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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-10-21, Page 5Wednesday. October 21, 1998 Exeter Times -Advocate Community 5 Slither friendly Hensall's Artemisia Fragiskatos, 10,. holds a_BaII Python, one of Snake Lady Yal Williams's many exotic pets at the Hensall School Community Si- lent Auction and Penny Carnival at Hensall Arena on Sunday. Williams, of London, made a special.. appearance at the fund-raiser that collected about $3,800 to add to the -play equipment at Hensall Public School. The Hensall School Community committee hopes to raise between $5,000-$8,00.Q over all its fund=raising activities this year. • Residents petition council to develop park EXETER — Residents in the Motz and Pride area of Exeter would like their designated green . space 'developed into rt park. I)r. Don Ecker pre- sented a petition ,to Exet- er council Monday night with the names • of 37 families in the area. .Ecker explained , the land for the park has been available !Or 20 years but nothing has been done. "We :.understand now there are funds available that can be. used and should be used," Ecker. told council; adding it is especially important to have a park since there are many ,,children in the area. According to Eckel-. residents have suggested trees, a sidewalk and some lighting be added to the area. "We thinkthe time -has dime." .he said. ' (thief building official Dave Moyer said the parks, recreation and ce- metery department has been looking into the. park concept and ten- tative --plans have been drawn up which include trees:. a sidewalk and- lighting. it will be con- sidered in . next year's Big role played by volunteers - -CLINTON - Volunteers .playa big role in schools. The Avon Maitland .District School' -now has a, policy to establish effective volunteer. programs.' "The work volunteers &kin our schools - is enormous and appreciated," said John -'Patterson, associate director. The -board's new policy on. volunteer '-programs -in •the schools is being sought ' by. other boards .who are interested in - establishing similar policies "It is-procedures,that are useful in putting people • in contact with our stu- -dents," said' Patterson. (Ie .explained. the policy provides guide budget, ,according to Moyer. Although funds have not been earmarked for that s.pec.ific area, there is a reserve fund for such a project, according to administrator Rick lines for effective volunteer programs and promotes a safe and secure learning and working environment for students and staff. ' it outlines qualities -for which principals may seek in a volunteer.. A .screening process will be used to determine which volunteers can work in the schools. This may range .from an informal interview for candidates who .are well to the. school to a criminal reference check; Trustees also approved a •v,iolence-free schools procedure in an effort to maintain a safe environment for students and staff. Ilundey. Councillor - Robert Ilrumnri►nd asked if the residents -had any other suggestions.; ticker re- plied most houses in the area already have play- ground equipment so it would not bo necessary to include in the park but open space for the chil- dren to ploy in is im- portant. "We're not asking fcir anything fancy," . Iit•ker said. I Report suggests Hensall build new water tower By Scott Nixon -TIMES-AUS uCA1E $"fAJ•r- IIIiNSALI. — After much discussion among council • members a water study project •suggesting the village build a new water tower was -ac- cepted. That doesn't mean a new water tower will be built. though. . Steve Burns of B.M. Ross appeared at- council's Oct: 13 meeting 10_ ex- plain the results of the -study which -the council -and -P.,1(:.-authorized in 199t) to determine if the quality and quantity of the village's water supply was satisfarlt►ry. Seventy per. cent of the dost of the study: is being paid by the provincial government. Burns said the study is • rec- ommending a new water- tower be -built and if the tower is built next year — at an approximate cost ul' S1 million — it will cost homeowners $16 5,-$1.75 extra On their water rates for the text 20 years. That increase . represents a 100..per cent raise in the current water rate. Council. though. was wary of ac- - cepting the report because it didn't Want ratepayers -to think a' tower is definitely going lei be built. •- Besides building a new tower, council has' the option of painting the existing General Coach tower which is rusting badly and at 455 cubic me - (res. is only about one third the size that B.M. floss.is recommending the village have. Painting the tower •would cost ap- proximately S 1 70.000 and would mean it wouldn't need more - main- tenance . for about 15 'years. .Ac- cording to Reeve Cecil ('epper, who described the .current state of the vil- lage's water tower as, "a disgrace" if the village doesn't do something with the tower within live years it will be beyond repair. Burns told council that painting the existing tower won't change the fact it is loo small. won't increase fire protection or increase • water 'pres- '.ure 1te sola Itensall should he plan= ning for significant growth in the fu- ture and think -about building a bigger -water tower. Coun. lied Parker was skeptical about village growth. saying the vil- lage's -population has Only increased by 401) people in the last 20 years. "I rant see He•nsal{ . being 2.000 people.'