HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 1999-07-28, Page 1July 28, 1999
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Local weather
Wednesday --Mainly
cloudy, chance of
showers. High 24.
Thursday --Mainly sunny.
High 32 Low 20. . '
Friday --:Sunny 'with
cloudy periods. Chance of
afternoon thunderstorm. -
High 33: low 21.
Saturday—same forecast.
From Environment Canada
In brief
Mayor
seeks
celebration
• Mayor Dave Scott
would like a celebration:
Since next year is the
125th anniversary of the
town of Seaforth, five
year's after the last
• homecoming event and.
the fact it's going to be
2000, Scott said, "I'm
hoping there is a
willingness to plan some,
sort of celebration."
He said it wouldn't have
to be as big as .the -
homecoming and thought
maybe it could be done at
the same time -as the
Seaforth Fire Department
hosts a major firefighting -
convention.
With restructuring in the.
works; he said, "2000
might be the last year
we're •a . separate -
municipality.
Marty - Bedard,
recreation director but also
a member of the fire
department, said the
convention is expected to
more than double the size
of the town because of the
number of people who
will be coming. • •
"Do a really big Canada
Day," suggested Coun.
Heather Robinet.
Scott suggested the
plans could maybe be a
project for the Business
Retention and Expansion
Committee.
EMA site cleaned up
While it took longer
than town staff had hoped,
the former EMA Groceryp
Store site has been
c Caned--up-�-and- -any--
potential threat to
pedestrians removed.
Town staff had been
working with.the Toronto-
based owners to try to
have the.property cleaned
after the building
collapsed this past winter.
The town went as faras
issuing' a work order to
have the site reamed but
Clerk -Treasurer Jack.•
McLachlan said the
property was cleaned
before the town took any
negative action toward the
owners,
The clean-up. has also
included filling in the
basement of the building..
McLachlan said the,
owners have not indicated
any. plans for the property. .
Early in the year, the
Expositor spoke with one
owner who indicated
aii tiierbuildiitg'could be
erected or it might be
turned into a parking lot.
He was not familiar
with the property at the
time.
Hy' Scott Hilgendorff
New priest
arrives
in Dublin.
NV* 5
Guide dog in
training.
Page t;
Moonlight
Madness In
pktures
Page 11
Scott Hilgendorff phofos
Moonlight
madness
Doug Turvey, town crier
from Embro, brought
attentionto some of the
• many activities taking
place at the Business
Improvement Areas
annual - • Moonlight
Madness event after a
-brief shower, while
Caitlin Russell paints a
design on .Emily
lansink s face.. _ .-
Work continues quie
Committee plans its fund raising strategy
to be ready to move if school board approves
By Susan Hundertmark
Jxposfor Staff•
'
Fingers crossed for school board
approval in September. the steering
committee for a $700.000 recreation
complex in Seaforth is working over
the summer to put its ,fundraising
plans in place. says committee
representative Terry Johnston.
"We're not sleeping. We're quietly
working in the background to be
ready to go if we get approval in
September," says Johnston, adding
that the committe received a "non-
committal but encouraging" letter
from the Avon Maitland District
School Board asking the committee
to return in the fall.
Last April, Johnston presented the
committee's plans to the board for
approval to build a 100 by 150 foot
structure on Seaforth District High
School property, hoping at that time
for approval to meet May deadlines
for Trillium Foundation funding with
a completion date of September,
2000 in mind.
The complex would be housed in a
"coverall" structure made of
aluminum and steel in a truss -arch
design with no weight-bearing walls
at the ends and include an indoor
track, a portable gym floor, a dance
studio. squash coitits, a weight room.
change rooms, offices and storage
space. It would be used by the school
from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and by the
community from 6-11 p.m.
Johnston says he is in the process
Grey,
Brussels
to link
with
tows:
By Scott Hilgendorff
Expositor Editor
The weddittg parr .,just
•_re•,. by two as Grey
Tow nship'and.$ru'.els ha'e
joined -talks that would see
them. united with Seaforth:
Tuckersmith Township and -
McKillop T,nship under a
restructurine. plan.
.Urn aery• happy about -
them'comtna aboard." said
Seaforth Slaver_ Dave. Scott.
'There is a close
relationship.-- • said
•Tucker'.mith Reef e.' R"obert
Brnadtoot
Seaforth. Tuckersmith and
SlckilJop Township have.
been working toward .i
restru'Lturiri agreement
.ince this spring and are
currently one ciimiriittee
meetin_ away from a
draft agreement sent to the
respectite councils for their
support:
Meanwhile. . Grey
Township and -Brussels -have
worked out their.. own
restructuring plan. rady to
be submitted to Huron
County.council for
September. That's when the
county has asked for all
plans to clime forward with
the intent of Huron Count
.ub`mitting.thern`
province at the same time..
But recognizing a strength
in numbers. Grey and
Brussels • recently
approached the Seaforth
groupto see if there was :in
interest in forming an e'.en
larger municipality.
• The issue was brought to
each council and. aftera
Tuckersmith ' Township
meeting last Tuesday: July
20. all three have -given their
support to haying.the-two
other municipalities join
them. .
.\ The following night. the
restructuring committee met
and included the reeves and •
clerks of the •Brussels and
Grey Township.
.However. Seaforth Clerk:
Treasurer Jack SlcLachlan
See COMMON, Page 2
on recreation complex
of meeting with local communis'
groups such as the Lions Club.
Optimist Club'and the Legion as well
as muncipalities such as Tuckersmith
and McKillop Townships in hopes of
gathering letters of endorsement to
take to the September board meeting.
"We want to be able to show this is
a community -supported program. that
everyone is working together and that
we are fully endorsed as a milleniunt
project. We're trying to let as many
people as possible know about what
we're doing, not for the money right
now but for support of the concept,"
he says:
Johnston says the town of Seaforth
has already provided the Committee
with a letter of endorsement to
present to the school board and is
willing to help write the grant
proposals for the various foundations
the committee hopes to approach for
funding.
Along with foundation.. Johnston
sass the committee is looking to also
approach residents of Seaforth and
area. high school alumni and
corporations for funding.
While the committee is not asking
the school board for any financial
contribution towards the complex. it
is asking for approval to proceed.: a
leasing and shared maintenance
agreement between the board and the
town of Seaforth and use of the
board's 'resources such as architects
and other experts. •
Johnston says school board
approval will•also give the t ummittee
access to a charitable donation
number. allowing donors to write off
a percentage of their donations.
Committee member. Maureen Agar
is planning a Golden Bear wall of
fame for donors. asking for $1.000
for each family which wishes to be
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