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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1975-01-09, Page 1IT'S FUN WITH MOM — Tobogganing was the order of the day at Morrison Dam Sunday afternoon, Above, Judy and Michael Worby complete a slide down a steep hill, T-A photo Newly elected Mayor Bruce Shaw presented several steps for A Al ‘restructuring Exeter council „at ,11 ;::Monday's inaugural and moat "of the changes proposed were ac- cepted by council, He said he must assume that his platform as candidate for mayor was acceptable to the people, and because that plat- form suggested change, concern and direction, "I have therefore decided that this inaugural meeting will, be a time for outlining the process by which, in my opinion, change, concern and direction can be implemented". He said there were several areas where change can be ef- fectively introduced to satisfy thei aims of providing the necessary planning for the future and of demonstrating the care council has for the'people of Exeter. In .listing several new com- mittees, he suggested the com- mittees and the chairmen ap- pointed "must be the most viable force within council". Three entirely new committees were named, while a couple of others had names altered. One of the new committees will be z, social services and com- munity betterment committee under the chairmanship of newcomer Lossy Fuller. Harold Patterson is the other member. The committee will deal with the social needs of the people. Shaw said it would not make part of RAP's function redundant "but instead, form the nucleous of any activity organized directly by the town such as senior citizen housing and day care". He told the committee that council would like a report on the progress concerning a day care centre as soon aspossible. Another new corhmittee is for subdivision and land use and it will be chaired by Deputy-Reeve Tom MacMillan. Other members include Patterson and Ted Wright. Shaw said the tasks fading this committee will be of particular importance this year as it would appear there could be as many as Permit value total near $2,500,000 The total value of building permits issued in 1974 was $2,496,871.84 according to statistics given by building in- spector Doug Triebner at council's inaugural, Monday. He said a total of 294 permits were issued and that 928 in- spections had been carried out. "That was a very, very busy year," Mayor Bruce Shaw commented. ' "For a part-time job," Reeve Derry Boyle quickly added. Boyle said he hoped building lornits in the year ahead Would iach the same totals as 1974. FIRST BABY OF 1975 — The first baby born at South Huron H6spita in Exeter in 1975 arrived an January 3. Kelly Glenn Schenk is shawn with his mother, Mrs. Don Schenk. The Schenk's who reside in ZuHch have one other child, three-year-old Katherine. T-A photo Shaw brings changes to council structure REEVES GETTING ACQUAINTEQ,,--- At Monday's first meeting of council in Grand Bend, the new reeves of two neighbouring municipalities were invited to attend the evening session. Above, Cecil Desjardine of Stephen and Jack McDonald of Bosanquet are being welcomed by Grand Bend Reeve Bob Sharen. New council at Grand Bend seek to speed up sewer plan One Hundred and Second Year EXETER, ONTARIO, JANUARY 9, 1975 Price Per Copy 25 Cents Detail plans for building, • consider town as tenants Exeter council now have three alternatives to consider for new municipal offices. The latest proppsal was made at Monday's inaugural by local realtors Mel Gaiser and Jim Kneele, who explained they were planning to erect a new com- mercial building on the Cann's Mill site and wondered if council would be interested in renting part of the building for municipal offices. Gaiser outlined the proposal and said council could rent as much of the building as they wished, However, he indicated that preliminary sketches showed the town using ap- proximately 3,000 square feet for a clerk's office, mayor's office, police department and general town offices, He indicated the justice department had expressed in- terest in using part of the building for court and other suggested tenants were Canada Manpower and possibly a bank. Gaiser said the juStice department was "quite in- terested" in finding more suitable facilities in Exeter. They three subdivision agreements to work on. He said that within thenext 12 — Please turn to Page 20 Dog catcher is off payroll The contract of animal control officer' Harvey Hillman will not be renewed by Exeter council - at least until the social services and community betterment com- mittee have had an opportunity to assess the value of the service. Last year, Hillman received $100 per month to patrol the streets and catch stray animals. Comments at Monday's inaugural indicated several members questioned the value of the service provided. Police Chief Ted Day noted that his department received 86 complaints