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The Citizen, 2000-02-23, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2000. C itizenTheNorthHuron ^CNA P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil Member Ontario Press Council P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com 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 $27.00/year ($25.24 + $1.76 G.S.T.) in Canada; $62.00/year in U.S.A, and $100/year in other foreign coun­ tries. 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. Publications Mail Registration No. 09244 Canadian Publication Mail Agreement No. 1374990 Central planning fails The Huron and Perth County Federations of Agriculture recently formed a joint committee to lobby for a rural education strategy that would recognize rural communities and rural schools are different than urban communities and schools. The current funding formula discourages small schools as being inefficient but the federations point out that if all elementary schools with less than 350 students were closed, Ontario would lose 53 per cent of its elementary schools. The Federations also ask that the full economic impact of closing a school be explored before permission is given to close a school. “Rural schools act as the social infrastructure for the area and need to be preserved as the delivery model for other services,” the groups argue. Under the current funding model, schools like Walton Public School and Seaforth District High School are too small. But compare this way of thinking to the story of a tiny Manitoba community featured on the Country Canada television program last week. There, through the determined effort of one principal, secondary education was brought back into a community of fewer than 100 people. Students who used to go off to neighbouring communities were given secondary instruction within the local elementary school. Last spring the first graduating class was celebrated by the entire community: five students, all of whom went on to post secondary education. This community and this principal, believe strongly that education is not just a service you buy but is part of a community. They believe caring surroundings benefit students more than educational bells and whistles. The outcome, at least for the first graduating class, seemed to prove their point. This Manitoba school also gave evidence of the old-time community belief that a school was part of a community. Ever since the imposition of county school boards by the Robarts government in the 1960s, that sense of community ownership has continued to diminish. Today, with decisions made by faceless trustees on a two-county board of education based on rules dictated by a government in Toronto, is it any wonder people don’t feel like their school belongs to them anymore? The provincial government’s plan to centrally control education offers the same dangers as the failed centrally-planned economy of the Soviet Union. People distant from the scene cannot possibly know as much about how to use resources efficiently as those on the spot. We must impress on the government the need to get communities involved in their schools and schools in their communities. There are probably innovative ways to cut costs and keep school open but it won’t be bureaucrats in Toronto who find them, it will be people right in the community. It’s time to get the central planners in Toronto out of the picture and put the brains in the local community to work. — KR Get the message out Recently, at an agricultural meeting in nearby Bruce County, a farm implement dealer said the current bias that if young people want to make a good living they have to go to the city is wrong. There are plenty of jobs, good paying jobs, available in the local agricultural industry, he said. The problem for employers is trying to find people to fill them. For generations now, Huron County has watched a large proportion of its young people leave for jobs and education in the city, never to return. Perhaps, as this speaker was saying, they don’t know there is any other alternative but to leave to find jobs. Huron County may be enriched by shipping its milk or soybeans or auto parts or road salt out of the county, but we are endangering our future by continuing to send our young people off to enrich the future of Toronto and Kitchener and London. We need to keep these creative young minds to build a more prosperous future right here. We have never collectively attacked this issue, perhaps taking it for granted ourselves it’s just natural for our young people to leave. But perhaps there is an alternative. Perhaps, as the speaker suggested, just making young people aware of what opportunities are available locally would help. Perhaps we need to emphasize how attractive some of the trades are today. And perhaps we need to find more innovative ways to encourage our young people to come home. If we’re short on doctor, for instance, why not look at financing medical students who'd return home to Huron? There’s more than one way to make things happen. — KR Photo by Vicky Bremner Looking Back Through the Years From the files of the Blyth Standard, Brussels Post and North Huron Citizen Feb. 21, 1990 Firefighters battled to extinguish a car engulfed in flames on County Rd. 25 just east of Walton. The Blyth Atoms won the WOAA crown. With the expansion and develop­ ment occurring in Belgrave, the Twp. of East Wawanosh was in the middle of a building boom that gen­ erated a total revenue of $7,118 in permit fees. There were 14 new homes and seven additions. Frank Szusz and his wife Phyllis were honoured by the board of the Blyth and District Community Centre for his years of service to the board, having served for a time as the board’s president. Carl McLellan was hired as dog counter in Morris Twp. Toastmasters elected their new executive. President was Allan Dettweiler, secretary was Robin Dunbar and treasurer was Don Procter. In his last year of eligibility to play with the Brussels Bulls Marty Rutledge reflected on a hockey career that began when he was four years old and which had earned him over 50 awards and medals. Feb. 22, 1995 Representatives form jthe Huron County Plowmen Association felt good about the county’s chances to host the 1999 International Plowing Match. Bus service returned to Blyth. Grey Bruce Air Bus offered a daily run to London. Mandy Sellers of Brussels earned third place in the Royal Canadian Legion Zone C-l contest for her black and white poster depicting a Remembrance Day scene. Maple Villa residents won the logo contest for the Huron County Housing Authority. The entry pic­ tured two hands shaking superim­ posed over a map of Huron County with the nine facilities marked. The logo was done for a tenants’ hand­ book. The Blyth Midgets captured the WOAA Midget E final series with a three-game sweep of Belmore. It took four games but the Brussels Bulls put away the Wiarton Wolves to advance to the semi-finals. The new executive for the Huron 4-H Leaders Association was Barb Storey, Isobel Campbell, Pat Saundercock, Allan Haugh, Linda Dixon, Marie Salm, Melody White, Barry Elliott, Florence Pullen, Gerta Vanden Hoven, Kim Higgins, Thelma Dougherty, Joan Stewart, Wayne McCausland. Over 48 schools were represented at the John Deere Elementary Schools Provincial Curling Championship in Elmira. Representing Hullett Central were Kelly Ann Dalton, Leanne Jamieson, Te-Anne Cressman and Becky Archambault. Coach was Dale Cressman. Erica Clark of Blyth, a CHSS stu­ dent placed second at the Snowbelt Regional Debating championship held in Clinton.