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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2002-05-29, Page 1MID e Citizen .Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Volume 18 No. 21 Wednesday, May 29, 2002 75 Cents (70c + 5c GST) Inside this week Pg. 2 Meet new pool staff in Brussels Entrance signs to Pg• 3 be judged N. Huron sets cap pg. 6 on Wheels Away funds pg. AAA Hawks win 11 championship Pg. 18 Museum committee seeks help Fire at Brussels Country Inn The Brussels Country Inn was the scene of a fire in the early hours of Monday morning. The call was turned in at 12:45 when, the owners of the business, Rick and Shelley Campbell were alerted to the danger by a smoke alarm. When Rick Campbell went to the lower floor from the family's second-floor rooms, he said he saw flames under the door to the front dining room. He immediately returned upstairs to ensure that his family and two guests at the hotel got out safely. The Brussels Fire Department responded to the call. Thick smoke hampered firefighters' efforts at the beginning. However the blaze which, Chief Murray McArter characterized as "pretty hot", was successfully confined to the dining room. According to firefighters they were aided in their efforts to prevent the blaze from spreading because a half inch waterline in the ceiling burst and helped cool the fire. Campbell also said he always shuts the interior firedoors when the inn closes. Although the fire was quickly doused there is considerable water damage on the main floor and smoke damage to both floors of the building. Campbell said he had insurance to help pay for the repairs and clean up that would be necessary. There were no injuries to the family or guests. The visitors spent the remainder of the night at a local b&b and the Campbells stayed in Wingham. Firefighters were on ithe scene until 4 p.m. to ensure that no hotspots remained. The cause of the fire had not been determined at press time and no estimate of the damage was available. By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor It's a slow start for crops this year, but the warm weather has certainly helped. Brian Hall, an alternate crop production systems specialist with OMAF said things have certainly improved from a week ago. "The drier weather of last week helped farmers get caught up on the field, but we continue to need heat." As a result farmers will want to watch the maturity of their hay crops. "We anticipate those who would normally cut three times a year start generally around the last of May or first of June. Though the hay is short it's mature, so farmers will have to be conscious of that," said Hall. The corn and soy beans are back on track, he said, closer to normal as far as the amount of crop planted, though there is still a ways to go. With the warmer temperatures earlier last week, some areas are seeing the emergence of corn which said Hall, is a good sign. However, he said, "things are quite a bit behind in terms of where they should be. Yet the calendar marches on so people need to think about when they should go to shorter heat unit corn." By Hall's suggestion that should probably happen if corn was not in If by mid-way through this week. Because of the cold spring, heat units are well below normal. The specialist said that up until May 20 there was only about 90 heat unit, which officially starts May 4. "There was a period of time between May 16-21 when we didn't accumulate any heat unit. It was very cold." Heat units, which are a measure of the amount of temperature for growth, are normally at 200-250 by ,now. In addition to warmth, the weather needs to be dry, said Hall, to let planting get caught up. "The cold and wet is not good for anyone," he said, adding that greenhouses are. also "waiting for the season to get started." Boyd Taylor, a local weather watcher, farmer and orchard owner, said that though there have been reports of damage to this year's fruit crops he is maintaining a wait and see attitude for now. "I think it's too early to assess how extensive any damage may be," he said. Taylor said the peach trees on his property have some good blossoms as well as some burnt by frost. Cherries, though they had no pollination weather, appeared to be a decent set. "It's too premature to say what this will mean," Taylor said. The apples aren't in blossom yet. What may have helped he said is that though there was frost some mornings, the days were cloudy. "It's not the frost that kills. It's somewhat like a prism when the sun hits the molecules of water, that is what burns things. With cloud you don't need to worry as much." "I'm not saying there hasn't been damage, but I just don't know how much," said Taylor. "Time will tell. Everything ,is confused." Hall agrees saying that the variable weather ha, been "frustrating" for everyone but crop insurers. "It has encouraged all-time records in terms of crops insured." Taylor said there are already "stories to be told in the fields", referring to reports of some early corn still not showing. With rainfall above normal for the spring, and soil temperatures at the beginning of the month sitting at just 42°F with not much warmth to improve things since, Taylor said, "Our time is due. They can turn up the heat anytime." N. Huron sets budget By Mark Nonkes Wingham Advance-Times North Huron council accepted a budget that will see Wingham ward taxes jump 4.03 per cent in the coming year. Meanwhile the Blyth ward's taxes are set to rise 1.99 per cent and East Wawanosh's 1.19 per cent. Treasurer Donna White presented the final draft of the budget with $8,351,518.24 in expenditures at the May 21 council meeting. "I don't think the budget is any worse than we thought it would be," White said. In fact, White remarked the budget is better than what council first expected when members went over figures earlier this spring. The budget is more than $2,258,000 higher than last year's total expenditures. White attributes a large amount of expenditures to a full year of operation at the North Huron-Wescast Complex. Wingham ward will see the highest jump in taxes of the three wards because of all the area rating system. The system breaks down policing, recycling, sanitation and street lighting into ward by ward expenses. Those four areas have seen increases in this year's budget. For the first time ever, the biggest expense in this year's budget comes from the water department as 18.47 per cent or $1,565,198 of the total budget is dedicated toward it, due to new provincial government guidelines. The only other department with more than a million dollar budget is recreation. About 16.42 per cent or $1,371,618 is budgeted for the department, due to new provincial government guidelines. Most of the expenses in recreation come from running programs such as aquatics, fitness and the upkeep of arenas, halls, food booths and campgrounds in the municipality. The North Huron-Wescast Complex will see $75,000 spent on a small amount of cement work and paving and computer system. The complex is projected to run at an annual deficit of $262,000, minus grants from Morris-Turnberry of $30,000 and the Knights of Columbus of $10,000, bringing the final deficit figure to $222,000. Blyth arena is projected to run a deficit of $71,000. The roads create the third largest expense in this year's budget with $968,615.85 dedicated towards them, an increase of more than $28,000. That money includes construction on Kerr Drive to Road 86, Minnie Street and paving on Carling Terrace, Centre Street and Park Drive in Wingham. In Blyth, Thuell and North Streets will be paved and in East Wawanosh Marnoch Line and Hutton Heights will also receive asphalt. Reconstruction of North Street will see costs split between Continued on page 6 Dog bite Tanner Cardiff chowed down on a delicious hot dog cooked up at St. John's Anglican Church during the community yard sale in Brussels this past Saturday. Though it was a little cool, sunny skies prevailed for most of the day as shoppers searched for hidden treasures. (Vicky Bremner photo) Warmth will help crops 1 444