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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1976-10-21, Page 1ARENA SOD TURNED — The official sod turning ceremony for the South Huron Recreation Centre was held Wednesday morning. From the left are centre committee chairman John Stephens, mayor Bruce Shaw, finance chairman Ron Bogart, building chairman King McDonald and publicity head Rob Grant. T-A photo Speeder fined $213 'Several pay for disturbances Steam roller tactics • • • Itelerc-Mtnesakmocate One Hundred and Fourth Year EXETER, ONTARIO, OCTOBER 21, 1976 Price Per Copy 25 Cents 587,000 to go! Vera M. Whitmore, Islington 100 E. McCallum, Burnaby, B.0 10 Doug and Marion Knowles 150 Jason Wein 150 The Chapmans 500 G & G 100 Schneiders Meats (Kitchener) 250 Anonymous 100 "Tim" Yak Yak 5 Mr. and Mrs. Don Rozendal 50 Interested Family 35 Interested Grandmother 50 Interested 25 Interested 300 Interested Family , 75 Shirley's Loft Ltd. 300 Shirley, Don and Karen Hart 150 Bob, Dolly and Children 150 Mrs. Alva Selby 100 Anonymous 25 Anonymous 80 Anonymous 50 Anonymous 50 Anonymous 50 Anonymous 50 Anonymous 200 Anonymous 100 Anonymous 100 Playground Bike-A-Thon 281.65 Doug and Danny Kells and John Giffin Proceeds from carnival 14 Interested Citizen 10 Interested Citizen 75 Mrs. Eileen Parker 25 ' Henry and Pauline Dyck 150 Ken and Irene Johns 100 John and Wilma Wraight and family 200 Anonymous 1.50 Anonymous 25 Rev. Van Essen 100 Roy and Betty George 100 Bill, Doris and Mark 50 Walt and Barb Tiedeman and family 150 Interested Citizen 150 Brian and Angela Sweitzer and family 150 Jim MacDonald 20 Children's Friend 15 Friends 50 Interested Citizen " *** I ** $444f46.404 66666 20 "The Tiggers" 500 A nonymous 666 4 6666666666 44. ...... if••44•• 150 Mr. and Mrs. Charles Tieman and girls 200 Anonymous 100 Mrs. V. Pincombe "I, .6... 500 Anonymous ....... . — ..... .....— ........ . 150 Jack, Jane and Cheryl Harvey .... . . —. 150 Mr. Wm. McCurdy and Janney ... . . ... 2 A nonymous .......... 41.*”....!•“,•144,... 50 Anonymous ............................... 20 Quilt Draw ................... "W400640. 277.25 Total to date $167,688.40 :ems. • COUNCIL UPHOLDS REC CENTR The decision is made . . The final round was fought Tuesday night over the location or the new South Huron Recreation Centre with Exeter council finally agreeing to uphold their earlier decision to use a portion of the race track for the facility. That decision was reached by a 6-1 vote, with Barb Bell opposing the motion and Garnet Hicks declaring a conflict of interest and not voting on the issue, Tuesday night's meeting was in sharp contrast to the fray 'in the council chambers the preceding night when council faced an onslaught of criticism from members of the Exeter Turf Club. This time it was the SHRCC supporters who tilled the council chambers. Many had arrived as early as half an hour before the meeting to occupy the seats available, while the horse en- thusiasts were: able to find only a few spots, Turf club president Jack Parsons and supporter Ben Tuckey reported that the hor- semen had worked out a scheme whereby the two facilities could fit into the park, but in the end council members decided that the lengthy deliberations given to the rec centre site by the corn- , mittee and the consulting engineers would be the criteria on which the outcome would be based. SHRCC chairman John Stephens agreed that the solution offered by the horsemen was possible, but quickly added it was not feasible. In ending the public debate and The solution offered by the Exeter Turf Club Tuesday night to Exeter council was to move the new recreation centre within 50 feet of the western limits of the community park, using part of the sited of the existing arena. PresidentJaek Parsons said this would leave roughly 50 feet between the centre and the race track and if 35 feet of land was purchased from Gib Dow the track could be extended to the east and left as a half-mile facilitY-• • Jefry IVfacLeaii Imniediately asked if this would leave room for the future expansion of the centre to include the pool, senior citizens hall and fitness centre. Parsons said at that time the track would have to be phased out, but argued that the track did not have to go until that time (of expansion) comes. Recreation director Jim McKinley said his basic concern with the suggestion was regar- ding the traffic flow, parking and in the fact the problem over the track was not being solved but merely delayed. Ben Tuckey termed it a "pretty amicable" solution to everyone concerned and said he felt the old arena would be down within nine days so construction on the centre could begin. "I don't see where we need a big yard to park cars," he continued, adding there was still some parking area near the centre. "Will Gib (Dow) part with the property?" Mayor Shaw asked. "I don't know," .Parsons replied. The solution offered by the Members of Exeter council and the South, Huron Recreation Centre committee were charged with using everything from Hitler tactics, coercion, mis- representation