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The Citizen, 2006-06-01, Page 4Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising, Ken Warwick & Kelly Quesenberry The Citizen 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; $90.00/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. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141 PAP REGISTRATION NO. 09244 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON NOG 1HO email: norhuron@scsinternet.com 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 norhurongscsInternet.com Website www.norlhhuron.on.ca Member of the Ontario Press Council IM/2‘36'W CNA .Aocna We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are 0 Copyright Canadq We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs. MEET MY NEW PRESS SECRETARY. HE'LL BE HANDLING ALL YOUR INQUIRIES FROM NOW ON. Looking Back Through the Years PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2006. Editorials Opinions Next step? The province-wide ban on smoking in public buildings and workplaces which came into effect this week really is remarkable when you consider how far we have come over the years. It shows how much of reality depends on changing attitudes. There was a time when it was just expected that non-smokers should put up with the smoke wafting to them from nearby desks or work stations. After all, smokers have their rights. If you went to a public meeting, or an arena, you could expect to come home with your clothes saturated with the smoke of your neighbours. A restaurant or a movie theatre, might be thoughtful enough to provide a no-smoking section but it probably didn't matter because smoke from the smoking section didn't obey the signs. But gathering scientific evidence made people realize that that smoke from your neighbour's cigarette was not just something that made you uncomfortable: it could kill you or at least make you sick. Slowly the issue became about the rights of the non-smokers to breathe clean air and not have their lives endangered, more than the rights of the smokers to light up wherever they felt like. It's not the first time we've seen a fundamental shift in public' attitudes. Once drunk driving was the subject of humorous indulgence. Today the general attitude (ignored by some) is that it cannot be tolerated. This kind of shift offers hope for other needed changes. Early this week as Ontario suffered under a heat wave and widespread smog alert, many people continued to drive large, gas-guzzling, pollution-spewing cars, all the while complaining about the price of gas. What if people make the connection between the amount of fuel burned and the pollution in the air and it becomes unacceptable to waste precious fuel and precious air? What if people can finally grasp that global warming is a real danger to their lives and those of their children and grandchildren and it becomes unacceptable for industry and individuals to pollute? The smoking and drinking and driving situations show public attitudes can change. What will be the next change for the better?— KR Such a gentle country Within a few days recently, Ontario residents went from a holiday weekend that seemed like it should have been in March, not May, to a scorching heat wave. These dramatic shifts in weather systems subject us to strong winds at all times of the year, and raging blizzards in winter. There are times when we're tempted to curse the climate. And then we- look at the rest of the world and get some perspective about what a gentle country we live in. In Indonesia this week thousands of people died in an earthquake. Survivors are looking up nervously at a volcano that is threatening to erupt. This is the country that is still trying to recover from many thousands of deaths from the 2004 tsunami. Meanwhile Florida, a haven from our harsh winters for many Canadians, is bracing for another record-breaking hurricane season. Maybe, when it comes to climate, we should paraphrase Winston Churchill: "Our climate is the worst, except for all the others." — KR Letter to the editor THE EDITOR, Keith G. White, in last week's Citizen refers to remarks about Canada's Chief Justice. Public statements by Tory MPs (even cabinet members) are rare these days. If you see a. creature wearing a muzzle. it's either a ,ottweiler, a pit bull or a Tory MP. Mr. White appears to believe Stephen Harper's facetious . and unfounded complaints about the Supreme Court of Canada. The suggestion is that when the court. a finds a law or the enforcement of law to be contrary to the Canadian Constitution, they are usurping the parliament's role of making laws. In fact, they are doing their job which involves interpretation of both the letter and the spirit of the constitution as it relates to the law in Question. The constitution is written and adopted by our elected representatives (not by judges> and it sets out the basic principles under which our nation is to be governed. It is easy for politicians to lose sight of these-principles, causing them to propose laws that arc incompatible with the constitution. The Supreme Court's purpose is to see that that does not hap- pen. Justices are selected 'on the . basis of their knOwledge of the law, their • wisdom and