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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1972-11-30, Page 1Only a few have, .no vote Chief cites mountingr concern over coffee. house operations Exeter Police chief Ted Day this week indicated a growing concern by his department over the operation of the local coffee house, "The Big Toe." His main concern stems from the number of "outsiders" using the facilities and the fact that persons convicted of drug posses- Sion are frequenting The Big Toe. "The majority of the youths who are interested in the 'opera- tion of the coffee house are sincere in their efforts to operate Monday, December 4 is elect* tion day for municipalities throughout Ontario and all but a handful of voters in the area covered by The Times Advocate have ,a chance to exercise their franchise. The only persons not getting a vote are about 40 separate school supporters living in the village of Hensall, All other in North Middlesex and South. Huron will be voting to fill seats on municipal.councils or county school boards. The polls will be open from 11 a.m. until a p.m., Monday in all municipalities having an elec- tion. A second advancepoll is being held Saturday with the same open hours for those par- ticularly students not able to be in the municipality, Monday. The new voting regulations which are in effect for the first time allows every person residing in the municipality an opportunity to vote regardless of his or her status, except of course, the minimum age re- quirement of 18. Area returning officers urge voters when marking their ballots to keep the x or whichever mark is used completely within the circle. Another change on the ballot which may confuse voters is that the candidate's given name is listed first on the ballot instead of the surname. Elections are being held for reeve positions in Hay township and Grand Bend and deputy- reeve posts in Exeter and Bid- dulph township. Council elections are also being staged in Stephen, Grand Bend, Lucan, Biddulph and Hay and for police village trustees in Dashwood and Granton. Fire Chief Gary Middleton was asked to investigate after reports were received that thestove was. not sitting on a protective base, but rather. .directly on the floor. Several other problems were seen regarding the erection of stove pipes and venting and one member of council said it was a most dangerous situation. This week, Chief Day said the problem of not having washroom facilities was particularly serious in view of the fact some of the youths frequenting the coffee house are victims of hepatitis. Reeve Derry Boyle told council that the county health depart- ment had considered closing it because it had no washroom facilities. However, Reeve Boyle in- terceded on behalf of the local youths and asked that the closing not be effected until they had been given an opportunity to see how successful the operation of the coffee house may be. At a council meeting two weeks later,concern was ex- pressed over some of the fire hazards evident in the coffee house. — On one instance, youths were seen leaving the premises, carrying bedrolls, at 7:00 a.m. — On November 25 the coffee house did not close until 1:45 a.m. — On November 26, the premises were not closed until 2:05 a.m. and eight youths were observed leaving, with only two of the eight being Exeter residents, Chief Day said he felt obligated to indicate to parents the concern he has over the coffee house. The coffee house has been the centre of much debate since its opening. PRESENT PARADE TROPHY — A trophy will be in competition by school students in Exeter's Santa Claus parade on December 9. Above, Gord Kirk of Nothers Trophies presents the award to parade chairman Jim Hennessay. T-A photo this youth centre," he explained, "but I am afraid that if they continue to allow some persons to continue to make it a hangout, all their efforts will be in vain. He said it is known that several of the youths are suffering from hepatitis, and due to their un- cleanliness, are contaminated with fleas. "Do you want this type of per- son to mingle with your sons and daughters?" he asked as an open question to Exeter and area parents, Chief Day backed up his con- tentions with several examples of incidents that have arisen since the opening of the coffee house. These are as follows: — A stolen car from Strathroy was found in the immediate area. — One bottle containing LSD pills was found near the en- tranceway to the coffee house. — A coin holder containing a quantity of coins, believed to come from a coin collection, found near the door, — One youth apprehended near the coffee house was charged with having beer in a place other than his residence. — A number of youths frequen- ting the coffee house have already been convicted in court of possession of narcotics. — A great number of youths visiting the coffee house are from out of town, coming here from Clinton, Parkhill, Lucan, London, etc. — Youths have been seen clim- bing out of the windows on the north side of the premises and trespassing on other people's property. vai Ninety-Eighth Year EXETER, ONTARIO, NOVEMBER 30, 7972 Price Per Copy 20 Cents a Pays $150 penalty for having theft