Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-01-26, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2000. C itizenTheNorthHuron (*CNA P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil Membar Ontario Press Council P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com 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 $27.00/year ($25.24 + $1.76 G.S.T.) in Canada; $62.00/year in U.S.A, and $100/year in other foreign coun­ tries. 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. Publications Mail Registration No. 09244 Canadian Publication Mail Agreement No. 1374990 Fighting over the scraps E ditorial czzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz: Now and then on television we see the painful sight of people, starving in refugee camps, fighting each other for scarce food delivered by aid workers. Things haven’t gotten that bad when it comes to education funds in Huron and Perth but there is a certain sad similarity in watching the battle between communities as to which will get to keep its school. With not enough money to go around, some schools are going to die, and the fight for survival is not a pleasant thing to watch. Most of the area that makes up the Avon Maitland District School Board is happy to sit back and watch the fight disinterestedly, relieved their schools will live on. Meanwhile supporters of those schools facing extinction battle it out. For instance, parents and politicians in the hardest hit area, Seaforth, are busy carving up the carcass of Walton Public School. In swallowing up Walton’s enrollment, they hope to find the numbers that will allow them to keep their own schools open. If Walton is to close, however, (and vir­ tually no one is standing up for that community which has a proud tradi­ tion of supporting its school), one questions if all parents in the village and northward, will be happy having their children transferred to Seaforth when they have other schools closer in Brussels and Blyth. This kind of fight is likely to be repeated in years ahead. Once this issue is finally settled, projections are that possibly two schools in central/north Huron could be scheduled for closure on June 2001. In 2002 possibly one other central/north Huron school could be closed. By 2003 with the elim­ ination of one year of high school, there could be the closure of one or two secondary schools, five elementary schools or one secondary school and either two or three elementary schools. When refugees are fighting over scarce food there’s only one real solu­ tion: give them more food. In the school situation, the only real answer is to get more money for the education system. Parents’ fight is concentrat­ ed on the board of education but the board is only trying to find the best way to divide up a half-full pot of money. As Ontario Liberal education critic Gerard Kennedy pointed out last week, the only real answer is to press the provincial government for enough money to keep our schools healthy. Fighting over the scraps in Huron and Perth only wastes energy. — KR Photo by Vicky Bremner Looking Back Through the Years From the files of the Blyth Standard, Brussels Post and North Huron Citizen Glad you’re awake, taxpayer Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer. Nice to see you’re awake, at least on the issue of taxpayer subsidies for professional hockey teams. Public reaction last week to the federal government’s plan to subsidize Canada’s professional hockey teams was overwhelming and swift. Local MP Paul Steckle said by Thursday afternoon he had receive 225 phone calls and faxes, all against the plan. While public outrage about subsidies for millionaire hockey players and owners is perfectly understandable, it’s curious why this issue should awaken sleeping voters when they quietly went along with the Liberals’ reneging on GST, federal cutbacks, (virtually) provincially enforced municipal amalgamations, school closings and reduced service in hospi­ tals. After all, at a maximum $3 million per team, the total federal out­ lay would have been $18 million — about 60 cents per Canadian. What’s more, if the federal support actually helped teams stay in Canada this would be a good investment by the government. Millionaire hockey players pay taxes. Full hockey arenas generate big-time amuse­ ment taxes for the provincial government. There are plenty of jobs because of these teams from the people who sell beer in the arena to the columnists with newspapers. In a way, what we have here is a test of the kind of instant, direct democracy some people have been advocating in our wired world. When the government raised the issue, the public instantly voted it down. One of the fears critics of electronic, direct-democracy voting have, is that if the public voted on