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The Citizen, 2008-08-14, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2008.EditorialsOpinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie GroppAdvertising, Ken Warwick & Lori Patterson The CitizenP.O. Box 429,BLYTH, Ont.N0M 1H0Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152,BRUSSELS, Ont.N0G 1H0Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.comWebsite www.northhuron.on.ca Looking Back Through the Years 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 $32.00/year ($30.48 + $1.52 G.S.T.) in Canada;$101.00/year in U.S.A.and $175/year in other foreign countries.Advertising is accepted on thecondition that in the event of a typographical error,only that portion of the advertisement will becredited.Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth.PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141PAP REGISTRATION NO. 09244 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON N0G 1H0 email: norhuron@scsinternet.com Letter to the editor Aug. 9, 1950 A fatal crash occurred at a rural intersection near Molesworth, killing a Grey Twp. farmer. The man suffered from a severe concussion, head lacerations and a fractured jaw after the truck he was driving collided head on with another rural truck. The other men involved in the accident were treated for other non fatal scalp lacerations, concussions, chest and knee injuries, and mostly shock. The man driving the other truck involved in the accident escaped without injury. No charges were laid in the incident. The Turnberry street bridge in Brussels had to be closed for repairs after a motorist caused some damage. A car driven by a Brussels resident crashed into the side of the bridge at night causing a portion of the floor to sink. Repairs were underway the very next day and were completed within a couple days. Alleged Soviet spy Julius Rosenberg was captured by FBI in the continuing search to destroy the 'atomic spy net’. He was arrested in New York. FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover stated that Rosenberg, an engineer in the Signal Corps during the Second World War, was "another important link" in the Soviet spy apparatus, revolving around Dr. Klaus Fuchs. Residents of the wealthy neighbourhood of Mantrinecock Point, Glen Cove, New York were up in arms over some beds being moved into a mansion next door. Soviet diplomat to the UN Leonid A. Morozov, who had just moved into the J.P. Morgan mansion in Glen Cove, was having 71 beds placed in his mansion. Some suspicion arose among neighbours, and it was made clear that if he planned to use the property as a summer resort for guests, that he would be violating zoning laws. Many speculated, however, that though this may be the public excuse for suspicions, the real reason may be rooted in the unease between Americans and the Soviet Union. Aug. 9, 1972 Three construction workers had a close call when the bridge they were working on collapsed. The three men, hired to work on the new Morris Twp. bridge, were working on top of the structure when a strong wind picked up, causing the supports to collapse. The men were dropped 26 feet to the river bottom, along with the crumbling remains of the bridge. The workers, all of the Hibbert area, were taken to Wingham and District Hospital where they were treated for abrasions and concussions. Thankfully, they were soon released with a clean bill of health, and were to return to the bridge to start rebuilding the structure, this time with some more help. Maitland Teleservice Limited announced that rates for Brussels, Blyth and Auburn telephone users would be going up in a matter of a month. The rates were to be increased by five per cent, making the monthly fee $7.65, or $91.80 a year. The raise was attributed to the increasing operation costs and construction expenses required for dial and outside plant improvement. Maitland Teleservices had also lost a manager in K.G. Rupert, who had made the move back to his old job at Bell Telephone Company in Kitchener. No successor had yet been named to the manager position. Aug. 10, 1988 Brussels council was hoping to organize an annual celebration all its own. Looking at other communities in the area with their own unique festivals happening every summer and attracting many visitors, Brussels council members were hoping to motivate some in their own community to think up some sort of summer celebration which would be special and original to Brussels. Council was asking local service clubs and businesses to come up with any ideas for such a celebration. “Maybe it won’t work," one councillor said, "but at least we can say we tried.” Playing at the Park Theatre in Goderich was the Walt Disney classic Bambi. Also playing was Tom Cruise in Cocktail, with the tagline “When he pours, he reigns.” Aug. 8, 1990 The retirement of Belgrave store- owners marked the end of a century of tradition. Mr. and Mrs. Ross Anderson had owned the renamed Anderson Hardware Store since 1950, but the store had been around since 1898 as far as records could show. The Andersons, who were retiring after many years of loyal service to the community, had diligently kept the store as it had been for over a century, maintaining the tradition of an old-time hardware store. The productions lined up for the Blyth Festival Theatre’s 1990-91 season were announced. First up