HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1976-07-15, Page 1Mrs. Irene Farwell, RR 3,
Dashwood and formerly of Zurich
lost her life in a fire which
destroyed the farm home of her
daughter and son-in-law, Mr, and
AVIVSKVATMIPMERP.7 . •
Mrs. Bill Regier, Monday af-
ternoon.
Mrs. Farwell was apparently
alone in the house when fire
suddenly broke out at about 4
Storm of a
coming roe
divities
xt week
Activities in connect
Recreation Centre have hit
basically a case of the "lu
The "storm" will st
variety of projects being
mittee, private citizens
funds for the centre.
Most of those ev
with the sidewalk sal
Some of the activiti
cake breakfast, car
and some other me
Plans for t
progressing, alth
Citizens interest
committee chair
The build
meetings this
review the in
Meetings wi
facility are
the needs of
South
Lauretta
Dave M
Interes
Gene'
Mery
Inter
Exet
No
Pe
In
Seigner $ 25
orrissey Paints Ltd 200
ted Citizen 100
s Signs 50
and Avis Cudmore 400
ested Citizen 100
er Pharmacy Ltd. 500
rm Martin Optometrist 500
ter Raymond 1,500
terested Citizen 150
.1. McLean 1,000
Murray Finlayson 200
Quality Produce (Exeter) Ltd —
Management & Staff 1,000
Huron Produce 1,000
Helen and Wally 1,000
Exeter Bowling Lanes 500
Total to date $63,573.83
ion with the South Huron
a slight lull this week, but it's
I before the storm",
art next weekend with a wide
sponsored by the finance corn-
and community groups to raise
ents will be staged in connection
e days in Exeter on July 23 and 24.
s include a chicken barbecue, pan-
wash, draw for a quantity of beef
rchandise.
he door-to-door canvass are also
ough canvassers are still required.
ed in assisting should contact finance
man Ron Bogart.
ing committee have been holding
week with various community groups to
itial plans presented by the engineers.
h all groups who will make use of the
being scheduled so the building will meet
those groups as much as possible.
uron Recreation Centre-Donations this week
HOME DEMOLISHED BY FIRE—Late Monday afternoon fire destroyed the home of Mr, and Mrs.
William M. Regier, Huron County Road 2, also claiming the life of Mrs. Regier's mother, Mrs. Irene
Farwell. T-A Photo
41) PULL...PULL—The Ilderton fairgrounds was a beehive of activity Saturday as the' Ilderton Centennial
festivities carried on all weekend. One such event was the tug-of-war contest. Here members of the
Exeter Fire Oepartment strain to pull their opponents. Exeter lost In this match to Ailsa Craig. Poplar
Hill won the event, Photo by T. Stover
The electrical storm on Friday
night was more than just a spec
tacular light show for Don Sand-
ercott and his wife Margaret in
their lakefront cottage. The
cottage, located in the Bayview
subdivision on the Bluewater
highway, suffered severe damage
when it was struck by lightn-
in Apparently the lightning was
attracted to their television aerial
tower, the tallest in the area. It
travelled down the tower, blew a
hole through the foundation of the
‘cottage and followed the wires
into the interior of the home.
The wall which contained the
outlet for the television was an
inside wall with the living room
on one side and a bedroom on
the other.
The force of the lightning
blew a hole in the wall about
three feet in diameter. The
plaster from the wall was thrown
with such force that in the living
room some , of it flew 15 feet
before imbedding itself in a stone
fireplace. A large sofa was
picked up and thrown against
the fireplace with an armchair
close behind. Lamps were
smashed and plaster and dust
covered everything.
The bedroom on the other side
of the wall was occupied by
Mr. and Mrs. Sandercott at the
time of the explosion, which
occurred at 4:30 a.nf. Luckily,
the bedroom door opened against
the wall and it had been left open.
The force of the lightning blew
the door off its hinges and
smashed it against. the side of
the bed leaving a two inch dent
in the box springs,
The only other occupant of the
house was the Sandercott's infant
grandchild asleep in another
bedroom. The floor of that room
buckled in the centre and the
ceiling tiles buckled as well.
