HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1995-04-05, Page 141i)EHuron •
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The Huron Expositor, Seaforth, Ontario, April 5, 1995
Investment
and
`=+ Tax Planning
9
"Seaforth
RRSP
Specialists"
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96 Main St., Seaforth 527-0420
This space
could be
yours!
Call 527-0240
Briefly
Youths injured in
local car accident
Four local youths were
involved in a single -car accident
in Walton late at night a week
ago Thursday, March 23.
Steve Mclnally was driving a
car that "was pretty well
totalled" according to the
investigating officer with the
Wingham OPP, Const. Roberts.
Three other local youths were
passengers, and one, Mau Vock,
18, of Egmondville was taken to
Seaforth Community Hospital
after the crash for treatment and
later released.
Police say Jason Smith, 17,
and Mike Smale, 18, and both of
Seaforth were not injured.
The investigating officer says
the weather conditions were
"fine" at 11:30 p.m., the time of
the incident.
• He says the car filled with the
local youths was southbound on
Huron County Road 12, and
behind another vehicle stopped
at County Road 12 at the
intersection in Walton, when it
pulled out to pass then turned
left into a hydro pole.
The demolished car was a
Chrysler New Yorker.
Walton meeting
on railway trail
A meeting will be held in
Walton on the issue of the aban-
doned railway right-of-way.
The Goderich to Guelph Aban-
doned Railway Right -of -Way
Public Advisory Committee is
hosting the meeting at Walton
Women's Institute Hall on Tues-
day, April 11.
Another meeting is being held
at the Auburn Community
Centre on Monday, April 10.
The meetings will be discuss-
ing the committee's recommen-
dations for interim uses of the
abandoned railway right-of-way.
Landowners, trail and recre-
ation groups and interested
members of the public are
invited to attend one or more of
the five public meetings. Other
meetings are being held in
Milverton, Guelph and Elmira.
Mugging is
reported to police
Seaforth Police received a
complaint about a late-night
mugging in the alley behind
Flowers by Jean on Main Street
on Thursday, March 23.
A woman, who lives above a
store on Main Street, spent that
night at Seaforth Community
Hospital with bruises and
damaged ribs as a result of the
incident, and reports $40 was
taken.
No charges have been laid and
the investigation continues.
Police also report one charge
was laid last weekend under the
Highway Traffic Act, involving
tinted window panes obstructing
the side window of a motor
vehicle.
INDEX
Entertainment...
pages 16, 17.
Sports...pages 10.
Rec Preview...page 17.
"Your community
newspaper since
1860...serving Seaforth,
Dublin, Hensall, Walton,
Brussels and surrounding
contntunities."
0
TIM CUMMING PHOTO
STORYTELLING AT ST. COLUMBAN - Luke Van Bakel was the story teller and Joan Murray joined
the cast of Theatre Animation, during the street theatre troupe's performance at St. Columban Church
Hall last week.
Huron freezes tax rate
by MARK CRIPPS
For the second consecutive year,
Huron County Council has passed a
budget with a zero per cent increase
in the mill rate.
However, Huron County Warden
Bruce Machan wamed that the
picture won't be as rosy in 1996.
"I think this will be the last year
we can expect our committees and
department heads to come in with a
zero per cent increase," said
Machan. "Eventually, we are going
to have to cut services, and I'm
afraid to guess what will happen.
What will be the repercussions?
Services are in jeopardy."
Machan made the comments
following last Thursday's Huron
County Council meeting, in which
councillors voted to accept a
S28,395,999 budget for the 1995
fiscal year.
Clerk -Administrator Lynn Murray
said the 1995 county budget repre-
sented a "philosophical approach",
in which departments and commit-
tees were instructed to come in with
a zero per cent increase.
This budget target of zero per
cent was achieved by every county
department and committee, except
the clerk -treasurer's office. In the
JOHN JEWITT
New Liberal Candidate,
speaks over picture of Liberal
leader Lyn McLeod.
1995 budget, administration costs
for the county will be increased by
$113,000.
This angered Hullet Twp. Couc.
Tom Cunningham, who accused the
department of setting a double
standard.