loot NEW OFFICER — Constable Alexander Balazs joined the Exeter police force, Tuesday morning. Constable Balazs has five years experience in police work in Aylmer and Milverton. The court learned a "joy- riding" episode apparently took place with other young people and the stolen items were hidden, Thomas was remanded in custody for a pre-sentence report and will be sentenced on Friday. Icy road conditions plague area drivers No inquest in shootings day both involving only one driver. At 2:30 p.m.a vehicle operated by Edward Desjardine, Huron — Please turn to page 3 ESCAPE SERIOUS INJURY — A Parkhill woman Mrs. Shirley Johnson and her 12 year-old son John escaped serious injury when their car was demolished when in collision with a CNR train at the Mount Carmel road crossing Monday morning. Story of the accident appears on page 11A T-A. photo Tornado relief leftover may go to flood victims HEADS PLAYHOUSE — Benson W. Tuckey of Exeter has been named chairman of the board of directors of the Grand Bend Country Playhouse. W. G. Cochrane of Goderich is the vice-chairman and Mrs. William Schlegel, Grand Bend and Mrs. Ivey, London represent the executive on the board. more than $100 interest has been added. The committee noted that a Sarnia disaster fund had con- tributed $1,000 to the Huron- Perth group and felt it would be proper to send the money along to those on the hard-hit Erie shoreline of Essex County. The move was questioned at first by Ellard Lange, reeve of South Easthope Township, who wondered if it was wise to have the money sent to the Pelee area, He said he had heard that more than 70 percent of the cottages and homes damaged were American-owned and that many of them were not lived in but held for speculative purposes. In the end the committee voted unanimously for the motion. The county councils, because they Advance poll light in area Advance polls held in all municipalities which have an election on Monday, December 4 received very little attention from the voters, Monday. Only the advance poll at Grand Bend took care of more than a few voters who are expected to be away on December 4, Clerk Mrs. Gladys Crumplin reported 30 Grand Bend voters took the opportunity to cast ballots in advance, At Stephen township and Lucan where several elections are being held only one voter answered the call. At Exeter and McGillivray township, the response was very little better with only three turning out at each place. The advance polls will again be open this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. More voters are ex- pected Saturday as many univer- sity and college students will be home for the weekend. Coroner Dr. Charles Wallace, Zurich, announced this week there would be no inquest into the shootings which claimed the lives of a Hensall area couple, Ted and Edna MacDonald, last Wednesday. They were the victims of a murder-suicide at their home in Hay Township on County Road 31, about one mile north of Highway 84. One of their five children, 13- year-old Trudee, told police she saw her farther shoot his wife. The girl was then sent upstairs, and after hearing another shot, came down to find her father dead on the living room floor. Mrs. MacDonald was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital in London and died around 2:00 p.m., about four hours after the iticident. A post mortem conducted late Wednesday at the hospital revealed she died from gun shot wounds to the lower chest and head, The body of Mr. MacDonald was taken to Stratford for ex- amination and it determined that he had died from one gun shot wound to his chest, in the vicinity of the heart. A .22 calibre automatic rifle was found at the scene. The couple's five children, ranging in age from eight to 16, are presently residing with Mr. MacDonald's mother in Exeter. A double funeral was held Saturday. Details are printed in this week's obituary reports. A Hensall man was fined $150 after pleading guilty to a charge of possession of stolen goods in Exeter court, Tuesday. Robert McGuire was charged on August 12 after a battery stolen from Hensall Motors had been found in his car. The accused stated the battery had been given to him by two friends and he said he didn't know where the battery came from, In imposing the fine, Judge Hays gave the youth time to pay, noting that 30 days would give him time to contact his friends to help pay the fine, Kenneth Bruce Breen, Cen- tralia, was fined $50 for damaging a plate glass window in a Centralia grocery store on November 18. The court learned the accused had been in a fight, and being Unsuccessful in the fray, smashed a window. Restitution had been made for the damage. Stuart Ross Samis, Huron Park, paid a fine of $75 after pleading guilty to a charge of common assault. He was charged after a 14- year-old boy had been grabbed around the neck while baby sit- ting. In another case heard by Judge Hays, a 16-year-old Huron Park youth, Richard Thomas, pleaded guilty to several charges of theft. He was charged by OPP Constable Frank Giffin after in- vestigation into the theft of tapes, fishing tackle and other items from cars parked at Huron Park and at the parking lot at Dashwood Industries Limnited. He