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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-03-18, Page 2filskaNISIVISISts. 49Stah 48,1092 Regional wrap up Search for missing child continues in Seaforth SEAFORTII - Volunteers from Ontario Hydro and three area volunteer -tire- departments. - have joined in the search via land and boat for a missing three-year-old. Anthony Richardson, a month shy of his fourth birthday,. disap- peared March 5 while playing outside his home-by-tfa -itayf eld. River. It is assumed the boy may have slipped into the swol- len ever and is presumed drowned. The Huron Expositor reports five OPP divers have braved the frigid waters for over a week while 12 OPP search and rescue officers and countless volunteers have combed the ever banks. Debbie Richardson, the boy's mother, noticed her son missing from their Heritage Estate trailer home around 5:30 p.m. on March .5. Her search led her outside where she found tracks leading to the river bank about 30 metres from their home. It was here that the boy's toy shov- el was found. On Friday, one of the child's boots was found in the river. Volunteers have travelled from as far away as Owen Sound, while Seaforth mer- chants, citizens and churches have supplied provisions of food, support and astistance. ' Perth County cuts 13 teachers ST. MARYS - The St.. Marys Journal Argus reports that 13 elementary school teachers will be laid off by the Perth County Board of Education at the end of the 1992 school year. The 13 layoffs fall within a re- duction in 17.75 elementary po- sitions announced by the board .in -.mid-February. The board is auempung to minimize costs to the taxpayer by trimming teach- ing staff. Of the430elementary teach- ers employed by the board, only one is retiring next year. In ad- dition, 11 part-time teachers will be denied full-time positions they requested, and 22 short term contracts will not be re- newed. Perth taxpayers attack teacher salaries ST. MARYS - A Perth County taxpayers protest group is de- manding teachers roll back sala- ries to 1990-91 levels. According to the St. Marys Journal Argus, the newly formed Perth County Taxpayers for Cost Effective Education ad- dressed the board at a recent meeting at Stratford City hall. asking trustees to demand a roll back. Members of the group feel about S2.64 million can be saved if the Jaiest 5.6 percent in- Rcrease in wages is rolled beck and teachers would still be among the highest .paid profes- sionals in Ontario. Repreaemiuives of the OnNtrio Secondary School Teachers Fed- eration said the anion recognizes restraint but will not roll beck the 1991.92 wage interesse. trict, 22 officer Ken Robins said the union will .bs.-tabling a wage and benefits rogtsest=+lext ata_ ith for 1992.93 'bat is less i isthany request over.the last 15. years. Members feel that by Joking away .the wage increase *hick all other boards in Aftfiltio re- ceived, ceived, .the won't attract •good teachers. TBomaty ArnslWKts*o beffitati EXETER - The .flus in the Reath Meront Aemeatien Centre willaeon beback warms!. Porkhe vast'smith, a''"spegight- looking" ,Ig '>m as been seen in the Meal arena, but that should be -ratified by the time the Exeter RSD midget Generals hit the ice for the all -Ontario champi- onship series. Under a rebate program with the Ontario Hydro, the rev centro had put in -the hey:, Tights which "could save up to S3,000 a year in electri- cal bills. But according to rec centre facili- ty manager Cam Stewardsoii, the old 1,000 -watt light bulbs sat lower in the shades than the newer 400 wau bulbs. He explained the retlec- -.tors could not .be set -high cuuugh. for proper redistribution of light. That is what caused the spotlight laftect. 'They •elihdn't expect this to bap - pert. They are embenasosd," said Stewardson ;of Relished Manufac- turing. the company which put the new lights in. Stewardson said the company was very co-operative in solving the probleni. "They finally Said we have to take one of these lights down and tit it properly." -TheTe4ighting job -wag -supposed to be done overnight and should not have caused problems to the ice surface as far as lighting was con- cerned. As far as changing from 1,000 to 400 _watts, Stewardson said it should not make that much of a dif- tprerice as far a Walnees goes ."We were one of the brightest arenas with 1,,(X)0 watts." Winter's return -.cnu nts . for local- motorists EXETER - Winter's icy return brought a marked increase in the number of traffic