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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-04-08, Page 1Mixed Bunches •995 awn Cash a Carry i COUNTRY rioMlfkS Exeter GeMinetde Insurance #- Ezp.flence 235-2420 Serving South Huron North Middlesex tv Lannbton 75 cents Inside Bricklayer dies Scaffold collapses at CCAT page 3 New look LCBO unveils , new store page 5 Puppeteers Hensall students in workshop Resignation Hawks coach calls it quits page 17 R Special section Home and Garden show this weekend Inside No increases for Grand Bend fire- fighters GRAND BEND - The Grand Bend Fire Board has set forth a 1992 budget of S57,980, one which does not allow any provisions for a pay increase for the volunteer fire- frgitters..: The budget does, however, allow for the hiring of one new firefight- er, and is taking into account the plans to purchase a new pumper truck to replace the aging equip- ment the department has been using for over 20 years. Six year old struck by car ElCi1TBR - The Exeter OPP in- vestigated an accident which oc- curred on Huron County Road 21 just outside of Huron Park at about 5:15 pm. Monday evening which sent a six year old pedestrian to hos- pital with a broken arm and facial lacerations. April Wood of Huron Park was struck while crossing the road by a vehicle operated by Ellen Knight of Huron Park. The girl was taken to South Huron Hospital in Exeter and later transferred W Chlldren's Hos- pital of Western Ontario in London. No charges will be laid, say po- lice. Generals Exeter Generals' captains Mark Lynn (left), Fred Godboli and Jason McBride raise the cup high for the traditional victory lap after defeating Clinton 7-4 in the fifth game of their OMHA final series. For team coverage see page 14-15. B.I.A. focusing on shopping locally EXETER - The April Fools story in last week's T.A. regarding a controversial study finding Exeter "just plain boring" conflicts with what is really hap- pening according to B.I.A. promotions chairman John Wuerth. Exeter retailers, like most others across the country are busy fighting the recession... but we're better off than many other communities according to Wuerth. "Travellers I talk to say Exeter is doing mom than holding its own," he said. The B.I.A. is expected to make an announcement soon regarding promotional plans for next year which are reported to strongly support shopping lo- cally -and shopping Canadian. Wuerth said one of the fust things the B.I.A. is do- ing is collecting positive comments from people who enjoy their Exeter shopping experience. "They're go- ing to be a big part of our advertising campaign this year," Wuerth said. Exeter's white squirrel mascot will be on the streets this Thursday, Friday and Saturday recording com- ments and handing out Exeter Bucks which can be spent in any business. In the past, B.I.A. funds have been used to increase Christmas lighting and the upgrading and mainte- nance of common areas downtownas well funding the annual Christmas parade As-mucn as 3.8 percent ,-; ° Real tax hikegoing to hurt, warns Exeter reeve Mickle EXETER --Exeter time- B11I Mickle pointed out at Monday eve- ning's council meeting that while Huron County claims a budget with a tax -increase of "only" 6.3 percent, Exeter residents will be seeing a much larger increase. Mickle said county council were pleased with the percentage in- crease, but noted both he and Exet- er deputy -reeve Lossy Fuller voted against it. "There seemed to be a lack of commitment to bring it down fur- ther," said Mickle. Exeter, he said, will see another $95,000 taken from its taxpayers to fill county coffers, a result of county -wide reassessment that fa- vours rural areas, a drop in the road rebate to 40 percent from 45, and the overall 6.3 percent budget in- crease. "It's a sizable amount, it's some- thing that's going to hurt its." said Mickle, pointing out "bat if the Board of Education comes up with an expected six percent budget in- crease, he calculates Exeter taxpay- ers will be poorer a total of $374,000 - an 18.3 percent increase over last year. If town council could offset that increase with a zero -increase bud- get of its own then taxpayers might see property tax bills go up "only" 11.4 percent. The end result, said Mickle is that the town budget will represent only 34 percent of the overall property tax collected in town. Mayor Brucc Shaw agreed and noted when he started on council, the town's share of the tax bill was over 50 percent, demonstrating how the upper government tiers are demanding more taxes. Mickle said that is only possible because the county and the educa- tion board are further removed from the taxpayer in terms of direct accountability. "They have the biggest appetite for more money," he said. Councillor Robert Drummond said he heard of one municipality, upset with their board of education increase, passing a motion to make the board collect its own taxes. "Just a point of note, that is ille- gal," explained Shaw. "So is not paying the levy - although we've done that too...as a matter of protest." Reeve prepared for policlng alternatives EXETER - Reeve Bill Mickle had some harsh words to say about the town's police budget Monday evening, his main concern dealing with the fact that it is