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The Citizen, 1989-10-04, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1989. May the best site win Brussels Reeve Gordon Workman is afraid the site selection for the northern unit for Huronview has become a political football and that the best site may not win. Let’s hope he’s wrong. Reeve Workman is dead right when he says that with a multi-million dollar decision to be made, every county councillor should look at the two contending sites before he or she makes up his or her mind. It would be scandalous if the decision was made without that kind of research. Brussels residents, including the Reeve, are sure the site just outside the village m Morris township is the best choice but they are, of course, possibly subject to a little bias. Each county councillor should take a look at the possibilities and form a solid opinion. Let’s hope there isn’t another kind of bias involved, however. Often there is a feeling that only a big centre can be a suitable host for large facilities such as the new Huronview. There is an assumption that only the towns in the county are capable of housing a county project. The irony is that often this bigness becomes a self-perpetuating thing. Because the towns are bigger, they get the government services and because they get the government services, they get bigger. WherewouldatownlikeClinton be, for instance, ifnotfor its government services from the current Huronview to the Board of Education to the various schools, the hospital and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Where would Goderich be, even with all its industry, without the county offices, the regional assessment office, the county registry office and the court house and the dozens of legal offices that cluster around these legal hubs of activity. Take any of these large public employers and move them to a Brussels or a Blyth, a Bayfield, Hensall or Zurich, and you would have a major employer and a major economic stimulus. If county politicians are really serious about economic development for all the communities, not just the towns, then Brussels would be a good choice for that reason alone. But choosing Brusselsjustfortheeconomicstimulusitwould bring the community would be just as wrong as choosing Wingham just because it is a town and has more pull at the county level. There should be one reason only for choosing the new site for Huronview north: that it is the best site for the residents and best site for the taxpayers of the county. If politicians take the time to look at both sites and make up their minds free of the backroom arm-twisting that can accompany such decisions, then they have done their job and even if the decision goes against Brussels, few' people in Brussels can complain. Let’s hope county councillors take the time to do the job right. Let's not get carried away Yes, it was nice the Toronto Blue Jays won the American League Eastern Division championship but let’s not turn this into an earth-shattering experience please. Even those w ho are baseball fans must be getting a little sick of the hype already and with the American League Championship series, and Lord help us, maybeevena WorldSeriesaheadofus, wecould be looking at a severe overdose of silliness. No doubt the occasion will be a cause for a lot of people to drag out pseudo-nationalist phases about showing the Americans we’re more thanjustacountryofice andsnow. The ball players, of course, ifthey don’t come from the Dominican Republic, come from the United States (with one lone Canadian exception who won’t likely play a lot). This nationalism will issue from the mouths of many people who downplay the calibre of the Canadian Football League where at least halfthe players are true Canadians, while they sing the praises of the totally American National Football League. The comments will come from many of those who think watching anything but the news on a CBC station is wasting your time, unless it’s an American show. The remarks will come from many people who think the terms “Canadian” and “good move” are mutually exclusive. Yes, it’s nice the Blue Jays won and rewarded their fans after all the disappointments but let’s face it: it doesn’t make Toronto a better ace and if it gives Canadians a new sense of self-worth in comparison with our neighbours to the south, then we need a heck of a lot of help in boosting our own sense of identity: a lot more than a winning group of foreign ballplayers who beat it out of Canada as soon as the last ball is thrown, can give us. P.O Box 429, BLYTH, Ont NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 Playing by the stream Letter from the editor Exporting our communities’ futures BY KEITH ROULSTON Humans are a lot like cows kept behind a fence who, although they are surrounded by lush green grass, always think that little tuft just beyond their reach on the other side of the fence is better than anything they can conveniently get to. Our “greener pastures” syn­ drome in small towns, however, may just make us lose the pasture all together. For many small town people, nothing in their own town seems to be good enough. The bargains in the stores in the town down the road are always better. The selec­ tion is always more varied. The “experience” of shopping is al­ ways more fun. The funny thing is that while the people from one town may be travelling west to a neighbouring town for their green­ er pasture, they’re meeting people travelling east to their town for the same experience. Now people can always give you a good argument that their search has perfect economic sense. They can always tell you how much they saved on instant coffee by driving a little father. They’ll tell you they were able to get a new brand of macaroni that’s just oh so much better than what they could get Continued on page 5 The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $19.00/yr (540 00 Foreign). 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 We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Editor & Publisher, Keith Roulston Advertising Manager, DaveWilliams Production Manager, Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968 ---------,i