HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-05-12, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016.
Becoming someone else
Hullett Central Public School held its annual carnival and auction on Friday night at the Blyth
and District Community Centre and there was plenty to do, including a dunk tank, a silent and
live auction and lots of food. Also available was a chance to be someone (or something) else
for a few hours by way of face painting. Sarah Elliott, right, took advantage of this perk of the
evening, courtesy of Allison Toll. (Vicky Bremner photo)
MPAC website a valuable tool
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
With 2016 set as a re -assessment
year, Jennifer Lajoie was in both
Central Huron and Huron East last
week to update councils on the
process.
Lajoie, the Municipal Property
Assessment Corporation (MPAC)
representative for Huron, Perth and
Oxford Counties, told councillors
that new notices will be mailed out
on May 24 for residential properties,
while farm property notices will be
mailed out in the fall.
They will contain information
about the property's new assessment
for the next four years and the
factors which led to the new
assessment.
She also said they will contain
information regarding the website,
aboutmyproperty.ca, which can be
an excellent tool in understanding
why a property is assessed the way it
is.
The new notices, she said, will
include plain language and attempt
to make the process of assessing a
property as easy to understand as
possible for landowners.
In Central Huron, she said,
property values have risen
approximately one per cent on
average. Of interest, she said, was
that lakefront property in the
municipality has decreased 9.3 per
cent. In Huron East, the average
property has risen 1.2 per cent.
Of particular interest to
councillors, Lajoie told them there is
a kit for municipal councillors as
well, that will assist them in
speaking to their ratepayers who
might have questions about their
property assessment.
Adding programs to
increase revenue at
arenas suggested
Continued from page 1
levy support. Both arenas were also
comparable in terms of own -source
revenue across the county, showing
that trends like rising hydro costs
and usage concerns are affecting
community centres throughout
Huron County, and all of Ontario,
not just Huron East.
Councillor Ray Chartrand, who
had been notably critical of
recreation levies early in this year's
budget process, laid out some
figures for his fellow councillors,
saying that hydro costs and wages
and benefits were inescapable costs
associated with community centres
that made up the bulk of budgets.
For example, he said, in Brussels,
wages and benefits cost $150,000 in
2003 and utilities cost $55,000,
while in 2016 they jumped to
$183,000 and $81,000 respectively.
In Seaforth, Huron East saw
similar increases, going from
$137,000 in wages and benefits and
$58,000 in utility costs in 2003 to
$216,000 and $113,000 respectively.
In Vanastra, while utility costs
remained relatively even, wages and
benefits rose from $160,000 to
$277,000 from 2003 to 2016.
Councillor David Blaney,
however, countered Chartrand's
statement, saying that while there
has been a drastic increase in wages
and benefits in Vanastra, that
community centre is meeting its
budget. The Vanastra example,
Blaney said, could be proof that in
order for local community centres to
thrive, adding diverse programming
and skilled professionals could serve
to better community centres, rather
than simply cutting budgets to the
bone.
Community to support Plunketts
Continued from page 1
R.J. Burnside and Associates to
complete an evaluation of the Blyth
Water Supply System," she said.
"The report provided
recommendations to assist the
township in determining the
developing the future needs of the
system."
Chambers said the current Blyth
well supply project is part of the
recommended upgrades and will be
completed by October. The report
also included suggestions for
storage which are being
implemented.
The fire was indicative of how
quickly a fire can spread according
to FDNH personnel.
"Many people who witnessed this
fire were shocked how quickly the
fire grew in size," Deputy-
Chief/Incident Commander Matt
Townsend said. "It was a real
reminder that a fire doubles in size
every one to two minutes. This is
why smoke alarms and fire escape
plans are so important."
The home has been identified as
that of Dave and Julie Plunkett.
A neighbour of the Plunketts,
Sandy Foreman, has started
Obituaries
gathering items to help the family
during their time of need. Foreman
posted a list of items the family
needed to social media including
cleaning supplies, clothes and gift
cards. For more information, contact
Foreman at sandyforeman@live.ca
A trust has also been set up at the
Canadian Imperial Bank of
Commerce (CIBC) Blyth Branch
under the following information:
Bank 010, Transit 07852 and
Account 7340737. Deposits into this
trust account can be made at any
time. For more information, visit
the branch or call 519-523-4247.
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BRANDON MICHAEL
METSKE
Brandon Michael Metske, beloved
son of Mike and Tina Metske,
Lucknow, passed away suddenly on
Sunday, April 24, 2016. He was 11.
Brandon is greatly missed by his
brothers Colton and Andrew and
sister Megan, all at home. Brandon
is survived by grandparents Walter
and Cathy Bell, Goderich and
Martin and Roseanne Metske,
Lucknow; special aunts Lisa (Scott
"Uncle Chicken") and Sandra
(Dean), uncles Jeff and Tim, great-
grandmother Leona Watson,
Branchton, special great-uncle Jerry
Stirling ("Unc") and several cousins.
He is also remembered by special
family Margaret and John Brand and
their families; Marie and Jeff, Anne
and Roland and Johnny and Anna.
Brandon was predeceased by great-
grandparents Tom Watson, Antje and
Martin Metske, Fred and Mae Bell
and Violet and Fraser Stirling.
Visitation was held at the
Lucknow Arena on Thursday, April
28. The funeral service was
conducted on Friday, April 29.
Pastor Brian Hymers officiated.
Memories were shared by hockey
coach Jonathon Nelson, tutor Julie
Hamilton, teacher Dave Browne and
4-H mentor Brad Maclntyre. A
special letter from friend Raelyn
Pennington -Fritz was also read.
Pallbearers were Ryan Peel,
Martyn VanMeeteren, Shane Hunter,
Brad Maclntyre, Scott Heyink and
Brian MacKenzie. Flower bearers
were Rick Taylor, Jonathon Nelson,
Kenny Gregory, Brad Murray, Mike
Humphrey and Stacey Kerr.
Brandon's hockey team took a
special place in acting as an honour
guard.
Interment was held at the South
Kinloss Cemetery, Lucknow.
Donations to the Lucknow
Agricultural Society, Huron County
4-H or Wingham Hospital
Foundation were greatly appreciated
as expressions of sympathy.
Condolences may be left online at
www.mackenzieandmccreath.com
Knight said that while he agrees
that council should undergo a
strategic planning session for the
long-term viability of its recreation
department, councillors shouldn't
lose sight of its position amongst its
peers, which is actually pretty good
despite the increased scrutiny placed
on recreation centres this budget
year.
Councillor Nathan Marshall
wondered, however, if the numbers
presented by staff didn't tell the
whole story. While the levy figures
didn't include capital expenses,
Marshall wondered aloud if that
didn't tell more of the story than
councillors may have originally
thought.
He said that perhaps with capital
costs omitted from the list, Huron
East is made to look better than it
actually is. If Huron East was
committing the money necessary
through capital improvements,
perhaps the budgets would be
higher, but the community centres
would be in better shape.
He cited ongoing capital concerns
at all three Huron East community
centres as examples of the
municipality not committing nearly
as much capital funds to the centres
as it should be.
Council received Knight's report
and decided to proceed with the
strategic planning session, engaging
Vicki Lass of the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs to help facilitate the process.
MIle/fa&
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A cemetery is a history of
people, a perpetual record of
yesterday and a sanctuary of
peace and quiet today. A
cemetery exists because every
life is worth loving and
remembering - always
Distinctive Memorials of
Lasting Satisfaction
North St. West, Wingham
Mac & Donna Anderson
519-357-1910
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