HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2003-01-29, Page 1The Citizen
Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Volume 19 No. 4 Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2003
NH
NORTH HURON PUBLISHING COMPANyInC]
Inside this week
D x Community pulls
rg. v together to save
Hail
o Brussels PeeWees
r5‘ 0 in A final
Winthrop couple
top pork producers
Survivor contest
begins
Ethel man does
mission work
in El Salvador
Ignorance
can be
an excuse
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
You've just travelled down a
sideroad and turned onto a major
highway. The road is slippery,
visibility poor. Arriving at the next
town, you see a barricade indicating
the road you just travelled was
closed.
According to Sr. Const. Don
Shropshall of the Huron OPP, this is
one time when ignorance can be an
excuse. “If you didn't know the road
was closed, then should you have
been in an accident you would be
covered by your insurance. However,
if you go around a barrier, now you
have a problem.”
With the nasty winter weather of
late, road closures have been
occurring with regularity, and last
week Shropshall said several drivers
were charged for being on them.
“Two serious crashes had occurred
between Carlow and Nile. We had
put the sign up and people came
down the road. These drivers put the
lives of others in danger by their
actions and were charged.”
While the Ministry of
Transportation will close roads due to
unsafe driving conditions, there are
also several other reasons for such a
move. If the OPP are investigating an
accident, or other disaster they will
issue the road closure. As well, they
will close a road if for some reason
the police need to contain that area.
“For example if there’s a fatality
we do a thorough check. The road
could be closed for four or five
hours.”
Once a decision to close a road has
been made the county and
municipality which might be affected
are contacted so that barriers can be
put in place as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, to hit every
intersection leading onto the roadway
there just aren't enough signs, said
Shropshall.
“We update the radio station on
road closures every 90 seconds.
Thai’s why we encourage people to
listen to their local station.”
OPP Officers Tim Tatchell, right, and Ken Knoblauch will be among the officers seen on Huron
County snowmobile trails this winter, clocking speeders and checking for alcohol
consumption. They stopped in Blyth Friday afternoon, (jamce Becker photo)
OPP hit the trails
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
With almost two weeks of
snowfall, snowmobile trails across
the region are open and riders are
making up for lost time.
In an effort to hinder speeding and
impaired driving on the trails, OPP
officers Ken Knoblauch and Tim
Tatchell of the Community Directed
Patrol Unit, along with other
officers, will be taking to their
machines as well.
The officers will be equipped with
a radar gun and a roadside breath
screening device.
Man dies in snowmobile crash
Police have stated that speeding
was a major factor in a crash which
claimed the life of a young Wallace
Twp. man in the Grey ward of Huron
East on Saturday night.
According to police a group of
snowmobilers had been travelling
east on a trail, west of Henfryn Line.
They were apparently returning
We plan to be on the trails more
this year,” said Knoblauch. “We
travelled just 900 kilometres last
year and 300 already this season.”
Not only will the officers be
taking random rides along the trails
throughout the county on weekdays
and weekends, they will be
responding to residents’ concerns
and visiting poker rally locations.
“We have been in contact with all
the clubs to get their schedules,”
said Knoblauch.
In attending the St. Helens poker
rally Feb. 19, the officers were
pleased that there were no speeding
or alcohol violations with the 350
home from an evening poker rally
run in the area.
After crossing an open field they
approached a curve. One driver,
Peter Barron, 21, missed the curve,
went through some brush and struck
a tree.
Several people helped officers
attend the crash scene, taking them
sleds checked. However, there were
three charges for failure to have a
permit and one registration
infraction.
Riders are reminded that riding
without a trail permit will cost them
$255 this season while speeding
fines will be $l I0.
The speed limit on all trails,
sideroads and highways is no greater
than 50 km./hour and the in-town
limit is 20 km./hour.
With increased presence on the
trails, the OPP hope it will
encourage riders to be more
responsible.
to the location by snowmobile and
ATV.
Barron was transported to
Listowel hospital where he was
pronounced dead. An autopsy was to
be conducted on Jan. 27 in Stratford.
Technical traffic collision
investigators were at the scene.
Monthly
snowfall
no record
breaker
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
Squalls, school closures, road
closures.
While it may seem that this
January has seen a record dumping
of snowfall in the area, such is not
the case. Local Environment Canada
weather observer Boyd Taylor said
that the month’s accumulation has
not been the highest ever, but is
significant in that the majority has
arrived over the past two weeks.
“We need to remember that Jan. I
we had bare ground. It’s been a
steady, healthy winter since.”
“I suggest we need a mild spell to
keep this (snow) in place, because if
the blower gets turned on there’s
nothing to hold that powder in
place.”
Also interesting, he said, is that
there is a variation of snowfall
within a short distance. For example
overnight Jan. 22, Wingham saw a
foot of snowfall, while in the Blyth
area it measured two inches.
The cold snap started Jan. 10 and
Monday night’s low at Taylor’s
weather station was -25°C. “The old
Almanac predicted the cold snap,
but I don't think they thought it was
going to be so long.”
Taylor predicts a warming trend
this week for the January thaw.
However, he notes that sunlight this
month has also been at a premium.
Taylor has recorded just three days
when the sun shone for a time in the
Continued on page 20
Snow means
time off
for students
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
While school children have
enjoyed a few extra holidays in the
past two weeks, the three snow days
designated by the Avon Maitland
District School Board (AMDSB) are
not a monthly record.
Steve Howe, Manager of
Communications with AMDSB said
December, 2000 saw Five snow days
and those were far more disruptive
to the schedule because of the
already shortened month due to
Christmas holidays. Last year, there
was just one day with a few closures.
Though there have been three
snow days so far in January, Howe
said. “Those were not 100 per cent
days. Last Thursday, 28 of the 54
schools were closed and on Monday
(Jan. 20), 36 were closed.”
“Most of the rural schools were
affected, but many of the high
schools were open for study
Continued on page 20