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Times Advocate, 1992-09-16, Page 11 Daley Paws bunch Cash and Carry ` COUNTRY FLOWCRS Exeter • v.4 S 'rvtn;e Soot!) Horne Inside Reform Party Lobb wins nomination page 2 Press Officer Exeter woman aide to Chretien page 5 Literacy CCAT launches new program page 8 Chili Fest Legion brings back the heat page 10 Soccer Annual Awards Banquet page 16 Initiation Grade nines put through their paces page 27 Written complaints no longer necessary for property standards enforcement EXETER - Before last Tuesday evening, anyone who wanted It make a complaint about the upkeel of a neighbours property had to submit a complaint in writing to to town. A new bylaw now makes it possible for the building official to mvesugate problems with Exeter about properties without wnttee complaints. Building official Dave Moyer told council the new property stile dards hylas doesn't infringe on nghts of property owner or those of the complainer, but it docs give tit' property standards officer -more flexibility Not only can the officer act or. verbal coniplatni from residents. but can also follow up suuauons he has observed himself While the bylaw passed through council without much discussion mayor Bruce Shaw noted that tie former property standards hylas proved so controversial at the wee it was passed that the reeve "quit on the spot believing it to be too much of an intrusion on property owners' rights by the town's (Ali cials. North Middlesex & Lamhtoti asir Since 1873 Galeetr-!(tttteaalle insurance Service Experience Value 2 5,2420 Wednesday. September 16, 1992 75 cent, Polios Chief fired, no explanation yet By Adrian Harte T -A Editor EXETER - The Police Services Board, at a meeting on Labour Day, voted unanimously to relieve Town Police Chief Jack Harkness of his duties, but board members say they are not yet able to discuss the rea- sons for his termination. The board had originally planned to make a public statement about the dismissal last Tuesday, but de- ferred n until after consulting with legal counsel. A statement eventu- ally made to the Times Advocate Friday afternoon reflects an aware- ness of possible legal considera- tions that might arise from dismiss- ing Harkness. Police Services Board chairman John Stephens said the following statement was all the three-member board were willing to make at the time: "At a meeting of the Police Serve es Board on September 7, Police Chief Jack Harkness was re- lieved of his duties as Chief of Po- lice for the Town of Exeter. The Police Services Board has received 'communication from the lawyer representing Chief Harimess. The Police Services Board has also sought legal advice and is attempt- ing to obtain a hearing with regard to the position of the board and the Town of Exeter. The chiefs posi- Grade tine students Jason Lindenfield and Gavin Poole belt our a tune for the rest of the student body at South Huron District High School during grade nine Welcome Week acttvt- -ties Monday. More coverage on page 27. A $3 million treatmentplant? Council takes first steps toward sewage system expansion EXETER - Council last Tuesday evening agreed to begin working toward a possible expansion of the towns sewage system. Council agreed that they will make an application to seek direct assistance from the Ministry of the Environment to help fund a sew- age .system expansion.. Also, consulung engineers B.M Ross will be contacted to deter- mine what the cost of such an ex- pansion would bc. "The first thing he (engineer; will do is contact the ministry to find out what kind of treatment they require," works superinten- dent Glen Kelts explained to coun- cil. A likely scenario is that the present lagoon system will have to be replaced by a sewage treatment plant_ CouncillorBen Hoogenboom asked the mayor why a treatment plant wasn't built 15 years ago dur- ing the last system expansion. 'As 1 recall the cost lot a plant) was about a million dollars,- said mayor Bruce Shaw . "Of course it's about three million now.' Shaw said that even if council 4Welected r - onstruci a•treaunent plant back then, it might likely be needing an expensive upgrade or replacement now anyway. "In hindsight it was probably the tight thing w do anyway," said Shaw of the decision to retain the lagoon system. Kelis told council the ministry is only likely to approve a system that will meet the needs of Exeter s growth for the next 20 years and nc more, but he added that, further ex pension of the lagoons is likely to be ruled out, due to a lack of abihn for inc Ausable. River to accorruno date larger lagoon discharges "Our big problem is we have no flow in the river in summertime.' said !Cells. poinung out that this rainy year is not the none Under present regulations. the Exeter lagoons cannot be empued between May 1 and November 1. .While :the lagoons arc not. cur- rently at full capacity . what extra capacity there is has already been allocated to existing vacant subdivi- sion lots. Any new subdivision lots are likely to find there is no sewage servicing available. Another expensive project on the horizon for Exeter is an expansion of the water system. Current) , the town is looking at tying into tic Lake Huron pipeline through Ste- phen Township, which is also ex - pecled to cast about $3 million. tion is uncertain, pending the ad- vice of legal counsel." Stephens apologized for not be- ing able to further explain the situa- tion. "Nothing has changed to lead us to say more at this time. We feel we really shouldn't," said Stephens and would not go so far as to say whether the dismissal was caused by a recent specific incident or an ongoing situation. He said he hoped a full explanation would he forthcoming