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The Citizen, 2003-02-26, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003. Editorials & Opinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising, Alan Young, Patty Van der Meer 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 $28.00/year ($26.17 + $1.83 G.S.T.) in Canada; $80.00/year in U.S.A, and $100/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. We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs. Publications Mail Reg. No. 09244 Canadian Publication Mail Agreement No. 40050141 The Citizen P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. N0M 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com Website www.northhuron.on.ca Jpcna (*sna Member of the Ontario Press Council Give us the tools and the money Ontario Premier Ernie Eves’ suggestion that municipalities need a new source of revenue such as a share of the gas tax is one his government should implement immediately, before it’s too late for many rural areas. Though urban newspapers trumpeted the idea as a new deal for cities, the fact that the premier made it in his speech to the Rural Ontario Municipal Association meeting shows he knows that rural municipalities, not just big cities, face problems. Watching municipality after municipality struggle to come up with an acceptable level of tax increase while the provincial and federal governments trumpet tax cuts and new programs, shows there’s a terrible imbalance in the funding availability. As well, the province’s downloading of programs was supposed to be revenue neutral, balanced off by new tax room, but as time goes on it’s becoming abundantly clear it wasn’t. At the same time the province retains its right to impose new programs on municipalities without new funding, such as the clean water regulations. The government that’s closest to the people anu able to deal with local needs best is the municipality, yet with the financial straightjacket they’ve been placed in, local councils have been able to do little more than clear the roads of snow and keep the streetlights burning. But our communities are facing a time of the most serious economic change in their history and every single rural community is going to have to re-invent itself to survive. Giving municipalities more resources to deal with that change would be a big start. Mr. Eves, please act quickly while our rural municipalities still have a chance to save themselves.— KR Until it happens . . . Expect fire and safety officials to try to move fast to try to close any loopholes in fire safety regulations for public venues while the public is still concerned following two gruesome tragedies in U.S. nightclubs within a week which took more than a hundred lives. After all, once the immediacy of these deaths has disappeared, most of us will take an “it can’t happen here” attitude and think there are already too many rules. If you had walked into that Rhode Island nightspot and polled every patron moments before a fire broke out there Thursday night, it’s probable that a large majority would have ridiculed rules that would have prohibited the use of pyrotechnics to increase the excitement level of the rock show that was playing. Until something happens, many of us tend to think authorities are over cautious and just plain bureaucratic in worrying about the minor possibility that something can go wrong. But something did go wrong this time when the fireworks set fire to the stage backdrop and ceiling and 97 people died from the fire or the crush of panicked patrons who suddenly had more excitement than they wanted. Every day of the year events take place in halls and clubs and theatres and stadiums across this continent and everyone goes home safely. Even in venues that break the current safety regulations nearly always there is no terrible consequence to the lawbreaker’s action. After a while there’s a tendency for people to think the rules are just extreme red tape and those enforcing them are power-mongers. But every once in a blue moon all the happenings to cause a tragedy come together and something like the Rhode Island fire or the Chicago stampede makes us understand why the rules were written in the first place. In fact the rules were probably written after a prior tragedy when a previously-unconcemed public blamed governments for not having done something to prevent the deaths and injuries to so many innocent people. There will no doubt be calls for tougher laws now. Laws can try to protect us but if we could all remember the reason for caution, the laws and the safety officials would have an easier time of saving us from ourselves. — KR Letters to the Editor Looking Back Through the Years THE EDITOR, I am a very disappointed parent who would like some questions answered. What is the definition of a coach? I am thankful that people volunteer to be a coach because it is a difficult job. I have done it. On the other hand, I am not a happy camper. I was under the impression that coaches were there to help the weaker players get bette rand the stronger players to polish their skills. I don’t believe they can learn to get better by sitting on the bench. All this will do is eat away at a kid’s self-esteem. This is not right. Coaches should always help kids to