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The Citizen, 2001-11-07, 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 ($26.17 + $1.83 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 C. Copyright We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs. Publications Mail Reg. No. 09244 Canadian Publication Mail Agreement No. 40050141 The Citizen 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 Website www.northhuron.on.ca ocna C CNA Member of the Ontario Press Council iiiiitil6111 Yes, your honour: my client wishes to sue the Canadian mint for defamation of character. Looking Back Through the Years Nov. 8, 1950 Harry Lauder gave a proud testimony: "No man can be successful and drink. When I started on the stage somebody said, 'Well, it's a great life for dissipation and drinking.' I said, 'If there is any success to be had through being sober and steady 1- will get it and I took a vow that I would not touch, taste or handle strong drinks of any description.'" Lauder won his way to success and then realized that there was even more need for him to be sober because he was looked upon as an example. Mrs. Jack Wheeler hosted the Friendship Circle's November meeting. Robert J. Hutchinson of Toronto was guest speaker at the gospel meeting held at the Orange Hall. The executive of the Institute Sewing Course were: Jean Steiss, president; Anne Pestell, vice- president; Grace Lamont, secretary; Dona Alexander, assistant secretary; Joanne Swift, treasurer; Jean Rook, press reporter. Other members were: Eileen Steiss, Jean Gill, Jean Fraser, Doris Bateman, Peggy Coltman, Vivian Clarke, June Cathers, Marilyn Bowes. Leaders were Mrs. George Pearson and Mrs. P. Stephenson. M.C. Oldfield's was advertising the steady, healthy heat of 'blue coal'. Nov. 11, 1981 The first sewer hookup in Blyth at Bill and Lynn Logue's went smoothly. Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy (Fran and Dave Cook) and Bert and Ernie of Sesame Street fame (Floyd and Liz Herman) won th top prizes at the Halloween dance in Blyth. Best costumes at the Swinging Seniors Halloween party were worn by: Evelina Webster, Vera': and Bill Carter, Ruby Philp, Louis Buttrell, Mary Campbell, Agnes and George Harrower. New Blyth Lions members were Murray Musty, Gerald Kerr, Don Horten, John Cronin and Bill Bearss. Nov. 5, 1986 - Halloween damage in the local area was more of a nuisance than damaging. The potential for a serious incident was averted by Brussels firefighters when they put out a fire which had been started in a derelict house on Alexander Street. During the night they extinguished several other blazes. The mischief makers in each case fled before they could be identified. Brussels, Morris and Grey swimming pool turned a profit of $12,587 in its first season of operation. The profit was due to a higher attendance than anticipated. Attendance hit 1,568 for June, 2,857 for July and 1,821 for August. About 40 per cent of the pool users were from Brussels; 37 per cent form Grey; 17.5 per cent from Morris and 3.5 per cent from McKillop. Kelly Cook's Tweetie " Bird costume won best homemade entry at the Halloween parade at Blyth Public School. Other winners were Kevin Souch, Nikki Snell, Sarah Allen, Michelle Nesbit. An addition to the Londesboro Lions Back the Biter Day novelty auction was an autographed tie from Ontario Premier David Peterson. Brussels council took the first step in providing sanitary sewers to the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre when it approved survey work on a new sewer line. Nov. 6, 1991 High taxes and resentment over the push for junior kindergarten were the major sore points when 90 people attended an all-candidates meeting in Blyth. Halloween vandals cost Brussels $2,000 in losses. The bill included repairs to damage plus the extra wages of town firefighters and works crews who had to patrol the streets putting out fires in leaves and bales of straw and replacing street signs that had been torn down. Brussels parents won the battle and council voted unanimously to hire crossing guards to guide children enroute to school across busy intersections. Menzies Endowment Fund recipients at Madill's commencement were: Jason Gropp, Dawn Engle, Lisa Pennington, Shirley Ann Bridge, Janice Heise, Shawn Jacklin and Andrew McCutcheon. Shannon Rice received a scholarship from the University of Guelph, presented annually from the estate of the late Elizabeth Landels Casselman to a student. entering the fifth semester level of the Bachelor of Applied Science program with A standing. New Belgrave Brownies were: Courtney Bakker, Leanne Vincent, Carly Quennell, Michele Nixon, Kern Meier, Nicole Mason, Kristyn Gerth and Amy Barnes. Nov. 6, 1996 The Snowbelt's first winter dumping turned the area into a white wonderland. Students winning the Legion poster and essay contest at Hullett school were: Blair Trewartha, Melissa Snell. Rebekah Brandon, Jennifer Tiesseur, Uneeta Biesinger, Rosalyn Hartman, Krista Martin. Tony Drost, Matthew Archibald, Lindsay Hay. PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2001 Editorials Opinions Let's get our priorities