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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1984-11-21, Page 11 single copy 35e Printed in Lucknow, tintiirio, Wednesday, Novembet 21, 1984 ,24 pages • s:• ,,•••• • • •,• 4•• George Whitby eetin Volunteer fire chief to receive Bicentennial medal George WhitbyiS tucknow's recipient of ithe Bicentennial' medal which is to be pres- ented December 9 to honour Ontarians for volunteer service to the community. 'George will be among 1,984 citizens to received medals including H. D. "Bud" Thompson,„ also of Lucknow, - who Was ineminated by Bruce County for the honour. George's significant contribution to his community has been. his 30 years as fire chief of the Lucknow volunteer fire depart- ment. George Whitby •became Lucknow fire chief 'in January, 1954 after joining • the department in November,4949. •He receiv- ed his 30 year medal awarded by the Fire Marshal of Ontario. -‘• • • The word volunteer is deceiving since firemen on volunteer fire departments are trained professional fire :fighters. George 'attended Courses and seminars throughout his years' -as chief to keep abreast of the latest fire fighting methods, The depart- ment is continually acquiring new equip- ment and it is the chief's responsibility to know how to use the new equipment and to teach the firemen to use it. A public Meeting to discuss the Lucknow sewage Works' project November 22 will only entertain questionsaboutthe: location of the sewage, treatment facility in yVeSt Wawanosh Township, After reviewing the wording of the .advertisementto,be placed in The Lucknow Sentinel, Lucknow Village , Council decided this meeting was intended. ,to be for the benefit of West •Wawanosh council and ratepayersi to address their concerns. - . Another public Meeting to answer the . concerns of Lucknow ratepayers about the , , cost of the project, why sewers are necessary and' why -the Milne property originally proposed: for the ' treatment . facility could not be Obtained, will be held after the village is successful in getting approval for the West Wawanosh site. Cost estimates for the location of the treatment facility at the West Wawanosh site are not prepared and the engineer will not prepare these figures until after the site is approved. • • • Fire fighting is not for some people. George recalls several men who joined the department' and had to quit because they could not cope with the pressure. For others, if they stop to think about it; they sometimes wonder what they are doing risking life and limb to fight a fire. But when the siren blows or their beeper goes off, the adrenalin Starts to run and they answer the call without hesitation. • it Firefighting is not a family tradition in George's familyas it is in some Lucknow families who have, a fireman down through the third generation. George remembers going to see fires as a child. All kids used •to run to fires in town to watch the excite- ment and George remembers skipping • school to watch the Cain. House burn. He joined during a recruitment drive and four years later was appointed chief. , George. WaS fire chief in 1978 when an agreement with Kinloss, Ashfield and West Wawanosh Townships .was formed. •whereby the. four municipalities share the ownership of the equipment, capital and, maintenance costs. Area fire boards are more common now but the Lucknow agreementwas -original in its concept and the co-operation among the municipalities was no doubt made possible through the collaboration of the fire chief. Modest .about the bravery aspect of being a fireman, George chose to talk about the smallest fire he ever responded to during his years on the department when he spoke at a retirement banquet held in his honourlast May. After 30 years as chiefv he is still trying to make hitnself • believe how good it is he doesn't have to go when the alarm* sounds. Nominated for the Bicentennial medal by Lucknow Village Council, George says he • was surprised to be chosen for the honour • especially since he received the Confedera- tion Medal for service toAlie community in 1967. His nomination also cites his patriotic • service including his exceptional military service in World War II nd' his member- ship in the Lucknow branch of the Royal Canadian. Legion.. After enlisting on September 6, 1939 with the 97th 'Field Artillery Battery at Turn to page • ..e4s-eocettis.:Of—est.. Lucknow, Village' Council ;voiped their concerns that a pitblic meetinkto deal with the issue of locating the treatment facility in West Wawanosh as well as the concerns of Lucknow ratepayers would only confuse the PEhhte -VAL319.0,,,49 ..000tokal...ppntro- versy). their .November session, Councillor Ab Murray objected to the • format of the Meeting,- saying' he would have preferred to meet with .-the West Wawanosh 'council and the ratepayers who signed petitions • objecting to the West Wawanosh site. • "It shouldn't be a public .meeting. If you want a shooting .gallery, you got her. Everybody will be confuted and everybody will be talking at the' same time." Murray went on to say he did not object to holding a public meeting. He said he is prepared to stand by everything Lucknow council has done to ' find a location for the .ewage • treatment facility. • But he, did. object ' to holding a 'public meeting where both rate- . payers of Lucknow and West Wairianosh awanosh residents would be trying to address several differ- ent istues.• Councillor Eldon Mann said- he agreed with .councillor Murray. "We wanted a • Meeting with the ratepayers of West, . Wawanosh and their council, ..and then another Meeting with PacknoW. rOtepay- ers." - • • .