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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1991-11-06, Page 1Car By Appointment Exeter Collision 235-0411 • 411116 Gaiser-Kneale lascrance • Service Experience & Value 235-2420 Serving South Huron Inside Candidates Exeter's contenders face the public page 2 Legions Supporting their communities page 5 h Field hockey Panthers on their way to OFSAA Second front Lumber store next victim of troubled economy EXETER - After nearly 10 years in the community, the Moffatt and Powell store in Exeter will be clos- ing at the end of November. The poor economic outlook for the area has been cited as the main reason for the closure. Moffatt and Powell, which has operated a small chain of lumber and hardware operations in the re- gion, opened the Exeter store in early 1982 and completed extensive renovations to the store three years ago. "It is too bad," said Keith Moffau when contacted at the company's Strathroy office, who said the sup- port of Exeter and the community for the store had been good. "It's this overall economic envi- ronment in Western Ontario," said Moffatt, explaining why his compa- ny's "restructuring" meant the clos- ing of one of the stores. He said the company still plans to service contractors and commercial customers in the Exeter area through the Mitchell store. The Exeter location on Highway 83 employs 10 people, but Moffatt said the declining building rate in the town translates into a lesser de- mand for its building products. He said there appeared to be little `'light at the end of the tunnel". The company as of yet has no firm plans to put the store property on the real estate market. Bomb threat not cause of cancelled school dance EXETER - South Huron District High School cancelled a planned Hallowe'en dance on Thursday in response to concerns expressed by the town police that there was a possibility of violence. Even though rumours circulated quickly through town that the dance was cancelled due to a bomb threat, vice-principal Keith Allen explained that the school received no such threat prior to the dance. "There was a call from a crank on Friday morning," said Allen, but said the threat was disregarded as nothing more than a prank. But the school was convinced threats that youth gangs from out of town were planning to disrupt the dance should be taken seriously. "It wasn't the kind of thing we were anxious to take a chance on: said Allen. Town police chief Jack Harkness was reluctant to discuss the inci- dent, saying he did not want to give credence to a lot of rumours and wild suggestions. "A lot of people arc acting very irresponsibly, very immature," said Harkness, who stated that while his department is investigating each claim separately he did not want to add to the current "paranoia". Overall, Hallowe'en in town went quietly, said Harkness. The police responded to 10 occurrences that evening, one of which was a gar- bage fire behind Campbell's Appli- ances where cardboard boxes had been set ablaze, but causing no damage. North Middlesex & Lambton Since 1873 Poppy fund supports veterans The Hensel! Legion Ladles Auxilary brought their poppy campaign to the Blue Water Rest Home on Monday. Iva Reid (left) and Joyce Willert (right) sold a poppy to resident Pearl Hooper. Apart from the poppy campaigns, the area's legions are planning many events this week to commemorate Remembrance Day which is next Monday. _ _ Grand Bend candidates say province may really "-.,.�.��-. prepared to buy Gibbet beach GRAND BEND - With a glimmer of provincial sup- port, some Grand Bend council candidates have added to their campaign platform the idea that the village could once again get complete control over its beach front. Incumbent councillor candidate John McDowell sug- gested at last week's all -candidate's meeting that the province should repay some of the taxes it collects in Grand Bend by purchasing from Parkhill businessman Archie Gibbs the 300 metre section of beach front awarded to him in a late 1989 court decision. Mayor candidate Tom Lawson called an informal press conference Friday afternoon to say that after he had spoken with tourism minister Peter North, the idea may have a definite future. Lawson said the province has decided to purchase three acres of beach front in Port Stanley to preserve it from development. Lawson said the purchase of former Stork Club property indicates a new govern- ment policy that may be applied to Grand Bend. "Our role is to sec if the province will assist us to see if they will preserve the beach for the public," said Lawson. Lawson also said he was encouraged by North say- ing he would be interested in visiting Grand Bend sometime in January. Since the beach was awarded to Gibbs, the Beach - place condominiums built, and the construction fence appeared at the bottom of Main Street, Lawson