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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2003-03-26, Page 1Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Volume 19 No. 12 Wednesday, March 26, 2003 75 Cents (70c + 5c gst) Cause of fire not determined The deadly fire on March 18 which killed Brussels resident John Lowe may have been caused by a cigarette, but a fire investigator with the fire marshal's office said Tuesday, that the cause has been officially listed as undetermined. According to Todd Clark the source of the blaze has been pinpointed to the area of a garbage bag in the kitchen.- _ . “While everything fits towards a possible smoking case, the ignition source has not been found. Until we do, the cause of the fire is undetermined,” The cause of death was determined to be smoke inhala­ tion. Brussels may get concrete plant Brussels may soon see a new enterprise in the community. Kraemer Concrete is currently going through the process of purchasing two lots in the village’s industrial park. Huron East Clerk-Administrator Jack McLachlan said it is his understanding that the company plans to construct a concrete plant on the site. Jim Kraemer of Kraemer Concrete in Brunner said the project is still in the works so nothing can be confirmed before the end of April. “There is still a lot to be done,” he said. The paperwork for the sale of the property is being reviewed by lawyers and a bylaw of approval for the sale was passed by council at the March 18 council meeting. Weather reduces flood risk By Janice Becker Citizen staff Warm days and cools nights have great benefits in reducing the risk of flooding along the Maitland river this spring. “As of Monday morning, things are looking pretty good,” said Jayne Thompson of the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority. “The river is clear of ice from Wingham to the mouth at Goderich. Ice jams had been our major concern.” Though she said there is still ice in the northern section of the river, it is hoped the warm weather this week will help the ice move through. The flood risk has also been reduced because the area has received very little of the rain which had been predicted for last week. Though things have been going very well, Thompson points out that the authority is still keeping watch as any significant amount of rainfall this week could change the situation quickly. Parents should keep their children away from waterways and children in school are being reminded of the dangers of the cold, fast-moving waters at this time of year. The banks are also unstable because of ice. “We are still in the flood monitoring watch stage,” she said. If the area gets through this week with little rain, the risk will be lessened as most of the snow pack should be gone by then. The slow melt will help the wetlands replenish, she said, because, in spite of the heavy snow pack, the area is still in drought conditions. Thompson said there was an ice jam on the Nine Mile River at Port Albert last week which had to be cleared away. There has also been a report of an ice jam on the Middle Maitland in Moms-Tumberry. Did amalgamation save money? By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor While amalgamation may have resulted in some savings for North Huron, it sure wasn’t what was expected. In the final report on municipal restructuring for the province, Director of Finances/Treasurer Donna White listed the projected annual savings as $385,000. The actual savings in 2001 was $65,974.69 and even less in 2002 at $59,819.76. The biggest reason for the difference was the sustaining of the Continued on page 6 Nature’s nectar This has not been a good year for local maple syrup producers as warm days are not being followed by freezing night temperatures. First-time sap collector Amy Shortreed and her sister Kendra Wilts took a team of horses to the bush Monday morning for the hour-long task. They are the daughters of Ken and Judy Shortreed of Morris. (Janice Becker photo) Bad season for syrup producers By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor Spring’s swift arrival has been welcomed by area residents after a harsh, cold winter. But for maple syrup producers the weather has been less than co-operative. “Everybody want spring except the syrup makers,” said Suzanne Robinson of Robinson Maple Products, RR2, Auburn. She said the warm temperatures have made for a very late season. However, she wonders if lake effect has made a difference in how the sap is running. “Sunday was our best day, but I have talked to others who were saying their lines were not full at all.” Ray and Barb Storey of the Winthrop area said the crop this year has quite simply been “the pits”. “We have had no really frosty nights and the daytime temperatures have been too warm,” said Barb, adding that as of Monday they still hadn’t been able to make any for retail. “The quality is not the same as in other years. I have 150 litres on order and I don’t have any to sell at this point.” Storey said that should the weather turn cold over the next couple of days they will produce a crop but it will be a darker syrup than usual. However, if the weather stays warm, the buds will come out on the trees and it will be too late, she notes. Storey explains that the season has been strange from the beginning. “This is the first year we had to dig the snow away from the trees so we could hang buckets. And then the first day we went to get the buckets there were flies in them because the temperature had been so warm. That is something you usually see towards the end of the season.” Should the trend continue, Storey said it is possible the price for this year’s crop will increase. At this point, however, she remains “optimistic”. Robinsons have about a quarter of a crop to this point and like Storeys are praying for some cold nights over the course of the next 10 days. “So far the sap is running every day and we are boiling every day so we’re gaining in numbers. We need that frost at night but we’ll keep plugging away. We have hope.”