Loading...
The Citizen, 2013-03-21, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2013.Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Acting Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny ScottAdvertising Sales: Ken Warwick & Lori Patterson The CitizenP.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; $130.00/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: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 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 March 30, 1961 The Brussels Sales Yard office was broken into again. The thief made off with a quantity of cigarettes and around $7 in cash from the lunch counter till. This is not the first business to be broken into as many others have been stolen from during the past few months. Rev. Kenneth Jaggs, the former rector of St. John’s Parish in Brussels was appointed assistant curate of Grace Anglican Church in Brantford. Jaggs has just returned to Canada from a year of studying in England. The appointment became effective on April 1. Frank Thompson was the winner of $50 from the weekly NHL hockey draw. The weekly draw was sponsored by the Brussels Lions Club. The Brussels Firefighters presented The Noll Sisters for a modern and old-tyme dance in Brussels. Rev. Father Freker baptized three little newcomers to St. Ambrose parish. The recipients were Christopher John, Yvonne Theresa and Brian James. March 23, 1988 Hullett Township Council authorized 36 hardwood trees to be bought for the purpose planting them on township roads. The trees were bought from Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority. John Ramirez from Blyth Public School and Diane Van Bakel from St. Joseph’s School in Clinton won first place in the 1988 Huron County Farm and Home Safety Association for their farm safety poster competition. Shane Hesch from Blyth and Bradley Hoegy from Dublin both received prices for third place. The winners were presented with their cash prizes at a ceremony on Thursday. The Brussels Curling Club had the spring jitney. After playing three six-end games, prizes were given to the winners. The team of Brad Speiran, Fran Bremner, Kelly Bauer and Will Perrie won first place after curling a score of 44.5. In second place was Orval Bauer’s team made up of Michael Alexander, Marie Stute and Ruth Bauer with a score of 37.25. Taking third place with 35 points were Stew Steiss, Velma Locking, Mark Pennington, and Brent Evans. March 23, 2006 Brussels Novices moved on in playoffs and travelled to Hanover. The hosts started strong and quickly put in two goals, then scored again. Brussels didn’t give up and Wyatt Ducharme finally scored a goal. Hanover answered with a goal of their own. Brussels finished with Kai Hiemstra scoring to leave the final score a 4-2. Hanover came back to Brussels the following night and played a good game. Ducharme scored the one and only Brussels goal in the 3- 1 game. Huron East Council “held the line” for its residents in finalizing the budget. There was set to be no tax levy increase for the general population, and just a small $40,000 increase overall for the Seaforth Ward. Author Patrick Douglas visited Grey Central Public School on March 21 and 22. He gave several presentations instructing students to to express themselves through their writing. He also stuck around and gave a presentation at parent-teacher night. March 22, 2012 The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) reported that the number of deer collisions during the first two months of the year were almost double that of the same time period in 2011. The OPP warned drivers to be watchful while driving and to be on the lookout for deer. Bob Trick, an animal control officer for many different area municipalities, said that he anticipated a very high population of deer due to the warm weather. The mild winter allowed for the deer to eat more comfortably as food like corn and soybeans were more easily accessible as a result of a lack of snow cover. Deer are also able to more easily avoid predators like coyotes due to the weather. The Wawanosh 4-H Club held its first meeting of the year at the Jefferson farm. Election of officers was held and, because the group had so few members, everyone was told to volunteer for a position. Emma Enders volunteered for president while Jolande Oudshoorn became her vice-president. Scott Jefferson became the attendance recorder and Laura Nauwelaerts took the position of communications officer. They began with role call before they moved into smaller groups where they were assigned description of a sugar bush. They then held a debate on the pros and cons of their woodlot. The winners were Maisy Jefferson and Marita Oudshoorn. Afterwards, they broke into groups again to make pancakes: sweet potato and oatmeal. Members topped on their pancakes with maple butter made by the leaders and maple syrup as well. 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 Keeping councils on their toes The council of the Municipality of Central Huron got its knuckles rapped by Ontario’s Ombudsman André Marin for holding two illegal closed meetings, but it’s possible to have sympathy for councillors, at least in some of the issues raised. Certainly council was wrong on one issue when it went behind closed doors to discuss what one councillor thought was unfavourable coverage by a reporter from a local newspaper (not The Citizen). It’s pretty hard to argue that there is a reason why a member of the media should be the subject of a closed session – some griping at the local coffee shop perhaps, but hardly a closed session of council which is to be reserved for legal or personnel issues. The issue could have been more properly dealt with in a letter to the editor of the paper in question. But the other illegal meeting, as judged by the Ombudsman, shows how tricky the situation can be for councillors who are trying to do the right thing. Councillors were discussing information given to them by the municipal solicitor in a previous closed session. Speaking to their lawyer in a closed session is a perfectly legitimate cause to go behind closed doors under the rules of the Municipal Act. But according to Marin, when they went back in camera to discuss the information he had given them, but the lawyer wasn’t present himself, they were breaking the rules. Marin found that there was no specific piece of legal advice discussed so the meeting should not have been closed. These kinds of hair-splitting interpretations can make municipal councils and their staffs nervous and frustrated, not knowing if they’re doing the right thing even if they think they are. Still, it’s an important protection of democracy that councils be on their toes, knowing that the Ombudsman could be looking over their shoulders, even if councillors feel abused by the process now and then. The Ombudsman’s suggestions that video or audio recordings of closed sessions be kept is also a good protection, so that an investigation can show what was actually discussed. The authenticity of our democratic process is too important not to be carefully protected. –KR Pensions must be affordable Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak often seems to be wanting to make political hay by bashing government employees but when he argues that something must be done about out of control employee pensions, he’s just being realistic. Hudak suggested again this week that the province needs to negotiate new deals with employees, instituting a “defined contribution” benefit system for people newly hired to replace the “defined benefit” programs now in place. Currently, employees are guaranteed certain pension benefits. If the income from the invested contributions they and the government have made over the years doesn’t provide enough income to pay for those benefits, the government (meaning the taxpayers) is on the hook for making up the difference. In times like the recent recession, it means the government has to come up with more and more money. Last year, in his report on government finances, Don Drummond, former TD Bank chief economist estimated the pension costs for unionized workers will rise from $3 billion last year to $4.2 billion in 2017. At a time when Ontario is trying to reduce an $11.9 billion deficit, the added costs are unwelcome. Defined benefit pension plans have proved an anchor pulling private companies down. One of the reason’s General Motors went into bankruptcy was because of a mammoth unfunded pension liability. Hudak argues that government employee pensions are a “ticking time bomb” with an unfunded liability estimated as high as $100 billion. His proposal that new employees be enrolled in a “defined contribution” pension plan is fair. When they retire, employees would get a fair share of the revenue being generated by their pension. This is the type of pension most private companies now offer. Government employees won’t like Hudak’s plan. They’ll consider it one more attack on them but actually, it’s just common sense. –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.