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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1986-02-12, Page 1 (2)Serving Brussels; Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave,'Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. VOL.2 NO.7 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1986. 40 CENTS Blyth Council to help with Threshers parade There will be a bigger presence in downtown Blyth of the Huron Pioneer Thresher Reunion this September as part of the 25th anniversary of the event, Blyth Village council decided Feb. 4. The past several years the council has helped pay the cost of the band for the short parade on Saturday and representatives of the Thresher Association asked at the meeting if council would agree to undertake this again. When the significance of the anniversary was pointed out council agreed that something special should he done. Wayne Huston ofthe Threshers wondered about involving the Board of Trade but was informed it is no longer active. Clerk Larry Walsh suggested that prizes should be awarded to makers of floats, etc. participating in the parade. Councillor Tom Cronin suggested more of the artifacts from the show itself should be brought downtown to be part of the parade. Itwas noted that bands should be contacted now because they are booking for the fall already. Council appointed councillors Tom Cronin and Bill Howson to sit on a committee with representa- tives to be appointed from the Threshers' Association. The council also appointed councillors Lloyd Sippel and Bill Manning to act with representa- tives of the Threshers to explore the possibilty of purchasing more land adjacent to the fairgrounds which would be used for parking during Thresher Reunion and available for other purposes the rest of the year. The Threshers would pay a major part of the cost of any acquisition. Reeve Albert Wasson pledged co-operation of the council in anyway possible. "What we're trying to do here is keep these organizations (the Blyth Festival had earlier made a presentation) alive and healthy," he said. Carman Craig of the Threshers said that, despite the weather, last year was a successful year. Secretary -treasurer Marian Halla- han said the event cleared about $1200 last year. Councillors later pointed out that other groups benefit as much or more from their association with the Thresher Reunion, pumping more money back into the local community. In other business, council re- ceived a letter from Larry Struthers of the Ministry of Environment saying that he had visited the Blyth-Hullett Waste Disposal Site and found the gate unlocked in violation of rules which say there must be controlled access to the site. Council voted to send copies of the letter to private contractors who have keys to the gate suggesting that if the gate is left open again, they will be requested to return their keys. Council, with councillors Lloyd Continued on Pg. 3 Blyth Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion honoured four members Thursday night. Here Joe Chatterton presents Russ Wilson, only surviving World War I with a diamond anniversary commemorative medallian. Presented with life memberships in honour of their service to the branch were [left to right] Tom Thompson, Clare Vincent and [extreme right] Bill Riehl. Brussels skater surprising third at national championships Kevin Wheeler of Brussels and his partner Michelle Menzies competed at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in North Bay from Feb. 3-9. They were fourth after the compulsory program and pulled up into third after a superb perform- ance in their four -minute program. They have been skating together only about six months and Kevin has been out of skating for two years. They weren't expected to be in the medals as was made obvious by the fact that CTV didn't even tape their programs. They com- peted in Junior free skate pair event. They will skate at the Brussels Figure Skating Carnival on Feb. 22. Special Brides section inside This week's issue of The Citizen features a special 12 -page supple- ment for brides. The section, featuring advert- isements from businesses both local and farther afield, give handy tips on preparing for the wedding itself and for married life. Brussels Minister Pastor Doug Zehr gives advice on how to get along with your spouse and former Bluevale minister Rev. Wilena Brown talks about a special program set up in the county to provide pre -marriage counselling. The special section begins on page 11. County to abolish board BY BOB MURPHY Huron County council took its first step Thursday toward the dissolution of the present Huron County Library Board. At its regular session at the court house in Goderich, council adopted an executive committee recom- mendation that the necessary step be taken to have a Private Members Bill introduced in the legislature at Queen's Park which would dissolve the present board and make council itself the new Huron County Library Board. The bill will seek to have the change effective Jan. 1, 1987, with council becoming the board on that date and a committee of council then responsible for the library's operation. According to the executive committee recommendation, the composition of the new library committee will remain the same as at present with the warden, three members of council and three appointees who are non-members of council. Council, in a recorded vote, opted 25 to 6 for the recommenda- tion. Voting against the proposal were Deputy Reeve J. P. Hoherty (Town of Goderich), Deputy Reeve Lossy Fuller (Exeter), Reeve Bill Mickle (Exeter), Reeve Ernest Snell (East Wawanosh) and Reeve Harry worsell (Goderich), who cast both of his votes on the nay side. Absent from Thursday's session was Reeve Allan Gibson (Ash- field). In a prepared statement read to council, Reeve Tom Cunningham (Hullett), current library board chairman, said the proposed change would not change the day-to-day operation of the library. "Each and every elected repre- sentative will be responsible to see that the library service is strength- ened and maintained," he said. Cunningham, who was also acting chairman for the executive committee, Thursday, told council he was making his remarks to clarify some of the apparent misunderstandings over the pro- posal. He said that until 1984, the library board functioned as a committee of council "and func- tioned well with all matters being presented to council for discussion and approval." This changed in 1984, he said, "as a result of pressures of certain individuals." At that time, the board decided to conduct its proceedings in strict accordance with the Library Act, he added. "It is now our intetntion to legalize the system which had been in place since the inception of the Huron County Library -- until 1984," Cunningham said. The proposed bill is to be presented in the legislature by Doug Reycraft (MPP Middlesex). According to Cunningham, ar- rangements to have Reycraft present the bill were made through Agriculture and Food Minister Jack Riddell, who is the MPP for Huron -Middlesex. A cabinet mini- ster, under the rules of the Ontario legislature, cannot present a Pri- vate Members Bill, he said. Reeve Bruce Machan (Wing - ham), a new member of council, said he did not think "anything has ever come tocounty council that Continued on Pg. 5 County librarian says he's staying, despite council decision BY BOB MURPHY Huron County's chief librarian, William Partridge said Thursday that he would stand by an earlier statement to county council that he would "continue to remain an employee of the County of Huron." Partridge was asked for com- ments following council's decision to accept an executive committee recommendation to seek legisla- tion dissolving the current Huron County Library Board. The legislation will make council the new board with a committee of council responsible for the library operation. In response to the request, Partridge offered no comment other than a referral to his intention to stand by the earlier statement. That declaration was made in a short speech following presenta- tion Thursday morning of the library board report to council. "Whatever decision is made of county council," Partridge said in that speech, "1 will continue to remain an employee of the County of Huron." needs of the library patrons and In his speech, the chief librarian how best these needs can be outlined achievements of the served." system under his direction and Partridge has been with Huron urged council to "consider the County Public Library for 12 years. Blyth area fire costs up, but not salaries The levy of the Blyth and District Area Fire Board to local municipal- ities will go up over 10 per cent this year, but don't blame it on higher salaries for the firemen, Blyth Clerk -Treasurer Larry Walsh told his council last week. The increase, which in Blyth will see the cost of fire protection increase from $5130 in 1985 (which had been unchanged from 1984) to $5700. Blyth pays 19 per cent of the S30,000 budget. Mr. Walsh explained that the fire board's new budget will allow about $10,000 extra in working funds for the fire department. In the past few years, the board had been so short of money it had held up payment of firemen's salaries until part ofthe next year's levy had been paid. Firemen will get paid on time under the new budget but they won't get paid any more. The firemen voted not to increase their own salaries because they would rather see the money used to keep equipment updated for the fire department that covers one of the largest areas in the county. Under the new budget the charge to area townships will be as follows: Hullett township (29 per cent of cost) $8700; East Wawa - nosh, (20 per cent) $6,000; Morris (15 per cent) 54500; West Wawa - nosh, (seven per cent) 52100; McKillop (10 per cent) 53000. All Continued on page 30