said the whole image of Grand Bend's most important asset has changed in the eye of the public. "Our concern is that tourism is off," said Lawson, who said that a provincial purchase of the beach will help preserve the village's main attraction. Lawson expressed hope that Gibbs could be negotiat- ed with in the coming years, either by the village or province. He said legal advice and provincial instruc- tions may have prevented the past council from doing that, but he did not blame Gibbs but praised him for the way he has maintained the property in the past two years. "I don't think Archie Gibbs has been approached in the right way," said Lawson, who said that regardless of who wins the Grand Bend election, the possibility of getting provincial support should be pursued by the next council. Councillor candidate Ed Fluter also said Lawson's news was good. "Ultimately I would like to see the province...buy the beach," said Fluter. Cam Ivey, another candidate on the council slate, the ---agreed steps should be taken to preserve -tile beach for the general public. "What is Grand Bend? The beach is clearly the main focal point of Grand Bend," said Ivey. "I wouldn't want to see the beach fully developed on a condo or building basis." Lawson later said that while the Gibbs case is still under appeal, there is no sense in waiting for it to come before the courts. Getting the province to take an ini- tiative can only be positive, said Lawson, waiting will not. "In the meantime our reputation goes down the sew- er," he said. Incumbent candidate John McDowell agreed that the village should not put all its hopes on the outcome of the appeal if a more permanent and positive solution could be reached first. ODC seeking support to secure Huron Park as mai jor aircraft repa/r. centre HURON PARK - While the Ontario Development Corporation has scored a big coup for HW b Park by - bringing a large aircraft repair company to the industri- al park, the provincial corporation is not stopping there. The ODC are already asking local municipali- ties to support their plans to petition the Ontario Minis- try of Transport and the Federal Transport Department for financial assistance to further upgrade the runway and facilities of the former air base, and to help pro- vide job training for potential employees who would work in Huron Park or in related support businesses in the area. Along with the appeal for support comes a package that offers the public the first official look at what is planned to open in Huron Park in January 1992. Nei- ther ODC nor the province have yet made an official announcement of the project, but the package explains that Clearwater Aircraft Maintenance and Overhaul Inc. will be opening up a 5,580 square metre hangar featuring four aircraft bays and a "state-of-the-art" paint booth. The company will be servicing and re -fitting a vatie- ty_ of pty ll c MMUIM_SOr[porate, and commercial air - Craft, including the Dash 8, Lcarjets, and the Canadair RJ. Promotional material points out that Huron Park is within two hours flying time of Chicago, New York, Washington and Montreal, suggesting that the compa- ny is making a strong play for the American market. A building permit for the renovations to Huron Park's number two hangar for the repair facility was valued at $2.8 million. The promotional material also states that "Clearwa- ter is initiating an entry level maintenance training pro- gram in conjunction with the Ontario Government resi- dential Community College located on site at Huron Park" which clearly suggests Centralia College of Ag- ricultural Technology facilities will be involved in the operation. The request for support for ODC's plan to seek fur- ther government assistance was discussed and ap- proved at Exeter town council Monday evening. While exact employment figures for the Huron Park operation are not yet known, some have said the total number of jobs brought to the area could exceed 200. Wednesday, November 6, 1991 75 cents Help or hindrance? Local companies to be surveyed on effects of government policy EXETER - The South Huron Ec- onomic Development Committee will be surveying businesses and industries in the area to see how they are faring under current eco- nomic times and whether they are suffering from any problems caused directly by government poli- cy. Exeter town administrator Rick Hundey told council Monday eve- ning that the report arose out of concerns raised by several busi- nesses at a recent SHEDC meeting. Some had said that taxation, envi- ronmental policy and other factors hinder their ability to do business and compete with other areas. "The businesses we've met with have expressed those kinds of con- cerns," said Hundey, adding that some of the concerns are so grave that "some businesses are consider- ing leaving the area". Hundey said the SHEDC will be