was also charged with taking a motor vehicle without the owner's consent and with an additional charge of consuming liquor while under the legal age, have control of the money, will have the ultimate say in how it will be used. The fund was set up by a citizens' committee, which, working with the county councils, raised $32,000. The province matched the amount. A vicious twister ripped through the farming area from Hensall to Dublin on April 17, 1967. One man was killed and heavy damage resulted. Local Co-op shows record sales, profit No one wants council post Credit Union name officers The Essex County flood relief fund will get $1,211 from Huron and Perth counties if the county councils respect the wishes of the Huron-Perth 1967 tornado dis- aster fund committee. The Huron-Perth fund, with $1,211 left in it, was dissolved here Monday by the disaster committee. The committee decided to divide the money evenly between the two county councils. It suggested the councils then turn their shares over to help flood victims on Pelee Island. Ann Burchill of Dublin, com- mittee secretary, and Earl Dick of RR 2, Staffa, the chairman, said about $1,000 was left in the $64,000 fund after damage assessments and payments were made. The $1,000 was designated as administrative expenses — payments to committee members who spent weeks and months on the project. However most members of the committee declined the $100 or $200 allotted them. The money was then converted into a bank bond by Mr. Dick and Icy road conditions contributed to most of the 11 accidents in- vestigated by the Exeter OPP during the past week. In seven of those crashes, only one driver was involved, and in most cases they lost control and skidded into the ditch. On Wednesday at 2:00 a.m., a • car driven by James Hewitt, Exeter went out of control on Highway 83 west of Dashwood and collided with a small tree. Damage was set at $400 by Constable Al Quinn. Three cars were involved in the only crash Friday, it occurring at 4 5:30 p.m. on Highway 4 north of Exeter. The original collision in- volved vehicles driven by Alan Merner and Gerald Willis, both of Exeter, The third car, owned by Case Zeehuisen, Exeter was parked unattended and was struck by the Willis vehicle. Total damage was listed at $1,2 0 0 by Constable Bob Whiteford. Constables Glasford, Lamont, Mason and Lewis were kept busy, Saturday as a total of six ac- cidents were reported. Four of them occurred in the • early morning hours as vehicles skidded out of control. At 12:30 a.m., a car driven by Donald Averill, Crediton left the Crediton Road and struck a tree with damage amounting to $200. Damage was listed at $200 when a car driven by Hubert' Schroeder, Exeter skidded out of control on Highway 4 south of Hensall and struck a tree. At 1:20 a,m., a car driven by Elaine Fo'ran, Crediton,'went out of control on the Crediton Road in the village and struck a tree with damage of $400. A car driven by Lee Browning, Crediton, left the Crediton Road at 3:00 a.m. and struck a hydro pole, resulting in damage of $700. The driver received minor bruises. The final two crashes on Satur- day took place late afternoon, the first at 4:20 p.m. when a car driven by Jan koene, Hayfield, and a truck driven by Willy Vanerp, Strathroy, collided on Highway 4 at the junction of the Kirkton Road, Damage was set at $500. An hour later, a car driven by Johanna Gielen, RR 2, • Crediton,collided with a cattle beast owned by Thomas Ryan, RR 3, Ailsa Craig. The accident occurred on County Road 5 and damage was set at $125. The animal was injured, There were two accidents Sun- A second nomination in McGillivray township failed to bring forth any candidates to fill one seat left vacant on township council. Clerk Bill Amos said after the five o'clock deadline Monday afternoon that he would be calling for nominations a third time, but probably not until early in January. Amos explained he was allowed 45 days to call for nominations a third time and felt little interest could be created until after the Christmas holidays. Councillors Jack Dorman and William Allison were acclaimed to office in the first nomination along with Reeve Gerald Wright and deputy-reeve Ben Thompson. No objectors for dump in Usborne Usborne township will probably receive a licence to continue operation of their waste disposal site at part of Lot 5, SE boundary concession. An Environmental Board hearing to review the township's application for continuation of the site Operation lasted only 11 minutes at the township hall at Elimville, Thursday afternoon. There were no objectors to the application. Actually nearly all persons attending the meeting were officials. Four members of the Hearing Board, three from the Ontario Waste Management Branch and eight township representatives were present along with a reporter from the T- A. W.R. Childs of the Waste Management branch said while the dumping operation was reasonably good, his department would make some suggestions for improvement. In support of the application, Reeve Lloyd Ferguson said it was some 5,000 feet to the nearest dwelling and well. Dump operator George Frayne said the site was only open one day per week and all garbage material