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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1997-12-17, Page 1Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 - Seaforth, Ontario Clinton, Seaforth police boards to talk December 17, 1997 --- $1.00 includes GST Policing costs higher next year BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff Policing costs are estimated to go up $22,247 for Seaforth next year, a new sergeant will take charge of the contracts for Seaforth and Clinton, and the police service hoards of both towns may soon get together to see if they can save some money. Ontario Provincial Police Goderich.detachment com- mander. Staff Set. Brian Baldwin, announced at last Tuesday night's meeting of town council that the OPP figures on a 6.4 per cent increase in Seaforth's polic- ing costs for next year, to $371,323 from this year's $349,076 price. "The increase is a result of the recently negotiated con- tract with the Ontario Provincial Police Association which resulted in a wage and benefit increase of 7.4 per cent," Seaforth administrator Jim Crocker reported to council. "The estimate for other direct operating costs which include administrative support, vehicle usage, uni- forms and equipment, and information technology decreased 6.1 per cent." Matthew DeJong played a selection of Christmas carols on his fiddle during the Royal Canadian Legion Seaforth Branch 518 rhildrens Christmas party on Sunday. (Fitton photo) Tribute for toddler BY JACKiE FITTON Expositor Editor Bayfield residents want a more lasting tribute in memo- ry of toddler Wesley Coombs who died Nov. 29. The 23 month-old under the care of a hahysitter wandered from his 49 Main Street home and was hit by a van while he was walking along Hwy. 21. Plans are underway to •place toddler equipment in the Clan Gregor Square along with a plaque as a fitting memorial to the youngster. Serena Snell, Lori Bagot and Ten Ladd who arc head- ing up the venture say it's a lasting tribute to the lot. The group appeared before Bayficld Town Council Monday night for thc approval, hut were informed they have to have permission from the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) which doesn't meet until January.. An open trust fund has been established at CIBC Banks in Bayfield. Goderich and Scaforth. Also donations can he made at the Clinton Credit Union. Donations can also be made at Jonnymorc's in Clinton. "A lot of people in the arca wanted to do something and we came up with thc idea of placing toddler equipment in the park. The type of equip- ment Wesley would have played on." Snell said. The family have been informed of the fund and anyone making a donation is regucsted to add their name. "Not because•wc want to know the amount hut to give to his parents letting them know who donated. Bagot added. The equipment will not he erected until the spring, depending if thc group obtains permission from the LACAC and approval from Bayfield council. "We're limited now as to what type of play equipment will be installed or what type of plaque. Not knowing how much money we are working with, and whether or not approval will he given for the park. "But we will place thc tod- dler equipment in Bayfield even if its not in Clan Gregor Square," Snell said. "A lot of people want to do something ... this is a more concrete idea," she said. • Clinton's policing estimate for next year has risen by $37,000. Staff Sgt. Baldwin said he had just come from meeting with Clinton's police service board and it "would like to meet with the Seaforth board to see if they both can save some money." The chair of the Clinton ,board is Mayor Ron McKay. Sgt. Paul Holmes will take charge of contract policing for Seaforth and Clinton "probably by the New Year," replacing Staff Sgt. Don McInnes who has been assigned elsewhere within the region by the provincial force, Staff Sgt. Baldwin continued. Council approved this appointment, but its rubber Not hand-out, but `hand -up' stamp was grudging. They okayed it as long as Seaforth's police service board, which doesn't meet again until the middle of January, concurs. But the Seaforth Police Services Board (PSB) is hobbled at the moment, because it only has two members ever since Lin Sterner resigned after her see police costs page 5 Foodbank shelves low BY JACKIE FITTON Expositor Editor Stock on the shelves at the Seaforth Foodbank. is becoming low. On average the foodbank supply food for 45 house- holds once a month. It secs a growth of an extra 10 Or more families over the Christmas season,. "This food hank is' not a hand-out, but a hand -up to those who temporarily need some assistance," its chair- person Deborah Bennett said. "We give what we have. Sometimes we can give a variety, other times when the stock is low we substitute, we have to he flexible," she said.. Christmas time is a very hectic time, but at the food - hank anytime is a hectic time. The shelves are low as the foodhank goes up and down. "Sometimes we seem to have larger amounts and other times we struggle more. I don't know what causes that. It just seems to be the way it happens, Bennett said. A foodbank account is established at the Toronto Dominion in Seaforth. Some