HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-07-12, Page 1Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Volume 16 No. 28 Wednesday, July 12, 2000 75 Cents (70c + 5c gst)
Inside this week
New business in
Brussels
Ambulance debate
continues
Area churches
welcome new
minister
Venturers take
adventure trip
Stratford’s ‘Fiddler’ a
must-see
Team
to study
brook
The Blyth Brook and Middle
Maitland watersheds will be the sites
of intensive study this summer as
teams from the Maitland Watershed
Partnerships 4ook at water quality,
forestry and agro-ecological issues.
Jayne Thompson of the Maitland
Valley Conservation Authority, just
one of the several dozen partners
involved in the undertaking, says the
Blyth Brook was chosen for the
study as it has had extensive
rehabilitation work completed.
“We think of it as healthy, but a
closer look will tell us what is going
on and what steps can be taken to
make it healthier.”
Watershed residents have been
sent mailings regarding the project
and will, at a later date, be surveyed
about environmental practices, said
Thompson.
Members of the water team,
studying the Middle Maitland which
runs east of Listowel through Ethel
and Brussels before joining the
Little Maitland south of Wingham,
say the river is unsafe for any
purpose. The study, however, will
focus on the North. Perth section of
the waterway.
According to Brian Wretham,
chair of the water team, in a
presentation to the North Perth
council recently, quality and
quantity of the water is poor and
unacceptable and should not be used
for bathing.
He noted that standards should be
set for the release of effluent from
sewage treatment plants and run-off
of pesticides, manure and chemicals
should alarm residents.
The effect of these contaminants
on groundwater, the source of
drinking water, is unknown.
E-coli counts have regularly been
above acceptable levels in the
Middle Maitland, added Doug
Hocking, water stewardship
technician for the partnership
program.
These issues as well as nitrate and
phosphorus levels will be looked at.
Results from the study and an
open house are expected this fall.
Bluevale residents say enough’s enough
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
The time has come for action.
At a public meeting in Bluevale to
address the on-going concern of
vandalism in the hamlet, a
committee of citizens was formed to
consider the establishment of a
Citizens On Patrol (COP) program.
Also present at the meeting, which
was chaired by Turnberry Reeve
Brian McBumey was Community
Policing Officer OPP Const. Dell
Mercey, Brussels COP co-ordinator
Mary Stretton and members of the
North Huron Community Policing
Committee.
Mercey referred to the COP
program as the best solution to come
to light in recent years. “If you really
take a good look at crime, police
don't solve anything without the
help of the public unless they catch
someone red handed.”
Backing up his claim that the COP
programs (there are also ones in
Exeter, Bayfield and Blyth) are
considered a success, he offered
some statistics with regards to
Brussels. In 1998 before the program
there were 18 reported break and
enters That number dropped to five
after the program was up and
running.
“1 believe that some of the credit
for this has to go to the COP
program.”
Mercey explained that volunteers
patrol the village in pairs by car or
on foot during the late evening, early
morning hours. There is no schedule
as volunteers pick and choose when
they want to be out. They do not
approach anyone but report
suspicious activity to the OPP.
“It’s going to be hit and miss.
There will be times when you won’t
see anything, but advertising that
this program is here may deter some
of the vandals. They may think
twice before smashing a light at the
ball park, because they don’t know if
someone just might be sitting in the
dark.”
Stretton agreed. “If you have this
program, it would be a success. It’s
not hard and it does work.”
Noting that the populations and
geography created a different type of
situation for Bluevale than Brussels
many wondered how they cruise
through the village for hours.
Stretton noted that while the
Brussels volunteers did have more
area to travel, they also frequently
parked in places and sat for an hour
or so.
Bluevale’s size also offers an
advantage, Mercey said. “You are
going to know in short order if
there's someone walking around
who may do damage. You know the
people here. That’s the beauty.”
Another issue raised was the fact
that many occurrences are not being
reported to police. Mercey said that
in 2000 there had been three reports
of theft in Bluevale and three of
mischief.
“That’s not a lot. If those numbers
surprise you then people aren't
calling things in.” If people just let it
go then we’re not aware of what is
going on.”
Some residents expressed concern
regarding the possibility of
retaliation. If a person reports a
crime and won't testify if necessary,
Mercey said the police don't have a
case. Several residents, however, felt
that the person would then become a
target for further vandalism or
trouble.
Mercey said, “You have to decide
you are not going to let a dozen or so
people terrorize you. They are not
going to retaliate against an entire
village.”
Though it was agreed that some of
the problem may be a lack of
recreation for the teens in the village,
one resident said that it was the pre
eminent problem that needed to be
addressed that night. “We can’t
solve all the problems here, now.
The fact that there is more vandalism
occurring than is being reported is
Many hands make for smooth roll
It was all hands on deck Friday when the crew of the Blyth Festival endeavoured to remove
’the thresher from the backstage area of the theatre with the completion of Death of a Hired
Man. A complex array of cables, pulleys, divided ramps and several capable assistants were
needed to slowly lower the heavy piece of machinery to ground level. Plans are incomplete but
it is hoped the thresher along with information from the theatre production will be on display at
the thresher reunion in September.
Sludge storage tank leaking
Blyth council is facing a sludge
storage decision after Henry Rouw
of the Ontario Clean Water Agency
informed council a tank was leaking.
Rouw told council July 4, that an
inspection of a sludge storage tank
on a farm owned by Lloyd Michie,
used by Blyth and Brussels, was
found to be seeping through seams
or cracks.
He said the problem may have
become more noticeable this year
what we have to look at. It’s
important people report things so
police and community have an
accurate account of the size of the
problem we’re facing.”
He added, “We should take
advantage of this meeting to come to
some conclusion. My feeling is that
we should do something.”
Asked his opinion, McBurney
said, “If enough people are involved
you won’t get the retaliation,” he
said.
The resident agreed, saying that
retaliation should be the easiest
crime to report. “They point the
finger at themselves.”
Suggesting that a committee could
also look at things like activities for
the youth, McBurney said it was up
to them where they started. “Or we
because it was filled more this past
winter.
The tank was pumped out for
further inspection, but due to
repeated rains, a complete clean out
was not possible, said Rouw.
The minimum to repair the tank,
which is at least 20-years-old, would
be around $20,(X)0 (not including the
50/50 split with Brussels), council
was told. This would increase if the
floor needed work.
go home and let the kids take over.”
The resident who spoke in favour
of the committee agreed. “The only
thing that counts is action. If we do
coalesce, if we show determination,
once these people realize it’s real,
that there are others who care, things
will change.”
Unanimous approval was given to
the committee with Turnberry
Councillor Wayne Riley as
spokesperson to work with Mercey.
Application forms are available from
him for anyone interested in being
part of the program. Turnberry
councillors agreed to purchase a cell
phone and some other start up items
for the volunteers.
Once the group is set there will be
a meeting with Mercey to get the
program up and running.
Rouw said the tank currently holds
200,000 gallons with approximately
130,000 being generated by Blyth in
six months. Changing government
regulations regarding spreading time
for sludge will require the villages to
acquire more capacity.
Previous guidelines simply said
there would be no spreading on
frozen ground or on snow cover.
New legislation will not allow
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