• • • • ' .Murray added that a meeting at the Lucknow Anglican Parish Hall accomplisk ed little. All 'everybody kept saying was 'they didn't want sewers, he noted. Where's the Bruce County Health Unit? Why aren't they coming to this •• meeting. They'ye the culprits. We've been ordered to put in sewers by the health unit. Where's the Huron County Health Unit, where's (Huron Medical Officer cof Health Harry) Ceislar? Why isn't he going to be there?" asked Murray. Clerk treasurer Bertha Whitcroft re- , minded council Dr. Ceislar had already given his approval for the West Wawariesh site. • • • "Only in principle," said Murray. "He 1 will only agree to approve it, if we assure him the- baeklash goes to the ministry (of • environment).. and those are .his words. That's what. .he said, to me.", "People are going to want to know how much the debentures are going to be and I don't know if Burns Ross (Lucknow engin- eer). has those . figures," said councillor • Herb Clark. • "This is just it exactly. We wanted to nail down the land first, but the people on Inglis Street are going to want to 'know how much it's going to cost," said Murray. "Those questions aren't pertinent to this meeting and (Lucknow solicitor George) • Brophy as 'chairman, it is up to him to say the purpose of this meeting is to discuss the location of the treatment facility," commented.clerk Whitcroft. ,• "But, people' will want to ask these questions and 'I don't think Burns Ross. has answers on "the cost becausehe hasn't done . Turn to page 10. . . Legion makes improvements Council hears arena proposal .* . . L Lucknow's representative on the Luck- be impossible for Lucknow to borrow the to Ile 13*. cenotaph : , ., For some years' now the local Legion members have recognized the continual deterioration of the Village Cenotaph and the need to beautify the area around it.. •'Recently this was considered at a, • general membership meeting: Suggestions. and alternatives were discussed which resulted in a cotnriii wv of Eldon Mann, Herb Clark and Bud Thompson being appointed. with instructions to proceed as necessary in order for Conviction to be done prior to Remembrance 'Day, Novem- • ber 11; the Legion to assume .the tetat cost of the project. The committee inspected several ceno- taphs in neighbouring towns and finally chose a design similar to that of Walker- ton. Claude Guay was cOntracted to build a 21/4 foot angel stone retaining wall around the cenotaph and to lay a new walk way of inter locking brick in from the street. He also attempted to clean the cenotaph with acids, which did not prove entirely satis- factory. BO Foreman of Hanover Monuments Was contacted and after he inspected the types of granite in the cenotaph recom* mended sand blastin• g with a special fine sand. After the committee inspected a sample of his 'previous work. he was engaged • and many people have since commented on the excellent results. Huron Landscaping of Lucknow then filled the area inside the retaining walls with earth, planted several small shrubs and covered the ground surface with decorative white crushed stone. . Helm Welding of Lucknow constructed two 35 foot high flag poles complete with supporting bases, Which' will allow the poles to be lowered as necessary. Flood. lights purchased from Burke Electric, • Wingham were installed on the flag pole bases. Barry Hackett; Lucknow welded brackets on the bases to allow the lights to be mounted abovethe anticipated snow level. The electric wiring was done as , a volunteer service by Comrade George McKinnon. a • local branch member. • Following • the connection to the street lights the cenotaph is now completely illuminated automatically every night. Turn to page 4° now. Arena Board presented' the funding $150,000 to back the construction of the proposal for a, new arena to Lucknow new 'arena. Village Council for their consideration at Councillor Russel Whitby. told council the November session. Ashfield councillor Grant Farrish had told • him Ashfield council has agreed. to the Lucknow councillor Ab. Murray said the • proposal and` he. thought Kinloss council board has suggested the municipalities . , borrow the money to fund the new arena, would go for it while a fund raising campaign iSlaunched Councillor ' Murray pointed out the mu,nicipalities Would not be able to finance to raise the money. Murray told council the • ,• arena board does not intend for the munici- the aena through a debenture issue • palities to issue debentures as the money. it because the project would not be eligible to, be raised by the community. for Wintario grant money if tax money is . . A report of the November session of used to fund it Turn to paige 440 • West Wawanosh Township Council in last pop . week's Sentinel stated the financing of the Resnse to droin arena was to be through debenture issue by theofour municipalities which • operate ' the arena, when in fact the municipalities centreis enthusiastic are being asked to borrow the money and • Lucknow's Drop In Centre was welcoin- carry the debt while the community raises ed enthusiastically as 68;people dropped in the funds. . for the social afternoon Monday. Fifteen The arena board estimates a, new arena tables of cards were in play and the would Cost approximately $900,000. Of that consensus, of those /who attended was total, $300,000 is available in Wintario approving. grants and the remaining $600,000 is to be Lucknow's Drop in Centre will be open raised by the community. • Monday and Friday afternoons from 2 .. 4 ' Reeve George Joynt told Lucknow p.m. beginning next week. Anyone inter - council he does not believe a municipality ested in a game of cards, lively conversa- can borrow more than 20 per cent • of its tion and companionship is weitome to drop total revenue for capital works, so it would— by the centre. •