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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2002-06-12, Page 4Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising, Alan Young & Mary Jean Kernaghan 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, 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 norhuronascsInternet.com Website www.northhuron.on.ca OCrla +CNA Aly: e Member of the Ontario Press Council MIIIMMI 'Those he commands move only in command, nothin in love. Now does lie feel his title hang loose about him, e agiant 's robe upon a dwarfish man. --from William Shakespeare's Macbeth Looking Back Through the Years PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2002 Editorials Opinions When 2 plus 2 equals 3 Pardon urban readers of "Canada's National Newspaper" this week if they were a little confused. A front page story predicted that a booming federal surplus would allow the government to give money to cash- strapped grains and oilseed farmers. Inside The Globe and Mail was a large headline proclaiming "Farmers Reap Rewards of GM crops". The logical question is, if the farmers are reaping rewards why do they need more money? The value of genetically altered crops is promoted by the U.S. National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy which claims that U.S. farmers have increased production by 1.8 billion kilograms while saving $1.2 billion in production costs and reducing pesticide use by 21 million kilograms. Seems like good news and certainly the rapid acceptance of GM crops by North American farmers seems to back up that perception. Why then are cashcrop farmers, those who have most quickly adopted GM crops, in such deep financial trouble? Today's low prices come from a surplus of wheat, corn, soybeans and canola. Subsidies in Europe and the U.S. which make it profitable for farmers to keep on growing crops even when they don't make a profit are often listed as the culprit and no doubt contribute to the problem. The part played by advances like GM crops in creating the surplus is virtually overlooked. Farm prices have virtually not increased, except for the odd upward spike, in 50 years. Through increased efficiency, farmers keep producing more and more on the same, or even less, total landbase. If GM corn or soybeans help farmers achieve, say, a 10 per cent yield increase, it stands to reason there'll be 10 per cent more stocks of grains and oilseeds. It takes only a small percentage of surplus to knock prices for a loop. Farmers produce more, at lower costs, yet lose money because prices are lower. It's been that way for 50 years in agriculture, each technological advance creating more production which drives prices down. Each of these cycles leads to fewer farmers. Even if farmers know their sector has, overall, gained little, they don't want to be the ones left behind. Since someone is always eager to grab onto the latest technological miracle, everyone else better follow or find themselves off the land. There's no doubt that those farmers who are left have more material comforts and don't have to work as hard as their grandfathers of 50 years ago — but there's a lot fewer of them. There's also no doubt that the greatest growth over that 50 years has come from the companies that supply the miracles to farmers. In fact there's an argument to be made that the U.S., in providing massive subsidies in its new farm bill, is encouraging farmers to keep buying that GM corn and soybean seed and the real benefit is. going to the suppliers of farm inputs, not the the farmers themselves. Perhaps Canada's government should remember that lesson. Even if it doesn't seem to care about farmers, it does seem to care about the biotechnology firms from whom farmers buy. — KR It ain't all bad The Paul Martin vs. Jean Chretien feud seems to have turned into a frenzy in Parliament and the media as everybody lines up to kick Chretien. While it may be time for Chretien to retire, as 70 per cent of Canadians in a receht poll said, these are hardly dire times in -Canada. Whether he or Martin deserves the credit may be questionable but we should remind ourselves that we live in a time when Canada's growth has been remarkable, especially when the U.S. has been in economic trouble. At the same time as our economy is shooting ahead and creating jobs, we have low interest rates, low inflation. We have a government that's paying off its debt and has a surplus to help meet needs in agriculture and healthcare. These are hardly conditions to crucify a prime minister. — KR Letters to the Editor THE EDITOR - On behalf of the Fire Marshal's Public Safety Council and the National Fire and Life Safety Foundation, I wold like to take this opportunity to thank the Blyth Fire Department for its outstanding efforts in collecting contributions for Project Maple Leaf, a fundraising initiative in support of the families of firefighters, police officers and EMS personnel, who lost their lives last Sept. 11 in New York City. Monies have been raised across the country by many organizations through activities like community breakfasts, car