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Times Advocate, 1995-07-05, Page 5Back in Time... By Ross Haugh from the archives of the Exeter Times Advocate 10 YEARS AGO July 3, 1985 - The Exeter PUC is switching to a differ- ent type of monthly state- ments.effective with the June billing to be sent out in July. Manager Hugh Davis said a change already planned will be speeded up. In the last two billings there have been hor- rendous mix-ups in the last two billings. Some customers received as many as four bills in their envelope while others received none. In the swearing in of the new Liberal government in Toronto on Wednesday, Hu- ron -Middlesex MPP Jack Rid- dell was named Minister of Agriculture and Murray Els- ton, Huron -Bruce MPP is the new Minister of Health 25 YEARS AGO July 2, 1970 - An inquest jury delving into the death of two area girls in a recent swimming tragedy, near Park- hill decided no blame was at- tached to anyone involved. Elizabeth Cook of Hensall, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Doug Cook continued her winning ways by gaining top marks of all grade 13 students this year at South Huron Dis- trict High School.. She also won similar awards in grades 11 and 12. About 30 of the original members of Huron County's 161st Battalion participated in an impressive ceremony Sun- day in reinacting a ceremony of May 24, 1920 when the original colors were left in the safe keeping of Trivitt Memo- rial Church. 40 YEARS AGO July 3, 1955 Bob Fletcher, the swimming instructor at Riverview Park, recently won his .Red Cross instructor's badge, the highest swimming award in Canada. The Exeter district didn't contribute one single statistic to the alarming tol; of holiday fatalities and traffic accidents over the holiday weekend. 50 YEARS AGO July 3, 1945 - Among the liberated prisoners of war now on their way home to Canada are Cpl. W. Forester and L. Cpl. T.G. Rendall, both of Dashwood. Flying Officer Glenn McTavish who has been over- seas since April, 1944 arrived on Friday. After a 30 day leave he will report to Greenwood, Nova Scotia before leaving for the Pacific. During a heavy electrical storm Mrs. John Oke, her daughter Reta, Mr. and Mrs. Lorne Oke and four children were sitting in the kitchen when lightning struck the house like a bomb, foaling the eight foot chimney, blow- ing off the stove lids and fill- ing the room with soot. 75 YEARS AGO July 2, 1920 - The band con- cert given in Victoria park on Sunday evening by the Exeter band was of a high and enter- taining nature. The selections were appropriate and well ren- dered. The Exeter canning factory started the pea pack on Mon- day. The Lucan races on Saturday were largely attended and were very closely contested. The constable got after a number of race course gamblers and they were fined $10 and costs and forced to close up shop. 100 YEARS AGO June 30, 1895 - Stephen township council is transfer- ring $1,072 from the general fund to the sinking fund to liq- uidate the road gravel debt. The Temperance Hall at Var- na has at last attained a peace- ful resting place on a magnifi- cent site of the village on Havanah street. it is now under repair. Mr. J.B. Brown has the contract to plaster it. The price of wheat has dropped to 85 cents a bushel at the Hensall markets. Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Spackman, the Grand Bend park is becoming one of the most popular tourists spots in Ontario. He has spared no pains or expense in ' building cottages and making beautiful walks through the grounds which contain some thirty-five acres of picturesque scenery. There is a fine dining room on the ground which is operated by Mrs. Ferguson of Exeter. Several complaints have been received that certain par- ties are catching bus under the size prescribed by law. A fine of $20 can be imposed on those found guilty. ' Times -Advocate, July 5, 1995 Page 5 Direct purchasing offers rebate - Consumers advised to read and understand any agreement and offered benefit Heather Mir T -A staff EXETER - Direct purchase companies may save res- idential consumers money but they are hesitant to change old ways. Last week in Exeter, home -owners were approached by door-to-door canvassers from the Mutual Gas Association. Mutual is a broker based in Concord, Ontario which will purchase natural gas at a price (the 'Mutual Price') and pro- vide this gas to the homeowner's utility at the regular buy/ sell reference price( the 'Utility Price"). The client will continue to receive .bills from Union Gas each month. Mutual's agreement is to pro- vide rebates to the consumer for entering into a direct purchase agreement. Due to government deregulation in 1986, Mutual can offer their no cost rebate pro- gram on natural gas the consumer pur- chases from the utility. Deregulation is a benefit for the public because it encourages competition. The deregulation of Bell Can- ada is an excellent example of this trend. Since Bell was deregulated, new competition has forced the rates to drop which is a good for the Canadian consumer. Mutual claims it can save the consumer up to 15 per cent of the gas portion of the utility bill depending on market conditions and gas consumption. The rebate will be paid to the client on an annual basis unless it is over $100 in which case it will be paid semi-annually. David Fielding of Mu- tual Gas said that he could not predict the future price of gas but that there will always be a margin for rebate. Mutual also offers a prepayment for registering with the association's agreement. For residential accounts a pre- payment of $10 is offered. Commercial accounts which consume 20,000 - 50,000 m3 annually will receive a pay- ment of $25 and commercial accounts using greater than 50,000 m3 annually will receive a prepayment of $100. Mutual currently has approximately 200,000 customers in three provinces. Fielding said he has trimmed the number of residential clients. With commercial operations he finds that the decision to go with a direct pur- chase company is made from a purely fi- nancial standpoint. When it comes to dealing with residential consumers, the decision becomes emotional. "When I speak to homes, it becomes emotional....people just don't like change," said Fielding. According to Union Gas, lower gas prices are an incentive for direct pur- chase companies. The price of gas for the consumer is based on three components. The price of the gas itself, supplied mostly by Western Canada, makes up 23-30 per cent of the