HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-03-28, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013.
Silver medalists
The Blyth Brussels Novice Local League team was definitely excited over the weekend when
they were named the silver medal winners for the Western Ontario Athletics Association
(WOAA). Shown are, back row, from left: Coach Barry Brohman, Trainer Mark Pennington and
Coach Mike Radford. Third row, from left: Shayanne Hubbard, Brady Graf, Brodie Nesbitt and
Braden Radford. Second row, from left: Alyssa Courtney, Taylor Long, Meg Fritz, Owen Newell
and Jacob Josling. Front row, from left, Darcie Brohman, Ethan McNaughton, Joey
Scrimgeour, Nick McDonald, Chris Pennington, Justin Kerr and Braidon Abell-Rinn. (Photo
submitted)
Novice LL wins WOAA silver
The Blyth Brussels Novice Local
League team had a lot to celebrate
on the weekend as their 14-3-1
record since January led them
to Western Ontario Athletics
Association silver.
After triumphing in the round
robin competition against teams like
Zurich, Ripley and Milverton, they
came face to face with West Grey for
the gold medal match-up.
Unfortunately, despite a very close
first game on Friday, March 22
which saw Blyth Brussels lose 5-4 in
overtime, the second in the three
game series was also a loss as West
Grey, also known as Durham,
notched a 4-0 win over the local
team.
“It was a very good season,” said
head coach Mike Radford. “We
started a bit slow, but from Jan. 1
right to the final, we played well.”
The team managed an overall
season record of 12-11-3 and won
the consolation final in the Mitchell
Novice Local League tournament.
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Ice hard to find forOMHA final game
Keeping the Blyth Brussels
Midget Rep team playing hockey in
its home centres proved to be
potentially more complicated than
anyone realized this year as available
ice in the area was thrown into
question.
On Monday, March 18, North
Huron Council heard from Pat
Newson, Director of Recreation and
Facilities, that the Blyth Brussels
Midget Rep team would have to host
game five in their best-of-five
Ontario Minor Hockey Association
(OMHA) championship finals in
Central Huron since the ice in the
Brussels Morris and Grey
Community Centre would be
removed before the final match
could be played (if necessary).
Council approved a motion to
leave the ice in until the game is
played or until it is deemed
unnecessary, whichever came first.
However, the Midget Rep squad
triumphed over the weekend, taking
the series 3-1. This means that
neither ice surface will need to be
left in going forward.
The saga, however, runs deeper
and may result in some changes
made down the road.
As Newson explains it, the Blyth
and Brussels Minor Hockey
Associations, at the time of
amalgamation nearly two years ago,
agreed that the community centres
would take turns leaving the ice in
until all local games were
completed. This would allow one
arena to remove the ice and save the
money associated with keeping the
ice cold while allowing teams to play
at home.
This year, however, it was
announced that the ice would be
removed from the Brussels, Morris
and Grey Community Centre earlier
this week, meaning that there would
be no ice for a potential fifth and
final game on March 30.
Abi Corbett, Recreation and
Facilities Manager for the Brussels,
Morris and Grey Community Centre
said it just wasn’t feasible to keep
the ice in the centre given the
extra cost and the inconvenient
timing.
“They wanted me to keep the ice
in for an entire week for one game,”
Corbett said. “That’s unreasonable. I
also would have had to wait until
Tuesday (April 2) to get the ice out
because it’s the long weekend and it
requires people to be here to shut
down the machinery and remove the
ice.”
She said that keeping the ice in the
arena costs between $140 and $200 a
day, so keeping it open for the extra
week, as it was set to come out next
on March 26, would cost $980 to
$1,400 extra.
“I talked it over with Brad
[Knight, Chief Administrative
Officer of Huron East], Paul Coultes
[President of Blyth Brussels Minor
Hockey Association] and the
coaching staff of the Midget Rep
team and everyone seemed in
agreement that it didn’t make sense,”
she said. “I know it sucks. As a
hockey mom, I wouldn’t want to see
it happen, but as a taxpayer, I
wouldn’t want to pay extra taxes for
one hockey game.”
Both Knight and Corbett said that,
in the future, the arrangement needs
to be reconsidered. For the arena to
stay open, there needs to be at least
as many games scheduled as needed
to cover the costs of keeping the ice
in.
Coultes disagreed, stating that
there needs to be ice for people to
play at home since it not only proves
a beneficial for the team to be on
home ice, but also proves beneficial
for the local area.
“It’s a big boost as far as
restaurants, grocery stores and other
businesses are concerned,” he said.
“Especially with a Saturday
afternoon game. It also brings a
bigger crowd than a road game
which is good for the kids.”
He said that, provided the vote for
the final amalgamation is passed,
this is a situation that needs to stay
the way it is.
“It’s not feasible to keep both
arenas open until the end of March,
we know that, but I think one has to
stay open until the end of March,” he
said. “If we have a team go to the
OMHA finals, and then have to
move it to Clinton, Clinton gets all
the benefits of those people
travelling there.”
He said that the Central Huron
Community Complex was chosen
because they also have a team
playing their final OMHA match
that day.
Newson’s approved suggestion
received traction at council because
she believed that the net loss would
be minimal.
“If the game is anything like the
last one we had here, we made $500
at the concession stand,” she said,
indicating that, by her best estimates,
it would likely cost $600 to keep the
ice in until March 31.
Newson explained that, if they left
the ice in and locked up the arena,
the compressors that run the cooling
system for the ice would only come
on occasionally. She said if the
weather remains cooler, they
would be able to hit that $600
mark.
Looking for local heroes
There are so many people out there who do
so much to improve their community.
Now you have a chance to say thanks.
Nominate that special person for the 28th
Annual Citizen Citizenship Awards.
Each year a committee chooses an outstanding citizen from each of the Blyth and area
and Brussels and area communities to receive an award for contribution to the
community. If you know someone you think should be honoured, please fill in the ballot
and send it in. You may attach a longer explanation of why you think your nominee
should win, if you like. If you have nominated someone before and he or she didn't win,
please feel free to try again.
I nominate
as Citizen of the year for
I feel she/he deserves this award because
Nomination Deadline April 30, 2013.
Name and phone number of nominator
❑Blyth
& area ❑Brussels
& area
By Denny Scott
The Citizen