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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1988-02-17, Page 1Ames Serving South Huron, North Middlesex One Hundred and Seventeenth Year & North Lambton Since 1873 EXETER, ONTARIO, February 17, 1988 Price Per Copy 60 Cents FIRST BABY OF 1988 - Proud parents Louie and Peter Hrudka admire seven -pound daughter Courtney Kristin Lorraine, the first baby born at South Huron Hospital this year. She made her appearance at 1:21 a.m. on _-_$aturday, February 15. Council oppose plan Because of a lenghty agenda which sent Monday's meeting well past 11 p.m., •council had little -time to discuss the recent provin- cial recommendation for changes in municipal and county government. In bricf comments, Mayor Bruce Shaw said last week's editorial in the T -A hit the issue right on the head by saying this was another step towards regional government.. Shaw added, " It sure smells of regional government. The report is certainly pro -region and anti -town. There wcrc no representatives from towns on the committee and unfor- tunately it showed in the report." Rcevc Bill Ivlicklc who is highly concerned with the report said he had received no timetable as to when further action will be taken. He went on to say, " If it goes through we would lose Odle coun- ty our authority to control such things as building permits, polic- ing, cconoatic development, plan- - nine^ etc." dickie continued, " it's permis- sive legislation and We could be in the hands Of other levels of govern- ment..lVe can be forced into it and will have others tell us how to run our town. We won't be able to look after our own taxpayers. He concluded, " It could be this council chamber will soon be emp- ty and the T -A will have nothing to report about town business." Invite from another Exeter All,residents of the town of Exeter are being issued an invitation to at- tend the 350th anniversary of their namesake community in the state of New Hampshire in the United States. In a letter read to council Monday night, Edward S. Chase Jr., chair- man of the American Exeter coun- cil said, " We would enjoy having the citizens of Exeter, Ontario join us for our special celebration and share with us in our unique past". The anniversary is being held on the weekends of June 2 and 3 and July 2,3 and 4. Exeter, New Hampshire is locat- ed in a very scenic area of New England merely 20 minutes from the ocean, an hour from Boston and the White Mountains. The June 4 grand parade will in- clude a special float for guests from other Excters. Council deciding on PRIDE projects Exeter council will be deciding this week if and to what degree they will be applying for grants under the new PRIDE program. Steve Burnes of the engineering firm of B.M. Ross explained to council aspects of the new program which replaces the former Ontario Neighbourhood Improvement Pro- gram. - He listed a total of 19 projects which could be undertaken in the future and suggested which projects council decide on would depend on the percentage of funding available. It ranges from seven and a half per- cent to 50 percent depending on des- ignation. If a project is designated to benefit the whole town then the 50-50 basis would apply. Truck strikes train snowplow Julie McBride of RR 3 Kippen was hospitalized after the truck she was driving slid into a Canadian National Railways snowplow train early Sunday afternoon. She was taken to South Huron Hospital in Exeter with a cut to her forehead and was kept over- night for observation. The McBride vehicle was west- bound on the Hay -Stanley town - line and in'attempting to stop slid into the side of the train. The pick- up truck was demolished and the train suffered only minimal dam- age. Earlier Sunday , a vehicle driven by Elgar Strader, Toronto went out of control on Highway 83, near Concession 4-5 in Usborne town- ship and struck a tree. No injuries were sustained and the front end of the Strader vehicle was damaged. Saturday at 10.55 a.m.., vehicles operated by George Deacon, Bur- lington and Robert Scobie, Cramp- bellville collided on Highway 83, east of Exeter. Both vehicles re- ceived moderate damage. At 10 a.m., Friday, a vehicle driv- en by William Simmons, Grand Bend collided with a parked vehicle owned by Boehmers St. Lawrence Cement Company. The mishap oc- curred on Shannon Boulevard in Grand Coves Estates at Grand Bend. The cement vehicle suffered light damage. Wednesday, vehicles driven- by Lee Hodgert, RR 1 Kirkton and Stuart Shier, RR 1, St. Marys col- lided on Highway 23 at Kirkton. The Hodgert vehicle, a tractor and semi -nailer sustained no damage and damage to the Shier vehicle was light. A vehicle operated by Joseph O'Brien, London skidded on an icy parking lot at the Country Market on Highway 21 and struck an ice cooler on Tuesday, February 9. During the week officers of the Exeter OPP detachment laid 17 Highway Traffic Act