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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2019-01-31, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019. PAGE 19. M-T approves cannabis opt-in to secure funding During a special council meeting on Jan. 16, Morris-Turnberry Council voted almost unanimously to opt in to the cannabis retail outlet proram. By opting in, Morris-Turnberry will receive $10,000 to help prepare for possible cannabis retail outlets within its borders. During previous discussions, council members felt it was a win- win situation, as the municipality wasn’t likely to see any outlets open up within a year. Beyond that, even if council opted out, it was noted that legal cannabis would still be legally available online or in neighbouring municipalities. In a recorded vote, Mayor Jamie Heffer voted against opting in, while Deputy-Reeve Sharen Zinn and Councillors Jim Nelemans, Jamie McCallum and Kevin Freiburger voted in favour of the move. *** Morris-Turnberry Council passed on the opportunity to support the Ontario Building Official Association’s request for sponsorship for the organization’s local chapter to host the group’s annual meeting. Chief Building Official Kirk Livingston put the request forward to council during its Jan. 22 meeting, saying he is a part of the chapter, and was previously co-chair of hosting the event. He explained that students are typically brought in for the event and organizers anticipate 100 students attending from secondary and post- secondary schools interested in the field. Council said it would support a local student’s entry fee to the event, but wouldn't support the event directly. *** Morris-Turnberry Council voted to keep councillors’ annual raise in line with its existing policy, setting the increase at 2.2 per cent. The issue was brought before council on Jan. 22 due to the announcement that, going forward, councillors’ wages would no longer be one-third tax exempt as they had in the past. Aside from having to pay taxes on the last third of their wages, councillors could also see themselves bumped into a new tax bracket by the change. Morris-Turnberry Council, however, felt this was widely- publicized enough that councillors knew about it before entering the race. Several also commented they weren’t at the table to make money, but to do the best job they could. In other council remuneration news, Morris-Turnberry’s 2018 council expenses came in at $102,658.54, which is $2,341.46 under budget. *** The Wingham & Area Health Professionals Recruitment Committee will soon be approaching its member councils for funding according to Morris-Turnberry Deputy-Mayor Sharen Zinn. The committee recruited two new doctors this year, Zinn said, which cut into its reserve funding. She said a request would be coming to the next council meeting, Feb. 5, to provide additional funding to the group. *** Morris-Turnberry approved the construction of a 100-square foot storage building for the Bluevale Hall during its Jan. 22 meeting. The Bluevale Recreation Board made the request and Councillor Kevin Freiburger, who is also a member of the board, explained there was a need for it. “There are some things stored in the hall that could be considered to be causing a hazard,” he said. “The board would like to be able to store some things, like fryers, under lock and key.” Council approved the construction of the shed, with Mayor Jamie Heffer asking if it would be built by volunteers, which Freiburger said it would. By Denny Scott The Citizen FREE Fall/Winter 2018 A Visitor’s Guide to Huron County What to See Where to Dine Things to Do Museums Snowmobile Trails Map Rediscover what Huron County has to offer. Pick up your free guide to Stops Along The Way and see what’s happening in your area! Available at many local tourist spots throughout Huron County or pick it up at The Citizen 413 Queen St., Blyth ~ 519-523-4792 BLYTH BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA Annual General Meeting Blyth Memorial Hall February 6 Board Meeting 6:00 pm AGM 7:00 pm Busy place Gary and Chris Courtney’s farm, just outside of Blyth, hosted more than 100 members of scouting troops from as far away as Kitchener over the weekend for Scoutarama. The young participants practised plenty of skills on the land, including how to build fires to melt snow into boiling water, as shown above. (Nick Vinnicombe photo) Meeting set to plan prayer day The January meeting of Melville Presbyterian Women’s Guild was held on Tuesday, Jan. 15 at noon at the home of Dona Knight. Rev. Charmila Ireland said the blessing and we all enjoyed a potluck lunch. Mary Douma conducted the business portion of the meeting, immediately following lunch as some members had to leave early. Peggy Aitchison has now been appointed the Guild’s treasurer. The SpringTime Supper is scheduled for Sunday, April 28. The Guild has raised the prices to correspond with the Harvest Supper. The price of funeral luncheons was also raised to put them in line with the other organizations that cater in Brussels. A final report of Melville WMS is being sent to the Maitland Presbyterial to be included in its annual report for 2018. The executive meeting will be held in Wingham on Jan. 30 at 10 a.m. Alice Marks reported that the World Day of Prayer will be held at Melville on Friday, March 1, at 2 p.m. in the church basement. Rev. Ireland and Alice will attend the planning meeting and get back to members with the details. Alice Marks then gave the treasurer’s report. It was decided that we would no longer take up a monthly collection at the Guild meetings, as the collection had been going to the WMS before. A short meeting will be held following one of the morning worship services in February to assign needs for the World Day of Prayer. The next regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the church parlour. Elaine Armstrong will be in charge of the meeting. Mary Douma led the devotional part of the meeting. “Look Forward to the Good in the New Year” was her topic. We sang the hymn “Standing at the Portal”. A prayer was said asking for help, peace and understanding in the coming year. Members then all read selected scripture verses from Psalm 119. The reading “Does Hope Spring Eternal?” referred to the planting of tulips as signs of hope when you plant them in the fall. The roll call was ”What is your New Year’s Resolution?” Members then closed the meeting with the singing of “God of Grace and God of Glory”. Brussels Majestic Women’s Institute met on Jan. 9 at 1:30 p.m. at the Brussels Library. Eleven members and seven guests were present. Kathy Bridge opened the meeting with a reading, after a short business meeting. A short skit was put on by Yvonne Knight and Kathy Bridge, narrated by Lucy Hesse. Guest speaker OPP Community Safety Officer Jamie Stanley spoke on distracted driving and safe winter driving. Distracted driving has become the number one cause of traffic accidents. The biggest distraction is cell phone use, especially texting. As of January, 2019, fines have increased for distracted driving in hopes of reducing accidents. We can all do our part by driving with more focus on road conditions, keeping a safe distance between vehicles, keeping windows clear, recognizing our blind spots and anticipating the actions of other drivers. Bob Kellington of the Canada Foodgrains Bank will be guest speaker at the next meeting on Feb. 13, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. at the Brussels Library. Kellington to talk to WI #1 And We Still Try Harder Recent circulation figures show The Citizen has the highest circulation in the northern part of Huron County, #3 in the entire county. The Citizen Proudly Community-Owned Since 1985