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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-09-04, Page 1The event that brings thousands of people to Blyth each year, the Huron Pioneer Thresher Reunion, is back for the 47th time this weekend. Gates to the grounds will open at 8 a.m. every day with buses starting from the parking lot just after the gates open on Saturday and Sunday. At 9 a.m. the displays and crafts will be opened on the community centre floor and around the exterior border of the building. The show will officially be opened at 12:30 p.m. on Friday with the opening ceremony. On Sept. 4, there will be a fiddle jam session from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. in all three sheds, kicking off the weekend of music. Friday and Saturday will see three bands take the stage each day, while Sunday’s music will be confined to the church service, where many of Blyth’s great voices go to flourish. The Dolsons and Lloyd Preston will also play a set on Sunday at 1 p.m. On Friday Country Ways will grace the stage at noon until 4 p.m., wheeling out the outdoor stage and sliding out the outdoor dance floor in hopes of adding that outdoor musical atmosphere that Blyth is famous for. Later that night as the sun starts to fall, the Twilight Serenaders will take the outdoor stage at 6 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. and Ken Scott’s Orchestra, always a Threshers Reunion favourite, will close out the night with a dance in the community centre from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. On Friday night there will be three different fiddle jam sessions. Bev Hanson will head up a jam session in Shed 2 from 7:30 p.m. to 12 a.m., Tom Melady will run a session from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. in Shed 3 and Laverne Ferguson will be the MC on the main stage session from 8:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. On Saturday Pierce’s Orchestra will take over the daytime slot, playing on the outdoor stage at noon. The Twilight Serenaders will grace the outdoor stage again at 6 p.m. and Pierce’s Orchestra will close the night out with an evening set in the community centre from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday will also offer up a few musical bonuses, including the fiddle competition and the Clinton Pipe Band stopping by for a set. The fiddle competition will take place at Shed 3 at 12:30 p.m., with registration beginning at 11 a.m. The Clinton Pipe Band will play for the crowd at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. There will be a jam session headed up by Jim Scott on the main stage on Saturday night from 8:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. The church service will take place in Shed 3 at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday. The name of the game is threshing and threshing demonstrations will take place at 11 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. on each day. Sheep shearing will take place from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday. There will be horse demonstrations at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. One of the new features will be a guide dog presentation at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday. As always, there will be a parade filled with steam engines, antique tractors and cars every day at 4 p.m. The weekend will see a fair amount of tractor pull action take to the field as well. From 10 a.m. until noon there will be a fun tractor pull followed by a tractor pull from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. on all three days. On Saturday and Sunday a kids tractor pull will follow the regular tractor pull from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. Keeping up with the competitive spirit, there will be steam engine games at 1 p.m. on Friday and at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Children’s special events will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday and The pledge sheets are out for residents to pick up and raise money for one of the most well-known events as Brussels prepares for its annual Terry Fox Run. Set for Sept. 14 this year, this is the 15th year that the village has sponsored a Terry Fox Run and organizer Doug McArter is hoping for even greater supporter than the community has already shown. “Last year we raised almost $7,000,” said McArter, “for a total over the years of $92,000. It would sure be nice if we could get $8,000 this year and put the community’s total to $100,000.” Registration for the Run is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Optimist Clubhouse. Participants can choose between two routes. “There’s the scenic route in town that takes them through the conservation park, back up main street to the clubhouse. It’s about two kilometres long.” The other option is a walk in the country around the five-mile block to the east said McArter, between Brandon and Newry Roads. Pledge sheets can be picked up at local businesses or by calling McArter at 519-887-6963. It’s Reunion time! Brussels gets set for 15th Terry Fox Run Back to school Joe Jacklin was at Brussels Public School bright and early Tuesday morning, ready for his first day of school. Jacklin strapped his backpack on with the help of his aunt, Sharie Evans, not pictured, and headed on into school along with hundreds of students returning from their summer vacations. Students were able to take advantage of the new sidewalk too. (Shawn Loughlin photo) While the student bodies are looking very similar, area schools are host to a lot of new faces this school year. In our high schools, Martin Ritsma, former vice-principal at Stratford Central Public School has moved up to Wingham where he will be the principal of F.E. Madill Secondary School. Blyth Public School will have the slightest increase of one student in its enrollment this year going from 186 up to 187 and will welcome in six new faces to its faculty. Rebecca Hoogenes will take over the Grade 8 class, Leeanne Middleton will take over the Grade 5/6 class, Jaclyn Hulley will take primary teaching duties, Katherine Antonio will teach French, Lisa Fritz will be the new educational assistant and Dianna Binotto Peel will split her time between Blyth Public School and East Wawanosh Public School as the new SERT. Brussels Public School saw 211 smiling faces come through its doors, which is down approximately 10 students from its enrollment last year. Teaching Grade 5/6 will be Jennifer Lasenby and a few returning faces are Shannon McGavin teaching Grade 4, Heather Dawe teaching Grade 3 and music. Erin Baan will be the school’s resource teacher and Brian Raidt will teach French until Christmas. East Wawanosh Public School will have approximately the same amount of students it had last year, which was 170, with several faculty changes as well. The new kindergarten teacher will be Danielle Watson replacing Susan Jameson, Krista Ehgoetz will be teaching Grade 4/5 for September and October and Amy Walper will be teaching Grade 6/7 to cover Sydney Elder’s maternity leave. Barb Dery will also be taking over the educational assistant post while last year’s interim vice-principal, Wendy Armstrong-Gibson has been named the school’s principal. Hullett Central Public School has seen a consistent drop in its enrollment over the last two years. This year they will have 163 students, down from last year’s 166 and 176 in 2006. Hullett welcomes a new educational assistant to the team in Linda Pfannenstiel. Grey Central Public School will be host to 196 students, down from last year’s 220 and has welcomed new principal, Mario Gagné, the former vice-principal of Bedford Public School. The school also has a new Grade 7/8 teacher, Vanessa Gregoriadis. On the student side of things, Brussels teen Darby Alcorn of F.E. Madill Secondary School will be on the new slate of student senators this year, also being elected as one of this year’s two student trustees. Students off to school By Bonnie Gropp The Citizen Continued on page 3 CitizenTh e $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 Volume 24 No. 35EVENT- Pg. 10Golfers converge in Seaforth COMMUNITY - Pg. 15 Countdown on forBelgrave fairSPORTS- Pg. 7Lakers enjoy winning weekPublications 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: