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Times Advocate, 1991-09-25, Page 1Police abandon search for drowning victim Exeter OPP officers George Finch and Leo Weverink haul in their search boat after an unsuc- cessful bid to locate a man who drowned in Lake Huron Thursday. OAR RENTALS DAILY • WEEKLY • MONTHLY CALL VS FOR INSURANCE REPLACEMENT NEEDS • Complete Auco Cleaning Centre • t1,uSu 235-3381 or 1 238-8839 after hours ST. JOESPH - What started as a domestic dispute, ended in the apparent drowning of a Midland man last week, OPP divers searched over the weekend for Timothy Bearss, a short distance from where he plunged into Lake Huron at 4:25 p.m Thursday. About a half -an - hour earlier, Bearss had stolen a 12 -foot wooden row boat. Divers abandoned their search by Sunday as they could not find Bearss. Local officers then resumed pa- troling the shore, but they are acting on the assumption that Bearss has drowned. According to officers of the Exeter OPP detachment, Bearss dragged the boat across the beach and when they arrived, he was already in the water. Sgt. Dave Cardwell, one of the first officers on the scene, said Bearss was too far out to be verbally con- tacted. Serving South Huron Inside fi 4. • att;ta1 Powefl Sharkk:.' i':.' those<l....... 8 Looking Hawks Swat.. first Serie page 20 5 Only Grand Bend is new for Tag Day canvass EXETER - Information in an arti- cle in last week's Times Advocate about this year's upcoming Tag Day Canvass by the South Huron Hospital Auxiliary was incorrect. Dashwood and Zurich are not new to this year's fundraising effort and have been canvassed in past years. The Grand Bend arca is the only addition to the Tag Day canvass and both Auxiliary members and volunteers will be going door-to- door on October 3,4, and 5. Exeter PUC commissioners seek re-election EXETER - Both Exeter PUC commissioners are prepared to run for another term in office in this fall's municipal election. Both Murray Greene and Harry DeVrics have announced they will be seeking re-election this Novem- ber. The Exeter PtJC board meets every month. Voting members in- clude both commissioners and the mayor. North Middlesex & Lambton 1 • "We were originally called because of a domestic dispute which occured," said Cardwell. "We gave him arm signals and he was too far to wade in and get." Constables George Finch and Leo Weverink, with the aid of a civilian boat, went out to the row boat but when they got there, Bearss was in the water and they could not find him. Waves were two metres high and there were moder- ate winds. Sgt. Cardwell was high on a ridge and said he saw Bearss jump into the water. "When somebody drowns, they sink. I don't know if he swam." After Finch and Weverink were unsuccessful in find- ing Bearss, a search plane from CFB Trenton arrived and the local OPP officers resumed the search in a larg- er boat. Please turn to page 2 w Gaiser-Kneale Insurance • Service Experience & Value 235-2420 P 11 `� ;e 1873 Wednesday, September 25, 1991 75 cents Queen con _ ratulates mbassador Exeter's last Fall Fair Queen Lori Miller (left) congratulates Exeter's first Fall Fair An- bassador Rita Bilcke moments after the crowning Friday evening in the arena. The firs runner-up to the crown was Anne Wolper, with Carrie Lovie as second runner-up. 1 Town won't cover extra cost to restore Town Hall roof EXETER - Town council has rejected the plans of the Exeter and District Heritage Foundation to restore the roof of the Old Town Hall to its original glory. —+viaracil last .week gave the go-ahead for the Foundation to repair the existing leaky shingles with the same material. The Foundation had hoped council would be willing to come up with an extra $4,450 to install a cedar shake roof - a roof which they said could be expected to last about three times longer than a $14,000 asphalt shingle roof. The Heritage Foundation told council they could afford an asphalt roof, but asked council for extra funding to pay for cedar. Town administrator Rick Hundey told council that grants are available under the Heritage Act to help repair the roof of the historic building, but said the chances of getting those grants were not good if the repair was not using the original cedar material the hall was build with. "If it's not material that's contemporary. our chances will go down," said Hundey. --Counci Ior Ben Hoogenboom said he did not ap- prove delaying the repair of the roof while waiting for grant approval. "I recognize there is a difference in funding, and perhaps we're not prepared to offset the cost." Deputy -reeve Lossy Fuller said she did not ap- prove the plan to return the roof to cedar, because as long as she can remember the roof has been rill. "That's the character of the Old Town Hall," said Fuller. Mickle said that while the town may recommend asphalt, due to the cost difference, the Heritage Foundation may upgrade to cedar if they felt the ex- tra cost was worthwhile or if government grants can be found to cover it. Police warn of door-to-door con men touring Exeter EXETER - Exeter Police are warning homeowners to beware of tradespeople soliciting door- to-door. A Gidley Street West resident was contacted by a per- son contracted to clean the alu- minum siding of her home. The contract was strictly verbal, with no guarantees and resulted in compounded costs upon comple- tion. Police warn that if you are approached, you should: check with the local Police, only enter into a written contract and only alter several quotes are re- ceived for such work, deal only with a local and estab- lished/reputable firm, check with neighbours or rela- tives before agreeing to have the work done, never pay in advance of the work being completed, ask for