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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2002-07-31, Page 122 -TME HURON EXPOSITOR, August 22, 2001 SEAFORTH INSURANCE BROKER LTD. 527-1610 • Hoine • Commercial *Auto • Farm • Out of Province Travel Insurance 41 Main SL S. Seaforth (Vista Leonhard!, Lynn Misch, Ken Cardno, Barb Watt . and Joanne Williamson ...CONTINUES at Wuerth's Shoes Seaforth Hill AND Hil \FARMS/ LIMITED is happy to invite you to our ANNUAL CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY Friday, August 31, 2001 WHERE: Hill & Hill Farms, RR 1 Varna, ON WHEN: 9:30 Registration 10:00 Representatives from the following companies - Monsanto - First Line Seeds - Syngenta NK Brand Seeds - C & M Seeds - Agricultural Commodity Corporation Guest Speaker - Peter Johnson to follow after lunch. For more details or Registration Please call Kristen or Pete (519) 233-3218 We hope to see you there! Egmondville water connects to Seaforth water system By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Staff Egmondville residents can expect a hand -delivered letter from Huron East during the next two weeks informing them of council's final decision to connect the water systems of Seaforth and Egmondville, made at its Aug. 14 meeting. The letter will explain why Egmondville users will be charged a surcharge of $100 per year for the next six years to pay an existing debt of $153,566. The $600 can also be paid in a lump sum. The debt includes an operating deficit of $77,566 and an outstanding debenture of $76,000 still owing on the new water main system installed in Egmondville in 1996. Public Works Coordinator John Forrest says the connection between the two systems will improve the water service to Egmondville, which now sees water being shut off about once a month whenever repairs need to be made to the system or if hydro goes out. "They'll never be without water now," says Forrest. He says the systems will be connected at night with a complete flushing of the system. He adds that pressure and volume of water will remain the same. A connection fee of $2,500 will continue to apply to Egmondville residents who build a new house. The fee will remain higher than Seaforth's $800 and Brussels' at $450 until the debt is paid off. Forrest says the municipality will eventually be looking at standardizing connection fees throughout the five amalgamated communities of Huron East. He says the joining of the two water systems was prompted by new provincial regulations in August, 2000 which escalated the costs associated with running a water system. Forrest says municipal water systems are now required to do pesticide sampling reports four times a year, compared to once every several years before the new regulations and engineering reports on each of the wells every three years. Forrest also says only one of the nine existing wells meets the new provincial standards regarding chlorine contact time and that work must be done to make the remaining eight meet the standards. "It's far more responsible to put both communities on one system. There was no need before last year but now there are economies of scale we're trying to achieve," he says. Cranbrook farmer will have to replant trees By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Staff A Cranbrook-area farmer who removed two trees from a road allowance without the permission of Huron East will be given a chance to make reparations before any action is taken by the municipality, council decided at its Aug. 14 meeting. Grey Coun. Alvin McLellan argued it was unfair to single out the unnamed farmer when road allowances throughout Huron East are being used for agriculture. "After a while you tend to treat the land as your own. He's trying to make best use of the land. But, I'm not willing to let him off the hook. Someone should visit him. Let's give him an opportunity to make it right," said McLellan. While 24 trees were suggested as a replacement equivalent to the diameter of the two trees taken down, McKillop Coun. Sharon McClure suggested that 12 trees would be adequate since one of the two trees was dead. "Twenty-four trees is a bit of overkill," agreed McLellan. And, since replanting in the road allowance would interfere with the farmer's ability to farm his land, councillors suggested the replacement trees be planted elsewhere. "Is there a place in Cranbrook to plant in front of homes where they can be looked after?" asked Tuckersmith Coun. Larry McGrath. Mayor Lin Steffler suggested the farmer be made to pay a fee that goes into a fund to purchase trees where they're' needed. She added that some consequences were necessary because it's the municipality ' s responsibility to educate the public. "If you're going to cut, contact us first," she said. McGrath pointed out that the unnamed farmer made an agreement 15 years ago with the municipality that the trees not be removed. McLellan said the explanation for taking down the trees could be as simple as the farmer buying a bigger combine this year and needing the room to get on the land. Huron East employees receive raises as counc By Susan Hundertmark it haimonizes nav scales Expositor Staff Full-time and job -sharing workers at Vanastra's Tuckersmith Day Care are receiving a five per cent raise while fees increase from $22 to $25 a day, effective Sept. 1. "They are still behind to some extent - five per cent doesn't bring them in line," said Mayor Lin Steffler. She said Tuckersmith Day Care's wage rates were compared with day care centres in Clinton, Stratford, Wingham and Goderich and Tuckersmith was shown to have the lowest wages. "There will have to be an increase in rates to the