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TimetAdvocate, February 1, 1989
Tuesday -demonstration - CAW picketers arrived en masseat the
_EMAB plant in Huron Park to demonstrate their dissatisfaction at
being left to walk the picket line for the pest four weeks. Talks
between the company and the union have yet to materialize.
Stalemate continues in EMAB strike
HURON PARK - A stalemate
between CAW strikers and EMAB
of Canada continues in the industri-
al -park after four weeks; and the
company is already removing some
of its production equipment from
the plant.
When EMAB workers voted to .
begin their strike on January 3 they
belonged to -Local 1620 of the Ca-
nadian Auto Workers, but as of
Sunday they have 'joined the Lon -
PUC increases charges
EXETER - A power outage last
week could have had more serious
consequences than cutting off some
people's electricity. Roofers work-
ing on a commercial building left
their boom up when work stopped
for the day: During the night, the
wind blew some primary wires
against the boom.
"It's a good thing this happened
through the night, and there was
no wind yesterday", PUC manager
Hugh Davis told the Commission
at their regular meeting on January
27:
Commissioners discussed Davis'
recommendations for revisions in
the rates for water service connec-
tions and underground services. •
Some utilities charge the full
cost to the developer. In 1987 the
cost was $1,000 a lot to service a
subdivison with underground con-
ductor. The charge of $325 per lot
and $3.25 a foot frontage brings in -
only $520 on a 60 -foot lot.
"I'm not suggesting we move up
Sculpting melts
MILWAUKEE - Grand Bend's ice
sculpting team that travelled to
Milwaukee; Wisconsin for the In-
ternational Ice Sculpting Competi-
tion saw their hopes of winning
the contest melt as temperatures
soared.
Jackie Schottroff, Sharon Theil
and Cam Haist sculpted their crea-
tion at night when the temperatures
were cooler, and slept during the
day during the week-long competi-
tion January 22-29. In fact they
were sure they were in the running
for the people's choice award as
they had racked up the largest num-
ber of points from passersby.
Unfortunately, warm weather
around seven degrees caused six of
the eighteen sculptures to collapse
before final judging, and the,crea-
tion of last year's Grand Bend Win-
ter Carnival champions was one of
those to fall.
Dispute
Continued from front page
profit of $158 if the municipality
had paid the first invoice of $6,642.
This assumes receipt of the $6,800
subsidy.
The dispute cost Usborne
52,400.60 in legal fees, and Reeve
Gerald Prout docs not consider the
ending a happy one. His reaction,'
when contacted by phone, was "1
feel embarrassed. I expected matters
to proceed to court. It looks like
A -mot one rs Ir ing to cover his
"traks.,, -�e+r is
Prout was a newly elected coun-
cillor at the time of the original de-
cision on the pipeline location, and
took no part in those deliberations.
He is of the opinion the waterline
might not have had to be relocated
if it had initially been installed at a
greater depth and further from the
bridge.
Prout said there had been poor
communication between the Exeter.
PUC and the township throughout
the dispute.
"When spending this amount of
-..._-taxpayers' money, the job should
have been tendered, and Usborne
— sflbutd have been informed about
what to expect", Prout commented.
The township reeve 'went on to
say that road superintendent Ken
Parker had applied -for a subsidy on
the relocation"easts. The request
was turned down on the grounds the
project was ineligible, as it had not
been included in the township's
budget for that year.
had not anticipated any costs to
themselves in moving the line",
Prout said.
'Water will. likely continue to be
an issue between Usborne and Exet-
er. Prout voiced his concern about
the present and future effect on
township wells of the "enormous
amount of water" the Exeter utility
draws from Usbornc.
"I'm getting calls from worried
ratepayers' We do not object to do-
mestic use of this water, but we do
object to the amount being supplied
to the PUC's commercial custom-
ert", Prout said.
-too much, too drastically, but we
shouldmakesome increase. If we
continue to charge less than other
utilities, we will find that our rates
for energygwill be higher," Davis
said. -
The charge will be increased to
$450 per lot and $4.50 per foot
frontage, bringing the revenue on a
60 -foot lot up to $720. Develop-
ers had already been told, before do-
ing their costing, that the charges
were being reviewed.