"I have some concerns," said
Cunningham. "I have concerns with
the part to do with the clerk -
treasurer's department. I have some
really true concerns with what is
happening. We are going to all
other department heads and saying,
'Keep your expenses with -in line.
Be careful that you don't over-
spend.'
"All department heads worked
diligently to do that, but I look at
the clerk -treasurer's department and
I see it going up $113,031."
The main target of Cunningham's
objections were the administration
costs involved with strategic
planning- endeavors.
County clerk/administrator Lynn
Murray defended the increase in
administration costs, saying,
"We've been adding projects, and
certainly one of the bigger ones is
9-1-1." Council is currently looking
into getting the 9-1-1 emergency
system for the area.
Coun. Bill Clifford also defended
the increase in the administration
budget.
"I would be remiss to sit here and
let people think that silence was
consenting with the comments of
my colleague," said Clifford. "I
have to defend strategic planning.
Not only the strategic planning that
has taken place with regards to the
individual boards, such as library
and health, but the overall strategic
planning that the county is doing. I
think that if you really take a look
at the changes that have come
about, it's been very positive."
Clifford said the county needs to
do "more strategic planning, so that
we can be doing business smarter.
So we can stretch that dollar even
more."
Cunningham said he presumed the
increase in administration costs
entailed additional staff in that
department, but added, "When we
create a position, or positions, we
are obligated to those in the years
to come.
"I'm truly concerned," said
Cunningham. "what do we say to
the other department heads, when
they come forward with some real
see Cunningham, page 15
EDUCATION
Province
Maimed
for
tion
tic
how
in
Huron.
see page five.
Harpurhey man one of
several charged in raids
A Seaforth-area man was charged
after an Ontario Provincial Police
raid at a garage on the corner of
Victoria and Goderich Street East
last Wednesday afternoon.
David Jervis, 43, of Harpurhey
was charged with 16 counts of
possession of stolen property with a
value of more than $1,000.
Witnesses say three unmarked
cruisers, two OPP paddy -wagons or
vans and an OPP cruiser were at
the local garage at 23 Goderich St.
E., from about 3 to 6 p.m. last
Wednesday afternoon with Seaforth
Police cruisers standing by. OPP
officers seized various items and
questioned numerous people.
The search warrant was one of
nine executed here, in the Brussels
area and across south-western
Ontario last Wednesday and
Thursday. They culminated a year-
long investigation that began with a
tip to Huron County Crime
Stoppers by the OPP, assisted by
Waterloo Regional Police, the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
and Niagara Regional Police.
Last week's raids resulted in the
arrest of 11 persons and the seizure
of hash oil with a police -estimated
street -value of $66,000. A sawed-
off 12 -gauge shotgun, reported
stolen in a 1992 break-in at a
Niagara Falls gun store, was seized
during the search of the Brussels -
area residence. Some rifles and
shotguns were also seized under the
unsafe storage sections of the
Criminal Code.
In raids last winter connected to
the continuing investigations that
led to last week's raids, undercover
officers purchased $29,500 in
counterfeit Canadian $50 bills from
a residence in the Brussels area and
elsewhere obtained 75 pipe bombs
manufactured in the Niagara Falls
area and purchased "speed", or
methamphetamine with a police -
estimated street value of $136,000.
At a press conference at OPP No.
6 District Headquarters at Mount
Forest last Thursday, Sgt. Martin
Brown said last April undercover
officers acting on a tip from Huron
County Crime Stoppers discovered
a "chop -shop" operating in the
Brussels area.
"This type of operation involves
the dismantling of stolen vehicles to
enable them to be sold as parts,"
the OPP press release states.
"During the spring and summer of
1994 officers were able to purchase
and thereby recover a total of nine
stolen vehicles. These were all late
model GMC Pick-up trucks, many
being 4 -wheel drive or extended
cab models with a total value of
approximately $250,000. They had
been stolen during the summer and
fall of 1994 from residences and
dealerships in the Kitchener
Waterloo area and the Counties of
Wellington, Huron, Perth and
Bruce."
The police press release adds a
second and unrelated tip concerning
counterfeit currency from Perth
County Crime Stoppers led to last
year's seizure of phoney $50 bills
from the Brussels -area residence.
"As a result of links between
these two investigations," OPP say,
"the undercover officers became
aware of both explosives and illegal
drugs which were being offered for
sale on the underground market
through this same group of people."
