Loading...
The Huron Expositor, 1978-08-17, Page 1JUST BIDING MY TIME — This fellow, who didn't want to give his name to our photographer, was just biding his time, waiting for his event to roll round in the Seaforth and District $addle Club show held at the Seaforth (Expositor Photo) Tuckersmith man gets council's ok to hook into Seaforth sewers —.arena on Sunday. Line-ups MOST ORIGINAL- DOG — One thing about Kevin Dick's dog Petty, entered in the pet show sponsored by the Seaf9rth recreation department, it doesn't howl at night, you never have to feed it, and it doesn't leave hairs on the bed: More Photos on Page 5. (Expositor Photo) SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 1978 - 20 PAGES New street bylaw tri to control Ioiterin Eby Alice Gibbl People loitering around Main Street businesses at night, sometimes tossing beer bottles onto the street or sidewalk and even breaking windows have lcd to passage of a stiff new bylaw by Seaforth council. Under the new bylaw, anyone who gathers in crowds on Seaforth streets or sidewalks, "so as to obstruct traffic thereon" and who doesn't move on after a request from a police officer, is liable to a maximum fine of $1,000. Irwin Johnston, chairman of the police committee of council, •said the committeee recommended the bylaw since "nothing in the provincial statutes gives you a leg to stand on" when it comes to -loitering offenCes. Council Johnston said recently 18 young people were witnessed standing around the Main intersection in downtown Seaforth and the committee hopes the new bylaw will bring an end to this situation. Have Teeth Mr. Johnston said the committee wanted- "to have some teeth in something" so police can bring charges against loiterers in the future. Mayor Betty Cardno said council was concerned the police- didn't have enough backing in the Criminal Code to prosecute people hanging around the downtown area at night. She said the loiterers have been tossing beer bottles and other garbage on the street and one merchant has been getting his door _damaged. • The mayor said the Ontario Police Commission provided the local council with the copy of a similar bylaw which, has been passed in London. The mayor said the town won't know how 'well the bylaw will stand up in court until there's been a test case. She, said council felt it was preferable to have "our own bylaw to deal with problems in our own town." Other clauses in the bylaw deal with litter, dumping snow on the roads in the winter and people playing on the sifeetS„ Litter Under the bylaw, it is illegal to "throw,. place or deposit any dirt, filth, glass, handbills, paper or other rubbish or refuse or the carcass of any animal on any street or sidewalk." Another problem encountered by the local police has been people clearing out their driveways in the winter and dumping the snow on the public thoroughfares. ' - Mayor Cardno said police can warn householders not to dump their snow on the road, but until 'the pasSage of this, bylaw, they weren't empowered to do anything more than sound a warning. Now homeowner's who repeat the' offence would also be liable to a maximum fine of $1.000. The, mayor said fines• levied under the bylaw• willabe strictly up to the discretion of the justice of the peace when the case appears in court. Since the bylaw was passed by council, fines levied under the bylaw would come to the town of Seaforth rather than going 'to the province as they do with traffic offences. Handbills Another clause 'in the bylaw attempts to deal. with the- problem of handbills -left hanging long after the event they're advertising is over. The bylaw states, "No perSo; shall affix any poster, handbill, notice of advertisement on or to any pole or tree or kiosk or any structure erected by the Corporation on any 'street, No person shall paint, print or impress any notice or advertisement on any sidewalk or curb in any street." Mayor Cardno said often posters in town are ptit up and never taken down again, and it's hoped this bylaw will put an end to that. She emphasized it would be up to the discretion of the police force when they chose to press charges under the bylaw. Finally, one of the other major clauses in the new law deals with people playing on the town's streets and sidewalks. Play Ball Under the bylaw, it's illegal to "play any game of ball or other game, or run or race or do anything else which constitutes a public nuisance upon any street or sidewalk." Also, sidewalks are to be used solely for pedestrian traffic, except in the case of baby carriages or bicycles which car, be wheeled along the sidewalk. In the case of bicycles, "wheeled" is the key word, The mayor said the bylaw is intended to cover some of the concerns the town has - about people using streets and sidewalks. It s also intended to protect local businesses from refuse and damage to their building. The 'mayor said the bylaw was passed ford the public's protection. s, Now all council can do is wait and see how well the bylaw -Will Stand up—iii court. Seaforth council Monday night agreed to let a Tuckersmith resident hook, into Seaforth's sanitary sewer system,. ' but stressed the permission would not set a precedent. Ken Coleman, who is building a house in Egmondville next to Seaforth's south boundary will pay a frontage rate double what Seaforth people pay, 80 cents a foot annually til 2015. He will also pay 83.35% of his water bill as a sewer surcharge and the agreement with the town, to be drawn up at Mr. Coleman:s expense, will be registered on the title of his property. "Are we wide open for the next request?" wondered