The Citizen, 2012-07-19, Page 1CitizenTh
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$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, July 19, 2012
Volume 28 No. 29THEATRE- Pg. 18Former Brussels studentexcels at Fringe Festivals FESTIVAL - Pg. 19‘Having Hope at Home’incites laughs at FestivalSPORTS- Pg. 9Tigers, Brewers suffer losses infastball league actionPublications Mail Agreement No. 4005014 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:
Morris-Turnberry councillors have
authorized staff to meet with
Township of North Huron staff to
look at options for a fire agreement
between the two municipalities.
At their July 10 meeting, Mayor
Paul Gowing told councillors that
following the June 27 meeting
between the two councils, he had
asked Nancy Michie, administrator
clerk-treasurer, to speak to North
Huron Chief Administrative Officer
Gary Long. Long, he said, had told
Michie that council had authorized
him to initiate discussions with her.
Councillors agreed a meeting
between the two administrators was
a place to start but they indicated
they still want more information
from North Huron on the details of
its fire budget, and 2011
expenditures before proceeding too
far.
Councillor Neil Warwick even
proposed taking time at that meeting
to go over the budget they had
received at the June 27 meeting on a
line-by-line basis to identify
questions Michie would put to Long.
However, after it was pointed out
that there are still gaps in the actual
2011 expenditures in the
information North Huron had
presented, councillors agreed to
postpone close examination of the
budget until its July 24 meeting
when hopefully there would be more
information available.
Among things that councillors
want to know more about is the
breakdown of shared expenses
between the Blyth station of the
North Huron Fire Department and
the Emergency Services Training
Centre which occupies the same
building.
Councillor John Smuck also
pointed out that Morris-Turnberry
has been picking up a portion of fire
prevention and education budget of
the North Huron department, even
though it had also been paying its
own staff to provide this service.
Councillor Neil Warwick asked
for clarification on that issue, noting
North Huron had offered, at the June
27 meeting, to provide the fire
prevention and education service as
a way of Morris-Turnberry cutting
its fire costs.
“Could we share a fire safety
officer?” Warwick asked.
Michie said that in 2009 when the
old fire boards were being
disbanded, officials from the Ontario
Fire Marshal’s office had told
Morris-Turnberry that it should have
its own fire safety officer.
Councillors also suggested that all
municipalities purchasing service
from North Huron should be
The first annual Blyth Buskerfest
was a success according to North
Huron Township Community
Development Officer Connie
Goodall.
The street festival, which ran
from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday,
July 14, welcomed some 50
entertainers from 35 different acts
as well as vendors to Blyth’s main
street which was shut down for the
event.
“I think it went really well,”
Goodall said. “It was fairly steady
all day and well attended and we
know that people from
Campvention were taking part.”
Campvention is an annual event
held by the Family Campers and
RVers group (FCRV). This marks
the second time the group is in
Blyth, the only repeat location in
the event’s history.
Goodall said the event was well
attended as far as she could tell but
with having several blocks of
Blyth’s main street closed off, it was
hard to look at exact numbers.
“Foot traffic was really busy all
day,” Goodall said. “I think the
vendors did well. The barbecue
stand, for example, had a line up
pretty much all day and sold out by
the end of the day.”
Other street vendors included a
temporary tattoo parlour on the
street and a jewellery vendor.
The event, which has been slated
as an annual one to help build its
brand, is definitely a project
Goodall plans to continue next year.
“We’re definitely looking at next
year,” she said. “Some of the
entertainers felt it was such a great
experience that they said they would
see us next year.”
The event proved a great
opportunity for both better known
artists and some budding local
artists breaking onto the scene
according to Goodall.
“It’s great exposure and
experience,” she said.
The event was cleaned up by 6
p.m. according to Goodall, and the
street was back open shortly after.
Blyth draws 35 acts for first Buskerfest
Staff authorized to meet over fire contract
Busking for Blyth
The first annual Blyth Buskerfest went off without a hitch, say organizers, and many of the acts have already booked their ticket
for next year’s Buskerfest. Blyth’s main street was closed for nearly six hours on Saturday to allow for artists of all walks of life to
perform their music or display their visual art. Two of the day’s more popular duos were Emily, top left and her sister Robyn
Nicholson, top right, performing near The Citizen’s former office, and Danica Watt, bottom left, and Kendall Jardin, bottom right,
who performed in front of Memorial Hall. (Jim Brown photos)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
By Keith Roulston
The Citizen
Continued on page 14