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The Citizen, 2000-07-19, Page 1The Citizen _______________________Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Volume 16 No. 29 Wednesday, July 19, 2000 75 Cents (70c + 5c gst) 3 Stewardship Rangers take on Blyth Brook Pg. 6 Pg-9 Man recovers from brain surgery British rugby team humbles Madill squad Area students Ontario Scholars Local teen works with theatre professionals Huron East costs $1,094,000 By Janice Becker Citizen staff The estimated costs for restructuring Huron East are $1,094,000 with savings of $185,000. Brussels Clerk-Treasurer Donna White told councillors at the July 11 session, that the application for a funding grant had been filed. Councillor Mary Stretton said there was a hold up in plans for renovated office space as the engineer being dealt with for mechanical and electrical operations could not meet the requested deadline. White said the board is also currently reviewing benefit packages so it can be pulled together. She said there is very little difference between the municipalities. Internal posting had gone up for treasurer-finance manager, deputy clerk-treasurer and public works co­ ordinator. White said it was hoped selections for these three positions would be completed by the end of the month. Brussels to sell PUC With communities making final decisions for the supply of electricity to residents, Brussels council approved a motion July 11 to sell the utility. “At this point, there are little other options than to sell,” said Clerk-Treasurer Donna White. “We have looked at all the options, gone to all the meetings and I think this is in the best interest of the customers.” “The only question now,” said Reeve Ralph Watson, “is if we can get a better deal (from Hydro One).” Councillors encouraged those negotiating the deal to try to secure Continued on page 2 HU not worried by watehlist By Janice Becker Citizen staff A recent Globe and -Mail story reported a Ministry of the Environment “secret watchlist” naming Brussels and Morris Twp. among eight Huron County sites with adverse water incidents. The Huron County Health Unit is relatively unconcerned, however. Health unit inspector John Orr said some of those on the list w'ere simply .found to be at fault for not taking enough samples. “Brussels has had good quality water for years and has decided to leave the chlorinator on,” he said. The water had been chlorinated since May 26 when the Walkerton tragedy came to light. Brussels Clerk-Treasurer Donna The artist’s work Ingersoll-area potter Shirley Clifford was present in Blyth at the Bainton Art Gallery on Friday night for the gala opening of a new art exhibit featuring her Raku and Fumed Sawdust Process vases and the abstract photographs of Robert Evans. Potter displays unique work at Gallery By Bonnie Gropp Citizen staff Shirley Clifford refers to her life as phasic. “First there was my teaching, my pottery, then pregnancy, raising my family, then pottery again. Now I find if I don’t do pottery I get cranky.” Clifford, who now resides m the country outside Ingersoll, is displaying the results of this de- stresser as part of a two-person art exhibit in Bainton’s Gallery, Blyth, which opened Friday night. The talented artist was first brought to the attention of Gallery committee people by local potter Robert Tetu. White said she was in touch with the health unit first thing Monday morning to determine why Brussels had been listed. Though there had been occasional abnormalities with some samples in June, White said the system was flushed and re-checked and the follow test showed clean. “There was never E-coli,” she added. The Ministry of the Environment completed an inspection of the Brussels system, June 21, suggesting more frequent samples and a chlorinator be installed on the back­ up well. “1 guess it is a back-up for a back­ up,” said White. The ministry also suggested the village work with the board of education to have a tap installed in “Robert put my name forward as a local artist whose work he felt was interesting enough to be shown.” Twenty-nine of her pieces will be in the exhibit along with the abstract photographs of Robert Evans. Clifford, who has a college degree in the classics and worked as an elementary teacher started doing pottery in 1976 as a hobby, studying at Mohawk College then the Dundas Valley School of Art. “1 was in my early 20s when 1 saw someone demonstrating on a pottery wheel. I tucked it away knowing I would do it eventually. When I did I just loved it,” she said. However, when she became pregnant with her second son her the teachers’ room so the source for sampling could be considered sanitary. In the past samples had been taken from a drinking fountain which children handle. White said the municipality has been following all procedures to ensure clean water for the community and is satisfied everything is fine. “We are cautious too. If there had been a problem, we would have done whatever was necessary.” The Morris Twp. site listed on the watchlist is a private well, said Morris Twp. Clerk-Treasurer Nancy Michie. Responding to the numerous sites in Huron County on the list, Orr said the real story is that of the 3,400 samples sent to the lab for testing, 40 per cent are contaminated. interest was again sidelined until 1982 when she attended Algonquin College. it was after the family (which now included a third son) moved to London in 1986 that she really got serious, though, enrolling at the Ontario College of Art and Design, majoring in ceramics. Studying part- time she lived in Toronto for three days a week then spent the rest of the time at home. “It has always been a hobby, but once I'd finished having children 1 wanted to study it as my passion.” Since then Clifford has shown her work at exhibits at the Shorthills Gallery in Fonthill and the Taylor Gallery in Woodstock. The health unit is working to clean those water sources as well as encourage residents to fill all old wells. “Every time the water table is punctured, the risk for contamination is increased,” he said. Two Huron sites were listed as having specific contamination. East Wawanosh Public School was discovered months ago and cleaned while the Exeter situation was a private well serving three residences with no chlorination. The situation has been rectified. The health unit continues to advise residents to test their water. Three consecutive clean samples are preferred to ensure a safe supply. Information on the location of sampling kits can be obtained through the health unit. Though Clifford does all types of pottery the work at the Blyth show is Raku vases and Fumed Sawdust Process pieces. The latter are vases buried in sawdust with different chemical and organic matter such as banana peels. This gives off “colourful fumes”, similar to those of a campfire, resulting in a myriad of swirling colours “It’s very random, you can’t control it." All of the pieces are offered for sale. Excited by her first exhibit in Blyth, Clifford said, she believes her pieces will show nicely with Evan’s photographs. “It is a body of work that will compliment each other very well.”