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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1979-07-18, Page 1Fire destroys Exeter :once station interior Following a meeting of town council's police com- mittee Monday no decision on the ,reconstruction or removal of the town police office, Thursday was made. Mayor Derry Boyle said a decision will be reached, once the, insurance ad- juster's report is received, possibly some,time later this week, Damage to the building and contents was around $50,000. Clerk-treasurer Elizabeth Bell said the building was insured for $37,800 with a value of $15,400 being placed on the contents excluding the radio equip- ment owned by the town and the county police radio network, Chief Ted Day said the fire started as a result of paper in the office's . photo copying machine jamming. Day said fluid from the machine started on fire and he put out the blaze with a fire ex- tinguisher. He then left the room with the copying machine cat- ching on fire once again a few minutes later. Day extinguished that fire and was in the process of dragging the machine to the back entrance when a bottle of the fluid spilled on the machine. At this point Day said "the whole thing went up." The chief instructed summer employee Lynn Clarke to exit the building via the front entrance. Fire chief Gary Middleton said by the time his men arrived on the scene at 2:30 p.m. the interior of the building was completely engulfed by flames. Middleton said he and the six other firemen who were at the scene had the fire "knocked down" in about ten minutes but the blaze had found its way to the sub- ceiling of 'the building which had been purchased by the town for $24,000 in March, 1977, The heat was extremely Seniors in the town in- terested in seeing what other seniors from other com- munities are doing, will be able to view a film from the popular CBC TV program "Man Alive" thanks to the senior study which is being conducted in the town, Mary Easton of the Young Canada Works spons,ored project said the film "All our tomorrow" will be shown on intense with Middleton saying his men had to delay their entrance into the burning until the back door was closed. Middleton reported that he and Bob Forest were con- cerned about their welfare for a short period of time when the front door closed. Middleton said he found his way back to the door by following the fire hose which had been brought through the front entrance. Firemen remained on the scene for two hours Mid- dleton stated. While the blaze may have destroyed the interior of the building and most of its contents, the police records which were housed in a Tuesday at 1:30 p.m: at South Huron District High School, Easton said the film is about seniors in the Niagara region. Works on the health and recreation needs study is progressing with the local group in touch with con- sultants from the University of Toronto. She said 80 seniors will be included in the random survey. metal filing cabinet came out of the fire relatively unscratched. Only one drawer of the records was singed. Day reported the July occurenee file was destroyed but that the department could reconstruct the file, Day and off-duty policemen Jim Barnes avoided a potentially dangerous situation when they removed the guns and ammunition from the bur- ning building. By 5:30 Thursday the police department was back in operation with a trailer being set up behind the burned out building. The local force was maintaining contact with the central dispatch system in Goderich through the use of their mobile units which they had removed from the office. Day said he was not sure how long the local force would be operating out of their temporary office. Day expressed thanks to the fire department and the firms and individuals who had helped during and after the fire. Seniors to see film GETTING TO THE FIRE = In an attempt to get the fire which had worked its way above the false ceilings at the Exeter town police station firemen Wayne Pearce and Lester Heywood opened a hole on the building's roof. Damage to the police station and contents has been es- timated at over $50,000. T-A photo THE AFTERMATH — This was the scene inside the Exeter town police station which was gutted by fire Thursday. Most of the police records were not damaged. T-A photo dvocate & North Lambton Since 1873 One Hundred and Fifth Year EXETER, ONTARIO, JULY 18, 1979 Price Per Copy 25 Cents Cameron says too complicated Town one reading Fines to go to town ay from passing-noise bylaw canine capers Council curtails FIREMEN RUSH TO POLICE STATION — Exeter