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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1997-03-26, Page 1• SEIP'S valu-mart 4 & 83 Exeter 235-0262 fat New Reiasr Video Rentals 1.99 Serving Exeter ,-ind „tett $tree '873 SEIP'S valu-mart 4 & 83 Exeter 235-0262 r Agent for Sketchley Dry Cleaners Wednesday. March 26 1`)97 r -.-, SUBSCRIBE! ' If you aren't subscribing to The 1 Times -Advocate, you're rnissing out. 1 Usethe coupon below and 1 s jbscnbe today! 1 Name: 1 1 Address City 1 Prov Postal Code aUS GNPT1oq RATES: tanrealo 1 year 435 + 2.45 GST•2 year 863 + 4.41 GST DiardiNieeio l year$83. 4.41 GST year 81119. 633 GST MaNDLEANADA $102.00 USE YOUR CREDIT CARD 1 1 1 1 00000000 1 CLUCL1000 Cana No. I Expiry Date O Visa ❑ Master Card CI Cheque enclosed Return to• TIMES ADVOCATE g 424 Main St. Exeter, Ont. NOM 1 S6 ma gm um NM EMI do 4521.1 1 1 1 1' 1 Inside The Panther Page See page 8 Your wedding planner See page 14 The art of stamp collecting See Crossroads Second front Lucan Midgets win All -Ontario See page 19 Store vandalized during break and enter EXETER - Approximately $239 was stolen from the store float at Kentucky Fried Chicken at 227 Main St. North during a break and enter that occurred on March 13. According to police, once the cul- prits gained entry by prying open a door on the west side, they upset the entire store throwing things on the floor, in the fryers and leaving the freezer doors open. Town closes deal to buy property at 406 Main St. EXETER - The Town of Exeter and the Exeter Business Associa- tion have closed the deal that gives Exeter and the EBA (Exeter Busi- ness Association) ownership of the property at 406 Main Street. The town purchased the property from the federal government for S45,000 on Feb. 28 and has been given the green light to proceed with plans to turn the site into a parkette. Almost one year ago, Exeter Council and the EBA agreed to en- ter into a partnership to purchase the property at 406 Main St. and construct a multi -functional green space on the site that could accom- modate Concerts and choirs and act as a focal point for outdoor festi- vals. Tom Seip, EBA chairperson said plans for the property art still con- cepts and a project date will not be set until the two parties.can meet. Seip added they are still looking for partnen to help develop the site. Hefner Holland, VIce President of Suntastic Hothouse Inc. displays a sample of cluster tomatoes grown in the newly con- structed 10.8 acre greenhouse on Highway 83 east. The hydroponic fruit taste like freshly harvested summer grown tomatoes. Rosy outlook for Suntastic tomatoes By Chris Skalkos T -A Reporter EXETER - Trice first crop of to- matoes from the.newly constructed hothouse has only been available in local grocery stores for a few weeks, but local residents have al- ready formulated a unanimous de- cision on the product. "They're absolutely delicious," said Barb Robertson, of Crediton. "It's nice to have a fresh tasting to- mato this time of the year." Suntastic Hothouse Inc., a 10.8 acre tomato greenhouse on High- way 83 east of Exeter, began har- vesting its first yield recently and although 80 per cent of its product is sold to markets in the United States, local residents can purchase them from all three grocery stores in Exeter. Heiner Holland, Vice President and part owner of the hothouse, said their first harvest began earlier than , antisigigitafid. he expects 11 will continue to mid-October. • The $5 million operation is the first of its kind in the area and can produce 40 kilograms of tomatoes per square meter. The high-tech in- door growing system is designed to grow chemical -free tomatoes year- round by controlling the amount of irrigation, humidity, temperature and carbon dioxide the plants re- ceive. Growing up to 21 feet long, the plants are grown on a double V system that stretches the vines ver- tically to optimize the amount of sunlight they receive. Protection from the elements is the obvious advantage of growing indoors, but- it also provides a nat- ural way to control parasitic in sects. Instead of using pesticides, Holland said they introduce insects Grand Bend holds fast as Bosanquet requests commission By Heather Mir T -A Reporter GRAND BEND - Grand Bend Council continues to hold out hope for an amalgamation with South Huron municipalities while the Town of Bosanquet has called for a commission to make a rec- ommendation regarding the Lambton restructuring proposal. In a letter to Minister of Municipal Affairs Al Leach, Bosanquet requests a commissioner be appointed to review the proposal en- compassing the towns of Bosanquet, Forest and the villages of Ar- kona, Grand Bend and Thedford. This proposal is an attempt to re- main within Lambton County boundaries. Lambton County Warden John Kowalyshyn