John Dickson, 42, of RR 1 Ethel
was charged after last week's raids
with 21 counts of possession of
stolen property with a value of over
$1,000, traffic in a controlled
substance and conspiracy to traffic
in a controlled substance.
Eight other people, ranging in age
from 28 to 34, from Guelph,
Niagara Falls, Winterbourne,
Beamsville, Woodstock and
Kitchener were also charged as the
result of last week's raids.
Police say further charges are
pending and their investigation
continues.
SCENE OF RAID - This photo was taken later last week at the
scene of a massive police raid at a garage at 23 Goderich Street,
East In Seaforth.
Grits choose long-time politician
BY AMY NEILANDS
Long-time area resident and local
politician John Jewitt was nomi-
nated to carry the Huron Liberals
into the upcoming provincial elec-
tion.
The Huron Liberals gathered in
Clinton last Wednesday evening to
choose a candidate. Those along
with Jewiu, of RR 1 Londesboro,
who were seeking the Liberal
candidacy were Doug Gamiss of
RR 4 Wingham, Rich Mclnroy of
RR 1 Walton, and Sharon Wurm of
Hensall.
Jewitt received more than half of
the 609 votes cast in the first tally
winning him the Liberal candidacy.
Being no stranger to the local
political scene, Jewitt got his start
in politics at an early age. His
father was a member of Hullett
Township Council for 14 years,
three of those years as Reeve, and
in 1959, his father was elected as
Warden of the County. His father
was also an active member of the
Liberal party and Jewitt had "the
privilege of taking part in the
political process" at an early age as
he often accompanied his father to
Liberal Party meetings.
Jewitt himself got firsthand
experience with local politics by
sitting on Hulleu Township Council
himself for 12 years, four of those
years as Reeve. He was also a
trustee for the Huron County Board
of Education for 14 years, two of
those years as chairperson. He said
that through these experiences,
"I've always considered myself a
proponent of fiscal responsibility
and lean government."
While serving Hullett Township
and area, Jewitt said that he enjoyed
the high level of support he
received from the community.
"Hullett Township was always there
for support. I like to think that
support is there today."
As an active member of the
Huron Liberal party, Jewitt has had
plenty of experience working with
the party through several elections
and has had the opportunity of
working with "two very fine cabinet
ministers," Murray Elston and Jack
Riddell.
"I have always believed that the
Liberals in Huron County must give
the voters of Huron a good reason
to vote Liberal," said Jewitt adding
that the recent polls indicate the
Ontario Liberals are in the lead. But
he said there may not necessarily be
the same results in Huron County
as the party may have to prove
itself locally.
"The only way to ensure success
in Huron in through hard work and
the willingness to address people's
concerns...we must give the voters
a reason to vote Liberal."
Through his experiences in poli-
tics, Jewitt said that he has never
been afraid to speak out in support
of individuals with legitimate con-
cerns. He said that he has always
been open to new ideas and in
politics, one should never be afraid
to voice one's opinion at the proper
time. He added that respect for the
system and the people involved,
along with earning credibility are
important attributes.
As the 21st Century quickly
approaches, securing the future of
young people of Huron County is
one of Jewitt's main concerns. He
feels that bridging the technology
gap between Huron County and
urban centres is important in order
for young people to get ahead.
Something that has always
bothered Jewiu, he said, was the
fact that Huron County students had
to leave the county to receive
higher education. He said that
increasing tuition foes have not
been the biggest expense for Huron
County students, but living away
from home has been the largest
expense and bringing "higher learn-
ing" to Huron County would reduce
such expenses.
Jewitt s full-time job now is
working on his election campaign
as he said he will be taking a leave
of absence from his job at Cham-
pion Road Machinery.
With hard work, Jewitt said, the
Liberals will "win the hearts and
minds" of the Huron County voters.
"We have a reason for people to
vote Liberal."
The job of winning the Huron
riding cannot be done alone, said
Jewiu. It will take a joint effort of
the Huron Liberals to win Huron
County back to the Liberal party.
Quoting fellow nominee Rick
Mclnroy from earlier, Jewitt said in
his acceptance speech, "Together
everybody achieves more."
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