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The Brussels Post, 1981-09-30, Page 1A Grey twp. sinkhole BY DEBBIE RANNEY There wasn't a bell to start them off, but this time there was no harness race. The racehorses were being auctioned off as Hugh and Robert Pearson of Brussels bid goodbye to something that's been a part of Hugh's life for the past 13 years. There were 35. Stan dardbreds sold at an auction sale on the Pearson farm on Saturday and the Brisco Hanover filly topped the sale at $8400, selling to J.J. Johnson and Sons Ltd. of R.R.2, Parkhill.. Hugh bought his first weanling filly at Frank Little's sale at Goderich. He purchased Little Betty in 1968 for $200. Asked how he became more and more involved with racehorses, Hugh said, "You buy one filly and it's like buying rabbits. It isn't long until you have brood mares." His interest in horses came about as the result of being raised on a farm where he started riding colts when he was 10 years old. He always used to show colts at the Ethel School Fair. Some of the interesting horses he's raised include Caledon Toddy, a horse he sold for $18,000. He also sold Bret Dodger who had a Pearson horses sold Saturday ONE LAST PICTURE — Robert and Hugh Pearson posed proudly with their horse J.D.'s Bug before it got taken away. The Pearsons sold their 35 Standardbreds at an auction sale on Saturday. The Pearsons have sold their horse farm to Jim McLean of Belgrave and at their sale on Saturday they also sold about 50 head of cattle. Horses went to Michigan, Pennsyl- vania and all over Ontario. record time of 1:59.3f. Bud. Fritz of Walkerton has done most of the driving of the horses since 1973. Hugh himself had a driver's licence for several years but hasn't used it for the last few years. Hugh Pearson's horses have raced at 23 different tracks in Canada and the United States, and once at the race track in Elmira, in 1973 a horse named Shamrock won five out of five races and came in second in the sixth. Hugh got interested in buying a racehorse 13 years ago when he and Jack Bryans were operating the Brussels sales barn. Over the years the Pearsons have raised over 100 horses, including the 12 they raised this year. For the past few years the Pearsons have been basically into breeding, raising the foals up to be yearlings and then selling them. At one time they had a stallion stud farm. One of their most well-known stallions was Lynden Dodger, a horse they purchased for $10,000. (Photo by Ranney) Teacher-Board BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Negotiations have broken down between the Huron County Board of education and its secondary school teachers. Mediator Jeffrey Gandz says "The parties are still a fair distance apart" and the provinces Education Relations Commission will appoint a fact finder within the next few days. The Board now employs 245 secondary school teachers, a figure that includes principals. Short Shots by Evelyn Kennedy Abra the magic clown will entertain the children of this community at the Brussels library on Friday, October 2nd. The fun begins at 2:30 p.m. The youngsters are sure to enjoy it for no one is better at keeping them interested than Abra with his magic acts. Do not let your little one miss it. Admission is free, sponsored by the Huron County Library and funded by Outreach, Ontario. * * * * * * * * The striking postal workers getting what they wanted has not increased the efficiency of our mail service. It does not seem right that there should be an increase in postage rates until there is some improvement in the service we get. When it takes a letter from London, Ontario six days to be delivered in Brussels, as happened recently, there is obviously something wrong somewhere. I definitely do not believe that the fault lies with our local post office staff. * * * * * * * * * Did you know that oil touches every part of our daily lives, even in food we eat? Ninety five percent of our oil is used for gasoline„ and other forms of energy. But the five percent used as fuel and raw materials for, petrochemical products is in many of the things we use each day. These include polyester, acrylic, foam, vinyl and plastic materials. It is in fertilizer, insecticides and synthetic tires. Newspapers are printed.with petrochemical - based inks. Petrochemicals • are involved in the manufacture of the drugs 'we take, the detergents, lipstick and shampoo we use, the luggage we carry, the clothes we wear, the houses we live, in, as well as some of the food we eat. The Grey Township 125th Anniversary is being celebrated with a dance on Saturday, ESTA9USHED 11172 Mediator Gandz is a professor at the University of Western Ontario's school of business administration. The chief negotiator for the Board in these negotiations is Peter Gryseels. His counterpart of the teachers is Shirley Weary. The teachers' contract expired at the end of August. Elementary school teachers in the county ratified their new contract with the Board October 10th, in the B.M. & G Community Centre. If you are not interested in dancing be 'here anyway. You can meet old friends in the Reminising Room where you can renew acquaintances and talk about the "good old times" in Grey Township. You can watch the slide presentation of "History of '.;rey" upstairs in the Meeting Room. Lunch IA ill he served in the Reminising Room at 10:00 p m. Plan to attend. See Coming Events in this paper for further particulars. * * * * * * ** No doubt there were more than a few Irish eyes smiling - those in Dublin, Eire who were caught for impaired driving back around last Christmas and New Year. Some 3,000 blood and urine samples were lost in a labratory fire and possible charges had to be dropped. * * * * * * * * * In the past few years have many of us had things too good? Have we been indulging ourselves in a lifestyle that is really beyond our means? Is that the cause of so many people finding themselves in severe finan- cial trouble. If we had lived less extravagant- • ly, taken thought of the future instead of plunging into debt, perhaps we would have less to worry about now. If we purchase not only our needs but the luxuries we desire, spend in excess of our income and put nothing aside for a rainy day there is sure to come a time when we are in trouble. Donations wanted for Santa's visit The Santa Claus parade committee met Monday, Septembe. 28 at ,Brussels Inn. It was well-attended with-five people present. Because of this lack interest, the , committee will begin. canvass..1c; the town businesses to support the parule. All donations will be greatly appreciated so that the Santa Claus parade can continue. Brussels Post BRUSSELS 109th Year — Issue No, 39 ONTARIO • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1981 Talks break down Sinkholes investigated in Grey Grey Township recently received a report from Minis- try of the EnVirOnment in regard to groundwater inves- tigation in the township on Lot 7, Concession 10. The investigation Which was under taken on Septenv• ber 3 to find out about the occurrence and significance of sinkholes and the potential impact of proposed earthen manure storage was done by a Hydrogealogist from the ministry. The report gives a. defini. thin from the American Geo- logical Institute. (1962) which Defines a sinkhole as, "A funnel-shaped depression in the land Surfaced generally in a limestone region eommiini- eating with a subterranean passage developed by solu- tion. Water commonly drains downward and is lost, but the passage may become blocked so that a pond is formed..." The report states that, "The "Sinkholes" examined on September 3 occur at several locations in the streambed of the Berfeltz and Brewer Drains, vary in size from one to three feet and are not sinkholes in the classical sense, but would best be described as erosion pass- ages which appear to be connected to a highly per- meable fracture zones in the limestone bedrock. While those in Lot 6 were dry on September 3, the main chan- nel of the Berfeltz Drain comes to an abrupt rise at the last sinkhole, indicating that only an extreme flow, poss- ibly during spring runoff would travel farther than that point." Numerous Mriall holes and one three feet in diameter were observed in the channel and banks on the Brewer drain. According to the report there seems little doubt that flow in these drains is gaining access to the bedrock aquifier (water producing formation) which supplies water wells in the area. In an attempt to confirm that this water mig- rates to the wells in the immediate area, the Ministry is carrying out a dye test which should show which wells are affected and how much dilution can be relied upon reduce levels of poten- tial contaminants In conclusion, the report says, the area in question can be considered hydrOgeolo- gically sensitive. Any con- taminants reaching the mun- icipal drains are likely to gain access to the bedrock aquifier without the benefit of percol- ation through the fine,grain- ed soils. Dilution is the only significant treatment mech- anism. Many local activities such as the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, storage of animal wastes and the salting of roads are cause for concern if they affect runoff to these drains. One area where rivers clogged with sewage have been of concern is in Quebec, where Pierre Dejardins, pre- sident of Societe Quebecois d'assainissement des eaus, a Crown corporation set up last year to direct the $6 billion treatment system said the rivers are so badly cogged with sewage that tap water can no longer automatically be considered safe to drink, One of the most serious water pollutions problems in Quebec in agricultUre namely pit Manure. Most of the province's 7800 pork produc- ers are concentrated in one area and many of them illegally dump their overflow- mg tanks of highly concent- ^ated pig manure into the nearest river. For the million people living downstream drinking tap water means they can catch gastroenterititis, ty- phoid, diphtheria--and per- haps leukemia Another community that has been plagued by contam- inants in its tap water is in Manchester, about 30 kilo- metres northwest of Oshawa where residents said their tap water was contaminated with salt. Residents claimed the salt was seeping from salt piles in nearby yards operated by the Ontario transportation minis- try and Durham Region's works department. A minis- try study disagreed saying the problem was caused by road salt Used on two high- , ways which pass through the town.