HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-10-09, Page 27Investing in Shakespeare toShoreline may soon be up to thecounty, not lower tiers. At the planning, agriculture and
public works committee meeting a
request was received from Huron
East council that the county increaseits contribution to the tourismprogram in lieu of individualmunicipalities making annualcontributions. The committee made arecommendation to the Oct. 1
county council meeting that Huron,
for the 2009 budget, up its
contribution from $2,500 to$10,000. Bluewater councillor DaveJohnston had some reservations. “Irealize it’s not a significant amountof money but in light of theeconomic situation out there, I
would like to see this deferred to
budget rather than commit to
spending now.”Huron East councillor BernieMacLellan said that while they hadreceived information on how theprogram is working it still wasn’tenough for him. “I think I requestedlast spring that we get a report to
quantify what we get from this
program. We saw the breakdown we
saw expenses, but not the return.”
While warden John Bezaire of
Central Huron felt that that the
report had been “very
comprehensive” he wondered if the
issue should be looked at again at
committee of the whole.
“It would provide the opportunity
for more questions,” answered
MacLellan. “I’m just asking for
proof that local businesses are
seeing the benefit of this program.”
Noting that it was MacLellan’s
council that had asked for the money
to come from the county, Bezaire
added, “Given this was an extensive
presentation, if you feel something’s
missing, you’re going to have to be
specific.”
MacLellan said that the intent of
the request was because of the
program benefits economic
development for the whole of the
county then it’s better for the money
to come out of the county.
Director of planning Scott Tousaw
confirmed that if the
recommendation was approved,
there would no longer be any request
for funding coming to the lower-tier
municipalities.
Several councillors spoke in
favour of the recommendation.
Bluewater’s Bill Dowson said a lotof thought had gone into the reportand added that this funding wouldhelp the Shakespeare to Shorelinecommittee plan ahead. “They’vewaited not knowing until all themunicipal budgets were done
whether they could go ahead.”
Huron East councillor Bill Siemon
said it was a benefit for the whole
county and should be approved.
Councillor Ken Oke of South
Huron said, it was a good idea, but
wondered if the recommendation
passed if it was automatically in the
budget.
Bezaire said he believed it meant it
would be in the budget for
consideration. “This is not cutting a
cheque right now by any means.”
Chief administrative officer Larry
Adams said the intent was to permit
up to a $10,000 commitment and
that there would be the opportunity
to debate this.
However, with some councillors
still uncomfortable with the
wording, Bezaire proposed a
friendly amendment, but Goderich
councillor Deb Shewfelt said that
waiting until budget isn’t helpful to
the people running the program as
they are up and running by the time
budgets are finalized. “We’ve had a
request from a lower-tier
government and I think here we’re
saying it makes sense.”
Not for MacLellan, however. “If
we’re getting a return then the
county can pay.”
The issue will be discussed further
at the committee of the whole.
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2008. PAGE 27.
Planning a turkey feast this
weekend? When you’re putting
together your shopping list for the
festivities, think about buying
locally and supporting local
producers. You can get everything
from your turkey and vegetables to
all the trimmings and baked goods
locally.
Check out the Buy Local Buy
Fresh map online at
www.huroncounty.ca under What’s
New.
Once you’ve got all the fixings, the
Huron County Health Unit wants to
remind people to use safe cooking
and handling practices to keep
everyone healthy.
Public health manager Pam
Scharfe says there are simple steps
you can take to help ensure your
turkey dinner is a safe one. “We want
people to enjoy their celebrations
and reduce the risk of food borne
illnesses.
There are a few key things that
will help protect people from
undercooked turkey and stuffing and
from cross contamination during
preparation.”
Scharfe says the health unit
advises:
• Store your turkey in the
refrigerator or freezer immediately
after it is purchased.
• Do not thaw your turkey at room
temperature. Thaw turkey in the
refrigerator or in cold water, and
change the water every half hour.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces and
kitchen utensils touched by raw
turkey or drippings from thawing
turkey.
• Use a meat thermometer to let
you know when the turkey is ready.
The turkey should be cooked to
82C/ 180F. Take the temperature in
the innermost part of the thigh.
• If your turkey is stuffed, check the
temperature of the stuffing in the
centre. If the stuffing has not
reached 82C, and the turkey is
cooked, remove stuffing and
further cook.
• Put leftovers in refrigerator as
soon as possible (within two
hours). When storing leftovers, cut
turkey into smaller pieces for
storage, this will allow quick
cooling.
Turkey poses particular food
safety challenges because it can be
contaminated with bacteria such as
Salmonella, which can cause
diarrhea, vomiting and stomach
cramps.
It is estimated that there are
between 11 million and 13 million
cases of food-related illnesses in
Canada every year. Many of these
illnesses could be prevented by
following proper food handling and
preparation techniques.
Making music
The Harbouraires were entertaining at St. John’s Anglican Church in Brussels Sunday night.
The 30-voice male chorus formed in 1947 and is led by director Paul Howe. They perform a
variety of music from modern to classical. (Vicky Bremner photo)
County considers payment for tourism initiative
Buy local and prepare food safely this holiday
By Bonnie GroppThe Citizen
All 12 branches of the Huron
County Library will be participating
in the 'Food for Fines' program
during Ontario Public Library week
this year.
The branches will also offer free
replacement library cards
throughout the week.
From Oct. 19-25, the libraries will
accept non-perishable food items in
place of cash for overdue library
fines. This project is offered through
the Huron County Library in
partnership with the Huron County
Health Unit and local food banks.
Food for Fines is a popular
initiative with Ontario public
libraries. In 2007, 640 people
donated 998 items through public
libraries in Huron County. The
program allows library users the
opportunity to clear their record,
return overdue materials, and
support the food banks serving their
communities.
Fines for items will be waived on
a one to one ratio; it’s simply
one item of food for each book
overdue.
The card replacement program
will allow users to replace their
library cards free of charge
throughout the week.
According to the Ontario Ministry
of Culture, “a strong library system
is the cornerstone of a strong
community. Ontario Public Library
Week recognizes the important
contribution Ontario’s public
libraries make to education, literacy
and life-long learning in Ontario
communities. With more than 1,100
service points throughout Ontario,
public libraries’ patrons make over
66 million visits to local libraries
across Ontario annually. And now
virtually every library branch in the
province also provides access to
electronic information through the
Internet”.
Ontario Public Library week is an
annual fall event, raising awareness
of public libraries throughout the
province.
Food for fines at libraries