HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-09-03, Page 1Achievement ■ Business B_____Sports_____■_____Feature
Ice skating duo
take fourth at
contest
See page 2
Local family
purchases local
business
See page 7
Area teams wrap
up seasons with
championships
See page 8
12 pages of photos
salute local soccer,
baseball teams
See inside
j
CitizenTheNorthHuron
Vol. 13 No. 34 Wednesday, Sept. 3,1997______to^gstTS#
School year begins
It may have been a little more difficult for Blake Hesselwood, a Grade 3 student at Blyth
Public School, than for others to return to the classroom, Sept. 2, as he hobbled on crutches
up the front walk. Blake received assistance from his father, Ken. Thousands of school
children followed the annual fall ritual of packing lunches and toting backpacks as they
made their way to 24 elementary and six secondary schools across the county on a warm,
but damp and foggy morning.
Some new faces at local schools
The leaves are turning, the days
are cooler and busses are once
again rumbling down the roads.
Another school year begins.
As staff at elementary schools
across the area prepared for the
return of students this week, there
were several new people walking
the halls.
At Blyth Public School, five new
staff members will welcome the
children. Jill Sygrove will return to
the school as a full-time resource
education assistant; Margie Wise-
Hellmuth, Grade 3/4; Dianne Grail,
Grade 2/3; Joanne Drennan, French
and Jean Speed, half-time Grade
4/5.
New on the list of staff at Brus
sels Public School will be: Terri
Iarusso, resource education assis
tant; Lisa Anguish, French; Car
olyn Regier, Grade 7/8 and Leslie
Johnston, education assistant.
Walton Public School will have
Diana Dolmage as a full-time
resource education assistant and
education assistant.
Grey Central Public School wel
comes Erin Owen for French,
replacing Andrea Colquhoun who
is taking a self-financed leave of
Continued on page 6
Early frost concerns
local corn growers
A late summer and quick change
to autumn-like temperatures have
some agriculturalists comparing
this growing season to 1992, says
Brian Hall, soil and crop advisor
for the Ontario Ministry of Agricul
ture, Food and Rural Affairs in
Clinton.
The com crop is now in the early
milk stage, however, farmers are
concerned about the timing of the
first frost and how mature the com
will be at that time, says Hall.
Though weather comparisons
have been drawn to 1992, Hall says
the com tasseled two weeks earlier
this year and the heat units at Cen
tralia are up 300.
A good yield will depend on "lots
of sunny days with warm tempera
tures day and night, with no frost,"
he says. ,
Soybeans are advancing quickly
with generally good pod set,
though the heights are variable. A
number of fields are showing quan
tities of lambsquarter, milkweed,
ragweed and foxtail while others
with lush growth have been struck
with white mold.
Some fields which experienced
dry weather earlier are now show
ing premature ripening. This is
being caused by weather-induced
potassium deficiency, spider mites
or leaf disease, which has flour
ished in the recent continued wet
ness, says Hall.
The wheat harvest is nearing
completion with yields averaging
60 to 70 bushels per acre and hit
ting a 80 to 100 bushels per acre
high. Disease pressure was light
except for dwarf bunt.
Red clover underseeded into
wheat is showing variable stand
success.
Straw is seeing a strong market at
present.
Steady rainfall this week has
slowed the spread of mold in the
edible bean fields. They have
advanced quickly and are begin
ning to turn, says Hall.
Those same rains, along with
heavy dews have delayed the har
vest of cereals and hay, this week.
Yields of forages have been gener
ally less than normal. Spring cereal
crops have good on early plantings
and poor on late plantings. The
delayed harvest reduced yields in
some areas.
Thresher Reunion begins
Though the gates don't officially
open until Sept. 5 at 8 a.m., the
grounds of the 36th Annual Huron
Pioneer Thresher Reunion and
Hobby Show in Blyth have been
buzzing for days.
Volunteers arrived early in the
week to begin setting up the hun
dreds of displays and campers
rolled in to their chosen site.
From the crack of dawn to the
dark hours of the night, the Thresh
er Reunion will be three days
packed with music, entertainment,
activities, demonstrations and food.
Jam sessions take place Wednes
day and Thursday evening. The
Wednesday Campers Jam Session
welcomes all musicians and will
feature old time dancing and
lessons. Fiddlers warm-up their
bows Thursday.
From Friday to Sunday a full
slate of displays is spread around
the grounds. Antique cars and
trucks cover the field of the arena
ball diamond while flea market
treasures are offered on the Rad
ford ball diamond.
Around the ball diamonds, visi
tors can view small steam engines,
gas-powered engines, small mod
els, farm produce and crafts. The
arena floor will also be filled to
overflowing with more than 75
crafters and their wares.
Skilled craftpeople will show off
the old-fashioned talents of black
smithing, shingle making and run
ning both the large and small
sawmills.
Activities begin at 9 a.m, Friday,
when school children are invited to
take part in group events and
games.
As a warm up for the weekend
events, a tractor pull is held
between 10 a.m. and noon, Friday.
The pulls occur at the same time
Saturday and Sunday as well as
from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Threshing demonstrations are
held each day just west of the Rad
ford ball diamond.
Immediately following the morn
ing threshing will be the border col
lie demonstration on the soccer
field in the northwest comer of the
grounds. This is the second year for
this display as a family of dogs,
along with owner and trainer Jim
Clarke, put sheep and ducks
through their paces. The Sunday
show moves back one hour.
Music will be available at several
venues throughout the event, with
fiddlers jamming in a tent to the
west of the campgrounds, competi
tions taking place on the Main
Stage and bands performing at the
Second Stage. Friday and Saturday
evening will end with a dance in
the auditorium.
The official opening ceremonies
will take place at 12:30 p.m., on
Saturday.
One of the biggest draws, and the
pride of steam engine and antique
tractor owners, is the opportunity to
show off their machinery. Friday at
4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at
4:30, the parade of equipment will
take place in front of the Second
Stage. Visitors can relax on the
bleachers and listen to the com
mentary as the engines and tractors,
both large and small, along with
antique cars, pass the stands.
After a long day of walking
around the exhibits, food is defi
nitely on the agenda.
The Shriners offer a fish fry at
Lions Park while the Blyth Legion
Ladies Auxiliary supply the tasty
fare in the auditorium. (The auxil-
Continued on page 6