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The Citizen, 1994-11-23, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23,1994. Letters Writers sing Blyth’s praises Continued from page 4 fundraising campaign. A special thanks as well to all the women who assisted me on the door-to- door canvas in Blyth. The success of the campaign would not have been possible without your help. Yours truly, Arlene Wood. THE EDITOR, I am proud to be a citizen of Blyth, proud to call this place home. Our little village with its beautiful main street and many ongoing successful events is the envy of communities even several times Blyth’s size. It is with concern I read in The Citizen that Mr. Bailey would like to slow the next phase of the lighting program. It would be encouraging to see the acclaimed and elected village officials (who only want to hold office for "the good of Blyth") to demonstrate real support for the local merchants by at least attempting to work with the Blyth Business Association in its many endeavours. Let's keep Blyth a village to be proud of, a great place to call home. Another Blyth Booster M. J. Sparling THE EDITOR, Many people had the pleasure, again, in seeing Frank Mills in A Celebration of Christmas at the Blyth Memorial Hall, Sunday, Nov. 20. The Blyth United Church choir, under the direction of Phyllis Boak, did another superb job in performing with Mr. Mills. It was so nice to sit and listen to the beautiful arrangements of the wonderful music of Christmas, on the beautifully decorated stage, by the Legion Ladies. Guest column Dad — greatest hero of them all By Leslie Cook The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month has served as a reminder for me for several years now. It reminds me of the men who died for the freedom that we now enjoy. It has also stirred up feelings that I have not always been able to identify. So several years ago we began to send to my father (a WWII vet) a small gift of flowers on Remembrance Day to help us express those feelings of pride, thankfulness and appreciation. That practice over the years has helped me see where some of those feelings were coming from. Today the word hero came to mind as I was thinking what to put on the card with this year's flowers. I thought that was strange as I had never referred to my Dad as a hero before. So I brought out the dictionary to sec just what the word "hero" means. According to Webster's, a hero is a man famed for courage or deeds of prowess (daring, bravery, valor). When I saw the description 1 knew why that word came to mind at this time. I realized that moment, that my father's deed of prowess did indeed set him amongst the ranks of the all-time heroes. Now I realize that may sound simple to most, but I don't use that term and never have used it in reference to fictional or blow-hard TV small "h" heroes that only make Not only did Frank Mills say that ing in Blyth, he said, quote, "And I just love your new streetlights!" With so much apprehension regarding some local issues, I felt that it would be refreshing to write something, not only pleasant, but joyous and inspirational as well. Sincerely Lois van Vliet. THE EDITOR, In the four years that we have lived in Blyth, we are pleased by our observations. We are constantly amazed by the dedication, vitality and the achievements reached for the betterment of the village. Credit; where credit is due - the village clerk; the former reeve, councillors and staff members, those who are leaving, all administrated Blyth business in a capable, professional manner, to the envy of much larger towns. We would like to have seen the former council returned to office, for future prosperity, to continue their work, that they did so well. We hope that the taxpayers do not regret the loss of their expertise and capable administration. One can only admire our "new look"; the super highway curbs, sidewalks, the attractive, functional street lamps; look up and feel a sense of pride and praise for those who made it all happen. They deserve all of the compliments and favourable comments made by visitors to our lovely village, may it never change. Our concern is the change. Could inexperience and back sliding plunge the village into a serious decline? Negative views are generally seen as unhealthy for healing and growth. Let us hope that honesty, integrity and fair play will be at the top of the agenda. Charlie and Verne Dakin. New to the pack Five new Cubs were recently invested into the 1st Brussels Cub Pack. Back row, from left are: leaders George Kroll, Brian Neill and Rob Willie. Cubs are: Bryce Wedow, Jamie Ross, Morgan Bishop, Richard Goetz and Jonathan McDougall. < THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA is looking at changing Canada’s social programs. But before making changes, believe their deeds. But as for my Dad, he made a choice to defend my freedom even before I was bom. To me there lies the difference between a real HERO and a hero. "Heroes" follow the script, they know the outcome. The only deeds they do are the ones they know will make them a hero. But when men and women offer their lives in war the outcome is uncertain. Their acts of Heroism are done in faith that they are defending what is right and good, not knowing the end results, go ahead and act according to what they know must be done, rather than what they feel like doing. Dexter Yager in his book, Ordinary Men, Extraordinary Heroes, says "a true Hero relies on his ingenuity, natural abilities and determination to overcome the odds". All kinds of men and women have done this to preserve our freedom over the years and that makes them our HEROES, without doubt. Pierce Brosnan said at the end of his narration for the movie Robin Hood, "We still look for heroes". This is so true. 1 hope I will always be on the watch for men and women that move into that role. But if no more or a million more become apparent to me, the greatest hero of them all, my own personal Hero, will be my Dad. you information on possible changes to social programs like: • Unemployment Insurance • Child Tax Benefit • Federal contributions to: • Employment development services and training • Post-secondary education • Social assistance (welfare) and social services • Child care • Assistance to persons with disabilities To participate in this national discussion, fill in the pull-out question and answer section of the booklet, and return it to us. Call 1-800-735-3551 TDD: 1-800-465-7735 “Have Your Say” is also available at all post offices, Canada Employment Centres, and at many YM/YWCAs and grocery stores across Canada. You can also share your views with your MP or attend the public hearings on Social Security Reform which are being held in communities across Canada by the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development. IT’S TIME TO CHANGE OUR SOCIAL PROGRAMS. HAVE YOUR SAY. ■ a ■ Human Resources ■ Development Canada Developpement des ressources humaines Canada Canada