regarding animals last year and added that Hillman had not brought charges against any owners allowing their animals to run at large. "He works shift work and we can't get him'when we need him," the Chief said in reference to Hillman. Mayor Bruce Shaw also ex- plained that council had been unsuccessful in getting regular reports from the animal control officer regarding his patrols: He asked the committee of Lossy ,Fuller and Harold Pat- terson to have a report prepared for council's consideration in two weeks. Meanwhile, Hillman has been drdpped from the town's payroll.. Protest any move of highway crew Exeter council agreed this week with a suggestion by Councillor Ted Wright that they "strongly protest" a suggestion by the ministry of transportation and communication that the local highway barn and staff be moved to another location. "It doesn't seem logical to me," Wright stated in broaching the subject. He said the .need for having men and equipment located at Exeter at the in- tersection of two main highways was a necessity to steep the high- ways in this area opened for winter travel. A suggestion a couple of years ago by the ministry to move the local service was also protested by council and the Hone C. S. MacNaughton assisted them in having the ministry change their minds. "If it was logical to stop (the transfer) then, it must still be logical," Wright argued. A copy of eOuncirs protest will be forwarded to MPP Jack Riddell presently use the Legion hall for weekly court sessions, On questioning from Reeve Derry Boyle, Gaiser said the rental fee would be between $3.50 and $4,50 per square foot. This would result in council paying approximately $12,000 per year. This figure is considerably higher than that facing council in one of the other proposals; that being to lease the old post office from the public works depart- ment. Dump could close except Saturdays Exeter's dump may be closed to the public except Saturdays. That was the recommendation made Monday night by Coun- cillor Bob Simpson, retiring chairman of the sanitation committee. He said too many unauthorized people were using the dump and noted this cost a great deal of money now that council had to pay to have all refuse buried. He also noted that unauthorized users of the dump create problems and bring complaints about the dump operation from the ministry of the environment. He said closing the dump ex- cept on Saturdays was the "only wa'; to save it." Garnet Hicks will be chairing this year's committee and noted he would take Simpson's recommendation and study it. Want resort bylaw change A Thedford lawyer Monday asked Grand Bend council to take immediate steps to amend the village's zoning bylaw. Philip Walden said all solicitors attempting to have lots broken up in Grand Bend are hampered because the current bylaw restricts the minimum size of lots to 15,000 square feet. lie suggested amendments be made to the zoning bylaw in three stages. The first situation where water and sewer systems were not installed the minimum size would remain at 15,000 square feet. Walden suggested where one of water or sewer services were available the square footage be reduced to 7,500 , and if both services were installed the amount of space be reduced to 4,000 square foot. In the town of Forest the 4,000 figure is used where both water and sewer services are available with a minimum frontage of 40 feet. The Sideyard allowances are four and eight feet. In conclusion, Walden said, "area lawyers would be very thankful if amendments could be made. The severance committee goes strictly by the bylaw." Only a few minutes before Walden's appearance, council heard a letter from former reeve Orval Wassmann asking for the same changes. Wassmann is the present owner of four lots and he wishes to sell two and keep the other two. Former mayor named to board Former mayor Jack Delbridge was this week named as Exeter's representative on the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority. He replaces another former mayor, Ted Pooley, in that capacity. Indications were that Mr. Pooley would accept another appointment and council members were unsure how to handle the situation. Several noted that Mr. Delbridge had been asked to offer his services, and having done so, he should be appointed. His appointment will be for two years. CRASH KILLS AREA MAN— Lloyd driving was involved in a head-on That building contains ap- proximately 2,300 square feet and council have been told the rental fee per year would be $2,250. "That's pretty cheap," Reeve Derry Boyle said, He noted that last year's council had recommended that the 1975-76 council lease the post office building and he appeared ready.at the outset of the meeting to make this proposal, However, he was asked to withhold his motion until Gaiser and Kneale made their proposal. After that was done, Mayor Bruce Shaw told the two local businessmen that