Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-01-14, Page 2Page 2 Times -Advocate, January 14, 1998 !I\LTHE N Regional wrap up Youth in police chase sentenced LINDSAY - A Lindsay youth was sentenced to six months in open custody in a -Walkerton courtroom. Monday for danger- -ous• driving in a car chase with_ police, stated' the Walkerton Herald -Times. - • The, youth was driving a stolen van on Nov..7, 1996. The vehi- cls: was spotted in Hanover and the youth •left the town driving at speeds estimated at. 130. to 140 ' kph with Hanover police in pur- suit. Dana King.• a Walkerton polis' officer, tried to. set up a rolling •road Klock hut was pushed off the road during the chase. The officer .was seriously injured in the accident and was - ••listed as "permanently disabled" • as a result of -the accident. Perth South born • ST. MARY'S - On Jan. 1. the •• municipality of Perth South as • the firmer BlanShant and Dow- nic Townships became one, re ported the Journal Argus. • Perth South is composed of the two. 'wards' of Blanshaird and Downie. - . "We want .to pick out the best of both'communines and make Perth South a letter place than each oldie two halves were be, fore.' said Perth South reeve Annahell'Thomson at the inau- gural meeting on Jan: 6. - • ` Public health alert issued Mot INT 'FOREST - A. public' health. alert was -issued to all physicians in Vb'cllington- DuffcrinGuelph by Medical Of-. ficcr of Health Dr. D.C. Kittle; stated the -Mount Forest Confed- erate. 'The : t-epbri - Said ••titers. have leen not new' cases of the menin- goccal disease since the last case reported- dec. 26 in' Kitchener- 'aterloo, but that, he is monitor- ing .the situation constantly and will keep physicians informed of -any changes. Rare bug causes concern GODERICH A rare hug is resisting antibiotics at the Alex- andra Marine•and General Hos- pital and is a cause for concern around the: world. stated the Goderich Signal -Star: . The bacteria. vancomycin re- sistant enterococci (VRE) ha been found in four patients in the hospital. thus stopping all surgical procedures. disallowing visitors and limiting extra care. Enterococcus is a ger m that lives in the bowels of healthy, people. Huweer, VRE• is a strain of the bacteria that -is re- .sistant to Most t antibiotics, the articlesaid. . "It's not an outbreak. It's not a Virus."' said .Ken Englestadt, the hospital's administrator. . The article said the bacteria .does not cause a serious threat to patients or visitors. nor does it cause any disease. • What the Goderich hospital and hospitals across North America and Europe are worried about is the bacteria's ability to pass its genetic information onto other, unrelated bacteria. The potential is there for a harmful, aggressive bacteria to also be- come immune to antibiotics, the article said. Suspicious fire in Fullarton MITCHELL - A suspicious fire early in Fullarton caused $60.000 damage to a vacant, farmhouse last Tuesday, stated the Mitchell Advocate. The house was uninsured, va- cant, had no electricity running through it and there was steady rain falling throughout the eve- ning. Because of this both the fire chief and the OPP agree the fire was of a suspici ►us nature. • Shoreline program reactivated Dy Kate Monk • TTrter- , • LAKE HURON - The provincial government . has reactivated the Shoreline Property Assistance Pro gram in response to the high water levels in the lower Great Lakes. The program will give inunicipal- ities a means to assist landowners whose; properly is threatened by se- vere ;floating and the. resulting . damage. The municipality provides loans to individual property owners to do . necessary repair or preventive work The. provincial government - supports the program by pur- chasing ritunicipal debentures is sued to finance these. loans. . •Tote program has •becn in ex- istence forseveral years but was re- activated in November, 1997. Hay Tolwnshrp.has passed the by- law required to put the progratii in place in its municipality. Hay Coun-. ' cil has appointed the Ausahle-. Bayfield Conservation Authority as the township's inspector for pro- gram applications. • - The loans can he used by private landowners to repair or protect their real properties from damage due to -water or ice action... Landowners bordering lakes, rivers or other hod7 of water are eligible. lite. interest rale is .6.8 per cent per annum with a term not ex-. - seeding ten years. Maximum loans for raising, repairing or relocating buildings are $20.00( or 75 per cent of the total cost. whichever is less. For protective work. the maximum Irian is 75 per cent of the total cont _ of the work or the amount obtained hy' multiplying the nuriifx r of nne ters of-shliAine included in the property for which the loan is made hy $500. which ever is Icss. • The application is evaluated • on the type of work Ihnt is required. the need for the work to he done and the compatibility of the work with the adjacent property. The evaluation is done -by the lo- cal -conservation authority; The tip- . plication -is then reviewed by the municipality and. if the apphcatiom is eligible. council is in a pi -.loon -to issuc•the load. • -According to Hay clerk -treasurer -- Janissc Zimmerman. no. property owners have shown an interest in the loans. Municipalities need to • file the paper work with the prov- ince• hy -the end of February. re-.