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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1989-01-18, Page 1lackfrainee— !EXETER. TOYOTA 242 Main St. N. Exeter Across from O.P.P. Phone 235=2353. Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & Lambton Lockout continues Picket line - General Coach employees are taking turns on the picket line, burning wood, and drinking coffee to keep warm while they prepare for lockout they say might last as long as sev- eral everal months: Picketers out in cold HENSALL - Life on the picket line is not yet taking its toll on the locked -out workers of General Coach. In fact, they claimpublic support makes it easier for them to continue their vigil at the plant while they wait for negotiations to resumeand hopefully end the four-week old dispute. The picketers each cover one eight-hour shift on the picket line every week. This keeps the lines occupied 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The 209 General Coach workcrs were locked out from their jobs four weeks ago after they voted against a wage contract offer from the recreational vehicle manufacturer. "We enjoy it;" said one picketer, who asked not to be identified. He claimed picket -line morale was good, with everyone prepared to wait as long as ne- cessary for a good contract. Strike pay is being provided by Local 3054 of the United Carpenters and Joiners, but many picketers say they are having little trouble finding part-time work in the_area to help pay the bills. A passing motorist in a pickup truck -pulls over beside the picket line, introduces himself, and hands the locked -out workers a half-dozen cups of coffee, wishes them .luck and drives off. "We've been getting fantastic support,": said a picketer, offering the coffee as an example. "People wave, honk, even at midnight." The picketers are burning wood to help keep off the cold, and a furnace -equipped trailer supplied by the union stands by to provide a bit of shelter. All the workers suggest there is plenty of work to do once they get back. They claim the lockout is costing General Coach a fortune in interest on out- standing orders, and inventory. "They're going to be hurting on this as much or more than we arc." One of the picketers jokes about moving to Mexi- co, showing just how much comparisons with the recent Fleck closing arc on their minds. CORRECTION A story in last week's Times Advocate inadver- tently referred to the locked -out employees of Gener- al Coach as "strikers" and the labour dispute as a "strike". The Times Advocate regrets any inconven- ience this may have caused. Solos' store Valu Mart • revamps page 5' -'- Para Med celebrates first birthday page -a— . Pirates G&S is back page 8 Mohawks Hardy Cup opener defeat page 1A Closing Dashwood loses link with past . page 101 f Zurich sets salaries ZURICH - Salaries and remuner- ation for council members and em- ployees of the village of Zurich have been set for 1989. The per diem rate for Reeve Bob Fisher will be $75 for regular and special council meetings if attended and the other four members of council will receive $62.50 for each meeting. . For committee and board meet- ings other than those held after or before a regular `tn`ecu s i�.lti' c remuneration will be $27.50 for a night meeting, S35 for a half day and full day will be the same as regular council meetings. Remuneration for attendance at conventions will consist of per diem rate, registration, accommoda- tions including meals for a maxi- mum jf two members ., c mrl age1& one vehicle. Remuneration for attendance at learning seminars or schools or while performing other duties will be at the per diem rate for commit- tee and board meetings. Mileage allowance will be 22 cents per kilometre while on vil- lage business.. The salary of PUC manager Charles Eckel will be increased from $31,720 to $33, 800 per an- num, secretary Cindy Denomme will receive $15,600 after proba- tion and clerk -treasurer Maureen ,KriUbe frop,, $19,16$ -tit Road superintendent Dennis Re- gier's yearly salary goes from $21,497 to $22,572 while arena manager Brad Clausius will get $19,843. That's up from $18,720. The custodian's wage goes up 25 cents per hour to $6.50. .4nt yuai.e..rauA-vewse4- and they arc $124.74 for residential in town, $182.70 out of town and $107 for small commercial. May change street names EXETER - Council will take a close look at possible changes of some of the street names in town. Mayor Bruce Shaw ttktid Monday night, " Our street names should reflect our history and heritage. Those that don't should be changed." Deputy reeve Lossy Fuller agreed saying, "We should make these changes before the new post office group boxes come and street ad- dresses- WT11 trtotnTc malting ad- - dresses." Shaw suggested streets that should be changed as Eastern, Church, Park, Mill, Hill, River- side, Hillcrest, Market, Carling north, Andrew north , William north and Gidlcy east. time, Reeve Bill Mickle suggested house numbering should be updated to make it easier for location in emergency situa- tions. Mickle added, " I live at 231 - Churchill -and. the next number is in - the 250's." Since 1873 Wednesday, January 18, 1989 "Not in Exeter" Cardiff J 1 Gaiser-Kneale Insurance Exeter 235-2420 Grand Bend 238-8484 llensa11 262-2119 Clinton 482-9747 Price per copy 60 cents Super boxes are comm EXETER As part of a Canada Post plan for improved postal -ser- vice a large percentage of Exeter residents will get their mailby group box service in the near fu- ture. Chuck Talbot of Canada Post told council members Monday night that he expected the changes would be made by sometime in May of this year. Talbot assured council that the local _post office would .notbe closed. • In answer to a question from councillor Ben Hoogneboom re- garding the conversion of a number of smaller post offices, Talbot said, " There has been a misconception of our conversion plans. Only those smaller