accidents reported by the Exeter OPP this past week. Police say last Tuesday vehicles driven by Victoria MacGougan of Ottawa and Lubbertus Witteveen of Thamesford collided in Stephen Township. icy roads were a con- tributing factor, say police, who re- ported moderate damage to the ve- hicles. Last Wednesday, vehicles driven by Sandra Page of London and Jo- seph' Kaak of Dashwood collided on County Road 5 in Stephen Township. Damage to both vehi- cles was extensive, say police, and minor injuries were received by the driver and two patrengeri_ in the .Kaak vehicle. On Thursday, with the winter weather at its worst, the OPP report three accidents, again in Stephen Township. There was a collision between ve- hicles being driven -by William Lamb of Oshawa and Jack Dnscoll of London. Damage was extensive, but only minimal injuries were re- ceived by Lamb, say police. There was also a collision be- tween vehicles driven by Wilson Wales of Huron Park and Craig Clausius of Zurich.. Damage was rated moderate to extensive and mi- nor injuries were received by Wales and his two passengers. The third collision was between vehicles driven by Pau -ick Sullivan of RR3 Dashwood and Tracy Bed- ard of Hay Township. There were no injuries reported, but damage to the Bedard vehicle was said to be moderate. Sexual abuse seminar LVCAN - A weekend seminar will tie -held in Lucan on March 27 and 28 dealing with the problem of sexual abuse of children. Joanna Shaule of Hope Counsel- hng .Services of -Lucan, will be leading the seminar to address such topics as the long-term effects of sexual abuse; the coping strategies of sexual abuse survivors; moving from victim to survivor; and how sexual abuse can negatively affect one's relationship with God. Any interested in this seminar, ei- Aber professieneliy;o_r: personalty..is welcome to attend. For further in- formation contact Joanna Shaule-at 227-1296. Four impaired drivers convicted in court EXETER - A third conviction for impaired driving has resulted in a three-year license sus- pension for a Woodhani area man in Provincial Court in Exeter last Tuesday. Gerald A. Cottle of RR 1 Woodham entered a guilty plea to a charge of impaired driving. Police told the court that on December 8 an.of- ficer noticed a truck parked on the lawn of a res- idence just off of Highway 83. As the officer approached the truck, the accused was observed throwing a bottle out of the window. The accused, who was sitting behind the wheel, identified himself but showed signs of extreme in- toxication and had to be assisted on exiting the vehicle. Breath samples taken indicated BACs of 240 and 230. Judge R.G.E. Hunter took into consideration evidence which showed the accused had two prior convictions for driving with a blood alcohol count over the legal limit upon sentencing. Cottle was sentenced to 30 days in jail, to be served on weekends, in addiuon to a three-year driving prohibition. BAC over 80 Dennis Pfaff of Crediton entered a guilty plea to a charge of driv- ing with a blood alcohol count over the legal limit. The accused was stopped for speeding on County Road 4 in Crediton on February 8. Breath samplestaken indicated BACs of 12B and 120.-Inaddition to a 12 -month driving suspension, Pfaff was fined $750 with 60 days to payor 35 days in jail. BAC over 80 Gregory N. Kobayashi of Hensall pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with a blood alcohol count over 80 after an incident Decem- ber 15. . The accused was stopped on Eastern Avenue.in Exeter at 1:10 a.m. for driving without his lights on. Breath samples indicated BACs of 140 and 140. Kobayashi .was sentenced to 14 days in jail along with a two-year driving prohibition. BAC over 80 Floyd G. Riley of Huron Park entered a not guilty plea to a charge of driving with a blood alcohol count over 80 after an incident Octo- ber 4. The court heard police were dispatched to Huron Park around 10:50 p.m. after receiving p report of a vehicle racing on St. Law- rence Avenue. Upon arrival the officer parked on Columbia Drive to listen. The officer said he heard an engine revving, loud cheering and squealing tires coming towards him. The officer then activated his lights and met the accused at the intersection. Samples taken indicated BACs of 170 and 150. Riley was given a 12 -month driving suspension and the choice of a $750 fine with nine months to pay or 35 days in jai I . Theft Valerie Kyle of Hensen pleaded to 11 cuunts,of theft from McTag- garts Food Marken in Howell. Police were called to:tlse store by the owner who.said money was being stolen by a cashier. A hidden camera was installed and over a period of time aped the.cashierstaking-both mosey and cigarettes. On Detsalaer 17, eight iotaitleta15.w,eraaohaeevedmaw December 19.ihe accused -was found w Iwve.two pacK rges of c jamaies. on ,ler :Omen. Kyle willbeasstenued on April .J4. 