HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1980-07-16, Page 1PROPUCTIQN IN PROGRESS - Hug hes-Ce tumble are already in the process of manufac-
turing a Columbia yacht, Production manager Peter Rodger, and employees John relthom
and Liz Bowerman are shown-'working on the boat. Staff photo
RECENTLY SHIPPED COLUMBIA MOULD — Fibreglass 'manager Bill Brennan and
production co-ordinator Ted Langley discuss plans for building the Columbia sailing yachts,
They ore overlooking a 36 foot hull would which has been shipped from the Columbia
plant in Virginia to the Hughes-Columbia plant in Huron Park. Staff photo
Pound for pound, who was
the best fighter that ever,
lived on Biddulph Town-
ship's famous Roman Line?
While that question may
send historians delving back
through the many books and
stories written about
the Donnelly clan and their
neighbors, the answer could
well be Sean Rooney.
Sean Rooney? Yes,
Rooney!
You won't find
Sean Rooney included in any
of the history of the Donnelly
incidents, because he's only
12 year's old. Sean
ON TOP — Twelve-year-old Sean Rooney is on top of his brother, Neil, and hopes to be on
top of the world soon. The Biddulph youngster will represent Canada in the World School
Boy's Wrestling championship in Sweden early in August. Staff photo
LOOK OUT FENCE — Shown Stanlake has the look that
sends shivers down the back of any pitcher, as the steps to the
plate in Saturday's squirt softball game at Queen's Park.
Dwayne Tinney, one of the coaches, - looks on in the
background. Staff photo
Exeter man gets •
NEW COLLEGE RESIDENCE — Centralia College of Agricultural Technology principal
Doug Jamieson stands• in front of the new Huron Hall residence just completed. An open
house will be held this Saturday for the public to tour the new facility. Staff photo
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HEAVY GOING - Jeff Chipchase hod to do some fancy
footwork to circle th. bases after hitting a home run in the
squirt softball ortioe ie Exeter, Saturday. David Schwind' and
David Latour were roverina the base as they were told
awaiting the toss in from the outfield. Staff photo
Price Per Copy 35 Cents One Hundred and Seventh Year. EXETER, ONTARIO, JULY 16, 1980
dvoc
& North .Lambton Since 1873 Serving South Huron, North Middlesex
To open energy efficient facility
t Centrcilia ag college, Saturda y
Hughes. Boats in Huron
Park has recently bought out
Columbia Yachts--the
largest and • 'longest,
established boat
manufacturer in North
America,
• Production Co-ordinater
Ted Longley sald .• that in
Huron Park firm ,expanding,
could add over 50 iob spots
jump 10
The South Huron Recrea,
tion Centre Board of
Management approved an
across-the-board ten percent
hike of ice rental rates Mon-
day.
Minor hockey and figure
skating will pay $25 per hour
this season up from $22 last
year,
Local groups other than
minor hockey. and figure
skating see their rates jump
$3 per hour from $28, to $31.
Groups from outside the
area which the centre serves
will now pay $36 per hour,
another increase of •$3 per
hour.
The Exeter Mohawks see
their ice rental rate increase
froth $25 per hour to $28, The
60/40 split for gate receipts
during the playoffs remains
constant.'
The only group which did
not have their rates upped
were the Junior Hawks who
will have a 60/40 split of gate
receipts throughout the en-
tire season.
The same split will be in
effect for all minor hockey
clubs who reach the playoffs
and who have gone past the
contracted ice time.
In a discussion of revenues
. and expetditures compared
to the same period last' year,
Rec director Ian Smith
stated revenues are up by
$3,000 while expenditures
have increased a whopping
$13,000.
Most of the $13,000 can be
attributed to the salary in-
crease granted to the rec
centre employees and the
fact that the facility did not
have an administrator or
secretary for five months in
1979.
Compared to a year, ago
,more recreation programs
are being offered. $1,000 was
spent on the purchase of
roller skates and attendance
at the roller skating is
down slightly: according to
Smith.
One area in which the cen-
tre is shining is the seven
percent reduction 'in utility
costs.
The board then engrossed'
itself in a dialogue in, the
long term financial status of
the centre following a state-
• ment by Don Cameron.
In reply to Cameron's
query, Smith said the in-
crease in revenues is just
about keeping pace with the
inflation rate.
Jerry MacLean said there
should be more of an effort
made to promote the use of
the facility for conventions,
seminars and large
gatherings.