people donate funds versus goods, she said. Thc 30 turkeys and 25 hams due for distribution this year have been purchased from this fund.. The turkeys -and hams have to be ordered prior to Christmas by the clients. The foodbank also makes avail- able a variety of vegetables. The Seaforth and District Foodbank is a separate entity from the Huron County Christmas Bureau. They serve people who may not qualify for other charities. Scaforths' Foodbank helps out the people who fall with- in the cracks of other agen- cies Christmas policies. Clients registering at the foodbank give only basic reg- istration. This is not shared with other agencies, Bennett she said. "It's none of our business. This is a Christian Witncss Project. the feeling is, if peo- ple need our help, we'll do everything we can to support them". "1 believe other agencies require families to have chil- dren 16 and under. Also there arc single people, and stu- dents who may not qualify and require the services of the foodbank, she said. "Christmas is a very strained time for people in •general...job situations, lay- offs and the general economy being very depressed." Set up as a Christian Witness Project it is run entirely by volunteers as a joint effort of the churches to help the community. One representative from each of the eight participating churches form the committee which overseas the adminis- tration of the foodbank. About 35 volunteers from the community and churches man the foodbank. There duties include serving at the foodbank or purchasing the groceries, she said. Volunteers each have to sign a confidentiality agree- ment. "Confidentiality and respect for human dignity arc first and foremost," she said. Even down to the location of the foodbank . Its location behind the town hall. pro- vides privacy and discretion, making it comfortable for clients who may have to visit. "Anonymity is very impor- tant." Clients arc eligible to visit the foodbank once per calen- dar month and receive five days or five meals of food per person per household. "We do aim to keep the basics on the shelf." Bennett said. "Sometimes we get dona- tions of extras like cookies or cakes at Christmas. Gwynne Burgess, tells Santa exactly what she would like for Christmas this year when Santa paid a visit to Seaforth this weekend. (Fitton photo) • see Foodbank page 6 Closing highways in dirty weather Could there be a better way? BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff . Scaforth's works superin- tendent thinks there must he a better way of closing and opening Highway 8 in and out of town when had winter weather closes in. John Forrest sa.ys there have been stormy situations here when he has talked to transportation ministry peo- ple in London who had to look up where Seaforth was. "Streamers" to the lee of Lake Huron can change weather conditions either way quickly here ih the "snowbelt." One minute it can he a "whiteout," snowing so hard you can't 'see the nose in front of your face. and 20 minutes later you can be driving in the sunshine. There have been times after a winter storm when the roads were closed, Forest says, when works department workers, who arc responsible for putting up and taking down the barricades, first heard the highway through Seaforth was "now open" on the radio. Which was news 10 them because they still had the bar- ricades up, and the road closed. Our works superintendent first brought his concerns to when Staff. Sgt. Don McInnes of the Ontario Provincial Police introduced himself to Scaforth Council at a meeting at Town Hall this summer. Forest says Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MTC) staff sometimes aren't famil- iar enough with local condi- tions. He feels the road clos- ing protocol is too cumber- some, leading to time lags in the procedure that could he shortened. Thc Commander of the Huron detachment of the OPP, Staff Sgt. Brian Baldwin, says thc system we have now has hccn in place for three or four years has "worked quite well" and it is "not an ongoing problem." The detachment's traffic facilitator, Sgt. Shawn Johnson, agrees the proce- dure is not all it could be. and might be fine-tuned a bit bet- ter. The way it works now is provincial police officers make the call on whether the highways should he closed based on public safety. The Huron detachment then calls, the OPP office at Mt. Forest, which in turn calls the provincial transportation ministry in London. which turns around and calls the respective works superinten- dents. to go put up, or take down the barricades. If Forest can't he reached the MTC calls a designated works department second -in -com- mand, and so on. Without glitches the whole rigmarole takes about half an hour and upwards. Forest estimates. Hc feels leaving the MTC out of this loop of phone calls would work better, particular- ly now that the county and town have assumed many of M.T.C. staff some- times aren't famil- iar enough with local road condi- tions. John Forrest what wcrc formerly provin- cial transportation ministry responsibilities because of downsizing. All provincial highways in this arca officially become the responsibility of the county at thc start of the New Year. _see winter page 5