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The Citizen, 2006-04-27, Page 6BE COOL. AND PUT MONEY IN YOUR POCKET! Introducing the COOL SAVINGS REBATE for Ontario residents with existing central air conditioning systems. $50 REBATE ON AN AC TUNE-UP* $75 (UP TO) REBATE TOWARDS A NEW INSTALLED PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT** $500 REBATE ON REPLACEMENT OF AN EXISTING SYSTEM WITH AN ENERGYSTAR® QUALIFIED SYSTEM** *must be performed between April 21 to June 30, 2006 • *must be performed between April 21 and August 31, 2006 Go to www.conservationbureau.on.ca or cal11.866.670.COOL (2665) for a local participating contractor. ez Conservation Bureau pmvo of Loutervalivi, PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN,THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2006. Commentary Reporter bids adieu to well-'storied' area By Heather Crawford When I first took the job as reporter for T h e Citizen, I was a little nervous about finding story ideas. Boy did you ever prove me wrong. Whether it was someone cycling across Canada, winter storms, a new skate park, lobbying the government, heated political arguments, a federal election, or a local farmer camping out in Queen's Park, Blyth, Brussels and area residents have kept me on my toes with stories, ideas and occasionally some advice. My hand cramped from taking notes, my mind reeled over trying to 'get the facts straight and more than I once I headed back to the office smelling distinctly like the inside of a barn. What a strange and wonderful job we have, to be invited into people's homes to hear their stories, their hobbies and sometimes their deepest secrets. Armed -with a pen, paper and a camera I have been lucky enough to travel across this county, meeting some of the most generous, talented and kind people around. I've milked a cow, judged a storytelling contest, stopped in for a chat and ended up riding a horse through the woods, met authors, politicians, singers, actors and some of the best cooks to ever step into a country kitchen. I'm moving on but I'm taking it all with me. As I go I'm thinking about all of the people, places and experiences I've had and everything I'll miss living in the city. The people I worked with everyday, the smiles when I walked in through the door, the jokes and stories and always feeling like every door was open to step in to say hello, well, like Dorothy says to Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, miss you the most. So before I go off to do whatever it is 23-year olds do in the city, I have one big thank you to say, to all of the friends, families, students, parents, police officers, firefighters, council members, 1.,nd fellow newspaper people I have been privileged to know. I think it is appropriate that this newspaper is called The Citizen. It is the citizens of this area who are the spirit and heart of these towns and villages, who are never afraid to voice their opinions, step up to the plate and make a difference. Those are lessons I could never learn in a classroom. I think the people I have met during my time here are the living example of what Margaret Mead meant when she said, "A small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." And I thank you for that. Tension runs high at Huron East council meeting By Heather Crawford Citizen skiff 'Tern:ten ran high at the Huron East council meeting on Tuesday, April 18 when Grey residents Glen Howling and John Gillis addressed council about a presentation made by council members at a meeting in Grey last week: The Grey meeting, regarding de-amalgamation from Huron East was addressed by deputy-mayor Bernie MacLellan during the council meeting. "1 had a conversation on the phone with [Grey resident] Joe Semple who felt we took over the meeting. That was certainly not our intention," he said. During the meeting, held in Grey Central Public School on 'Wednesday, April 12, councillor Mark Beaven made a presentation addressing concerns and statements made in a letter that was sent out to residents prior to the meeting. "The presentation was responding to the letter," MacLellan said. "It contradicted a number of things mentioned in other presentations that night but there is no doubt in my mind that some people left the meeting still in favour of the intent of the group that night." He added that he wished he had the information requested that night available to him regarding public works in Grey. "If anyone requests it or if there is a need for it at another meeting, we should have it]. It's a simple thing and if we show what each ard was spending, it would make people feel more comfortable knowing that we're not robbing Peter to pay Paul," he said. MacLellan also stated that he felt the biggest encourager of amalgamation was the province. "It was something that we knew we would be forced to do. The magic number was, a population of approximately 10,000. We picked the wards that we wanted to amalgamate with because we would rather choose who we marry." Howling addressed council wondering if there was a meeting among councillors prior to the Grey meeting. Beaven said yes, he met s ith treasurer-finance manager Brad Knight prior to the meeting to discuss the presentation and- ensure that the fac:.ts and figures were correct. He 'said he and Knight also met with MacLellan and mayor Joe Seili to go over the presentation. Howling also wanted to know whether or not councillors would be receiving compensation for attending the meeting. MacLellan said he would be since he felt he was attending the meeting as deputy-mayor and it was something he felt he should attend. The other' councillors in attendance said no, including Seili. Gillis told council he didn't see how residents would get away without having to pay extra. for sewer and water upgrades for the new beef packing plant. "I think it would be similar to the creamery in Seaforth. The creamery pays a premium on a yearly basis for upgrades. They have to foot the bill," MacLellan,aid. Another issue Howling wanted addressed was the recreation centre in Vanastra. His suggestion was that the rec centre be located at the Clinton Slots and let Central Huron pay for it. "It's two miles down the road from Tinton," he said. Seili said that a lot of Huron East residents use the Clinton arena and Huron East doesn't pay a cent. "Our taxes go towards programs to help with gambling problems but we don't receive any money from the slots," he added. "I've been mentioning that for a long time." When Howling began questioning council on helping him build a private business in Grey, referring to the beef packing plant, Seili stepped in. "Ok, we're just getting into mudslinging now," he said. "You're supposed to have 15 minutes, you've had a lot longer and I'm not going to stop yOu." Howling, visibly upset asked council how long they spoke at his meeting. "You went on for an hour and a half," he said. "So don't you dare stop me Mr. Seili." Seili reiterated that he didn't intend to stop Howling. "Our meeting was called for the people of Grey to request a proposal to send to Toronto to request a change in the act to allow de-amalgamation," Gillis said. "With the amount of municipalities interested we wanted to get on board so that we were ready when the time comes. - "You can't put rural with urban," Howling said. "Urban people get more than rural. It had nothing to do with council. You took over the meeting and you should be ashamed of yourselves." MacLellan jumped in to say that unfortunately the meeting was taking, the same tone as last Wednesday. "I hope with your next presentation everyone agrees with your information and everything goes well. If this is a benefit to Grey we will send a letter to Toronto." Seili said he thinks 'residents supporting de- amalgamation would be better off working with council rather than using them as a scapegoat. Easy as 1,2,3 Dana four, plays a counting game at the Early Years fun with math program at Brussels Public School on WedneSclay, April 19. (Heather Crawford photo)