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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-02-12, Page 1• • MusaPMrik & Waage carnations ¶I'Lz ei COUNTPT ftOWCRS Exeter • Serving South Huron Inside Delegate Elston supporter attends convention page 2 Five percent First-time home buyers -get -a break Page 5 On the road Mohawks busing it Second front Carnival Grand Bend celebrates winter page 17 First ro b i n spotted in Exeter already EXEIhR - Can spring really be on its way this early? The groundhog said so, and now one Exeter resident says she saw no less than two robins in her back yard last week. Lee Dobbs called the Times Ad- vocate with the news that two rob- ins were in her Riverside., Drive back yard on Friday February 7. So, spring is on its way, but it would seem we all have a lot more snow to shovel before then.. Police investigate thefts from parked cars EXE IER - The Exeter Police are investigating a rash of thefts from parked cars in town this past week. Four cars had items stolen from them, three on Main Street and one just off Main Street on John Street. Police are requesting that anyone witnessing anyone acting suspi- cious around parked cars to notify them. Police are also asking town resi- dents to secure items of value with- in their car trunks and to lock their car doors. Two radar detectors were seized from motorists in town on February 5 and 6. Police are once again re- minding .drivels, who_ use such_ de- vices in this province they will be fined and the detector confiscated when caught. North Middlesex & Lambton Business to continue ISA hal Since 1873 Wednesday. February 12. 1992 41: Geiser-Kneale Insurance Servlcs Exc&I.notl Value 235-2420 w 75 cents Fire destroys Pryde Monuments Stephen Township firefighters work their way through this blaze in Centralia Monday morning. the.smoke arvi the ice spray to battle Firefighters battled the blaze for about five hours Monday morning, facing both dense smoke and an icy spray from their own hoses. But the fire swept through the Cen- tralia building's attic making it impossible to save. By Fred Groves CENTRALIA - Despite a fire which caused over $ 150,000 in damage, business is expected to resume next week at Pryde Monuments in Central- ia Early Monday morning, Stephen Township firefighters were called to Victoria Street in Centralia where they, along with two other departments, put out a blaze which destroyed the building which housed the business. "Within the next week we'll have a temporary office and show room," said Steve Fergusson of Pryde Monuments. The fire began at about 4 a.m. and although officials from an insurance company and the Stephen Township fire department were investigating the probable cause Tuesday afternoon, Fergusson expected the fire began in the furnace. "It was something to do with the furnace, maybe the chimney," he said. Business will resume down the block at the building used by Bob's Tree Service. Fergusson said it is a slow time of the year, for his business but sales continue. Stephen Township fire chief Robert Patchy said his department was dispatched at 4:13 a.m. and he then called in tankers from Dashwood and Exeter. "We had three departments and 30 firefighters at one time. It's probably one of the toughest fires we've had," said-Pertchy. He said the attic of the building was one big section which caused the fire to spread quickly. "From the outside there was a fair amount of smoke and it looked like it was easy to put out." Plastic foam insallation caused the fire to catch quickly and Pertchy said the foam caught just like gasoline. He said he had some ideas of what might have caused the fire. "I have a couple of suspicions, but I don't want to comment." .The Ontario Fire Marshal has not been called in to investigate. An ambulance was around on the scene but there were no injuries. Fire- fighters had to manoeuvre on ice caused by all the -water used to battle the blaze over the five hours it took to extinguish the rue. Board of Ed calls for restraint Payroll still to go up nearly $3 million By Ray Lewis CLINTON - Restraint was the word for the day as Huron County Board of Bducation (HCBE) director Bob Allan delivered his report during the board's regular meeting in Clinton, last Monday. Allan said that both Ontario Premier Bob Rae and provincial treasurer Floyd Laughren have an- nounced that transfer payments to education will be increased by one percent in 1992, two percent in 1993 and the same in 1994. "We can begin to operate on the assumption that in the near future out grunt -revenue will not in- crease," said a solemn Allan. "We have an enor- mous problem ahead of us." Allan reported the HCBE budget for 1991 was S60.8 billion. The payroll in an educational system is said to represent about 80 percent of the total, which would make approximately 548.6 million of the HCBE budget payroll. A payroll increase is currently working its way through the system. If payrolls are frozen at the currert levels until the end of December 1992. the -board will -lave a payroll increase bf approxbnattly 52,916 million. "If we are successful in freezing every other item on the budget at 1991 levels, and we know we can- not, these assumptions would require a S3 million additional expenditure at the local taxpayer level," added Allan. _ "The extreme situation before the board now dem- onstrates what the people of my area and several ar- eas have experienced for the past five or six years," claimed John Jewiu, trustee for the Township of Hullet and Village of Blyth. "We can't expect them to give any more." In keeping with the current economic situation, trustees voted against a motion to increase travel ex- penses to 28 cents a kilometre. Instead, the board opted for a new motion. keeping the specific rate on HCBE business for 1992 at the same level as 1991, 27 cents a kilometre. In addition, trustees have made their own modifi- cations, such as placing vending machines within the board lounge, removing the previous open fridge Ply. Said Allan,. "I know it's only nickels and dimes, but every little bit hnelps: .- . - s Local health-care officials predict tough time to meet provincial cutbacks By Adrian Harte EXETER - Health care officials in the county are predicting some tough decisions are in the works as they try to put into effect the man- date of the provincial government's plan to maintain, improve, control costs, and preserve jobs in the health care system, all with a mea- gre one percent increase in their overall budget for 1992. Health minister Frances Lan - kin announced the "restructur- ing" of the province's hospital system on Janu- ary 21, and local officials are still attempting to come to terms with those demands. - Chairman of the Soh: 4itima . Hospital board Howard Deters said his board is hoping to keep its bud- get within the new restrictions while trying hard to avoid layoffs at the hospital. "We have to fine tune it," he said of the forthcoming budget. Although some equipment will have to be bought, and things that break will have to be replaced, be remains optimistic that the call for restraint can be met. "I think we can come through with it," said Daters. Despite recurring rumours • that one of Huron County's hospitals could be closed in the future, Daters said that does not appear to be a a likely scenario. Another ob- server. said South HurDcn . would „tic, tually be one of the last hospitals to Continued on page two