• suiting in ;t tight tonic -frame -tor the program. Alec Scott. of theABCA said mu= nicipalities and landowners can lobby their • local member of pro- vincial parliament to extend • the program.- • - Lucan abolishes at -large reps on planning bd. $10/meeting, administrator' Ron Rcymcr said. In other connniltee appointment developments. couar- cil Inas appointed the first woman to sit on the Lucan-. ltiddulph Dire Arca Board. !Arida ('hatlerson ties the honor and is joined on the committee on behalf of Lu - can by councillors Reg Crawford and Glenn Silver. 13iddulph Twp.'s reps are Dave- Goddard. councillor • By Craig Bradford T-AReporter LUCAN - Village council voted to. end• seeking - mothers of the public to serve on the planning ad • visor) hoard at last week's meeting,. . • Deputy Reeve Harry Wraith brought the -issue- up when .council was appointing council members and taxpayers at -large to the various council committees. _ -Wraith said council itself could deal with any plan - ning matters since the committee hasn't been husy in - the past :couple of years and only insets- a few, times a year. At large members' are not required on• the planning' • Middlesex ('entre. George Maw• nd Roy VanKasicren. - Other Lucan committee and other appointments: 'Lucan ('omnrunity. Memorial Centre management rawford, Janice Silver :and - councillors Perry Caskanette and Reg Owners of exotic animals Cand Bob 'Taylr for Lucan: 'Paul Hoidgius, Marr and Van Kasteren for 11iddulpli: Mistiest ('orlon fur McGillivray Twp,; John Walls for not protected in Act committee bylaw. •Ausahle-Baylield.('onscrvation Authority. ---.Teresa • Lake Huron water level decreasing At the end of November, the lake was still 40-50 centimeters above average LAKE HURON - The December bulletin from En- vironment Canada shows Lake Huron water lev- els dropped 18 Inches from July to December. This decline should ease the threat of lake - related erosion and flooding along the shoreline. The cause of the high summer levels goes back to last winter, according to the bulletin. ,Lake levels traditionally decrease between July and December. However, between July 1996 and Janary 1997, there was .virtually no de- crease. The seasonal increase between February and July 1997 added to the already above- average levels. The news for this year is better. The magnitude of this years seasonal decline was greater than average, thanks to the recent trend of below av- erage precipitation over most of the Great Lakes basin during November. Despite the decline at the end of November Lakes Huron, St. Clair and Erie were still 40-5d centimeters above average levels for this time of year. These three lakes are now midway be- tween average levels and record high levels. Whilethe dedline In water levels has helped to. reduce the risk of shore damage, there Is -still considerable risk of extensive damage along ese lakes if a severe storm should occur. 13y,making the nnove. council automatically turned the committee from a no cost exercise to a money maker. Application tees once covered the costs of pay- ing non -council and council . members for attending Meetings' and -since lees Won't change with the move. -that extra money -will go into the -village's coffers. Alt council, sits on the `liitance/personnel, public .works. protection and parks services and adjustment - committees without public representation: • `Committee members, including councillors, earn $40 for meetings that last less than 90 minutes and. $60 for ones that.nin longer. Committee chairpersons get r. • Ondre•lrcka. • • Morris Township asking rural municipalities to. support the notion -that they be liable to pay compensation for in- jured or killed exotic animals By Chantall Van Raay T -A Reporter 'Fence Viewers -_ Drank Goring and Lorne Hotl- . gins: 'Weed inspector - - John 'from • "Property standard` committee -_ Wraith. C'askan- elle and Wayne Prycc. "North Middlesex District Building System Glenn Silver.. - • 'Community Development ('onnnitt.ee (unpaid) —' ' Martin' Chittenden, 1 i,,, Jenkin, more appointees. from Lucan and Biddulph lo.conic. ' , Council and P ' By Kate Monk • • T-A:Reporter EXET1R- - No motions .were passed. No meetings were ar- ranged. But the communication be- tween the Exeter public utilities commission and the town's com- mittee of the whole on Monday night was an- important step in re- structuring electrical and water ser- vices in Exeter. "We wanted to ler you. know we're interested in the Order and would like to sit down and work to- gether on this," Exeter ,Public Util- ities'. Commission chairman Bev Skinner told the committee. He was referring to the provincial order from Al Leach, the Minister of Municipal Affairs which formal- ized dissolving the Exeter PUC on January 1. 