Smith replied that while
thecenire would be adequate
for such gatherings, the
town did not have the proper
support facilities for conven-
tions.
He said the two groups
which made use of the facili-
ty, the kennel club and the
campout sponsored by the
Ausable River Nomads were
self-contained.
Longley said that - growing
pains are sure to result as
new employees. are
gradually( trained.
Hughes-Columbia is
currently trying to lease a.
50,00 square400t former
hangar at Huron' Park. The
plant now has a. capacity of
65,000 square-feet compared
'Bob Reynold, recently
elected deputy governor of
Zone K for the association of
Kinsmen Clubs, is a member
of the Exeter club and is only
the second deputy governor
to be elected from the club.
'Reynolds has been a
. member of the Exeter
Kinsmen Club for 9 years
and has held many positions'
on the club executive in-
cluding the position of -
president. His zone
executiveare all members of
the Exeter club, and are also
all past presidents of the
club. They are': Dennis
Hockey - zone bulletin
marker, Tom Humphreys -
zone cystic fibrosis chair-
man and Ken Snedden - zone
co-ordinator and secretary:
The Association of Kin-
smen. Clubs is a. wholly
Canadian Service Club, and
is affiliated with the Wbrld
Council of Service Clubs. The
Association is divided, into 8
districts, each of which is
further divided into zones.
Their district is district one,
and is divided into 11 tones,
Our zone K comprises the
Kinsmen Clubs . in Exeter,
Stratford, St. Marys,Mitch-
ell, Clinton , Goderich and
Herisall.
The Kinsmen Clubs each
provide service within their
communities to uphold the
association's motto which is
"serving the community's
greatest need",
The Exeter club has
, provided or made possible
many facilities for the town
of Exeter over the last 30
years, too numerous to
mention them all,
Some example of these
projects are the ice scraper
at the arena, the bridges in
Riverview Park,
physiotherapy, equipment at
the Exeter hospital, and
support of many local
organizations such as the
midget hockey team.
Our Kinette Club also
provides much volunteer
help in town and has its own
order to accommodate the
new lioe,of boats, Hughes,
Columbia will have to in-
crease its present .eapacity,
capital and labottr,- This
means that within 18 Months.
the company will be adding
about 50 jobs to the present,
138 at the Huron Park plant,
projects such as the creative
playground equipment in-
Victoria Park which was
built and installed 1 by the
Kinettes.
As a district they support
research into cystic fibrosis,
and last year District One
raised $161,503,26 for cystic
fibrosis, . While these are
just a, few of the projects
Kinsmen support in. Canada,
they also provide services
overseas such as the building
or orphanages in Malaysia in
conjunction with the Apex
Clubs there.
Cyclist hurt
in collision
A 23-year-old Huron Park
man sustained serious in-
juries when he was in a
collision involving two
motorcycles near Huron
Park early Saturday mor-
ning.
Kenneth Jones, 311
Algonquin Drive, received
head injuries when the two
northbound motorcycles
collided on concession 2-3 of
Stephen around 6:30 a.m.
The other machine was
operated by Kimberley
Goodwin, 22, of 297
Algonquin Drive, Both men
were taken to South Huron
Hospital and Jones was
transferred to University
Hospital, in London in a
semi-conscious condition.
Exeter OPP Constable Ed
Wilcox investigated and set
damage in the accident at
$200.
There was only one other
accident investigated by the
Exeter OPP this week, it
occurring on Highway 83
east of Exeter on Saturday
when a vehicle driven by
James Ballantyne, R.R. 1
Kirkton, struck ' a mailbox
and went into the ditch.
Constable Bob Whiteford
investigated and listed
damage at $750.
to the 200,-000 square-feet
Columbia Yachts. had,
Longley termed the
takeoVer as ."inind-
boggling." He doesn't think
that anyone, including
Howard Hughes, will, really
know what's involved in the
takeover until its been eX-
perienced. He Said the.
Mayor Derry Boyle said
the rec centre was primarily
a place for recreation. "As
far as I'm concerned this is a
place for recreation and it
will always cost us money, It
should," Boyle stated,
'In . other business, the
board:
Waived the fee charged for
. the use of the sign at the cor-
ner of Main and Victoria
streets for groups using the
centre and/or the grounds.
' Learned Smith was ob-
taining prices for some pain;
ting at the rec centre.
Set a fee of $250 for the use
of the bar on the ice surface
at the arena.
Learned last week's dog
show brought in . $1,090 in
revenue for the centre.
