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The Citizen, 1998-09-30, Page 4Letters Fresh as a... Photo by Mark Nonkes Looking Back Through the Years From the files of the Blyth Standard, Brussels Post and North Huron Citizen September 26, 1968 Teams were formed for darts in Brussels. Captains were Jack McWhirter, Ernie Bach, Gordon Engel, Ron Huether, Ross Nichol- son, Willis Knight, Jim Smith, Clarence White, Ross Alcock and Eric Exel. Members of Brussels United Church gathered following the ser- vice, Sept. 22, for a social hour in honour of Rev. and Mrs. Allan Johnston and family, who were moving to London. In spite of morning rain and cool winds the band played and flags rippled in the breeze as 500 chil- dren with their teachers marched from the community park to the agricultural grounds for the 107th Brussels Fall Fair. Entertainment at the New Ameri- can Hotel was Lorne Allan and the Huron County Boys in the Rain- bow Room. A female job opportunity survey was published. It stated: Clean interesting work - assembly and sub-assembly - on small mechani- cal devices. Starting rate $1.15 per hour, base rate $1.25 per hour, plus incentive. October 3, 1973 Hullett Twp.'s controversial dump problem caused a few hot word at council. By the time the meeting ended, however, it appeared the problem was nearing conclusion. The owner of the dump situated outside Londesboro had harsh words for some councillors and cit- izen, who he claimed were running council. He was referring to a com- plaint turned in to the government agency charged with overseeing clumps. .The complaint was made because of alleged burning at the dump which actually took place on a neighbouring farm, that of the deputy-reeve. The turnout for minor hockey registration was down in Blyth, particularly in the -Bantam and Midget categories, according to Blyth Minor Hockey Chairman John Elliott. Rev. H. W. Kroeze was hon- oured on his retirement from the Christian Reformed Church, Blyth. Blyth moved one step closer to having senior citizens apartments when council passed a bylaw ask- ing for a survey of need. October 1, 1997 Students at Blyth Public School participated in the Terry Fox Run and raised $107. The Blyth Apothecary celebrated its fifth anniversary. The Book Shop in Blyth had a final closing sale. At the Twin Cinema in Listowel, Demi Moore starred in GI. Jane and Alicia Silverstone in Excess Baggage. Also playing was Wish- master. Thieves broke- into Brussels area businesses on Sept. 27. All Season Repair and McNeil's Auto Body were robbed. A pickup truck was also stolen. The Wingham area was declared officially underserviced by doctors. The Brussels Tigers completed their fastball season by capturing the Huron County Fastball League title and adding the WOAA grand championship. In the league final, they defeated the Walton Brewers in two straight games. The WOAA championship series was between the Tigers and Harriston Merourys. THE EDITOR, On Sunday, Oct. 25 MADD Waterloo Region will be holding a special candlelight vigil to commemorate their 10th Anniversary. The service will take place at St. George's Forest Hill Anglican Church, 321 Fischer-Hallman Rd., Kitchener at 7:30 p.m. Candles will be lit by family members in memory of loved ones who have been killed or injured due to impaired driving. Candles for unknown victims will be lit by Continued on page 9 C itizen tea, P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box '52, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont NOM 1H0 NOG 1H0 Phone 523-4792 Phone 887.9114 FAX 523-9140 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhurongscsinternet Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil corn 111111211rM The Citizen is published 50 times a year 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 C Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 The North Huron E ditorial 1 PAGE 4 THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1998. Schools are not factories For people in the Blyth-Brussels area whose school are apparently safe under proposals by the Avon-Maitland Board of Education to close up to 13 schools in Huron and Perth Counties, it is no time to be complacent. Their neighbours in the Walton area and Tumberry Twp. stand to lose their schools if the current plans are approved and everyone should be concerned about the effect on young students of having to be bussed outside their communities to get an education. In the drive for efficiency somebody seems to have gotten the issue confused. The government has recognized the importance of human contact in its desire to have students spend more quality time with their teachers, yet in taking education out of the community, that kind of personal contact is going to be broken. Students need to be comfortable. in their school setting. If youngsters such as the primary level students at Walton Public School, have to be taken by bus to a big strange school in a strange community, at least some are likely to suffer. Schools are not factories where students are so many widgets to be pushed along an assembly line and productivity can be increased by having each worker handle more "products". The government professes to understand this in saying the size of classes must be reduced so students have a better chance to interact with the teacher. Yet the government thep comes up with funding formulas that require school boards to have a set number of square feet per student. Education is a complicated emotional experience for students. We have always known that the child's surroundings are important to that learning process. When we have forgotten that lesson, as in the decisions to take aboriginal students out of their communities to residential schools, the results have been disastrous. And why are we risking the future of our children? The soul reason seems to betel save money. But as someone pointed out recently, we in Ontario live in greater affluence than we have ever had before yet we claim we can't afford what our parents and grandparents, who had far less, felt was a priority: having our children educated in their own schools in their own communities. Maybe we've got our priorities mixed up. — KR EI not for deficit fighting At the same time as the United Nations prepares to investigate why the gap between rich and poor in Canada is widening, Finance Minister Paul Martin wants to take money raised to help the unemployed and give some of it to the employed in the form of income tax cuts. The Employment Insurance fund is expected to have a $20 billion surplus by the end of this year: partly because the government has increased the amounts of money paid by workers and employers and partly because it has made it harder to get money when people are out of work. Given the huge surplus there would seem to be two options: be More generous with the benefits for those who are unemployed, therefore putting money in the pockets of the poorest people; or reduce the deductions for employees and companies and give them more money to spend. But that's apparently not what Mr. Martin has in mind. Though the current law requires him to reduce EI premiums if there_ is a large surplus, he wants to rewrite the law so he can get his hands on the money to help balance the budget, pay down the national debt and cut income taxes for those who have income (unlike the unemployed). In other words, EI is not an insurance, it's just another tax on top of all the other taxes. It has nothing to do with what is needed to help the unemployed in times of economic dislocation and everything to do with making the government look good in handing out tax cuts. Many in the business community grouse about having to pay El and some even call it a job killer. Often these comments are unfair, because business people are quick to use El as a source of income for workers in seasonal jobs. But if Martin goes ahead with the idea of grabbing the El surplus for general revenues, he is being dishonest with both employers and cmploycc,s. Let's make EI a good program that really protects workers hurt by the whims of the global economy yet is as affordable for the employed and the employers as possible. Mr. Martin, if you want a tax, then raise taxes but leave the El fund for the unemployed. — KR