washes, dinner theatres and through the sale of hats bearing the FDNY logo. I am pleased to report that- over $250,000 was raised through this campaign and a cheque for $100,000 was presented to the Twin Towers Fund during the Canada Loves NY rally held on Dec. 1. Since then additional funds have been forwarded directly to the organization. It is only through the generosity of such organizations and their supportive communities that it is possible for us to contribute to such important causes. Yours truly, Arthur L. Pullan, Director, Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council, National Fire and Life Safety Foundation June 16, 1960 The executive of the Brussels United Church Couples Club was: honorary presidents, Rev. and Mrs. L. Brown; presidents, Mr. and Mrs. Laurie Cousins; past presidents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Thomas; vice- presidents, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Cardiff; secretaries and vice- presidents, Mr. and Mrs. George Wheeler; secretary-treasurers, Mr. and Mrs. Max Oldfield; assistants, Mr. and Mrs. George Pearson; membership, Mr. and Mrs. George Jutzi; social committee, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Wheeler, Mr. and Mrs. Jack McDonald and Mrs. and Mrs. Lloyd Wheeler. The Adams Feed Mill was sold to Topnotch Feeds Ltd. of Seaforth. Mr. and Mrs. C. Adams planned to stay in Brussels. Bill Adams, who was associated with his father in the business continued to work at the mill for a time. The Adamses had operated the mill since 1943. A house from Silver Corners was moved without mishap for Lloyd Michel of Brussels. It took two hours to make the trip to the foundations which had been laid the previous summer. Gale Wilson passed the Grade I piano exams of the Western Conservatory of Music with first class honors. She was a pupil of Mrs. Frank Thompson. A meeting was to be held to consider the establishment of a Canadian Cancer Society in Brussels. Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone appeared in The Last Voyage, which was playing at the Lyceum Theatre in Wingham. The double bill at Listowel's Llashmar drive-in theatre was The Vanquished with John Payne and Colleen Gray and The Party Crashers with Connie Stevens and Robert Driscoll. There was free popcorn kir- the kiddies on Saturday night at Brownie's Drive-in in Clinton for a showing of The Boy and the Laughing Dog, starring Walter Brennan and Brandon de Wilde. There was also a Bugs Bunny Cartoon Carnival. June 17, 1987 Girls in the Gang kicked off Blyth Festival's 13th season. It was confirmed that John Ainley, the great-grandson of the man who founded Brussels would be 'coming home' for the village's 115th birthday. New officers on the Blyth Lions executive were Dave Marshall, Don Scrimgeour, Ken Cucksey, Paul Kerr, John Stewart, Steve Howson, Don Stewart, Brock Hasty, Charlie Shaw, Ernie Phillips and Rainer Sauer. Three local 4-Hers received recognition for completion of 18 club projects. They were Rose Anne Machan of Blyth, Leanne Armstrong of RR3, Brussels and Cindy Stute of RR4, Brussels. Lori Appleby of RR2, Blyth got F.E. Madill Secondary School's award for top female athlete. Three Belgrave girls received their All-Round Cord in Guiding: Tricia Taylor, Jennifer Elston, Chelta Vair. Flying up to Guides were Belgrave Brownies Erica Culbert, Candice Irwin, Lindsay Michie, Laura Sinclair, Karin Marks, Cheryl Allen and Tabitha Pattison. Mary Huether of Brussels was honoured on her retirement from teaching. June 14, 1989 Perils of Persephone opened the 15th Blyth Festival season. Ratepayers in West Wawanosh saw their taxes jump by 10.63 per cent. Kay Roberts retired from Blyth Public School. Her husband, John, also retired after 22 years as a minister of Belgrave United Church. June 17, 1992 The Blyth Legion Ladies Auxiliary handed out awards of appreciation for service to Brenda Finlayson, Mildred Ament, Kay Hesselwood, Stella Johnston, Janice Henry, Lillian Riehl, Erma Brighton, Florence Quinn, Ruby Pattison, Edythe Glousher, Ruth Dougherty, Lottie McLellan. The Puff 'n' Blow Boys opened the Blyth Festival's 18th season. June 4, 1997 Liberal Paul Steckle was returned to the House of Commons for a second term with 24,243 votes, surpassing his next closest competitor Reformer Doug Fines, by more than 14,000 votes. Jennifer McDonald of Brussels received recognition for her five years as a member of the Wingham Canadettes. Tops at their track and field day at Brussels Public School were Candice McLellan, Drew Thomas, Matthew White, Mary Ann Aitchison, Nicole Lowe, Jodi Sellers, Adam Corbett, Claire Mastnak, Lauren Spink, Chris Corbett, Amy Douma, Ryan Mawhinney, Evan Horst, Morgan Bishop, Jenna Krotz and Nolan Krotz. The Brussels Legion Ladies Auxiliary executive was Anne Fitzgerald, Helen Dobson, Nella Blake, Lucy Hesse, Mable Willis, Doreen Rutledge, Carol Thornton, Alice Brothers, Isabel Aicock, Jean Little. Legion executive members were: Rick McDonald, Pat Maxwell, Glenn Bridge, Jayne Ross, Eric Ross, Murray Lowe, Lisa GlanVille, Cathy Cochrane, Sue Wilson, Linda Bird, Julie Harrison.