HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2003-06-04, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2003.
Vandals cause severe damage to sign
Senseless damage
The welcome sign at the north end of Blyth was severely
damaged almost two weeks ago after vandals smashed the
lettering and threw the pieces into the neighbouring field.
Village worker Bill Bromley spent time Monday afternoon
attempting to repair the damage which could cost the
municipality several hundred dollars if the sign making
company-heeds to be called in. Inset at bottom right shows
damage (Janice Becker photo)
Police charge 3
On June 1 an officer spotted a
vehicle at 6 a.m. at the intersection
of CN Road and Tumberry Street jn
Brussels. The officer noted that the
driver of the 1988 Ford pickup tried
to avoid contact. The truck was
stopped a short distance away from
Brussels Agromart farm supply
dealership. There were three males
inside.
On approaching the officer
detected a strong odour of anhydrous
ammonia coming from the enclosed
box of the truck. Inside was a 45-
gallon barrel of ammonia.
The three were arrested and taken
to the Wingham OPP office where it
was learned that the one male had
Car found in pit
On May 31 at 12:15 a.m. OPP
were called to a residence on Smith
Lane in Brussels over the theft of a
truck.
The owner said that at 11:15 p.m.
she was up and looked out the
window to see a person getting into
her 1984 Ford black pickup truck.
The truck had been left unlocked
with the keys inside when a lone
male entered the vehicle and drove it
away.
A search of the immediate area
failed to locate the vehicle.
Then on June 1 at 10:30 a.m. the
truck was discovered abandoned in a
gravel pit in McKillop Twp.
Someone had driven the truck into a
pond in the pit where it was left
supplied a false name.
As a result of the investigation a
47-year-old Logan Twp. man has
been charged with theft under
$5,000 and possession of stolen
property.
A 31-year-old from Elma Twp. is
charged with possession of stolen
property, theft under $5,000 and
obstructing a police officer. The
third, a 16-year-old male from
Mornington Twp. was charged with
theft under $5,000 and possession of
stolen property.
The first two will attend court in
Wingham on Aug. 18 while the
youth will attend court in Goderich
on Sept. 11.
submerged.
If you have information about this
theft call the local OPP or Crime
Stoppers.
On May 31 at 7:30 p.m. OPP were
called to an apartment complex
located on Turnberry Street in
Brussels over a vehicle theft.
Sometime during the night a person
stole a two-door green Chev Monte
Carlo with Ontario marker #APDK-
190.
The vehicle had been locked at the
time of the theft and no keys were
hidden inside the car.
The vehicle is still outstanding and
anyone who can help in recovering
the stolen vehicle is asked to call the
local OPP or Crime Stoppers.
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
Vandalism has once again hit
Blyth, this time literally.
The village welcome sign at the
north end of the community on
London Road was smashed
sometime over the weekend of May
24-25.
Village worker Bill Bromley was
informed Sunday night then again
on Monday by observant residents.
When the men went to clean up,
Bromley said sections of the letters
and sign had been pulled off and
thrown into the field.
At the same time, other speed limit
signs were also found, said John
Stewart, clerk-administrator for
North Huron.
Nil council wrestles with bylaw
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
Now as the municipalities take
their turn to ponder the county’s
proposed smoking bylaw, it would
seem the circle game continues.
The county originally began with a
100 per cent ban, then changed it to
accommodate long-term care
facilities and psychiatric wards. This
was eventually defeated. Then it was
proposed that a 100 per cent ban be
put in place, but in a year’s time to
allow a period of adjustment.
With county councillors passing
this the bylaw must now be passed by
a majority of Huron municipalities
with a majority of the electorate.
At North Huron’s meeting on
Monday night, a number of letters
asking that consideration be given to
exempt long-term care facilities
again was included in the agenda
package. One of the writers was
Nancy McKague.
McKague’s father is a resident at
Braemar in Wingham. She spoke of
the fact that as this facility is his
home it would be an infringement of
his rights for him not to be allowed to
smoke in the designated smoking
area.
“I don’t agree with smoking in a
public place. But I don’t support
denying someone the right to smoke
in their own home.”
Deputy-Reeve Murray Scott noted
Buying a Car?
Special Rates Available!
For New and Used Car Financing
5.5% *
Call Us Today
•Limited time offer, rates subject to change
in exeter (519) 235-0640 in clinton (519) 482-3466 in listowel (519) 291-6189
Heartland®
Community Credit Union Limited
Where membership makes the difference
There was also significant
evidence that the sign had been used
as a soccer backstop.
The OPP have been contacted.
It is hoped that municipal
employees will be able to repair the
sign, which Bromley estimated as
having $1,000 worth of damage.
However, Stewart said that if that is
not possible or if pieces are missing,
the sign maker will have to be called
in to do the repair. There is, as of yet,
no cost estimate for the work. It is
not covered by insurance because of
the level of the municipal
deductible.
The signs at both the north and
south ends of the village were
refurbished just last year thanks to
private sponsorship. The total cost
was approximately $1,750, said
that while Braemar did have the
proper facilities, many long-term
care homes did not.
Saying he was frustrated with the
whole issue, Scott said, “It’s dragged
on. While I have sympathy I’m not in
favour of making a blanket policy for
places that don’t have proper
smoking areas in place.”
Scott added that he believed the
bylaw had been done wrong in the
first place and that there should have
been more input at the county. “I
would like to hear more on the
subject.”
Councillor Jim Campbell
wondered about a timeline for the
exemption, suggesting 10 years.
Reeve Doug Layton said, “I think
the goverment will be involved by
then.”
“Then it’s out of our hands,” said
Campbell.
“It should be now,” Layton
countered.
Councillor Jeff Howson said that
any exemptions should have to meet
the standards of the Tobacco Control
Act which allows for properly
ventilated smoking areas. “The issue
is the safety of the workers. I do feel
there would be more harmful effects
to have some of these people quit
smoking at there age, than to have
them smoking in designated areas.”
Councillor Arnold Taylor
expressed reservations about leaving
psychiatrict hospitals and restaurants
Stewart.
For Eleanor Babcock who played
a significant role in getting the signs
refurbished, the vandalism “makes
you feel so discouraged.”
“I hope they catch whoever did it,”
she added.
At the Monday night meeting of
North Huron council, Clerk-
Administrator John Stewart said a
tip had been received and this had
been passed onto police.
Anyone else who saw activity
around the sign at the time of the
incident or has information which
could be helpful in tracking the
cuiprit(s) are asked to call the
North Huron municipal office at
357-3550, the Huron County OPP,
524-8314 or CrimeStoppers, 1-800-
222-TIPS.
and bars off the exemption list. He
also added his frustration that the
province hadn’t handled this. “It’s
unfair that you can have exemptions
here, but the next municipality is
totally different.”
Layton admitted he had “flip-
flopped” on the topic, but felt a
compromise had been reached with
the one-year extension before the
bylaw would take effect. “I have
talked to some of our neighbours and
believe they are making changes that
would make a level-playing field.
The year gives people here time to
put their house in order.”
Clerk-Administrator John Stewart
said council now had three options:
to approve the bylaw, to defeat it and
if they wish make recommendations,
or defer a decision.
A motion by Howson to defeat it
but recommend exemptions for long
term care facilities was seconded by
Campbell. Taylor, however, said that
as he agreed with defeating the bylaw
he couldn’t agree with the
recommendation so voting would be
difficult. The motion was then
rescinded and changed to two
motions.
However, after further discussions,
councillors’ continued concerns
prompted another move. After
Councillor Murray Nesbitt stated he
would like time to give this subject
more thought, it was decided to defer
the decision until the June 16 meeting