HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2007-09-27, Page 1The CitizenVolume 23 No. 38 Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007 $1.25 ($1.18 + 7c GST)Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Inside this week
Pg. 3
Pg. 7
Pg. 11
Pg. 17
Pg. 26
Blyth makes good
First Impressions
Pianovations opens
Blyth store
4-H beef takes
prizes at fair
Locals do well at
Plowing Match
Blyth community
leader passes away
The Brussels Fall Fair is over for
this year and the volunteers can look
back on another success.
The weather co-operated from the
afternoon of the initial set-up until
Wednesday’s takedown. This was a
delightful change from last year
when the parade was a very damp
experience for all concerned.
This year’s parade was a little
longer than some previous years
with a large number of dignitaries
taking the opportunity to greet the
crowds from the back of a good
selection of classic and modern
convertibles.
Both Brussels and Grey school
children were out in force for the
parade, which acted as a break
between a well received school
program provided by fair board
volunteers.
Students and teachers had a
chance to see the OPP’s canine unit
in action, then break into groups for
activities as various as trying their
hand (or waist) at twirling a hula
hoop or actually handling some
Brussels history courtesy of Don
McNeil.
“The school activities volunteers
put a great deal of time and effort
into presenting fun and informative
programs,” said fair president David
Blaney. “They pride themselves on
making the fair relevant and fun for
the elementary students.”
Children and adults enjoyed the
antics of Kobbler Jay, a juggler and
acrobat who was new to the fair this
year. A large crowd watched
enthralled as he juggled knives,
ate fire and kept up a constant
patter during the high-energy
presentation.
Opening night entertainment was
provided by Phyllis, Jamie and Sean
Mitchell, the McMichael Sisters and
the Ballagh Bunch who entertained
with a good selection of fiddle tunes
and step-dancing routines for a
crowd of well over 100 people.
With this year’s dry weather there
was speculation that fewer entries
would be seen in some sections.
However, the lack of precipitation
did not seem to be too much of a
limiting factor for field crop and
flower entries.
Fruit and vegetable entries
overturned conventional wisdom
with a very strong showing that was
larger than the previous year’s
presentation.
As usual baking upheld the
Brussels reputation for superlative
pies and cakes and the sewing
section had an excellent selection of
quilts and needlework on display.
“It’s a long day for the volunteers,
especially those working in the food
booths,” said Blaney, “but they put
on a great show and deserve to be
proud of their achievement.”
Motorcycle mama
The midway at this year’s Brussels Fall Fair was a big hit as usual. Children lined up, waiting
their turn to ride the strawberries, dragons, the tilt-a-whirl and even the motorcycles, which as
this young lady discovered, were almost as exhilarating as riding a real Harley Davidson.
(Shawn Loughlin photo)
With hopes of breaking ground on
the new home for Huron County’s
Family Health Team this fall,
Brussels could have someone in
their medical building very soon.
Brussels is the first “satellite” of
the Family Health Team project in
Seaforth, with more to come,
perhaps in Blyth or Vanastra, which
was a hypothetical location
mentioned during the presentation to
council at their Sept. 17 meeting.
After a lengthy presentation by
acting administration lead Ralph
Laviolette and Dr. Dan Rooyakkers,
the municipality carried a motion to
commit a $2.5 million debenture to
the project, one they hope to have
moving very soon.
“It’s a weight off our shoulders
having the clinic move forward. We
tried to negotiate, it didn’t work out,
so we’re moving forward,” said
mayor Joe Seili.
“We’re hoping for construction
this fall. Tenders will be out very
soon.”
Currently, both locations are
working with an electronic medical
recording system that will make
healthcare easier for doctors from
location to location. Once that
system is in place and staff are
trained on it, a medical presence
should be back in Brussels for the
first time in years.
The record system will be
accessible throughout Huron
County, and Rooyakkers said this
system is the way healthcare is
going, so it will no doubt keep
expanding as time goes on.
In Seaforth, a building needs to be
put up to house the Family Health
Team, so they can all be under the
same roof. However, in Brussels, the
medical building is already there,
which means that a nurse
practitioner should be able to keep
full-time hours very soon, with a
doctor possibly keeping regular
hours in Brussels. However those
details still need to be ironed out.
“I think the Brussels clinic might
end up opening sooner than the
Seaforth clinic. What they’re doing
now is setting up the electronic
record system set up for Brussels in
the next little while and once the
doctors are trained on that end and
our nurse practitioner comes back
from maternity leave, then we’ll
make our move,” Seili said.
Laviolette said he hopes to hire a
full time administration lead to
replace him, along with some more
medical and administrative staff as
the team expands.
“Staff will be expanded as the
Family Health Team expands. Our
biggest problem is that the Family
Health Team is up and running, but
it’s spread all over. You have to bring
it together to make it more efficient,”
Seili said.
“This will go a long way. Right
now they’re operating out of four
Morris-Turnberry councillors, at
their Sept. 18 meeting, voted to pick
up 25 per cent of the cost of a new
drain that will relieve basement
flooding for some Belgrave
homeowners.
About a half-dozen residents of
Brandon Street were present as
councillors considered four
alternatives to solve the problem
caused by a faulty drain on the south
side of the street that is causing water
to back up into basements. The
solutions ranged from a full storm
sewer with catch basins to take away
street water at a cost of $63,500 to a
closed drain taking only basement
water at $18,000.
“I’d be voting for the cheapest
(solution),” said Kevin Pletch, one of
the homeowners in attendance. “I
don’t think there is a problem with
surface water.”
“Everybody needs to realize that
the landowners share the cost (of this
drain)” explained mayor Dorothy
Kelly.
Councillor Paul Gowing pointed
out that without storm water being
picked up this is really a private drain,
not a municipal responsibility.
But Nancy Michie, administrator,
clerk-treasurer, said it was impossible
to say there was no water in the drains
that wasn’t a municipal responsibility.
The snow plow throws snow onto
lawns that, when it melted, would
soak into the ground, and possibly the
drains, she said.
At that point Kelly suggested the
municipality pick up a quarter of the
costs, leaving each property owner to
pay about $2,500.
Michie explained they could pay
this amount over a three-year period.
Councillors and the property owners
agreed this was fair.
Barry O’Kraftka, public works co-
ordinator, later spoke to the
contractor, MRH Construction Ltd. of
Teeswater, who said they hope to get
the work done this fall.
Sun
shines
on
fall fair
Brussels first ‘satellite’
for Family Health Team
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 8
Belgrave
residents
get
some help
By Keith Roulston
The Citizen