councillor Jim Sills. Other councillors said each request would be looked at individually. here for polio shots Hensall gets liquor store request Mr's. Price said she was allotted an additional 130 doses of the vaccine. The nurse gave 30 doses to the Seaforth . hospital And kept the rest for people dropping by the health unit office to request polio immunization shots. Mrs, Price said the health unit staff didn't anticipate the rush for polio vaccinations. Hensall residents will still have to drive to get their drinks. Hensall Council learned Monday- night. -- • R.'J. Harris of the Liquor' Control. Board wrote council that the village does not qualify for a liquor outlet. Residents- would have to continue to depend on outlets in Exeter and Zurich 'for their supply. Earlier hi the, year Hensall Council inquired whether an outlet could be opened in the village. Harr is said part of the reason for the negative reply was the current restraint program. Towns larger than Hensall with outlets fartherzway have applied for liquor stores to open in their municipality. These areas will be given priority over the village, Mr. Harris wrote. " In other business. council approved a $50 grant to the Bluth Centre for the Arts. Hensall has already donated funds to the Huron County Playhouse. Abill from the village' to Robert Baker for -cutting grass • was 'retracted after ..Baker appeared before council. He told council he was away at the time and was never ntified that there had been any complaint Reeve Harold Knight said the matter had not been handled diplomatically and in the future residents should be notified of a complaint so they could cut the grass themselves if they wanted to. F.D. Setterington of Union Gas discussed with council the proposed location of a new gas main on Richmond Street south and Mill Street. Council said the company should take the old line out, but Setterington said this would be expensive as the line ran under the sidewalk. Town foreman Lorne Archer said the line wasn't under the sidewalk. Setterington .said the company would send a man up to definitely locate the line, and would -be prepared to remove it if it wasn't under the sidewalk. The Reid engineering report for the proposed subdivision was received by council and turned over to the County engineer for study and coniment. The report said there would be no extra service cost to the municipality from the subdivision. A letter from the County regarding the 1926 Hansall Fire Truck asking if Hensall wanted the truck relocated was received. Council decided to request the truck be . brought back to the village for restoration .and storage in the new fire hall. Council approved a bylaw allowing the government to charge the village in metric units instead of imperial measurements. A request by Douglas Kyle for the village to pay the costs Of water damage in his baaement was turned down. Kyle said in his letter the damage was caused when the village damaged a storm sewer. • Wilma Hoffman was appointed animal tontrol officer for Hensall. Five Ontario Home Renewal Program grants were approved by council. Donce-a-thon cancelled After a lot of work by a volunteer ODMMittee, but not much support from the public. the dance-a-thon to raise mney for a neW PA System and lights at the arena has been cancelled, Even when the dance marathon was cut down to six hours from the original 13' only about 10 people had indicated they'd take part. So Monday night the committee. Bill Bennett. Peg Campbell, Jean Hildebrand. Alf Ross, Elva Ellis. Gary Montgomery and Clive Buist threw in the sponge. Allow . $3,000 in community funds is needed to match the $6,000 in provincial grants and $3.000 in local tax delldrS that will pay for the lights and the PA. • Committee members don't know if the.. new: equipment isn't really wanted by the cominunity or if the event didn't interest anyone. Certainly Mayor Betty Cardno had a tough time at council Monday night scaring up both pledges and offers to be her dance partner for an hour _from members of council. Donation to the fund are tax dedtictibel and can be sent to the rec office. The altrunittee is looking for suggestions for mote fruitful fund raising sehemes from the public. announced this. measure so that available vaccine could be sent to areas where it's most needed, a move which has resulted in some criticism from medical health officers outside the immediate target area. Since Huron County isn't immediately adjacent to Oxford County, it is not oonsidered a high risk area, .Mr. jbrell said other areas will be able to resume their regular adult 'immunization dinics when a million' doses of vaccine are delivered in September from Connaught Laboratories. Ran Out • Last week, staff at the local .health unit office in Seaforth Community Hospital were forced to turn people away when they ran out of vaccine. Marlene Price, public health nurse at the office, said she administered 30 doses of the vaccine at Wednesday's clinic and another 35 doses on Thursday morning. On Friday morning. the clinic temporarily ran out Of vaccine after administering 20 shots. • People were lined up outside the door of the clinic both Thursday and Friday mornings and more people were turned away by hospital staff at the central information desk. • The health trait staff were also besieged with phone calls and Mrs, Price said it kept one staff member busy coping with the Frustrated at not getting an answer from CNR. despite repeated calls. Seaforth Council considered guerilla tactics Monday night in an effdrt to get the Cn crossing on S. 