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The Citizen, 2002-07-17, Page 4Yuma TIFR JUL mats 1. This L.A. teenager was a passenger in a car which had expired licence plates... 2. This corporation executive is one of dozens accused of insider trading, cooking the books, and other fraud which ruined pensions, stockholders and more than 30,000 jobs. PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2002 Saving small towns Even changing consumer attitudes, as big box stores and cheap gas destroy the main streets of Ontario's small towns, we must still look like paradise to the people of Saskatchewan towns where farming is the only source of income. We in Ontario could take lessons from how committed people in these communities are to keeping their towns alive. A recent issue of Maclean's magazine told the story of the decline of prairie towns dependent on serving local farmers. Unfortunately as the farming population drops and the elevators that brought farmers to town are closed, there's no. reason for these towns to exist at all. Ontario towns are lucky by comparison. Yes the number of farmers is declining and those who remain are just like everyone else: they'll drive past small local stores and services to go to large volume, heavily advertised super stores. Our main streets are dying but unlike prairie towns, as long as the houses exist there will be people who will want to live there and drive to jobs elsewhere. That perhaps doesn't create the same sense of urgency that makes Saskatchewan communities mobilize to fight to keep their towns alive. Take Leader, Saskatchewan, for example. Down to 914 residents from 1,200 in the 1960s, this town is fighting hard to stay alive — and people are putting their money where they mouths are. Nearly 400 area residents, farmers and business leaders raised $2 million to invest in the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool's Great Sandhills Grain Terminal. Prior to that, community members sold shares and raised $400,000 to invest in a golf ..course to try to attract people to their community, then put in plenty of volunteer labour to make it possible. Elsewhere, communities are pooling their money to attract companies to build large hog barns near their communities. Imagine that: wanting hog barns, instead of complaining about them. Perhaps our towns and villages haven't become as desperate as those in Saskatchewan. Perhaps we aren't as creative as our western brothers and sisters. Or perhaps, unlike them, we've lost the sense that if nobody else is going to make something happen then maybe we can do it if we all work together. This is the secret weapon that small communities have always had at their disposal. Cities and large towns can always count on someone seeing an opportunity to make profit and invest to create a money- making business. People of rural areas have known that many things they need for their lives won't be there if they don't take action to do it themselves. So our great-grandparents got together to build our schools. churches and later, arenas. Histories of the early days of our villages show instances of communities investing in new businesses. We've slipped into an urban way of thinking that somebody else is bound .to do it. If we want to save our towns, we've got to get creative and desperate like the people of Saskatchewan.— KR Editorials Opinio S Looking Back Through the Years Publisher, 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 ocna 40 CNA ;6 Member of the Ontario Press Council - inic1M1 P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM I HO NOG 1H0 Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 FAX 523-9140 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhuroniascsinternet.com Website www.northhuron.on.ca The Citizen Letters to the Editor THE EDITOR, After reading the article in last week's Citizen, headed "Howson hears about signs", we feel it is necessary to let the residents of Blyth and the Twp. of North Huron know just what has transpired over the last few months regarding the "Welcome to Blyth" sign issue. A request, along with an estimate, . was sent to North Huron council Jan. 22. 2002. to have our signs refurbished. In this letter it was explained that new Communities m Bloom signs were going to be erected using the same colour scheme as the Welcome signs. Having been installed over 10 years ago, they showed the ravages of time and weather. Certainly, the new signs would make the Welcome signs look even worse. With the upcoming 125th Anniversary celebrations, Commun- ities in Bloom competition and the Gateway competition. what better time to make our signs look their best? As of our general meeting, held April 18, we still had not received any notification that our request had been denied. At this meeting Mr. Stewart told us chances were very slim that we would get the okay as there hadn't been any money set aside in the budget. At this point a motion was made to go ahead, have the signs refurbished and pay for it ourselves should council turn us down. Our first knowledge that we had been denied our request was when we read it in the newspaper a week or two later. The above-mentioned article stated that "after the signs were done, the bill was still sent to council". The