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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1981-01-07, Page 1r Two dead, one badly hurt in crashes The new year started off on a black note when two young area men died in separate accidents. David Vanstone, 18, of Hensel!, was killed early Saturday morning when his snowmobile collided with another one north of Exeter, and 17 -year-old Scott Hasselback, Exeter, died instantly when the vehicle he was driving skidded into a tandem milk truck Sunday afternoon during a snow storm. A passenger in the car, Michael Prendergast, 16, of Grand Bend, sustained serious injuries and is in intensive care at University. Hospital in London. DAVID VANSTONE SCOTT HASSELBACK ...two area youths killed Rec administrator . resigns position Ian Smith, administrator of the South Huron rec cen- tre since May, 1979, has sub- mitted his resignation. Smith told the T -A, Mon- day, that he has accepted a position at Longlac and ex- plained that there were two major factors in his decision to leave his present post. Longlac is 80 miles from his home and the community offered him a wage and ac- commodation package that was about $10,000 higher than his current salary. However, in a letter to Mayor Bruce. Shaw, Smith said the reasons for his resignation were varied and offered to discuss those with Shaw. Asked to comment on the situation. Smith said he had talked to Shaw and outlined some constructive criticisms of the position in Exeter and noted they were of the type that would have to be implemented political- ly; He said he hoped some of his recommendations for changes could be introduced to make thingser for his successor. Smith is the second member of the staff to resign this winter. Jim Guenther resigne . in December to accept . a position with an area automobile dealership. The rec centre board has delayed a decision regarding Guenther's replacement and his work has been under- taken by members of the rec centre's part-time staff. Smith leaves for his new position this Friday. At Monday nig s council meeting. Shaw said the new South Huron rec board would meet with Smith at a special meeting, Wednesday, to dis- cuss his recommendations Please turn to page 2 ALL BUNDLED UP — Barb Sharpe was all ready for winter weather as she made her way down Main Street Monday morning. T -A photo Exeter OPP Constable Jack Straughan, said that the westbound Hasselback vehicle skidded on an icy patch of Highway 83 just west of concession 84 in Stephen and slid sideways into the path of the east- bound truck driven by James Weir, RR 2 Monkton. The car was crushed by the truck, which was carrying a load of about 13 tons of milk. Straughan Street jobs established Recommendations for the 1981 roads and drains pro- jects were approved by Ex- eter council, Monday, but the final disposition of the work will depend on budget allotments. ubmitThe main projects sub- mitted ted by chairman, Don MacGregor are for a storm sewer on Marlborough St. from Carling St. to the Co- op. Estimated cost of this was set at $113,700. Several streets were also designated for paving. The list includes Wellington and `Victoria, Andrew St. from Highway 83 to Riverside, George from Main to Hillcrest, Albert from Huron to Simcoe, Andrew from Huron to Simcoe, Gidley from Carling to Marlborough, Sanders from William to Marlborough and Hill from Main to Park. MacGregor's report noted that is the order in which the pre jeets will be undertaken, as the budget allovds. Works superintendent lenn Kells has also been a s • , rized to call tenders for anew pickup truck. as well as a new tractor and mower for the park. He has also been in- structed to try and reduce the roads and drains maintenance budget to $55,- 000 this year. The total budget for maintenance in 1980 was $65,000, although Kells told the T -A that this was not 'all 'spent. Plans to change the street lighting on Main St. have been put on hold for the pre- sent. The cost of replacing the 43 lights has been es- timated at between $14,000 and $15,000. Would prohibit non-residents Exeter council supported a resolution this week which would deny non-residents the right to hold office in a municipality in which they own land, but stopped short of denying tenants the oppor- tunity to hold office. A resolution calling for the provincial government to alter existing legislation which gives non-resident landowners the right to run for public office was receiv- ed from the Township of North Burgess in the Ottawa area. It was suggested that.giv- ing the right to run for office to non-resident landowners may, in certain cir- cumstances, cause undue hardship to resident electors of the municipality. Present legislation allows that anyone who is entitled to be.an elector may run for office. However, the resolution from North Burgess was worded in such a way that it also excluded residents who do not own land in' a municipality from running for office and council amended that before giving Please turn to page 2 described the 1971 Old- smobile driven by the Exeter youth as a "pancake". Prendergast was thrown MICHAEL PRENDEROAST ...serious condition • from the vehicle and suf- fered severe head and in- ternal injuries. Hasselbacks body was trapped in the wreckage and it took almost three hours to pry the two vehicles apart before he could be ex- tricated. Police feared at first there were three people in the car as a pair of overshoes were stuck in the wreckage. However, it was determined that they belonged to one of the two SHDHS students. Damage in the collision, which occurred during a whiteout at 4:30 p.m., was set at $9,000, with most of _that ing to the truck -which. was owned by Stacey Brothers Ltd., Mitchell. Weir escaped the collision with minor injuries. The snowmobile accident occurred just north of Exeter at 1:00 a.m., Saturday. im Vanstone was driving one of seven machines in a convoy along the ditch beside Highway 4, when he passed a machine driven by Dwight Mennell, Seaforth, and then collided with the rear of another snowmobile