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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-01-03, Page 8Page 8 January 3, 2007 • The Huron Expositor Year in Review Donations help Roden family celebrate Christmas January, 2006 'Representatives of several farm grroupsLthanked Huron East for its plan td defer property tax on farm- land until fall at a press conference in Seaforth last Wednesday. The press conference was held by Huron East in the hopes that daily news- papers in the area would spread the word that at least one rural munici- pality is trying to help the strug- gling farmers in its area by allowing farmers, for the second year, to defer their property tax on farmland until the fall. The move is hoped to leave more than $900,000 in Huron East farm economy while farmers plant their crops this spring. What could have been the worst Christmas ever after a fire gutted their RR 2 Seaforth home became a super celebration for the Roden family. Donations from the commu- nity of everything from clothing to furniture and household goods to toys and a visit from Santa riding on a Seaforth firetruck added up to a great Christmas, says Anne Roden. Some area farmers are starting off the New Year in a bad way as banks are calling in loans and lines of credit. Marilyn Broadfoot, a Brucefield-area farmer and farm activist, says though farmers are reluctant to step forward about mounting financial problems, the reality is the country's largest banks are beginning to call in loans and lines of credit when farmers can least deal with the problem. Tired of paying $50,000 to $70,000 a year in repairs and maintenance for the Vanastra Recreation Centre, Huron East Deputy -Mayor Bernie MacLellan asked village residents if they want to work towards a 10 - year plan to build a new facility. "Every year we sink a lot of money into the building. What we should be doing is looking at a 10 -year plan for a new facility," he told the close to 100 people that packed the rec centre gymnasium during a public meeting last Wednesday. In a nail -biter of a race, the four - time Liberal incumbent hung onto the Huron -Bruce seat by a narrow margin of 889 votes. However, for the first time since he was elected in 1993, MP Paul Steckle will not sit with the ruling party as a Conservative minority was declared Canada's new government after the Monday, Jan. 23 election. Steckle took 21,178 votes, or 39.7 per cent of the popular vote, in Huron -Bruce while Conservative candidate Ben Lobb captured 20,289 ballots, or 38.1 per cent. After 20 years on the Seaforth Fire Department, Doug Anstett says he's not as keen as he once was to run into burning buildings. But, as a pumper, operator, he's still one of Marty Bedard photo Christine Roden holds her daughter Cailey, 15 months, while her son Cody, 7. stands beside Santa when members of the Seaforth Fire Department visited them Christmas Day with two Targe bags of toys last Christmas. The three, along with grandparents Anne and Paul Roden, narrowly escaped their burning home with just the clothes on their backs. the first at the firehall during every fire call. His fellow 20 -year award recipi- ent, Paul Hildebrand, says he's just as keen as he was when he joined the Seaforth fire department's aux- iliary 25 years ago. Anstett and Hildebrand were recognized recent- ly for their 20 years of service as Seaforth firefighters with a ring and a medal from the federal govern- ment. February, 2006 The recladding of Seaforth Community Hospital is "well under- way," members of the Seaforth Local Advisory Committee were told at their Jan. 30 meeting. A $350,000 facelift, which will cover the hospi- tal's brickwork with an exterior insulation system that will have a stucco -like appearance, is going according to plan, said Chuck Meyer, manager of building services for the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance. As one of the youngest food banks in Huron County, the Seaforth and District Food Bank is celebrating its 10th year serving the needs of the hungry in the Seaforth area. The Seaforth Food Bank, a joint project of seven area churches, began after a meeting at Northside United Church 10 years ago. While it's outlived its life expectancy by 10 to 15 years, the 50 -year-old Seaforth Lions pool is in desperate need of a major overhaul. And, the Seaforth Lions Club is hoping the community will help to raise the $225,000 necessary to keep the pool open this summer. "We've made it to 50 but we've got major problems now. The pool has to be fixed up or closed - it's gotten to that point," says Lions member Bob _Beuttenmiller, who's been maintain- ing the pool for 20 years. Seaforth and Brussels will again be opening its doors to tourists this summer when it joins Goderich and Zurich in the 2006 Doors Open Huron project. Huron East council heard an impassioned request for a zero per cent budget increase by Grey Coun. Mark Beaven during council's first look at its 2006 budget. Beaven said council has raised its budget "a con- siderable amount beyond two per cent" during the past two years and "year three is the time to make up for those two increases." While many Ontario farmers face the harsh reality that they will lose more money this year than last, hundreds gathered at two rallies recently in Guelph and Ottawa, hoping to make their combined voic- es heard. Around 125 farmers from Huron County attended the rally in Guelph, while close to 65 from the county were expected to attend the rally in Ottawa. They rallied to show support and continue pressur- ing the federal and provincial levels of government over the necessity for risk management (RMP) and income support programs for Canadian farmers. March, 2006 Close to 250 people packing the hall at the Seaforth Agriplex lasts, Tuesday were urged to call their MPP to protest the quick passage of legislation implementing Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs). Despite the fact that Bill 36 was being introduced for third reading to the provincial legislature that night, meeting organizers asked anyone concerned about local access and control over healthcare services to make their voices heard. Rural hospitals will have greater opportunities under the new Local Healthcare Integration Networks (LHINs), says Huron -Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell. Mitchell says con- cern about LHINs is expected but unnecessary. The local snowmobile season came to a screeching halt on Friday, as trails in the Clintbn, Blyth, Seaforth, Goderich and St. Helen's areas closed unexpectedly. Despite a nice covering of snow, signs announcing the closures were post- ed over the weekend in support of an ongoing farmer -led protest. The signing of the final develop- ment agreement for the Bridges of Seaforth is the culmination of a long 12 -year process towards a 248 -home adult lifestyle community at the Seaforth golf course. Bill MacLean, his partner Iry Teper and Huron East Mayor Joe Seili signed the final agreement Monday at town hall which will allow the developers to bring in the water and hydro ser- vices and begin to build the 20 homes that have been sold already in the Bridges subdivision. Seaforth is getting ready to bloom this summer. As a spin-off from last year's First Impressions community exchange program that partnered Seaforth with Petrolia, Seaforth has been invited to enter the Communities in Bloom competition with Petrolia, last year's national champion in the 3,001 to 5,000 pop- ulation category. If a family health team (FHT) is to remain in Huron East, municipal councillors need to "get to the table to fight" for it, Huron East council heard at its meeting last Tuesday. Physician recruiter Gwen Devereaux and Dr. Dan Rooyakkers, site chief for Seaforth Community Hospital, attended council to ask for help with the FHT announced for Seaforth a year ago by the province. Huron East ratepayers should be writing a cheque for the same amount as last year for their prop- erty taxes. Grey Coun. Mark Beaven made that observation as he congratulated council for passing a "flatline budget" at its Mar. 21 meeting.