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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-04-14, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2005. Editorials Opinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising, Heather Armstrong, Capucine Onn & Dianne Nonkes 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 + $l 96 G S T.) in Canada; $85.00/year in U.S.A, and $l00/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 PUBLICATIONS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM REGISTRATION NO. 09244 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT.Canada The Citizen 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 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com Website www.northhuron.on.ca PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON NOG 1H0 email: norhuron@scsinternet.com We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs. Aocna®<* < Member of the Ontario Press Council ■■ZEBB We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright Saving for catastrophe Municipalities across Ontario face double-digit tax increases in an attempt to balance their budgets. Ontario’s provincial deficit seems likely to increase despite an economy that has been performing strongly. Meanwhile, the federal government continues to accumulate surpluses. Simple arithmetic seems to show more of Ottawa’s money should be going to the province and then down to municipalities. Certainly that’s how it appears to municipal and provincial politicians. At Huron County council last week South Huron mayor Rob Morley spoke of attending a conference of municipal leaders who did ihe arithmetic and came to the conclusion there’s too much money in Ottawa and not enough everywhere else. There’s no doubt things have been easier for the federal government than municipal or even provincial governments re :ent!y. The federal government is increasing expenditures at a time other levels of government are trying to maintain services. But things don’t always add up the way they seem. Huron County faces an 18 per cent increase in the county taxation rate this year but for six years in a row in the mid-1990s council didn’t increase taxes, not even enough to cover inflation. The province can’t balance the budget now but mostly because the previous government brought in huge tax cuts that starved the provincial purse. If the federal government was suddenly to bless provincial and municipal levels with new money, would politicians at those levels take advantage of the situation to try to look good with tax cuts? We’re in a mess at the two lower levels of government, in truth partly because the federal government solved its financial problems by downloading some of them to the province which in turn downloaded some problems to the municipalities. Still, both the province and the municipalities are partly responsible for the current bleak situation. — KR The thrill of the hunt The pack of baying hounds chases its prey uphill and down until finally it is cornered, then tears it limb from limb. Fox hunting has been banned in England because of concerns for cruelty to animals but in Canada, we have a similar sport. It’s called the national media and federal politics. Watching the media coverage of the Gomery Commission in the last week has been similar to watching the pack of frenzied hounds scenting blood. Aside from what was actually said in testimony by witnesses of questionable credibility, it’s the possibility that a government could fall and the media could participate in a historic moment that seems to make the eyes of media commentators light up. The game seems to be to show the power of the media in toppling governments. The beneficiaries of this at present are the Conservatives and the Bloc Quebecois but they’d better enjoy it while they can. If an election resulted from all this and the Conservatives were elected, it wouldn’t be long before the hounds were sniffing at their trail seeking the scent of scandal that could bring down their government too. The media must inform people in order to have an effective demo­ cracy. If there are scandals such as the wasting of public money that has obviously occurred in Quebec, then we need to know. The problem is that the media seems to have become a participant, not a reporter of events. There’s too much eagerness to prove the power of the press. — KR Letter to the editor YEAH, 5HE COMMUNICATES ANP 1 LISTEN ! YOU KNOW, LUCY, THE SECRET TO A L0N6 /AMP SUCCESSPUL MARRIA6E IS COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION. Looking Back Through the Years THE EDITOR, I picked up the March 31 paper to read and was truly taken aback by the headline, “Work to rule impact low for students.” I of course read the article right away and thought, “Does this person really understand?”. Who is this “top human resources official who says the work-to-rule campaign has had minimal effects on students”? My children, and all students, are most certainly affected by the teachers’ work-to-rule. I am not writing today about the issue of the work to rule and who has mandated it or why. Those are separate issues. 