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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-04-12, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2000. C itizenTheNorthHuron Aocna ^CNA 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 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil Member Ontario Preae Council 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 E ditorial i--'.... ...............:.....:..:...................._._j Serving is not a political crime The provincial government was up to its old tricks again last week: making it seem like municipal politicians are pests that need to be eradicated. In announcing approval of the amalgamations of the the Municipality of Huron East and the Township of North, the province boasted that restructuring completed by January, 2000 had eliminated l,129 councillors and those that will take effect by the year end will eliminate 520 more. There was no mention of how many municipal staff would be displaced, just politicians. It would make it seem that the real saving will be in replacing part time local politicians, not in reducing the size of municipal bureaucracy. Those close to the issue, however, know that in most cases local politicians get very little financial compensation when you consider the work they do. In fact most would do the work even if they weren’t paid because they want to serve their communities. Certainly there’s much less compensation, let alone ego and self-serving ambition, involved in being a local councillor than being a provincial member of the legislature. It’s ironic that this slam against politicians who are in reality volunteers, came the week before the government-sponsored volunteer week. When municipalities are wiped out this fall, it’s to be hoped people celebrate those politicians who’ve given their time, instead of following the province’s lead and celebrating the elimination of their jobs. Meanwhile, if the provincial government wants to save local tax dollars there’s a better way than by chopping almost-unpaid politicians. In the past 30 years the size of municipal staffs has doubled or tripled, mostly to keep up with the paperwork required by reports to the province because of many shared-cost programs. Now those programs are gone as the province downloaded many programs to the municipalities, but the paperwork continues. The province wants to control municipalities even when it no longer pays the bills. You want to save money on your taxes? Cutback on the paranoiac need to control everything from Queen’s Park, not the efforts of honest, earnest municipal politicians. — KR Crazy rules plague farmers The nightmare of every small business person or individual has been felt by livestock farmers recently: a surprise directive from a huge federal agency that makes absolutely no sense but will cost farmers plenty. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has announced that farmers who manufacture their own feeds on farm will be held to the same standards as feed mills, if they add medication to their feeds. For livestock farmers, the move would be devastating. One of the economic advantages many small independent hog farmers have over large corporate operations, for instance, is that by milling their own farm- grown feeds and adding commercial pre-mixes, they can feed their pigs for less than the big operators. In one stroke of the pen this decree could wipe out that advantage and swing the economic balance in favour of corporate interests which provide manufactured feeds for their farms. Farmers who want to keep on manufacturing their own feed would have to look at a large expense to meet the new regulations and be certified. And unlike feed companies that have the option of passing additional costs on to their customers, farmers are stuck with whatever price the market offers. And it’s generally accepted there is nothing to gain by the move. Quality assurance programs being adopted by most livestock organizations such as the pork producers and the beef producers, will require on-farm scrutiny that will reduce the risk of overuse of medications. Meanwhile the CFIA regulations have no control over medications that could be administered to animals by injection into watering systems. Members of the rural caucus of the federal government were apparently<as surprised by this issue as the farmers themselves. Caucus members like Huron’s Paul Steckle have vowed to fight the CFIA on behalf of farmers. Already they have secured a delay in implementation of the regulations, but that’s not enough. They must halt this kind of legislation that gives important government agencies like the CFIA a bad name. — KR Photo by Vicky Bremner Looking Back Through the Years From the files of the Blyth Standard, Brussels Post and North Huron Citizen April 16, 1975 Two Blyth groups were among nine Opportunities for Youth pro­ grams approved for the summer. A grant of $4,670 was presented to Don Reid, Cathy Madill and Kim Watson to provide recreational activity for preschool children in the village while Susan and Philip Street and Sharon Ives received a $6,090 grant to do research into the history of Blyth in preparation for the village’s centennial in 1977. On recommendation of the edu­ cation and management committee, Huron County Board of Education members agreed to close the North Ashfield public school. The HCBE also referred a request by Wingham board member Jack Alexander that a poll be taken at F.E. Madill Secondary School to consider the possibility of estab­ lishing a music program in the school. Morris Twp. ran up a deficit of $23,950 in 1974 according to the auditor’s report accepted at the April meeting of council. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture expected action shortly on its proposal for an income stabi­ lization plan for farmers. HullettTwp. councillors had been busy holding three meetings in two weeks. The meetings were due to a heavy agenda for the regular meet­ ing. April 11, 1990 To Bee or not to Bee,” the Science Fair project done by Jodee Medd of Blyth was the finalist in the grade seven, biological division of the Huron County Science Fair competition, presenting her the challenge of competing at the Canada-wide Science fair competi­ tion in Windsor. Her project tested the effects of fruit tree insecticide of yellow jacket wasps. The two grand prize winners of the colouring contest sponsored by area merchants in the Citizen, were chosen. Winners of the three-foot high chocolate rabbits were Nicole Foxton of Brussels and Sherri Robinson. Playing at the Park Theatre in Goderich was Ernest Goes to Jail while Driving Miss Daisy was play­ ing at the Lyceum Theatre in Wingham. The Crusaders rebounded to tie their championship playoff series against Drayton. The winners of the Brussels Curling Club ladies trophy were Brenda Linton, Heidi McClure, Bev Stevenson and Mary Ann Miners. Art Bos and Allan Martin were two of several award winners at the annual Huron County Dairy Herd Improvement Association banquet. Bos earned top honours with his top producing yearlings in the individ­ ual cow records and Martin took top spots with his two-year-old cows in the individual cow records, he was also rewarded for having the top producting herd in Huron. John Bell, opened Bell’s Discount Centre and Variety Store in Blyth. Brussels hosted a homecraft sym­ posium, attended by over 50 women, who studied culinary arts and handiwork. Darren Bauer, Rob Veitch and Barb Alexander received the trophy for the junior division at the Brussels Curling Club banquet. The top mixed team was Brad Speiran, Murray Bone and Janice Patterson. April 12,1995 Huron-Bruce MP Paul Steckle commented that “even if I had known I would be removed from the committee, I would have voted the same way,” after he learned he had been removed from the Standing Committee for Agriculture and Agri-Food on April 6. “It would seem this is a direct result from my voting against my party’s main motion on the Gun Control Bill, however when I ran for the office, I told the people of Huron-Bruce that I would be their voice in Ottawa,” he said. Efficiency in emergency was part of the motivation behind the move to central dispatch for Blyth fire­ fighters. The thriller Outbreak, starring Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo and Morgan Freeman was playing at the Park Theatre. Miriam Kelly and Lisa Winger spent a few months establishing programs for youth at The Ark in Brussels.