HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2004-09-09, Page 1ESTA USAE1) gal 71, 1,4
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43rd
The Citizen
Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Volume 20 No. 35 Thursday, Sept. 9, 2004
$1 (93c + 7c GST)
Inside this week
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pft 12 Summer sports
SP section begins
Reunion
begins
Friday
It's back for the 43rd time.
The Huron Pioneer Thresher
-Reunion and Hobby Show will
commence on Sept. 10 at the
.Threshers campgrounds in Blyth.
The three-day event will offer
something for. everyone including
adult and child antique, garden
tractor pull, steam engine plowing,
thresher demonstrations and tons of
delicious food.
Last year over 14,000 people
gathered at the 'fairgrounds to watch
some of the oldest farm machines
come back to life.
Everything from corn pickers to
steam engines will perform a
demonstration that is sure to draw a
crowd.
See the workings of a 1950
Buckeye ditching machine or an
Erie type B 1925-26 steam shovel.
Or maybe your interest lies more in
a 1949 John Deere M or perhaps a
1919 Waterloo steam engine.
On display are antique and classic
cars and a restored 1855 Sawyer
reaper.
A new attraction this year will be a
debut presentation by Goderich
Radio Controlled Modellers Flying
Club who will demonstrate a few
modern airplanes and some models
from the First World War.
If you've ever tried to train a dog,
you'll appreciate the border collie
demonstration each day.
With precision and skills, the
Clarkshome border collies are
guided around obstacles wbile
herding an undisciplined flock of
sheep and Indian runner ducks.
There are special events directed
specifically children and adults
which happen on both Saturday and
Sunday.
Attendance at area elementary
schools is up and down this year as
the first week of school wraps up
and students settle into a regular
routine.
Brussels Public School reported
that its attendance numbers are up
from last year with about 205
students enrolled, although some are
not considered full-time.
The school also- announced it has
six new staff members including
Vicki Carter teaching kindergarten,
Shannon McGavin teaching Grade
1, Jennifer Graham teaching Grade
2, Marie Mitchell teaching Grade 3
as well as Nathalie Mathieu who
will teach a split between French
and Grade 4/5. Wayne Stewart has
The 84th annual Belgrave,
Brussels and Blyth school fair has
arrived.
The fun-filled day begins with a
parade at 12:30 11;m., starting east of
the Women's Institute Hall in
Belgrave, followed by an afternoon
of jam-packed exciting events at the
arena and ball diamond.
The fair is strictly designed for
students from kindergarten to Grade
8 and is organized and run by a
volunteer committee.
Committee treasurer Linda
Warwick, said each year the number
of adult volunteers goes down, but
the number of participants rises.
"We are in dire need of volunteers.
We don't have many parent
volunteers and we need more help as
more people participate," said
Warwick.
When the parade is over, MP Paul
also joined the staff at the school.
Blyth Public School reports that
attendance numbers are about the
same as last year. Two new teachers
are being welcomed to the school as
well.
Terri Hamather will teach Grade 8
and Janet Watkins will teach French.
During September, George Barker
will take on the role of acting
principal until the return of Jane
Morton.
East Wawanosh Public School
reports that its attendance is down
about 10 from last year, having
about 180 enrolled for the 2004-05-
school year.
New staff at the school include
Frank Stretton as acting principal,
Steckle and MPP Carol Mitchell will
speak to the staff, students and other
attendees at the fair.
Each year, the student in Grade 8
with the highest point in schoolwork
is asked to open the fair. This student
is then rewarded for their dedication
with a coin set presented by
Steckle.
One boy and one girl from the
junior and senior division who
obtain the highest points at the fair in
their respective division will receive
a special book.
Plaques, donated by the Belgrave
and District Kinsmen, will be
awarded to one boy and one girl for
winning the highest number of
points in the schoolwork classes.
Winners of the highest number of
points, excluding schoolwork, will
receive a sweatshirt from Wescast
Industries.
Sydney Elder teaching Grade 6/7
and Christian Feldskov as the new
education assistant.
Grey Central Public School
reported that it has lost some and
gained some students this year,
equaling out to be about the same
attendance numbers as last year.
Kim Strome is the new Grade 6/7
teacher, Peter Bartlett will teach
Grade 5/6 and Stephanie McDonald
is the new Early Years teacher.
Hullett Public School reported that
its numbers are down with about 166
enrolled students.
Hullett only has one new teacher
joining the staff, Christa Waldon
who will teach Grade 1 afternoon
classes.
Sports programs include a bicycle
and tricycle competition, tug-of-war,
kick the shoe and a pets competition
where students are judged on their
pets.
There is also a livestock program
where students, who are divided into
classes, show a wide range of
animals including calves, lartbs,
horses and goats.
Students can enter into open
classes of hay, grain and corn as well
as roots and vegetables.
They are also encouraged to show
their green thumbs by showing
flowers. Seeds are supplied by the
fair committee in the spring.
Home economics competitions are
also available as well as a farm
mechanic class.
Students show their artistic talent
by competing in poster and essay
writing contests.
Province
scuttles
program
By Keith Roulston
Citizen publisher
Huron County councillors
expressed frustration, Sept. 4, that
the Connect Ontario program,
designed to make rural Ontario
more competitive by upgrading
Internet connections, has been
cancelled.
"It's extremely unfortunate" said
Scott Tousaw, director of Huron
County planning and development
noting that 51 agencies in Huron
and Perth has formed a partnership
to seek the grant. "We were
approved to do a business plan for a
$1.1 million program."
But that was before the change of
governments. after last fall's
provincial election. Since then the
Connect Ontario: Broadband
Regional Access (COBRA)
Program and the Connect Ontario:
Partnering for Smart Communities
Program were both cancelled.
"It's rather frustrating to say the
least," said Tousaw noting the
people brought together from the
two counties were meeting to see if
they could salvage any good from
the work they had done.
Joe Seili of Huron East wondered
if the wardens of the two counties
should be contacting officials to
express their displeasure.
"They've (the province)
announced millions of dollars for
cities.in the last year and it's coming
from cuts to rural. Ontario."
"We get no respect in Toronto,"
complained Warden. Bill Dowson.
Councillors approved a motion
from Seili and Dorothy Kelly of
Morris-Turnberry to have the two
county wardens send a letters
expressing their displeasure with the
cancellation.
Warden
blasts
province
By Keith Roulston
Citizen publisher
Bill Dowson, warden of Huron
County, predicts future water
problems if the province doesn't
restore its municipal outlet drainage
grants.
"We're taking our whole drainage
system backward," Dowson told
county councillors at their Sept. 2
meeting.
On Aug. 4 the province
eliminated grants that helped
municipalities construct and
maintain drains that provide outlets
for farm drainage projects. Dowson
warned there might be problems if
farmers were asked to pick up the
whole cost of municipal drains and
they might dump water from farm
Continued on page 6
Getting a lift
Joe Freeman removes a load full from the area of the sawmill as volunteers with the Huron
Pioneer Thresher Association were busy at a work bee on Monday in preparation for the 43rd
annual Reunion this weekend. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
Schools welcome new staff
Belgrave school fair, Sept. 15