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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2001-06-06, Page 1r:C.P et1lr.Cz June 6, 2001 Si (includes 6511 In brief Children focus of weekend event By Scott Ntpendaff Expositor Editor Children are the focus of the first-ever Festival in the Park being hosted by the Seaforth Cooperative Children's Centre this Saturday. "It's quite a big project for us," said Lauren Rooyakkers, an organizer of the event working with Juliet Edwards. She said neither have worked on a project this large and believes it's the largest event put on by the daycare centre so far. The festival is part of the centre's efforts to raise $10,000 for new playground equipment. "The playground equipment at the centre was ripped out because it didn't meet safety standards. The event will feature African Lion's Safari's Parrot Paradise •performance, used a few years ago when the centre celebrated its 20th anniversary' Taking that event, Rooyakkers, Edwards and parent volunteers are hosting a much larger event this year with more than 25 'arti-sans and vendors, performances by the Huron County Cloggers, Huron Centennial Drummers (more than 30 drumming students from the Brucefield area school) and clowns. During the festival, a children's safety fair will also take place with activities and displays geared toward keeping children safe, covering topics from powerline and sun dangers to farm safety and child identification. Children are also invited to bring their favourite teddy bears to a special "clinic." Members of the Seaforth Medical Clinic and Seaforth Community Hospital will be there to give them a check up,' bandage up some of their rips and tears and some stitching tb help them out. The event takes place in Lion's Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.. If it rains, the activities will be moved indoors to the Seaforth Agri-Plex. Man charged with arson 19 -year-old arrested at latest fire scene By Scott Hilgendorff Expositor Editi3r A $5,000 reward remains in place and police are still investigating eight other arson fires in Seaforth following the arrest of one local man early Monday morning. Jeffery Barry, 19, of Seaforth has been charged with one count of arson and one count of possession of an incendiary device after being apprehended by police as he allegedly tried to set fire to the pavilion in Victoria Park. The Seaforth Fire Department was called before 12:30 a.m. to the park where they were able to extinguish a small fire set beneath the building and where Barry was arrested by police. And police continue their investigation into a series of 10 arson fires set in Seaforth's downtown since April. "It's undetermined who is responsible for the other fires," said OPP community services officer Luke George. "We still need the assistance of the public." "People should still be observant as far as any suspicious activity," said Staff Sergeant George Lonsbary. While police are investigating Barry's connection to the eight other fires set in Seaforth's downtown core since April, they are still hoping people will come forward with further information about the case and suggest people still need to be wary further incidents could occur. A young offender was charged May 15 with mischief under $5,000 for a garbage can fire set April 15 on Main Street during a weekend when several fires had been set and someone was on a Main Street store roof throwing rocks onto windshields of cars passing Quoted 'People should still • be observant as far as any suspicious activit:— Staff Sargeant George Lonsbary below. Mayor Lin Steffler said she is relieved someone has been charged but said, "I'm not going to assume it's all over and done with. I sincerely hope it is all over." The fires began April 15 Scott Hilgendorff photo Yard sating Despite poor weather, bargain hunters came to Seaforth Saturday for the community wide yard sale and downtown sidewalk sale event. Aberhart home and its unique stairs an architect's delight in Tuckersmith Home is one stop in tour of local homes and gardens hosted by local horticultural society and museum By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Staff Paul and Joan Spittal knew they wanted to buy the home of Social Credit Party founder Bill Aberhart as soon as they saw its cherry staircase winding up the front hall. "I knew it when I saw the staircase that it was worth restoring," says Paul. ."There are few open circular staircases in Gothic farmhouses in this area. They're very rare and I haven't come across another that's like it in that kind of house," adds Goderich architect John Rutledge. The Spittals, who bought the house located on the Mill Road between Egmondville and Brucefield in 1988, have Huron East heritage homes blended a new addition at the back with the fully -restored original front. The farmhouse, which Rutledge calls one of the best examples of a Gothic farmhouse in Huron County, is one of five properties open to the public June 8, 9 and 10 during the Seaforth and area home and garden tour hosted by the Seaforth Horticultural Society and museum. Built in 1885 on a 100 -acre property bought from the Canada Company by William McConnell, the house was next owned by William and then George Aberhart, whose nephew William lived at the house, went to Seaforth Collegiate and went on to found the Social Credit Party in 1935 and become premier of Saskatchewan from 1935 to 1943. The Spittals have had scholars and film companies show up at their home asking for tours. A PhD candidate was working on a thesis about Aberhart while the film company was making a documentary on Aberhart for cable's History Channel. "Because of the Aberharts there is some interest in this property and I've come to think that we're just stewards of this property, that it's not just ours," says Joan. The Spittals have also planted a cherry tree at the front left of their house after hearing from Aberhart's descendent Don, who is in his 90s, that a similar tree existed there during his youth. "He was very insistent we plant it and then we found a cherry pitttr in the attic," says Joan. The Spittals restored the original wood siding on the house's exterior and stripped back two layers of wallpaper in the dining room to discover the original stencilling, which they copied to redecorate the room. The dining room also has its original oil lamp hanging from the ceiling. They also hired Rutledge to design an addition on the back that they wanted to match the front of the house. "Architects cost money but it was well worth it. Redoing a house is all in the plans," says Paul. While they added an H- shaped addition, they also renovated bedrooms, the hallway and the kitchen, moving the sink and cupboards from one wall to another. The addition houses a laundry room, a spa room with a hot tub and a loft, which their son uses as a bedroom. As well, the house needed new plumbing, wiring, insulation and a new well. "We lived for 10 years in a construction zone. But, you learn to be patient. You have to be prepared for mess and clutter when you restore a house," says Joan. Rutledge says he remembers the Spittals originally thought they might tear off the back part of the house before adding an See 'OMR, Pope 2 and by last week, nine fires had been set including one that closed Ice Dreams because of smoke damage, another that burned the back shed of Sills Hardware and threatened a large portion of historic Main Street and another that caused more than $100,000 damage to facilities at Quality Jersey when a storage building was burned. One incident from April 15 is no longer being considered arson as an attempt to set a fire in a garbage dumpster was found and extinguished by police before the flames grew. Lonsbary said Tuesday morning that it was too early ' See POLKE, Page 3 Pro hockey team holding training camp in town By Scott Hilgendorff Expositor Editor Area hockey players are going to get a crack at a tryout for a professional hockey team this summer., "This is exciting for any kid with an NHL dream," said Huron East Recreation and Facilities Manager Graham Nesbitt. The Bozier-Shreveport Mudbugs, a Western Professional Hockey League team from Louisiana, will be holding tryouts Aug. 12 to Aug. 16. Members of the Mudbugs have been part of the annual Dave McLlwain Hockey School's coaching staff for several years now. After having success recruiting players from other coaching staff at the school, Nesbitt said Scott Muscutt, head coach with the Mudbugs, wanted to hold tryouts here and explore the talent in this region. Doug Cayley, general manager of the Sarnia Steeplejacks, Junior B hockey team has been scouting for the Mudbugs and with Nesbitt, will be lining up 44 players for the tryouts. Nesbitt said the arena has tried in the past to bring a Junior B team to Seaforth for tryouts without any luck and is excited to see the Mudbugs coming. While Cayley and Nesbitt are actively recruiting players for the See IAL„ Page It Your community newspaper since 1860