firefighters fought a losing cause Thursday as the Exeter town police station sustained several thousand dollars of damage. Watching the firemen are town councillor Ted Wright and an unidentified youth. T-A photo Council makes minor insurance changes While there's been much talk in town lately about a property standards bylaw, Exeter council is only one reading away from passing the municipality's first noise bylaw. Council gave first and second reading to the bylaw Monday but not without some strong objections from councillor Don Cameron, Cameron told council that while he believed the intent of the bylaw was good he wondered if the bylaw was not too specific. The in- structor at the Centralia College of Agricultural Technology made reference to certain sections of the bylaw which he said were already covered under the Highway Traffic Act, "To my mind as the bylaw stands now, it needs some simplification," Cameron stated, At the behest of Mayor Derry Boyle, Police Chief Ted Day told Cameron that a municipal bylaw would cover private property with Day giving the example of an individual squealing tires in a laneway. Under the High- way Traffic Act this would not be a punishable offence Day said. In addition, fines handed out under a municipal bylaw accrue to the municipality and not to the province. When councillor Lossy Fuller expressed agreement with Cameron's position councillor Harold Patterson said "You have to use common sense when dealing with the bylaw," Cameron said Goderich has a much simpler anti- noise bylaw which works and which has been tested in the courts. "I'm concerned when we start to legislate everything. I think that's wrong...Somewhere along the line we're going to have to throw some things back to the people," Cameron told council, Councillor Jay Campbell said he agreed with Cameron's philosophy but that there are people in society who abused their rights. Following some more discussion on the bylaw which was prepared by the ministry of the environment, Fuller said she wasn't sure the entire town should be subject to the bylaw. Boyle quickly told Fuller that the bylaw had to cover the entire town. The Goderich bylaw was not as specific as the proposed Exeter law with the police being given much discretion in the in- terpretation of the bylaw, Cameron said. Boyle said he was not sure if a simplified anti-noise bylaw would meet with the ministry of the en- vironment's approval. It was a "ruff" decision to make but Grand Bend council decided that they couldn't give dog-catcher Donna Aitken any more money for fining our four- footed friends. "She's • barking up the wrong tree," said councillor Keith Crawford, In an effort to keep the beach clean council recently Damages high, minor injuries Damages were high but only minor injuries were suffered in one of four ac- cidents investigated this week by officers of the Ontario Provincial Police detachment at Exeter. It occurred Tuesday at 12.05 p.m. on Highway 83 about six kilometres east of Exeter. Drivers of the vehicles involved were Steven M. Buckingham, Hamilton and Robert E. Ferguson, Waterloo. Con- stablc Don Mason set damages at $11,000. Constable Ed Wilcox estimated damages at $250 when vehicles driven by Margaret Crich, Clinton and Lorne Archer, Hensall collided on Hensall's main street. The same day at 10,20 p.m. vehicles driven by Mary McKeever, R.R. 3 Dashwood and Thomas Freeborn, I London were in collision on the Huron-Middlesex Please turn to page 3 put the fine for dogs on the beach and dogs running loose to $25. Previously the fine had been • $10 for first time offenders, $25 for second time, and $50 for third. At the same time new signs were erected on the beach so that man and his best friend wouldn't be able to miss the warning. The signs were cut out in the shape of a dog. Six signs were purchased by the village from ARC Industries in Dashwood at a cost of $100. Mrs. Aitken wrote to- council requesting that the amount she receives for each ticket she writes be in- creased, because she felt her job dealing with the public would be more difficult with the increased fine. At present she gets $5 for each ticket she issues, and she was seeking another $5. Reeve Sharen said he thought everyone should be able to see the new signs now. He did say, however, that one offender told him he couldn't see the sign because . his dog was a seeing eye dog. Sharon seemed to doubt the validity of his, excuse, FINED $300 William Benedette of Huron Park was fined $300 in Exeter courts Tuesday morning by His Honour Judge W.G. Cochrane on a charge of impaired driving. In