The Citizen, 1989-06-21, Page 1Future uncertain
Blyth councillors worried
by reform proposal
See page 3
Working visit
Young Dutch farmers
help on Huron farms
See page 5
Opening hit
‘Perils’ future
far from perilous
See page 26
PRIDE project helps boost Blyth taxes 11.6°/o
Taxes in Blyth will rise by 11.6
per cent for /public school suppor
ters and 12.91 per cent for separate
school supporters in 1989.
Village council adopted its 1989
budget and set the mill rates at its
meeting June 14, setting the local
mill rate at 10.88 per cent higher
than last year. The council had
already been faced with an increase
in a requisition from the County of
Huron for 19.58 per cent more and
from the public school board of 9.96
and 11.2 per cent from the Huron-
Perth Roman Catholic Separate
School Board.
Work to be done under the
PRIDE grant will boost Blyth's
total budget from $372,900 to
$547,661 this year, an increase of
nearly 47 per cent. Additional
grants through the program, how
ever, mean the amount to be raised
through taxation is only up 12.78
per cent. PRIDE grants will amount
to $64,800 for paving and side
walks, parks and recreation and
signs and planters. Capital conser
vation grants for Memorial Hall
roof repairs and for the Radford
ball diamond total $12,436. The
village also expects to receive
$18,800 in donations from service
groups to help with PRIDE pro
jects. The village also expects to
receive $18,800 in donations from
service groups to help with PRIDE
projects. The village will dip into
various reserve funds for $58,150 to
support the various projects.
The tax increase is also offset by
a surplus from 1988 of $38,808.
Besides the PRIDE related work,
council has budgeted for increased
cssYs in various areas.
The budget for general govern
ment (running of the village office)
has increased from $82,806 to
$101,000. Included in the amount is
$10,000 for renovations of the
village office and $5,000 set aside
for a reserve for working funds.
Salaries, materials and services
have increased from $60,289 to
$68,000, an increase of 12.8 per
cent. The budget for council expen
ses has increased from $12,617 to
$18,000, an increase of 42.7 per
cent.
The budget for the fire depart
ment is 32 per cent higher, up to
$12,000 from $9,060. The levy to
the Maitland Valley Conservation
Authority is up 20.7 per cent.
The budget for garbage collec
tion and disposal is up 21.6 per
cent, from $26,324 to $32,000.
The biggest jump comes in
recreation and cultural services
where several projects (all support
ed by grants) will send the budget
soaring from only $38,786 last year
to $143,565. Improvements at Lions
Park will cost $15,000. The Radford
Ball Diamond project will cost
$39,700. A new dishwasher for the
Blyth and District Community Cen
tre will cost $12,600 and renova
tions to Memorial Hall, including a
new roof, will cost $31,552.
The village has set aside $2,500
for the purchase of a computer for
the Blyth Library sending that
budget to $5,500 from $1,200 last
year. A $2,000 hospital reserve has
been set up.
The combination of the PRIDE
project and the preparation of the
village zoning bylaw has sent the
planning and development soaring
from $10,093 to $37,700. The bulk
of that, ($20,000), goes to the
construction of signs and planters
Continued on page 3
VOL. 5 NO. 25 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1989.
Cop Shop
Blyth officially opened their Extended Services Off ice on Tuesday,
June 13. Local dignitaries and Ontario Provincial Police
representatives were on hand for the occasion. Taking part in the
ribbon cutting ceremony are from left, Clerk-Treasurer Helen
Grubb, Reeve Albert Wasson, OPP Superintendent Murray Peer,
and Constable Mike Alexander of the Wingham OPP, Blyth’s
liason officer. Also present were several members of the
Community Oriented Policing Committee and Staff Sergeant
McKee of the Wingham detachment. Constable Alexander
expects to spend 30 to 40 per cent of his time in Blyth.
Wait goes on for answer on Callander beds
BY LISA BOONSTOPPEL
It’s a waiting game for Callander
Nursing Home in Brussels as once
again, the steering committee that
was formed to save the home from
closure has been told “you’ll
receive word in seven to ten days.’’
The steering committee, which is
headed by Bruce McCall, present
ed a 582-name petition to Jim
Fitzgerald, the executive assistant
to Jack Riddell, the Ontario Agri
culture Minister on May 26.
The committee was told they’d
receive word in seven to 10 days
after the petition was taken to Jack
Riddell who then had to speak to
Eleanor Caplin the Minister of
Health.
The committee received word
about that meeting a week ago said
Mary Stretton, the secretary of the
steering committee. “We were told
that Eleanor Caplin is looking into
the reason why Brussels needs
more beds,” said Mrs. Stretton.
Then the committee was told,
“we’ll get back to you within seven
to 10 days.
“It’s a waiting game. They just
keep stalling us,” said Mrs. Stret
ton.
If the wait lasts much longer, the
reply won’t matter because the
deadline to get more beds is the
end of this month. If the nursing
home, owned by Mac MacGowan
cannot get more beds, it will
probably have to close because the
home doesn’t meet new govern
ment regulations. Mr. MacGowan
needs more beds to remodel or
rebuild the nursing home to meet
these new standards.
The steering committee was
formed to help the home acquire
the beds because Mr. MacGowan
had been trying for six years to get
Lt, Gov. fogged out
The show went on in true show
business tradition but the star of
the evening wasn’t on hand as
Blyth Festival began its 15th
season Friday night.
Lieutenant Governor Lincoln
Alexander was unable to attend the
event because the overcast skies
meant his plane wouldn’t have
been able to land. Festival officials
got the phone call cancelling the
45 CENTS
the beds on his own and was
unsuccessful.
“As a community, there is
nothing more we can do now,” said
Mrs. Stretton, “because we’ve
gone to the top of the ladder.”
appearance at 3 p.m. Friday then
had to scramble to make other
plans. Speeches were rewritten and
Dan Needles, author of the opening
night play “Perils of Persephone”
was pressed into service as the
speaker at the opening night dinner
at the Blyth and District Commun
ity Centre.
The wet weather also sent the
Continued on page 2