and threats in their actions surrounding the. decision to use part of the Exeter race track for the centre site at Monday's heated confrontation between members of the Exeter Turf Club and one of their staunch. supporters, former Mayor Ben Tuckey. Close to 100 people jammed their way into the council chambers and outer offices to hear the debate from the horsemen who were making a last-ditch effort to save the half- mile track. Turk Club president ,Jack Par- sons set the tone of the meeting' in his opening remarks when he charged Mayor Bruce Shaw with leading the horse enthusiasts "down the wrong path from the word go". Mayor Shaw dente& the ac- cusations, saying he had met with officials of the Agricultural Society, rodeo committee and turf club in an honest effort to resolve the situation two weeks ago. He noted that council had taken steps to provide $500 to assist in Moving the horse barn and had agreed to assist the three groups in acquiring ad- ditional land to extend the track to the east of the present site. Councillor Lossy Fuller also noted that the Mayor had been Specific in putting the Word "if" turning the matter over to council for their final decision, Mayor Bruce Shaw said it was obvious that a compromise was not possible and that one of the two groups would be made unhappy by the decision. Reeve Derry Boyle made j the motion to proceed as planned. He said he had gone without sleep for 24 hours due to thinking about the situation and said it was with the "deepest regret" that he saw the track reduced to its three-eighths size. However, he noted that council had proceeded to the point of no return and there was no way now to back-track without costing the citizens of Exeter a considerable amount of money and as an elected official he could not choose that course, Noting the vast amount of time that had been spent by the committee and council over the matter to date, Councillor Ted Wright said the information gathered had to be the prime factor in his decision. "I don'tknow if any of us realize the time they (SHRCC) spent," he said, adding that members had been subjected to rough use and language and were abused. Wright related that the situation had reached•the point "of almost wearing me down". Continuing on, he said the track has seen little use in the past 14 years and on more than one occasion council had considered having it removed from the park. "We'd be trying to cram too 'much in there," he said in reference to the suggestion that the two facilities could co-exist. horsemen was not unanimous. Rodeo committee ' secretary Jack Malone suggested the main entrance to the new centre be built on the east side of the facility and the west side be placed within 30 feet of the property line. He said this would be possible on the presumption that you forget stage two (the pool, seniors hall, etc.) and "let some other council worry about that." Turf club secretary Pete Condon suggested putting the rec centre in the south-east corner of tile park. ' Mayor Shaw noted this had been discarded originally due to traffic problems and Condon added that some redesign of the facility would be necessary to follow his suggestion. Bruce Shapton, making it clear he was not speaking for the Agricultural Society, of which he is a member, said he and some other directors were concerned about the futore of the fair if the centre stayed in its planned location.He predicted the horse show could be crowded out and it could mean the end of the Exeter fair. Stephens then gave council a review of the three years' study undertaken by his committee qpd said the 25 members had spent more time than anyone else trying to save all facilities at the park. He explained that the study on which their recommendations were based was the most thorough ever undertaken in Exeter and it was designed to satisfy the needs of the people first, and their wants secondly. "Some are concerned only with in front' of his suggestions and had never made any concrete promises. Parsons was asked to read the minutes of that meeting as recorded by rodeo committee member Dalton Finkbeiner, The latter had noted at the end of his minutes that the meeting was the "most productive meeting ever held" regarding the problem. Parsons contended that council members knew all along that a three-eighths mile track would not fit into the park along with the rec centre. "If it doesn't it's news to me," Shaw,replied. SHRCC chairman John Stephens told the meeting that a three-eighths mile track would in- deed fit, into the park and pointed out that horse owner Jack Darl- ing had advised council and the committee that he thought that size track would be agreeable with the other horsemen, "Part of the problem is the fact we don't know who we're talking to," Mayor Shaw stated, after it was pointed out that Darling was not speaking for the turf club. Reeve Derry Boyle wanted to know what date the first meeting of the new turf club was held and secretary Peter Condon replied that it was Friday, August 6, Boyle replied that council's decision to reduce the track