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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-09-23, Page 11 Mini Carnations with baby's breath 6' bunch Cash and Carry COUNTRY FLOWERS Exeter Serving, South Huron sc Gainer-Kneale Insurance Service Experience Value 235-2420 North Middlesex & Lamhton Inside Fall Fair Events on for weekend page 2 Terry Fox Annual runs raise $13,000 page 3 Quilt show Best stitiches on display page 8 Anything Goes Annual show in Grand Bend page 12 Crops Time running out for some page 13 Karate Huron Park tournament Second front Rec Centre warmroom given go-ahead EXETER - The Recreation and Community Centre Board for the South Huron Recreation Centre has given the go-ahead for a warm- room/committee room to be in- stalled in the facility. A fundraising committee has been set up to help raise the money for the construction of the room. Councillor Dave Urlin informed council Mondayfvening that plans for the room include costs "be- tween S 15,(X10 and S18.000 dol lars." OPP seize s awed -off shotgun from youths EXETER - The Exeter OPP in- vesugated several occurenccs this week, one of which ended in the seizure of a shotgun. During the past week, the Exeter OPP detachment executed a search warrant on a premises in Grand Bend seizing a sawed off shotgun. Two young offenders face weapon charges following this investiga- uon. Apology Kirkton area readers deserve better Kirkon area readers are likely convinced they weren't treated fairly by the Times Advocate last week, and they are right. The fact is, the news depart- ment somehow missed the entire Kirkton Fair. Other papers in the area, thc St. Marys Journal Argus and the Mitchell Advo- cate were there, and so should we have been. We fumbled the ball. We apologize to the Kirkton Community. You deserve better coverage from the Times Advo- cate. We are taking steps to en- sure similar situations don't hap- pen again. Organizers have promised us official results from the fair and we will get them to you as soon as they are available. Adrian Harte Times Advocate editor Since 1873 Wctlnesci.1). September 23. 1992 Kept in dark about police chief dismissal still no explanation Council not happy with being last to know EXETER - Members of town council appeared more than a little disappointed that their official noti- fication of the removal of the town police chief from his duties came after the issue was public knowl- edge. Council met for a special meeting last Wednesday to discuss the dis- missal of Police Chief Jack Hark- ness on September 7 by the police services board. Council members noted the meeting came nearly 24 hours after the first issues of the Times Advocate with the story hit the newstands. "This meeting is a courtesy..." be- gan mayor Bruce Shaw, who ex- plained that council's involvement with the town police department is not as active as it was before the mandatory creation of the police services board in January. "The rumour mill is probably grinding full blast The situation is such that a lot can't be said - not to the public and not to you guys," ex- plained Shaw, council's only repre- sentative on the board. - Shaw reiterated the official state- ment of the board and said he could only state that Harkness' dismissal resulted from a "disagreement" be- tween the chief and the police ser- vices board and that a "hearing is being sought" to resolve the situa- tion. "All I can say is the hoard has hired a lawyer, an excellent lawyer who is representing the interests of the board," said Shaw, adding that Harkness has sought legal advice as well. No reasons have been given for the dismisqnl, nor for the basis of the "disagreement". Councillor Ben Hoogenboom said it was disturbing the public knew about -the situation long be- fore Wednesday's announcement to Council. "I found it disturbing to find out about it in the paper or from people on the street," said Hoogenboom. Shaw said council, in this situa- Ilion, has no more right_ than the public to information about the case. "We were advised by our lawyer and the board has said nothing," said Shaw. "Behind the scenes there is obvi- ously a great deal going on...and has been for a long time," he added. Gas explosion averted Hilalkaietor council are considering a smoking bylaw, the Exeter PUC created a no - smoking area of their own last Tuesday. While digging a trench for installation of new transformers behind Stedman's a back -hoe severed an unmarked gas line, flooding the downtown area with dangerous levels of natural gas: The fire department quickly cor- doned•ofthe block and etracueted,buildings..flare .theylake.abreath .of fresh$irAnsi ex- amine the break after the line was shut off. While the situation passed without incident, many would not care to speculate what would have happened if the gas ignited. Grand Bend natural gas GRAND BEND - Home owners in this village will be glad to know that a natural gas line will be com- ing into Grand Bend sometime in the spring of 1994. At Monday night's council meet- ing, it was announced that Union Gas had approached the village and informed them of thc stages that have to be followed before thc pipes are laid. Onc of those is a franchise agree- ment between the company and the village. "Union Gas has given explicit in- structions on how to do this," said village clerk -administrator Paul Turnbull. to get in 1994 At the meeting, council read the agreement formally for a first and second time and will now have to wait until they hear from the Onta- rio Energy Board. The pipe line will be ruts from Zurich into one end of the village and the other line will be hooked up into the one which will be ex- tended from Medford. "This is