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The Citizen, 2006-07-13, Page 1Opening snip The official opening of the new Blyth Library was held on Thursday, July 6. On hand to cut the ribbon, were, from left: librarian Pat Brigham, chair of library board Rosemary Rognvaldson, North Huron reeve Doug Layton, Huron County warden Rob Morley and North Huron branch manager Paula Mackie. (Keith %piston photo) Library celebrates new home [ NORTH HURON PUBUSHING COMPANY INC Inside this week Photos from Grey's 150th anniversary Locals compete in provincial meet P P av A 2 locals St. Anne's g Ontario Scholars ng A salute to the Grade 8 grads pg. 3 `1 BLlo ytsht HFeeisetivoapiens at Pg. 6 Pg. 9 Former 'Citizen' reporter mourned Funeral services were held on Saturday, July 9 for a 23-year-old Lucknow woman who was killed in a motor vehicle collision outside Clinton July 4. A large crowd of mourners filled the Lucknow Community Centre to pay tribute to the life of Sarah Mann, who had worked as a summer student with The Citizen in 2003 and spent a summer working in the bakery at the Brussels grocery store. Eulogies were delivered by family members and friends, highlighting the many facets of this young woman. Remembrances touched several times on her hugs, her smile and her love of daisies. Music alSo played a big part in the service as it did in Mann's life. A slide presentation of photographs of, and taken by, Mann, was shown throughout the service. The daughter of Lynne and Steve Mann was a graduate of F.E. Madill Secondary School and Humber College's journalism program. The college has created a memorial award in her honour, to continue to "celebrate the life of Sarah." Mann was currently working at The Goderich Signal Star and was on her way to an interview at the time of the crash. According to Huron OPP, Mann was travelling alone on Huron Road just before 2 p.m., east of Front Road in Huron East when her 1999 Honda Civic crossed the centre line and collided head on with a cement truck. She was . pronounced dead at the scene. Huron Road was closed for several hours as the OPP, with the assistance of the Technical Traffic Collision Unit investigated. Besides her parents, Mann is survived by a sister Jessica, her maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Anderson, many aunts, uncles and cousins. SARAH MANN e ,Citizen Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Volume 22 No. 28 Thursday, July 13, 2006 $1 (94c + 6c GST) What a party! Grey's 150th anniversary brought together people from near and far. For everyone there was the opportunity to meet old friends, to become reacquainted with memories from the past, and to make new memories for the future. Darwin Ducharme of Brussels, while sharing his school pictures with daughter Lisa and grandson Jardin. said "I've met a lot of people I haven't seen in years." From Friday until late Sunday, the sun shone. The brief rain at the conclusion of the church service Sunday evening did not prevent the firework disptSy from going ahead. Brad Knight, former Grey Twp. treasurer said, "The talent show Friday night set the stage for a very successful weekend. Each of the committee chairs came through. No one .let us down. The weather co- operated. It was very successful." Joan Bateman of Ethel said that she had counted 139 vehicles in the 'parade, which did not include the horses, the clowns or the children and others running alongside the floats handing out water, apples and candy. "The parade took over an hour and a half to pass my home" Bateman said, "And it went so smoothly. There were no lengthy delays. It was very well organized." Knight said that about 800 attended the firefighters' breakfast Sunday morning. Knight estimated that about 350 attended the ecumenical church service Sunday evening. The guest speaker was Don Vair from the Westfield Church. Vair said that he had preached at the Cornerstone Church in Ethel for 13. years before it closed. Also participating in the service was the Grey Twp. choir. A member of the choir shared that it was composed of choir members from churches throughout Grey Twp., and that they had had very few practices together. The New Freedom Quartet, composed of the Brubachers' son, sons-in-law and a friend brought their witness and music to the service. Prov.'s decision pleases cancer victim By Carol Burns Citizen staff Jim Barnes, local multiple myeloma support group member, says that he is overjoyed that" the Ontario government has decided to fund the cancer drug, velcade, which is used in the treatment of multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that attacks bone marrow. There is no cure. "Velcade can do wonders for some people," Barnes said, "For some patients it can extend life for several years. But it costs between $40,000 and $50,000 a year." Barnes, who has lived with multiple myeloma for more than seven years, says that at the present time he is still in remission, but he is very pleased to know that velcade is there for when he needs it. On July 7 Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman announced "The McGuinty gdvernment is improving access to better drug treatment for approximately 1,400 people this year, rising to 2,600 next year with the funding of four new cancer- fighting drugs." The other drugs are toxotere, used in early stage breast cancer and tomudex and, tarceva used for fighting lung cancer. The government will provide $8.2 million for these drugs this year. That amount will increase to $15 million in 2007. Barnes said that Huron County is a multiple myeloma hot spot. (On Nov. _17 2005, Heather Crawford reported in The Citizen that Huron County has an occurrence rate of eight in 100,000 people, rather than the Ontario average of five in 100,000.) Barnes, who received the information about the approval of velcade from Huron-Perth MPP Carol Mitchell, said "I am very enthusiastic that the office took the time to call and tell me personally." In discussing the call, Brian McBride, Mitchell's constituency assistant, said "Jim Barnes and Bruce Coleman from Exeter were gentlemen and very dignified when they were part of a delegation who presented their petitions to Carol Mitchell." McBride stated that Mitchell took the two men to the legislature the day she presented their two large petitions. "Seven or eight other provinces have already approved these drugs. The government is speeding up drug approvals. We were surprised at the announcement but Carol (Mitchell) Continued on page 10 Local and county officials and a large turnout of local library users were on hand for the official opening of the new Blyth branch of the Huron County Library, Thursday afternoon. County librarian Beth Ross explained that libraries are a partnership of the local municipalities, which provide the building, and the county, which provides the furnishings, books and staff. She thanked the Two. of North Huron for providing an improved facility in Blyth that will help the service meet provincial library standards. Reeve Doug Layton said North Huron had been looking for a new location for the library for about a six months after meeting with Ross about a year ago and learning the old site, in the north wing of Memorial Hall, did not meet today's -requirements. He thank Don and Linda Stewart, who renovated their building to meet the library's needs and the library staff who moved the branch and set it up in the new location. "I can see it's a vast improvement over what we were used to," he said. Warden Rob Morley said that when the county council endorsed the library board's strategic plan several years ago, it was aware that some libraries did not meet the requirements for handicapped access and other needs. He thanked North Huron and the people of Blyth for getting behind the project to find a new library for Blyth, and the staff for making the switch possible. Rosemary Rognvaldson, chair of the library board recalled how her mother had warned her and her sister, when they were sent out on Saturday morning errands when she was young, not to go into the library because she knew they'd get enthralled and forget the errands. It was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with libraries, she said. "I think a library is really an investment. An investment in education. An investment in the community." Ross thanked the Friends of the Blyth Library, saying it was a good sign when a community itself takes part in supporting its library. Michael Dawber, representing the group, said how excited his group was to see the new facility. Ross also thanked the Blyth Lawn Bowling Club for making a donation to the library when it wrapped up the club's operation.