was made on July 28. The Reeve added that his patience was exhausted and said the matter was simple; there would be a three-eights mile their wants and are not giving 'any concern to the needs of others,'? he suggested, adding the committee could defend every statement they had ever made on the entire matter, He said the compromise reached on July 29 when it was decided to move the centre to the west and leave a three-eighths mile track was a good com- promise, although no one was getting 100 percent what they wanted. When, askeelfor the advantages, or disadvantages in following the turf club suggestion, Stephens said some of the disadvantages were the costs of the delay that would be created, the in- convenience of the location and the lack of parking. When asked if the building would fit in, Stephens replied "no". He explained that his answer was based on the total facility ' being planned. Mayor Shaw then asked what Stephens thought the committee reaction would be if council did decide to move the rec centre, Stephens said the committee went through the exercise a 'month ago and he predicted the majority would be ready "to pack it in" if council altered the site. While noting this was not a threat, he said he felt quite certain the committee members would resign as they "would not be part of a mistake that large". Gaylen Josephson charged that the turf club was a group that was coming to council only with criticism and not recom- mendations. He added he didn't Please turn to page 5 track or no track at all. He said to hold up production on the centre would cost Exeter ratepayers $50,000 at least: Former Mayor Ben Tuckey was the next to .address the meeting, saying that nothing was being resolved by flailing'around the same old hay stack. "There's no use having a meeting unless we try to resolve the differences, " he contended, adding that the community park was for people who used it and he suggested it was well used by people at present. He charged the SHRCC with misrepresentation and "said they "plopped down" the centre site without considering the rights of any other people. • Tuckey said it was "plain stupidity" to argue about the ownership of the community park, saying that it definitely belonged to the town. While noting he was in favor of an arena in Exeter, he said the building committee was "the biggest steam roller I've ever seen". Ile said steam rollers may be acceptable in places such as Russia, East Gertnany and Cuba, but "there's no place in Exeter for a steam-roller", Mayor Shaw asked for a reply from the steam-rolling com- mittee, and Stephens explained that the committee Members had held about 500 meetings in the past three years regarding the rec centre and he noted it was the first one at which he had Please turn to page 5 Several area men were ordered to pay fines fcir causing distur- bances when they appeared before His Honor Judge Glenn Hays in Exeter court, Tuesday. Glen W. Rohde, RR 1 Hensall, was fined $50 or five days for causing a disturbance at Les Pines Hotel in Exeter on August 6. Evidence revealed that a police officer had witnessed a car driving in an erratic manner and followed the driver into the hotel. The accused made a hostile gesture toward the officer and this caused about 50 patrons to stand up, thus creating what was termed as a disturbance, Steven J. Dettmer, Exeter, was also fined $50 or five days on a charge laid on August 22. Also ordered to pay $50 or five days was David James Clarke, RR 3 Zurich, , He was asked to leave an area hotel and then used loud and strong language on the street. Rfiymond Gordon Keller, Dashwood, was fined a total of $179 or 17 days on three charges, one of which was causing a disturbance in a public place. On September 5 he was shouting and using obscene language at 2 a,m, He kicked at a telephone booth and tipped over some garbage cans. He was also convicted for driving a motor vehicle in which liquor was available and for public mischief, The latter charge was laid after he let the Goblins note Mayor Bruce Shaw Tuesday night proclaimed that Hallowe'en would be celebrated on Saturday, October 30 this year, He said he had been asked by Police Chief Ted Day to make some comment on the matter because people were wondering when the night of ghosts and goblins would be marked. The ac- tual day falls on Sunday. "Let's say that for those who are interested, Saturday is the best time to do such a thing," Shaw remarked. air out of the tires of a truck at a home where he had stopped to get assistance after running out of gas. When the occupants failed to answer their door he let the air out of a truck tire. The stiffest fine handed out in Tuesday's session went to David L. Vincent, Sarnia, who was brdered to pay $213 or 20 days for speeding at a rate bf 92 in a 50 zone. Donald R. McFarlane, London, Damage has been set at $182,- 000 in a fire which destroyed a large storage shed owned by Charles Srokosz, RR 2 Grand Bend. The fire broke out Thursday and was fought by the Grand Bend fire department with assistance from Thedford, Forest and