4 Cattle' cents on(y iteenaon br sthWvr! Dear Sir: 'The market is sending a clear manage .diene days that is to re- duce -retail selling prices to consu- mes. The -only weapons for survi- val is to reduce manufacturing txtets. -We must -reach a level -of competitiveness. Jobs. continue to disappear in Ontario and our community. Gen- eral Coach employees are not im- mune to this very difficult prob- ' tem. In February 1992, our employees had the opportunity to participate_ jn the Hensall plant's future orat least be made aware of the circumstances. The company asked to negotiate a roll back of wages and/or benefits. In return the company offered a production incentive plan and a profit staring plan. In this way the employees could re.capttire their 'wage roll Keep back based on increased sales from lower selling prices. Differing with a report in the Hu- ron Expositor of March 4, 1992, suggesting wages were going -tack -to t984 levels, wages ranged from 'S9.1 I to $9.71 per hour �. in 1984. -Wages in 1992 ranged from SI 1.98 to $12.73 per hour for employees with 10 years of service or more.. Current _ fringe benefits are 11 paid holidays each year, 3-4 week vacation with payment for safety shoes, Acciden- tal and Life Insurance, weekly in- demnity including major medical Employees currently employed have been General Coach employ- ees for 10 to 30 years, for the most part they'kre exceptionally good at common DearEditor: 1 would like to thank the T.A. for reporting so promptly Stephen Township Council's decision to re- scind their pay increases. As was so clearly suggested in Adrian Harte's editorial of February 26, we the taxpayers are the ultimate employees and as such have a right to know where the money is going and how it is being spent! Whether it was the T.A.'s report- ing, the phone calls to councillors their jobs and have served the can - pany well. Reality must be recog- nized. ecog-nized. Companies will not survive unless all ere ready to accept less and be prepared to compete with our American friends 150 kilome- ' tresaway. Andrew !manse President and General Manager General Coach. Hensall Editor's note: In last week's Times Advocate article about wage negotiations at General Coach. .a number of items appear iso he in- correct . Our only intention was to indicate the stresses of the econom- ic recession. We apologize to Mr (manse for •any wrong impression this may have caused. ication open from concerned and irate taxpay- crs, a twinge of conscience on the } part of council or a combination of these, congratula- tions .are in order to Tom Tomes and his council for listening' to the residents of the township and re- membering pre-election platform planks regarding fiscal responsibili- ty. Their most recent decision may be a landmark watershed for vot- ers, as taxpayers' input into Coun- cil decision was met head on with satisfactory response. Those ac- countable for public funds will find that fewer will quibble if the lines fit, of communication are kept open and all the cards are laid on the to ble right from the star Sincerely Drew Robertson Creditor' More respect for Canada's flag Dear Editor: We arc writing to you because we are concerned about the Cana- dian flags. People are just letting them get destroyed. We would really appreciate it if you would Dear Editor: I read with disappointment, a letter from Katherine Ens (Fund- raising Campaign, March 11) re- garding fund raising campaigns and how they take business away from local merchants. In my opinion, any fundraising that any group undertakes, particu- larly in our small community, lakes dollars away from the mer- chants. One local school sells cheese monthly, there are wrap- ping paper sales done by nursery schools, Brownies and Guides sell cookies, Cubs and Scouts sell ap- ples, and all sports organizations sell tickets to raise their money. mention it in your newspaper. We feel this is reflecting very badly on Canada. Thank you for taking your time to read this letter. 