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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-02-24, Page 1NH | NORTH HURON PUBLISHING COMPANY INC. | Serving the communities of Blyth ond Brussels and northern Huron County Volume 21 No. 8 Thursday, Feb. 24, 2005 $1 (93c + 7c GST) Inside this week Pg. 2 Students wins at Zone level Pg. 12 Salute to Scouting begins Pg. 15 Sunday school raises funds Pg. 17 New business in Brussels Pg. 24 Beaven named MVCA vice-chair HE farmers get a break Bv Mark Nonkes Special to The Citizen Huron East council is planning to give farmers a short-term tax break for 2005. Al last week Tuesday’s meeting council announced a delay in the collection of all farmland tax until the September billing which would then be collected over the final two installments. Mayor”Joe Seili explained that council could see the farm community was hurting and wanted to do something to help. "We can see it every day driving up and down the road,” Seili said. The delayed billing will mean the farmers of Huron East will hang on to taxes totalling $836,940 until fall. "It's a way to show we’re listening,” Seili said. In Huron East 22 per cent of all properties are listed under the FT code. "We kind of hope some other people pick up on this,” Seili said, referring io other municipalities. A bylaw regarding this action will be presented at the next council me'&ting. Farmers Setting up It was a hardy group of Blyth Pathfinders taking part in an outdoor campout this past weekend. Setting up her weekend ‘home’ was Kate-Lynn Losch. The activity was towards earning their Canada Cord. (Vicky Bremner photo) to march on Queen’s Park Farmers from the Blyth and Brussels area will be among a Huron County delegation taking part in the Farmers' Protest at Queen’s Park on March 2. Huron County Federation of Agriculture (HCFA) president Nick Whyte of Seaforth said the federation has 10 or 11 bus loads of people leaving from three different locations in the county. The buses will be leaving from the North Huron Wescast Community Complex in Wingham. Vincent Farm Equipment near Seaforth and Hyde Brothers Farm Equipment at Hensail. They are hoping to get underway around 6 a.m. Anyone wishing to get on the bus should contact the HCFA office in Vanastra at 482-9642. The purpose of the gathering is to protest the low prices for grain and oilseed commodities as well as the lingering problem of BSE which has been on-going for almost two years. Woman wakes to fire Tragedy was narrowly averted in the dawning hours of last Friday morning for a Blyth woman. Judy Cleave awoke at 4:30 a.m. to see flames shooting across the ceiling of her attic bedroom. According to Blyth fire chief Paul Josling the fire began when a lamp fell over onto a pile of clothes. By the time firefighters arrived the attic was full of smoke. "Once again the thermal imaging camera help us gel right to the fire. It’s paid tor itself a dozen times over.” Gleave, who left the house before calling firefighters, was “very, very lucky,” said Josling. Damage to the attic was estimated at $10,000, by Josling. The rest of the house sustained minimal water damage. Event a go snow or no snow Snow or no snow, the Snowarama scheduled for this weekend will proceed as planned. Adrian Salverda, event co­ ordinator for the North Huron runs of the Easter Seal Society's Snowarama said Monday morning that there is a good base of snow tor snowmobiling. “One way or another the event is going to be held,” he said. According to Salverda, if the trails become unable to be used, the event will become a car rally. Registration takes place at the Fish and Game Club just outside of Clinton and ends up at Blyth. Breakfast and registration will take place between 9 a.m. and noon. If the trails are usable, the course will follow the trails to Goderich and Belgrave, ending in Blyth at the Snowtravellers clubhouse. Salverda indicated he has 31 sponsors for the event, so in case the event becomes a car rally, the participants may have to pick up items from each of the sponsors. A meeting was held last night, Wednesday, to determine whether or not the event is a snowarama or a car rally. Money raised for the event will remain in Huron County. Every dollar will directly benefit 52 children in the county who depend on Easter Seals’ support. Madill, GDCI host Sears Festival in Blyth The streets of Blyth will be bustling with young people next week as the Sears Drama Festival is being held at the Blyth Memorial Hall, March 3-5. Nine schools from midwestern Ontario will be presenting 10 productions al the event, being co­ hosted by F. E. Madill Secondary School and Goderich District Collegiate Institute. Madill is presenting two different plays -- Anne-Arky and Marilyn. Madill opens the event with Anne- Arky March 3 at approximately 7 p.m. The play is a backstage comedy about a high school trying to put on the play Anne of Green Gables. Also performing on March 3 are Listowel District Secondary School drama students with their one-act play The Lottery, and then Stratford St. Michael’s performs Babel Rap. Stratford Central begins the Friday evening showcase with their production of Antigone, followed by Mitchell District Secondary School’s Picnic at Hanging Rock. St. Mary’s District Collegiate and Vocational School’s The Day Billy Lived and The Tell-Tale Heart by Elmira District Secondary School. Madill opens the performances on March 5, with their production of Marilyn, a docudrama based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. This was a classroom assignment, collectively written by last year Grade 11 drama students, Leanne Mullin, Byron Horton, Melissa Ninaber and Jontue Kuyvenhoven. “Madill should be very proud of their efforts,” said Alexander, “and we would love your support at the competition.” Also performing on the final day are Nancy Campbell School of London, with their production ol Wasp, and GDCI, with I he Revenger\ Tragedy. Awards will be presented following the play by GDCI. The two top winners will represent the area at the regional contest in early April.