HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2004-07-15, Page 1g•0 Bluevale gears up
for 150th
Keen
interest
in Mill
By Elyse DeBruyn
Citizen staff
The Citizen
Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Volume 20 No. 28
Thursday, July 15, 2004
$1 (93c + 7c GST)
Inside this week
Pg. 2
Pg. 6
Pg. 8
Div in 'Heat Wave' at
I S. Blyth Festival
A keen interest from the public
was shown for the first community
meeting to decide what will become
of Logan's Mill in firtissels.
Ralph Laviolette, from Huron
East's business growth and
economic development officer, said
the July 7 meeting at the United
Church in Brussels, went well with
about 25-30 people present.
A survey had been given to local
residents for input regarding the
restoration of the Mill and the
steering committee reviewed the
results: "I got a real sense that the
community wants something done
with the Mill," said Laviolette'
"People have volunteered their time
and about 40 have people said they
could offer their services when
needed."
The survey suggested the Mill be
used for niulti-purpose reasons such
as any of the following; a museum,
an education centre, an arts and
cultural Centre, a community
meeting centre or a restaurant and
coffee house. Laviolette said
combining,a museum and restaurant
was one of the most favourable
options.
He also said the steering
committee has begun to form a
working committee which will
organize fundraising events, apply
for grants and develop an expense
account. The committee will hold a
public meeting every two weeks,
however the next meeting date
hasn't been set. "It's our way to get
the community involved."
The committee also discussed
;ending out a newsletter every four
weeks to "keep the people up to
;peed, " said Laviolette.
Next, the committee will discuss
-enovations, fundraising ideas,
architectural information while
•etaining the character of the
iuilding and its outside walls and
isten to suggestions from an
:ngineer.
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
A special piece of Auburn history
is coming home for the 150th
anniversary celebration thanks to
one long-time resident.
Jim Schneider has never been one
to ignore an antique. The front of
his, and wife Dorothy's Goderich
Street home is a showcase for their
impressive personal collection of
antiques and artifacts.
It was 10 years ago that the
Schneiders discovered an
interesting relic at the Agricultural
Museum in Milton. It seemed that
the threshing machine on display
had an Auburn connection.
"I came home and asked around
back here and there was the odd
person who could remember
hearing that someone in Auburn had
built a threshing machine," said
Jim.
Last summer, when he and
Dorothy returned to Milton to visit
the Heritage Museum, Schneider
said he saw the machine again, and
"after a little digging" got himself
into the administration office.
"I told them the number and they
got all the history they had."
According to what Schneider was
told, it seems that around 1865
Robert Downs was operating a
blacksmith carriage at the edge of
the village on what is now
Donnybrook Line.
"One winter, I guess it was slack
and there were not a lot of carriages
to be built and this William Downs,
(whom it's assumed was a brother)
proceeded to built a threshing
machine."
"By working with these old
machines, I'd have to say it was a
prototype with all the old stencilling
and decals-. To my knowledge it's
the only one built."
The machine came to the
Agricultural Museum by way . of
donation from a man in Michigan,
believed to be a distant relative of
the Downs family.
Then in 1977 Dilbert Downs of
Milton, who was William's great-
nephew, visited Agricultural
Museum and provided information.
"No documented evidence remains.
This is the information passed
through his family as he
understands it."
The grand opening of the
Emergency Services Training (EST)
Centre in Blyth is being held at 1
p.m. on Friday, July 30.
The event will celebrate the 120-
plus volunteers hours each of the
firefighters has committed to this
project, as well as the tremendous
community support that made it
After learning this, Schneider
came home, but continued to think
about the machine. "I thought it
would be a good gimmick to have
here for the 150th."
With assistance from George
Smyth of Dungannon, who is a
director with the Museum,
arrangements were made for the
machine to be loaned out during the
August long weekend celebrations.
"It was quite a deal to get it. They
normally don't let things out," said
Schneider.
Smyth transported the machine to
Schneiders by float on July 8. Since
then Schneider has been busy trying
to get it spruced up. "It's not going
to be restoration. It would never
hold up. I'm just going to wash it
and clean it up."
The Downs threshing machine
will be on display on the front lawn
of the Schneiders' home during the
150th celebration.
possible, said David Sparling,
project co-ordinator.
Also, he said, "Blyth firefighters
are honoured to have the Ontario
Fire Marshal Bernard Moyle at our
ceremony."
Following the grand opening there
will be public tours. The Centre is
located at 40193 Blyth Rd.
Council
wants
re-check
of septic
tanks
By Keith Roulston
Citizen publisher
Huron County councillors urged
health unit officials to move ahead
with a reinspection -of older septic
tank systems to help keep water
safe.
"I hate to see this drag on and on,"
said Deb Shewfelt, Goderich
councillor. Other municipalities
have been moving toward inspecting
and repairing or replacing older
septic tank systems, he said.
Huron County has an estimated
14,000 septic tank systems which
serve about 64 per cent of the
population. The health unit has
records of only 9,000 of the systems.
The resources of the health unit
would be best used in concentrating
on the 5,000 systems which are
older than the county's records,
suggested Ben Van Diepenbeek,
councillor for Colborne-Ashfield-
Wawanosh.
Penny Nelligan, health unit
director, said the Ministry of
Environment had estimated up to 65
per cent of those systems could be
failing. MOE officials showed
county staff signs to look of septic
tank failure for such as additional
vegetation on beaches, she said.
Shewfelt said the cottage areas
west of Hwy. 21 should be the first
place for the county to start with
reinspections. Cottage associations
have indicated support for a clean-
up of faulty systems, he said. In
other areas, infra-red equipment on
aircraft has been used to pick up
possible problem areas.
But South Huron councillor Rob
Morley suggested priority should
also be given to septic systems in the
county's small villages, many of
which are quite old.
Repairing and replacing systems
would be a huge financial burden.
Under the Huron Healthy Futures
program 199 septic systems projects
were approved for upgrades or
replacements at a cost totalling
$1,146,587 but it's estimated this
represents only about three per cent
of the systems needing work.
"There's going to have to be some
funding or some loan program if we
want to tell 5,000 people they have
to replace their septic tanks,"
warned Van Diepenbeek.
"We need something to help deal
with the problem," agreed Warden
Bill Dowson. Dowson has promoted
a provincial loan program for septic
systems similar to the tile drains
loan program for farmers. While
various groups have expressed
interest, so far no one has moved to
set up such a loan fund.
Home for a visit
Jim Schneider of Auburn discovered this old threshing machine, which was built in Auburn, at
the former Ontario Agricultural Museum in Milton a decade ago. Seeing it recently still on
display at the Heritage Museum, Schneider got thinking that it would be nice to bring it back
home for the 150th celebration of Auburn, coming up on the Civic Weekend. After no small
amount of talking and planning it was accomplished and Schneider is now busy getting the
machine spick and span for its return. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
Downs' thresher home for 150th
Kids go to Kentucky
camp
County saves on
WSIB, aims for more
Locals in Niagara
tournament
EST opening, July 30