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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1995-01-25, Page 1i?Huron •E-4 iX lposi:o1 Ucent~ cents plus 5 G.S.T. (7S cents) CAREERS A veterinarian tells school children they can become vets through hard work. see page three. Briefly Former exchange student survives Kobe earthquake A popular exchange student from Kobe, who spent a year at Seaforth District High School six years ago, survived last week's devastating earthquake centered on that Japanese city. Mayu Yoshioka, still a student but now 25, phoned Jim and Janneke Murray of RR 5 Seaforth; the family she lived with and remains close to, after the disaster to report that she . was safe. ' The house where she lives in Kobe still stands, but one wall is badly cracked. Mayu's sister, who also lives in Kobe, was not as lucky. The house she lives in was totally Levelled, and she has now moved in with Mayu. Mayu's father owns two high rise office towers in Kobe which are still standing, but a mess inside according to Mrs. Murray. More than 50,000 buildings and homes were destroyed in Kobe, and the city with a population of about -1•4 -million' residents is still mostly without gas and water. The death toll since last Wednesday's quake is approaching 5,000, with another 25,964 injured and 300,000 homeless. Reporting award goes to daughter of area native The work of journalist Genevieve Westcott, daughter of Seaforth native Clare W,estcott, won a Best Investigative Report- ing award for TV New Zealand ('f VNZ). The network's programmes scooped three God World medals at this year's prestigious New York Festivals with two docu- mentaries, and with 60 Minutes item, On the List, by Westcott. "I'm delighted to sec TV2's 60 Minutes, which reaches a wide audience and is very popular, recognised for its quality of journalism and documentary making," said Graeme Wilson, Managing Director of TVN2. The controversial item, On the List, investigates how a teacher was able to work at one of New Zealand's most exclusive schools alter being placed on the UK's 'List 99' banning him from teaching for allegedly indecently assaulting a pupil. Reported by Genevieve Westcort and researched by Carolyne Meng - Yee, the item was the result of six months work tracking the 1111111. It was directed by Max Adams and shot by cameraman Denys Clarke. "As a result of our investiga- tion, the rules have • changed international protocol between the United Kingdom and New Zealand", said Westcott. Previ- ously there was no sharing of information as to who was on List 99, now the UK authorities have agreed to give information. Theoretically this situation shouldn't happen again." see Award, page five INDEX Entertainment... page 14. Sports...pages 9, 15. Rec Preview...page 14. "Your community . newspaper since 1860.. serving Sea forth, Dublin, Hensall, Walton, Brussels and surrounding communities." The Huron Expositor, Seaforth, Ontario, January 25, 1995 MILTON J. DIETZ LIMITED SEAFORTH 522-0608 •Pesticides & Custom Spraying • Spraying Equipment & Parts • tilutrite Premium Fertilizer • Ventilation & Livestock Equipment PURINA FEEDS & PET FOODS Ready, aim... Your Full Line Dealer Sales - Service - Selection rr `� inlet HART FORD MERCURY USED CARS 'The Friendly Dealer With The Big Heart' mobs CAMPBELL PHOTO 19 THERE AN APPLE ON YOUR HEAD ? - Don't worry, Mary Bames of Silvercreek Crescent in Seaforth could probably split it. She's an area archer honing her skills these Tuesday nights at the Seaforth and District C^mmunity Centres, where the local Silvercreek Archery Club Is hosting bow shooting. HEALTH Smoking is:, no longer cool, public.:,. health nurse tells grade eight classes. see page three.`• Baton backs municipal election coverage By MARK CRIPPS Goderich Signal -Star Huron County Coun. Bill Clifford says a letter sent to the head of the Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in regards to coverage by CKNX-TV of the Nov. 14 municipal election "may have ruffled some feathers", but that the county has "no intention .of backing down on their stance." Clifford made the comments in response to a legal threat issued by Baton Bfoadcasting in regards to a complaint to the CRTC and the letter -writing campaign stimulated by Huron County Council. Last Nov. 24, Huron County Council unanimously passed a resolution to launch a formal complaint to the CRTC after what they called "intermittent and incomplete coverage of results for Huron County .municipalities" during the Nov. 14 election. "I initiated this motion," admitted Clifford. "Not only because of what I had observed, but. because their was a general sense of frustration among councillors in regards to the type of coverage we were receiving. "I heard the same thing from a lot of other people." In their letter to Keith Spicer, chair of the CRTC, Huron County Council also criticized CKNX radio, CFPL-TV in London, and the London Free Press. The motion called the coverage offered by these media outlets "intermittent and incomplete and bordering on non-existent." The motion received endorsement via letters from virtually every municipality in Huron County. But the president of Baton Broadcasting, which owns CKNX-TV, stands by the municipal election coverage offered on Nov. 14. "We knew when we went into the show that, when we cover all the way from Owen Sound to Windsor, we aren't likely to hit every single race frequently," said E.W. Eadinger, president of BBS. "But we were bound and determined to hit every race at least once if not more, and in fact, in checking, we covered every race we were possibly aware of at least twice on the show." In a letter addressed to Huron County clerk -administrator Lynn Murray, Eadinger wrote that his company was "satisfied" that they correctly represented the areas they are licensed to serve "and applied our resources most effectively." In regards to the legal threat, Eadinger explained that his company wanted to seek advice as to the economic damage Huron County council's actions may have caused in the area. "What we asked our legal counsel to look at was, because there was a