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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-03-31, Page 11411 Serving South Huror. inside Flying Club has high hopes page 3 A *47 Vision is this Grand Bend's future? page 24 Daylight savings Clocks go forward Saturday night Don't forget Flooding fears ease EXETER - Although our water- sheds had more snow and thicker ice on the rivers than in recent years, it appears that the Ausable and Bayfield watersheds will make h through the traditional spring thaw without any flood damages, predicts Alec Scott, water resources manager at the Conservation Au- thority. Rccent milder weather has melt- ed most of the snow pack and in- creased water levels and flows: As of March 15, the snow pack on the total watershed still con- tained a water equivalent of 30 to 50 mm (1.5 to 2 inches) but the warmer temperatures of the last two wecks have gradually melted the snowpack and released water into the streams and rivers. Larger rivers still had ice depths of up to 300 Um '(12 inches) on March 18, but since.lhen, flows and milder temperatures --em de"d timid -- meltecrtlfrier' With forecasted temperatures above 0°C the remainder of the snow will melt, however, resulting flows would still be below normal spring runoff conditions. "Now, our biggest threat is heavy rains," said Scott. "The soil is still saturated with water and heavy rainfall can cause runoff and flood- ing\ North Middlesex & t..ambtor Since :187 Wednesda` . March 31 1993 Don't want a 'Cheygllne North' Apartment tenaiM demanding repairs By Adrian Harte 7'-A Editor EXETER - The tenants of an Ex- eter apartment complex have band- ed together to ensure the buildings' owner properly repairs and main- tains their homes. Citing leaking walls, faulty plumbing, and an overall lack of maintenance and cleaning, the resi- dents met Thursday evening at the apartment of Sylvia Bowman to form a united front against the land- lords of the Carling Street Apart- ments. More than 30 people crowded into the epariruent, representing 25 units of ies,Si:unit two -building complex. i ►yam their complaints had a common theme. Town building official Dave Moyer, invited to the meeting by th residents, said he first became ings". aware of the buildings' problems late last year. He contacted the owner about the needed repairs, but said "we weren't as success - been" we would liked to have ". however, Moyer said he spoke to this owner Abdo Abdo three weeks ago and "his indication was he was aware of the problems in the build - Jenny MacDonalr' points to a common problem in the Carling Street Apartments. deteriorating sit ort her patio. leading to leaks and chronic mildew. MacDonald ass. says she fights a. constant battle against moisture in mildew in her child's bedroom. Abdo was.invited to the meeting, but sent a message to say he was liable to attend. Moyer said he is willing to fur- ther investigate the residents com- plaints and see if any action needs to be taken by the town, either un- der the building code or property standards bylaw. "I'm just here to hear everybody's points. This way we can get all the problems out in the open without having to chase individuals," he said. The first resident to speak was Debbie Keys,. who said even though she has only been in her apartment two months "1'm looking for another place to live because I can't stand it." Keys said her apartment suffers from unbearable moisture prob- lems, has leaking window and slid- ing doors, and she fights a constant battle against mildew on the walls and ceiling. "When you walk into my apart- ment you can smell the mildew and rotten wood," she said. Moyer asked the rest of the room .if mildew was a common problem in the other units; most nodded. Kim Weeks, speaking on behalf of tenant 'Rob McCann . told the group McCann's a estment wasn't cleaned as promised before he moved in, and is also cold and damp with a musty odour. She said she has been given no indication of when plumbing repairs would be completed. Tom Dixon, the building superin- tendent, apologized to the residents, saying he has been given no budget with which to make the needed re- pairs. He acknowledged he has moisture problems in his own apartment. Two accidents EXETER - During the week of March 22-28 1993, the Exeter OPP investigated minor accidents. One motor vehicle collision on Hwy. 4 south of Exeter occurred as a vehicle let the roadway and entered the ditch. No injuries were reported. On March 23 a mail box belong- ing to William Essery of RR #3 Centralia was knocked over by an unknown vehicle. Any one having information concering this incident is asked to call the Exeter OPP or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-265- 1777. Over the past woekend three twelve hour driver's licence sus- pensions were issued. The Exeter OPP also charged six persons with liquor related offences and one person with impaired driving. In Iate,,February of this year, three children's snow racers were found on the side of the road, just cast of Exeter, and on March 24 a girl's bicycle was found in the west side of the Zurich arena. These items arc being stored at the Exet- er OPP detachment. The owners of the property are asked to attend at the detachment and identify the items so they can be returned. Positively Stompin' TV debut rescheduled LONDON - Television viewers hoping to tune in Sunday evening to watch local band Positively Stompin' play on CFPL TV may have been disappointed to find the program rescheduled. The popular band is now sched- uled to make their television debut on the station's music show Up and Coming on Sunday April 11 at 9:30 p.m. Group of seven defies By Fred Groves T -A staff GODERICH - A group of seven municipalities and the. Huron County Planning Department have come to a standoff. The group of seven have refused to pay $750 per consent to the county's planning department. Thursday morning in Goderich at Huron County Council, Exeter Mayor Bruce 