cre- dentials/written guarantees/mimes of homeowners in the area who have contracted that firm, and remem- ber... if it sounds too good to be true ... it usually isl On Tuesday, police investigated a hit and run acci- dent in the parking lot behind the National Trust build- ing, 425 Main Street. A 1984 silver Renault, owned by 4 Tom Irvin, Main Si. Exeter, was parked on that lot when struck by a vehicle described as mid to full sized, light blue in colour with damages to the right front or left rear corner. Police arc asking anyone with informa- tion to contact them at 235-1235. Damages were sub- stantial. On Wednesday, police investigated a motor vehicle accident near EMA Foods, 227 Main St. S. Jennifer Bell, Huron St. E., Exeter was proceeding south along Main St., from the MA parking lot when the right side of her car struck a parked car at the west curb owned by William Essay, Centralia. Damages were moder- ate. Police investigated an accident Friday at the corner of Main and Gidley Streets. James Hannah, Huron Park was exiting from a parking space on Main St. when his car collided a vehicle operated by Shirley Spence, London. Damages were moderate. On Thursday, Exeter Fire and Police Departments at- tended to a furnace fire at 92 Devon Drive. No damag- es resulted, and the fire was out upon arrival. It is sus- pected that electrical wiring overheated near the furnace. candidates entering fall eiectl�n race EXETER - The municipal elec- tion scene is heating up in town as more and more potential candidates file registration papers with the town office. Four of Exeter's six councillors have an- nounced they will be run- ning again in this election - Ben Hoogenboom, Har- ry Klungel, Dave Urlin, and Ervin Sillery - and al- ready two more possibilities have jumped into the fray. Robert Spears, presently a mem- ber of the town's planning advisory board has filed registration papers, and so has recreation centre board member Tom Humphreys. Ron Walker had filed for registration, but announced Monday he is with- drawing from the contest. Bill Mickle is so far uncontested in his bid for re-election as reeve, Lossy Fuller in her bid for another term as deputy -reeve, and Bruce Shaw in his bid for a return to the mayor's chair. The Town Office .has, however, issued several other sets of registration papers to those expressing interest in running, but who have yet to of- ficially announce their intentions. Candidates must first register be- fore beginning their campaigns, and must be nominated by the Oc- tober 11 deadline. Grand Bend GRAND BEND The Lambton County village will see its fast mayor in the 1991 election. Due to Bill 35 of the Sarnia-Lambtokt Act, the heads if council wU1 be Called mayprs. Grand Bend clerk -treasurer Paul Turnbull said Lambton wants to slash its county council nearly in half. "Bill 35 changed it and superimposed over the whole county that there will be a mayor and four councillors," said Turnbull. As of Tuesday morning there were two candidates for the mayor"s seat, Tom Lav •qon and Todd Desaulniers. Bruce Woodley has yet to announce if he is ru►. ting. ThL re are three applicants for councillor, John McDowell seeks another term, Don Boyes and Cam Ivey. Lucan LUCAN - Water and sewage systems are the biggest issues facing this Middlesex County village. Tom McLaughlin has announced he is seeking the reeve's seat. He is now a councillor. Harry Wraith seeks re-election as the deputy -reeve. Zurich ZURICH - Bob Fisher is the only one in the village of 800 to announce he is running. Fisher is the current reeve and has also applied for the Hu- ron County warden's position. Hensall HENSALL - As of yet, no one has filed for election or re-election in the village of Hensall. "We're expecting to sec some action later on this week," said clerk - treasurer Luanne Phair. Hay Township ZURICH - Lionel Wilder is seeking another term as reeve and so is is deputy, Murray Keys. Two current councillors have also filed as Blaise Ducharme and Gerald Shantz are seeking re-election. Stephen Township CREDITON - Some new faces have filed for registration in Stephen Township's municipal election. While councillor Gary Eagleson is presently the only one to have filed for re-election, newcomers Drew Robertson and Harvey Ratz are presently seeking nomination to go to the polis in November. Councillor Bill Weber will be prepared to contest the deputy -reeve's chair with present deputy -reeve Gary Baker. Reeve Tom Tomes has announced he will be seeking re-election, as has public school trustee Bonnie Slaght. Councillor Pat O'Rourke has said be will not be running for re-election this time round. Usborne EXETER - Only one candidate has so far come forward in Usborne Township's municipal election. Pat Down, currently a councillor, is plan- ning to run for reeve. The present reeve, Gerald Prout has said he is not seeking re-election. Anyone interested in representing Usborne Township's interests as a school board trustee will have to register through Hay Township due to a rotating electoral agreement. Biddulph LUCAN - All is quiet on the municipal election front in Biddulph Town- ship so far. Only Jackie Martens, the school board trustee, has announced her inten- tion to seek re-election. No other candidates from council or newcomers have announced plans to run in November. "So far they're playing it pretty close to the chest," said clerk Larry Hot - son. Stanley VARNA - Stanley Township remains relatively quite and candidates have yet to atnounce their intentions for the upcoming municipal election. Rosanquet THFDPORD - In Bosanquet Township, voters have a new candidate for mayor in Leslie Hosier. At present time he remains the only person to an- nounce his intentions for election.