every political decision, instant, knee-jerk public reaction will lead to foolish choices. Today the public is happy with its victory, but will it seem so good two or three years from now if teams in Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver move south of the border where teams are subsidized with cost-free arenas? What the hockey teams and players tried to pull off is the same kind of blackmail other high-rollers in Canada are demanding in saying “give us tax cuts or we’ll move to the States”. Will voters be as awake against these demands or will they go back to dozing again? — KR Jan. 22,1975 If there was a recession it didn’t appear to be having much effect in Blyth as three local firms were expanding their facilities. Howson and Howson Ltd. were building a major addition to a house and bulk storage tanks. Sparling’s Propane erected a new garage and A. Manning and Sons Lumber began expansion of a warehouse. An early morning fire at a Blyth home caused $500 damage. Heat from a Franklin stove had ignited wooden studs in the wall, despite insulation shielding the wall from the fire. The controversial Blyth Public School sewerage problems got another airing at the Huron County Board of Education meeting in Clinton. Premier William Davis and mem­ bers of the provincial cabinet were told that the proposed atomic power generation station in Huron County was not in the best interests of the residents of the county. Beginning only his second two- year term Blyth Reeve Robbie Lawrie had been given the chair­ manship of one of the most impor­ tant committees of Huron County council. The striking committee report approved by council named Lawrie as chairman of the execu­ tive committee. The inaugural meeting of Hullett Twp. council was held. Rev. McDonald was the speaker and he congratulated the council on their election and reminded them of their new responsibilities. Jan. 24, 1990 Blyth council was locked in con­ flict with one of the village’s largest employers over who should pay for the cost overrun on renovation of the Radford ball diamond. Plans for a two-site Huronview, including a home at Brussels, appeared to still be on track. Wingham OPP reported a mishap which involved a school bus and a van. According to the report, the dri­ ver of the van was hit by the bus which had failed to yield. No injuries were sustained in the colli­ sion. Back to the Future II was play­ ing at Goderich’s Park Theatre, starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd. Les T6rvit, general manger of the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority since 1985 took over the position of Listowel’s town admin­ istrator succeeding Harley Fischer. Rosemary Johnston was hired as the caretaker of the Londesboro Hall. The B&W Trailblazers’ snowmo­ bile rally had to be cancelled due to the mild weather which had melted a lot of snow from the well- groomed trails. Jan. 25,1995 A chimney fire occurred at a Brussels home. Damage was limit­ ed to a chimney flue. Police had no suspects in a num­ ber of break-ins. Though scared off by the alarm, thieves did manage to steal a video camera from Oldfield’s Pro Hardware in Brussels. At McNeil’s Auto Body they made off with a coffee tin con­ taining $25. At the Blyth Legion thieves cut telephone wires to de-activate the alarm then pried open the front entrance doors and de-activated the interior alarms. Approximately 100 packages of cigarettes, 20 bottles of liquor and some cash were taken. With the impending federal bud­ get for 1995, Huron-Bruce MP Paul Steckle said that many cutbacks were to be made, including cuts in the agriculture budget and that those were measures that “should have been taken years ago.” Michael Burgess, star of Les Miserables, was preforming a con­ cert at Blyth Memorial Hall. Disclosure, staring Demi Moore was playing at Wingham’s Lyceum Theatre. The Brussels Atoms took the A title, with goalie Matt McCall get­ ting special recognition. Blyth council passed a bylaw muzzling pit bulls. Peggy Cudmore received second prize from the Huron County Housing Authority for the flowerbeds she has tended at Maple Villa apartments for the past II years. Members of the Brussels 4-H club were Teresa Bridge, Ashley Gropp, Amanda Leger, Melanie Shilling, Laura Shilling, Melissa Hanna, Megan Bragg, Crystal Semple, Nicole Bernard and Doug Mitchell. Patrick Hallahan received the Blyth Veterinarian Clinic award for senior heifer at the Hallrice 4-H Dairy Club’s achievement. Jamie Hallahan got the award for top Summer Yearling Calf Class. Four generations of local resi­ dents were on hand to celebrate Sarah MacDonald’s 100th birthday — her granddaughter Pat Bernard, her daughter Vera Badley and great- grandson Kevin Bernard. Grey council doubled its dog license fees to $20.