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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1996-07-03, Page 1Sports Boys roller hockey final results. See page 5 Graduation Local students featured in special graduation pages. See pages 6-10 Employment Real Life course suggested by Huron', youth in survey. See page 14 Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 — Seaforth, Ontario mer eaforth principal to visit with Queen BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff When well-kriqui n Huron County educatoihtllid former politician Bruce Shaw returns to school in a couple of months, his students might tie wise it twist the tables and ask their principal toy_ a o traditional essay, althe li-nes of that old standby "What I did with my summer. _vacation." Their "boss' will probably have an -interesting tale to spin. Shaw is scheduled to meet Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II. at Buckingham Palace in England this Friday, He's not exactly sure how this meeting with Canada and the United Kingdom's head of state came to be. Shaw, who was vice-princi- pal for two years then princi- pal for eight at Seaforth's high school from 1973 to 83, says he was surprised when he first got wind of the royal invitation after the RCMP unexpectedly touched bases with him for security pur- poses. He had planned to be in England for five weeks any- way this summer, including a fortnight as an' exchange principal. His English coun- terpart was on exchange here earlier, last April. . Shaw is still a Huron County Board of Education principal, responsible for both Goderich and Bluewater secondary schools. He was also Exeter's mayor for 18 years before stepping down last year. But he says this latest arrangement "hit him out of the blue" and he hasn't got a clue whether it was education or politics. or what exactly has been going on behind the scenes that would have led to his meeting the Queen in just a couple of days. He expects it to be a '`mas- sive" occasion with many people and says his biggest worry has been what to wear. But with a bit of advice he had settled on a suit by the final day of classes last Friday. when he flew away for his little summer adven- ture in Great Britain. Local farmer wins tractor in Ag Society annual draw A local farmer won the big price at the Tractor Elimination Draw Saturday night in Seaforth. The winner of the Seaforth Agricultural Society's annual draw for 1996 was Bill Flanagan of RR 1 Seaforth. Bill has chosen a John Deere tractor as the one he will take home. Hundreds of people enjoyed thc music of two hands and a roast beef dinner at thc Seaforth arena Saturday night. • July 3, 1996 75 Cents Plus GST 1 - PHOTO BY DAVID SCOTT BATTLING BLAZE - Members of the Seaforth Fire Department had their hands full on Sunday morning when a fire broke out at the Something for Everyone general store on Main Street. Here the,Clinton Fire Department arrives, in foreground, to lend assistance. The,cause of the fire is yet undeter- mined but may possibly -be electrical: None of the second floor apartments were occupied. Neighbouring businesses suffered extensive smoke damage. Neighbouring businesses Suffer smoke damage P ire destroys Main Street building BY DAVID SCOTT Expositor Editor Luckily no one was injured in an early morning fire Sunday in Seaforth which destroyed a Main Street building and left neighbour- ing businesses.with extensive smoke damage and some water damage. The fire was still smolder- ing'Monday morning. The alarm was called in at 6:16 a•.m. Sunday by Constable Dave Dale of the Seaforth OPPwho was walk- ing down Main Street and noticed smoke coming from the front of the building owned by brothers David. Anstett, of Clinton. and Michael Anstett. of Exeter (Anstett Jewellers). When the Seaforth Fire Department arrived. the three storefronts (a vacant store on the left, Something For Everyone craft store in the centre, and the Women;s , Resource Centre. at' the right) were smoke-filled and the windows were hot, said Fire Chief George Garrick. The fire originated from Something For Everyone. When the front door was bro- ken in to gain entry. smoke and fire quickly spread and •the rest of the glass in the storefront was blown out. The five apartments above the stores were vacant. At 6:40 a.m. the Clinton Fire Department was called to assist. They sent six men who hooked up hoses to Main Street hydrants. The Goderich department was also called in. at 7:40 when ' the fire had spread to the roof of the building on the east, side of Main. Four Goderich firefighters used their aerial ladder truck to spray water straight down ment bedding department. The upper tlocw storage area ,was the most heavily .smoke- damaged. The main floor received smoke damage as well but it was less the fur- ther away from the fire. The business is insured but po dollar estimate has yet been made on the damage. Anna's is also insured but no figure on smoke damage has yet been determined. ,Needless to say, Something For Everyone, i)wni.4d by Karen Campbell -Taylor, was completely destroyed by the fire, including the crafts of over 20 local vendors. Campbell -Taylor 'couldn't be reached for comment before press time Tuesday but com- mented in a `Tuesday London Fress Press article that she had insurance. The store had just been open since May. "People were just starting to hear about it. she told the onto the flaming roof. The Seaforth PUC bucket truck was also used to fight the blaze on the secondfloor and roof top. Twenty-two volun- teer Seaforth firemen helped fight the fire. SMOKE DAMAGE Tremendous amounts of smoke from the blaze were' carried by 'a'northwest'wind. Shinen's Men's & Ladies' Wear, to the south of the fire, received smoke damage. Box Furniture Store and Anna's Dress Shoppe. to the north, both received smoke damage. "We have considerable smoke damage," said Barb Betties of Box Furniture. "The fire wall saved us. We're pretty fortunate there's not more damage. At least we're not having to rebuild." The furniture store received water damage in their base - PHOTO BY DAVID scoTT AERIAL SPRAYING - The Goderich Fire Department sent its aerial ladder truck to help control Sunday's fire when it. spread to the roof of the Main Street building. The Seaforth PUC truck was also used to douse flames. The fire, which was called in at 6:16 a.m. wasn't extinguished until about 1:30 p.m. And then it started smoldering again on Monday. 1 Free Press. The Wdmen's • Resource Centre, operated by the Worhen's Shelter in- 'Goderich. received.heavy damage-in the fire. Smoke from the fire also caused unknown damage in the Victoria Street area to the St. James Catholic" Church and neighbouring homes, said Garrick. The Clinton and Goderich Fire Departments stayed until after t2 noon: The tire was pretty well extinguished by 1:30 p.m.. but Seaforth fire-, fighters didn't leave the scene until 3:40 p.m. BARRICADE BUILT A barricade was• then con- structed•in front of the build- ing on advice of insurance adjusters. There are concerns the brick face may collapse. Chief Garrick said there are a few loose bricks but the wall CONTINUED on page 2 Burnt building built in 1877 The heritage building that was severely damaged by in the worst Main Street fire in 13 years in Seaforth on Sunday was built a decade after Confederation. in 1877. The current owners are Dave and Michael Anstett, of Anstett Jewellers. Dave lives in Clinton and Michael in Exeter. Occupants of the building up till this weekend were a recently opened general store for crafts. and the local Women's Resource Centre. Another store, most recently occupied by a computer store and used for penny sales and the like, was vacant at the time of the Sunday's blaze. Accordirg to Seaforth Local Architectural, Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) docu- ments at Town Hall the origi- nal owner last century was Sam Stark.