1999. • "I think there are things in the Or- der that are beneficial to both par- ties. *We'd like to know where you're going and would like to dis Stephen Township erects stop signs STEPHEN TWP_ - Stephen Township decided to erect stop signs at the eastbound and west- bound corners of side road 15 at Concession 14/15 and Concession 14/16 as stated in the Jan. 6 council minutes. • • Previously there were only yield • signs at the corners and Stephen Administrator Larry Brown said ' council received a number of cOm- plaints that people were not obey- ing the signs. "There's an obstructed view," said Brown. "Hopefully with the stop signs there people will come to a complete stop." Cheques must be - picked up at schools EXETER - Confusion has devel- oped over the distribution of the Family Assistance Program cheques for child care expenses in -- curved during the two-week teach- ers' protest in the fall. - Cheques for Exeter Public School families processed during Decem- ber, have been at the school since Dec. 19, according to school secre- tary Marion McCurdy: A memo was sent home with stu- dents on Dec. 18 stating the parents could cone in and pick up the cheques on Dec. 19. The school did not send the cheques home with the students for fear the cheques would be misplaced. Other schools have used the same method of notification. • UC willing to w orktogether ;hip passed a resolution stating that cuss this With you," Skinner con- from," Skinner explained. tinucd. Exeter Reeve Roy Tricbner, who - was chairing the committee meet- ing, said there 'are . external in fluences that may have a major im- pact on the - restructuring. The ihiggest factor seems to he the pos- sihlc amalgamation of the electrical utilities. in - -Huron and Perth Counties. Under such a scenario; there would be one utjlity with.scv-. oral satellite offices. ' . • Skinner said the committee ex- amining this scenario has asked for direction from the province before: they proceed any further. A re= sponse from the Ministry of the En- vironment and .Energy was re- quested by Jan. 2 F. The supply of electricity will also he deregulated in the future. ac-• cording to PUC commissioner Chan Livingstone This would en -- - n=- able utilities to buy. power from the- , cheapest source. "By the year 2000. we have to decide who wc will buy our power I personally, di► not want to get into the details of restructuring un- ' til wc know the external factors: if we conic to the conclusion Huron - Perth will take five years, we'd Net- ter look at internal restructuring," Triehner said. "I'm pleased we're going to sit down." • • "We're willing to help you. :We're willing -to work with you, Skinner concluded. Weekly pickup to - resume in Stephen • • . STEPHEN TWP. - Stephen - Township amended its agreement with Lewis Disposal'and Haulage to'resumc weekly garbage collec- tion. The change is occurring because the previous bi-weekly collection caused a number of complaints. Blucbox pickup will continue to he hi -weekly until the beginning of • Michic. "Council, could noir pay hut- . we said we `would try- to find :sup- port-- - change sup-port--ti►-change the law," she said, _ explaining this is (Inc reason Morris • Twp. decided to 'send a resolution ' to ROMA. • - This-: is riot .the first time- a mu- nicipality has tried to to include ex - Opt: annnals into tho. Act. Michie said. In' 1996 Ellis Township sent a petition to ROMA hut were dc. . _ leated. The following livestock would he MORRIS. TWP. Morris Town- protected under the Act if Morris Township's resolution is• accepted:. cattle. •fur -bearing animals, goats, hisses; :.poultry, rabbits, - sheep ,= owners cif loth livestock and pout= try bit by adog or wolf should be compensated by their municipality: Presently, if domestic animals arc • hit, the owner is• compensated by their municipality.. but ..if exotic livestock arc bit they would not re- ceive any, compensation. Morris Twp. wants to amend this Act to in- ' elude exotic animals: , - The 'Township. of 'Morris is ask- - ing all rural municipalities in Hu- ron County to support; the resolu- tion -so they can forward it to the - Rural Ontario Municipalities As- sociation (ROMA) Committee 1998 Convention. 