HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2003-04-02, Page 1' '
Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Volume 19 No. 13 Wednesday, April 2, 2003 75 Cents (70c + 5c gst)
Pg-9 Greyhounds win
rec league crown
Pg-12 AMDSB realigns
trustee territories
Pg -21 Johns holds
teleconference
Pg-23 Locals host
Japanese troupe
search
of some
top
citizens
Yet again despite many worthy
people, nominations for our
Citizens of the Year are trickling in.
Also, yet again, 'though by no
means overwhelming in their
contributions, the residents of
Brussels have entered more
nominations for this year’s award
than Blyth.
To date only four forms have
been submitted for the Brussels and
Area Citizen of the Year Award, and
one for Blyth and area.
Our communities are fortunate to
have so many people deserving of
this honour. There is still time to
enter their names.
A selection by committee will be
made from each community. Entry
forms, included in this newspaper
can be dropped off at either of our
offices.
Learning to rhyme
Kim Sonnet of Rural Response for Healthy Children performs a song and rhyme with Daniel
Fritz on the final day of the Mother Goose program at Brussels library last Tuesday. Designed
for parents and young children, the program, which ran from March 6 to March 27, helped
teach participants how to tell and enjoy stories, including non-traditional ones. It also supports
early literacy. (Janice Becker photo)
Time to Brussels water revenues
spring
forward,
Sunday
You’re going to
rise and shine an
hour earlier this
Sunday.
Don’t forget to
turn your clocks
ahead as Daylight
Saving Time
The main purpose of Daylight
Saving Time is to make better use of
daylight, providing more light in the
evenings and thereby saving energy.
fall short by $402,
By David Blaney
Special to The Citizen
The post-Walkerton world has
officially come to Brussels and it
brought with it a $400,000 deficit in
the village water system.
To be exact, a $402,939 shortfall
in water system revenues was
predicted by Huron East Treasurer
Brad Knight at the March 25 council
meeting. This shortfall goes against
current system reserves of $51,333
and includes an assumption of
$200,000 assistance from the
province.
The main cause of the huge
problem is new government
regulations mandating upgrades to
plant and wells requiring $407,000
in capital costs, during this budget
year alone. Added to this are deficits
from previous years totaling
$93,969.
Only $49,000 is currently
budgeted for improving or replacing
current mains and hydrants.
Water systems are taxed on a user
pay system, which means that the
445 Brussels homes and businesses
connected to the water system are
going to have to pay the bill.
Residents currently pay $131 for
water each year via their municipal
tax bill.
Knight said that each user would
need to pay $80 more each year for
water for the next 10 years to retire
the deficit.
This supposes that no further
939
expensive changes are required in
the future.
The problem is not unique to the
Brussels system as both Seaforth
and Brucefield systems are facing
deficits to one degree or another.
Councillors seemed resigned at the
March 25 meeting to have rates
move up steeply and quickly.
Councillor Greg Wilson said,
“The sooner we can up the rates to
recover that money the better.”
“Eleven dollars a month is cheap
water and I think our residents know
that.”
Brussels residents can take some
comfort from the fact that the local
sewage system is not in need of extra
funds and has a significant system
reserve.
Drugs,
topic
of COP
meeting
By Andrea Hruska
Special to The Citizen
Members of the Community
Oriented Policing committee left the
March meeting a bit wiser about
street drugs and how they affect
young people and communities. OPP
Sr. Const. Don Shropshall and Const.
Dave Gillan presented displays of
drugs and paraphernalia and
answered questions from adults
looking for ways to better understand
a problem most children will face.
Gillan passed around some marijuana
leaves for the group to see and smell
while explaining about “grow
houses”, propagation and THC
levels.
THC (Delta-9 Tetra Hydro
Cannabinol) is the oil or resin that
forms on the leaves of the plant. The
level of the oil can range anywhere
from 14 - 29 per cent with the higher
number being the better quality.
Staff Sgt. Ray Massicott of the
Waterloo Regional Police Drug Unit
explains that although marijuana is
“dangerous enough in and of itself’
large amounts of pesticides and
insecticides are used to control
infestations of spider mites which are
attracted to the sticky resin on the
leaves.
“These chemicals are not rinsed
away,” Sgt. Massicott stated in a
telephone interview, “and on the
streets here (in Waterloo Region)
they are calling this stuff ‘chemo’.”
He stressed the seriousness of people
not knowing the purity or the source
of the drugs they are purchasing.
“Drugs like speed
(methamphetamines) and ecstacy are
often produced in homemade labs.
Our undercover officers purchased
what they were told was ecstasy but
the analysis showed the pills
contained Viagra and horse
tranquilizers.”
Gillan said that due to the risks
involved, police must call Health
Canada rather than enter the
suspected labs themselves.
Rohypnol the “date rape drug” and
ecstasy are referred to as “club
drugs” as these are most common at
raves, concerts and clubs. Ecstasy or
“E” is more of a stimulant increasing
heart rate and giving an overall sense
of euphoria.
Shropshall explained that E. which
can also be snorted, can be purchased
for anywhere from $10 - $20 a tab,
producing a high that lasts about a
day. He estimated that approximately
30 per cent of high school students
have been approached to try ecstasy.
“It will probably not be adults
selling to your kids. Most kids today
are approached by their peers, using
tactics like ‘I’ll let you try it for free’
or “So and so tried it and nothing bad
happened to him’.”
Rohypnol or roofies is a
depressant, causing temporary
memory loss and unconsciousness. It
Continued on page 6