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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2005-03-16, Page 1SbarmMald, Aiciate&dur M.VA. Apprttisr Visit: Waal ra idrmstkn d HurmfPe•th 1511 \Iain til.. titare.'11i ( 51 99) 527-056O Aiscouut Morrow Canada Inc. Joy Finlayson & Sharon Medd M ortgage Cmsrltants "Finally, a company that starts with a discount" Wednesday, March 16, 2005 $1.25 indU les GST Doug Etwott, CFP, B.Math (=1namitr Planner Getiasd March 15, 2005 .404 to dm. whw Bost suis. Rates 2." 33.56" 3:" 1110.0mtsievem...101111.1 $ FINN IMM....-tMNtt t...... I f •Ti7I !!!IUIUl11ll 26 Main St., Seaforth 527-2222 In brief Man receives two years for grow operation A 56 -year-old Huron East man has been sentenced to two years in jail after he pleaded guilty to charges of production of a controlled substance, possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of a controlled substance. Donald Hooper, .of Centennial Road in Huron East, pleaded guilty in Goderich court on Monday on charges related to a March 4 Controlled Drug and Substance Act warrant where officers seized approximately $483,000 worth of marijuana and processed material. On March 4, Huron OPP, assisted by the Western Region Drug Unit, searched a house and driving shed on the property of the Centennial Road home, located between Seaforth and Brucefield, and found a large indoor grow operation in the driving shed. Along with 449 plants, officers also found processed marijuana and cannabis resin. Officers $62,000 growing including diesel generator. Darlyne and Donald Hooper were arrested and charged with the production of a controlled substance, possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of a controlled substance. Charges against his wife, Darlyne Hooper, were withdrawn. also seized worth of equipment a $12,000 industrial Cash stolen from pickup truck On March 10, $250 was reported stolen from an unlocked truck in the laneway of a Market Street residence. Sometime during the night, someone entered the white 2000 Chev pickup truck and removed the money from the truck's interior. Anyone with' related information is asked to call the Huron OPP or Crime Stoppers. St. Columban students play with Shakespeare... Seaforth ag society elects first woman president... page 3 Jason Middleton photo T-ing off Designing their own T-shirts, Sarah Dolmage, 10, of Seaforth, and her sister Lindsay, 12, take part in an activity at the Seaforth Public Library, on Sunday afternoon. Children had an opportunity to make their own T-shirt with images off the internet, photographs or images they created. The event was part of the Community Access Program sponsored by Industry Canada. Seaforth makes a good first impression By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor Progressive, clean, historic, friendly and visionary - those are the adjectives a delegation from Petrolia used to describe its first impressions of Seaforth. "Your people are wonderful, your businesses are helpful and informative and your community smelled clean," said Petrolia's First Impressions manager Donna Mcllmoyle. Seaforth was paired with Petrolia by the province in a First Impressions Community Exchange and on Tuesday night, the Petrolia group made its presentation about its thoughts on Seaforth. The Petrolia group was most impressed by Seaforth's historic downtown and noted the existing signage, the 24-hour coffee shop, the furniture and The Petrolia group also ladies' clothing retail stores said they had a hard time as "impressive." finding any tourism Suggestions for brochures in the municipal improvement downtown office. included enhanced plantings "Visitors had heard of and planters, heritage many special events but were lighting, retail stores relating unable to locate visible to youth, posted hours of information about the operation and a greater dollar activities," said the report. mix in the stores. It also recommended that "There is a need for all Seaforth's churches could businesses to be more host walking tours as part of positive when informing the area's tourism visitors of local services," opportunities. said Petrolia'~ report. The Petrolia team was On several occasions, the impressed with the fact that Petrolia report remarked how Seaforth has a bowling alley Seaforth has an opportunity and remarked about the good to exploit its heritage to access to a variety of sports promote tourism. facilities for the population "The community boasts size. excellent heritage with the The Seaforth hospital was clock towers and agricultural assessed as "first rate" with building. The impression an accessible layout and was again that their heritage good proximity to services. should play a more active "The best practice we hope role in their tourism," said to suggest for our the report. community is the 24-hour switchboard with the fire department as the first response," said the report. The Petrolia report suggested a footpath between the CCAC building and the medical clinic. Overall, the Petrolia team summed up Seaforth as a suitable community for young families and retired living but not as well suited for a young, single person. As challenges for Seaforth, the team listed employment opportunities, the lack of a secondary school and its location relating to access to the main corridors. Petrolia Mayor Brian McManaman said he enjoyed the exchange between Seaforth and Petrolia so much he wanted to do it again in the summer. "If you can look good in February, imagine what you can do in the summer," he said. Two local teens killed