HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1994-05-25, Page 2Page 2
Times -Advocate, May 25, 1994
IN THE NEWS_
Regional
wrap up
Clinton
garbage tag
price drops
to $1
CLINTON - In a recorded
vote last Monday night, Clinton
Town Council passed an amend-
ment to the garbage bylaw
which will see the price of town
garbage tags drop to $1.
The original price was set at
$2 which would cover all gar-
bage related collection costs
such as recycling and landfill.
But after the February I start
date, a private competitor in the
collection husiness began col-
lecting garbage for $1 a bag, it
was reported in the Clinton
News -Record.
Council decided to drop the
price because so many people
were using the private collect-
ing. The price drop will mean
an estimated $35,000 deficit be-
cause of the price reduction.
Perth school
taxes up 5
percent
ST. MARYS - The Perth
County Board of Education an-
nounced a 5.3 percent tax in-
crease for 1994 at a special
meeting last Thursday night.
The tax hike will mean an in-
crease of about $41 to the aver-
age home owner in St. Marys.
Town taxes were kept at a zero
increase, so the entire tax in-
crease will go to education.
Trustee Lily Horst said the in-
crease was the best the board
could do, in Tight of a cut of $2
million from the province.
The board's budget for the
year was set at $68 million, it
was reported in the Journal Ar-
gus.
Emergency
911 service
set for
1996
MITCHELL - Perth county
residents can expect to have
911 service by 1996.
At the May 12 meeting of
Perth County Council, reeves
voted to go ahead with the sys-
tem although county wide mu-
nicipal addressing has not yet
been completed, it was reported
in the Mitchell Advocate.
Dave Hanly, director of plan-
ning, said there are about 20
other municipalities in the prov-
ince who want to implement
911, but they haven't completed
the municipal addressing sys-
tem either.
Perth County council decided
to implement the system now,
with 80 percent of the address-
ing project complete, so the
county won't end up on a long
waiting list r itf -etjtcr munici-
palities.
Blyth council
agrees to
dog waste
penalty
BLYTH - Byth residents who
don't clean up after their dogs
should be prepared to pay the
price.
On May 11, councillors
agreed to set a $50 penalty for
owners who allow their pets to
defecate on public property.
Rather than fine guilty parties,
which would involve court fees,
council decided to set an admin-
istrative fee.
Animal Control officer Bob
Trick will hand out the penalty
fee to dog owners whose pets
continue to be a problem, it was
reported in the North Huron Cit-
izen.
Jim Crown of Exeter assists the Kellogg's balloon team filling their "Tony the Tiger" hot-air
balloon on Saturday morning. The balloon, sponsored by the Royal Canadian Leigon, was part
of the Grand Bend Hot Air Balloon festival.
Well water information night in Hensall Monday
Free well water testini
offered by Health Unit
HENSALL - Last year's Huron
County Farm Health Survey re-
vealed that clean drinking water is
a problem on local farms. With
that in mind, the Huron County
Health Unit is sponsoring a water
testing information night Monday
night in Hensall.
Rural residents who get their
drinking water from a private well
are invited to attend the evening,
which will feature free testing for
pollutants and minerals, including
bacteria, nitrates, fluoride, sodium
and calcium.
A public health inspector will
provide information about the dif-
ferent types of water supplies, the
tests which are available, how to
test your supply, how to interpret
the results, and how problems can
be corrected. Participants will be
asked to drop off samples from
their own wells the next day, which
will be tested at a laboratory with
results to be mailed later. In-
structions will be included on how
to interpret the results and how to
take action, if necessary.
All private well users are invited
to attend the evening at the Hensall
Arena on May 30, from 7-9 p.m.
Similar events are scheduled for
Brussels and Benmiller next month.
If anyone interested can't attend,
they are encouraged to have a
neighbour attend on their behalf, or
to call the Huron County Health
Unit.
When well. water is contaminat-
ed, warn Health Unit officials, it
can result in illness for the family
or livestock. One of the re-
quirements of the Environmental
Farm Plan is to know the status of
the farm's water quality.
Both drilled deep wells and shal-
low dug wells require regular sam-
pling and testing to ensure it re-
mains safe to drink.
The 1992 Huron County Farm
Health Survey identified well wa-
ter quality as a concern. In 1993 a
Rural Health Task Force was as-
sembled to develop an action plan
to address such issues, and later
formed the Huron County Rural
Health Coordinating Committee.
Key items in their action plan in-
clude a need to raise awareness of
the importance of protecting water
supplies, and providing current in-
formation to well owners.
Not only does the well owner
benefit by attending Monday's ses-
sion in Hensall, but the Health Unit
is also able to gather important in-
formation about the status of pri-
vate water supplies in the county.
Anyone wanting more in-
formation about water testing in-
formation nights or water testing in
general is invited to contact the
Health Unit at 1-800-265-5184.
High
School
opens
doors o11
art
students'
creations
South Huron District High
School opened its doors on
its art department Thursday
evening. Interested parents
and members of the public
came to see the students'
best work on display in the
small gymnasium in an ex-
hibit called Gallery '94.
Works on display included
paintings, drawings, and even
a few sculptures.
Crowds way up
The Bend's best
weekend in
years, say police
and businesses
By Erin Lobb
T -A staff
GRAND BEND - The combina-
tion of sunshine, and the balloon
festival madeā¢ this long weekend
one of the best in 10 years said
Grand Bend O.P.P. constable J.J.
