Loading...
The Citizen, 1986-10-01, Page 1VOL. 2 NO. 40 Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1986.40 CENTS Leona Armstrong honoured Friends, neighbours and offi­ cials from across Huron county were in Brussels Friday night to honour Huron County Warden Leona Armstrong. An appreciation night for the Warden was sponsored by Grey township, where she is reeve. During intermission in the dance, a presentation tothe Warden and her family was made. Murray Cardiff, M.P. and Jack Riddell, M.P.P. and Minister of Agricul­ ture congratulated the Warden on her accomplishments so far in her term (it runs until November). Mr. Riddell suggested she might now like to move up to take over his job and deal with angry Niagara peach growers. In his presentation on behalf of the township. Councillor Fred Uhler said Mrs. Armstrong’s duties had taken her from Vancou­ ver in the west to Ottawa in the east during the year. Mrs. Armstrong said that the job has kept her so busy she has had to give up neighbours, friends and familyduringtheyear. She said she hasn’t been so busy since she had three children in diapers at the same time. She thanked her family, her township council who had helped get her through the year. Many county councillors, and past wardens were on hand for the event. Morris council donates to Belgrave arena BYDOROTHYFOXTON Morris township council will donate $1,500 toward the cost of repairs of the Belgrave arena, council agreed at a meeting Sept. 16. Howie Morton, Morris township Weather turnaround needed to save beans BY TOBY RAINEY With only 10-15 per cent of the Huron county white bean harvest in, hopes ofsaving the rest of a crop worth more than $15 million dwindle with each heartbreaking downpour, still falling daily after a week of record rainfall. Talk around the elevatorsand coffee cupsis of little except the weather, as farmers ponder the repercussions of losing the cash crop which had been the only bright spot in the dismal economic bind brought about by rising costs and falling commodity prices. Only a few weeks ago the bean crop had looked “fantastic, phenomenal,” in the words of Brad Ford, manager at the Cook’s elevator in Walton; but as the beans blacken in the fields, there seems little to be thankful for this season. “For many farmers in the county, beans were to have been Volunteers were busy at the Belgrave arena on Monday installing new steel on the roof. The rush is on because the community wants to have the arena back in use for the annual fowl supper coming up Oct. 8. councillor and head of the fundrais­ ing committee for the project told council it had also been suggested the townships involved loan the arena committee a further $3,000 to help toward the cost of the project. the major cash crop this year, so the losses are especially devastating, ’ ’ saysTom Perry, ownerand crop and soil consultant at Soilab in Auburn. “There’s not a heck of a lotcanbedonenowexcepttocry, or get drunk.” As late as last Friday many of those most involved with the bean harvest were still “cautiously optimistic, ’ ’ that a good part of the remaining beans would be saved, but most predictions depended upon drier weather within a few days. Since then, no day has gone by without some rainfall, and predictions are for more - much more - of the same. “I can see no radical change in the weather pattern in the next two to three weeks. The steering mechanism of the prevalent weath­ er pattern seems to have gone awry,” Robert Packer, professor of physical geography at the Univer­ The Morris donation will be matched by one from East Wawa- nosh township. The old steel has been removed from the arena and new steel installed at an estimated cost of $31,000. A grant of $10,699 from sity of Western Ontario in London told The Citizen on Friday. “We need breezy, cool, dry days fora week” says Brian Hall, Farm Management Specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food office in Clinton. “1 try to be positive. I know there are a lot of worried growers out there, and 1 know farmers are under a lot of stress. But we had a very bad year (for beans) in 1977, and survived: at least one grower is known to have taken white beans off as late as October 24 that year.” Marianne Warwick of Bluevale also remains optimistic. “If it would stop raining for even two days, I think we could get on the fields to (direct combine). You have to try whatever you can, ’ ’ she said. One of the few farms which got about half their crop of early beans off before the deluge, her husband Glen, apd father-in-law the provincial government has been provided. Councillor Morton said a door-to -door canvass of the Belgrave area will also take place. It is hoped to have the arena back in shape for the Continued on page 8 Lloyd have about 25 acres of beans still out. They started growing beans in 1980, and the harvest has been excellent up until now, she said. One of the few bright spots in the ov era 11 picture is offered by Bill Mullin, area manager of the Canada-Ontario Crop Insurance Commission at the OMAF office in Stratford. “Because white beans are such a vulnerable crop, more insurance is carried on them than on any other sector,’’ he said. Although he had no figures on the number of farms covered in Huron County, he said that nearly 80 per cent of all the farms in Ontario are covered to some extent by crop insurance, and assumed that bean farmers would be “above aver­ age” in terms of protection. He said that more than 15,000 bean farmers in Ontario are Continued on page 9 If enthusiasm is any guarantee of success, the 115th birthday party planned for Brussels next July should be a roaring success. A small but keen group met last Wednesday at the Brussels, Mor­ ris and Grey Community Centre to begin planning for the big bash, and to elect officers for the committee. Jerry Wheeler was chosen as chairman, with Wayne Lowe first vice-president Sarah Stephenson, second vice, and Mary Lowe Secretary, while Barb Mutter and Dave McCutcheon will share the duties of treasurer. Dave Hastings and Harold Bridge were named joint heads of the parade commit­ tee, and Max Watts will be approached to serve as midway or special events chairman. Many of these people were involved with the planning and execution of the Brussels Centenn­ ial in 1972, probably the largest celebration north Huron has ever had. That party ran for a solid week, brought in thousands of ex-townspeople and other cele­ brants, and netted over $10,000. This sum was invested at the time by Centennial chairman Hugh Pearson, so that when the new Brussels arena was built in 1977, the Centennial Committee was able to donate $6,000 tothe project. The rest of the fund continued to grow to the point that another $6,000 could be donated to the new Brussels pool last May, along with $4,000tothe ball park. And there is still a couple of thousand left as seed money to get the 115th party under way, according to Mr. Pearson. Because of the success of the 100th anniversary of Brussels, Mrs. Lowe (who also served as secretary to that committee), said that originally it had been decided to hold a homecoming celebration for the town every five years, but “the time has just sort of slipped by,’’ until now, when the whole process is again under way for the 115th. The new homecoming is planned for July 3-5, with the major day being held Saturday, July 4. It was chosen instead of the more tradi­ tional July 1 celebration because of the number of Americans it is hoped will be able to attend. In 1972, over 1,000 personal invita­ tions were mailed to Brussels “old boys”, attracting hordes of visi­ tors, including Bill Ainley of Evanston, Illinois, a relative of the founder of the town, which was originally named “Ainleyville.” Little planning was carried out at the organizational meeting last week, but the committee meets again next week to begin working on details. Letters will go out this week to every club and organiza­ tion in the community, urging each tosend representatives to this next meeting, with the expectation that each group will take on one fund-raising event, plus chair one com mittee for the success of the overall party. “Oncewegetstarted, there’llbe lots of help,” Harold Bridge said. “But we want everyone involved right from the start, since all the money raised will stay right here in the village.” Co-treasurer Barb Mutter cau­ tioned the committee not to get too ambitious in their plans at this early stage. “Itisasmall town, and the same people always seem to wind up doing it all,” she said. The irrepressible Mary Lowe had the last word, however: “We did it before and survived, and we’ll do it again just as well!” The committee meets again at the BMG Community Centre at 8 p.m, October 16. For information, call Mrs. Lowe at 887-6923.