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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2006-01-05, Page 1Generous contributors The Belgrave Kinsmen conducted their annual food drive for the Huron Food Share. The result was the best drive yet with seven large bins filled. The Kinsmen acknowledge the support for this and other projects throughout the year, as well as those who assisted. Reps from the food bank stated that the effort was greatly appreciated. (Photo submitted) Stick to those resolutions Inside this week A retrospective of 3 • kJ the year 2005 D Q Girls play well in Pg. 0 tournament Pg look at the •1.1 babies of 2005 tin n Woman stands at 15'1 7 'temporary' Wall • f)x, Country Gentleman rg• het back in Blyth Farmers get tax relief in Huron E. By Heather Crawford Citizen staff The Citizen Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Volume 22 No. 1 Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006 $1 (93c + 7c GST) Huron East farmland owners will be getting some temporary tax relief to help ease the income crisis and show support for farmers. Huron East council decided to bring back a program implemented last year that defers all farmland taxation until the fall installment dates. Huron East mayor Joseph Seili stated council's intention at the Huron East Town Hall in Seaforth on Wednesday, Dec. 28. "We started the program because of the conditions in the farming communities," Huron East clerk- administrator Jack McLachlan said The tax deferred does not include taxatioh in the farm residences. This taxation will continue to be collected over the regular four installments. McLachlan said the comments tram farmers last year were very positive. "It was very favourable in the farming communities," he said. "It will free up $900,000 in the economy in the next six months," he said. The results were apporximately equal to this figure last year. "The farm income crisis has continued and many of the province's farmers face a bleak spring in 2006," a statement for the council said. According to Statistics Canada, livestock farmers saw their revenues increase by seven per cent to $13.4 billion this year. Cattle and calf receipts were the main contributor to this rise, as prices and marketings improved from their low BSE- affected levels in 2004. Huron East has 7,700 properties of which approximately. 1,700 have farmland assessments attached to them. This is just over 25 per cent of the farmland assessments in Huron County. I will stop biting my nails.' will stop eating chocolate. I will quit smoking. Sound familiar? You've likely made resolutions like these in years past. And like most people, you make the same resolutions year in and year out, only to return to the same old habits two weeks later. Anyone can make New Year's resolutions. But the hard part is sticking to them...To help you folloW through with your goals, follow this plan; Write it down. Record what you want to achieve and why. Each day, write down your progress toward your goal. That way, you'll be able to keep yourself in check. • Tell a friend. Don't try to achieve the goal on your own. Tell 4 friend or two who will support and tncourage you along the way. The more people By Heather Crawford Citizen staff Plans for the meat packing plant were presented to local farmers at a meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 21. The plant has been estimated to cost between $17-$26 million and- would be located in Brussels, next to Brussels Livestock. Preliminary plans have been in the works for several months while planners met with consultants. "The next step is to put together a there are who know about it, the higher your likelihood is for success. Seek resources. Read a book, visit some Web sites, join a support group, seek counseling, take a course. All these resources will give you the support you,need so you don't have to go through it alone. Remind yourself. Vishal cues will help you stay focused. Wrap a loose rubber band around your finger. Post a picture on the refrigerator. Creative reminders will help keep you on target. Stay positive. Negative thinking will get you nowhere. Don't beat yourself up if you make a mistake or are taking a little longer than you thought to achieve your goal. Instead, focus on your success and happinesS. Don't overextend yourself. In short, don't make too many resolutions at one time. Instead, focus on one, business plan proposal and to find a board of directors," Huron East mayor Joe Seili said. "[This is expected] over the next six months." Under the federal government's Ruminant Slaughter Equity Assistance Program, the government will pay $500 for every $1,000 of farmer investment. Seili said they are looking for farmers to raise $10 million. "But that's not just local farmers. That's farmers from across Ontario," he said. If the figure is achieved then maybe two goals that you strongly want to accomplish. Plan. Think about how you will achieve your goals, and plan for them accordingly. If you want to give up your morning donut, keep cereal on hand for breakfast instead. Set realistic goals. Make resolutions that you can really attain. Break them down into small steps, and assess what steps can be taken to reach those goals. Achieve goals slowly. You don't have to give up smoking and coffee on the same day. Take small steps over the course of time. Remain flexible. Don't just give up on a resolution if it isn't working. Modify it. If you can't exercise five times a week, try to exercise three times a week. It's okay to make adjustments to your resolution as long as you still stick with it. the government will give $5 million, he added. He isn't expecting anymore meetings in the immediate future. "Not until we get our homework done," he said. Earlier in December, Seili discussed the meat packing plant at the Beef Symposium inBrussels. He reported then that things looked positive and the project was nearly at the point to call back together people who had taken part in one of the first meetings about a farmer-owned meat packing plant. `Iris the season to take it outside With the holidays just behind us and New Year's resolutions ahead, the season to ensure one of those promises includes protecting others from exposure to second-hand smoke. Breathing Space, a community partnership for smoke-free homes and cars, is launching a province- wide radio advertisement campaign, this week, reminding people to smoke outdoors. This year's campaign is spon- sored by all Ontario local public health departments and the Ontario Ministry of- Health Promotion, in support of a Smoke Free Ontario. "We hope to motivate people to smoke outside and to ask others to smoke outside," says Dr. Beth Henning, medical officer of health for Huron County Health Unit. "Second-hand smoke is a hazard for everyone around the smoker, including the smokers themselves." Exposure to second-hand smoke is a widespread problem in Ontario. An Ontario Tobacco Research Unit study released in October 2005 indicates that 21 per cent of Ontarians reported smoking occurred inside the home on- a daily basis. Half of all households with young children and smokers reported that smoking took place in the home. "Children who regularly breathe in second-hand smoke haye a greater change of getting bronchitis, pneumonia, colds, ear infections and asthma", says Linda Stobo, public health supervisor. "Infants have a greater chance of dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)." Health Canada reports more than 1,000 non-smokers will die this year due to second-hand smoke -- estimating over .300 lung cancer deaths and at least 700 deaths from coronary heart disease. "It is easy to protect our loved ones, especially children, and the general public," says Stobo. "Simply take it outside; don't smoke in your home or car." Suggestions to keep homes and cars smoke-free include: removing any ashtrays, keeping with the out- of-sight, out-of-mind theory; encouraging and helping your beloved 'smokers to quit; or creating a comfortable smoking area outside the home where people can smoke without harming others. For more information about second-hand smoke, or foi help to quit smoking, call the Huron County Health Unit at 482-3416, or if calling long distance, dial 1-877- 837-6143. For more information about the Breathing Space campaign, visit www.toronto.ca/health/breathingsp ace Plant plans get first viewin