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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2002-01-30, Page 4Publisher, Kith 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; $80.00/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 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, 4.. P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM 1H0 NOG IHO Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 FAX 523-9140 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhuronascsinternet.com Website www.northhuron.on.ca +TA dv ocna C Member of the Ontario Press Council INE216M1 Looking Back Through the Years Letters Policy The Citizen welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and should include a daytime telephone number for the purpose of verification only. Letters that are not signed will not be printed. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and content, using fair comment as our guideline. The Citizen reserves the right to refuse any letter on the basis of unfair bias, prejudice or inaccurate information. As well, letters can only be printed as space allows. Please keep your letters brief and concise. Comfortably Canadian Twenty-nine million Canadians must have wondered what was going on with all the fuss over the death of Peter Growski since Morningside, the CBC Radio show he hosted for many years, only had a million or so listeners. The tragedy is more people didn't know what they were missing. Growski drew such a passionate following because he was an example of someone who was comfortable being Canadian. Though his show was based in Toronto, it roamed the country electronically, drawing stories from people all across the country. He wasn't identifiably Ontarian, though he lived most of his life here. He had a love of the prairies, of the north, of the Atlantic area. Growski loved Canada, yet he was aware of our faults as Canadians. He dealt with them on his show, yet he didn't agonize overlhem. Had he still been on the air last fall, for instance, it's hard to imagine he would have indulged in the kind of self-flagination so many commentators did as they first assumed that Canada was guilty of letting the terrorists into the U.S., then felt we'd done something to offend the Americans when President Bush failed to mention Canada in his list of allies. Though the Canada reflected on his show didn't ignore the influence from the south, it was a place that was whole on its own. He talked, for instance, to artists when they were famous only in Moose Jaw or Halifax, not only after they became famous in Hollywood, as other shows do. In doing so, he helped create stars such as The Bare Naked Ladies. If all 30 million Canadians listened to Peter Growski, this might be a healthier, more self-confident nation. It's tragic so many people didn't know what the fuss was about. Of course it's even more tragic that many Canadians probably missed the fuss altogether because they only watch American TV. — KR PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2002 Editorials Opinio Checks and balances The men who gathered to frame the constitution of the United States more than 200 years ago were very wise men. Having rebelled against the unbridled power of the British crown, they decided checks and balances were necessary to prevent the same kind of government from taking over in their new North American nation. One wonders what Thomas Jefferson and the others would think of the power large corporations have now assumed; the kind of power that, when it goes wrong, can ruin thousands of lives as the Enron scandal has done. Enron was one of the largest companies in the U.S: It rose to prominence in the wake of energy deregulation. It was a poster-boy for the idea of smaller government. Its stock rose and rose, its power widened. The people who ran it came to think the kind of growth they'd-experienced in the early years should go on forever, even if they had to play fast and loose with the rules. Its auditing firm, which was supposed to provide checks and balances to the company, didn't want to lose this big customer which provided $50 million a year in billings so some of the irregularities were overlooked. The Enron leadership encouraged employees to invest their life savings in retirement plans based on company stocks. When things started to go wrong, company executives sold their own shares but encouraged employees to hold theirs. One former employee's retirement fund plunged from more than $1 million to just $8,000 with the collapse of Enron stock. If this kind of abuse of power was perpetrated by politicians, they'd be turfed out and there would be a call for reducing the power of government. But this is the age when big business'can do no wrong, even when it does wrong. It's an age when government regulations are evil and companies must be free to reshape the world. But who provides the checks and balances if not governments? Just saying the market will handle the situation doesn't bring justice for the Enron emplo-yees who lost