'Shaw, representing the towns of Goderich, Clinton, Wingham, Seaforth and Exeter, as well as the villages cf Zurich and Bayfield. told council the group will not pay the fee. "The seven municipalities have met and we have no intention in paying or collecting the $750," said Shaw. In a presentation to council and in front of several representatives from the seven municipalities, Shaw explained how the county rubber-stamps the con- sents after the individual municipalities have al- ready done a lot of the work, and for that, they de- mand $750. "We'll have to wait and see if they fulfill it," said county warden Tom Tomes of Shaw's threat not to pay. The county will deal with it when it hap- pens." But Tomes pointed out later, -that Shaw may not having been the voice of all seven municipalities. "Another councillor said he (Shaw) - was not speaking from them," said Tomes. After Shaw had left the meeting, and stated the municipalities would not pay the fee, Goderich dep- uty -reeve Bill Clifford said Goderich will take an- other look at the situation. Shaw confirmed later that other council members from Goderich did support the group of seven. In his presentation, Shaw said the county was il- legal in there actions to charge such a fee. No authority: "Neither the county nor the seven municipalities have the authority to charge appli- cants the $750 fee. You don't have the right nor do we." He pointed out that in 1989, the county's planning department processed 177 consents for a surplus of Continued on page two Teachers' cars damaged Gang violence cancels remaining high school dances EXETER - High school dances, considered an almost essential part of growing up, are no more at South Huron District High School. Problems with violence and youth gangs have forced the school to cancel all remaining dances this year. There may be a possibility of bringing them back next year if the situation improves. Principal Joe Wooden, citing "too many problems" with the dances held so far this year, said the stu- dent council agreed to suspend all further dances after an incident at the last dance three weeks ago. A youth -gang related "rumble" led to fights and damaged property. Wooden said the problems stem not from the school's own students, but drop -outs and other youths who wait around outside the dances seeking trouble. "It will have to be reviewed next year," said Wooden of the policy to cancel. The senior class' June formal will still go ahead as planned because it will be held at Oakwood in Grand Bend. "There's a much larger number of what I would call restless and unru- ly youth," said Wooden of the trou- blemakers, calling it a widespread social problem not just confined to Exeter. "It's not a new problem, schools have had to cancel dances before," he said. Not only do parents expect school dances to be safe, but Wooden said they also need to be supervised by volunteer teachers. However, two teachers had their car doors kicked in at the last dance. "Teachers aren't going to come ti. supervise dances if that's the case," he said. Left with no other option, Wood- en said the only choice was to cam cel all dances. While some stu- dents may miss the evening socials. Wooden said most understand the necessity. "I don't hear it's any different from one end of the county to the other," he said. "We have had to put plan ic under the feet of our furniture to keep it from rowing," he said, adding he has been battling an infestation of iloas in his carpet from the previous tenant's cats. "I'm the superintendent, but I'm supposed to be running interference for the company," Dixon said, not- ing with his only remuneration a rent-free apartment, he is even con- sidering moving out. Dora Lynn Dunlop cited similar problems with her unit, including bad leaks around the patio win- dows. She also said after her hot water tank failed, she got a new one from the PUC, but has had to pay for it on her utility bill. She said all complaints to the landlord's repre- sentative in London result only in "the runaround" and she is never al- lowed to speak to the landlord di- rectly. Mary Walters, a 14 -year resident of the complex, said she has no- ticed the deterioration of the build- ing in the past few months, but she said her complaints were about oth- er tenants, including one who shov- els dog feces off a balcony above onto hers. Teresa Foster said she moved in seven months ago into a unit that wasn't cleaned or painted as prom. ised, and she has also had to con- tend with mildew problems, un- repaired fixtures and appliances. Susan Hemingway said steCised no problem with her unit exegete( , the leaking outside door. "We have a bucket undern p catch the drips," she said. Several either residents, all Oust a turn to tpetilt, mentioned titin, mildew, wtfulfliiod promises of re- pairs, and thole who recently moved in said Keit-o clmtats (kV t>l•Jc twu South Huthrps*&Ip to be transferred to Bluewater Centre EXETER - The Huron County Board of Education has prescribed another shuffle amongst county principals. As a result Joe Wooden, current principal at South Huron District High School, will be transferred to the position of principal at Bluewa- ter Secondary School in Goderich. Bluewater is a correctional centre for young offenders. Wooden's office will be filled by Herb Murphy, who is presently at F.E. Madill secondary school in Wingham. "This is just a routine transfer." said Gino Ginnandrea, Superinten- dent of Personnel at HCBE. The move will take place in September of this year. Wooden said his actual tide at Bluewater will be "principal desig- nate" since the school already has two vice -principals and he won't have to be there full time. He said the extra time will allow him to work on "a variety of assignments" for the Board of Education during the year. "It sounded rather interesting to me," said Wooden, who said he is looking forward to this, his last as- signment. That'll be my last year," he said. "1'11 be retiring in Jurtc of '94."