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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1975-11-13, Page 1MORE THAN AN ADDRESS — Meet the new family living at "28 James Street," the new home for excep- tional adults sponsored by Exeter's United Church and South Huron Association for the Mentally Retarded. From left to right: Mary McLellan, counsellor, Philip Regier, Centralia, Marilyn Clifton, Brucefield,Leslie East, Grand Bend. T-A photo Belfry to stay BEV TURNER "I'd say go back". Because the postal strike af- fects every citizen in the country in one way or another, the T-A thought it might not be a bad idea to take the postal strike issue to the people and get their opinions on the matter. , With that goal in I mind, this reporter took to the streets of Exeter this week and solicited opinions from seven of the town's citizens, selecting them at ran- dom. The response was so decidedly in favor of the postal workers returning to their jobs, that the comments of an actual postal worker had to be sought in order to bring some balance to our story. Briefly, here is the strike situation to date. Despite the fact that some locals of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers voted over the weekend to return to work, the postal strike continues in its fourth week with few en- couraging signs of relief, Post- master-General, Bryce Mackasey, has said that the strike may not be over by Christmas. The majority of union locals have voted to continue with the strike, as union leaders across the country called meetings last week to ask the workers to close their ranks on the picket lines. The latest offer from the federal government to the inside postal workers is the same $1.70 an hour increase in base salary over the period of the next 30 months that was initially offered. It is the same basic package ratified by the mail carriers earlier this year. In addition to salary increases, the government has offered an increase in cost-of- living allowance. Graham Arthur, proprietor of the Texaco Service Station in town was somewhat sympathetic with the plight of the postal workers, but felt that for the good of the country, they should return to work. "I can see their point of view but at the same, time, it is crip- pling the country. We've got to start somewhere to hold down on this inflation or no one is going to have anything," he said. "I kind of thought that before this weekend vote, the average rank and file worker was ready to go — Please turn to page 3 BEN HOOGENBOOM ". . think it's time we get these guys back to work or else replace them". Strike concerns many CAROL DUCHARME ANDY MARKSON "unern- "How do you apply for that played people are eager to get lob7" their hands on those jobs." HENRY DYCK "See if we could go back to the bargaining fable".' ANNIE LAWSON — If she made $6 an hour, she'd go back to work. GRAHAM ARTHUR "I can see their point of view" PIGEONS HAPPY — BELFRY TO STAY — The belfry perched high atop Exeter's town hall is not going to tome down after all, folks, Town council held a special meeting and decided to renovate the structure in- stead. Work began early this week. Farm equipment company bought by Conat Industries ErikGravlev, president. of J. F. Farm Machinery .Ltd., an- EXETER, ONTARIO, NOVEMBER 1,3 1975 Price Per Copy 25 Cents nouneed. Tuesday that Conat Industries Ltd. has purchased the company. J. F. Farm Machinery was started in '1960 by Mr. Gravlev, who came over to Canada in 1957 from Denmark, He will continue as president of the company, as well as general manager and will assume a directorship and executive responsibility in Conat, Conat is a 78 percent-owned subsidiary of Venturtek Industries Ltd. Venturtek, which the Canada Development Corporation holds a 29 percent interest, is one of Canada's largest venture capital com- panies with assets of over 50 million dollars. When Mr. Gravlev began his company in 1960, he dealt primarily with imported har- vesting machines, In 1961 he started buying cultivators from Denmark. In 1967 the company had grown enough to warrant a new location and moved into its present headquarters on High- way 83, just at the outskirts of town, The plant now has ample space at 40,000 square ft. 100 people are employed there and with the influx of more capital as a result of the purchase by Conat, it is expected that expansion will create more employment by the fall of 1976. Mr. Gravlev reported that J.F. Farm Machinery Ltd. has grown from sales of 550 thousand dollars in 1972 to five million in 1975. Recent forecasts project an estimated 10 million dollars for sales in 1978. Venturtek, capitalized at 12.5 million dollars, controls seven compante$ employing more than 3,000 people. Venturtek's other interests include the Pop Shoppes And a number of highly technological firms. Some of the major investors in Venturtelc aro, the Canada Development Corporation, The Royal Bank of 'Canada, The National Life Assurance Com- pany, The Manufacturers Life insurance Company, and the Canada Pernianent Trust Company, All Canadian .in, vestors, the company will remain 100 percent Canadian owned. With Mr. Gravlev remaining as president and general manager, he felt that there would be very little change in the company structurally. Currently, the company exports 90 percent of its manufacturing output. One Hundred and Third Year "28 James St." home opens Counsellors for exceptional adults aren't missionaries; they're interested individuals who fill a community need. That's Mary McLellan's attitude towards her new job as mental retardation counsellor for the three — soon to be four — young adults who live at "28 James St.", Exeter's new group home. And if she appears young in her mid-twenties to take respon- sibility for four people ap- proximately her age (the home is for exceptional adults between 20 and 30), Miss McLellan's qualifications and the South Huron Association for the Mentally Retarded, who hired her, say she's not. So far, three young people live at the James St. home with Mary — Marilyn Clifton, Brucefield Philip Regier, Centralia, and Leslie East, formally of the Village Inn Retreat, Grand Bend. A fourth resident to complete the new "family" has yet to be chosen. "I don't like the word retar- ded" Mary says, "I think people who don't fit in with the main- stream should be called ex- ceptional, and that doesn't necessarily mean they're