The Commission also approved
an increase iQ the 3/4 -inch water
service connection charge from the
1988 figure of $350 to $400. Da-
vis explained that Exeter -has more
and more paved streets, and the
costs of service connections have
exceeded $1,000. in some cases
where asphalt has to be cut and re-
placed. -
Davis warned Commissioners that
requirements in the water -depart-
ment this year will "far exceed what
we can finance": Two big jobs will
be replacement of four -inch- main
with eight -inch on Main St. north.
of the river, and a section of Huron.
Street West. Davis estimated the
cost of the former at S70,000, and
put the cost of the latter at
S30,000. Both projects must be
done in 1989, as both sections arc
scheduled for repaving soon.
This might have to be financed by
borrowing or increased cost of rates:
"We have nothing to be ashamed
of in our rates. They have increased
an average of 2.18 percent per year,
not even keeping up with the cost
of living" Davis pointed out.
- don -based Local 27:
Helen MacGregor, chairperson of
the former local, explained the
move as necessary since the loss of
200 Fleck manufacturing workers
reduced membership to only 130.
The move brings with it other for-
mer Local 1620 members from
Protective Plastics, Dunline and
Rcstec. -
MacGregor also said the Sunday
meeting included demands from the
membership as to why the union
was not back at the negotiating
table.. The workers were told the
company is not yet prepared to
reach a settlement with the 90
strikers.
"We anticipated a short strike,
but it looks like it's going to be a
lengthy one," said MacGregor.
Matt Berg, personnel manager at
EMAB, .described the strike situa-
tion as "not very good"..
Berg claimed the initiative is up
to the union to approach the com-
pany to begin talks since the union
broke off talks with the chainsaw
manufacturer in December.
"Why hasn't the union ap-
proached the company? asked
Berg. "To get back to the table
you have to first get back to the
table." •-
Berg confirmed tumours that one
of the assembly lines has been re-
moved from the plant. He fears
that production capacity may never -
return to the Huron Park plant.
"There are other moves on the
go, and that's the frightening part,"
he said. "We have to bring the
thing to an end very quickly before
we're all sorry."
Six accidents, 49 occurrences for
Exeter OPP detachment officers - -
EXETER - During this week, of-
ficers of the Exeter detachment of
the Ontario Provincial Police in-
vestigated 49 general occurrences.
These included assaults, intrusion
alarms, wilful damage complaints.
which resulted in three impaired
driving charges, 38 Highway Traf-
fic Act charges, six charges under
the Liquor Licence Act, two no in-
surance charges and one for and off
road vehicle charge. -
The first of six motor vehicle ac-
cidents occurred on Monday,Janu-
ary, 23 at 6 -a.m. on Wyldwood
Lane at Grand Cove Estates when a
vehicle operated . by - Ken Wcbb,
London backed into an unattended
vehicle parked at the Gwcn Minnis
residence.
At 5.15 p.m., Tuesday vehicles
operated by Mary Kozicki, London
and Elliott McRoberts, Exeter col-
lided on Highway 4. Vehicle dam-
age was severe, but injuries were
• minor.
The same day at 8.55 p.m., vehi- .
cles driven by Joan Sniith, Huron
Park and Barbara Conlon, RR 2,
Zurich were in collision on Conces-
sion 2-3 of Stephen township.
A vehicle driven by Joan
McCann, Huron Park left the road-
way of Highway 83 at 11.30 a.m.,
Wednesday and entered the ditch.
There was freezing rain at the time.
Wednesday on the parking lot at
the Kirkton-Woodham Community
Centre an unidentified vehicle col-
lided with the fence and fence posts
and left without reporting damage
to police.
A vehicle driven by Russel Beer, -
Ingersoll failed to negotiate a curve
on Huron road 6 in Usborne town-
ship•and entered the ditch at 6 a.m.,
Thursday.
Motorists•are reminded that the
RIDE program is still in effect.
