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The Citizen, 2003-07-09, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 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 Mall 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 Member of the Ontario Press Council A wake-up call delivered Prior to the Walkerton water tragedy, nearly everyone assumed water from deep bedrock wells was beyond the danger of contamination by surface pollutants. Now a new Huron County study shows seven municipal wells in the county, including Brussels, Blyth, Benmiller, Clinton, and Wingham are vulnerable to contamination. We’re sadder but wiser after seven people died and more than 2,000 were made ill by contamination of Walkerton’s water supply. The new reality is that now we’ll see danger where we never saw it before. And that means that landowners in the “capture zone”, the land under which the aquifer flows to feed a well, are suddenly going to be dealing with a different world. Now, instead of looking at a well as a hole in the ground, we see it as part of a complex system that can stretch for miles. Suddenly things like forgotten old wells become danger points that might allow pollutants to get into the underground water system that provides drinking water for 75 per cent of county residents and untold numbers of livestock. Recently a speaker at a Maitland Valley Conservation Authority seminar gave a sneak preview at the new world of protecting water sources. Victor Brunnette, an Eastern Ontario resident who works with the Watershed Agricultural Council in the Catskill Mountains, outlined the situation farmers in that area of New York State have lived with for a century as New York City protects the source of its drinking water. Since 1906 the city has purchased 1,584 square miles of the Catskill region and under special legislation that allows it to protect the source of its water supply, it has sought control over the land it didn’t own in the region. Our towns and villages are hardly comparable to New York City with its unquenchable thirst for 1.4 billion gallons of water a day, but the needs are the same. While consultants presenting their report to Huron County council last week said it would be necessary to purchase only the most vulnerable areas near wells, they also proposed those areas further up the aquifer from wells, be taken into account under landuse planning. There’s no doubt our drinking water must be protected and that it will be a much bigger job than we thought before Walkerton, but the rights of the property owners in the area of wells must not be forgotten. In New York State areas affected, whether farms or small towns, suffered financial hardship because of the limitations on their activities. A 1989 study there showed the median household income of residents of one affected county was less than 75 per cent of the state average. Faced with either a revolt of local residents against growing land use restrictions or a huge bill for more water treatment facilities, New York came up with an innovative local plan to compensate Catskill residents for their economic losses. Municipalities and the provincial government need to start looking right now at how they can protect water supplies without the local landowners suffering.— KR Letters to the Editor 1-4 $444 Lunch taCanadian taxpayers... submits ALTERED ^expense ACCOUNTS...’ Looking Back Through the Years THE EDITOR, Twice in the past two weeks I have made a rather lengthy trek from my comfy living room to sit with a group of other folks and watch a documentary. What drew me from my own TV and comfy sofa? I was intrigued by the description I had read of the film A Force More Powerful, which read in part “This riveting hour and a half documentary - narrated by Academy Award winning actor Ben Kingsley - explores how, during a century of extreme violence, millions around the world chose to battle the forces of oppression and brutality with nonviolent weapons - and won.” Now that’s a story you don’t often hear. The first installment was shown at the Heritage Museum in Goderich. After examining the ancient marine steam drive and the two-headed calf in the lobby, I dropped $5 in the hat, gratefully accepted the complimentary drink of cold punch (are you listening cineplex?) and found my seat. The lights went down and the movie began. The story begins with a brief profile of the guy who invented the concept of nonviolent resistance, Mohandas Ghandi. 