1 have seen the dedication and involvement of the teachers at Brussels Public School and I would not hesitate to say that this work to rule as affected them as well. Our teachers have a heartfelt desire to do and to be involved in the lives of our children, their students. We have had a teacher who could not attend a planning meeting of a special event for his class. Instead he had to write a letter explaining his absence. You can bet he wanted to be there, and his students wanted his input as well. We have senior students preparing for a spring concert, anxious to show their talents and parents, and now they may not have that opportunity. The teachers may be forced to have the concert during school hours which means most parents will not be able to attend. Tell me now that that does not affect our students! Jim Sheppard perhaps should get some feedback from the students and parents before stating that there has “been no impact on stu­ dents.”. Let’s pray this issue gets settled very soon and our teachers can once again be allowed to do their best for our children. Pauleen Kerkhof April 14, 1948 Alex Manning purchased property at the corner of Queen and Hamilton Streets and was to begin the construction of a planing mill immediately. The Belgrave Athletic Association was to proceed with plans to build a new rink. Some of the advertisers within the pages of The Blyth Standard this week were Lakeview Poultry Farms and Hatchery, Bill Henry, Howard Tait, Stewart’s General Store, James Lawrie, Blyth’s Radio Service, Holland’s Grocery and Locker Service, Doherty Bros. Garage, J. Lockwoods Furniture and Scott’s Pool Room At the Roxy Theatre in Clinton it was “a masterpiece of merrymaking, lavishly coloured and gay with music”, as Esther Williams, Lhuritz Mechior and Jimmy Durante starred in This Time for Keeps. Carnegie Hall, playing at Goderich’s Capital Theatre and starring Marsha Hunt, William Price and Martha O’Driscoll had “the greatest array of world famous artists ever assembled for one picture.” “Fine characterizations” were a feature of “the tense, dramatic romance”, Song of Love starring Katharine Hepburn, Paul Henreid and Robert Walker, which was playing at Seaforth’s Regent Theatre. A photo showed a picture of a dog seatbelted behind the steering wheel of a car. The cutline read, “Rover, a cocker spaniel owned by Alex Janusitis, Montreal newspaperman, sits proudly at the wheel of an automobile. If a policeman stops him, he can produce a license authorizing Rover Janusitis to drive a motor vehicle anywhere in Quebec, which means Canada, too — in 1948. Nobody at the license bureau bothered to ask whether it was for a dog or a man when it was issued.” April 12, 1950 The white leghom flock of the Walter Rose Poultry Farm, operated by Mrs. Louise Porter, Brussels was ranked high among the top 10 leghom flocks in the Summary of the Canadian Record of Performance for Poultry. L.E. Cardiff, MP for North Huron was the guest speaker at the regular meeting of the Brussels Lions Club. Featured movies at local theatres were: The Red Danube with Walter Pidgeon, Peter Lawford, Ethel Barrymore and Angela Lansbury and Task Force with Gary Cooper, Jane Wyatt, Wayne Morris and Walter Brennan. April 12,1972 Dr. Brian Hanlon, recently arrived from Ireland establish his practice with Dr. J.K. McGregor in Brussels and Wingham. The executive of the fair board ladies was: past president, Mrs. George Mutter; president, Mrs. Doug Hemingway; first vice-president, Mrs. Ross Bennett; second vice- president, Mrs. William Hewitt; secretary-treasurer, Mrs. Adah Smith. The D.A. Rann trophy was presented to the Jim Smith rink at the Brussels Curling Club awards night. While members of the Huron County Board of Education were having difficulty staying within a budget ceiling imposed on ordinary expenses by the provincial government, there was considerable concern building for the future. Some board members expressed the Feeling that they were being penalized for not spending more in previous years. While Huron had spent wisely for education and implemented only those programs recommended by the province’s Department of Education other boards had spent large sums of money and had updated their facilities. Now, Huron .couldn’t achieve the level of facilities and equipment in other school jurisdictions because the grant ceiling was to remain at the same level as every other district while the base remained unusually low. April 11,1973 The 8th Liners won the WOAA championship trophy. Players were: Ray McNichol, Fred Meier, John Gibbings, Murray McNichol. Murray Gordon, Glen McLean, Ken Bird, Joe Pereira, Jim Johnston, Jim Phelan, Glen McLachlan, Arnold Pease, Bob Blake, Elgin Pease, Jim Blake, Bill Phelan, Harvey Stewart and Charlie Johnston. It was a big opening weekend at Brownie’s Drive-in Theatre with the double bill Something Big starring Dean Martin and Brian Keith and Pocket Monday with Paul Newman and Lee Marvin. April 16,1986 Blyth council donated $1,800 to the Clinton hospital fund. The Brussels Optimists donated $2,000 to the Lions pool fund. Winners at Hullett Central school’s science fair were: Lana Lawrence, Kevin Wright, Mike Memer, Tracy Kennedy, Shane Taylor, Shannon Duizer, Richard Wilts, Murray Whyte, Darlene Buffinga, Anita Gross, Leona Cunningham and Theresa Knox. The musical Oil! Oil! Oil!, produced by Victoria Playhouse from Petrolia came to Blyth Memorial Hall. It told the story of the first discovery of oil in North America’s new Petrolia in the mid-1800s and the boom it brought. April 15,1998 Blyth Legion prepared to celebrate its golden anniversary. A special evening of fun and entertainment was planned with guests the Nasty Habits among those scheduled to perform. Receiving recognition at the Blyth Minor Hockey banquet were Mike Courtney, David Craig, Mike Ansley and Kendall Whitfield. The cast of Waiting for G. Doe were rehearsing.