'Main Street repaired. Several councillors ,reported complaints from ratepayers that the crossing was left in worse condition that before when CN crews worked there almost two months ago, Since then clerk Jim Crocker has been trying to get the railway company to do repairs. or at least to return his phone calls Councillor Jim Sills, half joking. suggested the' town put up barricades with telephone calls. Both Lines-L-. There are two lines coming into the health unit office and the nurse said both lines were often ringing at' the same time. Clinics in Goderich and Clinton also used up their available supply of• vaccine, but more vaccine arrived on Friday afternoon. , The decision to hire an assistant clerk- typist, for the Town Office pointed out some of the pitfalls in requiring town employees to live in Seaforth',a policy that was suggested at council Monday night. Because of the increased workload in the office, „coun,cil gave' its okay to hiring a clerk-typist at $3.25 per hour. The residency rule was recommended to council by its arena committee. The committee suggested that all new employees be required to move to town within six months. of being hired and that once full time employees live in Seaforth, they not be allowed to live outside the town. Several councillors pointed out that it wouldn't be likely that a clerk-typist would pull up stakes and move from Egmondville or Winthrop for that salary. "If people are paid, by tax dollars, they should live here," commented deputy' reeve Bill Dale. The mayor,, and other town felt employees Should livee in town so they're available in the winter, when they're needed. Council tossed around several variations the residency rule, including letting employees live within a mile and a quarter (the he's policy. within the town's "environs", and requiring that when relocation is necessary to take a job in Seaforth, the new employee live in town. The policy would not apply to people who trashing lights and an stt,nsa ic crossing' sign. ''or 'Use at your own 'risk"' and get press photo coverage suggested councillor Wayne Ellis. ' w e eould put a car w jib a wheel off in the middle of the crossin-, no one used the middlp anyway." said councillor Gerald Grooth u is . Mayor Cardno suggested a letter to the president of CN. Action Was postponed until the clerk talks to the county engineer "as the street is a county road. A'S of Wednesday morning, Ile hadn't returned the clerk's call, • Seaforth's long awaited second OHC apartment bulding for senior citizens is coming. In October 1979. Clerk Jim Crocker told council Monday night he's had verbal confirmation that the project's•been awarded to Rheii Construc- tion and work will begin in Mid-October 1978 and finish a year later. Council wrote OHC to find out why the lowest bid on the 16 unit John Street Inside this week Iiuron Marlene Price said she will be giving polio immunization shots at •the health unit office in the Seaforth Community Hospital as long as vaccine is available. On Wednesday •morning, people were again lined up outside the health unit office. People wishing a polio vaccination would be advised to phone the health unit office before going in for their shot, no shortage now, several councillors said. "There'ld be a lot less problem if we (Continued on Page 3 ) building, by J. P. Ducharme Construction was not accepted and was told that the bid was disqualified because it didn't have the reqUired bid bOnd. The techniCal error will cost taxpayers about $60,000--the differenee between the Ducharme bid and the successful' one. The municipality is supposed to be consulted on the tendering but Seaforth wasn't invited by OHC to fake part. expositor ''no on no on Huron County's polio immunization clinics officially came to an end on Monday. Dr. Brian Lynch, Huron County MOH' said public health nurses throughout the county may still be administering the vaccine until their supply is exhausted. Health Minister Dennis Timbrell announced Friday that no further adult immunization clinics are to be held outside Oxford, Lambton, Middlesex, Elgin, Perth counties. Haldimand-Norfolk, Brant, Waterloo and ouncil looks at The health minister Council considers guerilla tactics at crossing residency rule for Town workers are already town employees, A residency requirement didn't make sense when Seaforth had a housing shortage, but there's You get fu.nnyansvriers at 12:30 By Wilma Oke ahead of time," It may have been the lateness of the hour Deputy Reeve William Dales, "I'll see when the council meeting ending. It was bow I feel in October," about 12:30 a.m., or perhaps it was the heat? Councillors Wayne Ellis, "I'm . un- decided," Irwin Johnston," A good pos- Well, whatever, members of Seaforth sibility 1 will agian," Gerald Groothuis, council didn't give exactly enlightening "I'm undecided, " James Sills, "I have to answers to the question of whether they see what my . wife says," and Willian would seek re-election for another term of Bennett, "I don't know yet." office this November when',,,questioned by But who am I to question their brightness.I the press at th'e end of the meeting. dozed off briefly about Midnight myself as Mayor Betty Cardno replied "I don't think the Clerk read through pages and pages of I shall be seeking re-election." several by-laws that had to be read aloud Reeve John Flannery "I never reveal it . before being voted on! OFIC apartments coming in October '79 Frog derby exhausting P S Council briefs P. 11 Maloney joins N H L P. 13 Beefalo:114 new breed •P 19 Whole No. 115702 119th Year $12.00 a year in Advance Single copy 25 cents