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Several area schools braved the wet and cold weather last week to run their annual track and
field meets. Sweatshirts and long pants didn’t handicap Rodney Rozendal as he gets a leg, or
two, up on the competition as he tackles the high jump during Hullett Central Public School’s
meet on a chilly Thursday. Standing by for his turn is Murray Dale. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
The winner of the first Rising Star Award at the am920
Ontario Open Country Singing Contest Sunday night in
Blyth was Orleans’ Kira Isabella. The award was
presented by southwestern Ontario’s own country-music
singer/songwriter Jamie Warren and CKNX am920’s
Scott Pettigrew.
Isabella has been wowing audiences for the last five
years. The judges were unanimous in choosing this
“dynamic young singer with a killer voice” to take the
top prize. Isabella’s absolutely captivating presentation
and lovely control also earned her first prize in the
Female Open Category.
The 2008 judging panel included Canadian country
music stars Jamie Warren and Cathy Korpi ; Janice Pym
a music consultant who represents the talents of many
Canadian music stars like Jamie Warren, Duane Steele
and Big Mike Callan; Travis Teed, an Auburn resident
who has been involved in the music industry for over 25
years; and Blyth Festival artistic director Eric Coates.
The first-prize winner in the Male Open Category was
John Fraser of Guelph, Jessica Woodhouse of Stratford
took the Teen Category and won a cash prize sponsored
by the Barn Dance Historical Society, Madonna Parsons
from Stratford was Senior Female and Dennis Wiley of
St. Thomas was Senior Male winner.
The Rising Star Award is a $7,500 recording package
generously donated by Jason Barry of BarryTone
Studios, Joe Wood, Patrick
Duffy and Janice Pym and
includes production of a
single for radio, release to
radio across Canada, a
professional biography and
marketing and promotions
consultations. The award
was presented to a Teen,
Male Open or Female Open
contestant as determined by
the Judges on the Final Day
of Competition.
The 2008 Contest was
held in conjunction with the
Barn Dance Historical
Society’s 11th annual
Jamboree. Together the
Country Music Festival in
Blyth drew a crowd of
Country Music Fans that
exceeded the population of
this tiny village in
southwestern Ontario.
For the full list of winners visit
www.ontariocountrysingingcontest.com or www.blyth
festival. com
Orleans ‘sensation’ wins it all
Fire chiefs from Huron East, Blyth
and Wingham are to meet to discuss
new boundaries for the three
departments within Morris-
Turnberry following a meeting with
the municipality’s council, May 21.
Huron East fire chief Marty
Bedard, Blyth and District fire chief
Paul Josling and Wingham and Area
fire chief Harley Gaunt were at the
meeting that also included James
Zimmerman and Bert Kuntz of the
Ontario Fire Marshal’s office as well
as representatives of North Huron.
The meeting was called because
the Brussels station of Huron East’s
fire department is now equipped
with a water tanker and rescue truck
and can serve the rural areas near
Brussels. Until recently, Brussels
firefighters could not fight rural fires
because they had no tanker so
Morris ward has been split between
Wingham in the north and Blyth in
the south.
Morris-Turnberry’s admini-
strator, clerk-treasurer Nancy
Michie, kicked off the discussion
with a map of what the re-drawn fire
boundaries might look like. Blyth
and District Fire Area Board would
be most affected by her preliminary
proposal (which officials suggested
later should be modified to make
boundaries more clear-cut). There
would be a $40 million loss of
property assessment paying to
support the Blyth department.
Wingham would also lose about $40
million but under a complicated ratio
that reduces assessment for
properties more than two and a half
miles from the station, it’s loss
would be relatively minor.
The changes would mean a shift
of $81 million in assessment to the
area supporting the Brussels station.
The debate quickly got into “pay
for service” which would be used by
Morris-Turnberry to buy fire
coverage from Huron East versus
being a member of a fire area board
with the municipality having a say in
the management of the fire
department.
Murray Scott, North Huron
councillor and chair of the Wingham
Area Fire Board, said there have
been attempts to renew the
agreement for that fire board and
that it might be time to look at
amalgamating the Wingham and
Blyth departments as a North Huron
department.
But Jim Nelemans, deputy-mayor
of Morris-Turnberry, said the
Wingham board had worked well
until the last six months.
“On the fire boards, we had
representatives on the board,” he
said. “That’s why I think we should
give consideration to keeping the
fire boards intact.”
But Scott said he found it difficult
to put a fire chief in the position
where he had to answer to three
municipal councils.
“I think it should be within council
with the fire chief as a department
head.”
It seemed clear that Zimmerman
was urging councils in the direction
of dissolving boards and using fire
service agreements. Fire board
agreements add an extra level of
management, he said. “If you want
to do it right, the fire chief answers
to council. The fire chief should be
at every meeting of council.”
As for the fear of loss of power
over the management of the fire
department, Zimmerman admitted
Morris-Turnberry would “lose
influence over high-level decisions”
CitizenTh
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$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, May 29, 2008
Volume 24 No. 223 FOR 3 - Pg. 8Blyth Barons continuewinning ways NEW CLUB - Pg. 11First-time 4-Hers formgroup in GreyA WINNER - Pg. 7Race’s final result just duckyfor 10-month-oldPublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 PAP Registration No. 09244 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:
KIRA ISABELLA
First Rising Star
Chiefs to discuss
boundary changes
After taking time to consider the
report presented by Hugh Thomas at
this month’s county council meeting,
Dr. Beth Henning, medical officer of
health is feeling “optimistic.”
The third-party report was
commissioned by the board of health
to take a look at roles and
responsibilities of the health unit
staff within the county. It also
addressed issues of communication
between administrative and health
unit staff.
One of the recommendations
called for clear service agreements.
“I am particularly pleased with the
recommendation,” said Dr. Henning
in a phone interview on Friday.
“This will give us clarity on the roles
and responsibilities and define the
lines of communication. It will go a
long way to support how we work
within the county.”
After a review of the report, the
board of health has endorsed it.
Chairperson John Grace, in a media
statement, said that it was now time
to act on the recommendations.
Dr. Henning said she expects that
the next step would be to come with
some broad strokes to describe the
service agreements. “I believe these
have the potential to set us on the
right path.”
According to the health board
release, the board would be working
collaboratively with county
administration over the next several
months on the recommendations.
“This might not sound like big
news,” said Dr. Henning, “but it feels
like big news. Issues were identified
that provide helpful direction. I am
optimistic that this is an exciting
opportunity to move forward.”
MOH feeling optimistic
By Keith Roulston
The Citizen
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
Continued on page 6