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Times Advocate, 1992-06-24, Page 1Stephen Twp. Ready for 150th anniversary page 6 Women's softball Three local women recall 'diamond days' page 18 Grand Bend OPP investigating variety store cigarette heist` GRAND BEND - Provincial po- lice report a theft of cigarettes from the Mac's Milk store in Grand Bend on the weekend. The OPP say an undisclosed amount of cigarettes were .taken from ,the Ontario Street store some- time -in .the late evening -flours of Thursday, although it is said the worth of .the cigarettes amounts to several:thousand dollars. Police/are .still investigating':thei theft and say they are still looking for a person or persons involved. They are also aidting the public for eminence and that if anyone might have .seen anything or know any- thing _about the _theft they should contact the OPP at 238-2345 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-265-7500 if they wish.to remain anonymous. nfie Id m er:killed in collision, driver .fired HANOVER' - An RR3 Denfield family were involved in a serious collision southeast of Hanover on Saturday. Cindy Munger, 24, was pronounced dead at University Hospital in London. Her husband Steven Munger, 29, was listed in fair condition at the same hospital. Their son, Joshua. was in critical condition -at the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario. The family were in a vehicle driven by Leo Montag of RR) Neu- stadt when iecollided with a pickup truck driven by as Durham man at an intersection on Grey County Road 3. Montag has been charged with disobeying a stop sign and failing to stop. Rumours untrue, no police officers suspended EXETER - The rumour mill ,is alive and well in Exeter. On the weekend, it was possible to hear from a variety of sources that one of the Exeter Town Police force's officers was suspended from duty because of an incident several weeks ago. A phone call to the police. office Monday morning confirmed the truth: there arc no officers sus- pended from duty. nor are there any ongoing investigations against any officers. There is one officer taking sick leave' for an operation, but not the officer whose reputation was being called into question all over town. Don't believe everything you hear. Grade eight *Mime Alan :Jaffrey of St. Boniface Separate School pushes Chad Desjar- • dine of Zurich Public School inlite slalom tricycle race event during an orientation day held at South Huron Distinct High Stefrooi for students entering grade nine in the fall. Look for the region's graduating classes throughout this issue. Stealing thunder? County unaware mflhion Hensall composting program HENSALL - While Hensall council may have been puzzled last week.about why the Huron County Waste Management Committee called a meeting in Hensall to .dis- cuss the village's ,upcoming com- posting project, they had their lan- swer Friday.afternoon. Apparently, the committee only recently discovered that the village for the past several years has been working toward a community com- posting system in order to divert a large amount of grain screenings from its landfill site. Hensall received approval from the provincial .government in early April to go ahead with the 51 mil- _lionvroject. Theprnvince-is-tund- ing up to 5440.970, with Hensall's three grain .elevators contributing the rest. Aside from composting the grain screenings. the project is seen by the province as a possible pilot project for the collection and diversion of _ organic household wastes. This all went ahead without being taken into account by the Huron Waste Management Master Pian - a study aimed at determining the fu- ture for all county solid waste dis- posal, including possible communi- ty composting programs. One of the concerns brought up at Friday .afternoon's meeting was that if the composter is to receive wastes from other mills or commu- nities, then some thought should have been given to .upgrading the access mad to the Hensall landfill site where it is under construction. County engineer Dennis Moreau also said he regretted that the Hen- sall site was not sized for county- wide usc. Hensall's council members, how- ever, fought back, pointing out that they irtitiiued .the project several years ago to deal with a specific Hensall problem, one that is tatique teethe community. Tire tact that the village is a large inland grain han- dling site and generates a huge amount of "industrial" waste was what caused the ministry to allow the composter 10 go ahead strictly as a pilot project. Councillor Jeff Reaburn empha- sized that that are no plans at all to lake anything more than mill waste to the facility until it has proved it- self. Reaburn also offered an apology from Hensall for "jumping the gun" on community composting, but said he assumed the county was aware of the project since it had been well Continued on page 2 Lucan ready to turn taps on new wMer1iiir by August 13 LUCAN - The official opening of the new Lucan water supply system has been set for Thursday, August 13. At the June 16 meeting, council agreed to that date to celebrate having an abundant supply of water and invite the public to join in on the festivi- ties. The opening will be held at the new pumping station, west of the village =on the agreed date at 5:30 p.m. In helping to work out the details of the official opening Don Pletch of Huron -Middlesex Engineering said, "There is lots of room at the. pumping station and lots of things to see. We can show how it actually works and what is done." Testing of the new system is expected to take place during the week of July 5 to 11. When the question of when the long existing water ban would be lifted was raised at the latest meeting, reeve Tom McLaughlin was quick to answer, "When we know the system is woxidng properly we will immediately lift the ban. We won't wait a minute longer." McLaughlin added, "If the time to lift the ban comes and it isn't near a council meeting, I will make arrangements to have councillors come in and sign the necessary papers. We have waited too long for this'memora- ble occasion. It will be a happy day for all of us and the culmination of a lot of planning and hard work." In announcing that the'project was very near to completion engineer Pletch said, "By August 13 we should have a good catch