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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-11-16, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1994. C itizenTheNorthHuron P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. N0M1H0 Phone 523-47! FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. N0G1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Sales Representatives, Jeannette McNeil and Julie Mitchell 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 Editorial Message: don't even try The barrage of criticism that has been leveled at the new street lighting in Blyth seems to send one signal to the municipal staff, politicians, and volunteers who were involved in the project: don't even try to do anything to improve your town because those who are professional critics will damn your efforts. The idea for using the rebuilding of Blyth’s main street as an opportunity to upgrade the village's image came only after the new Blyth Business Association was formed last spring. In the five years or so of planning for the construction no one had really looked beyond the mechanics of the process to the aesthetics. When Business Association leaders suggested this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a stamp on the community's image, village councillors, then- staff, and Ministry of Transportation officials agreed. In a remarkably short time engineers redesigned the sidewalks, plans were made for underground wiring, and new street lights were chosen. That selection process took many hours as councillors, staff and Business Association volunteers visited other communities to see their lighting and looked at different proposals. The new look to Blyth's main street has brought compliments from many people who have visited the community in the past couple of months. At home it seems to bring only criticism. Are the streets dimmer as the critics say? Or is this the same change in perspective that had many people predicting, during the construction, that the street would be so narrow there would only be parking down one side? An engineer was involved in the design. Ministry of Transportation was involved. If the situation is so bad wouldn't these people have figured it out? It's easy to be an expert when you sit on the sidelines. In fact people who seen) to make the least effort to get involved in their community seem to be the experts in what should have happened. They succeed only in scaling off those who are willing to work. The critics' message to these people is "Be like us, don't bother to make an effort." — KR Cut, cut, cut — somebody else The true face of Canada's big business community was revealed Monday when the Canadian Chamber of Commerce made recommendations to the Commons Finance Committee. The big business message — cut off the people who need help but keep giving to the people who already have money. The Chamber told the government it isn't cutting its deficit fast enough. Business was willing to do its part, officials said, then proceeded to suggest cuts in farm support and regional development. But don'l, the business leaders said, cut assistance to those companies that arc helping the economy: in other words our friends in the prosperous big companies that arc al the heart of the business community. It’s part of the same message business has been giving all along: blame the poor for their own problems. Farmers arc to blame for their own problems. The people in the Maritimes should just get smart and move to Toronto instead of trying to develop their own region. But business leaders aren't as smart as they think. They arc so isolated in their own world that they don't even understand how interconnected the economy is. How many big businesses are involved in the food industry, for example? Do they ever stop to think how important a healthy food sector is for them? How many of the retail giants have stores in Atlantic Canada? Do they have any idea what the ramifications would be to their profit picture if we abandon the Atlantic provinces economically? We're all in this country together. Once we understood that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Today we think that only the strongest link matters. Big business leaders smugness may eventually hurl them a much as ii will ihc people they would make victims. — KR Thanks for trying Monday's elections will shape the future of local communities for the next three years and the names of the winners will be in the news often. Before they're forgotten, however, we should say thanks to the other candidates Whether we agreed with their policies or didn't, they have had the courage to put their names forward. They've spent a lol of money and time giving us a choice. Thanks to every one of you. — KR Looking Back Through the Years From the files of The Blyth Stan­ dard, The Brussels Post and The North Huron Citizen 48 YEARS AGO NOV. 18,1942 A concert and dance in the Brus­ sels Town Hall was announced. The event was scheduled to have Brown's Five-Piece Orchestra attend. It was sponsored by the War Workers of Grey and Morris. Deer season was officially opened in Huron County for the first time in many years. Hunters flooded the district in hope of a good hunt. Local residents were told to con­ serve electricity at home, in order to give war plants more power to produce shells, tanks, and guns. The Brussels Branch of the Red Cross sent 41 Christmas parcels, containing clothing and a pen set, overseas to local boys enlisted in active service. The voters' lists for Grey an^ Huron Counties were posted oy Clerk J.H. Fear. This list included all citizens who were entitled to vote in the municipal elections. Farmers were invited to the Brus­ sels Memorial Hall for free films on farm care. The movies were intended to educate local farmers on proper techniques for poultry farming. Two packages of Kleenex cost 25 cents. A box of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda was seven cents. 38 YEARS AGO NOV. 14,1956 The council for the Township of East Wawanosh accepted a tender for a new grader with snowplow. Reeve E. Taylor presided over the meeting. Remembrance Day was the topic at local churches the past Sunday. Services were held, in honour of fallen heroes throughout the area. The Blyth Legion conducted their own early morning ceremony. A parade lined up at the Legion on Dinsley Street and proceeded to the Memorial Hall. Wreaths were laid at the steps of the hall by the lead­ ers of various organizations. The regular meeting of lhe Blyth Municipal Council was held in Memorial Hall. Reeve Morritt, and Councillors Radford, Wheeler and Whitfield were present to discuss increased insurance on the fire hall. Postmaster McNall and his wife Wellington celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. The couple were presented with a cake by Mrs. Carman Haines at a practice meet­ ing. The winners of "Bank Nite Prizes" were Clarence Johnston, Rhea Hall, Wellington McNall, and George McNall. Mr. William Morritt, Reeve of Blyth, announced he planned to run for re-election. A pair of women's rain bools cost $1.89, while a flannel shirt cost $2.79. Letters THE EDITOR, You know you live in a small town when you don't have to use turn signals because everybody knows where you're going. You know you live in a small town when you can call each dog by name and he wags his tail when you meet. You know you live in a small Writers praise small town life town when you dial the wrong number and talk 15 minutes anyway. You know you live in a small town when you find it hard to walk for exercise because every car that passes by offcrs you a ride. You know you live in a small town when you write a cheque on the wrong bank and they cover it for you anyway (it really could happen if we had two banks). You know you live in a small town when someone asks you how you are and actually spends lime to listen to what you have to say. That says a lot for a small town; we care for each other. You know you live in a small town when someone asks you a question because they care - not just to make idle conversation. You know you live in a small town when you suffer a tragedy and there's a steady stream of people bringing you food, clothing and offers of help. You know you live in a small town when you can’t afford to send your child to summer camp or register him in sports - then Continued on page 6