han- dicapped — prodigies are ex- ceptional people too." Miss McLellan, who grew up in — Please turn to page 3 `VIKINGS RUN AGROUND — Junior Panther captain Brad Cann accepts the Huron- Perth Junior Football Trophy from Perth County Director of Education, Ken Self, following the Panthers' victory over the Goderich Vikings last Saturday. Junior Panthers win it all The South Huron junior Pan- thers put it all together Saturday in Stratford and rolled to an impressive 27-6 win over the Goderich junior Vikings, to win the league championship:...,• • The Panthers, who never trailed in the game, displayed an equal balance of both defence and offense and controlled the entire game from the opening kickoff. Led by Brad Cann, who played both ways, the Panthers amassed 350 yards of offence and 13 first downs. The defence held Goderich to 223,yards and 9 first downs. Cann carried 10 times for 109 yards and Jeff O'Brien and Paul Pooley rounded out the rushing. with 58 and 67 yards respectively. Quarterback Perry Pooley hit on four passes, for 66 yards, two of his passes went for touchdowns and one for a two point con- version. Cann broke in for a 27 yard touchdown early in the first quarter but it was called back because of a penalty and the game remained scoreless until late in the first quarter when Paul Pooley found room on a sweep play and carried twenty- five yards for South Huron's first score of the game. The defence held the Vikings to little gain in the first quarter and Goderich could not even muster a single first down. The most exciting play of the game came when the Panthers faked a field goal and Jeff O'Brien, on a delay, took a pass from quarterback Perry Pooley for S.H.'s second major. The half ended with the Panthers com- fortably in command 12-0, Although the offense was flawless, the real key to the Panthers strong first half was due to the efforts of the defensive squad. Brad Taylor and Rick Skinner provided the impetus in holding the Goderich offence to only 2 first downs. They were most effective against the ground game, holding the run- ners of the Vikings to 84 yards on 32 carries throughout the entire game, grabbing two fumbles and an interception and sacking the Goderich quarterback twice. The final half was merely the icing on the cake as the Panthers continued their domination. They started off by rolling over the Vikings for 75 yards in 7 plays on the first series of downs in the third quarter. Brad Cann, who was selected as the best all round player in the game and the best player of the year, capped the drive with a 36 yard off tackle run to put the Panthers ahead by 18-0. Goderich finally got on the scoreboard late in the third quarter with two fine pass plays that gave them their first and only major of the game. The fourth quarter was easy sailing for the Panthers as the defence started to hit harder to stop the final drives by the Vikings. was in this quarter that the defence forced two fumbles and picked up the in- terception by Brad Taylor. The final touchdown came in the dying minutes of the game on a 25 yard pass and run play from Perry Pooley to Rick Skinner. The two point conversion attempt by Pooley to Brian Mercer was successful, bringing the score up to 27-6. It was a fine team effort by the Panthers, and though the Vikings showed strength, they were simply outclassed by the Pan- thers in every department. This is the fifth time that the junior Panthers have won the cham- pionship in the last seven years. Coach Doug Ellison felt "that this was the best junior football game I have seen in eight years," calling it "an outstanding team effort." Brad Taylor was selected as the best defensive player of the year and Jeff O'Brien took the best offensive player award. The Panthers finished the season off with eight wins, one loss and one tie. Contrary to initial reports, Exeter's town hall belfry is not going to come down after all. Instead, council decided to allocate $3,000 to repair the roof of the structure at a special meeting called for that purpose last week. The roof has been described as being in "bad shape". Roof renovations began Tuesday afternoon, as a crew worked on scaffolding high above the town streets. According to Doug Gould, chairman of the citizens' town hall committee, the $11,400 L.I.P. grant that the town received for purposes of renovating town hall will be accompanied by $24,000 from council to ac- complish the task. At a meeting Monday night, the committee outlined some of the recommendations that they in- tend to present to town council at next Monday night's meeting, including priorities for the project. According to Mr. Gould, there will be several phases to the project, and the committee will recommend that the exterior be considered as the number one priority. "The weather will prevent us from going ahead with some of that, especially the tower", Mr. Gould observed, in light of the early efforts being made to make the necessary repairs to the belfry. He said that the inside work could be done during the winter months, but declined to give details on the committee's specific recommendations to council with regard to potential uses of the restored building except to say that it could be used as a meeting room for senior citizens and other groups, "The police department is quite happy with facilities there", he said. "If they can be supplied with a little more space, it would be ideal for them." Other area projects which have received LIP grant approval include $9,000 for the Zurich community centre, a theatre grant to the Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend totalling another $9,000 and funding for a drain restoration project in Lucan. Each of these projects will provide jobs for two to three, men. ARC Industries in Dashwood has also received a LIP grant. The non-profit organization will use their $9,000 grant to begin a course in maintenance for its handicapped members and another course in office procedure. Two persons have been hired as instructors. Although the organization has endeavored to provide in- struction in these areas, it is first time that specialized instructors have been available to teach the two courses. If the project is successful plans call for con- tinued funding of the program, according to a spokesman for ARC. Mr4-"-11.Jei -0C3=="1"0,"VT'r-irs, """"r'lir","-"' • ,.....,,...i.r7PruatoAlciar4igiriZT1.1. ' - •