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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-03-21, Page 4Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil 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 $28.00/year ($26.16 + $1.84 G.S.T.) in Canada; $62.00/year in U.S.A. and $100/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 newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are CD Copyright We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our moiling costs. Publications Mail Reg. No. 09244 Canadian Publication Mail Agreement No. 1374990 The Citizen PO. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM 1H0 NOG 1H0 Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 FAX 523-9140 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com Website www.northhuron.on.ca ocna + CNA ,(y' Member of the Ontario Press Council At the portal Photo by Vicky Bremner Looking Back Through the Years March 22, 1950 A free demonstration on Singer Sewing attachments was given in the Brussels Town Hall on Wednesday, March 29, sponsored by the Majestic Women's Institute. At the United Church,. in a series of Lenten sermons on who crucified Jesus, the minister discussed the part played by soldiers and an indifferent public and factors in the crucifiction. The anthem was rendered by the choir, with Miss Jean Cardiff in the solo parts. The March meeting of the Women's Guild was held. The president, Mrs. G. Davis led in prayer and Mrs. Morrow read the Scripture. A dainty lunch was served by Mrs. J. Thynne for which she was given a vote of thanks. North Huron B B Junior Farmers' Club presented its variety night in Forester's Hall, Belgrave. The programme included musical numbers and a play, Rumours Wanted. Admission was adults 40 cents, children, 25 cents. Coming to Brussels as an added attraction was Eddie and Bill Denninger considered by Jack Thynne to be Ontario's best violin and piano team, for concert, and dance. The March meeting of the Majestic Women's Institute was held with 50 present. A total of 151 cases had been reported in the Crippled Children's Survey conducted by the Lions Club of Huron County. The Majestic Women's Institute was sponsoring the course Meat in the Menu. March 19, 1986 The _Blyth Christian Reformed Church held its annual bazaar at the Blyth and District Community Centre. The word went out to thousands of theatre goers across Canada last week about the upcoming season at the Blyth Festival. Many hands were put to work sticking computerized address labels on brochures. Helping out were Festival employees Philippa Borgal, Sally Leitch, Cheryl Ackert and Jennifer Hill. Mr. and Mrs. Leo Sanders of the Belgrave area were among the many craftsmen who showed their work at a craft show and bake sale at Blyth Memorial Hall on Saturday. Money raised from the event is to be used for updating the kitchen at Memorial Hall. The old Queen's. Hotel in Brussels suddenly became two storeys instead of three as a wrecking crane took off the top floor. Salvage work continues in preparation to building of a new supermarket. Jack Nelemans of RR 4, Walton and his stallion Lightly Sugared took part in Quarterma, the second largest quarter horse show in the world, in Toronto recently. More than 2,000 horses took part. March 20, 1991 The passengers and crew were alarmed to discover the captain was dead, during a Night of Murder at the Brussels Hotel. Twenty people participated in the murder mystery dinner. Checking out deceased Captain Scott Emery (Brussels Hotel owner, Jerry White) were: Neil Hemingway, who played the part of murderer and first mate Tim Sawyer, Dan Pearson as Falcon Marlowe, an employee of the British embassy, who is actually a KGB agent and Diane Huether as Tobie Corbett, the Captain's 'very close' friend. Two young members of the Blyth Karate Club did well at a tournament in Clinton Saturday. Club leader Dan Lecomte saw Willie Laffin place second to Shayne Sholdice in the Kumite section of the competition. March 20, 1996 Ron Bailey, of National Trust presented a cheque for $5,000 to Blyth Festival General Manager Karen Stewart and Festival Board member Joan McCordic, chairperson of the Capital committee. The cheque, from J. P. Bickell Foundations, of which National' Trust is a trustee, was going towardsthe Festival's Dream Capital Campaign. The Blyth Lions club donated a set of sweaters to Blyth Minor Hockey this season. President Darren Richmond presented a new sweaters to PeeWee coach Barney Stewart and team captain Drew Cornell. • PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2001 Editorials Opinions The dominoes start to fall One of the fears of politicians who were hesitant to move toward municipal amalgamation was the loss of the volunteer element in running local affairs. Last week's story in The