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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-01-28, Page 2• Page 2 Times -Advocate, January 28, 1998 IN THF FWS Regional wrap up Car airborne 37 metres off bridge and into tree GODERICi-I - A 24 -year-old Auburn area man is in fair con dition after his car flew almost 37 metres in the air, off the Highway 21 bridge at the North Harbour Road. stated the Gode- rich Signal Star. The vehicle landed near train tracks and travelled another 31 metres before it struck a tree on the Maitland Golf Course. The car virtually fragmented when it hit the ground. right side up. The driver was taken to Lon- don Health Sciences Centre after being rescued from his vehicle by members of the Goderich Fire Department and Goderich Ambulance Service on Jan. 16. The accident went undiscov- ered for about an half-hour and it took about one hour to remove him from the vehicle. A few. hours earlier he - had been charged with impaired driving. He was arrested with a drinking and driving offence and released to a friend: The friend gave him. his keys hack and he continued drinking at a bar before the acci- dent occurred. Under release. conditions of the Criminal Code of Canada. police had no grounds to hold the man in custody aftcr he had been charged. Investigation into the accident is ongoing. Mitchell man jailed four years for home invasion MITCHELL - John Canning Sneddon. 33. of 173 Ontario Rd.. Mitchell was sentenced to four years in federal penitentiary after pleading guilty at his pre- liminary hearing in Stratford provincial division court Jan. 13 to robbery with the use of a fire- arm. stated the Mitchell Advo- cate. Sneddon was -one of three men from the area involved with a home invasion at 1.63 Georgina St. Mitchell Nov. 8. Sneddon was armed with a 1 2 -gauge shot- : gun at the time of the invasion.• and shot a 24 -year-old Mitchell man, Michael Shean in the right leg after he attempted to jump through a -living room window ' to escape. Shean is mobile, hut still uses crutches. Sneddon, who has a prior criminal record was charged with robbery with the use of a firearm but the charges of at- tempted murder, use of a dis-: guise and break and enterwith the use of a firearm were dropped. Sneddon was also banned from owning firearms. ammunitions or explosives for life. Hanover women, 46, charged with assaulting 68 -year-old man HANOVER - A 46 -year-old Hanover women was charged with assaulting her 68 -year-old boyfriend. stated the Saugeen City News. The incident, which occurred at a 10th Street Hanover resi- dence on Jan. 15, occurred fol- lowing an argument in which the man received rib injuries, nu- merous scratches and a cut ear which required stitches at the Hanover and District Hospital. Fullarton arson unsolved FULLARTON - Sometime during the evening hours of Jan. 5, unknown persons entered a vacant 3 -bedroom farm house in Fullarton Township, stated the St. Marys Journal Argus. For unknown reasons, a fire was started in the house result- ing in the building structure burning to the ground. • Did you call a cab? Old bylaw says taxi drivers must have a home base in the village By Chantal Van Raay T -A Reporter GRAND -BEND - Not just any-. one can operate a taxi service in Grand Bend. Because of an old bylaw which states that a taxi driver must have a home base in the village in order to operate. a resident from Shipka who wishes to operate a cab in Grand Bend doesn't qualify. But she's challenging the old bylaw be- cause she wants to operate' a taxi business in the village. Administrator Paul Turnbull compared the situation to a cellular phone versus an old FM radio sta- tion. "There was a time when you needed a Kase station to operate a FM radio station. Now. with cel- lular phones it doesn't matter where your base is." The licensing bylaw only refers to those cruising Grand Bend look- ing for fares. Discharging and pick- ing a passenger up in Grand Bend is allowed. But to operate a taxi business, the driver must have a driver and ve- hicle licence issued by the village. Presently. there arc only a couple of taxi drivers in Grand Bend. There is no limit to how many taxis may operate .in the village, said Mayor Cam Ivey. recommending council amend the bylaw to allow outsiders to operate a taxi in Grand Bend. Council will come back to the next regular council meeting with a draft bylaw stating that taxi oper- ators .need to get a:license.from the village hut do not- require a home Kase. Townhouse development passes another hurdle EXETER - A proposed freehold townhouse. development in Exeter has cleared another hurdle. At last Monday night's council meeting, the bylaw to amend the zoning was passed unanimously. - - Doug Geoffrey and Joe Durand are the proponents of the develop= ment which will see the construc- tion. of townhouses to he sold as separate units. • - The site is.3.88 acres in size and is located west of Marlborough Street between John and Sanders