definite image created by the council of inept performance by us on a continuing basis," said Eadinger. "It's not just the individual show they (Huron County Council) were concerned about, which by the way ended up ranked the fifth highest rated show of anything we carried during the fall ratings. "So, while the show may not have satisfied, at a local, local level, any one particular group, as a program covering municipal elections across the area, which is what our target was to do, it was well received. "Our concern was that there was a potential of an issue like this being cited the way it was, creating actual economic hardship, vis a vis, creating doubt in clients' minds, or whatever. We are waiting for the written information on that back from our counsel, but, it wasn't as though we were going to instigate an immediate suit or anything. Thai wasn't the intention; but rather to understand our positiorr so that if we had to raise it with the CRTC or somebody, we could do so." Eadinger also said "it was impolite" of Huron County council to send the complaint straight to the CRTC without contacting his company with their concerns. But Clifford said the tactic was chosen because "we really wanted to get their attention. "I'm sure their feathers may have been ruffled, but I'm also sure that a note has been made for the next municipal election. "But I doubt if they will take any legal action." Walton community hall may be in jeopardy BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff "Use it or lose it soon" was the conclusion most reached at a public meeting in Walton considering the plight of its historic Community Hall Monday night. The Walton Women's Institute paid 31 for the building, next to the ballpark, back in 1976 when the Walton Community Club gave up with problems making ends meet. But now what is left of the Walton WI is tired of working itself to the bone with what appears to be a losing proposition. Walton WI President Marjorie Humphries reported the Community Hall made $585 last year but it cost $2,700 to keep the Hall up, with only $26.17 for repairs. That figure is bound to go up sooner or later, as one member of public in the audience pointed out. The local WI raises money by organizing hot meals once a month but with only 11 active volunteers, all getting older, the chore is draining resources the Institute would like to be spending elsewhere. "Oil and hydro preuy near kill in the village, so asking them for grab much of the business in the us," Humphries said. "We've had it up to here," as she held her palm above her head in exasperation. Figures indicate the monthly meals cost the WI about $85 but only bring in about $45. "We cherish the Hall as community members but we're feeling the strain within our organization," WI member Margaret McInroy said. The WI has kept the Hall in handsome condition and made numerous improvements, but exhausted its fundraising skills. One mailing campaign to make residents aware of the Hall's plight and its importance within the community, which was circulated to all Walton mail routes, only brought in three replies. When the Hall had its anniversary celebrating its colorful past, the event was a smashing success but harried organizers forgot to collect at the door. Members of dwindling Walton organizations tend to be members of the remaining community groups help is a bit like asking yourself. McKillop Township Reeve Ron Murray said such Community Halls are the heart and soul of Walton as they are throughout rural Ontario. He said some might feel his assessment "brutal", but any Community Hall is a lost cause and won't survive if its "community" doesn't get behind it. He chaired the public meeting, with Moms Reeve Clem McLellan and Leona Armstrong, Reeve of Greg Township, also sitting at the Chair's table. There were about 42 people in attendance at the meeting. A "concerned Waltonite" in the crowd asked Reeve Murray if the township had "checked under every rock" to see if grant funds were available, "with all of our tax dollars going to subways in Toronto. Murray said he wasn't aware of any, but McKillop Council hadn't really delved into it yet and had organized this meeting on a requestfrom the Walton Wl. He agreed with sons in the crowd who noted a $1,700 deficit is a pittance compared to many. "Grants aren't the answer," the McKillop Reeve said, "There has to be community input and community involvement. If nobody wants it then it will just disappear like the library." "We've had a good Hall but maybe its time to shut it down," one member of the crowd suggested. Joanne MacDonald, President of the Walton Sports Club, said she would hate to see that happen, and her organization will help it any way it can. Rev. Randy Banks, of Duff's United Church in. Walton, agreed. adding he's be willing to rent the Hall and organize some kind of pancake breakfast to get the plight of the Hall more prominent within the community, as long as it wasn't on a Sunday morning. Rev. Banks also noted that rumours of an expansion at the public school, and the Church's own facilities, might cloud the future and reduce the demand for a Hall in today's Walton. Others in the audience added that larger facilities in Seaforth and Brussels Hall market these days. Complicating mauers is who would be responsible for the cost of tearing down the building if the Hall were abandoned? Lawyers were checking into that. The most popular suggestion that came from the public meeting seemed to be that the Walton WI become a member of a new community board that might try to save the Hall for a trial period of a year, perhaps with membership from the Townships. The townships did not commit. But a group of those interested in the issue decided to convene in the corner after the meeting had officially adjourned, to see if they could come up with some bright ideas and organizational structure that might save the Hall, and spread Walton WI responsibilities thinner. Prominent amongst this comer gathering were well-known local leaders Graeme Craig, Neil McGavin and Rick Mclnroy, a Liberal candidate in the upcoming provincial elections.