council would consider their proposal and would probably make' an Grand Bend council took action in their inaugural meeting Monday to speed up the proposed Plead innocent on drug charge Two Huron Park residents charged with possession of narcotics and cultivation of marijuana pleaded innocent and elected trial by judge alone in provincial court in Exeter, Tuesday. A preliminary hearing for Thomas Wesley Pike, 33, and Sandra Diane Monk, 24, both of 305 Algonquin Dr. Huron Park, is scheduled for early May. A police drug squad sur- veillance over 31/2 months resulted in the uprooting of 13 plots of marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $500,000 about six miles northwest of Exeter. Surveillance began after a tip from a farmer and included RCMP detachments at Stratford, London and Kitchener and provincial police detachments at Exeter and Mount Forest. The plots of marijuana were discovered in the Ausable- Bayfield authority forest early in September in Hay swamp. early decision, In discussing the former post office, Boyle said there didn't appear to be enough room to accommodate the police as well as the clerk's office and council chambers and said the police would probably have to remain at the town hall for the present. He said the council chambers at the town hall could be used by the police if the former post office was leased. "There's still a third choice," commented Deputy-Reeve Tom MacMillan. He said this was for council to consider building their own town offices. Twice during the meeting, Boyle noted that new facilities were "a must." sewer system for the village. The sewer project has been banging fire in Grand Bend for about four years with council members being unable to agree unanimously on the need for a system. The 1975 council which includes four new members passed a resolution asking the Minister of the Environment to expedite the rate study and Ontario Municipal Board hearing for the Grand Bend sewerage project. The resolution says council wishes to have the first pipes for the system laid in September of this year as soon as the tourist season is completed. In receiving full approval on the resolution, Reeve Bob Sharen commented, "This will be a real shock ' to officials in Toronto, getting a unanimous request from Grand Bend," Under present conditions, the sewer system will be using a lagoon and will be for the use of Grand Bend only but provisions for oversizing of pipes would be considered to allow extension into neighbouring townships, Several developers in Stephen township are interested in a sewage system, Councils of Grand Bend, Stephen and Bosanquet will be meeting on February 11 to discuss various mutual municipal problems and the subject of sewers will likely be high on the priority list. At the evening portion of Monday's council sessions, newly elected reeves Cecil Desjardine of Stephen and Jack McDonald of Bosanquet were introduced to the —please turn to page 3 Minister won't withdraw appeal The minister of housing has informed Exeter council he has no intention of withdrawing his appeal against the decision by the Exeter committed of adjustment to allow a severance for lots owned by Len Veri on Riverside Drive near the local curling rink. The minister said in a letter that the area should be developed only under a plan of subdivision. Former Mayor Jack Delbridge had written the minister asking that the appeal against the committee of adjustment decision be withdrawn. This would allow Veri to build on a couple of the lots on the east bank of Riverview Park. With the minister's com- munication this week, Reeve Derry Boyle noted there was nothing council could do at . the present. An Exeter area man was one of two persons killed in a head-on crash on Highway 4, near Arva, New Year's Eve, The victims were the drivers of the two vehicles involved, Lloyd Jones, RR 1 Centralia and John Freele, RR 1 Arva. A passenger in the Jones car, Mrs, Helen Jones, wife of the dead man was taken to St, Joseph's Hospital, London suf- fering severe face and leg in- juries, The Exeter area couple was A survey of retired residents of the area, in connection with the New Horizon's grant for renovations and a drop in program at the Exeter Scout Hall has fumed up the fact that there is a large segment of area seniors who are unable to attend func- tions for a number of reasons. Rec Director, Jim McKinlay said Monday that 20 replies had been received to a survey sent to 130 area senior citizens. The purpose of the survey was to determine interest in the Well- Come Inn, a project funded by a New Horizon's grant in excess of $8,000. The program is designed as a drop-in centre for seniors and surveys were distributed to determine what types of ac- tivities the seniors wanted. Recipients of the survey were asked to check off preferences from a long list of activities, including several crafts, card Playing , table games, etc. The