Streets. The plan includes the ex- tension of Sanders -Street and a.pri- vately-maintained street between two rows of townhouses. Durand said -they are targeting the single -storey townhouses to the, senior citizens market who want to own a home that's larger than an apartment. - Each unit will have two bed- rooms, a full basement and •a gar- age and will range. from 1,100 to 1.300 square feet in size. The Sanders Street extension will be a standard street with the con- struction paid for by the develop- ers. . The next'step is the approval of. the proposed plan of subdivision, Coordinated by Huron County. A public meeting to consider the mat- ter will be held on Monday night at 7 p.m. in the Exeter Council Cham - hers. Members of the -public are in- vited to attend to provide input. Who's right and who's wrong . is just a. difference of opinion Security officer doesn't think vandals are being dealt with, but police ser- geant said investigations are accurate Exeter rodeo plans underway A Bar K- Rodeo -Productions will manage the event scheduled for August 8 and 9 By Kate Monk T Reeporter - EXETER . With a year of learning and capital ex- penses under their belts, the Exeter -Rodeo Com- mittee is optimistic about this year's endeavor. "-We think it's going to be • another successful year." said Jo -Anne Fields of the rodeo committee. The committee held its first meeting of the year last Wednesday night. Representatives of the town's recreation department, recreation committee, Lion's club. saddle club, fire department, agricultural so- ciety and the Ausahle River Nomads camping club arc on the committee with Don Richardson as the chairman. • . The rodeo .scheduled for August 8 and 9 will be managed by A Bar K Rodeo Productions. - - Fields reported more than 2,500 people and con- petitors from -Canada and the United States attended the 1997 rodeo. In spite of the one-time capital costs of purchasing bleachers, the event still finished -in the black. • She explained the event brought many tourists -to Exeter which had a beneficial impact on the busi- nesses. • - . -. Following last year's event, rodeo organizers said the cowboys told them they. -were treated Netter in Exeter than anywhere else. Fifty-five participants were in each of.the two shows with more. than 200 in attendance throughout the weekend. The .1997 rodeo was sanctioned by the Ontario Rodeo Association -with riders competing for points for. the- provincial championship. Many of the top riders were in attendance.. • - - Al and. Karyn Foster of Corunna, owners of A Bar K Rodeo Productions said were very pleased with the weekend. They cited the community in- volvement and good weather as key elements -of the weekend's success. They also noted that Exeter had a rodeo atmosphere with people who already knew about rodeos. The two and one-half hour rodeo features a` full menu of rodeo events: steer wrestling, bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, barrel. racing, calf roping. team roping and bull riding. Junior cat- - egories are included in a number of events: - Exeter and area. residents waited 20 years for the return of what was once the known as the Calgary Stampede of the east: The Midwestern Rodeo put Exeter on the map with a very successful 11 year run between 1966 and 1977 when local horsemen • and service organizations took to -the task. The event, at its peak; drew 10,000. people to thc com= munity over the weekend and became one of the best rodeos this side of Manitoba: With plans getting underway early and en- thusiasm building, Fields hopes this year's event will be even better -than '97. - Centralia Airpark remains open o' Continued from front page . for pilots who rent hanger space. Pilots will only _have access to their aircraft Monday to Friday, 7:30_ a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If they -take out -their aircraft and don't return if be- fore Friday. at 4:30 p.m.. they will not he able to gain access to return the plane until Monday afternoon, according to Stewart. • - This arrangement may ,not be convenient for many pilots who do most of their flying in the evenings and on weekends. Pilots and companies have also had concerns with the maintenance of the runways and specifically the removal of snow: Although pilots have offered to plow the runways, whep ODC employees are not _ available, this is not allowed under - the terms of the employees' union contract. - • In spite of the problems. Central- ia. Airpark is. considered to be the hest airport for recreational flying in Ontario, primarily because of the long, paved runways. - ."We've, got. somethingg really good. here. Let's not screw it up. Let's work with- it," Lawson told nearly 20 pilots who met on Friday to discuss the airpark. . He • said lease rates for compar- �able facilities.at-the London Airport are four times as high. - Stewart agreed. "We have an ex- cellent facility here." "If we can get •Hanger 2 settled down, that'll be a big break. ODC's a good landlord."