now out of the hands of council to decide. Mickle even sug- gested that if the budget is not satisfactory, some changes in Exeter's po- lice force may be in the works. Mickle reminded mayor Bruce Shaw, now council's only representative on the new Police Services Board, that council had asked the board to put together a 1992 budget no more expenSivc than last year's. 1 would assume your mandate is to come in with a zero increase bud- get," Mickle said to Shaw. ' If a zero -increase budget was not forthcoming, Mickle said council should be prepared to reconsider what kind of policing this town should have and said he was prepared to bring forward some options to council. "I am aware of the (call for) a zero increase, and that is the position I take at the meetings," commented Shaw. Councillor Dave Urlin asked about London's precarkaisiscreby their board Pi -i;OW3131114-10k-W. Int the p41_ cf_ 4&c _ a T. - dollars t tum 9t. "Where boards of control exist, there is a different set of ground rules," said Shaw, pointing out the board of control is able to reject even council's budget. Controllers are elected members, separate from council, noted Shaw. However, indications are that Exeter's Police Services Board will have a hard time finding a way to reconcile financial demands with council's. Their first budget proposal showed a $100,000 increase. It has been pared down said clerk Liz Bell, but noted wages of the chief and secretary still haven't been settled. Honoraria for the board members have been set at $1,350 for the year, down from the $1,500 proposed, said Shaw. "All I can say is I'm glad we went with a three member board rather than a five member," observed councilor Ben Hoogenboom. Shaw pointed out that pressures an the police board includes the fact that Huron County police communications equipment is in need of re- placement and the question of who pays for court security has yet to be re- solved. Currently the Town of Goderich police picks up the tab, but has proposed sharing it with other police forces. "I'll consider sharing it, once all the townships begin paying for their po- licing," Shaw told council of his position on the matter. Crash kills two WHALEN CORNERS - Cold temperatures and an early spring snowstorm were listed as prob- able causes of a plane crash Tues- day night which claimed the lives of two Brampton men. Mario Aubrey, 34, and Randy Masters, 27, were killed during the crash while flying—tome from Windsor were Masters owned a car rental agency. Emergency crews, which includ- ed local volunteer firefighters, were called out during the supper hour Tuesday, when the six -seater Piper PA23 disappeared from London Airport radar. Air traffic control at the airport contacted OPP shortly after 7 p.m., announcing the plane was last detected by radar southeast of Elginfield, and that the plane had indicated problems due to ice buildup on the wings and was at- tempting,k►.iattd at Centralia. Crews flee- toured northeastern Middlesex County hampered by darkness, cold temperatures and snow. It wasn't until about 2 a.m. Wednesday morning that the plane's wreckage was found by searchers in an all -terrain vehicle in Please turn to page 3 Time to preserve railway station, says councillor EXETER - Now that the rail- way between Centralia and Goderich is in the hands of a pri- vate company, town councillor Ben Hoogenboom believes Exet- er should begin to air its con- cerns over the future fate of the old railway station. Council had brought up the possibility of seeking the preser- vation and possible restoration of the old station, now used for storage, but had decided to await the outcome of the sale of the property to a Texas short -line railway operator. RailTex took over the rail lines on Friday, naming them the Goderich and Exeter Rail- way (GEXR). "It would be a shame to go by there and find it torn down," said Hoogenboom at Monday's council meeting. Hoogenboom made a motion to contact GEXR to inquire about their intentions regarding the old station west of the Co - Op with a hope it can be pre- served. Miracle Qhild9uts ribbon Second annual. Sick Kids walkadton sees 325 out raising money for Children's Hospital EXETER - Support for the Sick Kids Walkathon his not waned in the year since the event was first brought to Exeter. Sunday afternoon, 325 people registered to walk the nine kilometre trek to Morrison Dam. "Money wise, I haven't a clue," said Audrey Skinner, who organized the walkathon in memory of her daughter who lost her battle with liver failure in the Children Hospital in Lon- don in 1990. Skinnersaid she expects it will take about three wdeks to collect all the sponsored donations and to total them up before an announcement can be made. As for the *alk itself, Mother Nature cooperated half way, providing the sunny skies, but tempered with a chilly breeze. "A cold day, but a lot of fun," said Skinner. The walk was officially kicked off by Melissa Rossoni, the 1992 Children's Network Telethon Miracle Child. Rossoni has been winning her battle with leukemia. nt+ury, but sonny was the way most paOlalpents In >5tefdsy's•Slck.1Jds wit/kathgn ds :.About 325 people hatted uR.to r� y,4 ._ Chlids n's Hospital of Weston, Ontario. ponds ::.raised have yet to be .totted.