The Citizen, 2007-12-13, Page 1The CitizenVolume 23 No. 49 Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007 $1.25 ($1.18 + 7c GST)Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Inside this week
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Recognition for
Wingham councillor
Local teen creates
greeting cards
Brussels Atoms in
Silver Stick
North Huron
honours staff
Local woman and
‘Little Women’
The Twp. of North Huron and
Blyth Festival are entering into a
marketing parternship in the hopes of
reaching out to a broader community.
Festival general manager Deb
Sholdice and marketing director
Karen Stewart made a presentation to
council at the Monday night meeting.
No decision was made at the time,
but following a committee of the
whole closed session, council
reconvened to discuss the issue.
Councillor Greg McClinchey
contacted The Citizen Tuesday
morning with the “exciting” news.
“We made a decisionn to support
the partnership in principle,” he said.
“I am very pleased. This is out of the
box thinking at its best. It is
resourceful of council to leverage a
community asset.”
The Festival has asked for a
commitment of $20,000 per year for
three years. The agreement will be
subject to evaluation every year. “If it
doesn’t work, we can look at it
again,” said Stewart.
The strategy includes a 16-page,
full colour brochure to be distributed
through the Festival through direct
mail and various networks. There
will be 60,000 copies.
New initiatives include large
billboards in the north London area,
at Stratford on Hwy 8 west and Hwy.
86 west near Kitchener-Waterloo.
The plan is also to distribute through
the CTM brochure display, into the
Toronto region and at Ontario Travel
information centres.
Magazine postcard “stuffers” will
be inserted into Grand Magazine in
the Waterloo Region and London
City Life.
Stewart estimates this will increase
the minimum readership to 4.7
million people, making the average
cost per ‘hit’ .004 cents.
“This is a beneficial partnership,”
said Stewart. “It’s an opportunity to
reach into new areas and the
demographic we’ve been trying to
target.”
McClinchey said he had done
some research on his own, and
advised that to put this kind of
Festival,
NH join
forces
Bezaire new Huron County warden
Central Huron’s deputy-reeve has
the key to the county.
John Bezaire was presented with
the key, county crest, pin and official
chain of office Dec. 5, after being
elected warden in the first official
contest the county has had for the
one-year position in recent memory.
Before the vote was cast, outgoing
warden Deb Shewfelt, mayor of
Goderich, noted the unusually sunny
weather was in contrast to years past.
“Usually on election day, there’s a
mighty storm,” he says. “I think we’re
all looking for a little excitement.”
Bezaire was nominated for the
position by Ben Van Diepenbeek,
reeve of Ashfield-Colborne-
Wawanosh (ACW), who notes
Bezaire is a veteran municipal
councillor who has sat on several
county committees, including acting
as chairman of the health, social
services and ambulances committee
this past year.
Van Diepenbeek adds Bezaire, a
businessman, has the full support of
his wife, Sherri and their three
children.
“I think John will do an excellent
job as warden of the county for
2008,” he says.
Meanwhile, Bill Dowson, mayor of
Bluewater, took to the podium to
nominate Dorothy Kelly, reeve of
Morris-Turnberry, for the spot.
He notes the retired municipal
clerk-treasurer has hands-on
experience with the inner-workings
of budgets, and that she “has served
her dues with county clerks and
treasurers.”
During his speech, Bezaire told
councillors he was compelled to run
out of a strong belief in the
importance of the office.
“We all have a contribution to make
as we attempt to meet our challenges
and seize our opportunities,” says
Bezaire, who says as warden, he’d
like to see the county “adapt and
evolve” to its full potential.
Kelly says as warden, her main
goal would be to do an efficient and
professional job “of promoting the
County of Huron.”
The only failure in life, she says, is
“the failure to try.”
Kelly, who also has experience
serving on a number of committees,
including chairing the county’s
accessibility advisory committee this
past year, adds it would be her goal to
see county taxes kept within a
“reasonable range.”
As is protocol, the vote for warden
was an open, recorded one. Those
voting in favour of Bezaire were Van
Diepenbeek, Neil Rintoul (ACW),
Dave Johnston (Bluewater), James
Fergusson (Bluewater), Bert Dykstra
(Central Huron), Bezaire, Tim
Collyer (Central Huron), Max
Demaray (Howick), Joe Seili (Huron
East), Neil Vincent (North Huron),
Ken Oke (South Huron), George
Robertson (South Huron) and Jim
Dietrich (South Huron).
Those favouring Kelly were
Dowson, Shewfelt, John Grace
(Goderich), Bernie MacLellan
(Huron East), Bill Siemon (Huron
East) and Kelly.
Murray Scott (North Huron) was
absent for the vote.
Season of giving
Though a short school week, with snow days and a PD Day limiting the opportunities to
donate, there was still a significant contribution collected for the Huron County Children’s
Bureau this holiday season. Students, back row, from left: Lauren McNichol and Danielle
Ducharme, front: Dylan McNeil and Conner denDekker look over the items that will brighten
Christmas morning for some area youngsters. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and Citizen
staff are looking forward to some time off to celebrate the season
with family.
There will, therefore, only be one more issue of The Citizen
coming to you before the new year. Anyone wishing to advertise an
event taking place between Dec. 27 and Jan. 3 will need to do so in
the Dec. 20 paper.
Deadline for advertising and editorial copy for that issue of The
Citizen is 2 p.m. in Brussels and 4 p.m. in Blyth, Dec. 17.
The Brussels office will close that day at 2 p.m., while the Blyth
office will close Dec. 19 at 5 p.m.
Both will re-open Friday, Dec. 28 to prepare for the
January paper.
There will be no Citizen the week of Dec. 27.
Closing for holidays
By Cheryl Heath
Clinton News-Record
Former area residents currently
living at a distance, can now get a
complete issue of The Citizen
delivered to them by digital
subscriptions.
The Citizen recently became part
of a service offered by the Ontario
Community Newspaper Association
and Alberta Weekly Newspaper
Association which allows
subscribers to receive a code that
allows them access to digital copies
of the newspaper. It means those at a
distance can receive their news from
home the same day as local
residents (if, of course, they have
access to the internet).
The cost of a subscription is the
same as for a local mail
subscription: $32. This is a huge
saving for American and
international residents who have had
to pay much higher rates to cover
postage.
Get
‘Citizen’
on-line
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
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