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The Citizen, 1987-03-25, Page 33Friday 13th worth $500,000 to Brussels family Business has been more than brisk in lottery ticket sales at the Brussels Variety store lately, especially since it sold the second big-winning ticket in less than two weeks - both to Brussels people. Alan and Barb Bragg won $500,000 onthe Friday the 14th Provincial Lottery draw, although they didn’t discover their big win Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, | Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. VOL. 3 NO. 12 WEDNESDAY. MARCH 25, 1987.40 CENTS until Mrs. Bragg went to the store on St. Patrick’s Day and brought home the list of winning numbers to check against the ticket they had at home. It was the first Provincial ticket the couple had ever bought. “Alan said I just stood there with afunny look on my face,’’ Mrs. Bragg told The Citizen, describing the impact ofthenews. “Thenl phoned my mother (in Listowel), and 1 was so excited she didn’t even recognize by voice!" The Bragg’s half million dollars was the second spectacular win Brussels has seen in two weeks. On March 1, Ken White won a Lincoln Town Car, valued at $32,500, on the scratch and win portion of a Super Lotto ticket his son gave him for his birthday. The car should be arriving in mid-April, according to Mr. White. Although somewhat exhausted from all the public and media attention, the Braggs have regain­ ed their composure, and are being cautious about their new-found wealth. Apart from purchasing a brand new Ford Bronco and giving some of the money to their relatives, Mr. Bragg says they will likely invest the rest of it for now. “We have a few rough ideas ... nothing definite," he said. He plans to continue working for Total Demolition of Brussels, while Mrs. Bragg’splansinclude getting training through Conestoga Col­ lege as a Health Care Aide once her youngest child is in school, so she can go back to work in a nursing home, a job she had and enjoyed before her children were born. Ron Clarkson, proprietor of Brussels Variety, says that lottery ticket sales have been very good since the two major wins in town. “We are selling out (on most lotteries) well in advance of the draws now," he said, adding that in the past two weeks there has also been one $500 winner and several $100 winners in town, with tickets purchased at his store. “We do get a commission on major wins,” he admitted. “But not nearly as much as most people seem to think!” Round the turn and heading for home, it's not so much how you hold your mouth as where you keep your eyes, as these sprinters found during the pancake flipping relay race at the annual “Maple Madness'' competitions at the Maple Keys Sugar Bush in Grey Township last Sunday. At the invitation of the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority, which operates the bush, more than 700 visitors came to take part in the fun and to see maple syrup being made. County budget increases 7.38% despite hatchet job BY BOB MURPHY Ata special meeting in Goderich last week, Huron County Council gave approval to its 1987 consoli­ dated budget totalling more than $20.3 million. The county apportionment of that total is $4,897,547 and repre­ sents a 7.38 per cent increase over the 1986 county share of $4,560,- 554. At last week’s meeting, council spent considerable time in an item-by-item discussion of 14 recommended changes. Recom­ mended by the executive commit­ tee, approval of all 14 changes would have resulted in a net McKillop Twp. fire kills hundreds of pigs Fire Saturday night, partially destroyed a McKillop township hog barn killing 30 sows and several hundred baby pigs and weaners. Blyth and District Fire Depart­ ent answered a call to the farm of Laverne McClure on Lot 28, concession 12 McKillop, south­ west of Walton shortly before 10 decrease of $213,984 in the county apportionment. However, at the end of the session, the net decrease stood at $205,984. Although coun­ cil had approved all 14 of the recommended changes, a $15,000 grant for the Goderich Airport was also approved. In previous years, council had granted $23,000 to the airport, but this year the committee had recommended the grant be remov­ ed from the budget entirely. Following lengthy discussion and a 17-14 recorded vote, council ap­ proved the recommendation for the $23,000 cut. However, toward the end of the p.m. The barn had a divider in the middle of the barn and firemen were able to stop the fire before it could enter the second half of the barn, Fire Chief Irvin Bowes said. Stock in the second part of the barn was saved but smoke killed the stock in the damaged portion. Chief Bowes estimated loss in the fire at about $50,000. session, Goderich Deputy Reeve John Doherty was successful in persuading all but one of his fellow councillors to reconsider the air­ port grant at a lower figure of $15,000. Council was told the average assessment increase for 1987 taxation is 1.58 per cent, which results in a net increase of 5.48 per cent in the county levy. Although slight adjustments are yet to be made as the result of the $15,000 re-instated airport grant, munici­ pal levy increases will range from the 1.18 per cent low of West Wawanosh to the high of 16.01 per cent to the municipal levy of Bayfield. For the five towns, net levy increases are: Clinton, 11.35 per cent; Exeter, 11.30 per cent; Goderich, 14.77; Seaforth, 8.51 per cent; and Wingham, 13.27 per cent. VILLAGE INCREASES In addition to Bayfield, the new levy increases for villages are: Blyth, 4.40 per cent; Brussels, 7.95 percent; Hensail, 11.05 per cent; and Zurich, 6.76 per cent. For the townships the net increase in municipal levies are: Ashfield, 4.07 per cent; Colborne, 8.50; Goderich, 5.12 per cent; Grey, 2.59 per cent; Hay. 2.13 per cent; Howick, 2.26 per cent; Hullett, 7.77 per cent; McKillop, 8.8 per cent; Morris, 2.02 per cent; Stanley, 3.83 per cent; Stephen, 9.86 per cent; Tuckersmith, 6.37 percent; Turnberry, 7.16 per cent; Usborne, 3.97 per cent; East Wawanosh, 9.23 per cent. A 6.39 per cent is anticipated in the average county mill rates, bringing the 1987 rate ot 45.15 for residential and farm, and 53.12 for commercial and industrial. Again, the average approximate increase to municipal mill rates range from the West Wawanosh lowof .30for residential and .35 for commercial to Bayfield's 6.93 for residential and 8.15 for commer­ cial. Wingham’s approximate mill rate increase is 4.39 for residential and 5.16 for commercial. For some of the other municipalities the approximate increases are antici­ pated at: Blyth, 1.75 residential, 2.05 commercial; Brussels, 2.24 residential, 2.63commercial; Hen- sal 1, 2.69 residential, 3.16 com­ mercial; Zurich, 2.44 residential. 2.87 commercial; Turnberry, 1.26 residential. 1.49 commercial, Howick. .70 residential. .82 com­ mercial; Morris. .72 residential. .85 commercial; East Wawanosh. 2.52 residential. 2.96 commercial. Among the budget adjustments Continued on Page 3 Citizen's Blyth office dosed for renovations Due to renovations, the Blyth office of The Citizen will be closed from Wednesday, March 25 to Monday, March 30. The rapid expansion of The Citizenover the past 18 months has made the office set-up in Blyth, where most of the production of the paper is done, totally inadequate for the needs of the staff. In an effort to make producing the paper more efficient, and more pleasant for the staff, a number of smaller offices will be created within the present structure. During the closure of the Blyth office, staffwill still be available by calling the Brussels office at 887-9114.