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The Citizen, 2015-09-17, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015. Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Lori Patterson & Amanda Bergsma The Citizen P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. N0M 1H0 Ph. 519-523-4792 Fax 519-523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. N0G 1H0 Phone 519-887-9114 E-mail info@northhuron.on.ca Website www.northhuron.on.ca Looking Back Through the Years CCNA Member Member of the Ontario Press Council 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 N0G 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca September 19, 1979 The Belgrave, Blyth and Brussels School Fair was being heralded as a huge success once again, with a number of dignitaries in attendance. John Elliott, chairman of the Huron County Board of Education, opened the fair, followed by Huron- Bruce MPP Murray Gaunt, Don Pullen of the Huron County Agricultural Society, Bill Elston, Reeve of Morris Township and Simon Hallahan, Reeve of East Wawanosh Township. Three Brussels women were in the process of creating a new playschool for pre-school children in the basement of St. John’s Anglican Church. Their hopes was that the school would be held three times a week. David Moore, a Toronto-based lawyer, had been named as a fact finder to help assist the Huron County Board of Education and its elementary school teachers in their upcoming negotiations. Moore had been appointed to the position by the Education Relations Commission. He was charged with preparing a report on the negotiations that would identify outstanding issues. A number of local children were named winners in the Huron County Historical Society’s annual essay contest. Members of the society said they were pleased with both the quality and the quantity of submissions for the year. September 26, 1990 The Blyth Festival marked another successful season in 1990, drawing over 44,000 people to the theatre. The attendance was slightly lower, however, than the bar set in 1989, which was a record-breaking year for the Festival. In 1990, nearly 85 per cent of the Festival’s available seats were paid for, compared to 90 per cent the previous year. The season’s comedy, Local Talent, was the season’s top draw, with well over 13,000 people paying to take in the show. Evalena Webster, a former Citizen of the Year for the Blyth area, had passed away. A remembrance of Webster was written by Blyth Festival regular Ted Johns for The Citizen. Duff’s United Church in Walton celebrated its 125th anniversary with a special service. One of the service’s special guests was Alvin McDonald, a man who had been a member of the congregation for over 50 years. The Blyth Lions Club celebrated its 45th anniversary. For the 1990/1991 term, Steve Howson was the president of the club. September 26, 2001 Blyth had been awarded five blooms as the winner of the 2001 national Communities in Bloom competition. The village was competing against a handful of fellow frontrunners in the category featuring communities with under 1,000 residents. Five members of the local organizing committee were on hand in St. John, New Brunswick to accept the honour in person. Those interviewed described the experience as being “tremendous”. Charlie Shaw was named Citizen of the Year for the Blyth area. Nominators cited Shaw’s four decades with the Blyth Lions Club and other aspects of his community involvement in listing him as a worthy recipient of the award. Shaw had also been involved in the creation of Blyth’s first- ever Leo Club, a version of the Lions Club for youth. The 2001 Brussels Fall Fair went ahead without the traditional parade due to torrential rain that would have soaked all who participated, said Jeff Cardiff, co-president of the Brussels Agricultural Society. “Everyone would have been soaked right through. We felt there was no other responsible choice,” Cardiff said. Dorothy Cummings, Cardiff’s fellow co-president, thanked all of the people who came to the fair, braving the weather. September 25, 2014 Seventy-year-old Boris Panovski made his first appearance in a Goderich courtroom after being arrested at Toronto’s Pearson Airport and charged with the murder of Donato Frigo and the attempted murder of Frigo’s wife Eva Willer. It was noted that Panovski asked members of the media how he looked on his way into the Goderich Courthouse. A publication ban was imposed on all evidence due to be given at trial. As part of what was being called a “complex investigation” several branches of law enforcement were led to a residence in Scarborough, which tipped them off to Panovski as a suspect. Central Huron athlete Lexi Aitken recently returned from the Youth Olympic Games in China, where she placed sixth in the 400-metre hurdles, but she said she had her sights set even higher. Aitken told The Citizen that it was her hope to be ready to compete in the 2020 Olympics, but first that she would secure a scholarship to an American college where she could focus on her love of track and field nearly full-time. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright Our rural secret weapon The 54th edition of the Huron Pioneer and Hobby Association’s annual Thresher Reunion was a success again this past weekend. By the time most readers receive this issue of The Citizen, the 154th edition of the Brussels Fall Fair will be over. Upcoming are the 95th annual Elementary School Fair at Belgrave and, further down the line, preparations continue for the massive International Plowing Match at Walton in 2017. These events have three things in common. Each enriches the lives of people in our region by making this a more interesting place to live. Each also contributes an economic benefit to the community. And each is made possible by thousands of hours donated by volunteers. This passion for donating time and talents to improve our communities is the secret weapon of rural Ontario. There have always been young volunteers coming along to replace those who can no longer carry the load. That’s why these events have survived and thrived so long. Here’s hoping that trend continues to enrich our communities. — KR Democracy is not an auction Nearly every day of this interminable election campaign each of the party leaders has promised a new program or a tax break for some portion of the population in the hope of attracting votes. Is your vote for sale? CBC television has been running a regular feature in which it speaks to a voter from a different part of the country about what they want from the parties in this election. Usually at some point each voter says something like: “I will vote for the party that gives me (fill in the blank)”. There haven’t been many who have said “I will vote for the local candidate who will wisely reflect the concerns of the people of my riding”. Few have said they want a wise, compassionate person to lead the country. Aside from truly transformative (and expensive) programs like the Green Party’s pledge of free college and university education and the NDP’s $15-a-day daycare promise, most of the promises have been aimed at targeted voters, the biggest being the supposed dismal plight of the beleaguered middle class. Politicians have become cynical in thinking they can buy our vote by offering us some shiny new gift. Unfortunately we reward that cynicism if we give our vote to the highest bidder. To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, ask not what the parties can promise you. Ask instead who offers the best for the whole country. – KR Borders stop people, not goods As the terrible story of the refugee crisis, particularly people fleeing the brutal civil war in Syria, continues, officials in various countries have taken steps to block the movement of the refugees into their country. It’s easy to understand why when you hear that Germany, the most welcoming country, expects to receive 800,000 refugees in the coming year. This kind of influx will strain the financial resources of even the richest of Europe’s nations. Meanwhile even greater numbers wait in camps in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, countries lacking Germany’s resources. Most visible of the barriers is the 174-kilometre razor-wire fence Hungary has erected on its border with Serbia. Less visible is the red- tape border Canada has erected the complicates efforts of people who want to sponsor refugees (a 64-page application compared to two pages for sponsors of Vietnamese boat people in 1979). Borders remain closed to the free movement of people at the same time as barriers to the movement of goods and money have been relaxed. It’s not just the refugees that are seen as a problem. One U.S. Republican candidate has proposed to build a fence across the entire length of the Canadian border. There’s an irony in the fact that many of the same people who praise free trade in goods and services are the staunchest opponents of open borders for people. Money and goods apparently have more rights than desperate people. – 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.