Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-11-21, Page 4-11r. MANY FACES Or EyEs I'm not an ideologue... (but I firmly believe in the Common Sense Revolution) I'm fiscally responsible, with a social conscience... (Just ask the poor, the sick, the cities, the environment etc.) I don't know what half-way means... (except for missing 50 percent of Question Periods, chronic lateness, missed meetings, etc...) 1,4. lizspoLoN arittipasp@wmcom.rset I intend to enjoy this journey back into public life to the fullest... (however, I won't give up my lucrative day job yet.) I'm not right wing... (I just happen to work for big Bay Street firms) After all, I've always felt confortable on Main Street... (my tailored suits and silk shirts impress the hell out of the masses.) PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2001 Editorials Opinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette Mc Neil 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 S28.00/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. Contenti of The Citizen are 0 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 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com Website www.nOrthhuron.on.ca ocna +ANA s0; • Member of the Ontario Press Council 1110=101 P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 The Citizen P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 A different approach might help Big and small, a role for us all Back in the early days of the province's attempt to find an equation that would even out the downloading of services aid revenues to municipalities, there was briefly a proposal for municipalities to be responsible for owning and maintaining school buildings. Looking around at the current situation with communities fighting to keep their schools, it's fascinating to wonder what that local ownership would have brought. If, for instance, the maintenance of school facilities had been put into the hands of municipalities, perhaps we wouldn't have been burdened with this insane provincial funding formula which ties funding to so many square feet per pupil. This formula has warped the entire school system as boards try to live within its requirements. Older schools with larger halls, for instance, were penalized. French and music teachers at the elementary level lost their home rooms, and even their offices, as schools tried to reduce the amount of space to meet the requiremerits. The ultimate stupidity of these new regulations is that it makes sense to close schools that are paid for, bus those students to other schools, then build additions to accommodate the students being moved. Thus we have ongoing transportation costs and new capital costs — in the name of saving money. Most communities feel their schools belong to them. In most cases a large portion of the cost of building those schools was paid for by local taxpayers, long before county and district boards of education were imposed on them. Now decisions are being made by people who may never have visited the schools under consideration for closing. If those schools were owned and maintained by the local municipality as part of its obligation to school funding, perhaps the school boards wouldn't be pressed to close them and perhaps people would again feel the school was part of their community again. The province must do some creative thinking such as this if our schools are to work and our communities are to be maintained. As it is, closing up schools is destroying the fabric of our rural communities. — KR The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 had a strange effect on the two neighbours, Canada and the United States. Americans, who came under attack, rallied together and were more sure than ever they were right. Canadians •— some Canadians anyway — were wracked with self doubt. Many were ready to jump to the conclusion the terrorists came from Canada and whip themselves with guilt. Others worried we didn't have tough enough laws — we didn't have enough spies. For these people; generally those of a right-wing persuasion, the happenings proved how inadequate we were compared to our neighbour. They sneered at our contribution to, the forces being amassed against the Taliban. Now the Taliban is collapsing and much of the credit must go to the power of U.S. bombing. But with that collapse there's a need for the special expertise Canada brings. One thousand of our troops are preparing to go in and help maintain peace in Afghanistan, a skill our people have used over and over again, a skill the Americans don't have. . The Americans are a great power but we have something valuable to give too. We don't have to be like them to contribute to peace. — KR Letters to the Editor Looking Back Through the Years THE EDITOR, In an earlier letter I reported that I had boycotted a second Avon Maitland District School Board meeting on Oct. 9, doing so because the topic of the meeting was accommodation review, a topic that must be discussed in open session. Advice was given that this meeting would be "a public forum" but the media and the public were given no notice that the meeting was to take place. My earlier letter at least let the public know that the meeting had occurred. At the very next closed session of the board a lawyer hired by the board's staff made a presentation on The Role of a Trustee. I objected to the inclusion of this presentation in closed session both before and after the lawyer arrived stating that a presentation and ensuing trustee discussion does not qualify