Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-05-13, Page 1• Ilasstet Dow 10". 25' Oft Cash h Carry i OUNTPT !ID's/MS Boger "�►---:iii. ssr un.`is Find sponsoring family carnival in the park on May 24 EXETER - A .Child fair on Sun- day May 24 will be the local tele - burden -of National ir►g G il- dren's Day on the Monday. Child Find of Huron County are sponsor- ing the free fair mainly to raise public awareness of their organiza- tion and their efforts to prevent child abduction and to locate its victims. The fair, which will feature games, face painting, crafts, and a full variety of fun events for the family, will be held outdoors in MacNaughton Park from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. In case of rain, it will be held indoors at the South Huron Recreation Centre. Organizer Julianne Varley ex - Happy Birthday A musical salute page 2 Banking Opening in Exeter page 5 Reunion Stephen Township celebrates page 12 Senior baseball Express win open Second front =Sad Boyz Roller blade hockey page 14 plained that Child Find volunteers are putting together penny -carnival • -style games4or-lee children and that many "excellent" prizes have been donated by local businesses and sponsors. The fair will also mark the con- clusion of a colouring contest and prizes will be presented at 2 p.m. The high school drama class are also planning to perform at least one play for the children, and Var- ley said she was still hoping NHL hockey player Dave Shaw will be able to make an appearance. There will also be hot dogs and refreshments; Muppets Big Bird, Bert and Ernie can be expected to be seen frequenting the fair, and there will also be a Play Doh table for the creatively inclined. "It's going to be a greatyigr the family, and everyone is invit- ed," said Verity. Whatever money is raised will be going back to help further Child Find projects. Child Find is best known for its child identification sessions, a couple of which have been held in the area. Children are usually photographed, fingerprint- ed, and given a wriuen description in order to aid police and search ef- forts in case of an abduction. Child Find does note, however, that most abductions are the result of parent custody battles. Lucan taxes up seven percent, councillors take pay cut LUCAN - Despite cutting the budget to the bare necessities, council set ..11.111&111101 111t Tuesday which calls Foran increase of 7.69 percent over last year. The total mill rate on which taxes are calculated will be 96.997. A year ago this figure was 90.074 mills. The village's portion of the mill rate increased by 3.84 percent. while the elementary school percentage is up 10.33 and the secondary school levy is up by 8.63 percent. Of the $957,879 to be collected from village taxpayers, 28 perceallsr' $268,066 is to be used for Local purposes.The balance of taxes is distribut- ed as follows: County of Middlesex, $101,613; Public School Elementary, $278.960; Public School Secondary $243.066; Separate School Elemen- tary $35.362 and Separate School Secondary 530,812. In taking a five percent reduction in their remuneration, councillors safe- ; ries, benefits and expenses are projected to be $32,900. The 1991 figure was $37,141. The annual village Christmas dinner is being eliminated for 1992. Be- cause of this and other reductions, the expenditure for crests, awards and dinners is expected to drop from 57.984 in 1991 to $2.500 for this current year. The total figure for council and administration which includes office staff salaries , insurance, audits, heat and hydro, workers' compensation, telephone, advertising, office supplies, legal fees, etc. is forecast at 5179,383. That's a decrease of 57.445 from last year. The operating surplus for the year 1991 was reported at $3,499 by the auditing firm of Kime, Mills and Dunlop. The surplus for 1990 was in ex- cess of $40,000 Which was used to keep'\the increase in 1991 taxes to a lower level. Clerk Ron Reymer said this week all the possible cuts were made in the 1992 budget. In addition to the cuts already mentioned, council decided to reduce the amounts of charitable donations, delayed further office automation and of- fice repairs, cut the training and convention budget and also delayed some street light On an av 1 asaessment of $12,000, Reymer said 1992 tax- es would be $1,080.70, compared to $972.63 for the 1991 taxation year. Also, in order to reduce expenditures, the only money ticketed for a re - Expee Va/ae 235,2420 Wednesday. Ma) 1:i 199: 7b cents Traffic count has still to convince ministry new lights needed at Intersection, but police say yes By Adrian Harte T -A editor EXETER - While a summer job that requirrs a dock chair is always something of a dream