The Huron Expositor, 1995-10-11, Page 1County
Huron County
Council reveals
new plan
Page 3
Fall Fair
All ages
enjoy the 150th
Seaforth Fall Fair
Pages 16,17
Close-up
Crocheting is
hobby of
Seaforth woman
Page 11
Community Newspaper Since 1860 — Seaforth Ontario
October 11, 1995 — 75 Cents Plus GST
Briefly
OPP pull car
out of pond
Exeter OPP were
preparing Tuesday morning
to pull a car out of a `murky
pond,' on a sideroad near
Kippen.
Exeter OPP Constable
Rick Borden, said police
could not see into the pond
well enough to determine
anything about the car,
which they hoped to recover
by early Tuesday afternoon.
Borden would not disclose
the exact location of the
pond, which he said is about
900 metres off the roadway,
until the car has been
recovered.
Police target
drivers for
seatbelt use
Police across the province
are targeting the more than
one million drivers and
passengers who don't
buckle -up during a
campaign until Oct. 21.
Unbelted drivers will be
fined 590 plus two demerit
points on their driving
record. During a collision,
seat belts anchor occupants
securely to their seat,
allowing the driver to
control the vehicle and
preventing occupants . from
being thrown against one
another, against the inside
of the vehicle, or into
traffic.
New Huron
medical officer
named
Dr. James McGregor of
Wingham has been named
acting medical officer of
health for the Huron County
Health Unit. 1t is a role the
county physician, surgeon
and coroner has filled
before. He was acting
medical officer of health for
Huron for a year in the late
1980s.
Clinton woman
assaulted at
her own home
A Clinton woman was as-
saulted by an unknown man
while walking from a
detached garage to her
James Street home on Oct.
1. Clinton police say he
grabbed her from behind,
pulled her backwards and
hit her on the side of thc
face.
The victim made it to a
neighbour's home. Her hus-
band returned home about
20 minutes .later. Police
were notified. Police say the
assailant apparently pried
open a side door, searched
their residence and stole
5500.
It was the second break
and enter in Clinton that
week.
"Your community
newspaper since 1860, sery
ing Seaforth, Dublin,
Hensall, Walton and
surrounding communities."
ONE HORSE -POWER - Jessica DeJong, 6, of Seaforth, travels down Main Street, Seaforth in old-fashionedvid bScott Photo
uggyy style
during the parade for the 150th Seaforth Fall Fair. Sassy, the pony, age 2, is dressed in country gear to match her driver.
There was a farming and country life theme to this year's parade. For more parade and fair photos, see pages 16 & 17.
Murray
released
on bail of
$125,000
BY MONA IRWIN
SSP News Staff
A 46 -year-old Goderich man
charged with second-degree
murder has been released on
$125,000 bail.
Steve Murray was released
last Wednesday (Oct. 4), and is
to re -appear in court Nov. 6.
News media are prohibited by
law from reporting any evi- ,
dence disclosed at a bail hear-
ing.
Murray is charged in connec-
tion with the disappearance of
his 16 -year-old adopted daugh-
ter, Mistie, who has been miss-
ing since May 31. Mistie was
last seen that day in the area of
Snug Harbour, whey the
Murray family's boar was
moored. A combined Goderich
Police-OPP task force has
since seized the boat. A body
has not been found.
The task force is still gather-
ing evidence, and the Mistie
Murray hotline (524-1545) is
still in operation. Police are
asking anyone with informa-
tion to call this number or the
OPP dispatch centre at 1-800-
265-2525.
Great pumpkin takes great care to grow
BY GREGOR CAMPBELL
Expositor Staff
I was a child when I first
heard tell of "The Great
Pumpkin".
• Thursday 1 thought I had
finally found it, just before
• dark in the wind and pouring
rain, in a field over by Staffa
way.
The boys were tucking it in
for the night, covering it up
with blankets as I Left, mud
from head to toe, trying to
keep my cameras dry.
But it would take a tornado
to blow this pumpkin away.
And here lies a tale.
The Pumpkinmeistcr is a
fellow called Bill McIver. His
buddies for this escapade were
his brother, Ron, and Donny
Henderson of Egmondville. All
are in their 30s. Ron and Don
are carpenters. The Mclvers
live at RR 2, Staffa.
It alt began last year when
13i11 was just fooling around
and grew a big pumpkin, by
chance more than anything else
- about 180 lbs., but a mere
pipsqueak in the pumpkin game
as it is played these days.
ft is a going concern, this
pumpkin growing. There are
rival pumpkin federations, each
with its own newsletters. Much
like in boxing, one federation
often doesn't recognize the
records of the other.
The world record for a
pumpkin, whatever or-
ganization, is about 990 lbs.
The Canadian record is 836
lbs. But it depends on who you
listen to.
But one thing is for sure.
Nobody has cvcr grown a
1,000 -Ib. pumpkin, that lived to
tell thc talc.
One of these official pumpkin
onlanitiitions has offered a
eltEOOR CAM/WI-1. PHOTO
"THE GREAT PUMPKIN" - These proud parents of a Staff 3 -area pumpkin that officially
tipped the scales at 687 lbs., good enough for 10th placer at Port Elgin's 9th Annual
Pumpkinfest on the weekend, posed with their summer's labour of bve in the midst of a
storm last Thursday night, before bundling it up again in blertkets. From left: Ron McIver,
Pumpkinmeister Bill McIver and Don Henderson. This particular pumpkin put on about 100
pounds in one five-day span early In August, helped by ant the heat and humidity. The
escapade all started last May with four seeds that coast $5.
$50,000 (U.S.) • prize for
whoever grows the fust half -
ton pumpkin. A lot of good oh'
boys now have the same bright
idea.
Anyhow, sometime after a
seminar at last year's Pumpkin -
fest at Port Eight Bill and the
boys decided to shoot for the
big time - get into this
pumpkin thing in a serious kind
of way.
They started studying. They
also bought four seeds for $5.
These weren't ordinary seeds
you'd find maybe at Sill's
Hardware - but seeds from a
736 lb. pumpkin they bought
frosna grower at a Puri Elgin
seminar. Genetics is very im-
pottant.
LABOUR OF LOVE
On May 5 the boys brought a
backhoe in and dug four holes,
pits is closer to the truth,
about three -feet deep and four -
to -five feet wide. They put one
plant in each, in a mix of
manure, peat and topsoil, then
built little greenhouses and
covered them with plastic to
keep the heat in.
Prior to the planting they
germinated their four seeds.
Neighbors gave them lots of
manure and the lads concocted
a manure tea they kept feeding
their babies. It was a labour of
love, in more ways th-n one.
Pumpkins have private parts
like people. The boys did some
pumpkin pollination by hand.
There are secrets they are not
telling.
The plants grew about 20 ft.
straight out, or north -south,
with runners extending about
30 ft. on their east -west axis.
Then they pruned and what
not. This pumpkin growing is
almost high art.
The lads spent "uncountless
hours" at it over this summer,
pouring over grower's newslet-
ters and charts. They kept a
daily log. They had a number
of grower's parties.
"If you want to be prepared
to grow a pumpkin you have to
spend time in the patch," Bill
says.
These suckers grew. It was a
great summer for it. Lots of
heat and humidity. But they
were a mixed blessing. You
have to keep a pumpkin's skin
soft enough that it can accom-
modate the growth, otherwise
they burst and rot. Too much
humidity can lead to fungus.
The lads lost one plant to this.
They devised a javex and water
• Continued on page 3