HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-02-23, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017. PAGE 9.
Campbell named chair of Maitland Valley Authority
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MVCA CHAIR
JAMES CAMPBELL
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
North Huron Deputy -Reeve James
Campbell has been named to a one-
year term as the chair of the
Maitland Valley Conservation
Authority (MVCA) Board.
At the authority's annual general
meeting on Feb. 15 in Wingham,
Campbell, who was vice -chair, had
been nominated for the position and
accepted the responsibility.
Campbell said he didn't plan on
altering the current direction of the
organization.
"We're not really considering any
changes at this point," Campbell
said. "The big thing we're working
on right now is the idea of the carbon
footprint."
The carbon footprint is the amount
of carbon produced by an individual
or company through their projects.
Typically, the information is used to
determine how a company can offset
the amount of carbon it produces
through practices like planting trees
or preserving green spaces.
Campbell said there are several
big contributors to the project,
including municipalities and
companies. The issue was the topic
of one of the presentations at the
meeting.
Campbell has been a part of the
group for most of his 25 years as a
North Huron Councillor and in East
Wawanosh Township before that.
"I don't really know how many
years I've been on the authority
board," he said. "For most of my
years on council, the Maitland
Valley Conservation Authority has
been one of the committees I've sat
on."
Campbell said he was looking
forward to presentations that are
planned for municipalities in the
area.
"Every year there is a brief
presentation that lists all the
activities in the municipality,"
Campbell said. "It really shows just
how much the MVCA is doing and
this year there will be a presentation
at North Huron."
Campbell said that, aside from the
carbon footprint initiatives the
MVCA is involved in, the
organization has also redoubled its
efforts at tracking precipitation
through natural water flow. He said
many new gauges have been
installed over the past year to warn
people living in locations downriver
from areas that experience heavy
rain events.
"Having that information
presented really helps with the
efforts the MVCA undertakes,"
Campbell said. "Sometimes you feel
like you're doing all this work and
it's not noticed, but when we make
those presentations and explain how
important the projects are,
councillors understand the
situations."
Campbell said he was happy with
the turnout to the MVCA annual
general meeting, saying that the
gallery of the North Huron Council
chambers was full to the point that
MVCA staff were giving up chairs
for people interested in attending the
event. He also said there were
members of North Huron Council
there willing to get involved with the
MVCA and that was encouraging for
him.
"It was great to see that many
people there," he said.
Video surveillance leads to capture of Pop -Tart thief
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Troy Billings of Blyth, formerly of
Wingham, is now on probation after
pleading guilty to charges of theft
and transportation fraud.
Judge George Brophy found
Billings guilty in Wingham court on
Feb. 16 on one count of theft under
$5,000 and one count of
transportation fraud.
Crown Attorney Laura Grant said
that Billings was arrested on Aug.
22, 2016 in Wingham after he was
found to have stolen packets of Pop -
Tarts from Rexall Pharmacy in
Wingham.
A manager at the Rexall store told
the Wingham Police they had had a
problem with disappearing Pop -
Tarts for the better part of six
months. The manager informed
police that it was always the same
flavour of Pop -Tart that would go
missing, usually around the same
time as well.
The thief, Grant said, would
remove the packets of Pop -Tarts,
leaving the empty box behind on the
store's shelf.
However, several attempts to
thwart the thief, including opening
boxes, placing security strips on
Pop -Tart packets and resealing the
box, were fruitless.
Through video surveillance the
Rexall employees eventually caught
the thief in the act. Armed with
video evidence, the Rexall
employees reported the theft to
police who identified the man as
Billings.
He had been caught removing the
packets of Pop -Tarts from the box,
stuffing them down his pants and
then leaving the store without
paying.
Billings then further pled guilty to
a charge of transportation fraud,
stemming from an incident on Oct.
18, 2016 when he stiffed a taxi
driver.
Grant told the court that Billings
had contacted a taxi company,
asking for a ride between Goderich
and Wingham, where he was to
attend court. The driver originally
demanded payment upfront, but
after Billings told the dispatcher that
he had been arrested that morning
and his wallet was taken, he agreed
to pay the driver upon returning to
his home in Wingham.
Billings took the ride, which
totalled a cost of $73, but when he
returned to his home in Wingham, he
went in the house and didn't come
out, leading the driver to contact the
police.
The driver relayed the information
given to her by Billings, asking if a
man fitting Billings' description was
in bail court that day and he was.
Billings pled guilty to both
charges.
Brophy ordered Billings on
probation for 12 months. He also
told Billings to pay restitution to the
taxi company in the amount of $73
and imposed two $10 fines, both of
which carry with them a $3 victim
fine surcharge. Billings has six
months to pay both the restitution
and the fines.
Brophy also ordered Billings to
complete 10 hours of community
service within the next six months.
Grant also brought to the court's
attention an outstanding $200
summons on Billings' record from
2005. Brophy chose to dismiss the
summons, saying there was no
reasonable expectation that Billings
could pay.
Not great weather for all
While many were happy about the warmer weather over
the weekend, it wasn't great for snowmobilers. The annual
Easter Seals Snowarama event had to change some of its
activities as a result of the snowmobile trails not being
open. Shown playing dart poker is Lucas Bergsma. (Denny
Scott photo)
Winter Sports
Pages
Coaches and parents ° b
we need your team's picture ,�,
and players' names
Helping out
The Blyth Business Improvement Area (BIA) and Blyth
140th Committee hosted a community breakfast on Family
Day at the Blyth and District Community Centre. The meal
was sold out by 10 a.m. The Blyth Festival's John McHenry
was busy making sure that those who got breakfast had
clean dishes as well. (Dennyscottphoto)
ok so'
• Hockey • Broomball
1. Please submit team photo
A.S.A.P.
2. Please include players' and
coaches' names for under
the photo.
Please help us get ALL the
Winter Sports teams published.
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