HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1999-02-24, Page 3Wednesday, February 24. 999
Straw familyhonouredwithAusable Bayfield award
Exeter nmesp.Advocatef
3
By Craig Bradford
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
LUCAN Striving to
conserve the environment
has its rewards.
The • Straw family's love
of the environment and
commitment for preserv-
ing it was recognized tty
the Ausable Bayfield
Conservation Authority
Thursday at the ABCA's
general meeting.
The Straws of Exeter
received a '98
Conservation Award in
the Environmental
Advocacy Category.
The Straw family has
been an important part of
the Ausable Bayfield
watershed for 25 years
and are well known in the
community as dedicated
conservationists.
Niall Straw, principal of
McCurdy Public School in
Huron Park, shares his
conservation principles
with his students. He
spearheaded a Blue Box
recycling program while
teaching in Goderich and
started schoolyard natu-
ralization programs
through reforestation.
Niall has also taken his
students to Camp Sylvan
for over 20 years. The
ABCA noted jokingly they
would like to see Niall
come back as a Junior
- Leader when he retires.
Rosemary Straw has
run an Exeter Cub Pack
for over 12 years. She has
encouraged her Cubs to
conserve the environment
and has introduced them
to many conservation
ideas by helping them
earn badges. While par-
ticipating in the Trees for
Canada. program,
Rosemary had helped to
plant hundreds of trees in
the Exeter area.
The Straw children,
Chris, Stephen, Jeremy
and Meaghan, are all pos-
itive conservation role
models for other youth.
Three of the children
have volunteered at the
Sylvan Conservation
Program and `Meaghan
received the ABCA Gr. 8
Graduation Award for
proficiency in geography.
Niall. and Rosemary
were at the general meet-
ing to receive their fami-
ly's award.
"I was quite surprised,"
Niall said. "Getting an
award for doing some -
Perth South and Dowson
represents Bayfield and
Stanley Township.
No Chevy at this levy
All of the ABCA's mem*
ber municipalities but
Hay .Township -approved
the '99- regular general
levy of $344, 340 and the
capital projects levy of
$28,400. The general levy
is the. same asked of
municipalities over the
past seven years. -
The budgeted capital
projects will not be com-
pleted unless the ABCA
can secure matching
funding from the province
or other sources.
The total balanced bud-
get of $1,281,650 was
unanimously passed.
Rosemary Straw, left, and her husband Niall accepted
a Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority '98
Conservation Award on behalf of their family at the
ABCA general meeting last week.
Ching we enjoy while
working with children is
really quite something
else."
Rosemary was also
floored to find out her
family was being hon-
oured
onoured by the ABCA.
"I didn't expect it," she
said. "I think it is an
encouragement for other
families (td 'eonserve the
environment)."
The other ABCA '98
Conservation Award win-
ners included the late
George Cantrick of
Stanley Township and
Durham's John (Jack) W.
MacPherson.
Many years ago
Cantrick bought a 148
acre farm with 100 acres
in the Bayfield River flood
plain. The area was pas-
ture and was severely
eroded and mostly with-
out trees. Cantrick helped
plant thousands of White
Pine seedlings on the
floodplain making the
area heavily forested pre-
venting further erosion
and serving as a wildlife
habitat. ABCA officials
said Cantrick's efforts
greatly improved water
quality in the Bayfield
River.
MacPherson, nominated
in the Environmental
Advocacy Category by-
ABCA engineer Alec Scott,
worked for over 35 years
with the Ministry of
Natural Resoui ces water
management and conser-
vation authorities branch,
Saugeen Valley
Conservation Authority
(SVGA) and most recently
with Goderich's B.M. Ross
and Associates. ‘ ‘ .
MacPherson has helped
the ABCA, SVCA, Upper
Thames River
Conservation Authority
and Maitland Valley
Conservation Authority
develop common pro-
grams for cost effective
and efficient delivery of
the flood forecasting and
warning program.
"It's a labour of love,"
MacPherson said after
receiving the award.
Other notes from the
meeting:
Strang in charge
Exeter's Gord Strang
was acclaimed chairper-
son of the ABCA and
Varna's Bill Dowson was
acclaimed vice -chairper-
son. Both will be starting
their second two-year
term though both came to
the positions half way
through last term. Strang
represents -Exeter,
Usborne Township and
Zurich ends landfill deal with., Hay
ZURICH — Council has decided to
end its agreement with the Hay landfill
site after finding a cheaper way to dis-
pose of its garbage with the Bluewater
Recycling Association.
Since council had to give Hay Town-
ship 10 -months notice of the termina-
tion of the deal, Zurich garbage will
still go to the Hay site until Dec. 31,
1999. .
Zurich clerk/treasurer Charlene
Overholt said the village will save ap-
proximately $17,000 annually with the
deal with Bluewater, although she said
there will be expenses when the village
holds "big garbage days."
Zurich's deal with Hay Township
goes back about six years, Overholt
said.
The new deal with Bluewater starts
Bosanquet, Thedford),
Don Shipway (Ailsa Craig,
Parkhill,. McGillivray
Township) , and Mark
Westbrook - (Clinton,
Goderich 'Township).
"A NIP!TALKING HORROR FILM
ALONG TNE LINES OF SCREAM:"
URBAN LUG E:N[D
1
*0001.
Thank you •
The following people
were honoured for their
efforts.' Ten years, staff:
ABCA corporate services
co-ordinator Judith
Parker and Port Franks
Conservation Area assis-
tant superintendent Anne
Ward; one year, staff:
conservation areas super-
visor Charlie Greenhill;
one year, board of direc-
tors: Ray Campbell
(Townships of East
Williams, West Williams),
Jim Love (Hay Township,
Zurich), Bob Mann
(Grand Bend, Stephen
Township), Robert Norris
(West Perth), Teresa
Ondrejicka (Liman
Biddulph Township),
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• 235-4.877 Fax 235-4878
518 Main St; S.- Exeter
THEY SAID CUR HEADS WERE IN Tilt1
CLOUDS...
WE SAID THE SKY'S THE LIMIT...
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
Join us for the first anniversary celebration of the
AUSABLE COMMUNITY CENTRE
Friday, February 26
7:00 p.m.
Ausable Community Centre
170 Main Street, Lucan
REFRESHMENTS
in 2000.
In other notes from last Thursday's
council meeting, council has divided
$3,272 hmong local organizations as
part of the provincial government's ad-
vanced funding program.
Once the village sends the applica-
tion to the government, the following
organizations will be receiving money:
Zurich- Minor Athletic Association,
$750; • Zurich Figure Skating Club,
$622; 1st Zurich Scout Organization,
3600; Town and Country Support Ser-
vices, $500; Huron Adult Day Centre,
$300; St. Boniface CWL, $100; Ausable
Bayfield Conservation Authority, $100;
Canadian Diabetes Association, $100;
Alzheimer Society, $100; and Canadian
Cystic Fibrosis, $100.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT AWARD
Presented by Bruce Smith, M.P.P. Middlesex
,,ART GALLERY OPENING
Annette Goodale - Watercolour Paintings, Pen and Ink
Drawings
For more information .
Telephone: 227-1453 Fax 227-1454
In partnership with Human Resources Development Canada