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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1975-01-23, Page 1 (2)Loss $18,000 in Exeter blaze Exeter fire chief Gary Mid- dleton estimated damages at $18,000 when flames destroyed a mobile,bome in Nbrwood Village in Usborne township just south of Exeter Monday afternoon. The mobile home was pur- chased only a few days earlier for $16,000 by Mr. and Mrs. Yvon Laurin. Value of contents lost were valued at $8,000. Middleton saki the fire is believed to have started when workmen were attempting to thaw out frozen pipes below the home. Mrs. Laurin, a 16 year-old son and a six weeks old baby were in the home when the fire broke out.. The Laurin family is currently staying at the home of neighbours, The local fire brigade was called out on two other occasions this week. They answered a call to the Thomson apartments on William Street Friday afternoon and to Canadian Canners Wed- nesday evening. Middleton said little damage was caused in the apartment of Janice McLeod, 285 William Street when "supper burned in the oven." The apartment was filled with smoke when firemen arrived. At Canadian Canners a sprinkler system caused a false alarm. MOBILE HOME DAMAGED — Fire Monday afternoon caused heavy damage to q Norwood Village mobile home owned by Mr. and Mrs. Yvon Laurin. In the obove picture building. smoke pours from the back of the T -A photo ar A SWEEPING FIREMAN — In the above picture Exeter fireman Bill Gilfillan is sweeping water from the mobile home of Yvon Laurin located in Norwood Village. The home was heavily damaged by flames Monday afternoon. T -A photo Grand Bend to use county building man In the very near future all building inspections in the village of Grand Bend will be carried out by officials of the County of Lambton. Village council decided Mon- day night to turn over all aspects of adminstration of the village bylaw to the county. A new bylaw is being prepared and it is expected to be passed at the February 3 meeting. The new regulations will be based on the standard building code for the Province of Ontario and other laws now used in Lambton. It is expected the new permits will be $25 and $2 for each thou- sand dollars for new construction and $5 plus $2 for each thousand for renovations from $300 to $5,000. Reeve Bob Sharen said inclu- sion of Grand Bend in the county •inspection system would be sim- ple as Lambton inspectors are in Bosanquet township checking work each Friday morning. Two applicants for building permits. Robert Simpson of Wonder Grove and Bill Adelman of the Fountainbleu Motel were told they could probably start work this Friday after a visit by Lambton inspectors. Ask for shoreline assistance Council has received an application from Russ Lingard of Southcott Pines under the Shoreline Assistance Act. The Act provides assistance to property owners along lake • Employees given .20 percent boost Members of the Exeter works department staff will receive pay Increases of 20 percent. That was the recommendation approved this week by Exeter council. Councillor Tom MacMillan said this was an "average" increase, as some were slightly below this figure and others slightly above it. In 1974, the employees received pay boosts ranging from 10 to 18 percent. That resulted in hourly salaries from a low of $3.35 to a high of $4.00. Most of the men received $3.60. The new rates will bring the top rate to $4.80 and the low to about $4.00. Most of the men will presumably be receiving $4.32 per hour. In addition, all town employees will have equal fringe benefits. This means that members of the works department will have 75 percent of their benefits paid by the town in comparison to last year when the town paid only 50 percent. The police have had 75 percent of their benefits paid by the town in the past and the -other em- ployees will now share this same percentage. Salaries for department heads has not yet been set by council. Mayor Bruce Shaw said most of the department heads had agreed to offers made, but these will not he approved until all negotiations have been completed. Two policemen attending college Two local policemen are enrolled in six-week courses at the Ontario Police College in - Aylmer. They are OPP Constable Larry Christiaen and Exeter PD Constable James McMeekin. •Their course will be completed around mid-February. shorelines 'in shoring up their banks against erosion. Lingard has estimated the work necessary along his proper- ty would .cost about $8.000. Clerk Louise Clipperton said the first step in making applica- tion for this type of assistance is in engaging an engineer for a survey. Ontario Municipal Board approval is also needed. Loans under the Shoreline Protection Act come from the Ontario government and can be obtained at a preferred rate over a 20 year term. Before following up the Lingard request, council is asking if any other property owners along the shores of Lake Huron within the confines of the village are interested in