The Citizen, 2012-04-12, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012. PAGE 9. Dry Good Friday may mark beginning of dry spring
Happy Easter to all and I hope
everyone had a wonderful weekend
with family.
I heard the old saying that “if it
rains on Good Friday, it means 40
days of rain”. I guess we will be
having a dry spring. Many farmers
will tell you it is already dry. The bit
of rain on Sunday sure didn’t addmuch moisture to the ground.It must be official that spring ishere because we have already cut thelawn for the first time. A nice mix of
warm days, cool nights and many
days a strong breeze. The wind has
been cold, but it can only get better.
Welcome back to the many
Brussels snowbirds that have
returned from their winter homes.
Betty McCutcheon, Mel and Lois
McCutcheon, Jack and Esther
McCutcheon, Bob and Rene
Richmond, Glenn and Jean Bridge,
Jim Alton and Dianne Machan have
all returned to expand the population
of Brussels again. I have heard that
the winter was just great in Florida,
but we can’t really complain about
our winter here. Welcome home
everyone.Our condolences to Catherine andBrent Pryce on the sudden death ofCatherine’s father Garry Pestell. Oursympathies are extended to his wife
Colleen and the extended Pestell and
Machan families.
Two local ladies made a trip to
Ottawa to visit with family and
friends. Sharon Stephenson went to
visit with her three grandchildren
and had a wonderful time. Pauline
Gulutzen went to visit with the
daughters of Bill and Donna
Hamilton at South Mountain. She
reports that she too had a great time.
It is a long drive to Ottawa and
Pauline suggests that limiting fluid
intakes is a must when you are not
the driver.
Our condolences to the family of
the late Ruth Shiell. She will bemissed by her children Joanne,Barbara, Ken and Ron and theirfamilies. She will also be missed byspecial friend Henry and her many
friends at the Alexander Street
apartments. Ruth was a very nice
lady who had enjoyed a trip of a
lifetime to the west last year and
many times spoke of how much she
had enjoyed the trip when being with
me. Our sympathies to all.
Returning from a trip to Arizona
are Ken and Brenda Dalton, Ken and
Diane Anderson, Paul and Cheryl
Ryan and friends Ken and Leanne
McNeil. They flew to Phoenix and
were picked up by the Harley
Davidson dealer, where they rented
their motorcycles for the tour. The
eight of them rode double. They
went to Scottsdale and started theirride towards the south and Tucson.They went to Tombstone, the area ofthe famous Wyatt Earp. They loopedaround to the east and north to head
to Sedona. The landscape of Arizona
is always changing from cactus, to
brush, to luscious valleys and
gorgeous mountains. The Sedona
area is noted for its red rock. In the
Sedona area they went on a side trip
to the Grand Canyon and it was
beautiful.
They had fantastic weather for the
week they were away and had a great
time. They report it was easy to get
to sleep as the fresh air and the great
outdoors can make a person very
tired – sure it does! Brenda reports it
was really great and would
encourage everyone to go.
I hear the good news that Doreen
Hackwell is now a resident of
Huronlea. She will be happy to be
closer to her Walton and Brussels
friends.
NEWS
FROM WALTON
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By Jo-Ann
McDonald
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887-6570
PEOPLE AROUNDWALTON
The closing of the maple syrup
shack on the farm of Jeff and
Shannon McGavin took place on
Good Friday. The afternoon party
was hosted by Bob Rowe and Gerry
Wheeler and they provided
hamburgers, sausage, pancakes and
syrup for the nearly 100 family,
friends and neighbours attending.
They provided everyone with a
small Canadian flag for a ceremony
honouring the fallen soldiers of
Afghanistan and their families. They
recited the poem “In Flander’s
Field” and played reveille and sang
many of the old familiar songs. All
the donations from the maple syrup
sales are donated to the fund for the
families of fallen soldiers created by
former Chief of Defence Staff, Rick
Hillier.
A second celebration was also
observed with the group singing
Happy Birthday to Marie McGavin.
Marie was quite surprised, because
she had been handing out invitations
for the closing, unknowingly, for her
party as well. Surprise!
The McGavin families gathered at
Boston Pizza in Goderich for
Marie’s birthday on Monday.
Joining Neil and Marie were
members of Cathy, Brian and Jeff’s
families who were able to attend.
Emerson Mitchell was feeling a
little under the weather last week,
but is feeling much better now after
having a heart procedure done at
Kitchener Hospital.
We hope you continue to improve
Emerson.
Guests at the home of Don and
Monique Baan and family on Easter
Sunday were John and Mary Baan
and Monique’s parents, John and
Julia Van Ostaayen from Stayner
and her brother John and family and
sister Linda and family. They
celebrated Easter and an enjoyable
day together.
Guests at the home of Joseph and
Susanne Studhalter for the occasion
of Marionna’s confirmation were
Joseph Sr. and Elizabeth Studhalter
from Quebec. They had special
guests and friends from Switzerland
with them to join in the festivities.
They were also saying a farewell to
Marionna as she is leaving for
Germany in a week or so to go to
school and study German for two
months. We wish her the best in this
exciting adventure.
Our condolences to the Dalton
family on the passing of Mavis
Dalton. She will be missed by her
children Don, Ken and Faye and
their families. She and her late
husband, Percy, farmed just outside
of Walton and raised their family
there. She has been in a wheelchair
for many years, but that did not stop
her from being out and about. Our
sympathies to the extended Dalton
and McClure families.