soon. "I would hope, for everybody's sake, soon," he said. Stephens did say that as of last Monday, sergeant Brad Sadler would be looking after the force in the capacity of acting chief of the 13 -member force Harkness, when contacted at his home and asked if he wished to comment on the situation, only re- plied "no comment". While speculation about the chiefs termination has included the fact that the town police force has been undergoing turbulent times in regards to budgets, salaries, the Po- lice Commission hearing, and con- siderations of switching to OPP ser- vice, other sources have suggested the dismissal results from other un- related issues. lJntil the board reveals the rea- sons behind its actions, such specu- lations will likely run rife through the town, but there is still no full explanation for this mysterious and somewhat shocking turn of events for the town's police force. Solicitor General wants to discuss procedure before offering OPP cost estimate EXETER - It doesn't appear the Town of Exeter will receive an esti- mate of what it would cost to switch to OPP policing anytime soon. Council agreed in June to consid- er fmding out, if only for argu- ment's sakc, what the comparison between the cost of OPP policing for Exeter and the cost of running the town police force. The town received a reply from the Ministry of the Solicitor Gener- al explaining that several groups will have to be consulted first. "In response to your resolution, the Ministry will begin an OPP costing estimate after the affected stakeholders have been notified. Staff from my Ministry will contact you to schedule a meeting with both the Police Services Board and Council to review the procedures and protocols to be followed in this process,' reads a fetter from Allan Pilkey, solicitor general. Copies of Pilkey's letter have gone to the Police Association of Ontario, the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, and to the Ontario Provincial Pohce Association. Councillor Ben Hoogenboom said he was concerned that it took so long to get this fust response to Exeter's request. "It's also disturbing that he's go- ing to seek input from bodies that have nothing to do with this at all. And the old MPA [Municipal Po- lice Association] is one," said Shaw. Reeve Bill Mickle noted council has still to receive a ruling from the police commission !rearing held on July -15, to decide whether the town can override the 14 percent budget increase set by the police services board. Hoogenboom noted that the town is already nine months into its 1992 fiscal year and has yet to find out which budget is valid. OPP report two thefts from local businesses -EXETER - The Exeter OPP arc investigaung a theft from a Crediton business and a break and enter near Grand Bend. Police report that last Wednes- day night a white OMC outdnve and a silver "Shelley" winch were stolen from Gary's Marine in Crediton. On Sunday. say police, then was a break-in at Reabum Elu- u-onics on Highway 81 south of Grand Bend. Stolen were cellu lar phones, two-way radios, a lap -top computer, fish finders, and marine radios. ' The OPP arc asking if anyone can help solve these crimes, they can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-265-1777. Callers will not have to reveal their identity and can be eligible for cash re- wards up to $1,000. The OPP also report that they removed two impaired drivers from the local highways in this past week. However. they also say the week proved traffic accident- Irce in their coverage area. Zurich clock inventor will be remembered at museum Ry Fred Groves T -A staff ZURICH - Kept in a box about 40 kilometres from this small Hu- ron County corrununity, is one of the best known inventions in the world. On October 11, 1889, George Hess of Zurich patented what is known to be the improved electric clock. This spring, his model clock and all the documentation that goes with the invention, will be taken out of the box and displayed at the Huron County Museurn in Godc- rich. The vast collection was donated by Dorothy Hess whose late hus- band Gordon was one of George Hess' grandsons. Clause Swede, director of )lite Huron Colony Muaewn is vtery ex- cited about the excellent condition of the collection which also in- cludes a document from inc provin- cial government well over 100 years old. "Between this, the model itself, the registered patents and the pub- lished patents you have a complete history," said Break. He said he fust 'antis across inc unique collection by way of a col- league at inc Lanibton Heritage Museum who had aetnc photos from inc Hess family on display. The original model clock which will be part of the display at the musetun in the airing, is in work- ing condition but Breede says aomc miaor work will be doie.before it is viewed by the public. "All we need is a 12 -volt battery. Unfortunately some work has b be done. The coils have.eaoae off aid we wain to clean the brass," he said. George Hess carne to Huron County around 1860 from the Black Forest of Germany. He was a watchmaker by tirade and when he came to Canada passed his craft on to his eons. Zurich is filled with daily remin- ders of the inventor. He installed the tower clock at St. Peter's Lu - thew Church which is still used today. He also built and installed the clock in the Olde Town Hall in Fixeren. Although inc face of this clock has been changed, tic works are the -original ones installed by Hess. In Zwick a large symbolic pock- et Watch bangs outside of Hess Jowielers. The shop has been oper- ated by tdargaret Hers, iibe widow of ,Albert lien, ai(itbni of George 2 Claus Bd e, director of the Huron County Museum and the original model clock made in 1889 by Zurich's George Hess. 4