The Citizen, 2016-04-21, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016.
Sports
Vodden postpones motion to study rotating arena ice
Councillor Brock Vodden's plan
for North Huron to study the cost of
producing ice in local arenas will be
postponed until council has fewer
issues to deal with, he explained
during council's April 18 meeting.
Vodden apologized to council and
the general public for his "very
misleading" notice of motion.
"I got distracted," he said. "The
problem was I indicated what
information I thought we needed to
Strong on the ice
The Wingham Curling Club recently wrapped up its season earlier this month and handed out
its year-end awards. Triumphing and taking home the Foxton Fuels Award were, from left: Vice
Ross Peacock, Skip Stewart Leedham, Donelda Cottrill and Second Mike Cottrill. Absent was
Lead Nancy Barrett. (Photo submitted)
Letter to the Editor
Vodden clarifies arena idea
THE EDITOR,
I take full responsibility for
issuing a poorly -worded statement
in the latest meeting of North Huron
Council. I should have given a more
fulsome explanation of the proposal
that I planned to make at the next
meeting. I take responsibility for
people drawing the wrong
conclusion from what I said and
what was reported.
I have no intention to close any
arenas, to cease all ice making, or to
re -purpose, gut or tear down any
arenas, or to suggest hiring a
consultant to analyze our costs.
Having reviewed my actual words, I
now fully understand why many
people took exception to my
apparent opinions.
I was attempting to address the
fundamental problem we have dealt
with since amalgamation: the fact
that we have three arenas
and community centres for a
community with fewer than
5,000 residents.
I wanted to find out how much
money would be saved if we put ice
into two arenas instead of three. One
year there would be no ice in
Wingham arena, and the next year
there would be no ice in Blyth arena.
I leave the Belgrave arena out of this
plan since North Huron does not
own that facility. During the year
that your local arena has no ice, user
groups would book ice time in either
of the two other arenas. I have
already received some feedback on
this plan, both for and against.
The negative responses centre
around objections to people having
to drive all the way to either
Belgrave or Wingham or Blyth for
their activities or those of their
children. Other objections are that
some of the ice times would be
inconvenient — either too early or too
late.
The positive responses agree that
it is worthwhile to consider potential
savings, and the sense that the
inconvenience would be minimal.
Many years ago, our oldest son
signed up for a power skating
program in the city where we were
living. He and I had to leave home
every Sunday morning at 6 a.m. and
drive down to the centre of the city
in time for him to get ready for the 7
a.m. ice time. This trip was
considerably farther than the drive
between Wingham and Blyth. I am
told that this kind of timing is not
unusual in many communities with
one arena.
I don't feel that I deserve a lecture
on the importance of community, the
welfare of our children, the
importance of our arenas, and the
great volunteer efforts that have
gone into our community assets.
Most of all, I deeply resent being
compared to the Avon Mailtland
District School Board in the way
they closed our school. I have spent
many years of public service in this
community and this county and
continue to do so both as a member
of council and, along with my wife,
as a keeper of community and family
heritage information.
There is something fundamentally
foul about a member of council
being pilloried for seeking ways to
deliver a municipal service
effectively at lower cost.
There are people in this
municipality who in fact believe that
we should close one arena, (not their
arena but that other arena). I am not
one of those people.
I believe that we need to support
our community assets, and at the
same time ensure that we do so in a
financially responsible manner. This
is what I consider to be my
responsibility as a councillor.
I have decided not to make my
motion in the next meeting of
council since there are a great many
issues on the table right now for both
council and staff to work on. This
matter will not be dealt with, if ever,
in the next season.
Brock Vodden,
Councillor for North Huron
Blyth Ward.
Let everyone know about
your new bundle of joy!
The Citta
519-523-4792
or
519-887-9114
collect but I neglected to say why.
Naturally, many people concluded
that I was going to recommend we
close all the arenas and have an end
of that. No more hockey, no more
ice. That's the farthest from my
thought"
Vodden said he wouldn't put a
motion forward at the meeting,
citing staff being "swamped" and
council having "enough on its
plate".
"I think we should postpone this
for awhile," he said. "I just wanted to
say a word about my proposal. We
have two arenas in North Huron.
They are both used a small number
of hours. It's very expensive putting
ice in the arenas. What I'm
suggesting we look at and evaluate is
a process whereby we put the ice in
one arena one year, and not in the
other, then reverse that the next year.
We're in fact only putting ice into
one arena per year."
Vodden said the groups who
would be displaced could book time
in the open arena which would see
better use of the ice.
"It's a proposal for saving money,"
he said. "With all the budget
pressures we have now we very
much need to find the savings."
Vodden said other communities
have done something similar and
said he understands that some people
may be upset about having to drive
to Blyth or Wingham. He shared a
story where, when he lived in a
larger city centre, his son signed up
for power skating and he had to drive
farther than the distance between
Wingham and Blyth, starting at 6
a.m., on Sundays to get his son there.
"That was par for the course," he
said. "I think that's true of a lot of
communities."
Vodden said his idea was just a
suggestion that council should
consider at a future date to determine
its feasibility.
Motorcycle Wear
OLD MILL
1 mile south of Blyth - 519-523-4595
NOTICE TO DOG OWNERS
in the Municipality of
Morris-Turnberry
2016 Dog Tags and Licences are now available:
(Monday to Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
and Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
at the Municipality of Morris-Turnberry Municipal Office
41342 Morris Rd., PO Box 310,
Brussels, ON NOG 1H0
***Tags can be picked up in person or
ordered by telephone ***
All dogs must be licensed in compliance with By-law No. 80-
2013.
A copy of the complete By-law is available for review at the
Municipal Office.
All dogs must be identified by means of a tag and licence, issued
for a (1) one year period by:
Thursday, April 28, 2016
The fee schedule shall be as follows:
1. All Dogs (except those listed in #2)
- male, females and spayed females
FIRST DOG
ALL OTHERS
$20.00 per dog
$30.00 per dog
2. Pit Bulls, Pit Bull crosses, Staffordshire Terriers
FIRST DOG $100.00 per dog
ALL OTHERS $110.00 per dog
3. Kennel Licence Fee
(for a kennel of dogs that are registered
eligible for registration under the Animal
4. Late Payment Charge
(Shall be assessed in addition to the licence fee,
if the licence and/or tag is not purchased by April 28)
$85.00
or
Pedigree Act)
$20.00 per dog
Excrement:
The By-law requires dog owners to forthwith remove excrement
left by a dog, from property other than the premises of the owner
of the dog.
Any person contravening this provision is subject to a $125 fee.
For further information contact:
The Municipality of Morris-Turnberry
Telephone: 519-887-6137 Ext. 24
Fax: 519-887-6424
E-mail: mail@morristurnberry.ca