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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