as a closed session item as they clearly do not meet any of the five criteria for closed session meetings, set out in the Education Act. No written material was included in the presentation but a short synopsis has been included in the minutes of that closed session. After recording my own extensive notes of this meeting I informed the board that I would be obtaining my own legal opinion, at my cost, as to the propriety of having this item in closed session rather than in public session. The content of the presentation and discussion among the trustees gave me cause to raise my other eye. A great deal of the lawyer's emphasis was placed on discouraging individual trustees from speaking any individual opinion that varied from the board of trustees collective decision. He repeatedly stressed the personal liability of individual trustees who made public declarations out of step with board decisions made in concert, noting that defamation suits are alive and well in the school board/trustee sector and giving opinion that the public almost always misconstrues Continued on page 5 Nov. 22 1950 Mr. R. S. Warwick of the Warwick Poultry Farm was first in production among all Rhode Island Red Breeds in ROP in Canada. This was the second year in a row that this honour had been won by Mr. Warwick. In the five years before his standing had been three first, one second an one third. Some local hunters had wonderful luck during their deer hunt. Harold Jacklin of Grey Twp., made "a fortunate shot in that he got two deer with one shot, a buck and a doe. Others in the gang were Richard, Carl, Ken and Leslie Jacklin and James Warwick. Silver trays won by exhibitors at the fall fair were presented. Gordon Knight received the trophy for best collection of vegetables and farm produce. Andrew Turnbull received the trophy for best baby beef animal. Mrs. Wesley Heimpel had the most prizes won in "domestic and women's work". Winners of a fundraising raffle for the agricultural society were James McDonald, $3; Martin Baan, $3; James Riley, $2.50; Gloria Clark, sport shirt; Lawrence McNair, cup and saucer; Mrs. Andrew Jul*, necktie; Mrs. Florence Michael, nylon stockings; Norman Hoover, coffee percolator; Emil Bruneski, Christmas cake; Mrs. George Thornton, bushel of apples. Members of the St. John's choir made a presentation to Vernet Kerr, son of Rev, and Mrs. Kerr. Vernet had • been a valuable member of the choir and was leaving for the U.S. A. Donating to the Brussels Canadian Legion Branch's war memorial fund were Morris Twp. council, Brussels council; Grey Twp. council, Majestic Women's Institute, Noble Gerry and Joh_n Schnock. Nov. 25, 1981 The Blyth board of trade was planning an old-fashioned Christmas. Lisa Watt of RR I, Blyth and her quarter horse Ottogo Otoe, received the High Point Senior Performance award from the Mid-Western Horseman's Association. Laura May Chamney and Viola Haines were teaching a quilting course to Auburn ladies. Nov. 19, 1986 A Blyth trucker received a national award for bravery at a gala reception in Toronto. Clarence Baillie, a trucker with J&H Campbell Transport Ltd. was recognized as one of Canada's bravest truckers, with the- presentatton of the Firestone Canada Inc. National Truck Hero Award He shared the honour with another trucker from Essex. The reason was for an incident on Hwy 401 in July when a Mississauga woman pulled out to pass both truckers, lost control and hit a tree. Her car burst into flames. Quick action on the part of the two truckers averted a disaster as they extinguished the fire, had the car door pried open and were comforting the, driver by. the time police and ambulance personnel arrived. A firefighter with the Blyth department, Baillie said at the time, "She would have been gone if we hadn't been able to get to her. it all happened so fast. I didn't have time to think about it." An era came to an end on the main street of Brussels with the official takeover of StephensOn's Grocery by Ron and Trish Clarkson, proprietors of the Brussels variety store. The business i.v.as. renamed Brussels Village Market. With 10 days to reach its goal, the Londesboro Lions Back the Biter fund had passed the $12,000 mark. The fundraiser was to purchase a fully-equipped van for a club member who had been injured in a swimming accident. Nov. 20, 1991 Dave Lee was the new Blyth reeve. Three 4-H members were honoured for completing six 4-H clubs at the achievement night for the Milk Makes A Difference club in Auburn: Martha Huizinga, Sarah Christie and Cheryl Lapp. The Brussels Bulls winning streak hit five games after sweeping a pair of weekend matches. Huron MPP Paul Klopp visited in Brussels. Nov. 20, 1996 The Onlario Provincial Police had a new telephone number for police service. The toll-free number allowed a person requiring police assistance to have a simplified „access to the OPP from anywhere in the province. Top pledge getters at the Brussels Figure Skating Club were Tanya Franken, Jenna Fischer, Troy Backhaus, Stacey Hahan, Crystal Gibbons, Carolyn Exel, Michelle Smith, Cody Subject. Winners of -the Blyth Legion Remembrance Day poster and essay contest were: Jamie Lewis, 'Jackie Falconer, Elizabeth Ross, Jeff Lewis, Heather Elliott, Alicia Marshall, Dane Corneil, Andrea Cardiff, Katelyn Linner, Steven Van Amersfoort, Mark Caldwell and Scott McLellan. Volunteers from the Blyth tire department completed an Emergency First Response certification program through the Ministry of Health. Healthy Touch Holistic Services opened in Brussels.