Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-05-13, Page 4Page A4 - Goderich Signal -Stagy, Wednesday, May 13, 2009 Mayor backs effort to retain broadcast news CIwy111rM Councillor Neil Vincent wants Neil wants to keep the local in broadcast news. sun media Learn to Drive and Feel Confident For Year Round Driving With DOMINION DRIVER TRAINING 4 - Day Class June, 25, 26, 29 & 30. Hosting Class at The Betty Cardno Centro Highway #8 West of Clinton Other 4 - Day Courses Run July 20, 21, 22 & 23 August 1T, 18, 19 & 20. Check out the Web Page www.dominiondrivertraining.on.ca Call Carol 527-1891 Or Head Offo• Stratford 1 -S00 -e68-3027 We Also Do Refresher Lessons For your G2 • (3 Road Test • Take Advantage of great rates & low house prices! Call & make an appointment today for FREE PRE -APPROVAL or just get your questions answered. Mike Hodges Christy Alcock Mortgage Agent Mortgage Agent FSCO Lic. M08002408 mike.hodges@migroup.ca FSCO Lk. M08001240 christy.alcock@migroup.ca tries hie. '.f,17, IVU!'., 'J/?EFL'.1.•L7,`7%(L'?' 7Y 1.. "DIRECT TO YOU" We- kia_v e- , / a t fog qveat ca st4.a,L- • Outdoors • Sunrooms • Pools • Garden Areas P';*v. Al! 'e..-er i.onra GRAND BEND 238-2110 Hvi'. r' E 12 mils,-; from thy. \w-itc;r pl.3rf ',r; Ft • 5r) Sots on ',play www.gocasual.ca We also :inufactur• �.. • • PEPL!•':E_ .; ' IT ..:J 1. 4 I 1 • 1 • * • r In pitching resolution �u In pitching a to council, Vincent notes it is vital that rural areas continue to re- ceive media coverage. As such, says Vincent, it makes sense to support a broad- cast company -based lobbying effort to ask the CRTC, which regulates the medium, to remove restrictions on charging royalties to satellite and cable TV provid- ers that use local content. The broadcasters' cause came to the forefront of the region's attention this winter when the A -Channel announced it would be shutting down its Windsor operation and Wingham station. The broadcaster also axed its popular morning show. In seconding Vincent's recom- mendation, Coun. Deb Shewfelt (Goderich) says the cause is a worthy one. "I think we should all get be- hind them," he says. "I think our heritage really depends on news being broadcast ... It's not all about the bottom line." Council endorsed the resolu- tion. COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN Coun. John Bezaire (Central Huron) notes there were some health -unit staffers that were perplexed to learn of the new medical officer of health's ap- pointment via the media rather than the county. In addressing the complaint, Chief Administrative Officer Larry Adams notes the announce- ment was put on the county -wide Internet -communications sys- tem. However, reporters were present when Dr. Nancy Camer- on's appointment was announced during a meeting. County Warden Ken Oke gave Ken Oke gave praise to radio reporters for do- ing their job, and notes it is in- cumbent for them to get "the news out." ENTRAPMENT Coun. Max Demaray (Howick) says sending underage teens out to catch variety -store clerks sell- ing cigarettes without first asking for ID amounts to entrapment. Demaray says the county should not support a program that has students, which is run through the Huron County Health Unit, to "lie and cheat like that." Coun. Bernie MacLellan (Hu- ron East) defends the practice. "If this goes to court, it's entrapment and the county is leaving itself wide open to entrapment." - Coun. Max Demaray said about youth testing tobacco sales "I think there's merit in the method that they use," he says of the program, which employs Huron County youth who at- tempt to buy cigarettes at area variety stores. Those caught sell- ing tobacco to underagers can face stiff fines, though warnings are sometimes handed out on the first offence. Demaray argues the practice should stop. "If this goes to court, it's en- trapment and the county is leav- ing itself wide open to entrap- ment." The issut will be further dis- cussed at the board -of -health level. A WHOLE 'NOTHER LEVEL Coun. Bill Siemon (Huron East) wants to see newspeed - limit speed - limit signs posted around Brus- sels and Seaforth. Noting newly introducing rac- ing legislation hands out large fines for offending motorists, Siemon says it is unreasonable to assume a motorist is going to be travelling at 90 km/h outside of urban centres and immediately bring it down to 50 km/h once inside the boundaries. "I think it's more of a speed trap," he says, noting he'd like to see posted speed limits that gradually decrease on the way into urban settlements. The county's roads department has been instructed to review the issue, and bring a report back before council. NEW TO COUNTY Council welcomed Barb Hall into its fold as the county's new housing manager. Councillors learned Hall is a former Goder- ich resident who has 22 years of experience in the field. Council also officially en- dorsed the appointment of Bar- bara Wilson as county clerk. WARDEN'S NOTES Huron County Warden Ken Oke led council in a moment's si- lence in memory of the late Jack Coleman, a former warden who passed away on April 30. Oke notes though he never served alongside Coleman, "I still have fond memories of him," and his "carefree ways." TURN TO THE PAGE Councillors welcomed Laura Bowman to the April council session. Bowman, a Grade 8 student at Wallace Public School in Howick Township, enjoys sports, books, sketching and playing piano. Building permits down in 2009 Dave Sykes_ - - signal -.star publisher After a fairly frigid winter that saw little in the form of build- ing activity, many jurisdictions in Ontario were reporting stron- ger house sales and some robust building activity on a year -over - year basis. Conditions in the housing and building market, while still down on a comparative basis, have shown slight improvement in the months of March and April com- pared to the start of the year, when the economy sank well below ex- pectations. However, with mortgage and lending rates at the lower end of the spectrum, there is increased buying activity and with the gov- ernment offering tax deductions of up to $1,300 on home renovations undertaken during the 2009 taxa- tion year, homeowners are tak- - ( I 1 , • 1 1 , ing advantage by taking on home projects that been on the shelf. In Goderich, the number and value of building permits for the first three months of the year was down compared to the same three- month period last year. The number of permits issued was down 25 per cent to the end of March 2009 with only nine permits issued in the first three months compared to 12 the previ- ous year. The nine permits issued for 2009 are valued at $476,300 while last year 12 permits were is- sued in the same period at a value of $654,800. There was virtually no residen- tial activity in the first quarter of the year with three permits issued for $19,000 in value while 10 per- mits valued at $158,000 were tak- en out in the first quarter of 2008. One commercial renovation per- mit valued at $318,000 accounted i -.4 .". 1. for most of the building activity dollars in the first three months of this year. An industrial demoli- tion permit for the destruction of a building behind the salt mine ac- counted for $76,000 in value. Last year, a government reno- vation permit for .town hall work valued at $496,800 accounted for much of the dollar value of build- ing activity in the first quarter. While the year got off to a slow start in the building industry, there is likely to be more activity in the coming months as people take ad- vantage of cheaper mortgage rates to buy homes and homeowners take advantage of the federal gov- ernment's income tax renovation deduction program to fix up their homes and cottages. Early indications are that condi- tions are improving and will like- ly continue to see some moderate success in the short term.