learn fair play and good sportsmanship (not putting other teammates down). I pay the same fees as every other parent, so why isn’t my child entitled to his fair share of ice time? I don’t know why this continues. I have talked to coaches and even asked for a release for the last three years, but have been denied every time. If he cannot have fair time, he should be entitled to play elsewhere. What’s up? I believed kids were out there to learn some skills, have fun and also learn how to play with others as a team. I don’t see any “I” in the word team. Where is the team play? They wonder why they keep losing players to other centres. Maybe this is why! A very disappointed and concerned parent Feb. 26,1958 L. Elston Cardiff of Brussels, veteran of 18 years in the federal house was again the unanimous choice of the Progressive Conservatives in the riding of Huron. He would be opposed by William G. Cochrane, fomer mayor of Exeter, who was chosen Liberal candidate. Sharon Hemingway and Carl Hemingway were crowned queen and king of the Brussels Ice Carnival. Other winners included: best dressed couple over 16, Mr. and Mrs. C. Schaeffer, Maxine Machan and Ralph Watson; best dressed couple under 16, Penny and Linda Lowe, Brian and Karen Kieffer; comic clown, Nora Stephenson, Murray Lowe; national, Gail Edler, Donald Fischer; lumberjack, Ian McDonald, Mrs. Joe Brewer; best dressed under 16, David Hemingway, Bill Kieffer, Linda Johnston, Marjorie Kieffer; best dressed over 16, Mrs. C. Schaeffer, Maxine Machan, Donalyn Hemingway, Car! Hemingway; largest family on skates, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Hemingway and family; oldest, Ian McDonald, Carl Hemingway; youngest, Cathie Bone, Doreen Storey, Wayne McDonald, Ray Hemingway; Valentine, Lois Storey, Geraldine McTaggart; most graceful, Marilyn Knight, Don Hemingway; cowboy and girl, Paul McDonald, Lynn Workman. The weekend feature at Listowel’s Capitol Theatre was Stewart Granger and Rhonda Fleming in Gun Glory. The Blyth Standard publisher, Kenneth Whitmore, died suddenly. Specials at Rutledge Grocery included, three tins of fancy red salmon for 99 cents, two bottles of Hunts ketchup for 33 cents and seven 20-oz tins of tomatoes for 99 cents. Feb. 29,1968 Two Brussels girls, Linda Wilson and Dorothy Elliott were top. winners in the junior and senior secondary school categories, respectively, of the Huron County Royal Canadian Legion speaking contest. The Brussels PeeWees captured the W0AA E championship. The Brussels, Morris, and Grey recreational committee financial statement showed a balance of $150.30. Cal Krauter sold his main street building to Max Oldfield, who was busily renovating it to enlarge hishardware store. Jack Coleman, a native of Brussels, was the new manager of the Atwood Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce branch. He was previously at the Rideau and Sussex branch in Ottawa as an accountant. Specials at McCutcheon Grocery included three one-pound packages of Bostom blue fish for $ 1, 2 tins of Campbell’s tomato soup for 27 cents and 1/2 pound of Maple Leaf cheese slices for 37 cents. Stephenson’s Bakery and Grocery were selling cakes mixes, three for $1, 10-pounds of white sugar for 83 cents and a 10-oz tin of Lady Patricia hair spray for 75 cents. Feb. 24,1988 Lloyd Glanville was presented with a plaque from the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority for 15 years on the MVCA field staff. The new lift for the physically challenged at the Blyth and District Community Centre was officially opened. Blustery weather kept most of the guests and even some local officials from attending. Two ribbon cutting ceremonies were held, one at the main floor entrance to the lift and one at the second floor exit. Taking part in the downstairs ceremony were Janice Henry, Legion Ladies Auxiliary president, Ruby Pattison, vice-president and Bill Vincent. Legion president. The first passengers on the lift were Florence Quinn and Ron Nesbitt. Captain Henry Van Keulen was the guest speaker at a gathering of the Ontario Flying Farmers, hosted by his brother Gerrit of RR2, Bluevale. With Captain Van Keulen was the dog he purchased nine years earlier in England. Sundance had flown in Germany in a supersonic jet fighter piloted by his master, who served with the Canadian Armed Forces in West Germany. Feb. 24,1993 The Ark was rocking at its opening. For the fifth year in a row, Doug Wood of Wingham had won the polevaulting event at the Canadian Indoor Track and Field Championship. Wood had the national record for polevaulting (5.65 metres) and competed at the 1992 summer Olympics in Barcelona. Harvey McDowell was president of the Blyth Horticultural Society. Members of the Samurai School of Self-Defense acquired their yellow belts. They were Jamie Montgomery, Laura Rice, Jim Hunter, Jay Harris, Jamie Rice, Steven Zahn, Tanya Rice, Trevor Gibbons, Shannon Gibbons, Robbie McKercher, Maurissa Hunter. Feb. 25,1998 Top speakers at Hullett and BLyth were Kristi Lasen, Sonya Schultz, Steven Empey, Bryan Klasen, Heather Elliott, Charlotte Worsell, Erin Moore, Lindsay Gibson Justin Plant. Receiving awards at the Blyth Scouting banquet were the Blyth Legion, Joan Clark and The Citizen. Metro police purchased a horse owned by Norm McClinchey.