taking similar precautions against ero- sion. For the second consecutive meeting .council was asked to - please turn to page 3 May not require expropriation plan A bylaw approving the ex- propriation of lands required for the new Anne St. drain was passed by Exeter council this week. However, there was an in- dication it may not be required. Two of the property owners, Jean' Coward and Ray Heywood, have already signed easement agreements. They were each gkven compensation of $3.00 per foot for the easement. That decision was made in December by last year's council at a special meeting at which the press was not invited. The third property owner, Ed Hunter-Duvar indicated in a telephone conversation with one member of council this week he would also settle without the matter going to expropriation. He too will be offered $3.00 per foot. All other property owners effected signed easements without receiving any com- pensation, with the exception of Snell Bros. Ltd. who were given compensation for loss of business while the drain was being in- stalled across their property. Tenders called for sewer work r=e Tenders have been called for the completion of Exeter sanitary sewer project. The advertisements appeared in newspapers this week and the tenders will be opened on February 13. If they are close to the price estimated by the consulting engineer - around $650,000 - the work could commence this spring. However, if the estimates are high, the town would have to seek approval from the Ontario Municipal Board to secure the extra funds required. Mayor Bruce Shaw told council there was some hope that con- struction projects of this nature may be undertaken at lower costs this year. He cited a case were a major London contractor had bid a job at a price 20 percent lower than the engineer's estimates and had still lost the contract due to the keen competition. "There's no work, and com- panies are crying for something ,to do," Shaw said. He hinted this could result in tenders being within range on local projects. Flu bug strikes area youngsters Elementary schools in Exeter seem to be the hardest hit this week by an epedemic of colds and flu among staff and students. • Exeter Public School reported a .total of 120 children from a total enrollment of 500 absent on Tuesday: There were also four teachers out of twenty two away. The common complaints seem to be coughing. hacking and -run- ny noses with some fevers. Precious BIOod Separate school has also been hit with the bug with ten pupils out of 74 away and two out of five teachers absent. Spokesman for the school said that each child seemed to be affected differently but that there was also a few cases of measles in the school. Usborne school. which was hard hit last week, is getting back to normal this week with only 25 out of 327 away on Wednesday and all the staff back again. J.A.D. McCurdy school in Huron Park reported a total of 38 absent out of 335 but said there was nothing unusual in that number of absentees. Schools in the surrounding area report that the number of children sick -is not much different than any normal winter month. Stephen Central school has 24 children away but say that they were hit with a wave of sick calls before Christmas. Hensall Public school had only 5 children away and Grand Bend only one or two. Lucan schools reported that they had more away sick last week but that things were get- ting back to normal now. Huron Centennial reported 32 absent Tuesday • One Hundred and Second Year EXETER, ONTARIO, JANUARY 23, 1975 Price Per Copy 25 Cents Playhouse name architect,fund drive for permanent building construction A FLUORIDE BRUSHER - Nurses from the Huron Health Unit are con- tinuing the fluoride brushing of teeth in area elementary schools. Above, Kerry Rock of J.A.D. McCurdy school is brushing energetically.;t°hoto• Thieves get $534 in resort robbery Two break-ins were reported this week in the area controlled by the Pinery Park detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police. Property valued at $534 was taken from the Thompson and Warner Sunoco station at Grand Bend. Constable P.M. Clushman is investigating. Debate purchase of new backhoe Exeter council may be faced with the prospect of replacing the town's backhoe this year. Public works chairman Bob Simpson said the present backhoe was "in bad shape" and council would have to buy a new one or face the prospect of spending a considerable amount repairing the preent machine. He said the price of a new backhoe would be around $18,000 The present machine was purchased second hand at a cost of $3,000. The committee was asked to consider the situation more fully and report back to council. Constable R.D. Hendley is in charge of investigating a break- in at a home in the Walden subdivision at RR 2. Grand Bend. A colour television set and other household articles were reported missing. Three motor vehicle accidents in the detachment's area during the week caused damages of more than 82,000. Monday. damage of $500 was caused to a vehicle driven by John A. McDonald. 