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Zurich Citizens News, 1980-10-02, Page 4Page 4 Citizens News October 2, 1980 Reflections in a '29 Plymouth HouaNMwuitun emnnelnnauuuarnauoOu m Ry TOM CREECH Funny little • stories To quote a former colleague,of Mine who this very minute i`s reviewing copy on a small desk in the large confines of the Winnipeg Free Press this week's column "is a" bounch of funny little stories and anec- dotes which will hopefully, fill up thespace alloted for this column." • • Beside the typewriter on which this column is being typed • is a large plastic bag outside of an envelope which contains literature from the industrial Accident Prevention Association. • For unknown reasons, the envelope is in pretty sad shape and is at the stage where our friends at the post office would not have to open the envelope for postal inspections. On the exterior of the bag are the words` `Repaired by Canada Post." Huuu? Pardon me, but doesn't the word "repair" mean the same thing as "fix" as in to restore back to its original condition? Heck all these guys did was stick a bloody plastic bag around a torn envelope. As for the actual wording "Repaired by Canada Post" who really gives a darn? The sender didn't put the stupid bag around it and the receiver (me) didenot hold up a mail truck and stick a bag around the only torn envelope which was addressed to the Citizens. News. urumnu��uun�u�unun�uiiiininni�nnu�uuuuni�niunuin�n�nunniuii�iiuuniun���nnniiu�niiuuu�iin�niiNuuu��uin�un�ui��iiiu�un�niu�in�uiiuinun= . By saying in big, bold red print "Repaired by ViewpointCanada Yost- you would almostthink the post officeis making you feel somewhat ashamed to receive a Z.C.N.�E. package in such tacky shape or are expecting pat on P g a the back for sticking a plastic bag around an envelope. TF►e time to 'get involved One of the major concerns in a society which is becoming a victim of its love for paperwork is a lack of input into the governmental process by the ordinary citizen. About every two years citizens have a real op- portunity to become a part of .that process thanks to municipal and school board elections. Municipal elections serve as an excellent oppor- tunity to become involved in either the community or the education process. If\you want to know what is really taking place, you can't beat getting in- volved. All -municipalities in the Citizens News coverage area have several items which could be cropping up on a future council's agenda. In Bayfield the possibility of a second marina is far from a dead issue while in Hay and Stanley townships the implementation of their secondary plans has yet to take place. Members of a new council in Hensall face the possibility of taking part in an Ontario Municipal Board hearing with regards to annexation by Hen- sall of 200 acres of Hay township land. Here in Zurich the reorganization of the recrea- tion, parks and community board should prove to be highly interesting and don't forget council's involve- ment in the community's 125th anniversary celebrations. If you're curious about becoming involved why not attend the next council meeting in your area or a board of education meeting in Clinton. Nominations for either the councils or boards close October 20. Absentee ownership One thing should be made absolutely clear. The current controversy about foreign in- vestors buying up Huron farm land is not about bona fide immigrants. No one's worried about those from other coun- tries who buy farms here, move here and work them, joining their neighbours and the rural com- munity. What is worrying the Huron Federation of Agriculture enough to ask for the provincial agricultural minister's resignation over the issue is whatabsentee ownership of large blocks of our rural land will do to our community here asswe know it. We're worried too. As several McKillop people have said, absentee and concentrated ownership of farm land depopulates the area. It can make all our in- stitutions, ... schools, churches, clubs, much weaker. Instead of 20 farm families on a given stretch or rural line you'll have five or six. That's a process that's already started of course as 300 or 400 acre rather than 100 acre farms lave become the norm. But now, still in Huron at least, the owners live in the community. That gives ,hem more of a stake in everyone's future, Something an investor who lives thousands of miles sway doesn't have to know or care about. "What's all the fuss about?" some say. "we can always rent the land back from these guys.They have the bucks and 'the bucks talk." And it is a complicated question. Is a farmer who's thinking about retiring supposed to turn down an offer of say $2,000 an acre from a foreign invest- ment syndicate with the comment "No, I'll be a good citizen and sell to my neighbour for1500?" Can.the community as a whole require (hat sort of sacrifice from farmers? Not likely. But the answers to complicated questions aren't found by turning your back on them in the hopes they'll disappear. No, the provincial govern- ment , and those of us who live in rural com- munities have to look for answers... controls on absentee ownership, residency requirements for land buyers. ' Whatever. Other provinces have legislation that addresses the problem. It won't be at no cost, and it won't be easy. • But we think there's not much choice. As one farmer, the third generatioh of his family to occupy the home farm said: "Our ancestors came here to get away from a fuedal system. We don't need a new one starting up here now." Huron Expositor * * • • One of the most frequent criticisms at the South Huron District High School is the lack of interest which many, students show in the life of the school, in other words, the age-old, problem of apathy. The student newspaper in its first edition of the new school year ran aquestionnaireconcerning some the school's problems. One of the questions asked was "What we can do about student apathy?" According to a newspaper staffer the most popular . answer was "Who cares?" * * * • Goderich police chief Pat King should be con- gratulated on his 54 mile marathon walk held in the lakeport community as the result of a challenge issued during a local TV cable Terry Fox telethon. King pledged to walk continuously for 24 hours if viewers would raise $250 to make the telethon total $15,000. King began his 216 laps of the Goderich District Collegiatelnstitute quarter mile track at 2 p.m. Satur- day and was still walking 24 hours later although the chief said he considered giving up a 4 a.m. due to some intense pain from the foot area. King said the walk gave him an understanding in part, of what Fax experienced on his epic run. If nothing else. the walk by the police chief gave him an excellent reason to discard his foot patrol for` at least one week. Interest in the election scene locally seems to be heating up with the news from Stanley township that deputy -reeve Paul Steckle will be challenging incum- bant reeve Tom Consitt for the top township job. While there was no word from Hay when this column was written there appears to be a good chancethat an election will take place, what with several rumours flying about the ,township concerning the political aspirations of some township residents. Aspiring and incumbent politicians have until Mon- Plea§e turn to page 11 • OM* MNWMNM Published Eaah.WedMieday By J.W. Eddy.PublIelNie is Ltd. Memb.r: Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association Ontario Weekly N.wspapers Association ql News Editor - Tom Creech Second Class Mail Registration Number 1385 Subscription Rotes: $8.50 per year in adv1:mc4 in Canada $ 19.50 per year outside Canada Single copies 25t . ,