organizers of the project hope to institute those' programs for which there appears to be the most interest first. In this way they hope to encourage more seniors to get involved, The surveys are to be com- pleted and returned by January 17 but results have been coming in already. Jim McKinlay said that results are beginning to point out a group of people that still require ser- vices the programs are not yet prepared to deal with., These people, because of ill health, age, hearing or sight problems feel they would be unable to benefit from the drop-in centre. McKinlay said there is a possibility of reshaping the program to make a place for these people, at least on an oc- casional basis. He said that he would talk to the organizers of the project about the possibilities of a visitation service and perhaps providing occasional meals to their homes. This would provide some company and ' com- panionship for the shut-ins and perhaps they could be eri- couraged to accept rides to the LLOYD JONES heading south and the Freele vehicle was .heading mirth. The crash occurred in the southbound lane of Highway 4 near Con- cession 8 road in London town- ship. The highway becomes four lanes a short distance south of where the mishap took place. Mrs. Jones was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital by Thames Valley Ambulance. She was released front hospital Friday and was able to attend the funeral of her husband Saturday af- ternoon, Letter of thanks claimed 'a first' People who take time to say thanks for a job well done are often a rarity - especially when municipal council is involved. w eSroe, mpel meeabsarnst loyf Exeter sceodu n ctiol receive a letter this week from Tuckey Beverages commending the work of C, A. McDowell during the recent construction of the new Anne St. drain at the corner of Main and Anne Streets. Bill Gilfillan said in the letter that his firm had received "ex- cellent co-pperation" from the contractor and his staff and said that probably they had lost no morerojectth.an 10 to 15 minutes work time due to the construction p The letter from Gilfillan read at Monday's council meeting was acopy of one sent to the con- tractor. Clerk Eric Carscadden first," the letter was "a centre to attend specific func- tions. The response to the survey will be tabulated at the end of the month and from the information received a program of activities for seniors will be set up. The executive of the Well-Come Inn and members of RAP met with the Lions Club and with the group committee of the Scouts to coordinate activities. McKinlay said it appears the hall will be available to the seniors two or three evenings week and four or five afternoons, He said that, from the survey, it is apparent that the seniors are not interested in a morning program. Discussion on renovations has started and the first job un- dertaken will be repair and reinforcing of the floor. After that the seniors will undertake a clean-up program at the hall. Not optimistic on clay care centre Exeter's proposed day care centre may not be as close to being a reality as some would hope. Clerk Eric Carscadden said an official of the ministry of com- munity and social services had been in his office recently "and wasn't too optimistic" about Exeter's chances of getting approval for a centre. The official noted that the local application was received a little late, In addition, many other communities have applied for centres and the funds allotted for this service are nearly depleted. Council had applied to have the former Warehouse owned by Don Webster on Victoria St. approved as a day care centre. Nursing director let go at hospital The position of director of Nursing at South Huron Hospital is vacant following the release of director Gifford Boyd on January 2. Hospital administrator, Elmer Taylor, confirmed this week reports that Boyd had been released but would not disclose details of that release! Boyd was hired as director of nursing in early August to replace Mrs. Jean Wilson who resigned earlier in the summer. Boyd was the former night supervisor at the hospital. Mr. Taylor said that Boyd is no longer with the hospital in any capacity and that the director of Nursing position will be filled as soon' as possible. London coroner Dr, J. EieV Robinson attended at the scene of the accident, Damages were listed at more than $7,000 as both vehicles Were totally demolished. The Jones car was a 1975 model with less than 1,000 miles on the speedometer, Constable W,J. Hodgins of the Lucan detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police was in charge of the investigation. lie was assisted at the scene by Sgt, Daley and Constable N.A. Campbell, Janes, RR 1, Centralia wds killed New Year's Eve when the car he was, crash near Arva, The Jones vehicle, a 1975 model is shown above, Survey shows many couldn't use facilities District man is killed in automobile accident