Learned revenues for the
swimming pool were up
compared to a year ago.
By MARY WARBURTON
The construction of the
Huron Hall residence at the
Centralia College of
Agricultural Technology is
now complete and the public
is invited to attend the of-
ficial opening this Saturday.
Minister of Agriculteire
and Food Lorne Henderson
and Minister of Government
Services Douglas Wiseman
will be there to cut the ribbon
But, he's already
established himself as one of
Canada's top wrestlers in his
weight class and in early
August, he'll be representing
this nation 'in the World
School, Boys' wrestling
championship at Stockholm,
Sweden.
Sean, the son of Mr. and
Mrs, Bernard Rooney, will
be competing in the 38 kilo
(about 84 pounds) bantam
category and hopes to bring
that championship home to
the Roman Line, where he
has lived for the past half
dozen years.
His queet for the title
started back in April when
he entered the first of two
qualifying meets
at Georgetown. Competing in
the bantam division against
nine other wrestlers, he
recorded five pins and one
decision to win:
'A month later, he was in
the Maple Leaf open, placing
second with six pins and then
he took on the best from
across Canada in Thunder
Bay on ,Itine 28, winning the
event with five pins to be
chosen as Canada's
representative in the world
competition.
Sean, who graduated this
hardest thing will be to keep
up with the demand.
Langley Said that the
company will now either
"take off nice a rocket or fall
flat on its face." But he said
that 'with owner Howard
Hughes' past record things
should work out fine.
Columbia Yachts had 7Q
dealers in the 'United States.
Hughes-Columbia is holding
an open house for dealers on
July 21 and 22 to try and
recapture as many of these
dealers as possible,
Currently Hughes-Columbia
sells boats from coast to
coast in Canada ,and in parts
of the United States.
Longley said that the
dealers will determine which
and how many of the possible
nine sizes of Columbia boats
will be manufactured.
The Columbia boats are
much wider than the boats
which Hughes currently
manufactures and,
therefore, are not as fast.
Longley said that their
design is "beautiful and well
thought out," The boats are
known for their wine glass
shaped stern.
The sizes of Columbia
boats range from 23 foot sail
boats to 48 foot trollers, The
boats Hughes has been
manufacturing range in size
from 26 to 40 feet in length.
Hughes-Columbia is
having an open house this
at 2:00p.m. A tour of the new
facility ;and refreshments
will follow.
Construction on the three
million dollar residence first
began in September 1978,
The building, which is at-
tached to the previously
existing Huron Hall
cafeteria and lounge, has a
capacity for 200 students,
College principal Doug
Jamieson said that it is the
spring from St. Patrick's
Separate School where his
mother teaches, • leaves
Saturday for Thunder Bay
for awarinupprogram prior
to his July 29 departure for
Sweden.
The competition there is
slated for August 1,2,3 and 4
and Sean expects to be
competing against wrestlers
from about 15 countries.
The youngster started
wrestling seven years ago
when his mother enlisted the
aid of her eldest son, Hugh,
to start a wrestling program
at St. Pat's.
He went on from there to
join the London Amateur
Wrestling and Athletic Club
and has been under the
guidance of Josip Islirkoci in
preparation for his world
premier.
Sean, who will enroll at
Regina Mundi,aprivate boys'
school in London where his
father teachers, spends two
hours each day in
preparation for his
Stockholm matches,
He rums three miles at
night and spends the balance
of the program doing push-
ups, sit-ups, and switnming
in the family pool. For
honing his wrestling Skills,
Saturday and Sunday to
familiarize the ,public with
the change and the new
products,
Longley said that once
they have expanded and are
Still able to maintain their
efficidncy and the quality of
their boats, they can't help
but sell more boats, At
present they are only able to
make 144 boats per year,
which brings in about 6,5
million dollars, each year.
Theoretically he said they,
should be able to double this.
amount. Columbia Yachts
had sales of $27 million last
year.
It took Hughes one year to
negotiate the 'deal with
Columbia. Part of the deal
was that Hughes had to
transfer all ,Columbia
materials to its Huron Park
plant within 6Q days. Longley
said that this will require 30
trips and so far only three
have been made.
Longley said that the
reason Columbia went out of
business was because its
employees went on strike for
increased wages and the
boats were bing priced out of
the market, Hughes-
Columbia is not a unionized
company.
Howard Hughes first
began making boats in his
garage in Toronto, Longley
said. In 1966 he started the
Please turn to page 2
first building constructed by
the province to have several
energy conservation
features designed into it,
The building itself is
horseshoe-shaped so that it
will follow the pattern of the
sun ,for heating purposes.
