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The Citizen, 1991-09-04, Page 1Thresher Reunion Special 20 page section salutes 30th anniversary A treasure of a play Treasure Island delightful for young and old See page 23 Hwy. 4 reconstruction to start this month VOL. 7 NO. 35 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4,1991. 60 CENTS Labouring on Labour Day Monday was no holiday for members of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association as they put in a long, hard day preparing for this week’s Thresher Reunion. Here volunteers cut up wood to fire up the big steam engines that are star attractions at the show. The Thresher Reunion kicks off Wednesday night with the CKNX Barn Dance. Blyth gets pleasant surprise on tender Blyth may get more street con­ struction than it bargained for after lenders for Morris Street recon­ struction came in less than budget­ ed for. George Radford Construction Limited had the lowest of four ten­ ders for the rebuilding of the south end of Morris Street from County Rd. 25 to about Hamilton Street. The local company's bid was $89,430.60 compared to competing bids of $96,030.36 for Lavis Con­ tracting of Clinton; $107,223.36 for H. Kerr Construction of Wingham and $133,744.60 for a firm from Concorde. Bruce Potter, a representative from B. M. Ross Associates, the village's consulting engineer, sug­ gested that since the bid was con­ siderably lower than originally projected, the village might like to lake a look at its budget and see what extra work might be worked into this year's schedule. The con> pielion of Morris street has been scheduled over several years as provincial government assistance becomes available. He suggested his firm and the village work to see if there are other elements of the project that can be completed at the current prices. The Radford bid, he said, was much cheaper than work would normally be done. 'We're getting prices that at 60 to 80 per cent of what we got last year," he said. Villages the size of Blyth have difficulty funding projects as large as the Moms Street reconstruction because the amount of subsidy CKNX Barn Dance open 30th Reunion at Blyth arena The 30th anniversary edition of the Huron Pioneer Thresher Reunion kicks off tonight (Wednes­ day) with a tradition that is even older. The CKNX Bam Dance will be revived to help the Threshers cele­ brate their anniversary. Started by Doc Cruickshank in 1937, the Bapi from the Ministry of Transportation is so low it hardly allows for any work to be done each year. This year's project was undertaken after the village received special funding io undertake the first section of the street. Dance was an integral part of the cultural and social life of western Ontario for many years before it was discontinued in the 1960's. Today the Bam Dance is revived now and then for special events like the Thresher Reunion. A few old timers from the origi­ Reconstruction of Highway 4 between Blyth and Belgrave should begin by the end of this month, an official with the Ministry of Trans­ portation (MTO) said last week. Bob Young of the Stratford office of MTO said the tender has been won by a Kitchener firm but the contract has not yet been signed. The start date for the work is Sept. 16 but work could begin before that date, he said. The work is the first stage of a three-stage plan to rebuild the treacherous stretch of highway from Blyth to Wingham. Municipal officials in the area have been pushing for the work for years and met with Ed Fulton, a Minister of Transportation in the previous Lib­ eral government several years ago to show him the problems with the narrow road which, in winter, has even more problems because snow banks build up along the road, reducing visibility in snow storms. Mr. Fulton promised action on the road but the start of construction has been delayed several times because of budgetary problems. The second stage of construction on Highway 4 will be the stretch from Belgrave to Wingham with the final stage being downtown Blyth, including a new bridge over the Blyth Creek. Mr. Young said political and financial reasons might delay those stages but the second stage could begin as early as next year. Mr. Young said plans call for raising the highway two and a half feet and putting a snow ditch on the west side of the road in about five different places. Wingham woman injured in Morris Crash A Wingham woman received minor injuries in a single vehicle accident on Cone. 2 in Morris township at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, August 30. Christina Duncanson, 29, was a passenger in a car driven by 19- year-old Cheryl Underwood, also of Wingham. They were travelling west on the Concession road about one kilometre from the Centre Sideroad, at a staled speed of 50 kilometres an hour, according to a spokesperson from the Wingham OPP detachment, when the car went out of control on the gravel road, while rounding a curve. It entered the north ditch where it struck a hydro pole, police say. Ms Duncanson was taken to Wingham and District Hospital by private automobile. Ms Underwood and a second passenger, Shelly Ste. Marie, 26, of Wingham escaped injury. nal bam dance like Grey township's Archie Mann and Belgrave’s Ernie King will be on hand to the show along with a large number of mod­ ern-day stars including Blyth's own Wayne McClinchcy. The concert begins at 8 p.m. fol­ lowed by a dance at 10 p.m.