driven by Thomas Costello, Seaforth. Vanstone died of head injuries. Costello sustained a broken ankle and ribs in the collision, which was in- vestigated by Constable Jim Rogers: The group was returt;ing from an outing in Hay Swamp. Obituary notices for Hasselback and--Vanstone appear else v ere in this issue. -In another turday ac- cident, a vehicl operated by Colin Cottrell, Exeter, sustained damage of 8400 when it stuck snowbank on S Serving South Huron, North Middlesex • One Hundred and Eighth Year wcr 5 hh� / k concession 1-A at concession 4-5 of Usborne. Cottrell hit the snowbank when an unknown vehicle slid through the stop front of him. The accident was in - by Constable Giffin. sign in vestigated Frank Car in which Scott Hasselback died civoca' & North Lambton Since 1873 EXETER, ONTARIO, JANUARY 7, 1981 Price per copy 35 Cents WARM REFRESHMENT — Dorothy Pfaff of the Exeter Legion Ladies Auxiliary served up hot coffee to the 74 people who took refuge from Sunday's storm at the Exeter Legion hall. Mfs. Pfaff pours a cup for Frank and Evelyn Treble, London, who were on their way home froln a belated Christmas gathering at the Carlow hall. It took them two and a half hours to get to Exeter and driving conditions were described as "terrible". Stuff photo First half taxes boosted, also switch sewer bills It will be some months before Exeter ratepayers find out how much they'll be paying in property taxes' this year, but their interim tax notices will show an increase over last year. Monday night, council approved a recommdndation from the finance committee that the intermim rate be set at 110 mills. It was 90 mills last year and the increase will generate an additional 8110,000 for the town coffers for the first half of the year. ;The municipality, is allowed to charge up to half of last ear's final mill rate as an interim levy. Last year's rate ended up at 219.58 mills. The interim • levy for Business Improvement Area purposes will be set at 20 mills this year. Finance committee chairman Rill Mickle also succeeded in having another of his co]nmittee's recom- mendations approved that will increase .the interim taxes. The annual sewer frontage Sunday storm strands 1 50 in area About 150 people were stranded in Exeter and Dashwood as record low temperatures and wind - whipped snow forced drivers off area highways throughout Sunday af- ternoon and early evening. Seventy-five people were hosted at the Dashwood Community Centre, many of them being players and fans of a minor hockey team enroute from ' Listowel to Forest for an atom Silver Stick hockey tournament. Most of the Listowel contingent made it back to their homes later in the evening when they were given a police escort. Others stranded in Dashwood were billeted_1n, local homes for the night and departed early Monday morning for their destinations. The Exeter Legion Hall was also a welcome sight for 74 motorists who decided to go no farther after arriving in town during the storm. Reg . McDonald said that was a record number for the hall to host during a blizzard. About 40 of those people were placed in local homes for the night, while the remainder struck out around 9:30 p.m. for their intended destinations after the wind abated. McDonald said the people started arriving around 2:30 p.m. and there were those still straggling in around 8:00 p.m. He said that several Exeter residents called the Legion hall to offer their homes to the stranded motorists and he expressed appreciation for this cooperation. "We could have put up another 40 people," he said, in reference to the offers which flowed in when it became known that people were stranded in town. It was the bone -chilling record low temperatures which prompted many of the motorists to seekcshelter, St. Thomas resident Ken Caldwell, heading home with his family. ftom a festive season gathering in Clinton, said it was just too cold to risk getting stuck somewhere in the country. Some of those stranded were close to their destinations, while others still had a long way to travel. Mr. and Mrs. Bert DeBont, RR 2 Crediton, stopped in at the L gion hall around 7:00 p.m. They were on their way home from Mrs. DeBont's parents' home in Mitchell. They had their one -year-old daughter, Adriana, with them and didn't want to risk getting stuck. DeBont said the weather was "real good" when he left Mitchell and the roads were bare until he got within four miles of Exeter. "Then it started to get poor," he said. Fourteen of those arriving at the hall were from the Belle River area. They had been in Teeswater for a snowmobiling weekend. Among them was John George, a first cousin of Mrs. Don Mason, of town. He said they left early when the weather started to look questionable and they drove over two hours in the storm. Another two vehicles in their contingent became separated. George, who holds the Canadian record with 33 years' consectitive service on Belle River council, is a former warden of Essex. His last stay in Huron was when he attended the International Plowing Match in Seaforth and that visit was marred by continual rain. Bill and Iona Setterington arrived at the Legion hall loaded down with grapefruit and oranges. They were returning to their home in Walkerton after a four-week holiday in Texas. Set- terington had only a pair of toe rubbers with him. The couple had driven over 2,000 miles since leaving Texas on Thursday and said the weather was beautiful until they started north of London on Sunday afternoon. They,along with the other stranded motorists, had dinner at the Burkley, Restaurantwhich delayed its closing. to feed them. Coffee was being served at the Legion. Setterington is the retired principal of Walkerton High School and taught in Midland with former SHDHS prin- cipal, Douglas Palmer. Frank and Evelyn Treble, London. stranded enroute from a family Christmas party in Carlow, described road conditions as "terrible". It took them two and a Mif hours to get to Exeter. "The white -outs were awful", Mrs. Treble reported They commended the local Please turn to