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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1997-03-12, Page 1News & Views Church youth group holds 30 -hour famine. See page 3 Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 --- Seaforth, Ontario Briefly Power out today! Power in Seaforth will be out today (Wednesday) between the hours of 1 and 3 p.m. to allow the Seaforth PUC time to repair damage to a feeder from Ontario Hydro to Seaforth's down- town pdwcr station which was struck by lightning Sunday night. The lightning strike shortly after 8 p.m. caused a power outage for about half an hour in town. Drugs stolen Drugs were taken in a break-in at Keating's Pharmacy on Main Street in Seaforth early Tuesday morn- ing. An investigating officer, Const. Art Burt of the Seaforth office of the Ontario Provincial Police, says "unknown suspects" used a Targe rock to smash the lower window of the front door of the local business. A locked cupboard was then pried open at the pharmacy section at the back. Shortly after the incident,' just before this paper went to press. Const. • Burt said the drugs stolen were of an "unknown quanti- ty'and unknown kind." The alarm in the store was triggered at approximately 4:45 a.m. The OPP investigation con- tinues. Steckle to run Huron -Bruce MP Paul Steckle announced Friday he again intends to seek the local Liberal riding associa- tion's nomination as its can- didate to contest the soon - expected next federal elec- tion. Meanwhile, President David Johnston of the Huron - Bruce (Federal) Liberal Association announced Monday its nomination meet- ing will be held next Wednesday (March 19) at 8 p.m. at the Lucknow Community Centre. Flooding answers BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff March 12, 1997 - $1.00 includes GST Seaforth is still waiting on an incident report from the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) before council sees what can be done about recurring flooding in town. "A lot of things went wrong at the same time," comment- ed Clerk/Administrator Jim Crocker. "This is the second or third time this has happened. Should we be more aggres- sive about this?" Coun: Brian Ferguson asked out loud after Public Works Superintendent John Forrest reported the lat- est on the most recent inci- dent Feb'. 21, when heavy overnight rain caused major flooding throughout town. "An electrical malfunction at the sanitation plant caused the sanitary sewers to back up," he said. "This along with the heavy rains caused floodingof basements throughout the complete town. BELL PROBLEM ? "The alarm system at. the %sanitation plant did not work CONTINUED on page 3 PHOTO BY DAVID SCOTT DON'T FORGET THE YEAST - Seaforth Public School student Scott McDonald, left, shows what happens to your loaf of bread if you forget to add yeast when you bake it. It looks a lot different than a regular loaf which Andrew Southgate is holding, at right. This project, entitled "Attention All Bread Eaters," was just one of dozens of Science Fair exhibits on dis- play by Grade 7 and 8 students at the SPS gymnasium Thursday morning. Five students were chosen overall from SPS to compete at the Huron County Science Fair on April 9: Jenny Scott (Soil Erosion), Pam Jewitt (Glues), Stephanie Giller (Yoghurt molds), Erin Rock (Plants), Katie Emmrich (Stain Fighters). Survey results in. LACAC scores low Economic development needed for town BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff There is "a general feeling more should be done on eco- nomic development" in Seaforth, and "a pervasive feeling that LACAC harms business development," according to a recent resi- dent's survey. The survey was circulated by council in Seaforth and arca around Christmas. Tabulated results were pre- sented and analyzed by Huron County director of planning Gary Davidson at last Tuesday night's regular meeting at Town Hall. Fire and police topped the list of 21 services resident's ranked most important, by a healthy margin. Residents ranked heritage least impor- tant, "hands down," Davidson commented. The county planner said "a fairly high percentage," 198 people returned the survey - 142 from Seaforth and 56 from the surrounding arca. He added a lot of people took time to add additional com- ments. Of all these comments, the public's sentiments particu- larly stood out ori the need for economic development and its distaste for LACAC. GET RID OF IT Fifteen respondents com- mented there should be more industry in Seaforth. Fifteen wrote "get rid of LACAC" and 14 stated LACAC "does more harm than good (and) stops business." The only other comment near double figures, at nine, was "reduce administrative staff." Fire protection (174), police protection (165) and public works (86) were ranked as this town's top three services. Nobody ranked any of the three as least important. On the other hand, four respondents listed heritage as most important, with 139 list- ing it "least." Next in the least category was leaf pick- up at78. "Services which people value the most are the most expensive," Davidson com- mented. "Services which people tend not to like are regulatory controls." The "general feeling" that Seaforth should be doing more for "economic develop- ment" doesn't necessarily mean the town isn't doing an adequate job in this area. "This is a difficult service to provide," Davidson