revenue and grade of- fices are being converted to a retail postal outlet." He continued, Exeter.has too large a population for conversion to retail outlets. Conversion could happen at the Hay post office locat- ed at the north end of Exeter. It's unusual to have two offices in one town," .. Under the new system, customers will receive their mail through group mail boxes located through- out the town. Each site will service up to 32 customers. Talbot said the boxes will be lo- cated so no one has to walk more than 600 feet to get their mail. Each group box site will be kept clear of ice and snow in the winter under contract with Canada Post. The main ,core arca will not be.. affected by the new system and busineses and residents will contin tie to pick up their mail at the post office. This arca includes Main street from James on the south to Victoria on the north. On the west the boundaries are William from Anne to Gidley and on the east Ed- ward street from James to Gidlcy. With the group box system in ef- - feet, street addresses will be used in- stead of box numbers. The first grcen'community boxes arc expect- ed to be updated to super mail box- es. within one year. Customers that wish to retain their present lock box at the post office may do so. They will contin- ue to use their box number as their. mailing address. Those getting their mail in group boxes will receive a new postal • code. Letters may be mailed and parcels picked up at the new group boxes. Other business such as. buying stamps and money orders must be conducted at the Post office. Talbot said his department would be working closely with the. town in the planning process and on loca- tion of. the- group boxes. He said there could be as many as 70 loca- tions. Apartment buildings equipped with a central mail facility will re- ceive delivery service inside. - As.to the location of the group boxes, Talbot said, " We will try and put them on the blind side of what is there, certainly not in front of a picture window." -Tenders will be called for contrac- tors to deliver mail from the post office to each of the possible 70 group box locations in town. When asked by mayor Bruce Shaw as to the next steps trr be tak- en, Talbot said, " First there will be. a physical inspection of every ad- dress, inspection of possible sites, . post locations in the post office, set up routes, put out tenders and ship in the green boxes." Exeter postmaster Keith Ahrens, also at the mccting said the present office serves 1,801 customers with lock boxes and 340 by general de- livery over the counter. _ - Deputy reeve Lossy Fuller asked about charges for the new service and was told, -"There will be none except .for padlocks for the green boxes -for the -first year until convcr- • sion to .the super boxes." - Talbot said this move was .not aimed at cost cutting, but at service improvement. When Reeve Bill Mickle said the staff was now having trouble meet-.. ing deadlines and some people had to come back a second time in the morning to. get their mail, Ahrens said, " Yes; our. volume is getting high and we fall behind schedule. Each smaller arca with their own postal code will improve service." - Those with lock boxes at the present time may continue with this service for one year without any - chargc. - - . Changes of address will be provid- ed free of charge and mail sent to the old address will he redirected for. one full year, also without charge. A check 01 Tunes Advocate tiles reveals that Mayor Bruce Shaw told council on January 12, 1987 that he was assured"by MP Murray Cardiff that Exeter would -not be among any communities slated to get super mail boxes. Humorous speaker set for annual Lions Sports Celebrity dinner EXETER - Laughter should be one of the main ingredients at the Exeter Lions Sports Celebrity din- ner scheduled for the South Huron Rec Centre on Tuesday, February. 7. - • Dinner chairman Clarence McDowell announced this week that the headline speaker will be former major league baseball player Jay Johnstone. Johnstone with his off-the-cuff humour has the reputation of one of the best speakers on the sports dinner circuit. During a 16 year career in -the majors, Johnstone played with sev- en different teams. -His primary claim to fame came as a pinch hit- ter. With a lifetime batting average of .303, his biggest moment came in the 1981 World Series when he came off the bench in the fourth game against the Yankees to hit a home tun. The Dodgers won the Series .in six games. _ Johnstone was tagged with the nickname the "Moon Man" for his antics on and off the field. He had a reputation of being indispensable on the field, irrepressible in the clubhouse and bein4 able to take off the pressure by making ,people laugh. - - At.least three athletes who com- peted in the1988 Olympics will be here. Thcy arc heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis, synchret3---- ized swimmer Michelle Cameron and Chris Daw of Strathroy who also participated in Korea in the Paralympics in his wheelchair. McDowell and his committee have also confirmed the attendance of Great Lakes swimmer Vicki Keith and defensive' back Hanford Dixon of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. The master of ceremonies for the 16th annual dinner will bc.Channel 10 sportscaster Gary Allan Price. For the first time instead of fine Timmy or Tammy,.crippled chil- dren will be represented by three arca handicapped youngsters. They are Josh Watson, Jeff Finkhciner and Michelle McNeilly. Tickets arenow on sale at Anstctt _Jewellers, Standard Trot, Jerry MacLean and Son Sports, Hensall Co -Op or any member of the Exeter Lions. Adult tickets arc S45 and student prices arc SAO. Get Wodd Visions awards - Rev. Andrew Brndjar presents awards to Rev. Charles Henderson and Mnrloy-HairMoth-ref-Exeter#or spe of rt$ for-,IA1or1W-Vs!o ('-,^oda4aijects__WOrid'Yisiaz provides_ assistance to needy persons in developing countries.