The Citizen, 2006-10-26, Page 1ES )gfit:D48-7 •
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NORN HURON PUBLJSHING COMPANY INC
Inside this week
Creative recycling
Blyth Public School student Julia Tyler is in deep creative thought as she constructs her
junk-o-lantern. Blyth school's Grade 4/5 class was instructed to bring materials destined for the
trash into class and use it to make a Jack-o-lantern, but with junk. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Return to EST, Sun.
The dreary fall weather
we've been experiencing may
have you feeling a little low on
energy.
While there's not much we
can do about the weather,
Sunday morning you can at least enjoy an extra hour of sleep.
With the last Sunday of October arriving, it's time to fall back to Eastern
Standard Time.
At 2 a.m. this Sunday, don't forget to turn your clocks back one hour.
The Citizen
Volume 22 No. 42
Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006
$1 (94c + 6c GST)
Pg. 7
Pg. 8
Locals among Madill
award recipients
Midget Lakers rank
in nation's top 25
pg
Fall car care
13• section begins
Pg 22 Musician tries it
' " alone
pg.
36
Best Start gets
started
Webster
gets
OFA
award
By Keith Roulston
Citizen staff
There was a standing ovation,
Thursday,-when-Stephen Webster of
Blyth—was named winner of the
2006 Huron Federation of
Agriculture Award for Outstanding
Contribution to Agriculture.
Webster made headlines last
spring when he spent several weeks
living out of his car at Queen's Park
to draw attention to the need for
government action to help farmers
deal with a farm income crisis.
In presenting the award, Neil
Vincent said he had been at the
Legislature three weeks ago with
Webster and Webster was still
remembered.
His presence helped open doors of
politicians who spent much longer
than they might normally have
allotted visiting farmers if not for
Webster.
He also praised his work to help
attract foreign doctors to the region.
Incoming Federation president
Steve Thompson said Webster
follows in the footsteps of
other Huron County farm
leaders who haven't been afraid to
court controversy on behalf of
farmers. He said he had known
Webster since he taught him at
Centralia College in 1981 where he
was a student who challenged the
rest of the class. "You could tell as a
student he was destined for
controversy."
In accepting the award Webster
said he couldn't have accomplished
so much without the aid of 20 or 30
other supporters.
It is the ability of farm leaders to
bring hundreds of tractors into
downtown Toronto that helps open
doors, he said.
By Keith Roulston
Citizen staff
Huron County's committee of the
whole has urged The Friends of the
Ball's Bridge to formalize and
incorporate in order to become a
non-governmental solution for the
future of the bridge.
The suggestion came::: after a
motion from the planning,
agriculture - and public works
committee's October meeting which
said the bridge should stay closed,
that no money be included in the
2007 roads budget for repairs, but
that council would continue to work
with community groups to seek a
solution.
That motion certainly sounded
negative to Auburn-area resident
Darryl Ball, representing the group
trying to save the bridge. "We are
hugely disappointed by the recent
proposal to eliminate any possibility
of funds for repair of the bridge in
the 2007 budget," he told council.
But Bluewater councillor Jim
Ferguson said the motion was
anything but negative. He noted that
in any prioritizing of spending on
county roads and bridges in 2007
Ball's Bridge was not going to rate
high because of the lack of traffic.
"By this motion we recognize
that it is unique," he said of the 120-
year-old iron bridge south of
Auburn, "by taking it out of the
roads budget."
East Huron councillor Bernie
MacLellan added that the motion
recognizes that the bridge is not a
priority in the county roads system
because it isn't even on a county
road. "It's never going to get. fixed
(from the roads budget)," he said.
However, he said, the county's legal
advice is that the bridge can be
transferred.
"If the Friends of Ball's Bridge
and the local municipalities want to
go-ahead (and have the bridge
repaired) I have no problem with
that," he said. "I don't see the
obligation for the county to spend to
replace it."
Ball said his group has no formal
structure at this point to accept
donations and spend money.
Goderich councillor Deb Shewfelt
said he thought the Menesetung
Bridge in Goderich provides the
model of how Ball's Bridge could be
renovated by a stand-alone
corporation. The conversion of the
CPR trestle over the Maitland River
just north of Goderich is a
partnership of volunteers and local
municipalities, he said. "I'd like to
see this end positively," he said.
Bluewater councillor Paul Klopp
Oct. 17's Huron East council
meeting saw Seaforth councillor Joe
Steffler bring a letter he received
regarding his concern over the
condition of Hwy. 8 to the attention
of the rest of council.
The letter, from Huron-Bruce
MPP Carol Mitchell, said that
"municipalities are receiving money
on a five-year-basis from the federal
government for transit projects."
The letter also stated that "there
are transfer payments to
municipalities through the Ontario
Municipal Partnership Fund; for
Huron East, in excess of $3
million." Mitchell concluded the
letter by saying that she would bring
Steffler's suggestion to the Minister
of Finance.
Council was dissatisfied with the
content of the letter and baffled by
its post date. The response was
dated Sept. 27, a full week before
the suggestion was motioned at
council and 13 days before the
suggestion was post marked to the
MPP.
Steffler has sent a response to
Mitchell, asking her exactly to what
letter she is referring. Steffler made
his thoughts be known that he thinks
the letter is a form letter.
"[The letter] is telling me to shut
up and carry on, but I'm not that
easily shut up," Steffler said at the
council meeting in Seaforth.
Numerous problems with' the
Continued on page 6
said the bridge is important and
every stone should be turned to try to
keep it operating.
"I strongly recommend the
Friends of Ball's Bridge get
themselves incorporated as soon as
possible," urged Rosemary
Rognvalson, Howick Twp.
councillor. If the group is
incorporated as a charitable
organization it will help in getting
grants, she said.
Continued on page 6
Response
puzzles
Huron E.
council
By Shawn Loughlin
Citizen staff
County urges 'Friends' to incorporate