HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-08-18, Page 15'•sgY/�!k
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Exeter Times Advocate
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Wednesday, August
5 1999
235-4949
Things are blooming in Lucan Biddulph
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
LUCAN BIDDULPH — With the
Communities in Bloom project in its
second year in Lucan organizers are
working to have everything ready for
the garden tour on Heritage Days
weekend.
Lucan Biddulph Coun. Perry
Caskanette, who has been doing
much of the work for the municipali-
ty, explains it took longer to get
Communities in Bloom underway this
. year because the amalgamation of the
Village of Lucan and Biddulph
Township slowed some things down.
There is also a smaller township staff
due to amalgamation and that has
also made a difference, Caskanette
said.
And while last year's Communities
in Bloom involved only the village,
this year's includes the entire rural
area and Granton.
Caskanette says the municipality
has to do its part for the project, but
there has also been a lot of participa-
tion from area groups and residents
who have been doing their best to
make the Township of Lucan
Biddulph a nicer looking place.
There will be 11 stops on
Saturday's (Aug. 21) garden tour —
five in Lucan ffour homes and the
,LeglrQ ian l aglit,..04%h :in Granton
and this rural, township. Caskanette.-
said
askanette --said the self -guided tour is organized
by the Ausable Centre which will be
mailing out brochures including maps
to all homes in Lucan Biddulph.
Those from outside Lucan Biddulph
interested in the tour can pick up a
map at. the Heritage Cabin on Frank
St. There will also be brochures
available at the Ausable Centre on
the day of the tour, which starts at.1
a.m. and finishes at 4 p.m:"4=
One new feature of the garden tour
is its price -- it's free this year,
because Caskanette said organizers
want more people to come out and
participate. Last year's 25 tourists
was a disappointment.
Five of the tour stops will win a
$100 gift certificate to Nicholson
Garden Centre.
Since this is the second year in
Lucan for Communities in Bloom,
Caskanette said villagers are more
aware of the program than residents
in the rural areas. And while the late
start to theprogram has hindered
Communities in Bloom, Caskanette
said the program takes time to devel-
op and evolve.
• For Caskanette, th.e point of
Communities in Bloom is to
encourage horticulture and pride
in ownership.
He says Communities in
Bloom is a good thing for r.
Lucan Biddulph and will �-
improve the health and _
disposition of its rest-,/ 4 -N
dents.
/1\
Caskanette, who teaches sci-
ence at Catholic Central Higheel
School in London, has a joy
of nature and doesn't mind
putting in the time the pro-*
gram requires, although he
says more residents have
to get involved to help out.�/ \\
Caskanette said he original-
ly got involved .because it // ‘°1106\
seemed Communities
in Bloom would
never get done if somebody didn't
step up and do it.
While the garden• tour takes place
on Saturday, part of Communities in
Bloom has already happened.
Last Friday Caskanette took the
provincial judges for the program on
a tour around the municipality. That
tour was different than the garden
tour, because it involves all aspects of
municipal property. Judges were
looking at houses, the state of the
township roads, ditches and drains
and Caskanette was to inform them
about the new sewage system being
installed in Granton:
Judging results won't be announced
until an awards banquet in Stratford
in. September and Caskanette said
Lucan's strong showing last year --
791 points out of a possible 1,000 —
proved that a municipality doesn't
have to go out and spend a lot of
money on Communities in Bloom, it
just has to have a strong infrastruc-
ture. He said the roads in Lucan are
in great shape and the staff works
hard to maintain the municipality.
Although municipalities are put in
categories according to population
and compete against each other,
Caskanette says Communities in
Bloom is really a competition with
yourself, not other communities.
He added that next year's 2000
Communities in Bloom will be a big
year for Lucan Biddulph because of
the sesquicentennial of Biddulph
Township.
The Lions Dirk gardens on:
the corner of ,Beech and
Market streets wasaawarded
an honourable mention in last
year's tour.
15
Last year Barry and Kelly Hodgins' gardens at their home on Market Street was
awarded the prize for best use of land in Lucan's Communities in: Bloom tour.:.,.
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Lucan Biddulph Coun. Perry Caskanette was in Market Street Park lastWednesday making sure the gardens were ready
for the Com � • • judging. He said Communities in Bloom is something that can improve the Township of
Lucan Biddul