HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-02-03, Page 1Friday's winter storm conditions provided adverse driving
condition such as white-outs which caused Don Allen of
Allboro Enterprises Ltd. In Londesboro to drive this tractor
trailer with a set of B-trains right off the road and into a
cornfield on County Rd. 25, just west of Walton, early
Friday morning. No one was injured and the truck wasn't
damaged but being loaded with tonnes of grain, it was
stuck. Howson and Howson Ltd. employees came out to
help the Aliens unload the trailers which were later pulled
out of the field. Mr. Allen wasn't the only casualty of the
storm. Just a few feet down the road from the tractor trailer
was an abandoned car buried deep in the ditch and later
the same afternoon, Hwy 4 between Blyth and Clinton was
closed after a tractor trailer and car collided. No details on
this accident were available at press time except the
names of the drivers—Jeffrey Galea of Hamner was
driving the tractor trailer and Renata VanLoon of RR 1,
Blenheim was driving the car.
Community
Trust fund
at CIBC
for accident victim
See page 2
Education
Trustees say
no to JK
pilot project
See page 6
Sports
Friday last chance
for Bulls to
cinch second place
See page 9
Farm
Beef producers
voice opposition to
Stable Funding
See page '10
itizen
The North Huron
Vol. 9 No. 5 Wednesday, February 3, 1993 60 cents
By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot
A decision to ban smoking in the
Blyth arena was rescinded Monday
night after local organizations vent-
ed their anger with the decision.
In January, the Blyth and District
Community Centre Board had
decided beginning April 1, there
would be no more smoking any-
where in the Blyth Arena in a 5-4
vote.
But the decision wasn't popular
with a least two village organiza-
tions.
Dave Pattison of the Blyth
Broomball League was emphatical-
ly against the decision for monetary
reasons.
"The hall operates at a deficit
now and it's going to be even hard-
er to raise money in a non-smoking
hall," he said late last week, before
the arena board announced they'd
changed their minds.
He believes some people just
won't bother going to dances if
they're held at a non-smoking hall.
Enforcing liquor license rules
such as not taking liquor outside
the hall will also be more difficult
in a non-smoking facility because
more people will be going in and
out of the hall to have their smoke,
says Mr. Pattison.
The Blyth Lions group also
expressed its displeasure with the
board's previous decision.
"We've asked that the arena
board delay its decision until they
check with other municipalities and
see what they do with their commu-
nity centres," says John Stewart,
first vice-president with the Lions
and a member of the Blyth Arena
Board.
He said the Lions were worried
the arena would lose business, if its
non-smoking, to other arenas which
allow smoking.
Another concern for the Lions
was the future of their Tuesday
night bingo. Due to the inception of
weekly bingo in Wingham, the
Lions have faced a drastic reduc-
tion in their turnout and feared the
non-smoking rule would drive
more away.
Lions secretary, Al Donaldson,
says they have two tables set aside
for non-smokers but these tables
are rarely full. On the other hand,
Continued on page 3
Arena rescinds
ban on smoking
Commodity Loan plan could help plant crops
Cash-strapped farmers worried
about where they can get money to
plant this spring's crops may find
the answer in the Commodity Loan
Corporation, according to the head
of the corporation.
Speaking to the Huron Emergen-
cy Assistance Response team
(HEART), an organization set up to
deal with the emergency situation
brought about by the crop disaster
of 1992, Brian Hughes said appli-
cations will be available the week
of Feb. 15 and if the proper appli-
cations are filled in his organization
can start sending out cheques as
HCBE projects
huge surplus
The Huron County Board of Edu-
cation underspent itself by over one
million dollars in 1992.
A summary of 1992 expenditures
reveals the board may end up with
a 1992 surplus of $1,317,312. The
figures were presented at the board-
's Feb. 1 meeting.
The 1992 cost estimate had been
$60,812,185 but actual expendi-
Continued on page 7
early as March 1 to help farmers
order their seeding supplies and
take Advantage of supplier dis-
counts for early payment.
The Commodity Loan Corpora-
tion (CLC) was set up in July, 1992
to loan money to farmers with the
crop as security. The CLC borrows
money from the Bank of Montreal
at prime rate and loans it to farmers
at that same rate. When the crop is
sold, the money goes directly to the
CLC with the remainder of the
money returned to the farmer. Once
enough of the crop has been sold to
pay off the loan, the money from
the remainder of the crop goes
directly to the farmer. The loan
lasts only until the crop is harvested
and sold.
The program is financed from an
administration fee of $300 for up to
the first $100,000 of the loan. The
maximum loan available is
$400,000.
To be eligible for the loan a
farmer must have a track record of
producing crops and must have
crop insurance for the crop. He
suggests farmers should also enroll
in GRIP.
"We work our darndest to find
ways of approving the loan," Mr.
Hughes said. The CLC has an
advantage over banks in offering
such loans because it controls the
crop, getting its money directly
from the buyer of the crop.
Even those who have been
through the farm debt review pro-
cess may be eligible for loans, he
said. He spoke of one farmer who
he had to convince to send in an
application last year because he felt
he wouldn't be eligible. Once the
completed application was pre-
pared it took only a half day to
approve the loan, he said. "Don't
prejudge us," he said. "Humour me.
Send in all the information."
In its first abbreviated year, the
CLC received 282 loan applications
from July onward last year. Only
two applications were declined.
Some farmers last year, because of
the lateness of the announcement of
the program, withdrew there appli-
cations because the short time
they'd have the money meant the
registration fee would have been
too expensive.
The application form is short and
simple compared to many other
farm programs, Mr. Hughes said.
The form is approved by banks and
suppliers.
There should be no trouble with
bankers if a fanner tells them he's
planning to use the CLC to finance
crop planting, Mr. Hughes said,
noting the banks support the pro-
gram. If a banker complains, how-
ever, he suggested a fanner ask him
which is harder to get these days, a
loan or a depositor. "When you get
A 26-year-old Brussels woman
remains in critical condition in Vic-
toria Hospital, London following a
collision in Grey Township on
Thursday, Jan. 28.
Sherry Souch, of RR 4, Brussels
was a passenger in a car driven by
her husband Gary, 32. The couple's
three-year-old son Matthew was
also in the car. According to Staff
Sgt McKee of the Wingham OPP
the Souch vehicle was travelling
east on County Road 16 near Coun-
ty Road 19 at 6:45 p.m., when it
was struck by a west bound vehicle
which had swerved into east bound
a loan from me you get a deposit in
your (bank) account. That's valu-
able to a banker."
The loan is paid out in stages
with 50 per cent being available up
front for planting expenses. "Apply
for the money as early as you can,"
he said. "If you don't need the
money right away, don't cash the
cheque. The interest doesn't start
until you cash the cheque."
lane after losing control on the
snow covered road. Staff Sgt
McKee said weather conditions
were poor with freezing rain and
drifting snow.
The driver of the second car was
Kathleen Falconer, 41 of Kitchener.
A passenger in the car was Robbie
Falconer, 16.
All five people were taken to Lis-
towel Memorial Hospital. Mrs.
Souch was transferred from there to
London.
Staff Sgt McKee said charges are
pending following further investi-
gation.
Woman's condition critical