Arseneau.
About 20,000 people descended
on "the Bend" each day this week-
end, filling all local bars, restau-
rants, and campsites to capacity.
Those managing to make it down
the main street waited for at least
an hour to get through the mile
long back up.
Linc -ups seemed to be the theme
of the weekend as people waited
sometimes two. hours to get in the
bars, "Our bar lineup started at
three o'clock in the afternoon," said
Dino Brooks, manager at Saunders
on the Beach. "There was 100
times more people than last year."
Mainstreet Hotel manager Sharon
Brooks said they had double the
amount of husiness they expected,
as well.
The Pinery was also packed, their
1,000 campsites have been booked
solid for months. The park's alco-
hol ban remained in effect yet again
this year.
Sargent Gord Bruce of the Grand
Bend OPP detachment predicted
liquor offences to be the same as
last year. In fact over 400 were is-
sued, which is just slightly higher.
Constable Arseneau cited 15 im-
paired driving charges laid between
Chatham, London and Grand
Bend's R.I.D.E. units. Only one
narcotics related charge was issued.
Ten criminal charges were laid
over the course of the weekend.
Counterfeit 20 dollar bills discov-
ered at Big Daddy's, J. Dee's, and
Gordy's, led to the arrest of a
Guelph man.
Bylaw officer Keith Crawford re-
ported that only or three or four by-
law charges were issued. "When
we talked to people they actually
responded positively." The OPP's
approach was simply to issue the
charge. "We dispensed with warn-
ings because it doesn't work, and
things can get out of control," said
Arseneau.
"The Balloon Fest was another
opportunity for family entertain-
ment," said Grand Bend mayor
Tom Lawson of the two day event.
"We were successful with five out
of six launches."
The event hosted 10 balloons
which were launched twice each
day- six a.m. and six p.m.. Other
Airshow features, such as remote
control model aircraft and a chil-
drens program kept little ones
amused throughout the afternoon.
Speaker says women
losing sense of peace
By Fred Groves
CLINTON - Women and espe-
cially young girls are afraid they
are losing the sense of peace and
wellness.
That's the message Dr. Fred Mat-
thews brought to a one -day seminar
on Sexual Assault Thursday in
Clinton which was hosted by
S.W.A.N. (Stop Woman Abuse
Now) and the Ontario Women's
Directorat.
"Whcn women are not well, the
community is not well. Women's
peace seems to he slipping away,"
said Matthews.
The seminar was entitled, Sexual
Assault, A Community Issue and
Brown, a Community Psychologist
told those in attendance that vio-
lence is spreading not only in the
big cities but rural communities as
well.
"Girls are talking to me about
their peace and wellness. A lot of it
has to do with fear of violence."
Thursday's audience was mostly
female and Matthew pointed out
that males arc the ones causing
most of the violence.
"There's a male gender influence
in thc problems," he said.
Matthews said society as a whole
is somewhat surprised that sexual
abuse continues and noted that with
all the information we have and 25
years of the 'women's movement'
that women still have a problem
with peace and wellness.
"For every effort we
make...something is working
against us. There are some success
stories "
The seminar's main focus was to
bring the community together to
educate each other and to create ac-
tion towards eliminating sexual vio-
lence.
Matthews said he has been study-
ing the actions of youth violence
for about 10 years.
"There is an incredible amount of
fear growing in the schools."
As part of the seminar on Thurs-
day, the Company of Sirens per-
formed 'Datelines'. The company
is a professional theatre company
which produces plays on contempo-
rary issues.
The play exposed some of the
myths concerning dating violence
through the eyes of a group of high
school students.
Crime Stoppers
Tips sought in
jewellery robbery
Crime Stoppers of Huron County is offering cash rewards for help
solving thc following thefts.
Smash and grab: In the early hours of Thursday May 5, thieves
smashed a window at Anstett Jewellers in Exeter using a large rock.
They then stole a quantity of jewellery, including 200 gold chains,
and 25 sterling silver rings and 25 South Huron District High School
rings. A newer -model Chevrolet Cavalier two -door, red with a grey
stripe, was seen at the scene of the crime.
Two male suspects were seen and are described as follows: one
was 5'10" I80-200 lbs, with short black hair and wearing a black
sweatshirt; thc other had a thin build, 160 lbs, wearing a hooded
sweatshirt over his head.
Break and enter: Between April 30 and May 1, a residence at lot
18, Concession 14 of Hay Township was broken into and ransacked.
The thief made off with a large amount of property, including a
VCR, television, movie tapes, jewellery and tools, along with a ra-
dio, electronic games, and liquor.
Break and enter: At lot 19, Lake Road West in Stanley Town-
ship, sometime on either May 6 or 7 a thief smashed a window to
gain entry. Stolen were an Electmhome VCR; a Mitsubishi cabinet
stereo including a dual cassette deck, model DT76 serial 11CN13830,
an amplifier and a model LT46 turntable; two marble elephants (50
lbs each); a set of Tasco binoculars; a Cameo 0.6 cubic foot micro-
wave, and assorted beer and liquor.
If anyone has any information about these or any other crimes, call
Crime Stoppers at 1-800-265-1777. You will not have to reveal
your identity and you could he eligible for up to a $1,000 cash re-
ward.
Remember, crime doesn't pay, Crime Stoppers does.
A