Citizen about conflicting views between volunteers running the Belgrave arena and supervising staff from the Twp. of North Huron sounds early warning bells that those fears could be confirmed. Certainly some of the staff concerns are justified. LN, en volunteers must live by safety regulations. A person seriously injured doing volunteer work is in even worse financial shape than an employee. Still, the submergence of a rural township like East Wawanosh with its ethic of making things happen through volunteerism into an increasingly professionalized bureaucracy in a larger, urban-centred municipality seems to plant the seeds for conflict. Let's face it, for many outside observers the Belgrave arena just doesn't make sense. It doesn't have artificial ice. It doesn't have all the amenities that people feel they need in a modern arena. But for Belgrave, it works. It is a centre of a fiercely loyal community and people have been willing to donate their time and money to make it work despite the naysayers. From a taxpayer standpoint, it is a model that other arenas should follow since very few tax dollars ever go into it. From a community-building standpoint, what could be a better example of community spirit than the hugely-successful Belgrave Fowl Supper, held every fall for-more than 50 years as a way of raising money for that arena? Probably the current misunderstanding between staff and volunteers will be worked out but in the longer term, everyone should be concerned. Sometimes decisions are made that have inevitable repercussions, like toppling the first domino in a row of dominos standing side by side. Municipal amalgamation has the potential to be like that first domino. As the municipality grows, more work must be done by staff. Staff has one kind of culture, one way of doing things, volunteers another. The bigger the municipality, the more "systems" must be put in place. Situations must change to fit the system instead of the system fitting the situation. The Belgrave arena volunteers represent what is best about a rural way of doing things, a commitment to making the community work despite the odds. Municipal amalgamation is a commitment to bringing urbanized structure to small town and rural areas. In adopting amalgamation we've put forces in place that will gravitate toward more professionalism and less volunteer participation. Only constant vigilance will keep the rural ethic of community participation alive. — KR So much for the 'little guy' For years Prime Minister Jean Chretien liked to nickname himself "the little guy from Shawinigan". He doesn't seem to use the term much anymore, perhaps because he doesn't feel much in common with the little guy. If Chretien still thought like a "little guy", for instance, he might not have stood in the way of giving Canada's farmers what they felt they needed to stay in business. Huron-Bruce MP Paul Steckle indicated Saturday, that it was someone at the level of the prime minister or his staff who shrunk the proposal of $900 million in aid to Canada's hard-hit farmers down to $500 million. The Liberal caucus was in support of the full $900 million, he said. Minister of Agriculture Lyle Vanclief was in favour of the full amount. Most cabinet ministers seemed to support the full $900 million as far as Steckle could find out. Instead, when the announcement came, the proposal had been nearly halved. Meanwhile when Canada hosts a world economic summit in Quebec City, companies will pay out up to $1.5 million to sponsor receptions at which they'll be able to rub shoulders with Chretien and other world leaders. There was a time when Chretien liked to be out in crowds, meeting ordinary people and hearing their concerns. Since he became prime minster, however, he has become more and more isolated from ordinary voters. He should either get back in touch with the little guys of this country or he should take up suggestions to retire.— KR Letters to the Editor THE EDITOR, elements of perennial gardening, to Spring is just around the corner create beauty and share the plants and the Blyth Communities in with others. Bloom committee is getting The committee would welcome organized for this year's national any new gardeners who would like competition again. Part of our to acquire or share some different program is the Lilies for Lupins plants. perennial swap. The list will be compiled and sent There is an old saying about out by the end of April. To become a perennials: "The first year they member send $5 plus name, address, sleep, the second year they creep, the telephone number, the plants you third year they leap and from then would like to acquire and if you have on, divide them and dig any to share to P.O. Box 130, Blyth, deep", but that old saying doesn't ON NOM I HO. mention one of the most important Bev Elliott.