Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1986-01-08, Page 1• PER COPY • 4 . ,„, • y, • , , A. = • : 'f . , • v• —reft*t7Msiftt*trqovorRrstr"eprtvrrrsfrrrrervt OMAF turns cool on Exeter idea . • . .:••• , • .". • • .1 • ! • • , *ftfit 441i;• • • , + . , "4000""0- or. tit:•• ••, qS ,., ••••.! - • ••••• • 'Me proleer ...vegetable dokydration plant Some of the Mystery surrounding The town invested $6,000 in continu- a!' item known no "The Project" was ing the discuselon _on such a plant and lifted by Reeve , BSI Stickle in a- named a special committee con- PrePored 'gatemen read to Walther* sisting of Midde, Mayor Brune Shaw, of Exeter council, Monday. BU1 Milian, Jack Urquhart and Kim The project, which has been under- McLean. way for ahngat two years, is explore- A brochure was developed for tion pertaining to a vegetable discussion with the ministry of dehydration plant with storage and agricultUre and food with the solar greenhouses in Dieter. assistance of a' Tcironto architectural It all started when Exeter's firm, Millar, Nicol, Johnston 'economic development committee, Associates. which is chaired by Mickle, picked up Frank Nicol of Met firmwas retain - on an idea circulated to many ed to assist the committee to obtain muMcipalities. funding, to provide contacts and to Council joine,d forces with a Toron- 4prepare a prospectus on the type of to firm to explore the feasibility of study that would be required to ascer- such aneperation, and when that deal tain whether such a plant would be wenteour, struck out On their own to viable. exploration. Early in February of last year. the committee met with .081144 staff tO open a process of discussions on the project and Mickle said delays In those discussions occurred due to the political climate and it wasn't until mid July that discussions were held with Agriculture Minister Jack Riddell. Main reason for the discussions is tothe ministry interested in ex - •the potential for a dehydration in Exeter, and to that end, Wilde explained, a feasibility study would be required to assess available markets, labour requirements, economic impact on the community and many other equally important items. While council has indicated it would ,assist financially with such a study, I I rl probably to an amount 4810,000, the major portion of the funding (which Could be upwards of 170,000) would have to be borne by the provincial or federal governments. • A dehydration plant, which could result in up to 100 jobs, and new markets for area farmers, was given some strong initial interest by • ministry personnel, but in December some of that cooled because of fear that the proposal could create a precedent. "I personally find this hard to understand for I believe the location is right, the project has possibilities and the aim to assist the area to im- prove and develop is honourable," Mickle said. in his report. , He did advise that the ministry has initiated a major study of the Ontario food processhig industry m which the dehydration project will be a part. OMAF has indicated a willingness to further discuss the Exeter proposal on completion of that study in early March of this year. If the feasibility study is approved, Mickle advised council that it would initially look at the market prospects and he said after the meeting that such a study would also outline com- panies that may be interested in pro- ceeding with such a plant should it be proven viable. Shaw said it appeared ludicrous to him that the ministry would be fear- ful of 'spending money on a feasibili- ty study only on the basis of it setting Please turn to page 2 VOC North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 -::,::::-..:::::1;ORPRIPagtOftK, One Hundred and Fourte•nlit 'fear EXETER. ONTARIO, January 8, 1986 Price Per Copy 50 Cents FIRST BABY OF 1986 — The first baby of the year born at South Huron Hospital is Roberta Yvonne Louro Smith. Weighing in at six pounds and 13 ounces she is the daughter of Bob and Trudy Smith of RR 1, Dashwood and arrived at 2:10 a.m., Sunday. The Smith's have four other children. They are Adam, 12; Rachael, 10; Andrea, seven and Aaron, two. T -A photo. PUC moves to cut uncollectable. debts Writing off a total of $1,798.18 in un- product, and Davis asks in return collectible debts, up from 0,3401 the ,whgre else,ope can use* product for , previous yeary led •to-a—disciassion -•' PP to- threemelailise:bsdetoqieyinstr:,- among members of the Exeter PUC Commercial customers have the op - on ways to decrease the chance of tion of making a deposit, or supplying such losses in future. \ a letter of credit or their signature. PUC manager Hugh Davis told After DeVries had brought in a members of the Commission that Ex- clipping about a company that eter seems to have a transient popula- specializes in going through utilities' tion who "come to town, don't work, books looking for items