held a meeting with the involved municipalities on Monday "in a last ditch effort to find a local solution," states Bosanquet's letter to the minister. "We hope that a commitment to amalgamate will result from the War- den's initiative. If this occurs, then Bosanquet will withdraw its request for the appointment of a commissioner," continues the letter. • Grand Bend did not attend the meeting convened by the warden and Mayor Cam Ivey believes municipalities, not counties, should be steering restructuring talks. "The initiative of the warden is perhaps not appropriate," said Ivey adding Grand Bend is willing to meet with Forest. Grand Bend has remained consistent in its determination to follow through with the amalgamation talks that broke down last No- vember after municipalities had been meeting for nearly a year. The Wks ceased when Exeter pulled out due to problems dealing with the issue of compensation for the Town of Bosanquet. "We hope that a commitment to amalgamate • will result from the Warden's initiative." that feed off the larva of insects harmful to the plants. "Because of theclosed environ- ment, we 'can keep natural pred- ators in here to control pests," said Holland, adding they also release bees to pollinate the plants. Holland is a part owner of the hothouse with Burkhard Metzger, its president, who started a green- house in Slovakia. Both attended university together in Germany and decided to cash crop farm in Ontario. They settled in the area because of its proximity to the US border and because they are in cooperation with Usborne Township residents and Huron Pro- duce owners Jeff, Frank and Eric Kints, who arc operating .the busi- ness that markets the product to chain stores throughout the North America, concentrating on the cast- ern'seahoard of the US. •Suntastic Hothouse Inc. doesn't retail their products, however, as a result of its location, local grocery stores in Exeter and Hensall are stocking their products and ac- cording to Tom Seip, owner of Scip's valu-mart, people have been ' eagerly anticipating the first har- vest. Seip said the cluster tomatos coming from the hothouse have a deep and vibrant color and smell like they were just harvested off an open field. • 'There has been a lot of interest from local consumers," said Seip. "Normally, tomatos grown at this time of the year are lighter (in col- or) and not very tasty. With their technology and growing tech niques, they're bringing us the fla- vor of a summertime tomato in the winter," he said. Exeter mill rate will not increase By Heather Mir T -A Reporter EXETER - Council's 1997 bud- get will result in a zero per cent in- crease in the town's share of the mill rate. A bylaw likely won't be passed until the first meeting in May, since County Council and Board of Ed- ucation budgets are yet to be re- ceived, explained Treasurer Eliz- abeth Bell. The town faced a challenging year in bringing in a zero increase with provincial grants declining. According to a highlight sheet, the • Municipal Support Grant for 1997 is $302,870, down from $432,158 in 1996 which was a reduction of 17.61 per cent from 1995. Council managed to achieve its goal because a 1996 surplus of $65,000 was added to the previous year's surplus of $ 113,000. His- torically the town has not raised the mill rate since before 1993 and in 1994 was able to lower the mill by two per cent due to the sale of garbage hag tags. Councillors have not had an in- crease in their honorarium for the past five years and unlike many other municipalities, do not receive a per diem for attending meetings. Sanitary Sewer and Waste Man- agement programs are to financed again this year through user -fees and will not appear on tax bills. The implementation of the landfill site's new operating system in- cluding capital costs such as com- pleting a study and purchasing ad- jacent land were paid through . reserve funds that have now been depleted. "If they can't, handle it within the user -pay budget, they may have to raise the tipping fees," said Bell of the 1997,ppetrating.cosis. It is difficult to predict how downloading of services to the county from the province will im- pact Exeter. The county estimates it will suffer a $12 million shortfall ' to the shift in responsibilities an- nounced during 'Mega -Week'. "Our share is around seven per cent,". said Bell. "(The county's) having difficulty getting figures from the government ministries of what these programs cost." +' Continued on page 2 Antique show a blast Emmet Kowalohuk, organizer of the Shamrock Antique Show held • at the Lucan Community Centre on the weekend poses with a Canadian Explosive Ltd. pre -World War I detonator. Thirty-two antique dealers set up at the show, now In Its fifth year, to sell anything from early Canadian art to Nostalgic furniture.