Attached to the horseshoe-
shaped corridors are five
circular pods containing the
actual rooms, Each pod has
a capacity of 40 persons.
he tackles big brother Hugh
or uses nine-year-old
brother, Neil, as a sparring
partner:
Most of. the furniture has
been moved out of the
Rooney living room, leaving
the youngsters plenty of
room to grapple, perhaps not
so unusual for the famous
Roman Line.
Sean and his family live on
the former homestead of
"Grouchy" Pat Ryder and
canlook out their window and
see the former Donnelly
homestead about half a mile
down the road.
The youngster has also
proven his skills in other
fields as well. His spending
money for the Sweden trip
comes from the $200 he won
as a contestant on Global
TV's popular Quizz Kids
program earlier this year.
The Rooney's, similar to
most other families on the
Roman Line, are stial
plagued by sightseers who
drive into their yards at all
hours to ask for directions to
the Donnelly homestead.
Perhaps in the future
they'll be stopping to ask
directions to the home of
Sean Rooney?
Solar paftels are located
near tkie entranceway of the
building.Energy from the
panels will be used to heat all
the hot water required by the
residents for domestic
purposes. •
One very prominent
energy saving feature is the
earth berms located on the
north side of each pod, These
earth berms are large slops
of earth four feet deep which
extend upwards to the top of
the pod walls. Jamieson said
the earth berms serve as
insulators and allow the wind
The excitement of
professional rodeo action
returns to the area this
weekend as 'the Stephen
Optimists host the local stop
for the Molson's circuit.
Club executive Bill
McGrath said they hope to
draw between 7,000 and
10,000 people to the shows to
be staged at the Huron Park
site of the Exeter Saddle
Club on Saturday and
Sunday.
Up to 200 entries are ex-
pected as the circuit con-
testantS arrive in the area
this week after entertaining
rodeo fans in the northern
Ontario community of Foley
last weekend.
The shows gets underway
each day at 2 p.m. and are
expected to last until around
5:30 p.m.
Bronc and bull riding
again headline the features
of the rodeo which also in-
Get $2,000
for project
The fund raising drive for
revamped recreation
facilities at Exeter's
Community park has gotten
off to a good start with $2,000
collected,
"It seems to be coming,"
said member of the grounds
development committee Don
Cameron in reference to the
fund raising drive.
Cameron stated he was
pleased to note that the rodeo
club will be contributing the
proceeds from the tale of the
goods salvaged front the
rodeo grounds.
The fund should receive
another boost when the
materials from the grand
stand are sold at a sale a
week from Saturday.
Rec centre rates
percent
Still grapple on the Roman Line
to be swept over the top of
the building. Since frost
never goes down more than
three feet deep, Jamieson
said that the berms will
never be frozen entirely.
At the top of each earth
berm are heat exchangers
Heat from the exhausted air
is tranferred to incoming air
so that a minimum of energy
is wasted. None of the
windows in the residence can
be opened, since the air in
the building is tempered
through the heat ex-
changers.
eludes bull-dogging, calf
roping and barrel racing,
A refreshment tent will be
open at the site and it will
also be the scene of a country
and western attire fashion
show as well as continuous
entertainment by Party
Sounds of London.
There will be food booths,
po,ny rides and McGrath
notes, plenty of parking.
The Optimists will stage a
dance in the Huron Park rec
centre Saturday night with
music being provided by
Maple Sugar.
The windows are bronze-
tinted so that they let light in
but not out. They are also
insulated with an air space
so that a minimum of heat
will be lost. The walls and
ceilings of the building are
also heavily insulated.
The building is equipped
with the latest fire detection
'system. The door of each
room is sealed so that no
smoke can enter.
The •mattresses and beds
are made by prison inmates
under Minister of Correction
Gordon Walker's new
rehabilitation program.
The new building was
constructed by the Ministry
of Government Services and,
like all the other College
buildings, is Owned and
maintained by this Ministry.
The college does have
three other residences and
Jamieson said that they have
always been able to provide
accommodation for all the
students enrolled. But these
residences were constructed
in the late '40s for temporary
use by theAir Force and two
.of the three never meant to
be permanent structures,
The upkeep on these old
frame buildings is becoming
too expensive, Jamieson
said. The new residence will
accommodate almost 1/3-
of the students enrolled in
Please turn to page 2
Rodeo action back
in area this week