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The Citizen, 1989-10-25, Page 4
PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1989. Opinion a A natural solution The subject of what to do with fallen leaves has taken up time in meetings in both Blyth and Brussels in the last few weeks when the common sense solution is in each of our backyards. At the October meeting of Blyth council and again at the annual ratepayers meeting in Brussels last week, the annual problem of disposing of the tons of leaves that fall from village trees was discussed. How much municipal councils should be involved in disposing of the leaves was debated at each meeting. It’s one of those new issues in municipal politics in the last dozen years. At one time getting rid of leaves was an autumn ritual of raking them out to the curb and lighting fire to them. Little by little the problems caused to neighbours breathing problems, the dangers of smoke drifting across streets blocking the view of drivers, and the damage to asphalt streets made burning leaves a thing of the past. These changes are good for our environment but they didn’t solve the problem of what to do with the leaves. Some seem to think the answer now is to bag up the leaves, haul them off to a landfill site and set fire to them there. But the common sense way, the natural way, is to do what nature does itself: turn this “problem” into an asset. Mulched leaf mould has proven to be one of the most valuable fertilizing tools a gardener can have. Tests have shown that after composting for a year, leaf mould added to the garden soil can greatly increase yields. What’s more, composting isn’t difficult to do. It probably wouldn’t take that much more energy than that used in dragging the plastic bags filled with leaves out to the curbside. Human nature is a strange thing in this age of specialization. We’ll drive the car downtown, then go to exercise classes to lose weight. We’ll create mountains of plastic grocery bags, that are practically indestructible, but never think of reusing them. And we’ll cart our leaves, grassclippings and organic kitchen wastes to the curbside to be taken to the dump, then we turn around and buy composted manure or hire someone to fertilizer our lawns. We all complain about too much government but in this instance, we have the power in our own hands to reduce government expense. The solution to the high cost of disposing of leaves is in our own back yards. Small business is big business It seems every week is designated to honour this or that worthy cause. We have, for instance, Block Parent Week, Crime Stoppers Week and many other special weeks coming up, all drawing attention to very important parts of our community. In the midst of all these events a week like Small Business Week is likely to get overlooked. Small Business Week, Oct. 22 to 28, after all, would seem to involve only a relatively small part of our community: the people who run small businesses. In reality, however, small business effects most of us in our everyday life, whether by providing a pay cheque or by helping to pay the tax bill for our municipality or providing a necessary service in the community. Small business doesn’t get much attention on a national scale either. Politicians pay lip-service to the importance of the business person with the small business but they listen most to the big businesses with their well-paid lobbists, radio, television, daily newspapers and magazines deal so much with the latest escapades of a Robert Campeau or Peter Pocklington or with the rise and fall of IMB stock to the point you’d hardly know there are any small businesses out there at all. Yet the statistics tell a different story. If you’re talking about growth and new jobs, it is Jane Doe who opens the new store or Joe Blow who opens a little machine shop who is creating the growth in the Canadian economy, providing the jobs that keep people working, and therefore buying. In small towns particularly, small business has a huge importance. If we are to see growth in our communities, if we are to have jobs that can keep our young people at home, we’ll depend on local people starting or expanding businesses. The chance of a General Motors plant or a major meat packer locating locally is almost non-existent. Our jobs are more likely to come from the opening of new business such as Grey Owl Enterprises in Brussels or the expansion of a current business like Howson and Howson in Blyth. Small business is essential to the future of our community. Small Business Week is a good time to sit back and think about that importance. Foot warmer Letter from the editor We’re a bad example to follow BY KEITH ROULSTON Watching the long trains filled with East Germans seeking a new life, hearing about the immense changes sweeping the Eastern European Communist countries, I must admit to certain schizophrenic feelings. It’s easy to feel joy for the people escaping the rigid Communist world to a new freedom. There has been no brighter hope for peace in my 40-plus years on this earth than the dismantling of the Communist system now apparently taking place. After years of confrontation and fear, the barriers separating “East” from “West” seem to be coming down, in some cases, literally. Seeing those thousands of people crowding trains for a new life in West Germany, it’s pleasant to think they are leaving home, and often family, behind to seek the freedom the West can bring: the chance to express an opinion without having to worry about secret police listening in; the freedom to go where you want, when you want, without having to get permission. But knowing human nature, I have the uncomfortable feeling that it is the material gains of the west rather than the gains in freedom that are the big attraction for many of those fleeing the East. It would be pleasant to think democracy was the stimulant for their efforts but it’s more likely it was Dallas and Dynasty and the other television shows showing images of a mythi cal life of opulence in the West that was the real impetus for the move. I hope they’re not buying this mythical life completely, that they’re just a little cynical about western life so as not to be taken in. Let’s hope they aren’t exchanging the straight jacket of a totalitarian life for the straight jacket of consumerism, for the need to be in fashion and follow the crowd. Let’s hope they’ll find their individua lism in the strength of the indivi dual not to be sucked along with the crowd, not as is so often the case now, using individualism as an excuse not to care about anybody but yourself. Quite frankly, the world can’t stand many more self-centred people like we North Americans and the wealthy western Euro peans that the people of eastern Europe yearn to emulate. We in the affluent countries already use a huge proportion of the earth’s resources to support our habit of an excessive lifestyle. We create most of the world’s pollution problems too. We are, to admit the truth, Continued on page 12 P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $19.OO/yr. ($40.00 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 Production Manager, Jill Roulston Advertising Manager, Dave Williams Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968