said. Sometimes what the public wants is very difficult to pro- vide." RESTRUCTURING The county director of plan - ning said there was very little difference between responses from Seaforth and those from the surrounding arca, except under the topic of restructur- ing as regards to possibly expanding the town's bound- aries where there was about a 10 per cent difference - 25.7 per cent in Seaforth favoured expanding but only 16 per cent outside municipal limits. He -said it was "significant" that only 9.4 per cent of respondents felt Seaforth should "stay the same" and only 10.1 in the surrounding area. Most favoured shared ser- vices - 80 or 39.6 per cent in Seaforth and 28 or 40.6 per cent in the surrounding area. "Restructuring" was the second most favoured option of all respondents - 51 or 25.3 per cent in town and 23 or 33.3 per cent outside. CONTINUED on page 3 Fire route for stores • Who should keep alley standards up? BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff An alley off High Street is a bit of a pickle for Seaforth Council and all concerned. The old lane is private property between 44 High, owned by former mayor Hazel Hildebrand, and 50 High owned by the Costellos, Bob and Mary Helen, and there are legal rights of way registered to an agreement that dates back to 1871 for five businesses on the west side of Main Street. The Costellos and Hildebrand attended last Tuesday night's council meeting. Their High Street alley gives access to the back of this Main Street block of buildings. It would probably be the best way back there for fire- fighters, who want it desig- nated a fire route, or for any other emergency vehicle. It is the only "guaranteed" access, Seaforth Clerk/ Administrator Jim Crocker pointed out, since the Sills own the property that is now used to get to the back of the block from the south side. DETERIORATION Problem is - to what stan- dards should the High Street alley be kept? Can agreement be reached amongst all who have a'stake in it? And if this involves mainte- nance, for instance snow- plowing, can fair agreement be reached over who pays the freight? CONTINUED on page 3 Hospital bedsshu eag 13Y ANDY BADER '.SSP News Staff While every other hospital . in Huron and Perth benefits from the latest re -shuffling of 'hospital beds by the DHC !task force, Seaforth and Listowel both lose one bed. Not only will hospitals in j the Huron -Perth district he more streamlined in terms of administration by next April, !but they could also come out i;with enhanced service if a ernment "rural health" doesn't ask for further DI -IC Executive tor Fraser Dell said day. clI, while disc.ussin the Health Services Study Task Force and their movement towards restructuring, noted that the province appears to be wavering on handing down additional funding cuts. If that indeed is the case, .rural hospitals such as those in Huron and Perth will bene- fit, he said. "If there are no further cuts, ii puts us in great posi- tion," he Raid, referring to the task force's commitment to saving $10.4 million over the next two years, Or approxi- mately 13 per cent of their Ministry of Health funding. "If you had said hack in September that the govern- ment may not be wing ahead I would shocked," he continued. "We were expecting very serious 118-20 per cent) cuts....but the earth seems to be shifting a little bit. "It's good news." The provincial government has delayed the restructuring of rural hospitals, but Bell says that restructuring must take place, and the DHC and task force will continue towards that end. "There is definitely room for restructuring in rural areas, but the policy the gov- ernment is working on seems tis mcognizc that rural hospi- tal are unique in terms of the emotional attachment they have within the communi- ties," he said. "That's what by DHC to be what the province is Flagging." ' He added that a retreat hel March 1 in Mitchell with the existing hospital officials "went very well," with all ie agreement that the targcte savings are achievable) Moving towards a sing/ board and administration f the district by April of 199 is "exciting," with all the[ efforts focused on that goa An interim governance co mittec should he establish by this June, the task f recommended, with'. recruitment and hiring chief executive officer b September. The task force also mends that a single and Surplus will aid schools BY TRISH WILKINSON SSP News Staff A $850,000 surplus from the Huron County Board of Education's 1996 budget is being used to renovate and upgrade local schools. The report, released at Monday's board meeting, stated that $59,949,609 of the estimated $60,803,211 for 1996 was used. Director of Education Paul Carroll said as they approached year end, they passed a motion in December allowing the board to spend the surplus on specific pur- poses. "We made a decision to complete certain building projects," Carroll noted. He said one of these specif- ic purposes was upgrading the F.E. Madill Secondary School Library, as well as completing the renovations on Vanastra Public .School and .work on Huliet Central School. He added the board installed "a 10-yearplan" in 1989 in the hope of complet- ing all upgrades and renova- tions. Carroll said because of the way the board haf died their finances, most of the wort that was supposed to be done in 1998 and 1999 will be completed in 1997. CON 11NUED on page 3