Pinery Park departments, Included in the loss were 100 tons of Dutcltonion sets, 12,000 bushels of cooking onions and 2,- 000 bushels of potatoes as well as various chemical fertilizers. Pinery OPP Constable F. S. Hubert investigated. During the week, the Pinery officers also investigated three accidents. On Sunday, a car driven by Pamela Provenzano, Detroit, was struck by an unknown southbound vehicle on Highway 21 in Northville. Damage to the Provenzano vehicle was set at $100 by Constable N, A. Clay. Constable R. L, Hodge in- vestigated another accident on Sunday in Pinery Park. A car driven by Karen 'Marie Wallace, Ann Arbor, left the roadway and collided with a' post with resulting damage of $175. The other accident was last Tuesday when a truck driven by William James Lyon, Lucknow, collided with a deer. The animal was killed and damage to the truck was set at $100 by was fined $163 for a speed of 82 in a 50 zone. A charge of impaired driving resulted in a fine of $200 for Allen John Legoff, Huron Park. His licence was also' suspended for three months. A, breathalizer gave a reading of 190 mgs. Leslie Henry Desjardine, RR 1 Thedford, was fined $200 and had his licence suspended three months for impaired driving. A Please turn to page 3 Constable R. J. Kotwa. During the week, the Pinery officers charged 11 people un- der the Highway Traffic Act, nine under the Liquor Licence Act, two under the Narcotic Con- trol Act and one under .the Criminal Code. One driver was charged with impaired driving. Society didn't approve writ Exeter council learned this week that the Exeter Agricultural Society never did authorize a writ against the town in the battle over the ownership of the community park. Douglas Proudfoot, solicitor for the Society, advised the town's lawyers that the Society had never authorized the issuing of the writ. "It was commenced without authority of the plaintiff," Proud- foot reported. "That appears to be the final touch to all our problems," Mayor Bruce Shaw saidTuesday night. Council agreed to write London lawyer Earl Cherniak and thank him for his services. SOUTH HURON RECREATION He concluded by saying that it was also doubtful that the old arena could be moved in time to stay within the 30-slay limit on the rec centre tender, noting that some blasting may even have to be. done to get the facility removed. "We have to respect the committee's wishes," Councillor Lossy Fuller argued. She said future councils would condemn G them if they didn't plan for the future use of the facility as planned. "We Wouldn't want to put the burden on them that we've gone through in the past weeks," she said. While declaring his conflict of interest, presumably as secretary of the Agricultural Society, Garnet Hicks did remark that "it is a most unfortunate position this community is fin- ding itself in". Deputy-Reeve Tom Mac- millan, who had indicated in no uncertain terms Monday night where he stood on the issue, said he was still of the same opinion, He did add that he was satisfied with the work of the committee and noted that he,more than any other member, had given the committee a "hard time" in their discussions with council to make them prove their points. "I'm sorry to see the track go, but there's nothing that can be done," Councillor Bob Simpson commented. The lone dissenter was Councillor Barb Bell, who in- dicated much of her concern was with the entire project and not just the 1 ocation'of the centre. Please turn 'to page 5 The final arguments . • • ;EMU: Extensive damage in GB area blaze CENTRE MURDER COUNT HEARING IS SET A preliminary hearing has been set for November 22 into the charge of non-capital murder laid against 64-year-old Floyd Wein, Dashwood. Wein was charged last Wed- nesday by police who were in- vestigating the death of his wife, Florence. Her body was discovered in the couple's home on the western outskirts of Dashwood Tuesday morning. Police were notified by personnel from Hof fman's Ambulance. An autospy revealed that the woman had died from a fractured skull. The autopsy war per- formed in Stratford hospital. Wein, who was found at the scene of the crime by police, was formally charged Wednesday and appeared in Goderich court on Thursday. He was remanded until Monday, when the date for the preliminary hearing was set. Wein has been ordered held 'in custody in Stratford jail, but is expected to be released on bail prior to the hearing. OPP Inspector William O'Rourke is in charge of the investigation. Exeter Constable Jim Rogers is assisting. Most members of the local detachment were involved in the investigation following the discovery of the woman's body. Wein wasrepresented at Monday's court session by Goderich lawyer James Don- nelly, • The murder Wes the fifth in. the Meter OPP detachment area in• the past, 10 years. All the victims were women.Charges were laid in three of the previous murder counts and in all cases Mr. Donnelly successfully defended. No charges were ever laid in the death of a Sarnia area girl whose body was found north of Grand Bend two years ago..