343 Josephine Avenue, Windsor when it was struck by an unknown vehicle on Highway 21, South of the Pinery Park entrance. Constable G.W. Clark investigated. Wednesday. Constable F.A. Gardiner estimated damages at 81,550 when vehicles driven by Harold J. Lock, RR 2, Mluirkirk and Ronald A. Fallis. RR 3 Listowel collided on Highway 21 north of the Pinery Park gates. Only minor damages resulted Saturday when a vehicle driven by Owen R. Burley RR 2. Grand Bend left Highway 21 south of the Pinery entrance struck a high- way sign. Constable G W Clark investigated. During the week a total of 25 occurrences were investigated with two charges laid under each of the Liquor Control Act and the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act. W.G. Cochrane, chairman of the board, Huron Country Playhouse, announced this week that Peter Smith of Lett,Smith, Toronto, has been named as architect for the new permanent playhouse building: Formerly associated with the Ron Thom architectural firm, Smith was involved in the design of the Fire Hall Theatre in Toronto and the new Shaw Festival Theatre at Niagara -on - the -Lake. The new Playhouse building at Grand Bend will contain seating for 500 people. It will have well sloped floors, well planned acoustics and sight lines, an orchestra pit and stage space large enough to accommodate full scale musicals. While the new building will be highly efficient and up-to-date, its appearance will be farm -like and will tie in with and connect to the present Playhouse barn, making up what might be one of the most attractive theatres in Canada -- ' it a Playhouse board hofs studied the results of the feasibility study carried out by Lett,Smith. made possible through a grant from the ministry of colleges and universities. The study dealt with im- mediate and long-range needs. explored the continued use of the tent. the conversion of the present barn loft and a variety of pre-engineered buildings that could be adapted for use as a summer playhouse. Highway staff won'ttmove A suggestion of a few weeks ago by Ministry of Tran- sportation and Communications officials to move the Exeter Highway shed and staff to Grand Bend will not be carried out. Huron MPP Jack Riddell told the T -A by phone shortly before press time Wednesday afternoon he had received assurance from Minister John,Rohdes that the facility would remain in Exeter. - Riddell indicated he had received strong opposition from many Exeter residents including a protest from Exeter council and personally asked Rhodes to with- draw the change. The local MPP continued. "it was ridiculous to suggest a move like this. Most of the employees live right in Exeter and it's an ideal location for the sheds at the intersection of two main high- ways... An original design, however. was ultimately decided upon as the type of building that would be the most serviceable. the most desirable and the most economical. Although the building's basic structure. phase one. is expected to be ready for the 1975 season, the construction will be in phases over three years. • Phase one of the building will cost approximately S50,000. Construction will begin as quickly as possible. B.W. Tuckey, Exeter. heading the drive to finance the new building. announced a goal of $125,000 to tLe raised over a three year period. He also acknowledged grants of 825,000 from the provincial and federal governments. The Playhouse hopes to raise about half of the remainder from businesses, corporations, foundations and other granting agencies. but it is hoped a sub- stantial amount will be raised throughout the various local communities. Mr. Tuckey, who served for two years as chairman of the board, said the Playhouse has proven itself a viable operation and an asset to the community. Its at- tendance has grown steadily each year and to date has attracted over 25.000 visitors. During the highly successful 1974 season. the company played to 93 percent capacity and had four sell-outs. Mr. Tuckey said an organized 'canvass for funds will begin soon. Establish priorities for streets, drains FollotalA6 ttie recommen- dations of the public %Lit-t,s com mittee. Exeter council this week approved in principle the pro- jects set out for priority this year. Number one on the list is the reconstruction of Andrew St. from Gidley to John. The portion of Andrew St to the north of this was reconstructed a year ago - Estimated cost of the project is *57.000. plus the cost involved in moving any utilities The pro- ject will proceed as soon as possible. Councillor Garnet Hicks asked if the trees along this portion of the street would have to be removed. "If you're going to have park- ing on both sides. they'll have to go." works superintendent Glenn Kells replied. Last year. several members of council indicated that the street between Gidley and John should be wider than the northern por- tion of the street so parking can he permitted on both sides. North of