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$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, October 6, 2011
Volume 27 No. 39
FALL FAIR - Pg. 12Results conclude fromBrussels Fall Fair FIRE - Pg. 13 Fire departments honouredduring Fire Prevention WeekSPORTS- Pg. 8Ironmen struggle out ofthe gate with another splitPublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:
Local pair win at
dancing fundraiser
‘Citizen’ talks turkey
Centre’s readiness questioned
Ride ’em Cowgirl!
Jessica Johnston, right, hitched a ride on Kaitlin Wick’s back, and had the right clothes to do
it in. Wick was wearing cowgirl everything (except for the spurs, thank goodness) as part of
Cowboy Day at Brussels Public School on Sept. 29. (Denny Scott photo)
Dancing with the Stars, a
fundraiser for Huron Victim
Services, was a big success with
nearly 400 people attending, and the
numbers made Anne Elliott a bit
nervous at first.
Elliott, a Blyth resident, was one
of the dancers competing for first
place at the fundraiser and she was
joined by fellow Blyth resident,
Dancing with the Stars veteran and
dance instructor Les Cook.
“I was nervous before we went
out,” Elliott said. “But once I got out
there I was fine. The dress rehearsal
helped too, as we got used to the
space.”
Nerves certainly didn’t affect
Cook and Elliott’s performance,
however, as the duo took first place,
winning bragging rights and a pair
of trophies to remember last
Saturday.
Elliott said, however, that she
really wouldn’t need a reminder.
“It’s been weird, since the event,”
she said. “I was so used to
practising, and now I don’t have to
anymore. It feels weird to not be
working towards it.”
Elliott and Cook had been
practising for nearly seven months
prior to the event.
The couple’s championship-
calibre performance consisted of two
dances, the first, a tango to a song
from the soundtrack to The Phantom
of the Opera, and the second a salsa
to the Spanish version of Marc
Anthony’s “You Sang to Me.”
Cook explained that their final
performance was a repeat of the
salsa.
This was Cook’s third year
involved in the event and Elliott’s
first, and only, as a dancer.
The rules state that once a dancer
has been trained for the event, they
can no longer participate unless they
do so as an instructor.
Elliott attended the show last year
as a spectator, and, at the
encouragement of her friend, Cook’s
sister-in-law, she got involved.
“It looked like so much fun,” she
said. “I’m glad I decided to
participate in it.”
Elliott and Cook were both
pleasantly surprised that the event
went on, as so many of the
organizers are from the Goderich
area.
“It was amazing that [the
organizers] could push on with the
gala, help others and rebuild their on
lives,” Elliott said. “Victim Services
is a very worthy cause, and we were
glad to help out, considering all the
work they did after the tornado in
Goderich.”
Cook said that the experience is
always a positive one because the
people involved are there to help
out.
“Everyone is there to support each
other,” he said. “We work hard for
months, and it’s great to show people
what we can do, but it’s great that
everyone supports everyone else as
well.”
Cook also said that his work with
Elliott was a pleasure because of
how great a dancer she is.
“Anne’s an exceptional dancer and
student,” he said. “It takes a special
person to volunteer for a fundraiser
like this, especially if, like Anne,
they hadn’t danced before.”
One of the most common
comments after their dance,
according to Cook, was that, if the
audience hadn’t known who was the
professional dancer, they could have
guessed either of them.
Elliott had similar praise for Cook,
saying that he is a wonderful teacher
who showed her all the steps and
was very patient and under-
standing.
While Elliott won’t be eligible to
dance as a trainer’s partner anymore,
Cook said that he will be with the
fundraiser as long as they’ll have
thim.
Elliott said that, while she doesn’t
know of any future with the
fundraiser, she would definitely
recommend people getting involved
in dancing.
“It’s a great experience and it’s a
lot of fun,” she said, adding that she
and her husband Rick would
be dancing at Cook’s studio, East
Side Dance, in ballroom classes
soon.
Other pairings at the competition
included Ken Scott and Barb
Bosman, Wendy Hoernig and Brian
Petrie, Patty Coulter and Tim Poole
and Reanna Ramaker and Bummer
Hodges.
The newly-built Central Huron
Community Centre came under fire
at Central Huron’s Committee of the
Whole meeting on Sept. 29 where its
readiness was questioned by several
councillors.
Councillor Marg Anderson asked
Central Huron CAO Kevin
McLlwain several questions
regarding the centre that caused the
meeting to heat up when conflicting
answers were given.
Facilities Manager Steve
Campbell said he was told the
centre’s roof is currently leaking, but
that the problem was being worked
on.
In addition, Anderson felt the
centre was not safe to be in,
especially at night, because there
was, at the time, no landline phone
installed in the centre.
McLlwain said one of the crew
members had a municipal cell
phone, but that several other
members of the crew do not have
phones. Anderson found that
unacceptable, especially considering
the staff members without phones
would be working at night and
would have no means of
communication should anything go
wrong at the centre.
“The three people there at night
should have a phone there if
something happens,” Anderson said.
At the time of the meeting,
Campbell also told Anderson that
the centre did not have hot water.
McLlwain, however, said the
water would be connected within the
next few days.
Anderson said she hoped the
centre would have a full occupancy
permit in time for this weekend.
McLlwain, however, said the permit
should have been obtained by the
end of the day, which Campbell
disagreed with.
In addition, Anderson also
inquired about the concession booth
and its expected completion date.
“It should be done as of 1:30 p.m.”
McLlwain said. To which Campbell
countered: “It’s not done, I was just
there. There’s no water.”
Campbell said the concession
booth still had to be approved by the
Huron County Health Unit.
However, McLlwain said the
approval should be received by the
end of the day, which Campbell
disagreed with once again.
After voices were raised,
Councillor Brian Barnim and Mayor
With the air beginning to cool and
the leaves beginning to change
colour, fall is upon us and it is once
again time for us to give thanks.
The Citizen offices will be closed
on Thanksgiving Monday, Oct. 10 so
that Citizen staff members can
celebrate the holiday with their
families and friends.
Because of the holiday, deadlines
for the Oct. 13 issue of The Citizen
will be moved up to Friday, Oct. 7 at
2 p.m. at the Brussels offices and 4
p.m. at the Blyth office for all
advertising and editorial copy.
The staff of The Citizen wishes all
its readers a safe and peaceful
holiday.
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 18