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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-06-02, Page 1INSIDE THIS WEEK: ANNUAL - Pg. 6 Brussels, Walton host Women's Institute annual SPORTS - Pg. 8 Local hockey players make splashes on the big stage GIFT - Pg. 20 Legion kindness leads to grandfather clock donation Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON NOG 1H0 4Citiz Volume 32 No. 22 n WELCOME TO BLYTH ESTABLISHED 1877 $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, June 2, 2016 Assisting the flow of traffic Shane Taylor, a member of the Londesborough Lions Club, had his hands full on Sunday as the club hosted its annual duck race — a wildly successful fundraiser that sees hundreds of rubber ducks race to the finish, crowning one lucky duck -buyer a winner of the grand prize. This year, however, the southern flow of the river was at odds with northern winds that made for one of the slowest races in recent memory and made the jobs of Taylor and his partner in traffic control Dan Gilbert (not pictured) that much more important. (Shawn Lou gnrtn photo) Elimination Draw set for June 4 This Saturday, the Brussels Lions Club will be hosting its biggest fundraiser of the year: the 44th annual Elimination Draw. The draw will be held on Saturday evening at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre, with dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m. and running until 7:30 p.m. Initiated as a fundraiser for the construction of the new arena and community centre, the Elimination Draw has continued to be one of the club's major fundraisers. Proceeds from this event continue to be used to provide financial support for the many worthwhile projects and programs within the local area. Each of the 500 tickets available admits two adults and dependent children to age 12 who can always count on a fabulous meal of barbecued beef and pork and a chance to win more than $8,000 in cash prizes, including the grand prize of $5,000 for the last ticket. New this year will be a 50/50 draw with all proceeds going to the Brussels and Grey Fire Departments to support fundraising efforts. The evening will begin with dinner from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and just before dinner wraps up, 10 - year -old Ava McCutcheon of Brussels will perform her dance routine at 7:20 p.m. McCutcheon has been selected to represent Canada on a national dance team that will be travelling to Germany later this year. The Ballaghs will then perform for those in attendance after McCutcheon. The Lions will draw Elimination Draw tickets throughout the night until 8:30 p.m., when the final five tickets will be drawn. As in past years, this event is sure to be a sellout. "We always have calls on the day of the event looking for tickets and each year people are disappointed that the tickets are gone," says Lion Paul Mutter. However at the time of writing, a few tickets still remain Contact any member of the Brussels Lions Club for tickets or call Lion Paul Mutter at 519-887- 6117 or Lion Jim Prior at 519-887- 9300. Dinning play to open 42nd Festival season The Blyth Festival opens its 42nd season with Our Beautiful Sons: Remembering Matthew Dinning, a riveting new play by Christopher Morris, directed by the Festival's Artistic Director Gil Garratt. This powerful true life drama runs from June 15 to Aug. 6 in Blyth's Memorial Hall. Our Beautiful Sons: Remembering Matthew Dinning is based on the true story of a local family, the Dinnings of Wingham. Their eldest son, Matthew, was a dynamic, funny and charming young man, adored by the community. Matthew's first posting with the Canadian Forces was at Petawawa in May 2004, as a member of the Military Police. In April of 2006, 23 -year-old Cpl. Matthew Dinning was killed in Gumbad province, Afghanistan. A year later, his younger brother, and the Dinning's only other child, Brendon, volunteered for active service in Afghanistan. The Canadian Forces called his parents and asked them how to proceed. Should they grant his request, knowing the sacrifice this family had already made for their country? Should they reject it? How do a loving mom and dad make a decision like this? This is a play about the bonds of family, the search for bravery and the always complicated paths to manhood, motherhood and peace. This powerful play was written after extensive interviews with the Dinnings themselves, who opened their home and their hearts to the playwright throughout the creation of this singular piece. Returning to the Blyth stage in Our Beautiful Sons: Remembering Matthew Dinning are Festival favourites J. D. Nicholsen as Lincoln Dinning (St. Anne's Reel, Billy Bishop Goes to War, Dear Ball Day This Saturday a unique fundraiser will be happening all day at the Brussels Optimist Ball Park, raising money for both Brussels Minor Ball and the village's fire department. Local baseball players will have their spikes in the dirt all day — from 9 a.m. until likely pretty close to 9 p.m. The Tri -County Squirts is the first team in action, playing at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The Squirts are followed by the Pre -Mites at 10:30 a.m., and the Mites at noon. At 1:30 p.m., members of the Brussels Fire Department will take on the CKNX Classic Rockers in a special charity game. The game will be umpired by Scott Driscoll, a Seaforth native who works as a linesman for the NHL. He will also be signing autographs later in the day. Johnny Deere, Death of the Hired Man, Barndance Live) and Rebecca Auerbach As Laurie Dinning (Stag and Doe, Kitchen Radio, Dear Johnny Deere, Reverend Jonah, The Ballad of Stompin' Tom); Clinton native Cameron Laurie (Falling: A Wake) as Brendon Dinning; they are supported by Tony Munch (Falling: A Wake, Beyond The Farm Show, The Devil You Know, Rope's End, Hometown) and Catherine Fitch (Falling: A Wake, Pearl Gidley, The Nuttalls, The Mail Order Bride, Courting Johanna). Blyth welcomes newcomers Jesse LaVercombe as Matthew Dinning and Meghan Chalmers as Sarah. Mr. LaVercombe is a Toronto-based actor and writer whose stage credits include The Bakkhai at the Marigny Opera House, New Orleans, the Canadian Tour of Mistatim, and Hacked for Caravan Stage Company, including the U.S. Tour. Chalmers is a graduate of the Theatre Performance program at Humber College where she was the recipient of a Humber Theatre Performance Award, and is one half of comedy duo Two Juliets. Playwright Christopher Morris's recent credits include The Road to Paradise for Human Cargo, Crow's Theatre, and Buddies in Bad Times; Dust for Alberta Theatre Projects; and Night for Human Cargo and the National Arts Centre as well as national and international tours. He is currently writing The Runner, a play being developed and set in Israel and is also creating a play with Chinese playwright Nan Zhang and the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre called The China Project. Morris, who was nominated for the Dora Mayor Moore Award for Return: The Sarajevo Project, is also the Artistic Director of Human Cargo, a Continued on page 17 Saturday The Brussels PeeWee team then takes over the field at 3 p.m., followed by the Squirt Rep team at 4:30 p.m. At 6 p.m. the Western Ontario Athletic Association Bantam team will take the field in the final minor baseball game of the day, giving way to the Brussels Tigers, who will take on the Wingham Hitmen at 7:45 p.m. In addition to all the baseball being played on Saturday, the Huron County Health Unit will be conducting workshops on car seat and bike safety, along with Healthy Communities demonstrations. Throughout the day there will also be a barbecue and Leslie Motors' Test Drive a Ford event, through which funds will be raised for Brussels Minor Ball and the Brussels Fire Department in co -ordinance with every vehicle that's test-driven.