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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-06-22, Page 1County reform MPPs hear Huron comments on proposal See page 16 Banks blamed Former banker says banks share blame for farm crisis See page 14 Theatre review Cookie War opens See page 23 Blyth council holds local tax increase to 1.5% VOL. 4 NO. 25 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1988.,45 CENTS Nearly everything that moved at the opening of the Blyth Festival was recorded by television or movie cameras Friday night. Edna Staebler [right] autographs copies of her books for Lois van Vliet and her actions are duly recorded by a film crew from CBC television which is preparing a special television show on the cook book author. Mrs. Staebler’s story of a battle between two food giants for an old-fashioned Mennonite cookie recipe was the inspiration for the Festival’s opening play “The Cookie War”. Ethel spill not dangerous. Hydro says A chemical spill in Ethel last Thursday that was at first feared to be deadly PCB’s has been called Water restrictionscontinue Continuing drought has brought a return of lawn watering restric­ tions in Brussels and a change in restrictions in Blyth. Afterawatercri sis two weeks ago in Brussels due to a pump breakdown, things returned to normal for a period last week but this week residents are being warned not to water between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. during the heat of the day. In Blyth meanwhile, where the water level in the reservoir dropp­ ed 2.5 feet last Tuesday due to “harmless” by an Ontario Hydro spokesman, after the liquid was apparently tested in a London heavy use of lawn sprinklers, council has also instituted evening- only watering and has devised an alternate-day schedule. Residents from the north side of Dinsley St. to the north end of the village are asked to water only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Those from the south side of Dinsleytothesouthendof town may water Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, but again only in the evenings. Despite one short shower last week, weather officials say it is one of the driest Junes on record. laboratory. However, no one was available at Ontario Hydro’s Clinton office at press time tosayjustwhatthe spill, the result of a truck taking down two hydro poles in the village, did contain. A spokesman for the Wingham detachment of the Ontario Provin­ cial Police said that the incident occurred at 8:15 a.m. on June 16, when a transport truck driver delivering a load of roofing steel in the village forgot to lower the vehicle’s crane after offloading the steel. In pulling out of a private driveway onto County Road 19 in front ofthe Ethel Community Park, police said the crane apparently caught a hydro pole, pulling it and another pole over and draping the truck in wires. One ofthe poles held a transformer, which began leak­ ing a clear liquid onto the truck and the road below while the driver scrambled clear, they said. Police and Hydro officials were called to the scene, which remain­ ed cordoned off for more than six hours, until word was received that the spill was not toxic. PCB is the chemical acronym for polycholorinated biphenyls, a group of clear, slightly viscous, nearly indestructable and highly toxic compounds commonly used in older transformers and capaci­ tors. Police say that David Padding­ ton, the driver of the transport, has been charged with operating an over-height vehicle. The truck was registered to La Societe Fabrique d'Acier Jannock in Victoriaville, PQ Despite increasing reserves for several areas Blyth village council brought in a budget last week that showed only a 1.5 per cent increase in municipal spending. Taxpayers will have to await the levies from county and school boards before their real taxbillwillbe known, however. Council established a $5,000 reserve fund for improvements to the Blyth Union Cemetery as well as adding $10,000 tothe reserve for working funds. The latter reserve means that council has funds on hand to pay the bills before taxes come in, meaning it doesn’t have to borrow money at the bank. The fun ds set aside for the cemetery will allow the cemetery board to do work it hasn’t had money for in the past. Council also continued building up other reserve funds, adding $1,000 to the fire truck reserve, $1,500 to the reserve for a public works truck and $2,500 for recrea­ tion and cultural facilities. On the other hand expected improvements to the Memorial Hall roof will use up the $7,000 set aside in a reserve from past years and $5,000 of a $10,000 reserve to street construction from pastyears will be used in 1988. In capital works, $10,000 of a former $54,000 reserve will be used this year to help put an addition on the public works garage. Expenses for the year are budgeted to jump from $320,582 to $372,900 with the main growth coming in street construction (up $16,000) and the materials and services portion of the administra­ tion budget (up $10,000). The increase is offset by the $24,100 surplus from last year and transfers of amounts from reserves for various projects and larger grants, mostly due to road con­ struction (an extra $20,000 over lastyear) meaning council only needed $5,000 more from taxes this year than last. The result of the recent county decision to go to market value assessment was dramatically shown in the figures provided with the budget. In 1987 total residen- Continued on page 8 Cranbrook youth injured on A 7V A 16-year-old Cranbrook-area youth is at home following hospital treatment for serious leg injuries sustained in a collision between the all-terrain vehicle he was riding and a car on June 13. A spokesman for the Wingham detachment of the OPP said that Terry Lefor of RR 2, Brussels apparently made a left hand turn from the driveway of his farm home intothepathofanoncomingcar drivenby AdrianTollenaarof RR 1, Monkton. The accident occurred at about9p.m. on Grey Township Sideroad 20-21, about one and one-quarter miles southeast of Cranbrook. The youth, who has been charged with failing to yield the right of way in the mishap, was taken to Wingham and District Hospital by his parents following the accident, but has since been released. Damage to both the four-wheel ATV and to Mr. Tollendar’s 1985 Pontiac was minor, police report.