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The Citizen, 2016-06-09, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2016. Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Lori Patterson, Brenda Nyveld & Dawn MacLeod 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 $36.00/year ($34.29 + $1.71 G.S.T.) in Canada; $160.00/year in U.S.A. and $205/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: Mon. 2 p.m. - Brussels; Mon. 4 p.m. - Blyth. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON NOG 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca The Citizen P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM 1H0 NOG 1 HO Ph. 519-523-4792 Phone Fax 519-523-9140 519-887-9114 E-mail info@northhuron.on.ca Website www.northhuron.on.ca Canada ..ocna CCNA Member of the Ontario Press Council We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or Department of Canadian Heritage. photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright CMCA AUDITED Eat, drink local Huron County has long boasted that it is Ontario's leading county in terms of producing crops and food, producing more than any of the Four Atlantic provinces, but there's always been a gap in that production. Other than milk and small amounts of fresh apple cider, the county has produced little to drink to go along with all that food. Not anymore. With the groundbreaking on Monday for the Blyth Cowbell Brewery Company's new brewery on the southern edge of Blyth, the county is now awash in liquid refreshment with breweries of various sizes in Blyth, Seaforth and Varna and wineries near Clinton and Grand Bend. The fact that the first shipment of Cowbell's Absent Landlord beer sold out in local outlets within hours seems to show there's a lot of interest in "drinking local" as well as eating local. Who knows if all these new ventures will be successful? The ratio of successes to failures in new business ventures makes it doubtful that all will flourish but let's hope they all beat the odds. The county needs these visionary entrepreneurs. Sometimes it seems that local businesses are built up only to see outside buyers come in take the product and reputation of the company (and the jobs) and hand them to one of their plants in another community, even another country. So here's wishing success to all these ventures. We need to keep rebuilding our economy to make up for the companies that are lost.— KR Ease their pain While the issue of medical assistance for those who want to end their lives because of incurable illness or suffering has dominated the news because of the government's missing the Supreme Court's deadline for a new law, an issue just as important continues to get little attention: the need for better palliative care. Palliative care typically helps people deal with physical and non- physical symptoms as they approach the end of their lives. Often it means someone with a fatal illness can move to a less stressful facility than a hospital. They deal with compassionate people who want to help them get as much out of life as they can, for as long as they can. But a recent study by the Canadian Cancer Society found a patchwork of palliative care across Canada. It quotes an international report that grades Canada poorly on the costs of end -of -life care because of the costs to patients and families for palliative care outside hospitals. Our system provides full funding for in hospital stays at a cost of about $1,100 a day but scrimps if a patient is transfered to a less costly palliative care unit. Others have complained that Canada lags on allowing use of drugs that will help manage pain more effectively. Some people may choose to seek medical assistance to end their lives but they shouldn't make that request because palliative care is so shoddy that it's simpler to end your life than be stuck in a broken system any longer. Just as those who are suffering deserve the right to shorten their lives if they wish, we should also help others live as long and as well as they can for themselves and their families. — KR We can only watch The world is such a small place these days that we can be affected by decisions voters in other countries make over which we have no say. Currently we have two such situations as British voters decide whether or not to withdraw from the European Union (EU) and U.S. voters choose a president who will influence all our lives. Economists have warned that we all have a lot at stake if Britain votes to leave the EU. Not only will Britain suffer a recession but the side effects will spread to other countries as well, slowing economic growth. Meanwhile Canadians can only look across our southern border and wonder how Donald Trump, a man who is regarded as a buffoon by most people outside the U.S., could find favour with so many Americans. What's more, we now must try to contemplate what the world may be like if Trump heads the most powerful country in the world, as seems increasingly possible. Somehow it seems unfair that we will be affected so greatly when we're given no say in decisions like these. — KR 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. Looking Back Through the Years June 10, 1959 The road known locally as Gypsy Lane in Blyth was in the process of undergoing serious repairs that had been ongoing for over two weeks. The repairs included widening the road's shoulders and adding fill to some of the lower parts of the road. Blyth Village Council said that the road was in such poor condition that it either had to be repaired or closed. Council then enlisted the help of George Radford Construction to do the work. The final phase of the job, which would include the gravelling stage of the job, was to be completed in the coming week. The Blyth Horticultural Society was in the process of searching for new members to help with the vast amount of work involved in caring for the plants and gardens that help make the village beautiful. The annual membership fee for the club was 50 cents and it helped out the group's activities greatly. June 4, 1986 Janis Soots of Goderich said she was unhappy with the lack of discipline in Huron County schools, saying that area children needed a firmer level of discipline in order to learn properly. "Our children need firm and consistent discipline, strong guidance and positive rewards at all grade levels with co-operation and communication with all members of the staff," Soots wrote in her letter to the Huron County Board of Education. "This includes personal habits, classroom behaviours, self respect, respect of peers and those in authority. A small handful who lack these skills can seriously undermine the confidence, self worth and productivity of others." Blyth Village Council accepted the resignation of Larry Walsh, who had been serving as the village's clerk. William Howson, council's spokesman, said that he couldn't comment any further, only saying that Walsh had resigned and that the Ontario Provincial Police were in the midst of investigating further. Walsh had been clerk of Blyth since the early 1970s before resigning abruptly in 1986. Brussels Councillor Dave Boynton resigned from his position, saying that for both personal and business reasons he could no longer function as a councillor. June 12, 2002 The Outdoor Donnellys opened once again at the Blyth Festival and its run had been virtually sold -out since it was announced. Blyth Christian Reformed Church had a new minister at the pulpit as Pastor John Kuperus announced that he had taken an intern position with the church, which began June 1. Kuperus, whose contract was set to expire in mid-August, made his way to Blyth from New Jersey with his wife and four children. Chris Lee officially opened Lee's Service Centre in Blyth, setting up shop in the former home of Hamm's Car Sales. At the June 4 meeting of Huron East Council, it was decided that the former Brussels town office would be demolished, calling for tenders to be submitted by the July 15 deadline. A number of Londesborough United Church Women were presented with life memberships for the organization thanks to their years of dedication. Margaret Anderson, Edythe Beacom, Barbara Carson, Marjorie Duizer, Gail Lear, Kittie MacGregor, Betty Miller, Brenda Radford and Cheryl Trewartha were all presented with life membership pins as part of a special ceremony held by the group. June 4, 2015 A special exhibit to honour the 100th anniversary of the birth of St. Augustine -born author Harry J. Boyle, the author of Mostly in Clover, which was the first original play ever produced at the Blyth Festival, opened at the North Huron Museum with a special ceremony involving Boyle's family. Boyle's brother Norman and Boyle's daughter Patricia and son Michael were in attendance, in addition to several dignitaries, including Huron -Bruce MP Ben Lobb, MPP Lisa Thompson, Huron County Warden Paul Gowing and North Huron Reeve Neil Vincent. Blyth's Joe Hallahan was named ambassador for the annual Association of Ontario Road Supervisors (AORS) world trade show, which was set to be held in Exeter. With the Huron County Fastball League season now underway, the Walton Brewers weren't off to a blazing start, having dropped their first two games of the season. In their third game of the season, the Brewers would be taking on their closest neighbours to the north, in the Brussels Tigers. St. Anne's Catholic Secondary School held its annual Me to We fundraiser, this year in the form of a colour run, which raised over $5,000 for the charity. Principal Jodi Kuran reported that over the previous six years, the school had raised over $160,000 for the Me to We organization to help build schools in developing countries.