assignment, the students who spent last Wednesday counting traffic had to console themselves to the fact their job lasted only one day. However, the data collected from that one day may be instrumental in determining what direction the nOwn-takes-in-the-aoarch-for a num to traffic congestion on Main Street. Town council initiated the survey of traffic at the corner of Main and Victoria Streets due to concern over the potential forintased traf- fic problems at 'that comer when the new Royal Bunv.is fully opea- tional later .this month. Council also decided zo survey traffic flows one block further north at Welling- ton Street, taking into consideration that corner sees higher levels of in- dustrial traffic and large trucks. Tina Taylor, one of the students charting the cars and pedestrians that entered the Main and Victoria intersection in half-hourly intervals, said the number of cars using that corner made an impression on her. 'When asked if she thought there was a need.for lights there, she re- cpiied'"I think so...and all the people aaoonnd ttere think we need it too." A number of people had spoken to the students during the day express - Aim their hopes •that traffic lights ratty eventually be seen atthat cor- 'The final decision may not be up to council, even though the data ap- pears to reveal enough cross -street traffic to warrant a light. The Min- istry of Transportation, which funds itttd -motes 'traffic- eentrul - measures on Highway 4, has the same jurisdiction over Main Street. Police Chief Jack Harkness ,said he personally supports the idea of placing a traffic light at the Victoria intersection, although he says he is willing to consider the Wellington sltemative if it proves to be of -more benefit, Either way. he wiews another traf- fic light as something of a.necessi- ty, bid heaays.it must be synchron- ized with the other :three traffic lights -in town. wodd.httte to think that an ad- ditional light would create mare havoc...so the shopping ptiblie'by- pass the town through a sidesireet," said Harkness. The "havoc" Harkness refers to is the painfully slow pace of traffic through town on Thursdays, Fri- days and Saturdays, especially in the summer months. He says the stoppages in traffic are also danger- ous because they can cause emer- gency police, ambulance or'fire ,ve- hicles to be unable to gulch their mon. Harkness said he also favours council's suggestion that an "ad- vanced green' turning lane could 'be atilt 'up at Exeter's busiest inter- section: Sanders and Main. Harkness said he is somewhat puzzled by the ministry's require- ment that the traffic counts be con- ducted mid -week, and in daylight hours only. This, he said, does not take into account the weekend cot- tage -bound traffic, nor the dozens of cars that leave the South Huron Recreation Centre after sporting events - usually through Victoria or 'Wellington Streets. "They're not geeing the worst- case scenario," said Harkness. Continued on page two Counting cars and pedestrians last Wednesday was a team of seven students. This group were at the controversial Main/ Victoria intersection. Another three surveyed Wellington. Inconsiderate motorists Crosswalk still a danger By Adrian Harte T -A editor EXETER - "An accident waiting to happen" is how an Exeter Town Police report describes the cross- walk at Victoria Street in Exeter. The crossing, while only a few yours young, had come under attack rht from its first days. Modifica- 1_ioatjo improveibe visibility of its flashing lights and to let pedestri- ans know when the lights were working met with some success. But there are still those who say the crossing is no guarantee the safety for those who cross Main Street !!! A eSchool crossing guard Tracy Humphreys, who supervises the crossing with a hand held stop sign every morning, noon, and after- noon, explains that there arc still a number of motorists who head through the crossing without stop- ping. "It gets worse all the time," said Humphreys. "Even when I'm standing in the middle of the road, cars have been going through." Humphreys said abe always waits for at-= long gap in traffic be- fore activating the lights, but notes some motorists aren't aware of the signals. "People just don't pay attention to it," said Humphreys, add- ing that malty of the violators appear to be elderly drivers. Another problem with the crossing is that many disre- gard the "no passing" signs placed 30 metres on either side of the crossing. Motorists who stop for the crossing find themselves over - Continued on page two 1 t� axiom.' The Victoria crOwwafk, while considered better than no crossing at all, is still seen as a potential hazard for pedestrians. No passing signs, above, are often ignored by mo- torists.