However, the baby was safe and
didn't even wake up although
the crib was picked up and set
down by the force of the explo-
sion,
Electric clocks were blown off
the walls, the refrigerator was
picked up and knocked sideways
allowing the food inside to be
thrown out, windows were blown
out and glass was scattered
everywhere.
As yet, the Sandercotts do not
have an estimate on how much
the damage will cost to repair.
One thing is for sure, however,
the television tower is being taken
down and it is going to stay
down.
EXTENSIVE DAMAGE was done to the lakefront cottage of Don Sandercott when it was struck by
lightning Friday night. Above, Doug Sandercott points to plaster from the wall where the lightning
entered which flew across the living room and embedded itself in the stone of the fireplace.
Balloon returned from Picton
The first returns are coming in
from the recent Canada Week
balloonagram staged by Exeter
elementary schools.
Recreation director Jim
McKinlay said this week one
balloon was returned from St.
Pettis, while another made it as
far as Waterloo.
However, he was quite sur-
prised to receive one returned
from Picton.
McKinlay said several planned
programs in the Canada Week
activities were rained out and
others are now being evaluated
by the recreation department.
He said the tennis tournament
went very well,
In a report on the playground,
McKinlay said the special ac-
tivities weeks involved a cox1
siderable amount of planning and
he said it was questionable if they
would be repeated another year
because the "payoff doesn't
justify the time and effort put into
them".
This week, the kids are in-
volved in Olympic Week. Rel.
weep 50 and 60 youngsters have'
signed up for the playgrotind to
date.
'ire guts Mt. Carmel home,
takes life of elderly woman
Usborne ratepayers
'face 30 percent hike
The general rate for, township.
purposes has been set at 29.264
Mills, This is up 9.582 mills. The
high school rate will,be 26.866, a
rise of 9.322 mills and the public
school levy will be up almost five
and a half mills. The separate
school rate has increased by 4.384
mills.
The overall rates for public and
separate school commercial and
business properties will be
117.243 and 118.752 mills,
respectively.
The budget accepted at the
July meeting of council provides
for estimated expenditures of
$553,304 during 1976.
Treasurer Harry Strang has
been authorized to transfer $1,250
from the land division reserve
account to improve parkland at
the Kirkton-Woodham Com-
munity Centre.
At the same meeting Strang
advised council that $129,559 of
the 1976 interim taxes had been
collected. This is about 83 percent
of the total first half of the year
levy.
Council has given approval to
an agreement prepared by the
town of Exeter permitting joint
use of Exeter's building inspector
Doug Triebner.
Triebner reports one building
permit issued during the month
of June valued at $54,000.
A letter from the Ontario
Ministry of Transportation and
Communication confirmed a
supplementary subsidy
allocation of $5,300 to make a
total for the year of $71,100.
Approval was given to a land
severance application from
William D. Coward for Lot 16,
Concession 9.
Confirmation was received
from the township of Stephen on
passing of the Ellerington-Prout
municipal drain and letting of the
contract to Van Bree Drainage
Bulldozing Limited, Work is
scheduled to begin the middle of
July.
p.m. The farm is located at Lot 6,
Concession 12 of Stephen town-
ship about a mile north of Mt.
Carmel,
The fire was first noticed by
Dashwood area farmer Victor
Hartman who was returning
from Parkhill, Hartman first
thought a lot of dust was blowing
in the fields but then discovered
heavy smoke coming from the
Regier home,
He was unable to get an answer
at a neighbour's home and then
returned to the Regier house, He
was joined by 16 year-old Derek
Regier who noticed smoke while
working in a nearby field.
A call was made to the Dash-
wood fire department at 4:03
p.m, by Mrs. Bill McCann. When
firemen arrived the blaze' as out
of control with flames coming out
the upstairs windows.
Firemen were hampered as
they were unable to get to a well
because it was too close to the
fire.
Mrs. Farwell moved to the
Regier home about a year ago.
An addition was built at the north
side of the house for her use.