their good character, not according to their political biaSes. Not that these judges have no political or social views — but they are committed to making decisions on their honest interpretation of the constitution as it bears on the law or situation in question. I challenge anyone to demonstrate that our Supreme Court is not an exemplar of fairness, honesty and good judgement. I don't imagine that dogs or MPs enjoy wearing muzzles, but we have to understand that Mr. Harper needs to keep those old Reform and Alliance ideologues under wraps until he gets his majority at which point they may be free to voice all of their outrageous ideas. Oh, it just occurred to me that some of those muzzled creatures you see could be • national media correspondents. Brock Vodden June 4, 1959 Film star Elizabeth Taylor returned to New York from the west coast of America following her wedding to Eddie Fisher. The pair married in Las Vegas, and planned to honeymoon in Spain. A man named Stanley Yankus was leaving the U.S. to start a new life in Australia, forced out of the country because of federal farm restrictions. The man would also be taking his daughter and two sons, as weli as his wife. An odd picture was shown of a car totally vertical, with the front half seemingly stuck in the ground. The car was parked in Central City, Colorado when it suddenly 'dove' head-first into the ground. It turned out that the car was unknowingly parked right on top of / an old mine shaft, breaking through- the thin crust of land into the 10-foot deep abandoned tunnel. It was ironically, the town's centennial celebration of the discovery of gold in the area. The meeting of the Big Four foreign ministers was being held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. June 1, 1960 Attending the University of Illinois was Huh Quon. The 26- year-old was the daughter of the acting president of Korea, Huh Chung. Police officers were having a hard time controlling the many youth protesting the mass arrests of people in South Africa. The people, many the parents of several of the protesters, were arrested because of • their opposition to the current government. A rogue tornado ripped through Wilburton, Oklahoma, leaving Many residents homeless. June 6, 1990 A couple from Belgrave finally fulfilled a dream project that had been nearly a decade in the making. They built their own pleasure boat, dubbed the Glen Yukon, and launched it for the first time in Goderich Harbour. The boat took eight years to build and slept six people. A young man from Londesborough remained in critical condition at University Hospital in London after a vehicle accident. The 16-year-old was southbound on Sideroad 30-31 alone in his truck when he struck some deep potholes, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. The car entered the west ditch and rolled several times before the youth was thrown from the vehicle. He sustained major injuries, and the vehicle was demolished. A new sign was placed at the ball diamond in recognition of the Brussels Optimists Club's contributions, and commitment to the park and the young people of the village. The students of-East Wawanosh Public School were busy putting on a stellar performance of the classic Tom Sawyer. Among the talented actors were Andrew Cull and Aaron Barnes. Playing at the Park Theatre in Goderich was Bird On A Wire, starring Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn. Also playing was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:The Movie. June 3, 1992 Brussels council was holding several meetings in order to discuss ways to prevent the Halloween night violence that had been happening in recent years. The trend had begun to be noticed after the previous year's vandalism That had been carried out on Halloween night by gangs of teens who had descended on the town. A bus safety demonstration was carried out for the young students at East Wawanosh Public School. OPP Const. John Marshall gave the children bus safety tips, then took them on a short bus ride, showing them how to properly get on and off the bus, as well as how to behave in a safe manner while riding the bus. The Blyth United Church Women were celebrating their 30th anniversary with cake and lots of socializing. Grey Central Public School held its Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser with very successful results. In total the school raised $2,740.18, all going to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. West Wawanosh Twp. was celebrating its 125th anniversary. June 4, 1997 Members'of the B1y.Ih Legion and other guests attended the annual Decoration Day service held at the Blyth Union Cemetery. Pastor Jim Came delivered the sermon. The 543 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Cadets held its 14th annual inspection, awarding several cadets with special honours. Receiving trophies for outstanding service were: F/Sgt Mike Sanders, Cpf Brian Sanders, Cpl Jarrad Holmes, Sgt Patrick Nolan, F/Sgt Teresa Mitchell, and WO2 Craig Empey. Winners of the annual Brussels Public School track and field meet were: tykes, Candice McLellan, Drew Thothas; mites, Claire Mastnak, Chris Corbett; atoms, Jodi Sellers, Evan Horst and bantams, Nicole Lowe and Ryan Mawhinny.