good and exciting news," said Mayor Toni Lawson. "The idea of Grand Bend hosting a casi- no spurred this." Lawson noted that Union Gas is in the process of decreasing its rates by four percent while Ontario Hydro is increasing theirs. Town to hold the line EXETER - Hants that the Ex- eter town budget may end up the year on the red side of the bal- ance sheet continued Monday evening. The executive conunittec re- lent to council showed that town department heads arc being cau- tioned by the committee to "spend carefully between now and year end". This recommendation came after the executive committee re- viewed the town budget. Some concerns were raised at the last council meeting that tax reve- nues arc likely to fall short of expectations in 1992 in pan du c to a slump in new building. Losses over $200.00Q Parkhill woman to plead guilty in connection with bank fraud GODERICH - The defense for a woman charged in connection with tight counts of fraud exceeding $1.000 at an Exeter branch bank in- formed the court at a pre-trial hear- ing in Goderich last Tuesday that the accused will be pleading guilty to the charges in court November 27. Leona Faye McIntosh of RR4 Parkhill was originally charged with four counts of .fraud in No- vember, 1991 following a two- month investigation by the Exeter Town Police into a banking fraud scheme. Since that time, McIntosh, a for- mer Commercial Account Support officer with Exeter's Bank of Mon- treal, has been charged with four additional counts of fraud. Although details oflow the fraud was carried out and enact amounts are unavailable, the charges involve a loss of over $200,000 Tr= 1984- 1991. .However. that does not in - elude interest losses for that period nor the potential loss of income. The bank assured all customer ac- counts that may have been affected by fraudulent transactions have been reimbursed by the bank. The investigation, which began when bank officials notified police of their suspicious, involved one Iulliime sown officer exclusively dedicalad to the case, while the OPP Masi xackam Branch was also brought in lo assist. Hoogenboom asked for the status of the chiefs salary: whether he had been suspended with pay or not. "I can't tell you that either," re- plied Shaw. Councillor Robert Drummond also appeared annoyed at being left in the dark. "I would probably have thought that council would have been ad- vised before now," he commented. "Keep in mind the council does not have the rights it used to," con- ceded deputy -reeve Lossy Fuller. Urlin said he agreed with Hoo- genboom. "I feel it's a slap in the face to council," said Urlin. "I know what you're saying. It's none of our business anymore," but Urlin argued council should at least have been briefed in private. "We were caught off guard, and I don't think it's fair." Shaw said the police services board has to be careful. "The town could end up paying a libel suit. We don't want to lead anyone astray," he cautioned. Councillor Ervin Sillery asked if this situation with the chief was re - hated to Shaw's attempt in April to resign from the police services board: a request that was denied by council. Shaw had cited "personal conflicts" which he would not ex- plain. "Everything ties in,' replied Shaw. "It's all part and parcel of the same thing." Councillor Bob Spears asked what would be happening next, and when. Shaw said the board is looking at three options, which could be re- solved in one week or as long as three months. "So council will be kept up to date as you can tell us?" asked Spears. "Or keep buying the paper," com- mented Hoogenboom. Councillor Tom Humphreys asked if the dismissal of the chief by the board could have an effect on the town's consideration of an OPP contract. Shaw said agreed that was a good question. "If it [the dismissal] is construed as an attempt to reduce the size of the force in anticipation of an OPP takeover, then the OPP takeover would not take place," said Sh?w. Police Commission agrees with council over police budget EXETER - While not a complete endorsement of town council's posi- tion. a report from the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services seems to put the ball back into council's court for determining policing costs. The commission held a hearing in Exeter on July 15 to scale a dispute between council and the police services board over the police budget. The board's budget of $572,710 was objected to b) council who sought a reduced budget of $510,395. The report from that hearing arrived Mon- day, and although council had not yet seen it, a copy was provided by the Times Advocate for discussion. "All right" said councillor Bob Spears when reviewing the four conclu- sions of the report. "It almost sounds like we won, but lost.' noted councillor Robert Drum- mond. "This is quite a document, I haven't read it but the conclusions are quite earth -shattering," agreed councillor Dave Urlin. The lour page report. while not supporting council s budget figure. does basically agree with council's three main objections to rising policing COSLS. Frrstl) . the report rejects the polLce boards position that the chiefs sala- ry was to increase nine percent in 1992. "...in the present economic climate a salon increase of nine percent will not be accepted by the public. According we disallow this figure and rec- ommend that parity be achieved increinentall) over a period of two or three years." Continued on page 2 Bitty OroonAougi (left) snuggles up to the king played by Gordon Cavalier In Just You Wait, one part of the annual Grand Cove Estates variety show. This year's show was called Anything Goes and ran Friday, Saturday and Monday. More photos On page 12.