- Lawson claimed.. ODC has also offered to lease land for pilots to construct hangers at ,their own expense. Further de- tails on the hangers are expected in early February. Simmington emphasized ODC is looking at all its properties across - the province. • - "We are reviewing our plans for all the properties and whether it's best in the long run for the province to he the owner and operator of that - particular facility. But certainly. we have no immediate plans to close down the airpark. We won't do anything regarding the park's long- term future until we sit down with all the interested parties." he con- firmed. • Ontario Development Corpora- tion is a crown corporation which reports to the Minister, of Economic Development and Trade. • go because alcohol- was. involved • and because "kids will he kids. - - - ' Lucan . "But they're not kids," said Bar- = rete. "The one identified was in his 20s. "They weren't even charged with EXETER - Are vandals in Exeter • 'mischief. If I didn't catch them, a being dealt with appropriately'? . • planter would have probably had to -Huron Security. Officer.John Bar- he replaced." he said. rett doesn_'t think so. Police Sergeant ..Brad Sadler "You have people running spoke on behalf of investigating of- - around at • night and wrecking ftccr Bob Gilmar and said he be - things .and nothing's being , done lieves Barrett just had • a difference about it," said .Barrett. - of opinion. • . He was referring to an incident "Two different names were given. which occurred on Sunday: Jan. I 1 - . •so he (Gilmarl wasn't -able to -prove at 3 a.m. He was patrolling down- that •the name given was the one town Exeter when he noticed three who was moving the planter. people running down the main "It wasn't that nothing was street with a planter. Barrett caught done." he continued. "It's just that. them and told them to bring the there wasn't enough evidence - to - planter back to where they found, it. lay any charges." Sadler said. add-• He then called the-OPP: ing he believes it is just -a differ - "1 notified the OPP but they're ence of opinion between Barrett not doing anything about it." he and Gilmar.. said, adding the OPP has identified ."i think Gilmar did the proper in - at least one of thc men hut let them vestigation." Sadler said.. . • New farm tax is 25% of residential rate By Craig Bradford T -A Reporter BIDDULPH TWP. - A simple misunderstanding could mean a big surprise for area farmers when they get their tax bills this year. Biddulph Township administrator Larry Hotson briefly outlined this at last week's council meeting during his report on thc recent Fair Tax Seminar he attended in Cambridge. Many. farmers think that under thc new tax system the farm tax will be 25 per cent of last year's tax bill. Hotson said that is incorrect — the farm tax will be 25 per cent of the residential rate. Just how much that will be is still up in the air pending more in- formation from the province. Hoison said. "The numbers they are giving us arc a moving target," he said. Other notes from the meeting: You spill, you charged ' Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority's Tom' Prout filled council in on the proposed municipal planning service- fees as well as charges under the Environmental Planning Act•covering manure spills. - • While any charges for a zoning changes initiated. by a municipality are covered under the municipal levy. taxpayers must pay the • ABCA's fee for zoning bylaw changes they apply for. And farmers beware: Prout urged council to enforce the Drainage Act and fine farmers who cause manure spills. Hotson said dis= cretion will be used since most spills are accidental but repeat of-• fenders will be fined up to the $1,000 maximum. New copier Council okayed the purchase of a $7.995 new Canon photocopier. Hotson said the Canon bid was the lowest received. And the ma- chine is needed: Hotson was forced to make his copies at the Lucan village office on Friday when the old copier at his office broke down. - council split on merger direction By Craig Bradford T -A Reporter LUCAN - Agreement on how amalgamation -will go in Lucan breaks down after the- first partner is pencilled on the dance card.. - Councillors discussed their views . on possible municipal amalgama- tion at' last week -'s meeting to try to come to a consensus - before to- morrow's joint meeting between the village and Biddulph Township council :The two councils will discuss a number of issues both are` -con-. cerned about including amalgama- tion•and anagreement on Biddulph residents hooking up to •Lucan's sewer system. - - Village councillors all agree that if Lucan is to amalgamate with any neighboring municipality, it must be Biddulph since the township sur- rounds them. In . fact, Lucan and Biddulph nearly signed a merger• agreement last year but Lucan pulled out when it was found its taxpayers • may have • to 'suffer through an "astronomical" tax in- crease