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The Citizen, 2004-11-11, Page 4We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs. Member of the Ontario Press Council marmot We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are C Copyright GOD AND THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN. YOU HAVE THEIR BLESSING TO GO AFTER THE TERRORISTS, 50 FEEL FREE TO BLAST AWAY NOW, GEORGE. 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. While one of the important roles of government can be to lead by initiating useful programs, the unfortunate results can sometimes mean local taxpayers are stuck with the long-term bill. Speaking at last week's meeting of Huron County council, Central Huron councillor John Bezaire grumbled that too often federal and provincial governments create a demand for a service by providing one- time funding, then end the program leaving it up to municipalities to meet the demand from taxpayers created for the service. He cited the Healthy Futures program as an example. The money received from the provincial government helped rural property owners take actions to protect surface water, ranging from repairing or replacing septic tanks to planting trees and buffers along streams. The only problem was that many more problems were revealed, particularly needed septic tank repairs, than there was money for solutions. Now the county struggles to find a way to complete the job. One of the most far-thinking observers of rural Ontario, Elbert van Donkersgoed, strategic policy advisor of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, has always maintained municipal amalgamation is a step forward for rural Ontario. Fewer, larger municipalities have the ability to bring government closer to the people, he argues, and get the things done that people at the local level can identify as problems. without the strangling red tape of a provincial government involved. The problem with his theory is that local governments haven't been given the resources to truly show leadership in so many areas. If anything, municipalities have found themselves strapped to meet the responsibilities downloaded to them by the Mike Harris government because the downloaded tax resources haven't been as large as the costs for things like ambulance service. That's why it's a shame that Toronto mayor David Miller was able to convince the province that a greater share of the gas tax should go only to those municipalities that operate transit systems. Toronto has special needs that places like Huron County don't, but we have special needs that Toronto doesn't. All municipalities need greater resources to be able to solve local needs. Unfortunately Miller has convinced the government that helping rural areas solve their problems is hurting Toronto's ability to solve its problems. It's a short-sighted view the province shouldn't have caved in to. - KR A need for healing While it's flattering that thousands of Americans have enquired about immigrating to Canada since the re-election last week of George W. Bush for a second term as U.S. president, it's also sad to see such a sign of division in our most important neighbour. There's a saying that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, but it's also true that people who dwell too much in the past can turn past grievances into future problems. In countries where people nursed old grudges and remembered grievances long past, from Northern Ireland to Rwanda to Yugoslavia, the result has been more trouble. Supporters of both the Democrats and Republicans have been guilty of harbouring their old grievances. Many Democrats are still bitter that they feel the 2000 presidential election was stolen by Bush. Republicans are still bitter that Bill Clinton, a man they consider a moral degenerate, managed to hold onto power and is regarded as a hero by many who see Bush as a bungling president who lied about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction to get his country to go to war. Even the bitterness of the Vietnam war was revived during the past election campaign as Democratic candidate John Kerry allowed his supporters to trumpet his decorated service during that war as proof that he could be a great war leader while his enemies chose instead to question his legitimacy because he later spoke out against the war. Americans feel they_ have a great nation but they will not be as great as they can be if they can't forgive and forget. — KR PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2004. Editorial o o;'/ • OP1A10 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising, Heather Armstrong & Capucine Onn 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 $30.00/year ($28.04 + $:1.96 G.S.T.) in Canada; $80.00/year in U.S.A: and $100/year in other foreign counties. 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. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141 PUBLICATIONS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM REGISTRATION NO. 09244 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON NOG 1H0 email: norhuron@scsinternet.com Canada The Citizen P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM -1H0 NOG 1H0 Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 FAX 523-9140 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com Website www.northhuron.on.ca A9cna ENA o Paying the piper Nov. 13, 1969 Among scholarships and award winners at Seaforth High School were William Perrie, Carol Shortreed, Karen Coutts, Rosemary Blake, Mary Bewley, Keith Wilbee, Helen Searie and Linda Travis. Area residents of Dutch descent, presented the Royal Canadian Legion with 350 Holland Tulip bulbs. Nov. 15, 1972 Brussels voters were called to choose a reeve, four councillors and two public utilities commissioners at the municipal elections on Dec. 4. A large barn on a Grey Twp. farm was totally destroyed by fire. Also lost in the blaze were a number of pigs, calves and the entire season's crop of hay, straw and grain. The cause of the fire was unknown. A fatal car-truck accident claimed' the life of a 30-year-old Brussels- resident. The crash took place on Huron County Rd 16, about two miles east of Brussels. The truck rolled over several times. About 400 people attended a Church Week rally sponsored by the United Churches of the area. Huron Plowmen held their annual dinner and awards night in Brucefield United Church. Marilyn Robertson was given the Trophy for being the Queen of the Furrow. During a Grey Twp. council meeting, councillors approved account payments which included $6,355.16 for the general account and $2,829.50 for the road and bridge account. Nov. 12, 1986 The Blyth Festival held an auction to raise money for future capital expansion of the Festival. One of the items up for auction was a dress from the playwright Cakewalk. The event raised $9,000. It was a night of firsts when Huron County honoured its first female warden, Leona Afmstrong, at the annual warden's banquet in Brussels. Donations to the Londesborough Lions Club for its Back the Biter day were almost at $10,000. The largest donation in one week had come from Radford's Auto Farm and Industrial Parts in Blyth, which donated $1,423.76. A Walton-area family home was damaged beyond repair by fire. Proceeds from the annual George Menzies Endowment Fund were presented to Brussels-area students at the F.E. Madill Commencement. Winners included Bruce Raymond, Wayne Wheeler, Rose Marks, Susan Marks, Kerry Bauer, Wendy Martin and Darron. Schesher. Blyth architect Chris Borgal received a provincial award for renovation of a Goderich building in a ceremony in Toronto. Also involved in the winning of the presentation were Bruce Youmans and John Rutledge. MNR officers were on the county back roads 24 hours a day during the hunt season, checking for valid licences, legal violations as well as asking hunters specific questions which enabled the ministry to set the deer season at a time which was satisfactory to the greatest number of hunters. Work Was completed on the bridge and road over the Blyth Brook in Morris. The long awaited direct route to the Howson and Howson elevator was re-opened after being closed most of the summer after a truck went through the old bridge. Blyth Atom goalie Josh Yanchus made a great save on a shot by a Brussels player in a game between the two local teams. Player of the month for the Brussels Bulls was goalie Jeff McGavin. Player of the week was Kevin Lee. Brian Dietner, president of the Brussels Optimist Club and David Stephenson, secretary, presented a cheque for $500 to Debbie Seili, treasurer of the Brussels Skating Club. Nov. 16, 1994 'Dr. Janet Zettel and business administrator Gwen Deveraux, were kept very busy as they opened the new doctors' offices at the Brussels-Seaforth Medical Clinic in Brussels. Members of the B&W Trailblazers Snowmobile Club were busy moving into the new clubhouse. The club purchased the land, and the former portable which was moved from St. Catharines. Winners of the Legion colour poster competition for Remembrance Day were Stephanie Oliver, Lindsay Haak, Kevin Trewartha, Matt Anderson, John Storey and Elizabeth Oliver, all from Hullett Central Public School. Nov. 17, 1999 OPP were investigating a break-in at the Walton Country Store. The thieves took 45 cartons of cigarettes, $500 in cash and a number of scratch tickets. Tthe cash register was found a short distance away with extensive damage done to it. The value of the theft was $2,000. Residents celebrated the official opening of the Breast Health Centre at Listowel Memorial Hos- pital. Former Blyth Lions president Brent Scrimgeour presented Gary Courtney of the Thresher Association with a cheque for $5,000 that was put towards the new addition to the shed. New Brussels Beavers included Christopher Ross, Derek Wood amd Kane and Curtis White.