charges, seven Criminal Code charges, charged one impaired driver and issued 12 hour driving suspensions to three drivers. Ask fire hall change The Exctcr Firefighters Associa- tion met February 1 and at that time two concerns were 'raised re- garding the present location of the fire station. - A letter from fire prevention offi- cer Lcroy Edwards to Exeter council said, " These concerns are serious enough that council should be aware of them." Safety to the public and to the firefighters is top priority. When 16 to 18 vehicles converge on the fire station to answer and alarm and are confronted with congested traffic from -two shopping centres and a pedestrian crosswalk full of school children, the risk of a serious acci- dent happening is very high." . Response time is also suffering due to the trucks leaving the sta- tion being hampered by traffic congestion, time that could mean life or death in some situations The second concern of firemen, but obviously not life threatening is the size of the fire hall. Edwards -continued, "Being the active depart- ment we are, we have outgrown Please turn to page 3 Burnes presented an eight project proposal which over three years would cost the town -S324,000 with the- province providing the same amount if the grant structure is the one the town hopes it will be. The two most expensive items would be sanitary sewers in the southwest arca of town and rcclad- ding of the South Huron Rcc Cen- tre walls which arc deteriorating' from moisture leaking in. Other concerns are public safety and access to. Exeter Public School and the Community Centre with an extension of Victoria street to Prydc Boulevard and lighted sidewalks -and more parking near the school. Other projects in the proposed program include improvements. at MacNaughton Park, fixing curbs for. -wheelchair accessibility at. 38 locations, better street lighting on Main street from Gidlcy to Victoria • and sidewalks on Sanders from Pryde to Eastern.. Mayor Bruce Shaw commented, " If these arc necessities we should go for them , provided of course we get the maximum in provincial fund - FARMERS OF THE FUTURE - Jeff and Chris Finkbeiner try out a gar- den tractor at the recent farm and industry show at Huron Tractor in Exet- er. By Yvonne Reynolds There must be something special in Exeter's atmosphere that encour- ages boys to sing like angels. Five youths from this town are members of the 40 -voice Stratford Boychoir. All -five - Matthew Godbolt, Jeremy Brock, Gavin Snell, Gavin Poole and Jeremy Straw - have been selected as part of an eight -member group that will be the Stratford choir's representa- tion in a mass choir at a festival of music hosted by the Toronto Boy - choir on May 15. Matthew Godbolt, his older brother Fred, and Jeremy Brock joined the choir about three years ago. (Frcd stayed until his voice changed.) Matthew, now 11, has been singing since he was a tod- Winter Carnival • Editorials, lettere 6 • Railway closing? i Hawks, Mohawks *Sig Brother !r: dler. His parents recall that he has been able to carry a tune and re- member melodies from the time he was three. He made his formal de- but at -an Exeter Lions Club Christmas party with a heart -felt rendition of "All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth". - Matthew's talents have opened some exciting doors. He travelled to BC with the Boychoir to sing folksongs at Expo '86, and give performances in Victoria, Nanaimo and Port Alberni. The Stratford Boychoir took pttrt in Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa omJuly 1 last year. In addition to choir engagements, Matthew can often be hcard sing- ing at Exctcr United Church, and has been soloist at five weddings. He sang the Canadian and Ameri- can national anthdms at this year's Sportsmen's Dinner, and was one of tight boys providing back- ground music in the 1986 Stratford Festival's production "Not About Hcros". He even got to sing the last line solo. Matthew will be singing in To- ronto on February 18.• He is on the playbill of the junior program at the Ontario Association of Agri- cultural Societies' annual conven- tion. OAAS Homecraft president Dolores Shapton had heard Mat- thew sing in the talent shows at last year's Hensall and Exeter agri- cultural fairs, and suggested him as an excellent representative of to- day's young people. Matthew describes singing as "a lot of fun and a lot of work". ' He finds practices boring sometimes, but thoroughly enjoys singing at weddings, and "sharing the high- light of an important event in a person's life". Matthew is often accompanied on the piano by his father George on singing engagements. The sen- ior Godbolt confesses he is usually much more nervous than his son. Matthew's other interest is hock- ey. He is balancing the demands of the Boychoir against his duties as defenceman on the Exeter Broncos travel team, currently in the OMHA playdowns. if the two conflict, he