The body was recovered by Bob
and Jim Hoffman of Hoff mans
Ambulance and Dashwood ,
fireman John Becker in the
basement of the ruins.
Cause of the fire has not been
determined. The Dashwood
brigade was assisted by volun-
teer firemen from Crediton and
Huron Park.
Investigating the tragedy for
Progressive Conservative
leader Joe Clark will be making
two stops in Huron County
Monday, July 19 as part of a tour
he is making through Western
Ontario in his meet the people
campaign.
After a tour of the Bruce
Nuclear Power Development at
Douglas Point, Mr, Clark is
expected to arrive in Goderich
about 4 p.m. He will spend about
a half an hour on The Square
shaking hands with the people Of',,
Goderich,
The Clark tour then heads for
the Ontario Provincial Police are, call, but were unable to save the
Constable Jack Straughan and structure.
Sergeant Norton Rhiness of the strTuheetiabnaran nwdams
measured s u
wooden
red 75 ' obn; xeter detachment.
100'. Five calves were also lost in
Barn destroyed the blaze, which broke out around
Another fire Monday night 10:30 p.m.
levelled a large barn on the farm The ruins started to blaze again
of Clayton Steckle, concession 9, Monday morning and the Zurich
Hay Township, Members of the brigade again were called to
Zurich fire brigade answered the assist.
Conservative leader
visits Huron County
One Hundred and Third Year
Clinton and a dinner and
reception at the Orange
Shillelagh at Vanastra, just south
of Clinton.
The visit by Mr. Clark marks
the first time a PC national
leader has visited Goderich in
more than 10 years.
The last such visit was made by
John Diefenbakerwhen he was the
official leader of the Opposition
during the regime of Lester
Pearson, Robert Stanfield was in
Huron during the last federal
election but did not visit
Goderich.
"The majority of taxpayers in
the township tif `Usborne will be
facing an increase in their 1976
tax bills of about 30 percent,
The overall mill rate for farm
and residential property owners
paying public school taxes will be
104,324 mills, This is an increase
from 80 mills in 1975.
For separate school suppOrters
the increase will be 25.682 mills to
105.682 mills.
Sizeable increases are shown in
all of the major levies except the
County of Huron. The County rate
is actually down .024 mills from a
year ago,
Horsemen
face eviction
Exeter's RAP committee
decided this week that they will
not renew any contracts for stall
rentals at the local horse barn
when they come due at the end of
September.
In addition, the horsemen will
be advised that while they may
leave their animals in the facility
after that time, they may be
asked to vacate the premises with
short notice.
Recreation director Jim
McKinlay explained that the
horse barn would be removed to
allow construction of the new *South Huron recreation centre.
Part of the race track will also
be lost to horsemen as it will be
covered by the, new facility.
The softball diamond will have
to be moved to a new location in
the park as well.
Resour,ces manager Alvin
Willert suggested the horse barn
be given to the horsemen if they
could find another location for it.
When someone suggested the
barn could be moved to the east
of the park, it was indicated that
some residents of Pryde
Boulevard may not be too happy
with that situation.
Five hurt
in collisions
Five people sustained injuries
in accidents investigated by the
Exeter OPP this week.
A five-year-old Zurich child,
Mark McAdams, Edward St.,
was taken to University Hospital,
London, after he ran into the path
of a car on Friday at 2:25 p.m.
The vehicle was driven by
Margaret Neeb, RR 1 Zurich.
The accident was investigated
by Constable Jim Rogers.
Two youths were admitted to
University Hospital followig a
single car mishap on concession
16-17 of Hay Township at 1:00
a.m., Saturday.
The vehicle was driven by
Randall Oke, 16, Ztarich„,He and
his passenger, Gary Koehler, 18,
RR 2 Hensall, were injured.
Damage was listed at $300 by
Constable Don Mason.
A car-motorcycle collision on
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. resulted in
Jeffrey McKay being
hospitalized. He was the operator
of the moforcycle and was taken
to St. Joseph's Hospital.
His bike was in collision with a
car driven by Ralph Rummel,
Strathroy.