would be a number of concerts by renowned pianist and composer Hagood Hardy, best known for his compositions The Homecoming, Jennifer’s Theme, and music for the Anne of Green Gables television series. Also playing would be Gordon Pinsent’s A Gift to Last, Norm Foster’s comedy Sinners, and finally the traditional folk music of Natural Elements: Music from the West performed by a troupe of musicians from B.C. THE EDITOR, I received another one in the mail today. It isn’t addressed to me. This time it was from Peter Goldring, MP. Who is he? What riding does he represent? I know it isn’t my home riding. Yet, there’s nothing on the sheet to tell me. I received another one yesterday, from a different MP I can’t identify which because yesterday’s went immediately into the recycling. I’ve received over a dozen of these this summer. Huron County has approximately 15,000 households, I presume each household has also received one of these. Perhaps each household in Ontario has received one – 180,000 sheets or more for Huron County this summer – enough to fill the room where I sit typing this letter. I shudder to think that these might have been sent to every household in Canada. They contain propaganda for the Conservative Party, then they ask me to check a box selecting the best party leader. They encourage me to return this “poll”, “no postage required.” What these sheets don’t say is that they are sent out at taxpayer expense using parliamentary mailing privileges. Canada Post charges for them. If they are returned, Canada Post charges for that as well, not to mention the cost of paper, printing, and distribution. The taxpayer pays for all this. Once again, the Conservative Party is using a scam to get around the Elections Act and its limits and get the taxpayer to pay for their party advertising. I have written to the government about other issues. In reply, I either receive nothing or a form letter that shows they didn't read my letter. Do they want my opinion on these “polls”? I don’t think so. Sincerely, Jim Barnes. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs. We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright Attention Wal-Mart shoppers At the Olympic Games in Beijing, almost as much attention has been paid to the terrible pollution that makes the air almost unbreathable as to the performance of the athletes. While westerners smugly shake their heads at the backwardness of a country that lets its air become so polluted, we are responsible for a share of that pollution. Behind China’s economic miracle that has seen cities like Beijing sprout new skyscrapers like mushrooms, is the insatiable desire on the part of westerners to get more for less. The Wal-Mart culture has reshaped not only North America, but China. In an effort to meet the demand for lower prices for consumer goods, companies have closed factories here and moved production to emerging countries like China. There, not only are they freed from paying high North American wages, but can relax environmental standards. Beijing’s air quality is only the most visible manifestation of the environmental problems the Chinese people are facing. Recently a CBC television documentary showed the disease problems caused to a town of people from unregulated pollution from a nearby factory. Globalization is a mixed blessing. While millions of Chinese (and Indians and residents of other countries) have more money for housing, food and to buy their own consumer goods, many others are paying the price with a reduced life expectancy because of bad air or water. Globalization also allows a shirking of responsibilities. Companies that were expected to meet employment and environmental standards here in North America, can increase profits by paying little, even sometimes using child labour, in Third World or emerging countries. Consumers, who would never stand for such exploitation of workers or the environment if it was happening next door where they can see it, happily close their eyes to those conditions abroad if it means they get bargains at their dollar store or big box discounter. The danger to our athletes from breathing Beijing’s polluted air is brief. It will end when the games end next week. The 17 million people who live there will go on breathing that air for years with whatever deleterious results for their health. They are reaping the reward and the price of providing us with cheap goods while we breathe freely. — KR Thud! Ouch! The Canadian economy has been fueled by high prices for oil and minerals for the past few years but the recent collapse of commodity prices could leave us a country with no visible means of support. The problem with the commodity boom is that it has destroyed the diversity of the Canadian economy. The influx of dollars to pay for those minerals drove up the Canadian dollar, killing industrial and agricultural exports. Last week’s report that Canada lost 55,200 jobs in July shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone but someone coming from the inflated petroleum economy in Alberta and Saskatchewan. You can’t close factories at the rate we have been and still keep people working. Still, as long as we subscribe to a philosophy that you reward the “winners” in the economy and shrug at the fate of the losers, who’s going to worry about those parts of the country that are suffering as long as Alberta is booming? — KR &