of grass and the landscaping should all be in place." Councillor Bryan Smith said this week, "About the only question I get these days from ratepayers is about lifting the water ban and I am happy to tell them it won't be long. I hope it can happen by July 21." Huron Park water rates increase to offset deficit CREDITON - Stephen Township council last week decided to halt the downward slide of the finances of the -Huron Park water system, .401410 -gilled to substantially in- crease utility rates to Huron Patio residences and industries. As Stephen Township administra- tor Larry Brown describes the situ- ation, "substantial repairs" to the Kirkton wells that supply the com- munity have created a $68.000 defi- cit in the operating of the system. Consequently, residential flat rates have been increased 29 per- cent, up from 533.08 per month to 542.70. This increase is expected to be included in the rental rate of Huron Park homes, but won't take effect until January 1993. Huron fark .industries will led a somewhat lighter pinch. The me- tered rate for the first 30.000 gal- lons used by industrial park tenants will remain the same at 51.75 per 1,000 gallons. However, the few high water users in the park will be paying 51.25 per 1.000 gallons for additional water, up from the cur- rent 85e per 1.000 gallons. The industrial true increase will take effect this August 1. Playhouse awarded $127,487 grant by provincial government GRAND BEND - Huron MPP Paul Klopp announced Last Wednesday on behalf of Ontario Minister of.Cufture and Communi- cations Karen Haslam support for the restoration of a regional theatre by awarding a grant of 5127,487 to the Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend. "The money will be used for the life safety renovations to bring the facility up to current building and fire codes," .said business manager for We Playhouse Kate Burnett. A four year phased project to upgrade the current building to the stan- dards of a contemporary theatre fa- cility began this past year and the grant will fund one-third of this year's renovations. The theatre company, founded in 1972, first performed in a rented big top tent and accommodation for the actors was provided in a neighbouring ban. The humble ti- cilities and barn building provit'ed a unique atmosphere of theatre in the country that became the trade- mark of the Playhouse. In 1975, a new theatre of recycled barn board was constructed to replace the ex- isting facilities. "The Huron Country Playhouse contributes significantly to the area economy as a tourist attraction," said Haslam. "The playhouse has grown and become more and more popular every year and strives to provide the best in summer theatre to the communities it serves." Primarily family oriented, the theatre draws on the international repertoire of classic and recent mu- sicals and comedies. The 1992 Main Stage season will run for 13 weeks from June.$,tgptember5. The Playhouse will present Rea gens and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music", Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap", Marc Camoletti's ""Don't Dress for Dinner", "David French's "Jitters" and Alan .lay Lemer's "Camelot". "The Huron County Playhouse is a family tradition her," said Klopp. "I am delighted the government is supporting live regional theatre which is a priority for Minister Haslam and me." PP c m 5wifr to OPP causes few changes for Mount Forest By Adrian Harte T -A Editor MOUNT FOREST - The switch from a municipal police force to Ontario Provincial Police coverage for Mount Forest has not been as dramatic a change as some residents expect- ed., in fact, few notice much of a difference at 011. The town disbanded its own police service in favour of an OPP contract in April 1990. Town administrator Al Brubak- er said there were some initial concerns from the public "but it worked out well". Exeter town council is entertaining the first serious consid- erations of OPP contract paIipigeeiagabeetown after making a dec04061WBt Mor day mtliIIMU111.Mh 11a100illoch a con- tract. Mount Forest, a town of nearly ids ideal population to Ex- eter, currently pays 5373.602 for a yiws policing. The last Exeter police service's board budget, although hotly contested by council, runs nearly 5200,000 higher. Brubaker said there were many factors influencing Mount Forest council's decision to swab over to OPP policing, not the least of which was the town force had been without a chief fora year and a half. "We didn't save a lot of money," said Brubaker, but rotes that OPP coverage has meant the wwn no longer has to worry about police capital costs, training, dispatch services, or hir- ing. Council were able to stipulate cutely what services they etequired from the OPP, ineluding perking and traffic enforce- Townt, and municipal bylaw infractions. "1f you're paying, then they'll do what you request," said Brubaker, who agreed that the contract service amounted to much more than just "drive-by policing" One main concern voiced by the public at the time of the switchover was that fewer officers on patrol would be famil- iar to town residents, but once the Mount Forest police were disbanded, all officers were offered jobs with the OPP de- tachment. Lynn Pinnegar, editor of. iliailfounr Forest Confederate, said the main reason the town switched to OPP policing was becawe they couldn't find a new chief for the force. "There were some people who were upset," said Pinnegar of the public meetings held before the change was made, not- ing that some were worried longstanding officers with the force would be transferred away from the community. Nevertheless, most of the town's former constables remain on the wwn beat today with the OPP, said Pinnegar. The OPP also report directly to the town council every month, and receive suggestions of how coverage can be im- proved or iargetted at specific problems. In the meantime, Exeter council's decision to request from the Solicitor General a quote on an OPP policing contract for the town has not met with any complaints from the town po- lice nor the police services board. In fact, some have said that since the possibility of OPP coverage has been raised for the past several years. usually at budget and wage contract negotiations, it is time the issue was nettled once and for all. r I