Celebrating birthdays this past
week include Donna Hannon,
Stephen Gulutzen, Shelley
McGavin, Doug J. Mitchell, Janet
Mitchell, Wayne Regele, Ron
Driscoll, Matthew Huether, George
Love, Kevin Wilbee, Marie
McGavin, Betty McDonald, Heather
Dunbar, Bonnie Hastings, Shannon
Craig, Cole Zwep, Katie (Emmrich)
Johnston, Jack Ryan, Neil
Williamson and Trevor Sutcliffe.
Happy birthday to all.
Maple shack raises money for fallen soldiers
HE draft budget includes bag tag increase
Treasurer Paula Michiels
presented Huron East Council with
her third draft of the 2012 budget at
the April 3 meeting, which was held
at the Vanastra Recreation Centre.
Michiels presented the budget
with a six per cent proposed tax rate
increase. The newest draft of the
budget included the $500,000
internal debenture for repairs at the
Huron East town hall in Seaforth and
an increase in the cost of garbage
bag-tags in Brussels to $2 each from
$1.50 each.
The budget also included an
increase to the Seaforth BIA budget
from $20,000 to $21,000. The last
time the Seaforth BIA’s budget had
been increased by $1,000 was in
2005, Michiels told councillors.
***
In March Huron East Mayor
Bernie MacLellan inquired about a
potential electronic cheque-signing
system that would ease his and
Deputy-Mayor Joe Steffler’s burden
of signing cheques every month.
Michiels informed councillors that
there are between 350 and 400
cheques to be signed every month
and all have to be signed by either
Steffler or MacLellan and Michiels
or Clerk-Administrator Brad Knight
(one top member of council and one
member of senior staff).
MacLellan told council about an
incident in March where he was busy
handling county business under the
title of Huron County Warden, and
had to make the trip back to Seaforth
to sign three cheques, none of which
exceeded $100.
Michiels did some research and
said that four other municipalities in
Huron County sign their cheques
electronically and three of the four
sign every municipal cheque
electronically. The fourth requires a
physical signature for any cheque
over $40,000.
After speaking to the
municipality’s auditors, Michiels
said, there were no concerns as long
as Huron East had strong internal
control amongst its staff.
Michiels told council that
implementing electronic cheque-
signing would have no budgetary
impacts, as the ability to sign
cheques electronically is included in
the municipality’s new accounting
software, it just has to be authorized
by council.
MacLellan said staff should
continue to investigate implementing
a program, but that council should
further discuss a threshold requiring
a physical signature. MacLellan
threw out $5,000 as a potential
starting point.
***
Huron East Fire Chief and CEMC
Marty Bedard presented council
with his recently-drafted operations
manual and guidelines for the
municipality.
At council’s final meeting in
March, approval of the manual
was deferred until council had
enough time to review the book
in its entirety.
Bedard said the book would
constantly be updated over the
course of the year as he sees the
need.
***
Council has drafted a letter
detailing its displeasure in the
placement of a wind turbine along
Summerhill Road and its close
proximity to the road.
A presentation was made to
council detailing the potential ice
throw from the turbine and that it
could go as far as 125 metres from
the turbine. With the 550 metre
setback for homes, that leaves a large
cushion for homes from ice throw,
however, the turbine is set to be
placed just 60 metres from the
road.
Councillors felt the turbine should
be at least 99 metres from the road
allowance to allow for the turbine’s
height. Displeasure was also
expressed over the placement of a
transmission line running through
Cranbrook. Staff suggested running
the line up McDonald Line, where it
wouldn’t run straight through a
village full of people.
With the turbine strategically
placed so close to the road and in
between two different receptors with
just metres to spare according to
provincial setback regulations, there
is very little room to move.
Knight suggested drafting a letter
to St. Columban Energy and Stantec
Consulting expressing council’s
“dissatisfaction with the consultation
process” and the placement of the
turbine along Summerhill Road. The
motion to draft the letter, sending it
to the Ministry of the Environment
as well was carried.
DUNGANNON 1-800-665-5675 WALTON
519-529-7951 Fax 519-529-3341 519-887-6023
2012 Chick Days
Chicks - Sexed or Mixed
Also Available: Turkeys, Geese, Ducks, Layers
We have a complete line of SHUR-GAIN Homestead Feeds
and Animal Health Products as well as feeders, waterers,
heat lamps, baled shavings etc.
Serving our friends and neighbours in the farming communities
with quality products and personalized service,
for over 25 years.
• Monday, April 16
for pickup Friday, May 18
• Friday, May 18
for pickup Friday, June 22
Order Dates
Duff’s United Church celebrated
Easter and the Liturgy of
Confirmation on Easter Sunday.
Greeting the congregation were
Ryan, Adam and Emma Baan and
Phyllis Mitchell and Glenda
Morrison played lovely music for
all. Rev. Peter thanked Patty Banks
and Jim Cook for decorating the
sanctuary with lovely spring
flowers. Confirmation of Emma
Baan and Marionna Studhalter was
conducted by Rev. Peter with Clerk
of Session Teresa Baan presenting
their Bibles to them on behalf of the
congregation. Teresa read the
scripture lessons and the choir had a
special Easter anthem “ He is
Risen”.
Rev. Peter’s sermon was entitled
“Death is Wrong”. The tithes and
offering were accepted by Chad
McCallum and Jeff McGavin. Coffee
was served following the service.
Announcements included breakfast
following church on April 22.
Confirmations mark
Easter service at Duff’s