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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-08-03, Page 1INSIDE THIS WEEK: IPM 2017 - Pg. 8 The Citizen 's Countdown to IPM '17 continues COWBELL - Pg. 10 Blyth -based brewery ready for Aug. 5 opening FALL FAIR - Pg. 12 Four young women to vie for Ambassador crown Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON NOG 1H0 4Citiz Volume 33 No. 31 LC©ME TO BLYTH ESTABLISHED 1877 $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, August 3, 2017 Blyth's 140th anniversary brings hundreds to village Rededicated Blyth Community Memorial Hall was officially blessed and rededicated on Friday night as part of Blyth's 140th anniversary — a celebration that would last all weekend. The hall rededication ceremony was followed by a special outdoor movie night hosted by the Huron County Health Unit. Saturday included the village's annual Streetfest, meals and musical performances and everything wrapped up on Sunday with a church service at Blyth Lions Park. Above, at the rededication are, from left: Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt, North Huron Reeve Neil Vincent, Klaus Anselm of Mr. New Year's Eve: A Night with Guy Lombardo and Denise Morris of the Legion Ladies Auxiliary. (Denny Scott photo) By Denny Scott The Citizen Events set to celebrate Blyth's 140th anniversary reunion over the weekend brought hundreds of visitors to the community and resulted in a surplus that organizers hope to funnel back into the community. The celebration was a resounding success according to committee chair Crystal Taylor, who said every event was well attended. "From the rededication of Blyth Memorial Hall to the church service on Sunday, there were a lot of people out for every event." The rededication saw Blyth Memorial Hall, a living cenotaph, blessed and the event recognized the amount of work put into the structure with ongoing renovations that started last September. Following the rededication, a special Huron County Health Unit event was held at Blyth Lions Park. The event included an outdoor movie night and activities. By the time the film began, Taylor says there were well over 100 people at the event. On Saturday, at a barbecue dinner that was part of the event, more than 130 meals were served. A special entertainment event and lunch event was also held at Blyth Lions Park by Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company that Taylor said was very well attended. "Brock Vodden did a bang-up job with his history presentation downtown," she said. "I'm told there were lots of people there to enjoy the event." In the end, the event should clear its operating costs and have a sizable profit, Taylor said. During a special Blyth Business Improvement Area (BIA) meeting on Monday night, she said she would push to have those funds donated to the Blyth Lions for ongoing improvements to Blyth Lions Park. Status quo budget, levy approved by Blyth BIA By Denny Scott The Citizen After a lengthy debate, the budget for the Blyth Business Improvement Area (BIA) will remain very similar to last year's and the organization's maximum and minimum levies remain where they have been for the last five years. The budget, along with a proposal from Chair Rick Elliott to do away with the $250 maximum levy and increase the minimum levy from $95 to $250, was discussed in a well - attended special general membership meeting of the BIA on Monday night. The organization is funded by levies, which are collected through the township through tax bills. In order to make room for bigger projects for the organization, Elliott had suggested the increased levies hoping that it would allow for bigger budgets in the future. Unfortunately, according to North Huron Councillor and BIA representative Bill Knott and interim North Huron Chief Administrative Officer Larry McGregor, the process through which the BIA had approached the issue was backwards. Knott explained that changing the levy system was a completely independent change from the actual budget, saying that the budget needs to be set, at which point the levy will be adjusted accordingly. McGregor agreed, saying that the budget needs to include a detailed, itemized list of expenses to make sure both the membership and council approve it. In the end, the BIA membership voted to stay with a budget very similar to the 2016 budget that will cost $6,600 instead of the second budget presented which would have cost $16,600. The big difference between the two budgets was a $9,000 addition proposed for a joint project with the Regional Tourism Organization 4 (RTO4) that would see significant funding made available for enhancements to the south and north end of the village, including proposed sidewalks to Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company and the Tim Hortons. The proposed larger budget would also require changing the levies, which several business representatives from the community felt was a bad idea. Dan Bailey of Maitland Transportation Systems Limited asked what the cost of the project would be and Elliott said that the majority of the cost would be bore by RTO4 through fund -matching programs. Bailey still didn't take to the idea, saying regardless of whether it was levies from the BIA or government funding, it was still someone's tax dollars. Crystal Taylor, representative for the community service groups, went on to say she didn't recall the project ever coming to the BIA for a vote before being placed on the budget. Elliott said it was never voted on but was discussed and that the $9,000 price tag was a worst-case scenario and it could cost less. BIA treasurer Gary van Leeuwen explained the status quo budget in greater detail, explaining some of the projects the BIA has undertaken over the past year before saying the membership needed to approve a budget, as it was currently eight months late in doing so. "Regardless of what budget you want, that number will go to North Huron so they will then move forward and levy the businesses in the village according to size and other factors," he said. "There is a formula that has been in place." McGregor echoed the need for the issue to be dealt with quickly, saying Continued on page 7