HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1985-12-24, Page 13VIEWS LOSS - Lucan area auctioneer James "Bud" McIver stands amid the fire damaged items in a
building behind Agricultural Information Services on Thames Road W. Fire badly damaged the building
and contents early Friday morning before being brought under control by the Exeter_and area fire
•, department. e
Government guarantees $200;000
Genera/ Homes baked
After a recent --series of dramatic
downs and ups. the General Home
Systems plant in Hensall Will step
confidently. into the new _year facing
the prospect of a secure future with
the'joint announcement by jack Rid-
dell Atirftster of Agriculture and
Food. and MPP for Huron Middlesex.
and•Industry. Trade and Technology
Minister Hugh P. O'Neil that the On—
tario_ Development .Corporation has
approved a guarantee of $200.000 tor
the important village industry.
A consortium of 12 customer -
dealers organized by general
manager. Doug Holmes. had put the
plant back in business on October 23
under new ownership after it was
forced to close and lay off 130 produc-
tion workers when the parent L'S
WELL BE LATE
Due to the NeW Year's holiday. the
Times -Advocate - will arrive at
readers' homes one,day later than
usual next week. -
All deadlines. however, will remain
me. The issue will be•printed on
ay. December :31 and will be
•ered on Thursday, January 2.
company ' went into voluntary
bankruptcy -and an unsecured
creditor had the Hensall facility
declared bankrupt at a hearing in
London on September 20.
"The guarantee will enable the new
owners of General Home Systems to
secure appropriate bank funding and
ensure continuation of the manufac-
•turing process in Hensall," said
O'Neil
The company is•a maior manufac-
tures of transportable modular hous-
ing units and employs approximate-
ly 130 people on average.
Information on all financial
assistance programs is available
from the Ontario Development Cor-
poration's Lopdon office at 195 Duf-
ferin Avenue. telephone `433-2871.
Long distance calls may be made toll
free from within the 519 calling area
by dialing,1-800-265:4746.
Driver fined 5500
over third offence
An Exeter area man with two.
previous convictions -was fined $500
when he appeared for the third time
on a charge of driving when his
license was under suspension,
Tuesday.
Howard. Joseph Kramer. RR 1 Ex-
eter, pleaded guilty to the charge
before Justice of the Peace Douglas
Wedlake in Exeter court.
Kramer was charged .on June 26
SUNSHINY SANTA
School Wednesday
Brandy Hern.
..4
Santa Claus visited the Sunshine Kids Nursery
morning and it shown with Cherisse Knip and
T -A photo
Ron Denham wins
Perth warden seat
It look only one secret ballot at an
"informal gathering" to decide that
Blanshard Reeve Ron Denham would
be warden of Perth County'.
A month ago. both Warden Denham
and Mitchell Reeve Jim Spence
declared their intentions to run for the
coveted post of warden.
However. at the gathering of coun-
cillors prior to the official inaugural
meeting of county council which
No injuries
in collisions
No injuries were reported in either
of the two collisions investigated by
the Exeter OPP this week.
On Tuesday. vehicles operated by
Ronald Snelgrove. RR 1 Lucknow.
and Heather Clemens. Kincardine.
collided on llighw•ai- -1 in the llensall
area Damage was 52.000.
The following day: vehicles driven
by Joseph Kenda. Zurich. and Debra
Chappel RR 1 Woodham. collided On
the Kirkton Road. Damage In that one
was $1.700.
The Exeter OPP remind area
residents that holiday driving could
pose special problems and remind
everyone of the need to drive defen-
sively. Among the hazards on the
roads are weather conditions and the
possibility of drinking drivers
The Exeter OPP extend season's
greetings to all
started at 2 p.m. on December 11.
Downie Reeve Calvin Innes said he
also wanted to be warden. The
Downie reeve said he had only made
the decision to run earlier in the week.
'it's an hdnor to be chosen warden."
said Reeve Denham in his inauguarl
address.
The 62 -year-old man plans on being
a custodial warden. looking after the
county business for a year. but with
no list of specific actions. '
"1 am certain we will carry along."
he commented, "As far as priorities.
i haven't set up any list of these."
Ile did say the restoraton of the
county court house in downtown
Stratford would continue. The refur-
bishing of the court house is gearing
up for 1987, which will be the 100th an-
niversary of the building.
The three past wardens for Blan-
shard were mentioned by the most re-
cent addition to that list. There was
John Stephens in 1954, David White in
1964 and Donald Simpson in 1977.
He was presented with the
warden's chain of office by past
warden Oliver McIntosh of Fullarton
Township.
