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Times Advocate, 1993-09-08, Page 1Indian Corn Now Available lb COUNTRY fLOWERS Exeter Gaiser-Kneale Insurance Service Experience Value 235-2420 Serving South Huron North Middlese,. & Lambton INION ata — ter r• — I it just before election f you aren't eu oti're mi in The •A>�a times -Advocate, youYe missing outI Use its couszn bolo; end . • I IF edS � � out 9 000 to create Since 1873 Wednesday. September 8, 1993 I game: i 1 kddress pity 1 Prov ' 'ostal Code ' DUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada Within 40 miles - (65 km) addressed to non letter carrier addresses 530.00 plus $2.10 G.S.T. IOutside 40 miss - (85 km) or any letter carrier 1ddress$80.00 + $4.20 G.S.T. ' Outside Canada - $88.00 I USE YOUR CREDIT CARD 00000000 1 (]0000000 Card No. ' 1 1 1 Expiry Date tJ Visa 0 Master Card 0 Cheque enclosed Return to, T1MES ADVOCATE L.92�,pQai�t. 4 "i�°t�.SLJ 1 1 Off to school Crediton triplets start kindergarten page 3 Irish Clare Stanley steps down page 14 Bio -tech Agriculture to change forever page 24 Lel company lands huge government contract, but who? DASHWOOD - At a press con- ference in Dashwood Friday, Hu- ron -Bruce Member of Parliament Murray Cardiff said a "Dashwood company" has won a contract worth over a million dollars. Cardiff made the statement at the Huron Community Futures press conference, and was referring to the overall success rate of Huron indus- trY When asked later for more details about the contract, Cardiff said only that it was a government con- tract from Supply and Services. He said press releases announcing the contract were not yet prepared and he could not divulge more informa- tion. Cardiff promised more informa- tion would soon be forthcoming, leaving many in the room from the South Huron area to wonder aloud about the fortunate "Dashwood" business. 75 cents Huron Business Development Centre By Adrian Harte T -A Editor SEAFORTH - The federal gov- trnment is getting serious about -di- ' Versifying Huron County's econo- my. A cheque for $400,000 is to go toward the establishment of a Business Development Centre in Seaforth - a one -stop -shopping cen- tre for new and existing businesses to get their ideas off the ground. "To me, it's been something very necessary and needed," said MP Murray Cardiff at a press confer- ence called at the Topnotch Feeds building Friday. The building's upper floor will house the Business Development Centre (BDC). The BDC will be part of the over- all Community Futures program, which is developing several ap- proaches to improving Huron's economy. "I can say this is the largest cheque I have presented this way [Huron]," said Cardiff as he made the presentation to Don Pullen, chair of Huron Community Fu- tures. The Business Development Cen- tre will be able to provide financing for new business ventures, feasibili- ty studies, and training. "We know how important train- ing is," said Cardiff, who noted even though unemployment runs Police blocked off Highway 4 Friday evening as emergency crews attended to the injured in a collision which involved four vehicles. Police say Sandra Hunter of Lucan, and her passenger Johanna Loriaux of Strathroy were taken to hospital for major injuries. A pickup driven by Gerald Wallis of RR1 Granton demolished Hunter's car, which had stopped to allow another vehicle to tum left off the highway into adrivesouthof County Road 4. Opening u_p new retirement home capacity Exeter Villa ready to break ground on fifteen -room expansion EXETER - The Exeter Villa is growing - again. A sod -turning ceremony is planned for September 15 at the seniors home to break ground on an extension to the nursing home wing. Fifteen new rooms will be added to the wing, allowing the 13 extra care beds now in the retirement lodge wing to be transferred back where they belong. What this means, said Tom Kan- nampuzha, of Kannampuzha Hold- ings Ltd, owners of the Villa, is that retirement lodge beds will be opened up in Exeter. He said even waiting lists for the retirement lodge have dwindled as people be- came used to the idea it was full. There is still a strong demand for nursing home beds in Exeter, said Kannarnpuzha. • The extension will bring the Vil- la's capacity up to 130 beds: 66 in the retirement lodge, four in.respite care, 47 existing nursing home beds, and the 13 to be transferred. Kannampuzha said the extension will cost "close to a million bucks" and will provide between six and seven months of construction work in Exeter. A "ripple effect" of spending on construction materials in the area will also have its effect on the local economy, he said. Mary Jane MacDougall, adminis- trator of the Villa, said she was looking forward to the room the new wing will bring. "We have to increase the size of our dining room too," she noted. The Exeter Villa was built in 1986, with a second phase added in 1989. Kannampuzha said this ex- tension represents the Villa's third phase of development. $5,510 membership won't be paid GODERICH - In what was one of the closest votes provided to the county for the membership fee and at Huron County Council in several years, council Lester said one thing it did was provide instant infor- has decided not to renew its membership with the On- mation on a wide variety of topics. tario Association of Non -Profit Homes and Services "When we are not a member we do not have access for Seniors. to that information," said