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The Citizen, 1986-11-12, Page 1VOL. 2 NO. 46 Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1986.40 CENTS Family home destroyed Fire Friday morning left a Walton-area family home damag­ ed beyond repair. Grey township firemen were called to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Murray Houston, on the 16th of Grey shortly before 10a.m. By the time they left four hours later, the house while outwardly intact, was damaged beyond repair by fire, smoke, water and heat. Barbara Watts, Mrs. Houston’smother, said that the family plans to demolish what remains of the old house and rebuild. Murray and Maxine Houston were the third generation of the Houston family to occupy the home. Lost besides the house were many family antique pieces of furniture. Gary Earl, deputy fire chief, said the fire appeared to have started in the staircase to the basement but the cause had not been determin­ ed. The fire went up through partitions and did most of the damage in the upper floor of the house. When firemen arrived, smoked was so thick it was coming out of cracks between the bricks. Mrs. Houston and her two children were away when fire broke out and Mr. Houston was plowing in the fields. An unknown passerby turned in the alarm, Deputy-chief Earl said. The family has since moved into a house on a second farm and tried to salvage what they could from the old building. Mrs. Watts said nearly everything was lost and neighbours have helped out by donating clothing and furniture. A community dance has been plann­ ed for the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre on Nov. 28 to help the family. The fire was the climax of a busy two days for the Grey department. On Thursday at 5:30 a.m. the department was called to fight a fire in a dryer at Cook’s Elevators in Walton. At 5:30 the same evening, the department was called to the Twin-County elevator to fight another dryer fire. Armstrong honoured at banquet It was a night of firsts when Huron County honoured its first lady warden at the annual War­ den’s Banquet held Friday night at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre. The location of the dinner in Brussels was a departure from the normal tradition of holding the banquetinGoderich as Warden Leona Armstrong asked that the dinner be held in her home community. The Reeve of Grey township lives just outside Brus­ sels and has been active in the community in many capacities. And, as Bayfield Reeve Dave Johnston told the 265 persons present for the occasion, it was the first time both the Warden and the Warden’s spouse had both been pictured on the front of the program for the banquet (a colour photo of Mrs. Armstrong and husband Jim was on the slick and assistant Bert Lobb, got right to the bottom of things. This dress from “Cakewalk” was one of the items auctioned. The event raised nearly $9000 for future capital expansion at the Festival. program for the event). It was fitting, he said, because when Mrs. Armstrong’s father Harvey John­ ston held his banquet as warden in 1952, it was the first occasion spouses had ever been invited to the banquet. Mrs. Armstrong instituted a- nother first when she asked Bob Dempsey, the County Engineer, to propose a toast to Huron County. Mr. Dempsey, who recently an­ nounced his resignation to accept a position with an insurance com­ pany, said it gave him many deep feelings to be asked to propose the toast. He said Huron county is the end of the road, not only in physical terms, being beside Lake*Huron, but in the long years of efforts from pioneers to the present to build the county. But it is also the beginning of the road, he said, for the young people who are growing up in the county. It was a night, naturally, of praiseforWarden Armstrong, who will complete her one-y ear term next month with the election of a new warden. There was gentle criticism however, from Doug Thompson, Warden of Bruce County who spoke on behalf of eight other counties represented at the dinner. He said Mrs, Arm­ strong set a bad example for others at conventions because she wanted to attend all the work sessions. The Warden was praised for her “quiet dignity” by Tom Cunning­ ham, Reeve of Hullett Township and a Warden himself in 1984. Mrs. Armstrong, he said, was not one of the most vocal members of the executive committee but kept a calm hand on the controls. He said he hoped she would be around at the county level to see the projects completed that had been started under her administration such as the renovations at Huronview and the new Huron Pioneer museum. Warden Armstrong, after being presented with a county ring by Me Ki Hop Reeve Marie Hicknell and Hay Reeve Lionel Wilder, said that her term as warden had been a most challenging and exciting year. She said she hoped that she hadn’t forgotten how to cook in a year of being away from home. Among the activities she had taken part in were three sesquicenten- nial celebrations in the county, she said. She praised her husband Jim for his support. During every session of county council during the year, she said, he had had a rose put on her desk. Among the most unique presen­ tations of the evening was a framed salute from the Michigan State Legislature delivered by Glen Kerr, a friend of the Armstrongs and a member of the legislature. West Wawanosh to vote Monday Eleven electors voted at the West Wawanosh Advance Poll at township clerk-treasurer Joan Armstrong’s home on concession 8 on Saturday, and the rest of the township is gearing up to elect one councillor next Monday, Novem­ ber 17. Regular polls will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Senior Citizen’s Centre in Dungannon, the Auburn Village Hall and Library, and the St. Helens W.I. Hall, and the deadline for making application to vote by proxy is prior to 5 p.m. on November 17. Accordingtothe voters’ lists, there are 1079 people eligible to vote either as township residents or as property owners. Lists of electors may be examined at the David Dawson General Store in Dungannon, the Auburn post office, and at Shetler’s Enterprise Sales at St. Helens during normal office hours this week. Joseph F. Hickey, RR3, Auburn and Kathryn Todd, RR 2, Lucknow are competing for the seat of councillor, left vacant when Coun­ cillor Cecil Cranston was appoint­ ed Reeve last September, to replace resigning reeve Jim Aitchi- son. Radfords help 'Back the Biter' Donations to the Londesboro Lions Club for its ‘ * Back the Biter ’ ’ day coming up November 29 are fast approaching the $10,000 mark, according to fund-raising chairman Dave Overboe. The largest donation in the past week came in the form of a cheque for $1,423.76 from Radfords Auto, Farm and Industrial Parts in Blyth and Brussels, representing 10 per cent of the company’s sales during the week of November 3 - 8. Mr. Overboe reports that dona­ tions are coming in every day, with one of the most interesting last week being the donation of box seat for eight at a Toronto Blue Jays game, which was purchased at the Blyth Festival Dinner Auction last Saturday for that purpose by John and Brenda Radford of Londes­ boro. And Mrs. Jack Lee of the Burns and Londesboro United Church Women reports that her group is looking for volunteers to come to a baking bee between 1 - 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 19 at the church .which will make pies to sell by the piece at a pie booth, with all proceeds going to the Lions fund. If you can’t get out to help bake, she says her group will be happy to accept donations at the church prior to that day. Mrs. Lee can be reached at 523-4370 for more information. “Back the Biter” day has been organized by the Londesboro Lions in a one-day effort to raise $30,000 towards the purchase of a fully- equipped van for Lion Ron Nesbitt, who was injured in a swimming accident last summer. Chairman Dave Overboe can be reached at 523-4416 after 6 for donations of cash, novelty auction items, or offers of help.