"111 be as good as a warden as it is
possible for me to be," said Warden
Denham.
Past warden McIntosh was
presented with ,a pin from Ormond
Pridham- of the past warden's
association. Mr. Pridham is former-
ly a reeve of F'ullarton.
after being stopped in Stephen
Township during a- routine police
check at 10:00 pm. He was unable to
produce a drilyer's license or proof of:
insurance for the vehicle,
He admitted knowing the licen0
was under suspension for unpaid
fines. His two previous convictions
were on May 1 and May 25 of last
year.
He was given four months in which
to pay the fine and had his license
suspended for a further six months in
addition to any current suspension.
Robert Ridgewell, 103 James St.,
Clinton, pleaded guilty to the same
charge and was fined $250. It was his
'first offence. He was given three
months in which to 'pay and also
received a further six-month
suspension.
The accused told the court he was
driving because the owner of the vehi-
cle was too drunk to drive.
A fine of $189 was levied against
Robert J. Docherty, Cambridge, who
was tried in absentia for a speeding
charge on August 31.
He was convicted on the charge of
driving his Corvette at a speed of 142
in an 80 km. zone in Usborne
Township. ' '
Michael Westelaken, RR 1 Hensall,
was fined $125 on a speeding charge
from an incident on December?.
The court learned that the vehicle
driven by the accused -entered the
radar zone at 153 km. and slowed to
135. `
Westelaken told the court that the
gas pedal stuck on his vehicle as he
was overtaking another -vehicle and
he had to turn off the engine to get
slowed down. - -
In the only other case on Tuesday's
docket, Jeff William Hoffman, RR 2
Dashwood. was fined $53on a charge.
of having liquor while under the legal
age.
Hoffman, who did not appear, was
charged on. August 8 in Stephen
Township when a vehicle in which he
was a passenger was stopped by
Police in a spot check. Ten bottles of
beer were found in a cooler in the
trunk of the vehicle art_d the accus-
ed admitted ownership.
He was given 30 days in •which to
pay the fine.
SNOWMOBILES BANNED
A reduction in use of snowmobiles
in Pinery Provincial Park over the
past five years, as well as budgetary
considerations has eliminated the
program for the 1985-86 season accor-
ding to Park Superintendent Ray
Bonenberg.
"Only an average of IAO permits
were sold to snowmobilers during the
entire last three years. This shows
minimal demand for the activity."
Bonenberg said. "Snowmobiles were
usually allowed to use the trails when
there was 15 cm or more of snow. The
variable snow depth and uncertain
trail conditions has historically caus-
ed the closure of the park to
snowmobiling most of the time
anyway.'
"The snowmobiles have conflicted
with the large number of cross coun-
try skiers that use Pinery". said -Park
Naturalist Terry Crabe. "Skiing has
become extremely popular and at
limes ski trails are rim. upon by
snowmobiles."
Ames
dvoc
Serving South Huron. North Middlesex
December 24, -1985
1 North lambton Since 1173
PagelA
THREE BLAZES KEEP
LOCAL FIREMEN -BUSY
The Exeter and area fire depart-
ment had three calls during the past
wee(c, two stemming from chimney
fires and the other in a storage
building in Exeter.
The fire -in the storage building own-
ed by Agricultural information Ser-
vices on Thames Road W. was
discovered shortly after 7:00 a.m. on
Friday. •
Ron Caldwell. Dashwood,
mechanic at Exeter Produce and
Storage, smelled smoke after arriv-
ing at work and on investigation. saw
smoke coming from the building.
He phoned the fire department and
brigade members saved much of the
building, although it was heavily
damaged on the inside.
Clandeboye area auctioneer and
antique dealer James "Bud" Mciver
hadbeen renting the building for
stor age of used furniture.
He was unable to put an estimate on
the loss of the contents and Fire Chief
Gary Middleton did not- have a loss
figure on the building. The latter said
the building will probably be torn
down. Neither -the building nor the
contents were insured.
Causeof, the blaze is still under
investigation.
Around 3:00 a.m., Saturday, a
chimney fire was -extinguished at the
10 Sherwood Crescent homed Wayne
and Sou Chong. Middleton said
damage to the house was around
$8.000 and included the chimney and
some panelling and insulation that
had to bepulled down by the firemen
to get at the blaze.
