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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-06-19, Page 1Family affair It’s a great day for father and son at the Blyth Legion and Radford Group fishing derby, and even better if Grandma comes along too. Two-year-old Tyson Merner, Nora Eckert and Mike Merner were among those lining the banks of Radford’s Pond, south of Blyth on Sunday, in the hopes of hooking the biggest catch. While rains came in later in the day, sun shone for the morning event. (Vicky Bremner photo) A number of bear sightings in the last two weeks have Huron County all joining together in “the bear scare.” While there were several bear sightings last week spanning from Walton-area to Bayfield and Wroxeter all the way up to Kingsbridge, not all were confirmed, and both the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ontario Provincial Police are stressing that it is unlikely that anyone in the county will encounter a bear. According to Const. Joanna Van Mierlo sightings in the Walton area and Wroxeter were both confirmed, with the Wroxeter sighting coming complete with photos. From the photos, Bev Stevenson, fish and wildlife specialist for the Ministry of Natural Resources in Clinton said the bear appeared to be a yearling bear. Stevenson also said the most recent sighting, which would have been late Thursday into early Friday, has been confirmed as well, where a bear did damage to some beehives in the Kingsbridge area. At time of publication, this was the most recent sighting. Stevenson says while it isn’t common, there is a resident black bear population in the north end of the Bruce Peninsula and occasionally one or two have been known to stray from the pack and go south. She says that it is most likely they are looking for food, but another possibility is that the mother may have kicked the young bears out and they are looking to establish their own territory. During this time, as Stevenson says, the most likely reason a bear would make its way into the area is food. She suggests taking precautions that would keep food from being accessible to a bear. Keep trash in containers bears can’t get into, ensure barbecue grease traps are kept empty and clean and farmers should keep their land clean of dead animals. Bird seed or fruit that has fallen from a fruit tree on the property could also catch a bear’s sense of smell. However, while these contributing factors may keep a bear interested while in the area, Stevenson says a physical encounter with a bear is highly unlikely. “Bears don’t like humans, so any type of disturbance tends to send them back into the bush,” she said. “People don’t really have to take any precautions when they’re out of the house. It is very unlikely that they’ll encounter a bear.” If a bear is encountered, most often it will avoid confrontation. “Most bears, if they see you, are going to try and avoid you. So if you just stand there, generally the bear will just leave when it notices you,” Stevenson said. “If it doesn’t, you can slowly back up and move away from the animal. If the bear approaches you, however, you can start yelling at it, waving your arms and just trying to make yourself as intimidating as possible.” People are cautioned that if they are attempting to intimidate a bear, they should ensure the bear has an escape route and not to corner the bear. Campers should keep food away from their tent or vehicle and if fishing, fishes should be cleaned, then disposed of away from the campsite. Right now the MNR is working You can’t have one without the other and that feeling held true for the nominators and the committee in making the selection for this year’s Brussels and area Citizen of the Year. It was a difficult task facing the committee this year as they were presented with a lengthy list of worthy contenders. As one member noted, “It was very gratifying to see the names of so many deserving people put forward and a pleasure to have such a tough job in selecting one.” After lengthy deliberation, the committee selected Nora Stephenson and her twin sister Fran Bremner as the choice for 2008. Any community event in the village wouldn’t be the same if the “Shaw Twins” weren’t there. They have been big supporters of local sporting events, church functions and Brussels gatherings. They and their friends participate in parades for every occasion. Stephenson and Bremner were members of the championship women’s baseball team decades ago, and worked to bring them home for the village’s 2007 Homecoming parade. Individually, but usually together, they have been involved in church work, the Brussels Agricultural Society, the curling club, the horticultural society and volunteering at Huronlea. Stephenson gets festive for every occasion, whether Robbie Burns Day or in St. Patrick’s green. And few on the street don’t recognize the twins’smiling faces. As a nominator said, “No matter where you see them, and it can be many places in town, there is always a friendly hello.” The award is sponsored by The Citizen. When the committee considered their choice for this year’s Blyth and area Citizen of the Year, it just made sense to select “one of the all round good guys.” After giving careful consideration to the list of nominees the committee selected Joe Hallahan as the recipient of the 2008 honour, sponsored annually by The Citizen. Nominators provided several reasons they felt Hallahan was deserving of recognition. “He shows true friendship and compassion for the elderly and sick in the community with regular visits and little acts of kindness.” Young people, too have benefitted. “His toboggan trails have given children many hours of safe and exciting winter fun. He grooms these trails with considerable pride for the soul purpose of offering children enjoyment and memories.” He even supplies the equipment if necessary. In addition to countless hours of volunteering, with the Thresher Reunion, Hallahan also went “above and beyond the call of duty” as an employee of the county and North Huron, to make sure roads and public works operations were safe for others. Hallahan also keeps his eye on the political goings-on for his community, being a regular fixture in the gallery for most North Huron council meetings. Inspired by a meeting, federal Liberal candidate for Huron-Bruce Greg McClinchey is going to hold a dinner. On Friday, McClinchey presented his idea to a meeting of the Huron County Accessibility Advisory Committee. His proposal is to hold a barriers dinner. “Guests will be assigned a disability. They will be required to eat their meal and participate in the social aspects of dining out while experiencing what it’s like to be blind, have reduced mobility or being hearing impaired.” McClinchey said besides using the event to raise funds for the committee the purpose would be to raise awareness. “It’s just an effort to let people know that there are people who need some understanding,” McClinchey said in an interview following the meeting. “And if it can raise money to help this group raise more awareness and lobby governments then it’s a good thing.” McClinchey said he got the idea after speaking with committee member Lorie Falconer of Blyth. He also explained that there was a personal interest as well. “My mother spent the last months of her life in a wheelchair. And it got difficult. Simply everyday activities were suddenly challenges.” The committee endorsed a recommendation to partner with McClinchey on the event. That recommendation will be presented at the Huron County committee of the whole meeting, then will be presented at the county council meeting, July 2 for approval. While McClinchey has a date and location in mind for the event, he is waiting to hear the results from this before announcing them. Bears come calling in Huron CitizenTh e $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, June 19, 2008 Volume 24 No. 25SPORTS- Pg. 8Local teams celebratebig victories REVIEW - Pg. 19‘Music Man’hits rightnote at StratfordSUMMER BEGINS - Pg. 3Blyth’s Farmers’Market backin businessPublications 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: Accessibility on candidate’s mind By Bonnie Gropp The Citizen Brussels twins tops ‘Good guy’ Blyth’s #1 By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Continued on page 6