Gidley St. parking is allowed only on one side. Members felt tat if the same practice is followed south of Gidley. there would be too much parking lost in the core area. The public works committee was instructed to "save the trees" if possible during the reconstruction project Set out as the number two priority is the extension of the Anne $t. storm drain from its present terminal on Edward St The drain would be extended north to Sanders and then east to Eastern Ave . which is the eastern limit of the town. Chairman Bob Simpson ex- plained this would be a necessity if the I rlir–, athtjivirinn is opened this year The engineering for the first two projects has already been completed. Estimate for the completion of the storm drain is $135.000. The third project considered is the reconstruction of Sanders between Edward and l'ryde. However. the storm drain as set out in project number two would have to be completed before this could be undertaken. Estimate for the work on Sanders Sl is listed at 547.000. The committee also suggested that 810.000 be spent on the con- struction if new sidewalks. Totalled. the projects would cost approximately $250.000. The amount of subsidy available from the ministry of transportation and com- munications for new construc- tion is only $44.000 to date However. councillors were given some indication that the grant on the storm dram running through to Eastern Ave could receive special consideration for extra subsidy because it is term- ed a non-recurring project Any costs above that which the ministry will subsidize- have to be paid 100 percent by the town Last year's council spent *169.- 000 on public works projects and received $81.000 in subsidies on these This included maintenance 1t'hile council approved the projects in principle. the matter was turned back to the com- mittee for further deliberation. although the top priority project of reconstructing Andrew St will hr' 'farted imtnediately Snowmobilers injured TALKING ABOUT SAFETY — OPP safety officer Constable John Wray of the Goderich detachment is currently visiting area elementary schools. Above, McCurdy public school students Robbie Finkbeiner, Chris Belmont, Noreen Riley, Stephen Mdntyre, Angelo McIntyre and Shelley Tomes listen to Constable Wroy. Seven crash one day Damage $8,500 in collisions Two snowmobilers were in- jured and damage amounted to over $8.500 in 14 accidents in- vestigated this week by the Ex- eter OPP. Robert W. Robinson. RR 3 Ailsa Craig. sustained bruises when the snowmobile he was operating struck a cement bridge abutment at 2:00 a.m.. Sunday. He had been proceeding4outh on concession 4 of Hay Township at the time of the crash Constable Bill McIntyre in- vestigated and listed damage to the machine at 1150. At 4:40 p.m.. Sunday. Scott M. Sweitzer. RR 2 Dashwood. sustained cuts and bruises when the snowmobile he was driving skidded into a ditch and rolled over. The acci nt happened on con- cession 16-17 of Stephen. just north of the Crediton Road , Damage to the snow vehicle was set at 115 by Constable Pon Mason. The rash of crashes started Thursday. and before the day was over. seven had been in- vestigated. Snow limited visibili- ty throughout most of the day. At 9:45 a.m.. cars driven by Peter Steckle. RR 2 Zurich. and Laurence Taylor. RR 1 Woodham. collided on Highway 4 with damage listed at $275 by Constable Jim Rogers. who in- vestigated four of the collisions. Thirty minutes later. he was called to the scene of a two - vehicle crash on Highway 83. Drivers involved were Wilmer Preszcator. Exeter. and Norton Maxwell. London. Damage was 8250. At 1:00 p.m.. cars driven by Gordon Morlock. Crediton, and Jeffery Gooding. Kitchener. collided on Highway 83 with damage set at $600. Big dump in LCA offences Statistics released this week by the Exeter OPP indicate liquor offences are on the,increase.. Last week. 14 charges were laid under the Liquor Control Act, bringing the total to date in 1975 to 20. Last year. police report an increase of almost 300 percent in liquor offences in the area. There were 85 in 1973 and 254 in 1974. "In the main, it's involving young people." OPP Cpl. Ray Brooks reported. The majority of charges arise from underage drinking or having liquor in a place other than a residence. Constable Rogers was dis- patched to his fourth crash of the day at 3:10 p.m.. when a car driven by Richard Noxell, Lon- don. went out of control on Highway 4 and struck a highway sign. Damage was $75. At 2:20 p.m.. Thursday. trucks driven by Gordon Hulley. RR 4 Walton. and Robert McGregor, RR 2 Kippen. collided on Mill St. in Hensall 'with damage set by Constable Don Mason at $550. About an hour later. vehicles driven by Winston Weaver. RR 6 Dresden, and Patrick Heenan, Seaforth. collided on Highway 4 with damage listed at $1,800 by Constable Bill Lewis. The final crash on Thursday occurred at 9:50 p.m., when a car driven by Harry MacNeil, Exeter, went out of control on Highway 83 and hit a tree. ---please turn to page 3 11