HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-04-25, Page 1e Citizen
Serving the comrriMities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Volume 17 No. 17
Wednesday, April 25, 2001
75 Cents (70c + 5c GST)
Auction
• raises
$16,000
The Maitland Conservation
Foundation held its annual dinner and
auction Friday night at the Brussels,
Morris and Grey Community Centre.
This was the 13th year for the event
and it proved to be the most
successful ever. Over $16,500 was
raised in support of conservation
education programs at the Wawanosh
Nature Centre.
The evening attracted almost 300
guests and featured raffles, a silent
auction and live auction. Auctioneer
Dave Johnston from Listowel coaxed
$5,500 from the audience during the
live auction. Auction highlights
included a gourmet breakfast and
canoe trip down the Maitland river, a
week-long stay at a cottage on Lake
Huron, autographed NHL
memorabilia and a variety of
entertainment packages.
The evening's success helps ensure
that high quality environmental
education programs continue to be
available to schools and community
groups across the watershed.
Coffee house
April 27
The third annual Coffee House
For Cancer is being held at F E.
Madill Secondary School in the
main entrance gym on April 27 at 7
p.m. The coffee house will consist
mainly of musical and dance
performances in a casual, yet classy
atmosphere.
There will be door prizes, and
coffee, tea, juice, desserts and
sandwiches will be available.
Tickets are $6 for adults, $5 for
seniors and $4 for children. A ticket
includes one free beverage and one
free door prize ticket.
Tickets are available at F. E.
Madill Secondary School, Sewing
Galore in Wingharn, Everlasting
Flowers in Lucknow and at the door.
For more information contact
Sarah Mann at 528-2600 or e-mail
evil_sunshine82@hotmail.com
Help raise money for cancer
research while enjoying local talent.
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
Moved to a new location for its
second year, Grey Central Public
School's farm safety and awareness
day is planned to educate the
students and the community as a
whole.
Started at Walton Public School a
year ago by parents Rita Bowers and
Pat Dalton, the day-long event
moved to Grey Central this year with
Principal Alice McDowell when
Walton Public School closed last
year.
"We are using the Walton model
designed by Rita and Pat,' said
McDowell, "though we are going to
a much bigger scale at Grey due to
the size of the school."
Approximately 16 presenters will
spend April 26 at the school,
speaking to the children and any
community members who might be
interested in attending. Their talks
will be about farm equipment, dairy,
pork and beef production, farm
supply, ATV and motorcycles, bio-
security and water quality, just to
name a few.
Some of the presenters will
include representatives from various
commodity groups, McGavins and
LMS farm equipment dealers,
Cooks, Brussels Agri Services,
Brussels Agromart, Brussels and
Grey Fire Departments, St. Johns
ambulance, Huron County Health
Unit and the Farm Safety
Association.
Students will spend the day
moving through eight display areas
as there are to be two from each
sector present.
It is hoped a vet will be the guest
speaker for the closing assembly and
Bowers is to speak earlier in the day
on farm safety and its impact.
"Our focus is to make children
aware and to teach them, before the
planting season starts," she said.
"Kids need safety reminders."
Aside from noting the importance
of farm safety because of the rural
setting of Grey Central, McDowell
said such an event is important
because it ties in well with the
curriculum in many areas.
"The impact of physical
demonstrations is important."
Members of other school councils
have also been invited to attend with
the hopes the event will spread to
other area schools.
Everyone from the community is
also welcome to stop by. Families
with pre-schoolers are asked to join
in.
McDowell credited the many
volunteers and school council with
helping pull together the major
undertaking.
She provided an overview of what
the day was to encompass because of
previous experience and co-chaired
the committee with school council
chair Marie Blake.
School secretary Jennifer
Cochrane looked after contacting the
media. Parents Diane Diehl procured
donations and arranged a lunch for
the presenters and Peggy Keffer co-
ordinated the presenters. Another
parent, Jane Zwep, will look after
thank you notes.
She also said it is through the
incredible donations and generosity
of several business owners that each
child at the school will take home a
goody bag filled with safety info
pamphlets, pads of paper, pens,
stickers, erasers and colouring
books.
Though McDowell said it is
unlikely the farm safety day
will become an annual event, she
would like to see it take place bi-
annually.
It is hoped attendance at events
such as the Brussels Fall Fair can be
used to re-enforce ideas discussed in
the spring.
The Grey Central Public School
Awareness and Info Day will take
place "rain or shine", on Thursday,
April 26 from approximately 9 a.m.
to 3 p.m.
HE to
consider
full-time
BR&E
officer
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
Numerous community members
and business owners attended the
April 17 session of Huron East
council to discussion endeavours by
the Business Retention and
Expansion committee (BR&E).
Gwen Devereaux gave a video
presentation, telling of the formation
of the group, its progress to date and
future plans.
The aim of the delegation was to
seek council's support in the hiring
of a full-time economic
development officer with a
suggested salary of $50,000 and
similar annual budget.
Devereaux told the gathering that
such a person would be key to
helping Huron East flourish, to bring
new development into the area as
well as aid the prosperity of those
already located in the municipality.
After surveying and speaking with
business owners one of the main
obstacles perceived was the red tape
and administrative procedures with
which developers hao to deal.
An economic development officer
would be the one person with whom
business people could deal, where
all questions could be answered and
help with red tape obtained.
"We need a professional out there
meeting with business people," said
Devereaux.
That person could also serve as a
resource person and co-ordinator for
the business improvement
associations in Seaforth and
Brussels.
If hired, the economic
development officer would serve all
of Huron East.
Council agreed to include the
matter in budget talks, said Clerk-
Administrator Jack McLachlan in a
phone interview.
The BR&E was first formed when
there was threat of hospital closures
and they also worked against the
closure of Seaforth District High
School last year.
The focus of BR&E is to aid in the
creation of . a progressive
community, said Devereaux.
Through the committee's effort,
Seaforth was one of seven Ontario
communities chosen for a pilot
project on economic development
sponsored by the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs.
Fifty-four volunteers were trained
to undertake the surveys and the
committee "red flagged" hot issues.
A community meeting was held to
discuss the survey results.
A CD of the Seaforth program is
being created to help other
commurrit,jes looking at economic
developmetit.
Spring is in the air
With spring blooms bursting, projects for this year's National Communities in Bloom
competition got underway in Blyth recently. Grade 6-8 students at Blyth Public School had fun
showing off their creativity as they painted numerous planter boxes purchased by the
Communities in Bloom committee. Lisa Nicholson, right takes a short break from her artwork
to check out the tiny bees and insects which will adorn Kate Stryker's section.
Grey PS to host farm safety day
Inside this week
Blyth's 125th
Pg. 3 committee plans
calendar
Pg. 6
Pg. 7
Pg. 13
Pg. 23
Historical Society
tours Dunedin
North Huron leases
fitness equipment
Farmers pack hall
to learn about Foot
and Mouth
Festival unveils
season poster