Sj alternates between missing a choir practice and missing a hockey prac- tice. George notes that Matthew has never had to be coerced into sing- ing, and will be encouraged and helped by his parents as long as he wants to continue. "Music has always been part of my life", Jeremy said. "Singing in the Boychoir was scary at first, but not now, after singing in front of thousands of people at Expo." Due to a large changeover last year, Jcrcmy and Matthew arc now senior members of the Boychoir. A TEAM - Matthew Godbolt practices his repertoire, accompanied on th° piano by father George. Matthew is a member of the Stratford Boyd.oir, and is often backed up on the piano by his father for other singing engage- ments. Thirteen -year-old Jcrcmy Brock's "There are only seven of us old life parallels his good friend Mat- boys, and we are used as examples thcw's in many ways. He has been for the newcomers", Jeremy noted. singing for as far back as he can ie.•. • Jcrcmy won a part in the cast of member, attends the same church, Brigadoon at the Hbron Country and auditioned for the Stratford Boy- Playhouse last Year. choir in June 1985 with the God- Music will continue to play an bolt brothers. important part in Jcrcmy Brock's Like Matthew, Jeremy tries to life. He is currently studying piano juggle his interest in music with at the University of Western Onta- his interest in sports. He plays for rio Conservatory. two hockey teams, the Peewee Le- Gavin Snell, 12, was prodded by gionaires and the Big V Bullets. his friend Matthew to try out for the Jeremy and Matthew have per- choir after Matthew heard him sing formed together at Sunda School in a Christmas concert at Exctcr conecrts, and at the Exeter Fair. Jer- United Church. emy was among the Boychoir mem- At the audition, Gavin was asked bcrs supplying background music at to play the piano, sing a few notes Stratford, and participated in a world and sight read. He was acoptcd. premiere of an,opera in Kitchener. Gavin, too, was on Patliament He has shared memories of the long Hill on Canada Day. tiring bus trip to Expo '86 in BC. "I really Felt grea�", he recalls. The bus stopped overnight just Gavin shares his friend's enthu- once, in Winnipeg. The rest of the siasm for hockey, and also plays on time, the boys took turns sleeping ' the Bronco team. on the bus floor. Jeremy Straw, 10, joined 'the e young Stratford Boychoir in late '86. Ile had been in the Exctcr Public School choir since starting school, and was invited by Jeremy Brock to come to a Boychoir practice. Ile came, liked what he saw and heard, auditioned, and joined the choir. Ile was among the Boychoir members on Parliament Hill. Jeremy was one of a group of choirboys invited to an afternoon session of citizenship court in Strat- ford in December. 1lc recalls proud- ly watchirrg as dignitaries from vari- ous levels of government installed as Canadians a group of people of all ages and nationalities. Jcrcmy prefers stamp -collecting and Cubs over_ hockey. This is nine-year-old Gavin Poole's first year in the Stratford Boychoir, and he is one of the youngest members of the choir. Ile knew thc other Exeter singers, and thought it would be fun to try for a place in the choir. He made it. "it's a lot' of fun, especially the trips", Gavin asserted. Gavin's other .hobby is hockey. He plays for the Exctcr Bombers. . Participation in the Boychoir re- quires dedication and commitment from both parents and boys. George Godbolt is on the executive of the singers Stratford Boychoir Association, and is credited by the other parents with organizing car pools and giving leadership and support in all matters that directly and indirectly affect the choir. The five families take turns driving thc children to the weekly two-hour practices in Stratford. The parents also make up any shortfalls in the cost of tours that is not cov- ered by the boys' periodic cheese - selling fundraisers. -They also take turns supervising the songsters dur- ing breaks at practices. - "They sometimes get rambunc- tious. You wouldn't know the boys singing on stage wcrc the same ones tearing around after", Janice Brock laughed. - Thc boys' parents arc delighted with what membership in the Boy - choir has done for their children. Be- sides the excellent musical training they arc receiving, the discipline ex- erted by choir iiirector Brian Emery, and the experience of travelling and performing have given the boys add- ed poise, maturity and confidence, and bolstered their self-esteem.' The Straws' experience is typical. "Last year at the Stratford Festival Jeremy could barely. lift his eyes. This year he is more assertive and Please turn to page 3 TWO JEREMYS, TWO GAVINS - Stratford Boychoir, members from the area include Gavin Snell (left), Jeremy Brock, Gavin Toole and Jeremy Straw. They have been chosen with friend Matthew Godbott to represent the Stratford choir at a concert in Toronto. t► Y