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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-01-27, Page 1-The Citizen HE Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Volume 21 No. 4 Thursday, Jan. 27, 2005 $1 (93c + 7c GST) I NORTH HURON PUBUSHING COMPANY INC. | Inside this week Witches’ Walk committee donates Local darter competes in England Brussels Tykes play in first tourney Harry Boyle passes away at 89 Walkerburn Club donates quilt Centre hosts OFC courses Members of the Blyth and District Fire Department received the news this past week, that the Emergency Services Training Centre (ESTC) will be hosting two Ontario Fire College courses this fall. - _ • Two five-day volunteer firefighter courses wHi be held at the centre. These ,‘lModule A” courses are part of the '-volunteer firefighters’ curriculum and are extremely hard to get into at the fire college in Gravenhurst. Chief Paul Josling notes, “We are going to get five of our own firefighters into these courses; for all of the firefighters in the area, this is a lot more convenient.” “This is huge. We had all hoped this type of thing would happen,” said David Sparling, project co­ ordinator. Noting the ESTC is becoming recognized across mid-western Ontario, Sparling gives praise to training officer Mike Malloy of the Meaford Fire Department for helping push the project along. “Mike has done a lot of work with the Ontario Fire College to ensure this endeavour got off the ground." Instructors from the fire college in Gravenhurst will be conducting the training in late August and September. Celebration at BPS By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor Literacy and education are well worth celebrating so staff and the parent council of Brussels Public School are holding a special event to mark Family Literacy Day this Thursday. Jan. 27 has been set aside as Family Literacy Day in Canada for the past seven years. “Several people wanted to see something introduced as a celebration at Rude awakening Blyth firefighters assist at the scene of a single-vehicle crash in the early afternoon of Jan. 21, on Blyth Road just east of Auburn. According to police, the driver of the eastbound Pontiac had fallen asleep behind the wheel. Her car left the roadway and struck a tree. Patricia Andrews of Auburn was taken to Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich by ambulance, then later was airlifted to London’s Victoria South Street Hospital. She has been released. Blyth Road was closed between Donnybrook Line and Hoover Line until 6 p.m. while officers investigated. (Bonnie Gropp photo) HE looks at library upgrades By Ronda Wicks Special to The Citizen Beth Ross, Huron County librarian, met with Huron East Council on Jan. 18 to discuss progress and areas of need within the Strategic Plan developed by the library board and county council two years ago. Amongst the county libraries Brussels has been noted as a leader in providing computer internet services to an under-serviced area (one of the goals of the strategic plan). As a result, the board put forth a recommendation for Huron East council to explore options in making Brussels Library wheelchair- accessible. Trillium funding may be Brussels Public School for Family Literacy Day,” said teacher Marie Mitchell. “The school council was supportive of the idea and being a librarian before. 1 wanted to keep it going.” The celebration begins at 7 p.m. and runs until 8 p.m. Its theme is a pyjama party with bedtime stories and snacks. Children are encouraged to wear nighttime attire. Mitchell said that several people have agreed to be guest Continued on page 2 applied tor on projects that work toward accessibility with applicants eligible for up to $75,000 for up to five years. The cost of upgrading the present Carnegie building compared to establishing it in another Brussels location will have to be assessed and was acknowledged to be one of council’s major considerations. The decision will also consider the purpose for keeping the library at its present location (i.e. being central within the village) and its heritage value to local citizens. With Brussels Library having successfully evaded recommen­ dations that saw Auburn, Bluevale and Centralia Libraries closed, Bayfield Library and Zurich Library recommended for closure, its failure to offer full accessibility becomes an issue under Ontario legislation that governs public service facilities. Therefore, it is mandatory. Council approved a motion to initiate a plan that will address issues of space and accessibility in Brussels Library. T he plan must be finished by year- end and more will be reported on its progress as it becomes avail­ able. The Huron County Library Board reported success in managing an increase in library hours across the county. Blyth, Brussels, Bayfield, Zurich and Hensall library open hours have been increased to 20 per week. All branch libraries are open on Sunday afternoons now. Exeter and Goderich libraries are open 7 days / week except on holidays and during the summer. Seaforth Library was renovated and made accessible about eight years ago. It remains slightly undersized compared to the population base that it serves but the library board chose not to recommend the additional 300-foot extension it ought to have based on its current user trends. Last year, a Trillium grant of $15,000 was received and used to purchase large print materials, videos, etc. that will be useful to those who deal with problems of visual impairment. They are distributed throughout the county and accessible by inter- library loan if not already at the location where it is desired. Among their cunent targets, Ross stated that the library board aims to get their services accessible by internet so that users with a library card can access an inventory of available resources, reserve them and renew items online. Librarians across the county are also now fully trained to assist new computer Internet users. Citizens are encouraged to make good use of their local libraries and offer any input they deem worthy of future consideration. Bug bites Huronlea By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor There is an outbreak of enteric illness at Huronlea, County Home for the Aged, at the south edge of Brussels. According to senior public health promoter Linda Stobo of the Huron County Health Unit, enteric illness is a gastro-intestinal virus, causing nausea, vomitting and diarrhea. . “A flu shot is for respiratory illness. This is not the flu.” Stobo noted, however, that they have not yet determined which specific virus is causing this particular illness. There have been at least five confirmed cases at the home, thus the outbreak was declared on Friday. Stobo explains that each home in the county has its own policy in place regarding procedures for keeping the facility open or closed during an outbreak. At press time, there had been no information received from Huronlea as to whether or not visitors were allowed. Regardless, Stobo advised there’s only way good way to prevent passing on this illness to others. “With any kind of infection, and a gastro-intestinal one in particular, frequent handwashing is the only way to cut down on spreading it.” House fire in Morris By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor It was a frightening start to the day for a Blyth-area family Jan. 21 when fire broke out in their home. According to fire chief Paul Josling, Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Egli of Lot 9/10, Cone. 10, Morris ward, were awakened shortly after 5 a.m. by the barking of their dog and by the sound of the smoke alarm. “It wouldn’t have been a good story at all if it hadn’t been for that,” said Josling. “They were very, very lucky.” The fire began when a barrel of ashes that had been set outside the back door ignited during the night. The blaze travelled through a dryer vent and by the time firefighters arrived the rear portion of the home was burning. “It basically destroyed the back of the house.” The plastic barrel also created a lot of heavy smoke, added Josling, making the new thermal imaging camera invaluable. “It let us get in so much faster to the seat of the fire. With that amount of smoke it would have been extremely difficult. It is a valuable piece of equipment in these calls.” Josling roughly estimates the damage at $20,000 to $25,000.