` he said. - %Vhen asked by Parker what coup-. cil's time frame is for building the tower. - Burns said the report only suggests, a tower be built. it'doesn't say when. - Ile did tell rounirillors, who .were Concerned that accepting the B.M. Ross' report meant they would be .locked into building a new tower. that they-rouldn'1 put off the village's water problem much longer. "l ltimately. you're going to have to spend some money," he said. The B.M. -Ross report was eventual-, ly passed,. although Coun._ Dave, An - nen worried that council` will look like it is "flip-flopping" if it rec- ognizes.the village needs a tower but then doesn't build one. : - 1ie• also said he wasn't Satisfied with the answers Burns was giving to council about their concerns with . the report. ' - • • Court. Parker opposed the motion- -to •accept the report. - • Chamber of Commerce coming to Exeter? By Scott Nixon " flbttiS-ADVOCATE STAFF EXE'T'ER If -Richard Mader and. Hugh McMaster have their way Exeter:and the surrounding area will have a Chamber of Commerce. • Marier and McMaster, co-owners of the Ranch House inn. say their concern -over. Exeter's lack of exposure - in .other communities led them. a few - months ago to start thinking about getting a Cham- . ber going ': • - The. idea culminated in a meeting on Oct. 15 at the Ranch . House. -which saw a steering committee, formed toexplore the. idea. • ' Marier told the crowd of approximately 20 that Ex- eter needs a promotional body such as the Chamber. "Exeter can't exist as an island;' he said, explain- ing the town needs to develop networks with other communities in Huron County. He used "Stops Along the Way", a Iluron County tourism guide, as an ex- ample of Exeter's• poor profile. Bayfield, Clinton, Wingham and . Blyth all receive heavy coverage in the guide but Exeter barely gets' a mention. Marier wants to change this. - :Attending the meeting'was Nancy Bonasuit, gener- al manager of the Stratford and Area Chamber of Commerce, who described the. Chamber's role as "the watchdog of the local economy." She added having a Chamber is important because it is often the first point'of contact for newcomers to ,1 Marier a community. . She said the Chamber i§ a "bot- tom-up" organization. meaning the membership deteirmines -what moves the Chamber makes. An ad- vocate voice on behalf of business- es,.Bonasuit said the Chamber lob- . bies. governments on -issues such as spending and taxing. it's also a non-profit organiza-• lion. with membership fees depen- dant on the size 'of the . Chamber and the size of the community. "Everything that goes in (to the (.haniber) comes back to the members." ' She said in hPr ten years of involvement with the Chamber, membership in Stratford has grown from 80 to 135 members and the. Stratford Chamber office: takes 12,000 phone inquiries annually. • - Jack Mann of the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce, said Chambers cover geographic areas, not just the downtown core that business improvement associat- ions promote, although he said BIAs have been ef- fective and successful at promoting downtown cores of communities. He said there is no minimum number of member- ships required to start a Chamber, adding that Bay - field's Chamber started with a seven -member steer- ing committee. Membership fees in the Bayfield 'Chamber are $75 annually, plus an. additional $10 fee for membership to the Ontario Chamber of Com meree which Mann said acts as the voice of business at the provincial level. In explaining to the audience the importance of having a Chamber, it was pointed -out -Zurich, Grand Bend, Seaforth and Goderich ,all have their •own Chambers,:. An -Exeter and Area Chamber would in- clude Iluron Park, Hensall, Lucan and the town- • ships. "I'm a.great believer in networking," Mann.said. McMaster, who has been involved with 'Chambers in the past; said he has seen the positive differences. a Chamber can make and, said he was sure the Chamber could help Exeter's economy become stronger and get its name better known in other mu- nicipalities. Both McMaster and Marier-said they were pleased with the outcome of the meeting and McMaster said the steering committee will soon be meeting to dis- 'cuss 'an Exeter and Area Chamber. In' addition to promoting business, McMaster said Exeter should be promoting its white squirrel more • effectively and should look to Wiarton Willie as an example of a successful and well-known mascot. He said Bonasuit had never heard ofthe white squirrel until she attended last week's meeting. Another problem, said McMaster, is that Exeter isn't mentioned on any traffic signs on Highway 4 until motorists get past Lucan. • • Marier _added that many guests at the Ranch House have complained that it's hard to find infor- mation about Exeter. -