Times-Advocate, 1999-02-03, Page 22
Exeter Times–Advocate
Wednesday, February 3, 1999
In the News
Regional w
Seaforth buildins collapses
SEAFORTH — The former EMA grocery story on
Main Street in Seaforth collapsed, partially onto
the sidewalk and street ori Jan. 22, reports The
Huron Expositor.
Fortunately, no one was hurt in the incident.
Cold, rainy weather and the time of day kept the
number of people on the street to a minimum. If
the building had collapsed one-half hour later
when the mail is sorted at the Post Office, there
would have been more people walking in front of
the store.
Police closed off a portion of Main Street for
most tib_ the morning to allow the. debris to be
cleared from the road and sidewalk and the rest of
the building to be torn down.
OPP Staff Sergeant George Lonsbary said weight
of the snow and rain caused the building's ceiling
to collapse. About one-third of the building was
down when it was decided to tear down the re-
mainder. The building next door received some
minor damage but the EMA building was putting
pressure on it.
The building's owner, Tomo Kalaba from the To-
ronto area told The Huron Expositor the debris
will be cleared away as soon as the weather
clears.
The building has been empty for about seven
years and is a sore sport for the downtown busi-
ness community.
Eisler in hall of fame
Seaforth's Lloyd Eisler and his figure skating
partner, Isabelle Brasseur of St -Jean -sur -
Richelieu, Quebec will be inducted in the Canadian
Figure Skating Hall of Fame.
According to The Toronto Sun, Eisler and Bras-
seur will join Kurt Browning, Tom Collins and Gor-
don Garden as new inductees to the hall of fame.
Feathered finds trapped
GODERICH — Unseasonably warm weather and
a lingering fall kept robins around well past their
normal departure date for warmer climes, reports
The Goderich Signal -Star.
When winter arrived, almost overnight, it
grounded the birds and sent them scrambling for
shelter and food.
The annual Christmas bird count at Point Clark
revealed record numbers of robins. During a nor-
mal year, robins head south in October. Chances
are the robins in this area have migrated here
from further north.
Tom Lobb of Clinton said the robins could be in
danger if the winter is a long, cold one. Unless the
harbingers of spring find something to eat besides
the nuts and seeds in backyard birdfeeders, they
will perish.
Robins like to migrate in flocks so unless they
find others in large numbers, their natural instinct
is to wait it out.
If you'd like to give a robin a fighting chance at
surviving the winter, throw a few raisins and piec-
es of apples out on the porch.
Rotary club plans waterpark
MITCHELL — Plans are in the works by the Mi-
chell Rotary Club to create a waterpark which
could cost as much as $50,000, reports The Mitch-
ell Advocate.
The Rotary Club, the newest service club in
town, announced the proposal at the former Rich-
mond Hosiery plant at the corner of St. Andrew
and James Streets just past the Whirl Creek
bridge.
The land was donated by Parmalat Canada (for-
merly Stacey Brothers). There was a warehouse at
the site until it was destroyed in 1987 and the land
has been vacant since.
With official plans still being works, the club is
proposing a 50 -foot circular pad with various wa-
ter sprays and a huge removable umbrella in the
centre, which activates and sprays water once
children run underneath it.
A circular water wheel is also part of the propo-
sal. The club is also planning on creating a display
area showing photos and articles of the town's
past, hence the name Rotary Heritage Park.
'The club plans to apply to the federal Canada
Millennium Partnership Program for a grant.
Crash hurts three
This accident located at about two kilometres southwest of Exeter that happened at about 12:10 p.m. jan.
24 sent three people first to South Huron Hospital then London Health Sciences Centre's Victoria campus
then to the South St. campus. Exeter OPP Const. George Finch said the driver of the pickup, Adrian De-
Wetering, 57, of Usborne Township, was eastbound on Sideroad 15 when it collided with the northbound
mini -van on Conc. 2 driven by Paul Baker, 75, of London. Baker's wife Marjorie, 74, was the only passenger
in the van and De-Wetering was the sole occupant of the truck. De-Wetering and Marjorie Baker were
listed in critical condition last week and Paul Baker was in serious condition. Exeter firefighters helped re-
moved the victims from their vehicles. The OPP investigation continues.
Bend
ready for 2001 Games
Continued from front page
Ivey said the beach
improvements project
was made possible
through the end of the
beach ownership question
sagging the village for
decades. The plan was
developed by a nine
member committee of
three village council
members and six from
the public.
In an interview with the
Times -Advocate, Ivey
expressed his excitement
over what the project and
the Games will bring to
the 'Bend.
"This is a great project,
one that can capture
everyone's imagination,"
he said. "We want to
make this thing pedestri-
an friendly and turn.it
into a park."
Ivey added the focus of
the beach house is to
make it a "multi -use facil-
ity" that can be fully uti-
lized after the Games are
over.
"We're trying to make it
more than (just) that type
of venue," he said.
'Bend Friends of the
Games special events
chairperson Dave
Scatcherd outlined the
planned fund-raising
events.
•
Where it's at. Grand Bend Mayor Cam Ivey, left, and Grand Bend Friends of the
Canada 2001 Summer Games vice -chairperson Hank Krech show where the new
beach house will be on preliminary plans for improvements to the village between
the end of Main St. to the pier.The Friends kicked off a $500,000 fund-raising
drive at Oakwood Inn's Pub Friday.
The Friends will hold a
kick-off party at Gables
on May 7 with some ath-
letes expected to attend.
Tickets cost $20.
Scatcherd plans on
donating the proceeds
from the annual
Scatcherd Golf Classic at
Oakwood Inn in the sum-
mer of 2000 to the fund-
raising goal and
Scatcherd plans to hold a
'special entertainment
event' on the golf course's
Dashwood questions the
impact of amalgamation
Continued from front page
most of "the flow" of busi-
ness from Hay goes to
Exeter. Campbell
responded that just
because Hay isn't amal-
gamating with Exeter, it
doesn't mean Hay resi-
dents have to stop going
there.
Love said he hopes
Dashwood waits until the
amalgamation proposals
are finished and he invit-
ed the Dashwood group to
attend the group of six's
next amalgamation meet-
ing on Feb. 24 in Varna,
when the boundary issue
will be further discussed.
driving range in the sum-
mer of 2001.
For any information on
the above events or for
tickets to the kirk -off
party, call Scatcherd at
(519) 238-2324.
The Canada 2001
Summer Games London
Alliance, made up of
London, St. Thomas,
Woodstock, the University
of Western Ontario and
Grand Bend, hopes to
raise $15 million in all to
hold the games from Aug.
11-20, 2001.
Grand Bend will host
the sailing and beach vol-
leyball events.
Representatives from alt
the partners were on
hand at the press confer-
ence
The London Alliance
has raised about $3 mil-
lion of their goal with two
and a half'years left till
the Games.
Feb. 7-13 is White Cane Week.
CLINTON — The number of people in Huron
County using the services of the Canadian National
Institute for the Blind is up 14 per cent from 97/98,
bringing o.
Next weekthet, Feb.
talto 7-20913, is WhitepeopleCane Week across
Canada. Huron County residents will get a chance to
learn more about the significance of white canes to
thousands of Canadians who are blind, visually im-
paired or deatblind and use white canes as a tool for
travel.
Gordon Hill of Varna said 'displays and in-
formation will be presented in Goderich and Clinton.
To ffnd out more about the Bluewater Club, .call Stirs
at 482-7406:,_