'I he 1st Hensel! Guide Company Angie Towel, Jamie Reabum, Michelle Gent tner, Shannon Wil- cox, Alicia Lawrence, Julie For- rest, Angela Towle, Kari Reid, Kim Bilcke, Guider Fundraising is essential Oh yes and as I recall the figure skating club sold chocolate bars, calendars and asked parents to bake and donate pies to raise money for them. There are two bakeries and three grocery stores who sell the same items. How does this impact them? And what about church ba- zaars? People donate goods for oth- ers to purchase. Many of the goods are for sale in our stores. They raise substantial dollars for many activi ties sponsored within the churches that would not operate without these funds. Yes the merchants in our town are quite generous but they cannot be expected to consistently give, particularly in this economy. The money raised in the community is essential in getting projects com- pleted and keeping organizations operational. We will always return to our lo- cal businesses to purchase these same items used in fundraisers again and again. If all of us could support just a few organizations. many worthwhile projects would thrive. Jane Hefley Exeter Time to control ,:finery deer Dear Editor: In mid-February, I was in volved in a motor vehicle accident on Highway 21 in Pinery Park, south of Grand Bend, involving a deer/car collision - the deer was killed. The Township of Bosanquet has prepared a survey sheet for public support to control (not kill) the deer population in -the -Pinery -Pack Provincial Park. The survey gives some •inierest- ing facts: the white-tailed deer population has more than dou- bled between 1985 and 1990; 80 per- cent of auto acci- dents near the Pinery Park are deer -related; over- population is destroying deer habi- tat -and flora -in -the -park; -high num- bers lead to starvation and disease in the herd; and, local crop damag- es to area farmers continue to rise. Copies of the survey arc avails ble from myself or by writing to Bosanquet Township, Box 269. Thedford, NOM 2N0, or phone 296-49,53. I urge all citizens to support this petition. Our support may save Just one more deer, or motorist, froth death on the highway. Christine Ball Brucefield, 233-9239 Studentoffe, views on parking Dear Editor Dear Editor. In response to Ray Lewis' front page article in the T.A. of March the 4th discussing student parking at S.H.S.S. and the 'in -hall' in view with Deb Lord last week, would like to share a few of m views as a student, who may have to pay for parking privileges at school. Right now, most students who arc involved in extra -curricular ac- uvWes must rely on Uanapotilation other than buses to get borne -from practices, rehearsals and planes. Such transportation bas to .be .ar- ranged by the -individuals, soden requiring drivers to c,pme,atidpick them up. Those who livejin ser may be able tohobos .fairly easily. However,he,dfhts. who don't, would beat a;:diiiinct;dd- vantage when it. game.. W A4Wpg home, if we ware.ttot,polto park at the arsbgol...We who re forpwnte eii *h.;4o have. a , ar available to its, Lan ;(dtwe :to school, thus not only helping to .eliminate crowd- ed busses both I coming and going to and from school but enhancing the life and quality of school in general by emir participation in these extra- curricularactivities. I feel .that many of the teachers who ,become involved as coaches And directors would miss .their con- tact with students in a less academ- ie rule. As ,Raid,recepdy by a jEpitp of students from a Tomato school board suffering from. a "wad( Jo tuic swategy" -by : bcir Icechers, e,mind "There's much pore 40 at; lthonWe Science.AY those " is who , t a. Atilt iilasion to school fife ;squu1d .,be ,fid with illidatilt .ts. ,lfwt .we Oder - mining L�0} sl: neceafafY 49w 410d, A tiliefiaii,44118 met who cannot walk home alter such activities. There goes the drama there go the sports teams, there go the field tsps and there go many other aspects of school life which contribute to a more well rounded person. Many of us students already pa> a fee in order to play on teams, which is yet another form of dis criminating; maybe the Board of Bducation should be reminded stmt they should budget for the studeius fust and worry about other extras later. I do realize that driving to school and parking there is a privilege nut a right, however, charging studetus to park at the schools will cause a h�st of new ;problans, incgnven- iedces,'.a d public outcry. As a stu- dent, 1,fgpe that someone thinks this one ,through carefully, as a rash decision may have far reach- ing consequences for lot of pco- p1c. ) Sincerely. Jenny,Robcrtson Crediton