1f ROMA. ac- cepts the petition the Ontario gov- - crnment will then include thc•live- • stock not presently- listed in the act. - - - "Because last year we-had'a prop erty owner in our municipality who had an exotic animal attacked by • dogs and two deer were killed: un • - der the Poultry Protection Act there . was no law that said he could be payed by the - municipality." said Morris Twp. clerk -treasurer Nancy May, said Stephen Administrator • Larry Brown. • swine. honey pees and hive equip- . mens. emu. ostrich, -lama, elk, -wild . hoar, deer, buffalo and bison.. • .Some Ontario livestock- farmers Amid; .diversified to include live stock that is not protected = from prey to continue making a living. -as slated, in a release from- the town - 'ship.. Also.,consumer, o_wn- `ship..Aho,,consumcr are now de- manding products from- livestock that are not protected for reasons .such as -health and taste. The maxim -um amount of con pensauun a municipality' would have to pay under the resolution: would he:. head of cattle.- SI.000:' fur -hearing animal. S I t)0: .goat. S200; horse. S500; for poultry of one owner. killed or injured in any year. S1.000: rabbit. S20 and for all rabbits •of one owner killed or in- jured in any year.-SI.0(X):head of . sheep. $200; head of swrne,•S200: hive i~quipment. S50: honey bees. $25. - •- - • County council delays waste management plan introduction By Kate Monk T -A Reporter EXETER - A- motion at Thursday's county council meeting delayed the introduction of the Waste Management Master Plan (WMMP) until, Exeter and Morris can work out 'details for the use of their landfill sites. - - Exeter and Morris Township- landfill sites are identified in the plan as the destination for Huron County garbage as municipal landfill sites closedown in the future. Exeter and Morris asked the county to defer the introduction of the WMMP. until agree- ments satisfactory to Exeter and . Morris are reached.. • "• The County Planning and Development Cornmittce.disagrced with their request on the basis the plan could be"amended during the 60 -day period following its introduction. Un- der that schedule, county council 'would con- sider the -proposed WMMP at its March 26 meeting. Exeter Council discussed the county com- mittee's recommendation at last Monday night's council meeting and was basically con- cerned it was being pushed into the agreement. "We're still interested in pursuing this with the county but have to get points settled. If you force us, the answer has to he 'no' at this time," he explained. . Council directed staff to fax a letter with this message to county council,priorto Thursday's' meeting. - ' . ' On Friday, Tricbnersaid the county council reeling on the previous day had gone "very well." - - There was a motion to defer the introduction to March 23. Triehner seconded the motion with an amendment that no deadline be set'and the amended motion passed. The document.. will not be introduced until everything is resolved with Exeter and Morris. "We don't want to gel hack into the sante situation where we haven't finalized all the fi- nancial arrangements and then have another date. It just doesn't make sense," he ex- plained. "If you allow a document to go ahead it lends credence to it and you dim't.know what may happen to it. It could get passed and then you perhaps have a reap fight on your hands because it becomes law basically," Triehner said. Exeter and Morris are trying to project fi- nancially 75 years down the road and must be comfortable with the numbers, according to Triehner. According to the Town's lawyer, as owners of the landfill site, Exeter cannot he forced 10 provide landfill space to others on financial tenns set by others. • In a report to council, Exeter Chief. Ad- 'ministralive Officer Risk Hunks' told Council Iasi Monday' nigtft, it's important the Ilan does not give any authority to•a party other than Ex- eter and Morris to set financial temps:. Exeter and Morris would object to the WMMP as it is presently worded and council • is concerned the county is pushing them into the plan. Hundey said the main oh - "We're trying to • jective of boder and Mor - make sure that we ris' strategy is to get fair -or the uSe protect Exeter. " - firpensation th landf II trite Exeter has a business plan for the use, of the site which in- cludes compensation fig: ures. Hundey said it was time for Morris and Fix• - eter representatives and the County Waste Management Committee to meet to develop the main elements of an agreement. He also suggested a facilitator be used that is not from the county or the municipalities since the poo-• ple involved have their particular perspectives. "We're trying to make sure that we protect Exeter. When you're trying to project 75 years into the future, it's not easy," Triehner said. "We're not going to be pushed." •