users of the system, albeit a marginal one - no greater than the surrounding community," she said. She added there will be a $1 a day difference in day care costs to users between Clinton and Vanastra. Raise for crossing guards Seaforth's crossing guards are receiving a *age increase from $7.15 to $8.55 an hour to bring them up to the wage rate of Brussels crossing guards. On top of that, all four crossing guards in Seaforth and Brussels will also receive a two per cent increase, beginning Sept. 1. Seaforth Museum's part- time employee will receive a raise from $7.25 to $7.50 an hour. Part-time employees of the Vanastra Recreation Centre will get a two per cent increase with one employee receiving a raise from $9.75 to $10 an hour. Employees of the Walton landfill site will get a raise from $11.30 to $12 an hour, similar to remuneration paid to labourers in the public works department. Seasonal workers at the Seaforth and District Community Centres will also have their wages brought in line with those of public works labourers with a raise from $9.45 to $12 an hour. Hospital hopes to get rural designation quickly From Page 1 Tuckersmith and Grey realigned under Huron East to Seaforth Community Hospital. Jim Whaley, executive director of the Grey, Bruce, Huron and Perth District Health Unit, said in a follow- up interview that Huron East's application has been complicated a little by Seaforth hospital waiting to find out if a blanket designation of the whole four -county region would be ******************************************************** Re'OieningI vi of Brussels Agri Serces Ltd. * Saturday,August 25 * * 8:00 am-3:00pwm * * B.B.Q. *PET PRIZES * A5 Hot ' • • s & Pop $1.90 Smallest, Largest * 8p� Proc = ; • s to the Children's Owner/et look-alike * PO�ht1f� Hospita Contest & more * Ply Rids * PETTING ZOO * PET PICTURES * * HORSE DRAWN Get your picture taken WAGON RIDES with your pet * 5t0L0UT _ spECIALS * M� Gourmet Wild Bird Mix ;Gourmet Royale � Mix & Matck 1 * * E SN p $5" 10" 1 Dog Food Bulk Biscuits 69 kg •18 k8 * L Buy 10 get 1 free program : •9 9O i 1 i * * J L J L J* * * *Brussels Agri Services Ltd. * * * *Cty. Rd. 16 1 km East of Missals at Bnnsels livestodc * Local $$7-9391 ToN Fre. 1-•77-07.9391 ***************************************************************** NA ilk ev 111 t Cty Rd 16 6. Agri Limbs. approved before applying. He said the blanket designation, which has only been received by one other region in Ontario (the Niagara Region), is still being reviewed regarding the local region by the province. "For years, the ministry has treated the doctor situation as a distribution problem. They said there were enough doctors but they just weren't distributed properly. But, we've moved way past that point. It's no longer just a rural problem," he said. Cardinal said it's hoped that Huron East can submit its application, which once approved has a one-year waiting period, in time to take advantage of the next crop of new doctors graduating next year. "There is a time pressure. We haven't applied yet but the process has started and there's an incentive to get it in completely and quickly," she said. Spotty rains in July helping some local farmers beat odds From Pogo 1 just concessions away remained dry, but gave about one and one-half inches of rain to Van Dieten's fields. While Van Dieten is not worried about surviving this season he said they will still have to wait and see what happens with the soybean yield at harvest because it is difficult to tell how much damage thc aphids have caused until then. While Johnson said some farmers will likely be making crop insurance claims this year and others could potentially go under if they don't have insurance, Van Dieten said he is expecting average yields in his fields. But it's not the case for all farmers and Johnson said some face losing up to a third of their yield between the dry weather and aphid and spider mite damage. For soybeans, Johnson said said they are expecting an average loss of 15 per cent of the yield. He wants to remain optimistic and said, "Let's just wait and sec what goes in the combine bin." While this is the driest year Johnson has seen in his 35 years working in agriculture, he said the worst year for agriculture was in 1992 when a volcanic eruption played havoc with the weather and there was not enough warmth in the summer for crops to mature. "That was as close to a disaster as I have ever seen," said Johnson. "I hope it's not as bad as it was that season, but it could be," said Johnson of the overall picture across the province. While Seaforth area farmers like Van Dieten have made it through the dry period okay, some corn fields as close as Baden were plowed under about three weeks ago, marking a total Toss. Because of the recent dry conditions, harvest is expected to begin soon which brings a brighter side to the end of the season and the start of next year's for those planting wheat. Farmers rotate crops from corn to soybeans to wheat and with the soybean harvest expected to begin around Sept. 20, about 10 days to two weeks earlier than normal, Johnson said that gives farmers good time to get their winter wheat planted and gives it a good head start on next season. "We should be out there pounding thc wheat in as quick as we can," said Johnson of the chance to try and get a good wheat crop for next season. Wheat was the comeback kid of crops this summer, getting off to a bad start during a wet spring which had farmers expecting less than average yields. However, Johnson said while it was not a bumper crop, yields were at least average for most farmers. "It surprised us. There was more there than we thought," said Van Dieten.