straight Last week while the attention of trustees and school board officials in Huron and Perth was being taken up by discussion of which schools to close in order to balance the budget under Ontario's school funding formula, the latest report card on school testing showed a huge number of students in Grades 3 and 6 can't read and write to the standard set. Province-wide testing of students in those two grades showed only 49 per cent of Grade 3, and 55 per cent of Grade 6 students could meet the standards for reading. In writing skills, only 52 per cent in Grade 3, and 53 per cent in Grade 6 could meet the standard. The results were even worse for boys, where ratings were just 43 per cent in Grade 3 and 48 per cent in Grade 6 for reading, and 44 and 44 for writing. These results will not be a surprise to many parents. One of the strongest reasons for support of the Mike Harris government has probably been education because people know there's something wrong, If you've hired a university graduate who can't compose a sentence properly, as many can't, you know that fundamentals are sadly lacking for those who have come through the present system. The government's controversial testing system is picking up the deficiencies most people suspected were there. But if the government gets high marks for identifying the problem, it gets failing grades for its approach to solving it and preparing children for the world they must live in (how can you thrive in the information age if you can't communicate in writing?). Premier Harris and his ministers have spent so much time and energy on bashing teachers and school boards, that they haven't tackled the real problem. Teachers have been on the defensive, not the most conducive situation for people to be in if you want them to learn and think differently. School boards have been consumed with the intricacies of funding formulas and meeting these strict rules at the same time they deal with higher transportation costs and a law that says they cannot run a deficit — not giving much time for dealing with problems in the way classes are taught. Meanwhile many students are still being taught to read by the ridiculous "whole language" system introduced in Bill Davis's era in the 1970s. Instead of the previous system of phonics where students learned how to put words together through the basic groups of letters that create the sound of the words, the approach of "whole language" is that by studying words students will eventually pick them up and learn how to spell them. This sounds a lot like the "think system" of music taught by the con artist in The Music Man who convinced gullible townspeople their 'Ions and daughters could learn to play the instruments he'd sold them if only they thought about the tune they were about to play. Too much time has been spent in fighting among those responsible for educating our children. It's time everyone began to think first and foremost about the importance of the student. — KR History lessons needed too While the skill level of basics like reading, writing and arithmetic is at least being tested these days, little seems to be being done to re-emphasize history in the curriculum of our schools. In times like the crisis we're now living through, the perspective of history helps create a sense of balance. In the absence of history in schools, the CBC-TV series Canada, A People's History is doing an admirable job of reminding us that everything old is new again. Sunday night's episode, for instance, started off with the 1945 revelations of Igor Gouzenko that Russia, while Canada's ally during the war just ended, had been spying on Canada. The resulting anti- communist hysteria has echoes in today's world of terrorism. Hundreds of suspects were rounded up and arrested, just as suspected terrorists have been in the last two months. In the U.S. where the anti-communist witch- hunt was totally out of control, the FBI compiled a thick file on Canada's Lester B. Pearson, who would soon after win the Nobel Peace Prize. Yet the lessons of history have helped us take a more balanced approach now. Memories of the injustice of interning Japanese during World War II has reminded us of the danger of over-reaction, perhaps keeping us from being so unjust to Arabs now. This is the value of history.— KR Letters to the Editor THE EDITOR, the support to raise funds for the In light of the events of the past water and septic upgrades from few weeks it gives me great pleasure those who donated, those who to share good news. The people in participated, and those who sold Huron County are generous and items. giving people. This was proven once It is good to see the wonderful, again with the results of the Camp caring attitude is still alive in a Menesetung Auction and the spirit world where we are exposed to of goodwill shown to the camp. those who are less tolerant of The list of items donated for our others. recent auction kept growing and Thank you for making Huron growing and growing right up to the County a place to be proud of. last minute. The board and the Nancy Denham • fundraising committee acknowledge Auction Chair.