their life's savings. It doesn't undo the damage to the U.S. economy, damage that spreads beyond the border to hurt us all. Why is it a good thing to provide checks to the power of government but not to companies that have become so large they rival governments? Thomas Jefferson never envisioned private companies could become so large. If he had, might the U.S. constitution be worded differently? — KR Jan. 28, 1960 The East Huron Agricultural Society held its annual meeting on the previous Friday following a banquet held in St. John's Church. The new officers in the women's division were: president, Mrs. Earl Cudmore; vice-president, Mrs. Jack Lowe; and secretary-treasurer, Mrs. James Mair. Following the annual meeting a directors meeting re- elected Clem Sterner president; Richard Procter and Robert Grasby, vice-presidents; and, Norman S. Hoover, secretary-treasurer. Mrs. Louis Thompson held a piano recital featuring her students at her home on the previous Saturday. Her senior students presented a program of piano, vocal and organ music. A report of the Grey Twp. School Board indicated that the following had been set as salaries for the year: secretary of the board, $550; caretakers, $275-$350; supply teachers, $15 per day. Wood for heating was $6-$6.50 and handymen were to be hired as needed, at a rate of $1 per hour and 8 cents per mile. The first meeting of the year for the Grey Twp. council approved the following payments: gas for the firetruck, $3; groceries for people on relief, $93.25; Salvation Army grant, $50; tile for the Scott Drain, $873.90; and, roads and bridges, $1771.54. Council also supported the petition of the Village of Brussels to have a liquor store and brewer's warehouse located in the town. Jan. 28, 1987 A week-long cold snap put the Blyth arena back in business. The plant had broken down and mild weather had forced the cancellation of many programs. The cold weather allowed the arena to start its programs again using natural ice. The low temperatures were not in time to save the broomball tournament. Blyth Lions honoured Harold Cook for 25 years of service and Charlie Shaw for 25 years of • perfect attendance. Brussels reported that building permits worth more than $748,000 weft issued for 1986. This was more than double the value for the year previous. Brussels Lions Club held their annual Polar Daize Poker Rally last Friday and Saturday. More than 200 snowmobilers turned out for the 33 kilometre run. Top prize was won by Valerie Johnson of the Bluevale area with a hand of four aces. The Brussels Agricultural Society honoured Harvey Craig at their annual meeting held Jan. 21. He was presented with a plaque recognizing his more than 50 years of service to the organization. A man charged in connection with a robbery at the Brussels Variety Store was sentenced to eight years in jail. A fire destroyed a Londesboro-area barn filled with livestock. Jan.29, 1992 Organizers of the B-W Trailblazers poker rally deemed the event a huge success. There were 511 hands sold with about 200 machines participating. The top Dairy Calf club member at the fall fair received an award at the Brussels Agricultural Society banquet. The recipient was Melanie Crawford. Other award winners were Carla Johnston, highest overall score; Chad Thomas, highest junior horse class; Susie Black, Jeanne Ireland Award; Darrell Uhler, Murray Cardiff Award. Grade 7 and 8 students from North Huron participated in a debating workshop at Grey Central school as part of an enrichment program. New Brussels Beavers were Richard Goetz, Cory Quesenberry, Jimmy Franken and Jamie White. Blyth and New York, the only two theatre centres that would be hosting a Japanese touring theatre production of Kanashibetsu when it came to North America. Jan. 28, 1997 A unique and novel approach to hospital and health care restructuring was unveiled with a proposal to keep all eight hospitals in the Huron-Perth district open with inpatient and emergency services: It was Dance, Dance, Dance, as Brussels Figure Skating Club presented its carnival. North Huron schools competed in the annual volleyball tournament at F.E. Madill Secondary School. Ron Douglas was presented with the Pork Producers' producer of the year award for his work, both at the county and the provincial level. Veal's Market Meat and Abattoir in Exeter was given the pork promotion award. The Jeanne Ireland Award for students achieving the most points in schoolwork exhibited at the annual Brussels Fall Fair to Robbie Semple, Emily Cardiff and Julia Schlumpf. Robbie Archambault was presented with an award at the Agricultural Society's banquet for the Grand Champion Calf at the fair. Jason Howatt was the winner of the Reserve Champion Showman trophy at the Brussels Fall Fair. He too received his award at the annual Ag Society banquet. The trophy for the Grand Champion Showman went to Corey Rintoul. The Murray Cardiff Award, presented each year at the dinner to the student receiving the most points in the school division at the fair was given to Brent Wheeler.