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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-5-31, Page 19Are you tired of getting a second-han newspaper: Be first in line and get your own subscription! One year subscription to The Citizen $3800 only Enclosed is $38.00 for a 1 -year subscription Name Address Town Postal Code On-line subscriptions available too at www.northhuron.on.ca Mail cheque & coupon to: P.O. Box 429, Blyth, ON NOM 1H0 P.O. Box 152, Brussels, ON NOG 1H0 THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018. PAGE 19. Bistro again claims national TripAdvisor awards Sharing the love Part II owner and head chef Peter Gusso, not shown, ran out of space on his awards shelf at his Blyth location so when he received the 2018 TripAdvisor national awards for Top Canadian Cuisine and Top Bistro, he sent them to their recently -opened second location in Goderich. Gusso said Wyatt Ducharme, above, ran the kitchen at the Blyth location for a significant portion of last year, and now runs the Goderich restaurant, meaning he contributed significantly to the winning of the award. (Denny Scott photo) By Denny Scott The Citizen Part II Bistro in Blyth has continued its long-standing tradition of excellence with another set of TripAdvisor awards. The restaurant, owned by Chef Peter Gusso and his wife Sarah, received the 2018 TripAdvisor Awards for Top Canadian Cuisine and Top Bistro in Canada, marking the third year in a row the restaurant has received national accolades from the website. Gusso explained that the awards are given out based on the consistent five-star ratings the restaurant receives. In 2015, the restaurant was honoured with a provincial award, and, starting in 2016 and continuing through to this year, Part II Bistro has been receiving national awards. "It's really good and it feels really good to be recognized," Gusso said. "We're still setting the bar quite high for the restaurant for service and quality and it feels good." Gusso said this year's award was different because, while the recipes Ruth'a action, could newt give awary, the (act that ohe'a 75 Wail! Happy 75th Birthday Mom! ;= Love Bob and your family are his, the food was mostly being prepared by someone else for the past year. "Wyatt Ducharme has been with us for just over a year as a chef," Gusso said. "Pretty much when last summer's busy season began, or maybe a bit before that, Wyatt ran the kitchen." Gusso said he was still at the restaurant, working on sides, but by the end of last summer, Ducharme was running the whole restaurant himself. Ducharme's ability to keep the restaurant at Gusso's established levels of service and quality opened the door for the expansion of the business to Goderich last winter. "We're hoping to repeat the success we've had in Blyth in Goderich," he said, saying that Ducharme is now in charge of the location in Goderich on the town's iconic downtown Square. Ducharme said his time at the restaurant has been challenging, but that makes the reward all the sweeter. "Nothing feels better than being recognized for something successful Blyth Festival Orchestra In Concert Sunday, June 3, 3 pm St. George's Anglican Church Goderich, Ontario Music by Johann Sebastian Bach Ludwig van Beethoven Domenico Cimarosa Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Guest Artist: Desmond Gaspar Admission: $15.00 (adults) $10.00 (students) no charge (12 and under) Tickets at the Blyth Festival Box Office or pay at the door that was a challenge to achieve," he said. "Peter gave me a really big opportunity. The staff have a lot to do with the award as well. There were a lot of man hours involved and I couldn't be happier." Ducharme said it was wonderful to be a part of the award-winning business and it's always nice to "confirm the hype" around the restaurant. Both he and Gusso said they want to continue the great service in Goderich that the Part II Bistro brand has become known for in Blyth, unfortunately, due to a quirk in TripAdvisor's system, the Goderich site isn't yet achieving the same five-star rating consistency they have in Blyth. Gusso explained that the restaurant that he bought and transformed into the second Part H Bistro site still has reviews up that are being attributed to the Goderich restaraunt. Since taking over, the restaurant hasn't received a review with less than four stars. Unfortunately, until a clean slate is implemented, the ratings of Part II Bistro Goderich are somewhat skewed by those previous reviews. NH faces expensive dam options By Denny Scott The Citizen The future of the Howson Dam in Wingham, regardless of which path North Huron Council chooses, is likely to be an expensive one. Council received a report on the structure of the dam during its May 22 meeting, the bottom line of which was, whether council decides to rebuild, refurbish or remove the dam, the project could potentially cost millions of dollars. Director of Public Works Sean McGhee had representatives from KGS Group, the firm that studied the southern -most portion of the structure, present their findings to North Huron Council to make sure the technical information was available when council is approached by groups or individuals regarding the dam. The synopsis for the report is that the dam is in critical condition. Fuad Curi, one of KGS Group's engineers, said the structure could fail given its age and level of deterioration. According to Curi's report, Howson Dam's Hazard Potential Classification (HPC) is high. Curi cited poor concrete condition that may no longer be reliable and the fact that the structure does not meet structural stability criteria. He went on to say that doing nothing was not an option as it would inevitably lead to a catastrophic failure of the structure. The other options presented to council outlined very expensive projects, regardless of how council proceeded. Curi explained that all of his cost projections were considered "Class 4" estimates, meaning actual costs could be as much as 50 per cent higher or 30 per cent lower than proposed. If council decided to decommission the bridge and remove it, the estimated cost would be $436,000 according to Curi, meaning it could cost as much as �• for Josh Wesselink Jessica Bentley ' June 9, 2018 Brussels, ON 8pm-1 am Fun, games & more Tickets $10 0'1 C BMG Community Centre $654,000 and that was the least expensive option presented. Rehabilitating the structure could cost as little as $2,022,300 (70 per cent of the $2,889,000 estimate) according to Curi if there is enough stability left in some of the structure to install post -tension anchors. He also said that extra mass could be added to the structure to prevent a collapse or failure, but that could cost as much as $6,871,500 (150 per cent of the $4,581,000 estimate). Replacing the structure with a similar concrete structure was the most expensive option presented and could cost $9,313,500 (150 per cent of the $6,209,000 estimate). Replacing the structure with an earth -embankment and sluiceway would cost an estimated $3,980,000. Deputy -Reeve James Campbell, who sits on the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority Board, asked if the impact of more frequent flood events with higher water levels would damage the structure, however Holly Hampton, another engineer from KGS Group, said the damage was more due to freezing/thawing than flooding. Councillor Bill Knott said that he recently went to see the dam, and what he saw "scared the hell out of' him. "That bridge has to come down for sure," he said. "I know [KGS Group] didn't study it, but I was surprised at the exposed rebar and the extent of the corrosion. I see that we have no hope of rehabilitating the bridge for a pedestrian walkway or anything else." Knott said he felt that the northern, newer part of the structure also had some structural deficiencies, adding that removing flood -controlling wood from the structure was likely a difficult prospect. Council approved a proposed recommendation to receive the report and forward it to stakeholders, and that a further report be created including comments of delegations or stakeholders to help council decide what to do with the bridge. KGS Group also briefly reviewed the bridge structure, referred to above by Knott, and said, in the company's professional opinion, it wasn't safe for foot traffic and should remain closed. 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