The other chimney fire was on
Wednesday morning at the Osborne
residence of Lloyd McCurdy, RR 1
Kirkton. No damage was reported in
that fire, which broke out around 8:00
a.m.•
SPOTTED BLAZE — Ron Caldwell, right, shows where he saw smoke coming from the building behind
AIS•ofi Friday morning. The mechanic of Exeter Produce 8 Storage called the fire department after in-
;vestigoting the odor of smoke he noticed after arriving for workin the neighborhood.
Supreme Court rules
roup homes are okay
The Hon. Mr. Justice O'Brien. in an
Ontario Supreme Court hearing.
Tuesday. ruled that a proposed group
home in the north-east sectiein of Ex-
eter does not contradict the town's
zoning bylaw,
He was presiding at a hearing in
London initiated by; 60 residents of Ex-
eter who had applied to the court for
an interpretation of town bylaw No.
30-1978 and for an injunction restrain-
ing the town, from -issuing a budding
permit for the construction.of a group
home in an institutionally zoned area.
The Ilon. Mr. O'Brien ruled that the
application for an injunction against
the issuing of a building permit was
premature and the applicants had
presumed too. much.
James LeBer - of Lerner &
Associates represented the ap-
plicants. while Mike Mitchell
represented the corporation. '
The court ruled that the cost of the
proceedings would .be paid by the
applicants.
The affidavit presented•to the court
was signed onbehalf of the north end
residents by' Len Veri,
Residents listed as applicants in ad-
dition to Veri included: Noel Veri. C.
Turner. Pal Turner. Cathy Mugford.
Jim Mugford. E.A. Swart man. Larry
Wein, W. Davidson, Doris Bell. Art
Bell. Bonita Zawalski. Lee Dobbs.
George Dobbs. Liz Stephens. Pam
DeJong. Tony . DeJong, Marjorie
Guenther. Irvin Guenther, Debbie
,.I ;..Ea111111111,"•
Sadler. Brad Sadler, Dc!;1'assi ore,
David Robinson. Beverly Robinson,
Tom Murch. Susan Murch. Dorothy
Quinn. James Quinn. Al Horton, Clara .
DeVries. Sam DeVries. J. Black. Col-
lette Elder. Ellen Trott: Doreen.
Raters. Sue Ann Rasenberg. Doreen
Prance. Earl Reichert. Faye
Reichert. Durk Bakker. Ray f' rayne.
Helen Frayne. Paulin 'B. Simmons.
W.E. Simmons. Norma ('ockwill,
Tom Donohue. J. Eberle, E.Eberle,
Dorothy F'inkbeiner.. Lillian Guen-
ther. Kathleen Green. William Green. -
F'red Hudson. E-velyn Hudson,
Margaret Hughes. 'Sebin
Kallomadyil. Karen Davison, Murray
Davison. Barbara 11'hite. and Trevor
Wilson.
dik �� .t 1
YOUNGSTERS SEE SANTA The handicapped students at the McCurdy=Huron Hope School enjoyed
o Friday visit from Santo and members of the Grand Bend Alhambra Caravan. Students with Santa ore
Brion King, Brendon Walker, Becky Pickering and Theresa Brown. At the bock are Alhambra members
Martin Stokkemans• Phil Walker, Jim Dalton. Ted Relouw and Cor Vandenberk and school principal
Pat Soldan. T -A photo
Hay officials pleased - .•
Line grana is
Hay Township has received a very
welcome pre -Christmas gift from the
provincial government. A phone call
from environment minister Jim
Bradley's office officially informed
clerk Joan Duchatme that a grant of
$770.000 is being provided to financial-
ly assist in the building of a pipeline
to bring potable from the waterworks
at Grand Bend along highway 21 to
Drysdale.
• The sum represents 74.23 percent of
the estimated'1,037.000 cost to build
the main trunk line. Ducharme was
informed this conforms to govern -
$770,000
ment policy pertaining to recreational
areas. whereby help is available for
main lines. hut not for distribution
systems. The estimated total cost of
the main trunk and the distribution
systems is $2.038.000:
Speaking in the absence of Reeve
Lionel Wilder. Deputy Reeve Claire
Deichert expressed Hay Township
ci►uncil's pleasure on receiving the
good news. Ile pointed out the fact a
water system would attract more
year-round residents to the township.
provide a broader tax base. and make
up for the loss of assessment .when
unoccupied houses and unused barns
have been torn down
,'Hopefully the line will go ahead
without loo much opposition Deichert
said. adding that each subdivision will
be responsbile for pulling in its own
lines. and people presently supplying
water through private distribution
systems may continue to do so.
Area MPI' Jack Riddell. who work-
ed hard bothin opposition. and in of-
fice for government assistance for the
water line. said he was -very happy"
about the accomplishment.