was burned. United Co-Operatives of Ontario. McKercher told of the most successful year in history for the provincial group, Membership in the Exeter Co- Op has increased to near 400 with business of members taking care of 75 to 80 percent of the total business. The annual meeting of UCO will be held in Toronto January 4. The local Co-op will be represented by four delegates. The first meeting of the local group when a new president will be named from the list of direc- tors is to be held December 15. The present directors are Jack Riddell, Bob Down, Harvey Hollings, Fred Miller, Howard Hendrick, Eric Finkbeiner, Jack Stewart, Alvin Cudmore and Lorne Ballantyne, Members of the Exeter and District Co-Operative heard reports of a successful year at Friday's annual banquet held at the Exeter Legion hall. Total sales for the 12 month period ending August 31, 1972 were $933,000, an increase of $120,000 from the previous year. Net savings were listed at $18,000 as compared to $11,500 for 1971. A deferred patronage dividend of one and one-half percent on members purchases was an- nounced. The reports were given by president Jack Riddell, director Bob Down and manager Jack Schell. The guest speaker was Bob McKercher, RR 1, Dublin, a director and past president of the Woman awarded $25,000 damages A Zurich housewife, Mrs. Ruth Isabel Gascho, has been awarded $25,000 damages in an Ontario Supreme Court civil suit settle- ment arising out of a two-vehicle accident in Zurich Sept. 12, 1970. The woman suffered fractures to her right upper arm, right leg, pelvis, and a number of fractured ribs when the pickup truck she was driving collided with a car driven by Glenn Harburn of Hen- sall. In the settlement, the woman's husband, Allan Gascho, was awarded $10,275 damages for ex- penses incurred by his wife. A daughter, Maura Jean Gascho, 17, was awarded $750 for the minor injuries she suffered in the accident. A spokesman for London lawyer E. A. Cherniak, who acted for the plaintiffs, said the settlement money has been paid into court by the third party defendant in the case, The Guar- dian Insurance Company of Canada. Man dies First complaint on snowmobiles The first complaint of the season of noise from snow- mobiles was reported to police Sunday night. Investigation found eight snow vehicle operators meeting near Emmanuel Baptist church on Huron street while a service was in progress. HONOUR RETIRING ORGANIST — Mrs. Freeman Home retired Sunday as organist of Elimville United church after 25 years of service. Above, M rs. Horne second from the right receives a plaque from Bruce Deibridge on behalf of the choir. At the right are Mrs. Jackson Woods and Squire Ilerelman who represented the congregation with a gift. T.A photo STEPHEN BARN DESTROYED — Fire fanned by a strong wind destroyed a large barn on the farm of Gerald Schenk At Lot 16, Concession 6 in the township of Stephen, Tuesday evening. Lost in the barn were two tractors, several wagons, other implements and a quantity of hay and straw. T.A photo in crash One man was killed and another seriously injured in a truck-car crash Monday night at the intersection of Middlesex County roads 24 and 21, a mile and a quarter east of West ,McGillivray, Dead is 72 year-old Earl Morley of Ailsa Craig. Gor- don Scott of RR 2 Crediton remains in St. Joseph's Hospital London with a concussion and other injuries. Morley was a passenger in a car driven by his daughter-in- ltarwuc,k.Mrs. Les Morley and Scott was was the driver of a pick-up Mrs. Morley and her son Ronald, also a passenger received face lacerations but were released after treatment at the London hospital. Both vehicles were listed as completely demolished by On- tario Provincial Police officers Constable Lyle Smith of the pStarrakitiliiirLoy detachment and Constable Brian Medallion of The 20th annual meeting, ban- quet and dance of the Exeter Community Credit Union was held on November 25, 1972 at the Exeter Royal Canadian Legion with approximately 100 people in attendance. The meeting was called to order by the President, Harvey Rollings. Business of the Credit Union and resolutions by the Board of Directors were discussed and passed by the membership. This was done following the introduc- tion of the guests at the head table, which consisted of manager, Leslie Vincent and Mrs. Vincent; district league representative of Ontario Credit Union League, Fred Downing and Mrs. Downing; president, Harvey Rollings and Mrs. Rollings; special representative of League Central, Jim Simpson and Mrs. Simpson; director, Bob Grant and Mrs. Grant. New members elected to the Board of Directors were past president Erwin Gingerich and Mrs, June Grant. Mr, Gingerich was named president for the coming year following a special meeting of the Board of Direc- tors. Ken Hodgins was re-elected to the Credit Committee, It was agreed by the membership to dispense with the Supervisory Committee in favour of outside auditors. The Board of Directors, on a recommendation from Mr. Vincent, was given authority to hire auditors of their choice. Following the business meeting, the members and guests had an enjoyable evening of dancing to the music of Slim Gordon and his Orchestra.