahead with this project. The reeve's quote for the price of reconstruction also misleads the taxpayers. I don't feel this figure is even close to the actual costs. I don't think that the engineer Mr. Clark should be telling any township of standards to be kept. Mr. Clark has informed me that he hasn't seen a flood on this section of river, that ice jams do not have any effect on the level or flow of flood waler and says he uses the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers methods to set up his model. One must remember that it was the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who designed and built the structures to control the Mississippi River flooding only to have Mother Nature make fools out of them. I am tired of being told by the reeve, road superintendent, the engineer and MVCA that there will be no damage yet none of these people have the intestinal fortitude (i.e. guts) to stand behind their facts and figures by issuing a letter of compensation to us. I have lived beside the river all my life and have seen the floods year after year. Now that the natural flow of flood waters has been blocked to the north of the road (as stated by the engineer from MVCA) I feel I have legitimate worries and all I have asked for is a letter of compen­ sation. I feel we have been ignored since June. Most of those making the decisions have never seen the floods here but if they believe in what they say then a letter of compensation should be no problem. Not issuing a letter, indicates to me doubts in their own decision. Being on elected council I thought meant that the concerns of the taxpayers are always considered to be first and foremost. In this case, 1 think the taxpayers have been kept misinformed and in the dark about the whole project. I am looking for a letter of compensation to protect by interests. Is that too much to ask in protecting one's family? Keith J. Elston.