bill was never sent to council. It was sent to my attention and remains in my office. They were sent an estimate in January and only an estimate. In my opinion if Murray Nesbitt and Jeff Howson, our own ward councillors, had given it the thought it deserves, council's decision may have been different. We know that this is a municipal responsibility, not that of the business association. Because we care and take pride in our village, we took it upon ourselves. We don't understand how council could refuse our request given the circumstance. We feel the system has failed us. However, we have now completed the project and are looking forward to making a really good impression on the judges and our visitors this summer. Eleanor Babcock Blyth & Area Business Association President. July 21, 1960 George Dunbar was the guest of honour at a card party in Ethel Community Hall. Dunbar was retiring as the hamlet's postmaster. A branch of the Canadian Cancer •- Society was formed in Brussels. Mrs. R.S. Warwick, RN was elected as president. The remaining executive was: Mrs. Chas Davis, vice-president; Mrs. Jno. Speir, secretary; Cecil Parker, treasurer; Mrs. James Smith, Mrs. R.S. Stephens, Mrs. Ken McDonald, RN, service committee. The Brussels Legion pipe band was to parade on the main street between 9 and 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 30. At the Llashmar Drive-in Theatre, William Holden, Mickey Rooney, Gracey Kelly and Frederick March were starring in The Bridges of Toko-Ri. The Last Angry Man, with Paul Muni, David Wayne and Betsy Palmer was the feature at Brownie's Drive-in in Clinton. Ladies Dan River cottons were selling for $6.96 and..up at Wood's. Three packages of Jello could be purchased at Willis's for 27 cents. July 15, 1987 Gordon J. Workman was named the new reeve of Brussels, following a meeting of council to consider the resignation of former Reeve Hank TenPas. Harvey Stewart of RR1, Clinton resigned as Hullett councillor. The Brussels Lions Club gave away $5,100 to 25 lucky winners at the annual elimination draw and banquet. Barb Wissler of Brussels and Frances Storey of Seaforth took home the grand prize, sharing the $3,000 jackpot on a 50/50 basis. There was a feature story on Private Judy Engel of Cranbrook. She stated her approval of women in Canada's Armed Forces being given the opportunity to soon learn to fly the C-18 fighter jets in their nation's defense, but did not agree that females should be permitted in close-quarters combat roles. Engel, a' then 19-year-old graduate of Seaforth District High School was with the Canadian Armed Forces as an airline technician. Huron Chapel burned its mortgage of $20,000 five years ahead of schedule. July 19, 1989 Blyth councillor Dave Medd resigned his seat. Hullett taxes increased by 15 per cent. Cynthia Woodley was the first winner of the Sounds Fishy contest in The Citizen. • Tour area girls returned from the Calgary Stampede where they performed with other members of the Seaforth All Girls Band. They were Sandra Bridge, Jacquie Seili, Tricia Duskocy and Angie Yoon. The band won first place at the parade. Glen and Jean Bridge, District C Hospital Canada and Ted and Ann Elliott of the Brussels Legion travelled to London for the opening of the Parkwood Hospital by the Queen Mother. Members of the Brussels Basket made their first visit to new resident Cathy Bradley, who, with her husband Wilfred and moved the village from Kitchener. Basket committee members were Brenda Wheeler, Pauleen Kerkhof and Mary Stretton. Rev. Peter Tucker and his wife Nancy arrived in Belgrave to take on the pastoral charge of Knox United and Calvin-Brick United Churches. Rev. Tucker was the second Welsh minister to preach in the churches. A four-year-old horse, owned by Norman and Lila McClinchey of RR2, Auburn was sold to the Metro Toronto Police. July 22, 1992 Margaret Mclnroy and Paul Steckle announced their intention to seek the Huron. -Bruce Liberal candidacy nomination. Ten-year-old Craig Fair was the talk of the Charlottetown Festival in Prince Edward Island. Craig played one of the two lead roles in the patriotic new musical The Great Adventure. One reviewer stated that Fair was a "regular little dynamo with a great big voice, who literally steals a number of scenes in his Festival debut." West WaWanosh celebrated its 125th anniversary. Summer rainfall hit record highs, but crop specialists said there was no need to fret— yet. Thelma Steinman, Elwin Garland and Bev Brown travelled to Indiana for a four-day church conference at Manchester College. July 16, 1997 Grey Twp.'s Senior of the Year plaque went to George Pearson. He was recognized for his many attributes including volunteering, membership on the Grey Twp. Fire Department for 28 years, sitting on the local school board, acting as a member of the Mount Pleasant Cemetery board and his immense knowledge of the community. The end was near as the covers were printed for the Brussels history book. The large task of compiling 125 years of village history had moved to the final stage and the 1,000 copies of the 248-page book were to be shipped to the binders in a cattle truck as it was the only vehicle big enough to carry the boxes of copy. 13.1's Cafe in Blyth celebrated its second anniversary.