in Hwy. 8 head-on collision By Kelly Pedro London Free Press Nicholas Giller, 17, entered every drama class with a cartwheel. Thomas Ash, 18. had a loud jovial laugh that didn't end until everyone else was in stitches, too. The Seaforth friends were on their way to watch a movie in Stratford with another friend when they were killed in a head-on crash Tuesday. The collision happened on snow- covered Highway 8 about 8:30 p.m. east of Seaforth. The teens were Clinton Public Hospital and is in stable condition while her daughter Cassandra, 10, is in fair condition at the London Health Sciences Centre with fractures to the legs. The town of Seaforth and Central Huron Secondary School are grieving two teens who were going places in life. Nicholas Giller passengers in a van driven by 17 -year-old Matthew Bolton, of McKillop. who suffered internal injuries in the crash and is in 'good condition at the London Health Sciences Centre. The van went out of control and collided with another oncoming van. reported the Huron OPP. Occupants of the second van, Sandra Morey, 40, of Seaforth was transferred to " Bile pupils. An aspiring paramedic, Ash had many qualities needed for the job. said Barry Brohman. a science teacher at Central Huron secondary school in Clinton, where Ash was a student until he graduated last month. Like a paramedic, he was quiet leader who was always there when you needed him, Brohman said. "They were responsible and they Wer e respectable," said Jane Morton, a former principal of Seaforth public school the two boys Ash was going to college in the fall and was working at Tim Hortons in Clinton until then. Friends and teachers said the quiet and unassuming teen liked country music and jogged before school every day. A camping and canoeing enthusiast, Ash was also involved in Scouts, where he met Giller. Those who knew Giller said he was academically gifted with talents in writing. photography, filmmaking and computer animation - an area where he wanted to pursue a career. He had begun going to university campus tours and was supposed to go to a couple last Friday, said Stephen Oliver, who taught Giller's digital media studies class. But though the Grade 12 student was a perfectionist who took his work seriously, friends said he was also outgoing and spontaneous. At Halloween he donned a hear costume and walked were through the cafeteria giving out Seaforth bear hugs. Giller was generous with his time. He always helped with coffee houses - talent nights - at the school when he wasn't working at the Seaforth grocery store, Oliver said. Before he left Tuesday, Giller was working on the Imago film festival to be held at the school in April, Oliver said. Giller loved to play the guitar and trombone. Three grief counsellors were at the high school last week to help students and staff - distraught also because Ash's father, Mike, was the principal at Central Huron for several years. "Teenagers are really well- equipped to support each other if they have a space and time to do that," said Judy Stuart, a member of the tragic events response team at the school. The school is also planning a remembrance service after March break, she said. Funerals for both teens were held on Saturday at Northside United Church: with fries from the Huron Expositor Tower checking McKillop's wind power to arrive in spring By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor A test tower that will determine if four country blocks of McKillop can become a Suncor wind farm, should be erected some time this spring, says Kolja Vainstein, a renewable energy engineer with Suncor Energy in Alberta. "It's rare to find an area that's good for a wind farm in Southwestern Ontario. but we're starting in an area we think might be good and we have a number of farmers interested," he said during a phone interview last week. Farmers who live within the section of McKillop that is bordered by Hydro Line Road, Roxboro Line, Hensall Road and Summerhill Road have been approached by Suncor and a number have signed lease option agreements with the energy company. "It's good for the environment and I think it could be good for the local economy," said Christa Eckert, of Hydro Line Road. Eckert, whose land could house the test tower, said local farmers won't get rich from participating in the wind farm but will be able to supplement their farm income. "So far, we're working out the details but I think it will be good for the area," she said. Ken Scott, a McKillop farmer who does not live within the projected wind farm area but has facilitated meetings between affected farmers and Suncor in his capacity as a director of the Huron Federation of Agriculture, said he thinks about 75 per cent of the farmers in the area will sign agreements with Suncor. "The revenue might put groceries on your table for a year but you're not going to get rich or even pull you out of bankruptcy if you're in trouble," said Scott. Suncor is hoping to erect 40 towers and there are roughly 30 landowners involved in the projected parcel. Nick Whyte, president of the Huron Federation of Agriculture, who also owns land within the proposed wind farm area, said he's in favour of wind energy but hasn't decided yet if he'll participate. "I like the concept but I want to make sure farmers are fairly compensated for what they give up. I'm still wrestling with the idea," he said. "For one farmer it could be an excellent deal and for the next farmer, it might not," said Whyte. Scott said the energy company is offering a 42 - year lease on the land. See WIND, Page 2