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The Citizen, 1997-07-30, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 30,1997 C itizenTheNorthHuron (Jc^A P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. N0G1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil PAIDE-mail norhuron@huron.net The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $27.00/year ($25.24 + $1.76 G.S.T.) in Canada; $62.00/year in U.S.A, and $75.00/year in other foreign countries. 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 E ditorial I... .......-_______ __........J Learn the lesson of history People in Brussels and its surrounding area will be welcoming home former residents this weekend, for a big party to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the village's incorporation. Here’s hoping everyone has a happy, safe celebration, and perhaps learns something from the struggles of the people who helped create the community in the first place. Celebrations like this can be important for the spirit of a community (as it can be for a country, remember Canada’s centennial in 1967?) It can make people take new pride in what they have accomplished. Hopefully, it can also make people appreciate the things that brought their community its success. As people straggled into the bush of Huron County in the 1850s, there was little option but to support each other. The task of clearing the land and building a home was so huge, the people started with so little, that only by working together could they survive. They did more than survive. In Brussels’ case, they built a solid community base that later allowed entrepreneurial individuals to create a boom time that built the magnificent buildings that still line the long main street of the village. Still, working together remained a way to build the community, whether it was building churches, the medical-dental centre or the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre. Today it is easier to act as an individual than in those earlier days. Creeping into our communities have come the attitudes of the cities where people do what is best for themselves, and the community seems to go on anyway, with community growth built on the expansion of huge business enterprises. People seem pleased to shop in the same chain stores as their cousins in the cities have. But the rules aren’t the same as in London or Scarborough. Corporate Canada doesn’t care about the fate of a Brussels or Blyth, only the contents of the pockets of their residents. The only people who care about Brussels or Blyth will be the residents of those villages. We might like to escape the responsibility of being part of a community, to live only unto ourselves like our city relatives, but such a temptation will be fatal to the futures of our towns and villages. Unlike them, every action we take either builds our community, or helps drag it down. We still need to work together, whether we realize it or noL Hopefully, as people in Brussels consider the past 125 years, they’ll come to realize if their community is to remain vibrant, they must work together just as the pioneers did. — KR When does it become greed? When does the desire for a good return on investment cross the line to become greed? Last week Bell Canada announced a $372 million profit for the first six months of its fiscal year — then announced it would lay off 2,200 workers on top of the 10,000 it had ear her laid off. Though the profits appear large, the company said they did not meet its expectations and something had to be done to improve the situation. Now gross figures for the profits of billion-dollar companies can sometimes be misleading. While Bell’s earnings increased nine per cent from last year “its rate of return on equity, at 10.2 per cent, remains unsatisfactory”, said Red Wilson, chairman and chief executive of BCE, the parent of Bell Canada. In the 1950s, the last time inflation hovered around the two per cent mark, a 10 per cent return on investment would have been considered good. The real gain on your money, the difference between the return on investment and the loss because of inflation, is very high. But investors got used to 20 and 30 per cent return on investment in the high inflation times, and now they think they must hit those levels even in low inflation times. Today it is not just a case of a handful of rich people being greedy. Today investment often comes from companies investing our pension and RRSP money. Those fund managers, driven by our expectations of building our pensions quickly, demand companies make large profits so the return to investors will be larger. To meet those expectations, companies lay off employees to cut costs. Laid-off employees then increase government costs for unemployment and welfare, and drive down the profits of other companies because they haven’t money to spend. Those companies, in turn, lay off employees to keep their profits to “acceptable” levels. And so the vicious downward cycle goes. —KR Photo by Janice Becker Letters to the editor THE EDITOR, The editorials in July 23 issues of The Citizen, one on capital punish­ ment, the other on tolerance, are possibly more closely related than we realize. On the first we hear more and more about capital punishment. Changing the Young Offenders Act, and longer jail terms for persons that commit crimes against society. About the young Amish woman who was hit by a beer bottle which was thrown at her from a passing vehicle, that is sad and disgusting. I cannot help but wonder about the $30,000 offered in three days to someone who has information. Does it take that much money to get people to report something as disgusting as that? But what is our response in the community, when we hear racial slurs and other cruel remarks thrown at people who are different than ourselves. I know it is not as visible and will not require stitches, but I am sure it hurts just the same. What really made this Amish girl stand out was in her statement to the media. It made me sit up and listen, when she said she just wanted to tell the person that it hurt a lot, but also that he was forgiven. How different and special that was is hard to describe. Most of us, including myself, call ourselves Christian, but do we realize that it is almost 2,000 years ago now that Christ uttered the same words ... "Forgive them". I often wonder what the world would be like if more of us could do as this Amish girl did and let people know it hurts but also tell them they are forgiven. I know it is a complex issue, but in a world so full of hate and revenge I cannot help but wonder if it would make a difference. Christ and this Amish girl seem to feel it would. Just Wondering, Blyth. THE EDITOR, First of all I would like to congratulate you on a beautiful and informative book "Our Story" written to tell the story of Brussels from Ainleyville to Brussels 1872-1997. On reading through the book I might say that I was disappointed and more than a little shocked (and hurt) that my name or picture was not included in the list of 11 plus teachers who had attended the old, white two-storey building (Brussels Continuation School) then returned * to teach at Brussels Public School. I took all of my high school years at Brussels Continuation School. When Miss Luella Mitchell was given Grade 1 in January 1967, I took over the Grade 2 class which was comprised of Brussels and Morris Twp. students which I taught for many years. Before my retirement I sometimes had a Grade 1/2 or 2/3. In all I put in 21 years at the new Brussels Public School with an additional 13 years in one-room schools in Grey, Morris and McKillop Twps. Over the years I have watched with pride many of my former students go on to become excellent and valuable citizens working in a great variety of occupations. I also feel very humbled when many of them stop to say a friendly "hello". I might say, too, that my four children Brian and David Huether, Joyce Tipple and Joan Ritchie plus two of my granddaughters, Sandra and Sheri Huether, daughters of Brian and Dianne Huether of Brussels, and my brother, Don McDonald, also attended Brussels Public School. Thank you. Sincerely, Mrs. Mary L. (McDonald) Huether