conducting the more specific study to find out to what extent business is affected, good or bad, by govern- ment policy on a municipal, pro- vincial, or federal level. The survey could then pass that information on to higher levels of government. Reeve Bill Mickle said he under- stood there was a federal govern- ment task force visiting cities to canvass business concerns. Hundey said they haven't been contacted by the SHEDC, but have been asked "for the report that is the result of that road show". Friedsburg Days gettlng ready for 21st year DASHWOOD - Even though doubts had been raised last year as to whether Friedsburg Days in Dashwood would continue past its 20th anniversary, a meeting is already being organized to plan the 1992 and 21st festival. An appreciation night was held Saturday evening for all of the ap- proximately 100 volunteers who helped to run the 1991 Civic Holi- day weekend festival. As Bob Reschke, secretary -treasurer of the Friedsburg Days committee, explained, the DJ dance was letting the volunteers know they were appreciated. That volunteer support is essential to running Friedsburg year after year, and some had said that if the support is to wane, then the festi- val would have to be cancelled. "We want it to continue as long as we get the volunteer help," said Reschke. Saturday's dance marked the first one for Friedsburg volunteers in about 12 years. The .organisii:rg committee, presently consistini14-04111.4114 members, is also seeking new blood. Founding meintieti Rat thud Ruth Anne Merner are looking to pass on the torch to someone else. "We've got to get more people," said Reschke. However, this is not to say that Friedsburg Days is on rough shores. In fact, the 1991 Festival was the most successful event in a long time. Friedsburg this year raised about $5,000, much of which will be spent on the Dashwood Community itself. Over the years, Frieds- burg Days has funded the Dashwood Community Centre, the Medi- cal Centre, Christmas decorations for the village, Block Parents, and several other organizations. A meeting to organize 1992's Friedsburg Days is being planned for January 15. Coffee cups. cars. and composting Committee targets new ways to clean up EXETER - The Exeter Waste Management Committee is continu- ing its campaign to make the town a 'greener" place to be. One of the recent plans put forth by the commiuee is to try to con- vince local businesses to cut down on the huge number of disposable coffee cups they distribute each year. By getting the local coffee shops, restaurants, and donut shops to encourage customers to bring in their own mugs for take out coffee, they could not only save money but considerable landfill capacity. In a lighter moment at Monday evening's council meeting, town ad- ministrator Rick Hundey explained businesses could be working on "people like Dave Moyer, who day in and day out take out coffee in disposable cups," he said, indicat- Ting tke building superintendent sit- ting next to him. The waste management commit- tee has proposed that local coffee shops promote a "lug a mug" pro- gram, or even offer a two-pncccd system favouring the refillable mug. Another concern of the waste management committee is the large number of citizens who leave their cars idling for several minutes while they visit convenience stores. While these people not only risk auto theft, they are contributing to air pollution because the car engine burns exhaust gases poorly when idling. The committee has proposed a poster to encourage motorists to shut their engine off whenever pos- sible, especially in the winter when many prefer to leave it running to warm the car's interior. The committee has yet to find out the cost to council of the poster, but has promised it will be printed on Buliding virtually empty EXETER - The six -unit Phoenix Stage Two Housing building in Ex- eter has seen few tenants in the past months it has been open, but as far as mayor Bruce Shaw is concerned, that is fine with him. Deputy -reeve Lossy Fuller raised the 'query at council whether or not the Phoenix building is being used at all, because neibours have seen few signs of life around the six -unit building. Phoenix Stage Two Housing cost of $2.2 million shared among the three such shelters that were opened simultaneously in Huron County last June. The apartment buildings are aimed at providing se- cure rental accommodation to women who are attempting to piece together their lives after leaving abusive home situations. Clerk Liz Bell told the meeting that she knew of only one tenant in the building, the location of Which the operators like to keep secret. Mayor Bruce Shaw reminded council he had said at the official openin* of the building he had hoped it would not see much use. He said that only one tenant was in fact a good sign. YOUR VOTE COUNTS - MAKE SURE YOU USE IT NOVEMBER 12 0