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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-08-22, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013.Chrome Madness cancelleddue to poor attendance First you get the trophy... Brett Metcalfe, centre, took home the Parts Canada Walton TransCan trophy as the winner of the MX1 pro class. The TransCan was held last weekend in Walton and attendance at the event was up between 15 and 20 per cent. Cole Thompson, not pictured, took home the title of King of Walton, and was awarded a sword for his trouble. (Jim Brown photo) Chrome Madness, a highly-touted motorcycle rally event in Blyth last weekend was cancelled abruptly due to a lack of attendance. Despite a last-minute reprieve against cancellation thanks to donations reportedly coming from private citizens in Blyth last week, the majority of the event at the Blyth Campgrounds over the weekend was cancelled. Larry Peterson, organizer of the event said that due to low attendance and the cancellations, this year wasn’t good for them financially, but that the future doesn’t look bad. “We’re definitely in the hole quite a bit right now, but there was a lot of positive stuff that came from the whole event,” he said. “The few that did come had a great weekend. They loved the campground and the facilities had everything anyone could possibly want.” One of the great things about the area, says Peterson, aside from the beauty it afforded the group when they did eventually take to the roads in a privately organized trail ride, was the quality of the campground and the surrounding businesses. “The campground in Blyth is just tremendous,” he said. “We had everything we need: the bank, the variety store, the grocery store and all the restaurants are in walking distance which is just great. Everyone at the businesses were so nice. Blyth has got to be one of the friendliest places in the world.” He said that as far as local input is concerned, he was pleasantly surprised with how involved the local community is and could be. “When we first organized it, we didn’t know that the local people would get behind it so much and want to be involved,” he said. “We didn’t realize that there were so many people interested. Everyone we ran into rides now or used to ride. We had no idea people were that into it.” He added that the financial assistance from a private backer made the event possible after the near-cancellation from the get-go and that kind of support was surprising and appreciated. Peterson said that he wasn’t sure if the event would happen again, but that he hopes it does and, if so, it will definitely be held in Blyth. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to try again with all the support we got,” he said. “Blyth is a beautiful place and if it happens, we’re definitely going to be coming back. As a group we’re going to consider the event and the advertising and look at working on it further ahead of time next year.” The event was cancelled after a less-than-promising turnout for Friday night’s show. Aside from the lower attendance at the campground, Peterson acknowledged that the day passes that the group made available to visitors at the gate were not advertised well enough, having only been announced a day before the event started. Despite the low attendance, Director of North Huron Facilities and Recreation Pat Newson said that all reports from local businesses indicated it was a great weekend. “I was told that everyone was very impressed with the restaurants and businesses and that they felt welcomed,” she said, adding that the businesses echoed the sentiment. “We had lots of good feedback from the local groups and the local businesses.” Reports from Peterson state that there were approximately 50 people on site on Friday which dwindled to 30 on Saturday evening, a far cry from the 200 to 2,000 that North Huron Community Development Officer Connie Goodall estimated at a recent Blyth Business Improvement Area (BIA) meeting. Chrome Madness consisted of live entertainment and vendors starting Friday night and ending Saturday night as well as a charity poker rally on Saturday afternoon, however most of those events were cancelled after Friday night. Due to several members of township staff being on vacation and several North Huron council members attending the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) annual conference this week, comments on what effect the cancellation will have, if any, on the township were unavailable. www.northhuron.ca 519-357-1208 Township of North Huronp oihwnsoT th rrtof Np o noHuro Watch for your guide in your flyer package August 22 Call to register for fall programs By Denny Scott The Citizen Allison Dekroon was sworn in as Huron East’s newest councillor at Huron East Council’s Aug. 13 meeting. Dekroon now takes over as a McKillop Ward representative in the wake of former councillor Bill Siemon’s death earlier this year. She was acclaimed to the position, as the only person who applied. Councillors greeted Dekroon with a round of applause once she completed her oath of office, taking a copy of the Bible in her right hand. Mayor Bernie MacLellan said she reminded him of himself 20 years earlier, feeling propelled into politics by one issue he felt was worth speaking up about. “There was a hot topic and I’ve been stuck here ever since,” MacLellan joked. “Welcome to the long haul,” he told Dekroon. MacLellan was asked what the issue was that brought him to local politics and he said it was the closing of local fire departments. Dekroon is the active secretary for Huron East Against Turbines (HEAT) and stated in interviews before she became a councillor that wind turbines in Huron East would be at the top of her agenda, should she become a councillor. Dekroon sworn in