due to the province pulling its Farm Tax Rebate, administrator Ron Reymer said., The program benefitted Biddulph farmers and the understanding was Lucan- rat- epayers might have had to make up the difference in lost revenues in the merged municipality. "i just can't see it not being a ma- jor problem," Reymer said of the Farm Tax Rebate, addingthe prov- ince must address the problem though it hasn't to date. Deputy Reeve Harry Wraith said he favors a one tier, single mu- nicipality of Middlesex County, and if that doesn't fly, Lucan and Biddulph should look south to Mid- dlesex Centre and other municipal- ities near London. Reeve Robert Benner disagreed. He feels Lucan and Biddulph should look to the north and east to Exeter, Usborne Township, Blan- shard Township and St. Marys be- cause they arc more rural and share More common interests. He said the real seat of power would go with municipalities close to London and hurt rural Lucan/Biddulph. He add- ed London's recent amalgamation has left little suitable merger part- ners in Middlesex and he wished the province would stop its in- siste...:e municipalities stay within their county's borders for merger talks., • Wraith' countered . all the mu- nicipalities unicipalities from Exeter down to Middlesex Centre have common in- terests. - - • Councillor Reg Crawford favors a 'Lucan and Biddulph merger if the .Farm Tax- Rebate -problem is solved. If the two have to seek oth- er partners. Crawford agreed . with Wraith to look to -the south: Councillor Glenn Silver asked about the merits of inviting McGil- livray and East and West Williams townships to the negotiating table. .hut other councillors pointed out the entirely- rural municipality would worsen the ' - Farm Tax Rebate sit- uation. . Councillor Perry Cas= kanette said they should first look at sharing more resources and staff with Bid- dulph and take things slowly. "I don't think we Should even talk about amalgamation this year till after budget," he said. "1 just don't' see. it being in favor for me and my neighbors right now." Benner said he originally ques- tioned whether a merger is really needed since he secs no tax savings and less per capita representation with a bigger municipality. But a bigger entity with a larger popula• - tion makes more noise on both the county and provincial level. he ad- mitted. The fact the province says it .will appoint commissioners to force counties to cut down thc number of municipalities and representation behooves many municipalities to come up with their own solutions so at least they make a decision they are comfortable with. Elgin - County has already undergone the process with its own formula; Kent County municipalities couldn't agree on a merger model and .a commissioner enforced their own recommendations. "The act of not doing anything be- cause of inertia may not necessarily be correct," Benner said. - He added Biddulph and Lucan al- ready share such things as fire pro- tection service, a building inspector and some of the sewer system. Amalgamation often involves lay - don 't ay- don't be fav mea neig ing off staff 'and job changes for other employees, Benner said, -the _fallout of which won't be known till the process gets started. "You don't know till you get there," he said. Wraith read the advantages and disadvantages of amalgamation outlined in consultant Richard Chowen's-$5,000 'Report on Pro- posed Amalgamation .of the Vil- lage of Lucan and Township of _Biddulph' submitted to the .village on Oct. 24. 1994. . ,Advantages- reduction on number of councillors: reduction of num- ber. of" committees and members, staff reductions; elimination of -one municipal building and council chambers; stoppage of equipment duplication between the two municipalities; elimination of one works yard: end of du- plication of special- ized staff and equip- ment; easier expansion of the 'sewer system; opportunity to work together on economic growth and tourism; greater leadership and voice -when answering 'to the county and the province. • Disadvantages: possible loss of historical significance; perceived loss of representation; some staff workloads increase: one-time costs of renovations/expansibns of mu- nicipal office; possible eligibility loss to some grant programs. Middlesex County is attempting to spur amalgamation talks along for a third time. Its appointed facilitator. Kitchen- er's Bill Thomson,'will meet with council on Jan. 27 for their input on possible mergers. Thomson has already met with senior administra- tion staff at all Middlesex mu- nicipalities and is now meeting with all the councils. `I just see it ing in or for at my hbors right now." Correction The date for a public meeting for a seasonal gaming club in Grand Bend was incorrect in last week's paper. The correct date is Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. at Grand Bend Public School. The regular council meeting has been moved to F. 'r. 10 at 7:30 p.m. The T -A regrets the error.