eligible for a then disappear". Many leave forwar- rebate on federal taxes (and keeps ding addresses for non-existent one-third of the savings as its fee), streets. If those with a poor pay Davis asked PUC secretary -treasurer record return to Exeter, they are ask- Marilyn Sillery to examine the Exeter ed for a deposit before service is accounts. Davis explained that many connected. items such as switches are ordered Commissioner Harry DeVries sug- for stock, and the federal tax is paid gested that all new customers be re - at the time of purchase. However, any quired to produce a driver's licence equipment used on transformers is as identification, to make subsequent tax exempt. One -and -one-half days tracing of delinquent customers work prOved profitable, turning up easier. When Davis noted that some rebate eligibility amounting to people don't have a driver's licence, $730.90. Mayor Bruce Shaw asked that a A letter from the London PUC in - policy be drafted for consideration at formed the Exeter utility that it has upped its billing rate by 4.9 percent, the January meeting stipulating that to 34 cents for each bill it processes all new residential customers furnish some proof of identity - driver's for Exeter. licence, age of majority card, birth Davis expressed concern about notification received from the Zurich certificate - Malin one week of hook - Insurance Company dated December up. 18 informing the PUC that effective "We should know who we are serv- December 24 PCB pollution coverage ing", Shaw said. "Let's do what we was being excluded from Zurich think is right, and do it until we are policies. Davis foresees greater risk challenged. We are presently giving and liability with the proclamation of a person a product for up to 10 weeks the provincial spills bill placing before we know who we are talking • responsibility for spills on the owner, to." even if accidents happen in transit. The Commission also decided to He mentioned the Blenheim case, pay prevailing interest on commer- where clean-up costs after a cial customers' deposits of $50 or transformer blewjhave not yet been more that are held for more than six assessed. months. Davis said the subject of •Davis plans to find out more details deposits is the PUC's greatest source on whether alternate coverage can be of verbal abuse. Some commercial obtained from Ontario Ilydro, and customers ask where else one is re- report to the next meeting on January quired to pay money before using the 30. eter 'voices concern on turnip industry plight After hearing that one of the prime agriculture products in this area - along with its associated packing plants - is in serious jeopardy, Exeter council this week moved to back tur- nip producers in expressing theircon- cern over a disease problem they are experiencing to Agriculture Minister Jack Riddell. The unanimous decision was quick- ly taken after turnip grower Eric Davlaeminck predicted the disease could finish the turnip industry within three years. Davlaeminck, who represents growers in Huron and Middlesex, pointed out there are four turnip pro- cessing plants in the immediate Ex- eter area which would also be put out of business and that would end a $10,000,000 export business. He advised council there were a lot of jobs and a lot of money involved in the situation. • The turnip.grower explained pat turnip mosaic virus has reduced area crops by up to 100.per4nt. year. He said the disease, !Ho.:1)10.41141,488 He said iotne agriculture al doubted his contention originallf the introduction of canola into area was causing the probleth, tut they have now agreed thaehels cor- rect in his assessment of the situation. "Someone in Guelph made a mistake in allowingthis (canola) in- to the area," he said, adding that the only research done was in relation to varieties and not diseases. Davlaeminck suggested that the disease could also spread to cause problems for other vegetable crops grown in this area, such as cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. Turnip producers have been in con- tact with Riddell, he said, and while the minister reported that he had peo- ple working on the problem, the grower said it was moving "pretty slow". Council learned that some agriculture experts have advised tur- nip producers not to continue growing the crop this year, because they will experience the same problem which dtastically reduces the growth of the turnips and results in poor storage quality. "There's very little to do to combat IL," he said after fielding several illitetions from members of couneli. a in; was ineffective a ainst a virus, he noted, adding that the aphids spread their havoc in other areas. can be blown a distance 01 90 miles in Several growers have already been a • riod of less than four hours to please turn to page 2 PRICE HIKE COMING Beginning with the next issue the Times -Advocate copy price will