Lester. Thursday morning, council decided 17 votes to 16, He said one of the services the membership pro - not to renew the membership which, this year, would vides, to Homes for the Aged smaller -than Huron - amount to $5,510.03. view and Huronlea arc purchasing and insurance Administrator of the county's two Hones for the packages. Aged, Huronvie and Huronlea, Wayne Lester;said But it was the information that the county will now that the membe> hip was very important and egged apparently be getting slower or not at all which con - council to keep i earned Lester the most. k "We can survive without being a member but I pre- "As the administrator of Huronview I think it's im- fer we be a member," said Lester. portant to keep infornned . by the provincial govern - Zurich reeve Bob Fisher asked what services were ment as fax as long term care is concerned." high in Canada, some 360,000 skilled jobs remain unfilled. Seaforth mayor Hazel Hildebrand said she was delighted to welcome the BDC to the town. "I'm sure it will be beneficial to our community," she said. Cardiff noted the Huron Commu- nity Futures program started two years ago, and is now beginning to realize its goals with the corninit- ment of govemment funding. HE" said it took a long time to convince the government Huron should be next on the list of Canada's 300 Community Futures areas because of its seasonal, variable economy. "We also have to take into con- sideration the number of young people who leave our community to find work elsewhere," comment- ed Cardiff. Paul Nichol, the coordinator of the Huron Community Futures of- fice, said the $400,000 cheque in- cludes the first installment of an in- vestment fund, which will eventually grow to over $1.5 mil- lion. It will be loaned out to viable ventures, paid back, and re -loaned over the years. Cardiff said the hope is to devel- op businesses and industries in parts of the province that are not necessarily tied to the Highway 401 corridor. "We certainly want to see our op- portunities developed here," he said. Cardiff noted Western Machining in Wingham was been awarded the Ford Quality award after only two years of making engine manifolds. "I t1}ink what that tells us is we have world class labour in Huron County; said Nichol. "We're- pretty proud of what we have here in Huron -Bruce," agreed Cardiff. Don Pullen said, the Huron Com- munity Futures group's mission statement is short and to the point: "To create and maintain employ- ment opportunities to assist the reg- idents es'idents of Huron County to adapt to a changing economy". Pullen said there are five main strategies to support Huron's agri- culture, manufacturing, tourism, and small business. He said the group aims to support existing busi- ness, build upon agriculture, ensure a skilled workforce, promote tour- ism, encourage local entrepreneurs, and attract new economic activity. Some of those goals will be met with the creation of a Huron Tour- ism Association, -a Junior Achieve- ment group in the county, the pro- motion of Huron as an attractive retirement destination, developing business management skills, and hitting on key markets such as val- me-added agriculture, tourism, and small-scale manufacturing. When asked about the timing of the 5400,000 funding announce- ment with the' wpcoming federal election, cortimittee member Joe Rider of Exeter said the two were unrelated. He said he has been with the committee since last De- cember, pushing for this funding. Continued on page tun Legion Chili Fest competition 'heats up' for third year EXETER - The third annual Legion Chili Fest kept true to its tradition of great weather, great music, great cooking smells, and - yes - great chili. "Overall, I think we had to have about 1,000 people in mut chorea," said organizer Dave Grundy, who said that$easalay event netted about $2.500 for the Exeter 1'Mt stay will be turned back into the community for fire s charitable projects. "Tbm'slbe point of the thing," said Grundy of the ftttltraiaimg. For the visitors to the event, the main point was the 16 teams trying to outdo each other with showmanship, claims of outrageous recipe ingredients, -and top chili irig skills. Pour of the teams travelled from across the province • to compete in the event. The top 10 finishers pined gmiifyi g points for the international chili cookoff in November in Terlingua, Texas. Background music for the day was provided by three bands: the Dixie Flyers, the Pierce Fartsly, and the Nora Galloway Band played at the evening dance. In the critical judging caleDtiry, first place was won by the Chili Chuggers from Amherstburg; second place went to Marg Fostees Chili Ladies from Huron Park; and third place was won by theCKGL Radio team from•Kitchener. Foust place went to Rosa's Cantina team, from Hu- ron Park's Albatross Tavern. In fifth place was Mike Graham's Major Pepper team from Hensall, and in sixth was Ross Taylor's Sidewinder Chili from Missis- sauga The people's choice award went to the Ring of Fire chili sponsored by Mill's Construction and Seip's Valu Mart: The most entertaining team award went to the Road Kill Chili team from Rockwood, and the best decorated booth award also went to the Ring of Fire. "It waseood day, well attended, sad the weather eQ;' cooperat�agroed Grundy. Mike Cushman goes down for the plunge. Cushman was one of the day's favourite dunk tank targets. Money raised et the tank goes towards Exeter Scouting group ore ohotns A •