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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1986-04-02, Page 1 (2)Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. VOL. 2 NO. 14 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 1986. 40 CENTS The historic Ball's Bridge in Colborne township, south of Auburn will be part of the scenic landscape for at least another 10 years according to a decision reached by Huron County Council cast week. The county is still planning a modern structure to more adequately meet the heavier traffic needs of the area, but the new bridge will be in addition too, not instead of the old bridge. County vote saves Ba//'s Bridge for at /east 10 years more BY BOB MURPHY Huron County council gave its approval Thursday to a road committee recommendation that the existing wrought iron Ball's Bridge south of Auburn remain as a county structure open to traffic at the existing standard for a maxi- mum period of 10 years. The approval, however, is condi- tional on the following: • the bridge will not be replaced in the event of any excessive damage or removal by natural causes. • at the end of the 10 -year period, the status of the bridge will be Huron Federation to discuss debt solutions Huron County Federation of Agriculture will discuss the On- tario Federation of Agriculture's policy on debt writedown or set-aside at its April meeting at East Wawanosh Public School on Thursday night, April 3. Guest speaker at the meeting will be Bill Benfen of the OFA executivewhowill also discuss a farm development corporation as an alternative and commodity based mortgages. The meeting begins at 8:30 p.m. reviewed as to whether it should be maintained for an extended period or closed and/or removed. The committee also recom- mended council continue its pur- suit for the replacement of the aged crossing at a point which would directly connect Benmillerthrough to Londesboro as part of the county road system. In its recommendation, the road committee reported that engineers had estimated maintenance costs to keep the current Ball's Bridge in its existing condition for the 10 -year period at $6,000 annually. County Engineer Bob Dempsey said there were "no surprises" in that estimate. The estimate was also based on the condition that a two -tonne load limit be posted for the structure, Dempsey said. Engineers had indicated to the road committee that if the existing Ball's Bridge structure were to be left as a foot bridge across the Maitland River, some of the anticipated costs may be reduced. However, there would still be a liability risk for the county if the bridge were "not properly main- tained for pedestrian traffic," the engineers said. Steps should be- taken, the committee felt, to retain the existing bridge to public access. In addition, the move would mean a preservation of county heritage, the committee reported. Council also,gave its approval to a road committee recommendation that the county engineer organize a public meeting to outline the proposals for Ball's Brit' -- The committee reported it would be considered timely to allow the public opportunity in which to "understand the county's action and to provide some input on proposed alternatives for replace- ment of the existing structure. Dempsey advised council the public meeting is scheduled for the Auburn Hall, Apr. 11 at 8 p.m. Brussels storefront goes to museum A little bit of Brussels' Queens Hotel will live on in the new Huron County Museum thanks to the interest of a Brussels -born archi- tect involved in the new museum expansion program. With the 'hotel coming down John Rutledge who works with Chris Borgal of Blyth, the firm recently contracted to design the new museum, remembered that under the boarded -up front of the old hotel was a storefront of what used to be a pool hall and hamburger stand operated by his aunt Maggie Rutledge. He asked if the boards could be torn off so he could get one last picture then was impressed enough with what he saw that he contacted Klas Breed at the Huron County Museum to come have a look. Mr. Breed, whose plans for the new museum include a reproduction of a typical Huron county main street, decided to buy the storefront. The elegant storefront was originally the sample room of the hotel, the room used by travelling salesmen to lay out their wares for public viewing. Blyth architect on Huronview shortlist A list of six architects who will be asked to tender bids on the proposed renovation project at Huronview was given approval by county council at its regular meeting Thursday. The list was culled from a larger roster of 11 and includes the firms: Snider, Reichard and March; Brock and Ritz, Architects; Hyles, Garratt and Marklevitz; Christo- pher Borgal, Architect and Plann- er; Rieder, Hyman and Loblaw; and Mark, Musselman, McIntyre and Combe. The list was recommended to council by the management com- mittee for Huronview, the county operated nursing home near Clin- ton. Top Huron herd owners honoured at Brussels_ banquet The top dairy herds in Huron county were honoured Thursday when the Huron County Milk Recording Committee held its banquet and annual meeting at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Com- munity Centre. The audience of 180 saw the award for highest herd average presented to Allan Martin. Bob Vodden of Hol -den Farms took the award for runner-up herd average and for greatest produc- tion increase. The awards for Breeding Efficiency and Highest Plus Production Cow went to Jim McKague of Belmore. The top 12 herds in the county according to figures released by the Ontario Dairy Herd Improve- ment Corporation (ODHIC) which measures member dairy herds 11 timesayear,belongedto: Allan Martin, Hol -den farms, Joe Win- kel, John H. Oldfield, Lloyd and Betty Dale, Lyle Martin, Siebolt Siertsema, Robmarann Farms (Bob McNeil), Tony Van Dorp, John Branderhorst, Wayne Lichti and Jack Armstrong. The past year has been a her one for the ODHIC Robert Ro ODHIC representative for Hurt. Perth explained to those present. With the amalgamation of the Record of Production and Dairy Herd Improvement laboratory fac- ilities last summer and then a rewriting of the recording forms used by the farmers and the milk testing employees, there have been problems keeping service up to standards many producers expect. Ray Pennington of Teeswater, Region 8 Supervisor for Huron admitted "the fellings are getting pretty thin in some places" because of the delays in farmers getting the reports back from the herd testing. In addition, he said, there was an attempt last year to make sure all herds got 11 tests which created a lot of extra paperwork and required the hiring of more testers. "So when 1 hear that so and so isn't happy, he's part of the majority right now", Mr. Pennington said. Once the backlog is caught up ani everyone is familiarized ns the syst rove sere rier eg A the milk and these will be delivered to the lab in Woodstock by the next day for testing and the information should be available for processing by the computers in the Toronto office by the next day. "The intention is that the sheets (re- ports) should be out in six or seven working days" he said. Another problem is the shortage of testers with both staff turnovers and an increase workload that has seen more than 30 new herds added to the program in Huron in the last year. Currently there are 29 miik testers working under Mr. Pennington in region 8. Guestspeaker at the meeting was Keith Roulston who told farmers that they must work sngether with each other and with aeir neighbours in the towns and villages of the cou-: ^rntect their rural wav ' Elected de were Jim M tarsi ill, Aub ohn masers, . vei. g, •'1 Vincent, Wingham odden, Clinton.