addition l3enedette's driving licence was suspended for three months. Authentic guide dogs for the blind would have to be permitted on the beach. Council decided to ap- proach service clubs to see if the "no dogs" signs could be erected on the service club signs along the highways at the edges of the ',Tillage. DOGS A NO-NO — Coun- cil's pride and joy are the new no dogs signs. Absent from the picture is councillor Harold Green who had been nomihated to pose with the plywood puppy. Insurance was again on the agenda of Exeter council Monday evening with only a few changes being made. Council agreed to a recommendation from Dave Reed and Frank Cowan Insurance and local agent Mel Gaiser of Gaiser- Kneale-Tait Insurance that the town exercise its option and ad heart attack clause to the firemen's accident in- surance. The town left their third party liability coverage and fidelity bonds as is while they rejected the recom- mendation that the town pick up valuable papers in- surance. Council did agree to spend another $65 and added extra expense insurance for the municipality building. This insurance will pay the extra expenses incurred over and above the normal costs to continue operatiods if the municipal office is destroyed. The final recommendation from Reed and Gaiser was that the coverage for arena machinery breakdown be increased from $200 to $400 per day at an additional cost of $50 per year. Council said no to this recommendation, In other business, council: Turned down requests for funds from Dover township and from Sudbury region disaster relief fund for funds, Said no to requests from the Public Health Nurses of Ontario that the town declare the week of Sep- tember 24 to 29 as Public Health Nurse Week in Exeter, Acceded to a request from the PUC and will grant the utility an easement for two hydro poles behind the ne Gerrards store on Main street. Despite Cameron's ob- jections the bylaw received first and second readings. The bylaw now goes back to the ministry for their ap- proval beforecouncil gives its final blessing. Monday continued to be an evening for bylaw passing with third and final reading being given to the bylaw which authorizes the con- struction of the sanitary sewer for William street north and Thames Road West. The bylaw also authorized the issuing of a $50,000 debenture. The passage of a bylaw which according to the agenda called for "the destruction of Public Utilities Commission" allowed council to have a few good laughs, Clerk-treasurer Elizabeth Bell explained that the PUC was requesting permission to destroy certain outdated records. After the laughter had subsided, council approved the bylaw. REVIVAL CENTRE BIBLE SCHOOL The Vacation Bible School held at the Lucan Revival Centre was well attended. During an outdoor craft session school supervisor Judy Henry poses with Delia Paterson, one of the youngest in attendance. The others are Tammy Noyes, Meagan Henry, Katherine Edwards and Mark Kraft. T-A photo Break windows at Mt. Carmel school OPP reports wilful damage in area Officers of the Exeter detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police in- vestigated numerous complaints of wilful damage in the area this week. Mail boxes were damaged on the properties of James McDonald at Lot 13, Con- cession 6 of Stephen town- ship and Donald Bell, Concession 2 of Hay town- ship. A sign removed from the latter's property was recovered later, Constables Frank Giffin and Wally Tomasik are investigating, reported by custodian Bill the property of James Rowe A gravel loader owned by Regier, in Hensall. It was recovered, Norval Jones Trucking of Over the week end an Combination tools valued Exeter was damaged to the unknown vehicles damaged at $75 were taken July 9 from extent of $300. This van- five irrigation pipes on the the property of Donald dalism occurred in Cann's property of Exeter Produce, McCurdy, R.R. 1 Centralia. gravel pit in Usborne west of Crediton. Constable Tomasik is in- township over the week end. Investigation is being vestigating. Constable Tomasik is in- carried on by Constable Ed Nothing was reported vestigating. Wilcox. stolen as the result Of a Constable Don Mason is Two bicycles and one breakin Thursday at the investigating the breaking of motorcycle were reported property of Ferman Snyder several windows at Our Lady stolen. The bikes were owned at Lot 18, Concession 17 of of Mount Carmel Separate by Arthur Miller, Zurich and Stephen township. Constable School. Theincidentoccurred Jean Tower, Hensall, The Larry Christiansen in- Wednesday and was motorcycle was taken from vestigated.