HomeMy WebLinkAboutLucknow Sentinel, 2009-04-08, Page 1Lucknow
Lucknow donatetheir broad....
The Lucknow Blood Donor clinic cameinto town on Friday.APri13. It saw; lot (ipso.
ple volunteer their time and blood for Canadine Blood Services. MarpR+et Foran is
seen here being prepped to give Wboi! by Cathy Richarlls, ttPN.'the clink took place
at the Lucknow Community Centre.
Photo by Garit Reid
Easter spells out
beauty, the rare
beauty of new
life.
"8 D. Gordon
aunt did a lot for agriculture
BY GAR1T REID
sentinel staff
Murray Gaunt who's
worked in poultry fann-
ing, provincial politics
and farm broadcasting in
the Wingham area for 40
years, passed away, on
Tuesday, March 31 at the
age of 73.
Gaunt had a great
career and it all stemmed
from his rural upbringing
on the family's Hi -Hill
Farm near Lucknow,
through his first broad-
casting job at CKNX in
Wingham, to his political
career as MPP for Huron -
Bruce, from 1962-1981,
to his retireme ut as farm
editor for die same
CKNX radio station in
1999.
Gaunt's career went full
circle as he did as . much
for his community and
area as anyone has ever
done in Huron County.
Gaunt's Lucknow con-
nection came in the fact
that he was part of the
Lucknow beef . calf club
starting at the age of 12 -
years -old. A highlight of
being in the club was his
prestigious Queen's
Guineas award, at the
1955 Royal Winter. Fair.
Gaunt won many
awards over the years for
his writing; twice receiv-
ing the Tom Leach Gold
Award from the Canad pan
Farm Writers Federation.
He : also received
Ontario's Bicentennial
Certificate of Merit for his
contributions to agricul-
ture and related activities.
One of Gaunt's highest
personal achievements in
his contribution to agri-
culture was being induct-
ed into the Ontario
Agricultural Hall of Fame
on June 12, 2005.
And, being humble
about the great honour he
said tie couldn't have
done it without all of the
people and organizations
that helped him along the
way.
Gaunt won many acco-
lades and awards through-
out his career, which just
reflected the positive
impact he had on agricul-
ture in Huron County and
surrounding areas.
Gaunt') full obituary
can be found inside this
week's Sentinel.
WSOMR
?aII2NS
•
Week 15 — Vol, 136
$1.00
gst included
Publications Mail Registration
No. 07656
Bringing Together
Huron & Bruce
Bruce County
taking second
look at budge
BY' PAT HALPIN
Special to the Sentinel
Brucecounty council is
taking a second look at the
budget it recommended for
approval in mid-March:
Formal approval expect-
ed
xpected at the April 2 meeting
was sidelined as council-
lors asked department
heads to give them a clear-
r;picture of new
inpact 0600,000
worth of new staff is one
area where councillors
want more answers.
"We feel there were. a
few issues that there were
questions on," Goetz said.
"I felt that there was no big
hurry to get (the budget)
passed, . so I think it's my
place tO make sure all the
questions are- answered
before we finalize it."
The cost of office space
for new staff is one budget
impact council wants to
consider. Proposals to, add
two new staff will mean
relocating departments
within the building and
require a contract position
to be boosted to full time.
Council isn't backing
down on the new jobs,
Goetz said, but it might ask
for compromise.
"There might be a
chance that (some hiring)
might be delayed.. until we
have the accommoda-
tions," he said, but he
emphasized the main
intent is "to make sure
everybody understands the
ramifications of the whole
thing." The delay was
applauded by Northern
Bruce Peninsula Mayor
Milt McIver. He raised
earlier concerns about the
amount of money going to
additional staff and new
spending, and said coun-
cillors need more explana-
tion about the multi-mil-
lion dollar county budget.
"'There's' . a lot of. new
spending. We try to find it. .
but sometimes we don't
find it all," he said abet
sifting through complex
budgets for the wide range
of services .in the county's
mandate.
"It's transparency for us
and for everyone," McIver
said. "Especially .as coun-
cillors that we know exact-
ly what we're doing when
we pass a budget."
Council relies on senior
staff to nm their depart-
ments,
epa t-ments, McIver said, but
councillors have to under-
stand decisions and their
tax impact.
"As councillors we need
to have our staff present
more or less a condensed
version," he said, asking
for concise reports that
. will show how new spend-
ing fits the overall budget,
and the status of capital
spending and reserves.
Bruce County's budget
goes back to committee
April 15. Deadline for
approval is April 30.
Energy demand
Earth Hour in Ontario
pushed already low
demand for electricity
down by another 900
megawatts.That's a snap-
shot of how producers
could be affected if the
economy and demand .stay
low for a prolonged peri-
od, Bruce Power
spokesperson Ross
Lamont told Bruce county
council.
Continued on page 2