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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-05-19, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1999. C itizenTheNorthHuron >cna P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil Member Ontario The Citizen is published 50 times a year In Brussels, Press Council 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 $100.00/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. 09244 Canadian Publication Mail Agreement No. 1374990 E ditorial i':. •..i?..'. ..'I....:zz:zzzzzzzzzz...z Peaking through Beware simple solutions It is tempting, and comforting, during an election campaign to look to leaders who have simple solutions for complicated problems. It is also dangerous because looking for simple solutions often gets in the road of really solving a problem. Take the issue of helping the less fortunate in society, for instance. Premier Mike Harris has been claiming he has given thousands of people back their lives by making it harder for them to get welfare. Some of his opponents point to a growing number of people living on the street as evidence that the Harris government’s welfare cuts have created greater hardship. Probably both sides are right — and wrong. The government is right in a small number of cases. There were (and probably still are) some people abusing the welfare system. Generous governments, for instance, had felt one way to give young people an opportunity to escape abusive relationships at home was to offer student welfare so they could live on their own. But for every case where a young person truly needed to escape from an abusive parent, there were probably a dozen who used the system to escape living with the rules of home. If Mike Harris, by closing loopholes and making welfare less attractive, discouraged young people from trying to run away from parental rules at home, he will have saved a potential generation of people who think they can get something for nothing. But when Harris gives the impression that tougher rules are the saviour of people on welfare he’s wrong. Welfare was created for a reason. There will always be people who need welfare. What the government has done by cutting welfare payments, is made living for these people increasingly hard. In some cases they probably have driven people onto the streets. The problem is there is no easy solution. We need a welfare system that is generous enough to help people who truly need it yet doesn’t encourage abuse by those capable of working. Unfortunately that’s not the kind of government policy that can be explained in one easy slogan to catch the attention of voters looking for simple answers. — KR Just cause loses credibility NATO governments, including Canada’s, are losing credibility as the bombing of Yugoslavia continues but the suffering of the people of Kosovo is unabated. Unless NATO governments show the courage to send in ground troops to free Kosovo from the army and police of President Slobodan Milosevic their terrorizing and murdering of innocent civilians will continue. At the same time, innocent residents of Yugoslavia and Kosovo will continue to die because of mistakes by NATO bombing crews or because they just happen to be near a target when a bomb falls. The longer the bombing goes on, the more likely it is the toll of innocent people will climb. NATO is trying to solve the problem without risking the lives of its soldiers. Unfortunately, protecting the civil rights of innocent people sometimes has its price. Even our police officers, at times, must be prepared to risk their lives to protect others. If NATO is afraid to go the next step, to put in troops to force a stop to ethnic cleansing, then Milosevic will have won, the Kosovars will never have a homeland again and evil will have been rewarded. It’s not much of a choice.— KR Photo by Janice Becker Looking Back Through the Years From the files of the Blyth Standard, Brussels Post and North Huron Citizen A little idea grows With Blyth Lions Club’s plan to build a walking trail from Blyth’s Greenway Trail to Drummond Street the little trail that grew gets a new addition. The Greenway is an example of how a municipal government can show leadership, without spending a lot of money. Inspired by village council, the Greenway Trail is an idea that has been adopted by many groups and individuals in the community. School children and Boy Scouts have helped clean up the river, the Horticultural Society has planted and tended a butterfly garden, neighbours have helped out and private business has provided funding. Even more important, people love the trail. There’s almost always someone using some part of the trail. It has inspired people to get exercise and to enjoy nature. All ’round it’s been an inspiration.— KR May 23,1979 Over $40 was raised on Saturday when the Grade 8 students of Blyth Public School washed cars to raise funds for a trip to Toronto. The new executive for Auburn Lions Club was Bob Worsell, Bob Sproule, Jim Towe, Jim Schnieder, Bill Robertson, Bud Chamney, Bill Crawford, Steve Campbell and Doug Chamney. Auburn and district citizens were urged to attend a meeting to assist committee convenors in finishing up plans for the 125th birthday party, set for June 29. Blyth received a Wintario grant of $1,527 for minor sports to assist with the purchase of hockey equip­ ment and awards. May 24,1989 Ida Evans was named Brussels Citizen of the Year. Grey taxes jumped 11.7 per cent. Three small raccoons were orphaned after a farmer’s dog killed the mother. The Cook family of Blyth became surrogate parents, feeding the babies Enfalac and cream of wheat until they were ready to leave the nest (or plastic swimming pool). Local track and field stars raced to records. Melancie Knox scooped three firsts, winning the 100-metre sprint, the long jump and the high jump at Huron-Perth. At WOSSA she won medals in all her events. Maureen Stapelton placed first in the 400-metre hurdle, the 400- metre sprint and the 800-metre. At WOSSA she grabbbed five first. Vivienne Stephens broke three records, the 100-metre, the 200- metre and the WOSSA 200-metre. Jason Gropp, Kara Lee Potter, Allan Bailie, Ian Morton, Heinz Gunthardt and Rick Howson all competed at the Huron-Perth meet, with Gropp and Bailie advancing to WOSSA. Annie and Karl MacNaughton were the new innkeepers in Walton. Walton Public School received funding to build a new library. Keith Allen and Mark Kennedy were honored for volunteer contri­ bution to recreation. The Huron County Historical Society marked its 25th anniver­ sary. May 18, 1994 West Wawanosh residents packed the Senor Citizens Centre in Dungannon to hear more about the Letters THE EDITOR, So much information, so much knowledge, so many statistics and so little Earth wisdom ... A recently published Insights Poll reveals that only 1.2 per cent of individuals polled in Southwestern Ontario placed the environment as one of the top two issues for the upcoming provincial election. Have we not yet realized that health care, education, taxes, employment programs and welfare (the top five areas of concern, according to this poll), can only continue to exist as issues if we have a healthy environment to sustain human life? The foundation of all human institutions and human activities is a healthy natural world. Does not the contemporary, rapid increase in the incidence of breast cancer, prostate cancer, testicular choice of three townships sites as possibilities for the Huron County landfill. For the first time in more than a decade Blyth had a Business Association. Blyth set a penalty fee of $50 for dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets. Brussels girls placed first at baton competitions in Wingham, Walkerton and St. Marys. They were: Amy Ross, Cheryl Armstrong, Jennifer McDonald and Nicole Lowe.______ _____________ cancer and certain cancers in children suggest that we need to be much more careful about environmental matters? Is it that we choose to collectively ignore these statistics? What will it take to make us pay attention to these issues? How many dead bodies do we need before we act? Jim HoBingworth, M.D. Founding Member, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment THE EDITOR, I noticed with interest your article in the May 12 Citizen entitled “Help in caring for terminally ill”. I am not aware of the organization We Care Health Services Inc., but I am aware that in Huron County we are very fortunate to have many good palliative care providers that will support a person who chooses to die at home, and their family. The Community Care Access Centre for Huron (CCAC) is funded by the Ministry of Health to provide nursing, nutrition, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social Continued on page 6