in- crease to sixty cents. This reflects in- creased costs in printing and transportation. Several other papers in the area have been receiving sixty cents per copy for the past year. The cost of a one year subscription is now $25, a saving of $6.20 over the amount youwould pay by paying the single copy rate. CONTRASTING STYLES - Stanley Township clerk -treasurer Mel Graham and wife Betty, assistant clerk, chat with Huron County clerk -treasurer Bill Hanley and wife Jean at a New Year's Day levee held in the Stanley Community Centre to mark the beginning of the township's sesquicentennial celebrations. • *ft Jim ActiLon promised on illegal parking SUPPORTERS --- du'iSiSterday's NHL game irrthttrhit Ahrens, Harlem Tinney and Rick Lobb. • T -A. photo. • Snow pr °bleats outlined in the school area and at nursing homes and other special areas were Please turn to page 2 While Exeter residents we busy shovelling out from a winter storm, Monday, members of Exeter council were in a mild storm of their own over some problems associated with the snowfall. Resident Leroy Hern appeared at council to question why some vehicles can park on town streets all night, contrary to local bylaws, and not get a parking ticket. He wondered aloud what the police do on their 24-hour patrols when they see illegally parked vehicles. Police committee chairman Dorothy Chapman acknowledged that there is a bylaw prohibiting vehicles from parking all night and express- ed disappointment that the bylaw was not being enforced. "It will be looked after," she assured Hern. Deputy -Reeve Lossy Fuller said she had previously discussed the mat- ter with works superintendent Glenn Kells and asked him for some input on the subject. Kens reported that the number of illegally parked vehicles has increas- ed considerably this winter and members of his department have yet to see one ticketed. Councillor Tom Humphreys noted that his wife had been given a ticket for parking on the street during the summer and there were two others in the room who had run afoul of the law in the same regard during the sum- mer as well. Mrs. Fuller noted that the problem was more serious in the winter because it hampered snow removal. After noting that Mrs. Chapman had agreed to discuss the matter with the police, Mayor Bruce Shaw predicted there would be a raft of tickets issued "tonight or tomorrow at the latest." Hern also expressed concern about the lack of snow removal from town sidewalks, and while Shaw quickly took exception to that by noting the sidewalks had been kept clean this year, Kells admitted that with the holidays his staff had fallen a bit behind in cleaning the sidewalks In addition, Kells said that with the heavy snowfall and the number of staff and machines available. the FIRE GUTS CAR The Exeter and area fire depart- ment had one call during the past week to Usborne Township. On Tuesday around 3:45 p.m., a car owned by Andy Markson ignited in the engine area. The 1977 model was almost totally destroyed by the time firemen arrived on the scene just north of the Zion United Church on County Road 11. sidewalks could not be done in one day as plugged roads were given priority. He also noted that sidewalks / r RECEIVING LINE — Stanley Township Reeve Clarence Rau and his wife Sharon, dressed appropriately, were part of the receiving line welcoming guests to a New Year's Day levee to mark the beginning of the township's sesquicentennial celebrations. Stolen snowmobile smashed into tree Three collisions, one break and enter and one act of vandalism were investigated by the Exeter OPP dur- ing the past week. There were no injuries on Monday on the Iluron Park South access road, involvingNehicles operated by Hung Nguyen, 320 Algonquin Drive, Iluron Park, and Viezenz Krainz,174 Colum- bia Drive, Huron Park. Damage was set at $500. The other two occurred on Friday, The first on Canada Ave. in Huron Park, involving vehicles driven by Katherine J. Kehn, Thedford, and Stefan Orenchuk, RR 1 Centralia. Total damage was $3,000. The other was on Highway 21 in- volving a vehicle driven by Deborah .Jeffery, RR 2 Zurich. Her vehicle sus- tained damage of 11,000 the single vehicle mishap. The break, enter and theft occurred at the residence of William Connor, 260 Main St., Crediton. During the evening of January 3, someone entered .Connor's garage, took his snow vehicle and drove it into a tree. The following night, someone removed the stop arm from one of the school buses parked at the A&K Ser- vice Station at the junction of Highway 4 and the Crediton Road. Damage was 1100. The Exeter OPP detachment press release commended area drivers for their safe practices over the holiday season. Despite adverse road condi- tions at times, the number of colli- sions was kept to a minimum. No drivers were chatged with im- paired driving and alcohol was not a factor in any of the collisions investigated.