1, like most everyone else, had seen the Academy-Award winning movie about his life, the one where he is played by the terrific actor Ben Kingsley. In this film, Kingsley is back, this time as unseen narrator. Using old newsreels and still photos, we are led through a series of half-hour “episodes” that illustrate in detail the specific ways in which Ghandi’s methods have been used to effect change by ordinary people living under the boot of oppression. The first case study is the birth of the U.S. anti-segregation movement. In this amazing story we are shown how a few students in Nashville, through purposeful sit-ins at segregated lunch counters were able to force the civil authorities to admit that the policy of segregation was a very bad idea. Eventually, their success led to the desegregation of the entire south and really got the civil rights ball rolling. Next up is the story of how Ghandi’s movement got started. In the Hollywood movie, you get the impression that the people of India sort of rose up spontaneously and kicked out the British. In this film, we are shown that it took years of hard work and planning before the efforts of the organizers started to pay off, and even then, it was many more years of enduring oppressive countermeasures before the people of India were free of their colonial masters. Continued on page 6 July 9,1958 Rev. J. Greene, formerly of Assinaboia, Sask., became the minister of Melville Presbyterian Church, Brussels, and Knox, Belgrave. Passing Royal Conservatory piano exams were Anne McKercher, Mary Watson, Dianne Van Camp, Marilyn Mitchell, Joyce Procter, Margaret Hillen, Jearf Hillen. Passing their singing examinations were Yvonne Connelly and Glen Plant, while Faye Love, Dale Cardiff and Mary Lou Wright passed their theory exams. The weekend double feature at Listowel’s Capitol Theatre was Joel McCrea in Cattle Empire and Francis Goes to Westpoint. At the Llashmar Drive-in the double bill was The Beasts of Hollow Mountain, with Guy Madison and Patricia Medina and Trooper Hook with Joel McCrea and Barbara Stanwyck. Specials at Rutledge Grocery were sockeye salmon for 47 cents and two 20-oz tins of peas for 27 cents. A vote on the continuance of the Ontario Hog Producers’ Marketing plan was to be held. Quality Goodyear tires were selling for $12.45 at Wes Budnark’s. July 11,1968 A barn in Morris Twp. was destroyed by lightning. Lost in the blaze were 28 pigs, three sows, a hog, 1,500 bales of hay, some grain and several farm implements. Estimate of damage was $10,000. There was a great deal of activity at the Maitland Teleservices property as they prepared for the installation of a dial communication system. Headlined “Don’t have the police calling at your door”, a report read: “Do you know where your children are at night and what they are doing? If you don’t know it might be wise for you to check up and find out, that is if you don’t want the police knocking at your door to tell you they are in trouble.” “There has been a good deal of minor and not so minor vandalism going on in Brussels lately. Unlawful entry, damaging of public and private property and some antics that could end in tragedy...” “... Young people are blamed for this sort of behaviour, but should it not be the delinquent parents who should be blamed? Children need, not only an abundance of love and affection but understanding supervision. They should also be taught a healthy respect for the property and safety of others.” Playing at Brownie’s Drive-in in Clinton was The Liquidator with Rod Taylor, Trevor Howard and Jill St. John and Doctor You ’ve Got to be Kidding with Sandra Dee and George Hamilton. July 11,1973 Someone got a “big kick out of a stupid trick”, a Blyth Standard story began. A car belonging to Blyth fire chief Irvine Bowes was stolen as he attended the department meeting. The car was found burned some time later in Tumberry Twp. Morris Twp. joined the list of area municipalities with reduced mill rates. Hullett council requested a meeting with their Blyth counterparts over changes in cost­ sharing at the Blyth-Hullett “dump” as proposed by the village council. Blyth suggested that cost-sharing be adjusted from the present 50-50 to a 60-40 basis with Hullett paying the larger share. This recommendation was made after the dump superintendent kept track of the quantities of garbage coming from Blyth, Hullett and Auburn. Blyth Public School’s Grade 8 graduating class was: Mark Battye, Bill Cook, Ricky Thalen, Garry Manning, Ken Ritchie, Lori-Ann Hesselwood, Lorie Campbell, Linda Ives, Sandy Marshall, Bill Duttmann, Terry Pierce, Kevin Carter, Clifford Bailey, Gary Hull, Jayne Watson, Shirley McDougall, Joanne Phelan, Grace Kelly, JoAnne Passchier, Philip Street, Cathy Cronin, Connie Westberg, Hilda Thalen, Kim Oster, Karen Cudmore, Gail Patterson, Dori-Lyn Johnston, Judy Brown, Fred deBoer, Ken Riehl, Paul Johnston, Alan Young, Ricky Patterson, Tony Roetcis- oender, Gary Richmond, Roger Barrie. Ken Campbell of McKillop and Harry Wahle of Hanover docked their sloop in England after a rather uneventful 20 day crossing of the North Atlantic. July 13,1988 Two men were charged after fire gutted the Brussels Legion. Michelle Machan was page for the July session of county council. Krista Lawrie and Nicole Richmond were hired to staff Blyth’s new tourist information booth. July 7,1993 A commendable effort was put forth by the director-designate of the Huron County Board of Education at a special meeting. Paul Carroll said he would forfeit, voluntarily, personal salary entitlements. Amanda Hickey of RR3, Auburn spent a month as a page at Queen’s Park. Sandra and Bruce Grimmer took over as owners of Brandy’s Hideaway. July 8,1998 Five local F.E. Madill Secondary School students were among the Ontario Scholars: Rebecca VanCamp, Jamie Thomas, Adam Gamiss, Christopher Armstrong and Corey Newman.