page 2 will be added' to the interim notices and deleted from the final instalments. The purpose of that switch is twofold: to even the quarterly instalments for ratepayers and 4o increase the town's cash flow in the first half of the year. That cash flow may need some increase may be / evident in the fact council also passed a bylaw this ,week authorizing current, borrowing up to S1,000,000 as interim financing if required. The coinmittee had discussed the possibility of advancing the date of the firtt tax instalment, but decided to table this for a year. Due dates for the two instalments of the interim levy will remain as March 15 and June 15. Council did accept a recommendation of the 'committee to provide more outlets at which ratepayers can pay their taxes.. They will add the Royal Bank and Bank of Commerce to the list of places where taxes are accepted for payment. Intentions were to add the Credit Union to the list, but Clerk Liz 13e11 said this could. not be bone as it is against the present policy of the Credit Union. It has also been approved to raise the interest rate on unpaid taxes from one percent to one and a quarter percent. In addition, count agreed with the committee to petition the provincial government to raise the ceiling 00 the rate of interest municipalities can ,charge. The current limit is the new rate accepted by council, one and a quarter percent Long term care study released Vague on nursing home. The recently released mittee approaches the Peat, Marwick study on long provincial government about term care planning in the building of a nursing Huron -Perth indicates a home. need for extended care beds The study looked exten- in Exeter. The study, which sively at rest home and nur- was conducted :by Peat, sing home care in Huron - Marwick and "partners Perth. •According to Peat, management consultants for Marwick. ,,,the location of the Huron -Perth hospital ad- beds in Hilton County shows minstrator's working group, a strong overall imbalance looks into the needs of senior which has been created by citizens requiring long term the large number of extend - health care. ed care beds at Huronview South Huron Hospital ad- County Home near Clinton. mihistrator Roger Sheeler These beds have been added said that the study is vague without overall planning and about the need for a nursing general consideration of the home in Exeter. Sheeler said dislocation of residents us - that the study calls for 25-30 ing the facility." R. was extended care beds to be recommended that no. more created in Exeter by 1990. beds be added at Huronview. Peat. Marwick recommends The study went on to say that facilities be kept at that''kIt is very evident that about a 30 bed size. • a high level of centralization Sheeler said that the study- .of extended care beds should will be used as support not take place in rural documentation when a corn- areas." They suggested that new nursing homes. be 'built only in urban areas with a Wright given population of over 1000. cemetery *O- St/ built The report said that homes should be bin towns and ' Former council members serve the surrounding .corn sty within a 10 to 15 mile rads s. The need for a facili- ty exists in Exeter. the re rt said. Th study went on to say that "If the Queensway Nur- sing Horne at Hensall re- quires rebuilding. these beds should be moved to Exeter." Sheeler said that he doubted ►i everyone would agree with that suggestion, and he did not want to emphasize it. The report also looked at uhlicenced rest homes. The need for nursing care. and problems such as fire hazards were pointed out. The report said that • "a method for supervising and monitoring the level of care required of a resident in rest homes should be established as an immediate priority." Ted Wright has been named chairman of the Exeter Cemetery board. He was elected at the group's inaugural meeting last Monday. At that meeting. the board agreed to replace a fence on the west side of the cemetery at an approximate cost of $1.132. .In submitting the report. Councillor Morley Hall said .3,61.entative budget has been examined for 1981 and will be settled when year-end adjustments have been made. He indicated that the pen- ding increase in cemetery plots hgd resulted in several people 'making purchases before the new ratesbecome effective. The study calved for regular inspections and minimum standards in homes for the aged as in nursing homes. Sheeler said that one fault of the study is the fact that they did not look into how .many people from this area are forced to move away to find extended care accom- modations. He felt that Peat. Marwick should have consulted the elderly who moved away from Exeter area. because there was no facility here. The study stresseft that facilities should be available so that the elderly don't have to leave their own community. The study will: probably be examined by the hospital board at .their meeting on January 20. Prior to that copies of the study will be circulated among senior - citizen groups and nursing homes in the area. Prompt payers Exeter ratepayers will. probably continue to hold the record this year for prompt payment of taxes. Last year, the amount of outstanding taxes from the 1979 tax roll was listed at 4.98 percent. That was the lowest of any of the towns in Huron. the next closest be- ing six percent and the range went all the way to 14'2 per- cent Clerk Liz Bell reported, Monday. that only 3 88 per- cent of '980 taxes. or ap- proximately $52.00k. remains unpaid. "That's really something." commented Reeve Don MacGregor. "It's a tremendous record. added Councillor Gaylan Josephson - WHY DID WE LEAVE? — That have been the question Bill and lona Setterington of Walkerton were asking themselves hen they become stranded in Sunday's blizzard. They were returning from a four-week holiday .in Texas The couple hod a good supply of oranges and grapefruit which,they brought into the Exeter Legion hall to keep from freez- ing. Legion member Reg McDonald, centre, admires the large sized delicacies.Stoff photo • 1