HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-10-10, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013. PAGE 19.
Community fights for hall
Getting dressed
Peter and the Wolf, directed by Blyth’s Duncan McGregor
and starring Blyth’s Steve Cook, seen above wielding a
chainsaw, held dress rehearsals last weekend for its slate
of shows set to hit the Memorial Hall stage this week. (Jim
Brown photo)
Several ideas were brainstormed
at an Oct. 3 public meeting to help
pull the Ethel Community Centre
out of financial dire straits, which
left its organizers encouraged.
Over 20 people from all over
Huron East’s Grey Ward attended
the meeting, which was called by
Grey Councillors Alvin McLellan
and Diane Diehl. Many of those in
attendance were enthusiastic to
begin hosting breakfasts and perhaps
a softball tournament in hopes of
raising money for the floundering
hall.
For those gathered, McLellan
recapped the hall’s problems in
recent months, not the least of which
was an inspection by the Huron
County Health Unit that revealed
evidence of both frogs and mice in
the hall’s kitchen.
First and foremost, McLellan told
the group, community members
needed to decide if they wanted to
have a hall in Ethel. If they decided
they wanted to maintain a
community hall, the next step would
be setting it up for financial success.
McLellan said that, in his
estimation, Huron East Council
would be more than happy to sit at
the table and help the hall, but
council would need to know that the
community was sitting at the table as
well.
The hall’s kitchen, as a result of
the Health Unit’s failing inspection,
has been shut down and will not be
allowed to open until it has been
properly fumigated by a pest control
company. Grey Fire Chief Gary
Boyer, who helps to maintain the
hall, said he wasn’t sure what
fumigation would cost, but
McLellan and others involved with
the hall have authorized him to go
ahead with the procedure.
The consensus of the group was
that the hall should stay open, but
there was also some pessimism
around the room that made some
feel the community should be
planning for the future at the same
time.
Grey resident John Gillis told the
group that he felt it was only a
matter of time until the Avon
Maitland District School Board
voted to close North Woods
Elementary School (formerly Grey
Central Public School). At that
point, he said, perhaps the
municipality could buy the building
and it could serve the Grey Ward as
a centralized community centre,
rather than having three small halls
in Ethel, Cranbrook and Moncrieff.
Gillis said the potential closure of
the school certainly wasn’t
something he wanted to happen, but
he just feels the writing is on the
wall for North Woods and that the
community should be prepared.
He said he’d like to see the hall
stay open for the next four or five
years, with both the community and
the municipality helping to keep it
afloat, but if the school was to close,
that’s what he’d like to see happen.
McLellan told Gillis that his was
an excellent suggestion and that
nothing is off the table, but with the
hall facing its current issues, it was
important to stay focused on what
needs to be done in the next few
months if the public wishes the
centre to stay open.
After doing the math, and taking
into account average rental income
for the year, Boyer estimated that
once the hall’s kitchen was
fumigated, the hall would need an
additional $1,000 per year to stay
open, which could be generated
through some form of fundraising.
Naturally, with the absence of
many service groups in Grey, those
in attendance looked to Boyer and
the fire department, asking him if the
department would be willing to host
a breakfast to help raise funds for the
hall.
Boyer said that without talking to
the firefighters, he could only speak
for himself, but if the firefighters
were to get involved, any proceeds
from a department event should be
split evenly between the ward’s three
halls.
He said that for the department’s
annual breakfast, the firefighters
Continued from page 7
Bishop says.
He says that once you establish
yourself as part of the scenery in a
wildlife setting, which he assures is
no easy task and not one for the
impatient, there are so many other
factors that have to come together to
create the perfect photograph.
He says you can’t control the light,
you can’t control the animals and
you can’t control the location of the
animals or predict their next move.
“That’s why trying to get the
perfect wildlife shot is so
rewarding,” Bishop says.
Bishop’s photography transcends
the public’s perception of wildlife
photography. He says that by
spending hours upon hours in the
wild, undetected by the animals, he
sees behaviour often unseen by
humans. That is in stark contrast to
the behaviour of animals when seen
by the side of the road, where,
Bishop says, animals are just
looking for a way to flee the scene.
People often don’t believe the
stories Bishop has to tell, he says,
but when animals don’t know there’s
someone watching, it’s amazing
what they’ll do.
After first growing up in Ontario
and then moving to Alberta, Bishop
has spent the last 25 years of his life
in Huron County, the last 20 of
which he has lived in Brussels.
He says that while he works
around Cambridge still, he likes to
put his roots down in Huron County
because of its wealth of wildlife,
which is perfect for his hobby.
The Beauty and Bounty of Huron
County is available at The Citizen’s
office in Blyth, as well as the Blyth
Festival’s administration office,
Crossroads in Clinton, the Sears
catalogue store in Wingham,
Finchers in Goderich and The
Village Book Shoppe in Bayfield,
among others in southern Huron
County.
Forthcoming Marriage
Dennis & Carol Adlington, Ilderton,
along with
John and Merilyn McDonald,
Brussels
are pleased to announce
the forthcoming marriage
of their children,
Heather Lynn
and
John Michael
The wedding is to take place
October 12th in Ilderton.
Congratulations from your family.
273 Hamilton St., Blyth • 519-523-4590
www.blytheastsidedance.com
Blyth East Side Dance
Learn the Swing
Please join us for a
Come and Go
70th Birthday
Celebration
for
Ken Hunking
on
Sunday, October 20
from 2-5 pm
at Londesboro Hall,
Londesboro, ON
Best wishes only!
70th Birthday50th Anniversary
Murray & Joanne Souch
Please join us as we
celebrate
50 years of marriage
Come and Go
Blyth Legion
Saturday, October 12
1 pm - 4 pm
Ladies’ Day Renewal
Saturday,
October 19
9 am - 3 pm
Huron Chapel - Auburn
Guest speaker ~ Leah Humphrey
Praise Music and Special Feature
Cost ~ $15
Tickets available at
The Gift Cupboard, Blyth;
Per-fect Designs, Clinton;
Radiant Life, Goderich
Sponsored by ABC Women’s Ministry
Entertainment StopsStopsStopsStopsStopsalong the wayalongthewayA VISITORS’ GUIDE TO HURON COUNTYstopsalonglakehuron.comLook for entertainment ideas on our Stops Along the Waywebsite at...430 Queen Street, Blyth, Ontario226-523-9720Specialty Coffees &Espresso BarLunches, fresh pies, buttermilkbiscuits, cakes, etc.
Book showcases local’s pictures
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 20