Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-08-25, Page 1uThe Citizen Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Volume 21 No. 33 Area hosts plowing match Some friendly competition will be had once again at the 78th annual Huron County Plowing Match being held on Friday Aug. 26. The match will take place at the farm of Allen and Kim Walker and family as well as the Belgrave Community Centre. A tractor plow match will begin the fun filled day at 9:15 a.m. with a horse plow match to- 'follow at l() a.m. Local girls from all over Huron County wil.Lbegin vying for the title of Queen of the Furrow as they take the reins and begin plowing at 1:30 p.m. Interviews and short speeches on agriculture will begin before former queen Lynda Dodds hands over her crown. The new queen will be crowned at 5 p.m. in the Belgrave Community Centre along with a pork chop barbeque and awards presentation. “It’s an opportunity for the girls to speak in front of a crowd and meet other people as well as develop leadership skills for the future,” said one of the match directors, Marie McGavin. This year's match will also offer fiddle music in the afternoon, plowing classes qnd antique and commercial displays^ All are welcome to set up their own antiques or crafts display. There is no charge for an outdoor set­ up and $20 for a tent. A younger crowd .will gather a day early on Thursday, Aug. 25 for Junior Day This is the first year hopefuls between the ages of 12 and 15 will compete for the crown and title of Huron Princess. The competition will start with interviews and speeches at 11 a.m. The naming of the new princess will occur at noon along with a lunch booth. The lunch will be provided by the Belgrave Optimist club. Later in the afternoon will feature horse rides and a plowing match from the Sod Busier 4H Achievers. The match site is located at the Walker family farm at the corner of Belfast Road and Scott Line. Admission to both days is free of charge and registration begins al 8 a m. Friday morning. The checkered flag While the rain forced the cancellation of some races, Sunday shone bright and clear for motocross enthusiasts at the Walton racetrack for the National championships. With thousands of spectators and a huge number of racers on hand, the event receives tremendous community support. Local organizations volunteer for everything from flag duty to food booths to cleanup to help contribute to the event’s success. (Vicky Bremnerphoto) Doors Open deemed a success By Heather Crawford Citizen staff The mood was warm and inviting despite the wet, dreary weather as some of Brussels’s famous heritage sites opened their doors to visitors and locals alike on Saturday, Aug. 20 for Doors Open Ontario.. The day began at 10 a.m. and featured more than 22 sites in Brussels and area. Some sites were designated walk-by or drive-by and not open for exploring. . Ralph Laviolette from the Business Growth and Economic Development office of Huron East said the day was a great success. “It went really well. There were many more visitors (this time] from out of town." Laviolette said more tourists made it out from Toronto, Hamilton, London and Orillia than during a trial run held in June. Between 1,000-1.500 people came out to get a taste of history by stepping inside of sites such as the Leckie-Hoy House, the Rail Station, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005 Oldfield Hardware store and Logan's Mill. Melville Presbyterian Church also offered an English tea as well as a display of English china. A booklet was offered giving background information on each location as well as the village itself. The day was made possible by volunteers around the Huron East community. Laviolette said the groundwork is already there to bring Doors Open back again next year. “ It’s up to the community,” he said. “1 think it would be a great idea.” Not only doors were being unlocked this year but trunks as well as Brussels held its First car boot sale. Local vendors opened up the trunks of their cars and sold everything from baking and produce to bikes and sports equipment. “We were all pleased,” said Rene Richmond, one of the organizers of the event. “We wanted to help the downtown businesses.” Tables were also set up from local businesses such as Luann’s Flowers in Blyth and Solace on Turnberry in Brussels. Richmond said she received positive feedback. .“People were saying we should have it every week,” she said. “1 would say it was a success, especially since this was the first year,” she added. Clinton crow tests positive The Huron County Health Unit is reporting a third dead bird has tested positive for West Nile virus. The crow was found in the town of Clinton. Historically, there have never been any West Nile positive mosquitoes in Huron County; however, 12 of 37 health units in the province have reported positive mosquito pools this year. The Huron County Health Continued on page 2 $1 (93c + 7c GST) School fair marks 85th On Wednesday. Sept. I4 it will be the 85th annual Belgrave. Blyth and Brussels School Fair. Because it is the 85th organizers will be adding a few new categories. On Tuesday night there will be a Future Student Contest. A student may show a sibling or future school fair participant. There will be two classes - baby boy (age 0 - 9 months), and baby girl (0 - 9 months). Registration will be held at 6:45 p.m. in the upper arena and the contest will start at 7 p.m. Immediately after the baby contest there will be a pet contest with animals competing for the shiniest coat, the longest whiskers, the shortest tail and the prettiest colour. There will even be a dress like your pet category. On Wednesday the parade of schools will step off at 12:30 p.m. After the speeches from dignitaries the sports programs and the livestock showing will take place. This year the “Sniffer Dogs” from the OPP are coming. There will also be a hydro display. The very first fair took place on Oct. 5, 1920. From 1920 to 2005 the one thing that has stayed constant is the time and effort put forward by volunteers who willingly gave their time in the interest of the fair. Mr. S. B. Stothers, the agricultural representative for Huron County met with a small group of school trustees in 1920 and organized the now well- known fair. The first president was- Richard Procter Sr. of Morris Twp. and the first secretary was John Wightman of East Wawanosh Twp. There were nine schools taking part in 1920, three in Morris Twp. and six in East Wawanosh Twp. The first fair used several buildings in Belgrave to house all the exhibits. The exhibits were quite similar to what there is today. They did have a few. interesting competitions such as hitching a horse to a buggy (won by Verna Taylor), the best drill performed, and public speaking. They also started a school fair concert 1921 which was put on by the school children under the direction of the teachers. Later concerts also included adult contributions. The last fall concert was held in 1965. This school fair has always emphasized quality, giving due credit to those who seek to achieve excellence in whatever they do. Whether the entry is a careful piece of penmanship or a well-groomed calf the purpose is always the same - to encourage the students to put forth their very best effort. Most of the information above was taken from the history that Harold and Edith Vincent wrote up about the fair from 1920 to 1995.