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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-01-24, Page 7The Huron' Expositor • January 24, 2007 Page 7 News Organizers needed to plan all -girls' reunion (Susan Hundertmark After two meetings to plan a 50th anniversary celebration for the Seaforth and District All -Girls' Marching Band, no one has stepped forward to convene the event. "We desperately need someone to help organize it," says band executive member Penny Breen. "We're not asking for someone to do every- thing. It takes one per- son to get the ball t just need a place for people to get together and bring their clippings," she says. Sharon Thompson, another band executive member, says that with- out any additional help, the reunion might have to remain "fairly lowkey." "We'll recognize it /but not the way we want to. We wanted a large catered barbecue but maybe we'll have to settle for hotdogs and hamburgers in the jparking lot. If we can get someone to step up, es one person to get the. ball rolling and convene. lt Penny Breen rolling and convene it and we think it should be someone who was in the band for a few years," she says. Two planning meetings in the fall brought one person to the first meeting and none to the second. Breen says the anniversary will be recognized no matter what but with the organization of the band's March trip to Nashville, the band's executive is too busy to plan the 50th anniversary. "It doesn't have to be fancy. We we may be "able to do something a little grander," she says. Breen says that while she is not hearing from anyone who wants to help organize the event, she is hear- ing from plenty who want to attend it. "I'm getting countless emails from people who live out of the area wanting to come back for a band reunion. They all want to come but no one wants to plan it," she says. Huron East turned down third time for COMRIF Steckle accuses federal government of using COMRIF as `partisan slush fund' Susan Hundertmark • As Huron East was turned down for the third time in its application for COMRIF (Canada -Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund), Huron -Bruce MP Paul Steckle accused the federal govern- ment of turning COMRIF into a "partisan slush fund." "Prime Minister (Stephen) Harper has clearly demonstrated that he would sooner funnel money into what he may view as swing ridings than fund worthwhile municipal proposals that would help to pro- mote public health via improve- ments to aging sanitary sewers and other critical elements of rural infrastructure," said Steckle in a recent press release. Steckle said 75 per cent of the projects funded and 86 per cent ($141 million) of the total funding are going to ridings represented by Conservative MPs. "I find this shameful as I believe that clean water and proper sewers must be available for all ridings - not just those that supported this government in the last election," he said in his press release. Steckle said important projects have been declined throughout the riding including those in Bluewater, South Huron, North Huron, South Bruce, Saugeen Shores, and Huron East, all of which would have updated antiquated drinking water and sewage treatment systems. Huron East applied for $480,000 in COMRIF funding in 2005 to upgrade the Vanastra sewage sys- tem and $624,000 as the project expanded to include a retention plant but was turned down both times. It applied a third time last fall for two-thirds funding of the $950,000 project. Clerk -Administrator Jack McLachlan said the water and sewer committee has decided to apply to another federal/provincial grant program similar to COMRIF after receiving word that the munic- ipality's been turned down again. "We're getting pretty discouraged. Applying to this other small grant program as the next thing to figur- ing out how to fund it ourselves," he said in a phone interview. Originally planned for Saturday, June 9 at Seaforth Public School, Breen says she is still hoping to hold a reunion, including a parade through the streets of Seaforth with former and current band members. "We still parade around town at Wednesday night practices at the beginning of the season. The people of Seaforth love it - they come out of their houses to listen," she says. While the band has become a county -wide band over the past decade, Breen says the band still has deep roots in Seaforth and while the executive has been asked to change the band's name, they've insisted on keeping Seaforth in the name to honour those roots. "I see people and their pride in the band and I'd like to see that pride passed on to the next genera- tion. 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