HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-03-13, Page 1The CitizenVolume 24 No. 11 Thursday, March 13, 2008 $1.25 ($1.19 + 6c GST)Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Inside this week
Pg. 2
Pg. 3
Pg. 8
Pg. 10
Pg. 24
Brussels student
organizes for a cause
Special recognition
for Blyth Scout
Brussels teams
advance
Turning cobs to
pens
County ATV bylaw
moves closer
At their March 4 meeting, Morris-
Turnberry councillors approved the
2008 budgets for the Blyth District
Fire Area Board and the Wingham
Area Fire Board which will see a
combined allocation of more than
$193,000.
The cost of fire protection will
increase steeply mostly because of
the purchase of a new pumper truck
by the Wingham board at a cost of
$375,801 to be split among the
supporting municipalities.
The Wingham department’s
operating budget was up 1.3 per cent
to $250,100 from $246,876.72.
Morris-Turnberry picks up 27.7
per cent of the department’s costs for
a payment of $175,244 in 2008.
The Blyth department’s 2008
budget calls for a decrease in
spending to $138,503 from
$145,727 last year but the cost to
Morris-Turnberry will increase to
$17,925 from $14,013.
Councillor Paul Gowing who sits
on the Blyth board noted that last
year the board had a surplus from
2006 and was able to decrease the
money requested from councils but
it ran a small deficit in 2007,
meaning the assessment went up.
In the heat of battle
Firefighters fight the flames at the home of Gene and
Joyce Marcuccio from a very nearby neighbouring
residence. Blyth Fire Department, with support from
Brussels, battled the blaze which broke out at the Walton
house early March 7 and into the morning. What was a bad
story could have been so much worse, had Marcuccio not
been awakened by the smoke alarms and fled the house
which soon became a smoky inferno. He and his wife, who
was away at the time, had just sold the house the day
before. The fire is believed to have been caused by an
electrical problem. (Photo submitted)
It has been a message stressed
over and over. And thankfully this
time someone was listening.
In the early morning hours of
March 7, Gene Marcuccio of Walton
was awakened by smoke alarms in
his home.
Running to a neighbour’s he
called 9-1-1, according to Blyth fire
chief Paul Josling.
“That smoke alarm saved his life,”
he said. “He had one on every level
and they all worked.”
Marcuccio’s wife, Joyce, was
away at the time.
The call came in at 3:08 a.m., and
by the time firefighters arrived at the
house, located on 83031 Brussels
Line, there was a lot of smoke.
“There was also tremendous heat
which drove us back from the door,”
said Josling.
Roughly half an hour later there
was a smoke explosion. “This is
kind of rare, but it does happen,”
said Josling of the phenonomenon
that occurs when a large buildup of
smoke becomes very hot inside a
room and ignites.
Josling said the fire began in a
wall between the kitchen and living
room before spreading upstairs then
through the roof. “We just couldn’t
get to it.”
Firefighters, with assistance from
Brussels Fire Department, were on
scene until 8:30 a.m.
Also complicating the situation
was the fact that the house directly
north of Marcuccio’s was within
eight to 10 feet of the burning
structure. “Luckily the wind was in
our favour,” said Josling.
Marcuccio lost everything in the
blaze, said Josling, estimating the
damage to the structure and contents
at $250,000.
The cause of the fire was
determined to have been an
electrical fault in the basement.
The house had been on the
market, but in a final bitter twist had
just been sold. “I understand they
signed the papers that night,” said
Josling.
“They didn’t even get a chance to
put the sold sign up.”
County councillors had plenty to
say at the March 5 meeting before
passing a recommendation to
purchase vehicles.
Information from the treasurer’s
office had earlier revealed a cost-
savings if the county purchased cars
for its senior management team,
rather than continue to pay mileage.
However, the recommendation
before council was for the purchase
of five cars for senior management,
plus two “crossovers” for chief
administrative officer Larry Adams
and warden John Bezaire.
A crossover vehicle is similar to
an SUV but is built upon a more
economical and fuel-efficient
unibody construction.
South Huron councillor George
Robertson was the first to question
the recommendation saying he had
remembered voting for the five.
“Where did the others come from?”
Adams explained that council had
approved up to nine vehicles for
senior management, however a few
members of the upper staff had
opted out.
Dave Johnston, councillor for
Bluewater, had several concerns. “It
is my understanding that this was for
retaining and recruitment. I don’t
believe we have ever had a problem
retaining and recruiting a warden,
and he was never discussed in the
previous motion.”
Johnston said if there would be
cost-savings he’s not opposed to the
recommendation, but was concerned
by the way it had been brought to
council.
Also, he wondered, what would
happen with the vehicle if the next
warden doesn’t want it.
“I think we need to take a hard
look at this.”
Adams assured that there had been
many discussions on this topic in the
past and in running the numbers
there is a cost-savings for the
warden as well.
Johnston wondered then, if in
subsequent years it is the intention
that the warden must accept the
vehicle.
“It will be made available to the
warden and it would be prudent of
the warden to take advantage of that
vehicle. It’s cheaper to do it this way
than to use his or her own,” said
Adams.
Councillor Ben VanDiepenbeek of
Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh also
expressed surprise to see a vehicle
for the warden in the
recommendation. “I don’t think I
missed any meetings and I don’t
remember any discussion for the
warden.”
He wondered if they had decided
to get a vehicle for the warden,
simply because with others opting
out there was money available. “I
don’t think if that’s the case we need
to throw it at a couple of SUVs. At
this point I don’t support a vehicle
for the warden.”
Bernie MacLellan, councillor for
Huron East, agreed that from a
business standpoint, if it costs less
Fire
budgets
pass
Smoke alarm saves man’s life
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
Councillors say no to warden’s car — for now
Continued on page 6
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen