HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-05-26, Page 1The Citizen
i—
Volume 21 No. 21
Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Jamboree
this
weekend
The Blyth fairgrounds will be an
exciting place to be this weekend as
the Bam Dance Historical Society
hosts its annual Campout Jamboree.
The campers will begin arriving in
time for Friday. May 27’s events.
There is a bluegrass show beginning
at 7 p.m.. followed by a jamboree at
8:30 p.m.. Anyone is welcome to get
up and play.
Saturday morning- there is a
smaller show, followed again by a
jamboree at noon.
The highlight is the Barn Dance
show and dance at 8 p.m. Saturday
evening. Rounding out the weekend
of toe-tappin’ tunes and socializing is
a country gospel show on Sunday
from 10 a.m. to noon.
The Barn Dance Historical Society
was formed in 1994 by a group of
people who wanted to keep the
history of the 1950s travelling Barn
Dance alive. In that spirit, the
Campout has offered the same sense
of musical fun for the many who
attend.
The brainchild of Society members
President Wayne Otterbein and
director June Therrien, the idea for a
social camping event was initially for
a membership drive. However, it was
soon clear that it was also as an
opportunity for people to get to know
each other.
For its growing membership the
camp has become a an excellent way
to become acquainted with folk who
share the same interest, organizers
say.
Brussels hosts annual
community yard sale
Folks in Brussels are hoping for
sunny skies on Saturday as the
community hosts its annual yard
sale.
As in previous years a map is
available showing many of the
homes with treasures to sell.
Man
missing
As of deadline on Monday. Huron
OPP were still searching for a
Brussels man who had been missing
since late afternoon Friday. May 20.
When last seen. 36-year-old Brian
Kamrath was in a “depressed state of
mind over personal issues”, police
said. On Sunday officers found his
black Saab convertible abandoned
on Bluewater Highway, just south of
Bayfield. Police said there were
mechanical problems with the car,
and believe Kamranth may have
tried to get a ride to find assistance.
Canine and emergency response
team members searched the area
near the car. Later an air search was
done by helicopter and officers went
door to door from Bayfield to St.
Joseph’s.
Officers are asking for the public's
assistance. Anyone who may have
seen someone walking on the
highway in this area on Friday or
who stopped to offer assistance to a
man. is asked to call OPP at 1-888-
310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-
800-222-8477 (TIPS).
Kamrath is described as being
6' 1” tall, with a muscular build, and
weight of approximately 200
pounds. He has green eyes, a shaved
head and was last seen wearing work
clothes.
Officers have checked with some
of his closest friends, but no one has
seen him. They also conducted a
-search of his home.
Young
actors
wanted
The Blyth Festival is searching for
10 young actors to portray siblings
in the world premiere of The
Thirteenth One by Denyse Gervais
Regan.
Based on the true story of her
family’s life during the Great
Depression, The Thirteenth One
takes place in the Gervais family
farmhouse in Elie, Manitoba. The
Gervais family is having trouble
making ends meet when they
discover that another baby is on the
way - the 13th one.
To create the necessary
atmosphere, the festival requires 10
young actors to appear as the
children in the household. Five girls,
ages five to 13 and five boys, ages
Continued on page 23
Downtown merchants are offering
bargains as well.
To get the batteries charged for a
day of bargain hunting, the
Crusaders hockey team is for the
first time, serving breakfast at the
pool pavillion.
With the arrival of spring and nearing of the end of the school year, students are involved in
track and field practices and meets. Hullett and East Wawanosh schools held their events last
week. Two Hullett competitors, Brad Greidanus, left and Brandon Gibson keep it close as they
near the finish line in this race. (Vicky Bremnerphoto) _______________
Genealogical Soc. marks 25th
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
The Huron County Branch of the
Ontario Genealogical Society is
celebrating 25 years with a special
event, June 1 at the theatre of the
Huron County Museum, Goderich.
Guest speaker will be Ron Walsh,
president of the OGS.
According to Ken Hunking of
Londesborough. treasurer of the
Huron Branch, the purpose of the
OGS is “to encourage, assist and
bring together all those interested in
the pursuit of family history.”
The focus of the Huron branch is to
help people find ancestors who lived
in Huron. Currently the branch has
over 300 members, with about 50
living in Huron. The remainder are
from all over North America.
Hunking estimates that over the years
they have had about 1.500 members.
The branch meets monthly from
April to November, with a featured
guest speaker. “They talk about some
aspect of geneology,” says Hunking.
“It could be about family trees, or.
even about how DNA is now being
used to match chromosomes of
family members.”
Other branch activities include the
maintenance and operation of the
branch library in the log cabin at the
Museum. The building is full of
research materials and is open from
April to November on Wednesday
and Friday afternoons, plus
Thursdays in July and August.
Those tracing their roots will find
reference books, family trees, Huron
County cemetery and census
transcriptions, old directions and
other genealogical reference material.
Volunteers are availabe to assist
people in finding the right material to
help in their search.
Branch volunteers transcribed
information from cemetery
monuments in the early 1980s and
published this in i booklet form,
which is offered for sale. These are
also available for reference at the five
town libraries in Huron.
“This was a project of OGC and
transcriptions of cemeteries in all
parts of Ontario were similarily
recorded.
Census information from 1861 has
been published and is also available
at the five libraries. “The late Rev. Dr.
Robert J. Graham, indexed many of
the older township history books
which had been printed without
indexes. These are located at the iog
cabin.”
The branch also has a volunteer
research co-ordinator to advise and
assist. "If people write in they can set
them in the right direction and give
more details.”
Over the Huron branch’s 25-year
history only two people have held the
position of research co-ordinator. The
current one is Helen Dale. “We get
75-80 letters a year from people
seeking information on their
ancestors.” Dale will check all
readily-available resources from such
things as county marriage registers
and the land record index microfiche,
then responds. She also provides the
inquirer’s family name to members at
the monthly meeting.
To become a member one has to
join OGS at a cost of $45 a year, then
pay $9 a year to the Huron branch.
However, says Hunking, you don’t
have to be a member to take part in
the activities. “Guests are always
welcome to attend meetings and do
research at the log cabin.”
Everyone is welcome to attend the
June 1 celebration. Admission is free.
The library will be open prior to the
meeting. For more information
contact Hunking at 523-4228 or the
branch president. Pat Saundercock at