The mishap occurred on High-
way 4, one mile north of Hensall
and was investigated by Con-
stable Rogers.
Randolphe Bertrand, RR 1
Granton, was treated for cuts and
bruises after his truck rolled over
twice on concession 10-11 of
Usborne Township early
Saturday morning.
Damage in that incident was
listed at $2,000.
A single vehicle collision on
Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at the
Devil's Elbow bridge three miles
west of Exeter resulted in
damage of $600 to a car operated
by Brian Wilds, Crediton.
Damages estimated at $1,400
resulted when cars operated by
Leo Glavin, Crediton, and Paul
Whitefield, London, collided on
County Road 5, about three miles
west of Highway 4 on Sunday at
9:10 p.m.
The final crash was reported
Sunday evening when a car
driven by a Kingston woman,
Vera Campbell, skidded off High-
way 83, two miles west of Dash-
wood.
Constable Mason investigaged
and set damage at $500.
During the week, the Exeter
OPP laid 92 charges under the
Highway Traffic Act, two under
the Liquor Licence Act and two
under the Criminal Code.
They investigated two wilful
damage complaints. four break
and enters, six thefts and two
fires.
Exeter's RAP committee
continues to have budget
problems, primarily because of
mechanical breakdowns with
some of the equipment at the
swimming pool.
Recreation director Jim
McKinlay reported Monday night
that an anticipated deficit of
$2,900 already faces RAP and this
does not include a list of expenses
Picnics lose
their appeal?
Are family picnics becoming a
thing of the past?
Well, they are in the opinion of
Alvin Willert and he has some
statistics to back up his con-
tention.
Monday night, Willert told RAP
that the number of picnics being
held at Riverview Park was
dropping, and those family
gatherings that are still being
scheduled are attracting fewer
people.
He said "only the older people
come" and generally the at-
tendance is much lower than the
anticipated number reserved by
the picnic organizers.
It's going
full circle
The practice of town depart-
ments charging each other for
services and goods is going full
circle in Exeter.
This week, RAP received a bill
of $75 from the town for the
removal of the manure at the
local horse barns.
Resources manager Alvin
Willert then suggested RAP
should charge the cemetery
board for the manure, noting the
cemetery board charges RAP for
the'flowers the manure fertilizes.
6teferZinesabuocate
EXETER, ONTARIO, JULY 15, 1976
Price Per Copy 25 Cents
Picks up infant's crib
Lightning rips cottage
LIGHTNING ENTERED the cottage of Don Sandercott through
the television aerial tower wires. Doug Sandercott holds what
remains of the television rotor after the lightning blast blew a hole
in the wall it was fastened to. Photo by McKinley
Equipment failures
add to budget woes
cited earlier by resources
manager Alvin Willert for new
pool equipment.
Union Gas recently declared
the pool heater "unsafe" and a
replacement has been ordered at
a cost of $1,350. With cooler
weather, the loss of the heater
has resulted in some lost revenue
as the pool is not warm enough on
occasions to attract swimmers.
However, the most crippling
blow came last week when the
motor on the circulating pump
malfunctioned and had to be sent
away for repairs. This has
resulted in the pool being closed
for five days.
Willert said RAP should con-
sider having a stand-by motor,
noting that the loss of revenue
would pay the $325 to $350 cost for
a second motor,
RAP vice-chairman Bob
Pooley, who helped remove the
motor last week, suggested more
poblems could be experienced
with the pool equipment. "That's
not the end of it," he predicted,
explaining that chlorine is taking
its toll on the equipment and
more may have to be replaced in
the immediate future.
This is the 12th season for the
pool and fears were expressed
that some of the costly valves
may have to be replaced.
McKinlay said one of the
problems was the insistence by a
Huron Health Unit inspector that
the chlorine content had to be
maintained at such a high figure,
He said he planned to meet with
county officials this week to
discuss the matter, noting that
the inspector had ordered the
chlorine be increased although
readings indicated it was within
the acceptable guidelines.
Willert expressed concern
about the chlorine as well, saying
it was being pumped in at a rate
that was Making it difficult to
keep a proper acid balance in the
pool,
1