Please don't drink and drive, buckle
up and reduce your speed during
poor weather conditions.
ouble
ake
by _ -
Bruce Shaw
eopte in and out of Exeter must think that it's difficult to
be "up" all the time when it comes to promoting the
Town and talking about what•we're doing. The contrary,
however, is true: it's difficult not to be ."up some- .
thing is always happening. Let's take a took at this last week, for
instance. Forgetting all the deliberations, negotiations and research,
several matters came to ahead, and decisions were made, all of
which reflect the dynamics of this community. _
Four inquiries were made concerning our industrial land, and it ap-
pears that another large chunk has been sold. We have so little Icft
that I would not be surprised to sec Council authorize another pur
"chase within the year. We desperately need higher industrial and •
commercial assessment, and we are getting it. (As an aside, each of
us can help; we need to encourage local business and industry by
shopping at home; I think the Town's policy is a good one: buy lo-
cally unless the product cannot be obtained here or unless the saving
is at least 10 percent elsewhere.)
The front page of this edition provides the' details of what else has
happened, but for another perspective read on... -
I don't think anyone would question thc need for a new firehall.
For several reasons, we must move it: the state of the building,
traffic problems, the Main Street location. Questions might rise as
to where we should relocate. Undoubtedly, the people in Usborne
would like the hall on Huron Street, and those in Hay and north
Usborne on highway 83. Most of us would like a new building:
Reality and the practical set in when we realized that most of the
firemen (firepersons? there's another one) live and/or work west of
Main Street. There is also, in effect, only one route to the north -
end and that road crosses the bridge on Main Street. We also looked
at the price of property. Io all cases, we were,directed back to our
existing public works building which is ideally located and needs lit-
tle thajor renovation to be converted. For all these reasons, thcn,
the fireball will be moved to Nelson Street. -
The location of the public work.s building is not as critical; but
costs arc. Again after investigating possible sites, we settled on our
r
own lands. We will have more room at our disposal, and even
though it may take some,industrial land out of use, it is certainly .
not prime land. The costs of erecting a ncw works building and ren-
ovating a building should be significantly less than building a new
firchall.
During the last few years, we have outgrown our present adminis-
• trative offices. The Council Chamber serves as a meeting room and
two offices as well as a court and work room. -
Again, we considered expanding our present facilities, relocating
in the -north -end of Town (on and off Main Street) and returning
"home". The aim of the.founders of the Exeter and District Heritage
Foundation has always been to return the Old Town Hall to Council
for its active use, and when we discussed the plan with the mother
and father of the organization - Val and Doug Gould - they wcrc ab-
solutely delighted. Doug, in fact, who had not been feeling well,
experienced an immediate recovery.. The renovation will be under-
taken with the help of members of the Foundation so that the his-
torical
is-
torical integrity of thc building will be maintained.
It would appear that the taxpayers got their money's worth from
the politicianslast week.
(Note: My handwriting,is noted As being pretty terrible and that
probably accounts for the error in one of last week's lines - the error
destroys, however, the wit: the line should have read - "The secret
of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that, you've got it made."
I hope you read Ken Lawton's letter to the editor!ast week - I rest
my case.)
Lions work bees
help reduce expenses
on new youth centre
EXETER - Although
the ' exterior of the new
Lions Youth Centre on
John St. gives the impres-
sion the construction is
finished there's still plen-
ty happening on the in-
side.
These photographs
were •. .r •t• • S
Preparing to paint - Getting workers to assemble the scaffold -
ng was easier than getting anyone to stand on it to Paint the
storage room ceiling. From - the left are: Bill McGregor, Don
Thompson and Gary Bean. •- -
has held recently. The
major portion of the
building has been done by
Van I3oxmeer Construc-
tion but other jobs like
painting, tile laying and
ceramic work has been'
handled by club mem-
bers.
•
Bucket Brigade - Paul Anstett (left) and Don Thompson were in
chare of mixing the bonding compound for the ceramic tile in
the front exterior - -
Community support for
the project has been ex-
t it a
s reat deal of work to
with fundraising. The
next major event for the
club will be selling raffle
tickets on a Northlander
Travel Trailer donated
by Bob Hamather. Tick-
ets will be available soon
from any Lions member.
'Messy work Jon Dinney wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty
doing the messy job of laying ceramic tiles. Bill Dinney and Da-
ryl Kellar from Dinneys were also on hand to ensure a quality
job. -
•