cost. Delivery from the West makes up about 15 per cent of the final cost and trans- portation to the consumer, storage and infrastructure make up the remaining 50-60 per cent. Direct purchase focuses on the first component of the formula only. "Effectively they are targeting our average gas cost and finding a pool of supply to beat our prices." "Effectively they are targeting our average gas cost and finding a pool of supply to beat our prices," said Dave Hawk of Union Gas. Union Gas said it is lowering its prices, approximately six to seven percent, effective April 1, 1995. The impact of this reduction will not show up on gas bills until September or October because every change has to go through the en- ergy board. The Better Business Bureau of Western Ontario was able to confirm Mutual as a legitimate company, a division of Harten Investments Limited, an energy corporation. The file reflects an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau. Spe- cifically the record shows a pattern of complaints alleging misrepresentation in advertising. They also warn that direct purchase companies do not in- clude the cost of transportation in their calculations which can make up 50 per cent of the gas bill. "Savings are said to be a percentage of your 'gas bill' , but often do not include transportation costs. Transportation is normally 50 per cent of the bill, so the savings may be overstated," stated a report from the bureau. The report went on to say that consumers should be aware that they may be held liable for adverse financial consequences of the agent's. Contracts can bind for five to 10 years and gas prices fluctuate during that time. Consumers are reminded to keep a copy of any contract that they sign. Appliances sounds? don't worry You've just bought a major ap- pliance that combines sleek style and the latest in technological ad- vances. To your surprise, one of the innovative features you didn't expect as part of the package are some unusual noises. Why is your refrigerator hissing? Did something just 'thump' in your dishwasher? Heard a 'thud' from your brand new clothes dryer? Re- lax. Don't worry. In most cases, these sounds are entirely natural. "It's; important to understand that new appliances will have new sounds because they utilize the lat- est technology and design innova- tions to increase energy efficiency and provide new features," said Sandy Matheson, Director of Con- sumer Services, Inglis Limited, Canada's largest supplier of major appliances. "Sounds can also be re- lated to a specific feature on each appliance. For example, a refrigera tor's no -frost system or ice maker will make noises during a cycle." Here are just some of the sounds Matheson said consumers may hear from new appliances: Self-cleaning ovens sometimes hum and hiss during the cleaning cycle. Fans, compressor motors or simply air circulating throughout your refrigerator's internal cabinet can make hums or hisses. Dish- washers can often make hissing or spraying noises when water is rushing through hoses and pipes or high pressure water is splashing on dishes. Trickling noises from your re- frigerator's ice maker may be caused by water valves opening and closing, water pouring into the ice maker mold or ice falling from the mold to the storage bin. Dishwashers that have food grinders to break up food waste that's washed from dishes often make thumping sounds. These sounds can sometimes be caused by dishes that are loaded improper- ly. A thump in your washing machine could be the motor or transmission changing speeds. Clothes dryers may thud when a very small load does not tumble freely. Ticking of- ten occurs when your clothes dryer or automatic dishwasher moves and rotates through various cycles. A buzz in your washing machine could indicate a valve opening to release liquid bleach or fabric sof- tener from the dis penser, rinse fill or sprays. Clicking could be your refrigera- tor or freezer's defrost timer which occasionally starts and stops during a cycle. A rattling sound could simply be caused by something stored in or on top of your refriger- ator. Gurgling in your refrigerator may be water flowing or dripping into the defrost pan, while in your washing machine it could be the water being pumped out and air be- ing sucked back in. The natural sounds from your ap- pliances will begin to blend in with other background noises of your home, so you'll stop notic ing them after awhile. So, when you hear a sound that's truly out of the ordi- nary, consult your owner's manual or call your dealer or local author- ized service centre. Old Town Hall The steep roof of the addition to the Old Town Hall was designed to maintain the historical integrity of the entire building. The renovations and addition to the hall will al- low for the town offices and council chambers to be housed in the building. New appliances may save money °If you're like most Canadian consumers, you're interested in prod- ucts and services that are energy efficient, environmentally friendly and ultimately , save money on household expenses. Using ap- pliances wisely can return immediate rewards by reducing gas and electricity costs and help prolong the life of your appliances. "New appliances can save you in operating costs because they have incorporated the latest advances in design and technology," said Karim Lalani, Director of Marketing, Inglis Limited, Canada's largest supplier of major appliances. "Also, features have been up- dated and remodeled to be more energy efficient." * If you're planning on buying a new appliances, always look for the ENERGUIDE label. It displays the amount of energy the ap- pliances will use - the lower the kWh, the less amount of energy the appliances will use. * Read instructions and care manuals; they contain useful in- formation regarding ideal usage tips, maintenance and repair. * Unplug extra appliances when you're not using them; you can save up to $100 a year on your electricity bill. * Get the most from your refrigerator and freezer by setting op- tional temperatures at 3 degrees C - 18 degrees respectively. Crowd- ing food on shelves uses more energy because the motor, fan and compressor systems have to work harder to cool and circulate air more efficiently. Freezers also work better when they are two -thirds full. * Avoid the temptation to put hot food in the refrigerator or freez- er. Food that's cooled to room temperature puts less stress on these appliances by using less energy. * Pre -heating your oven isn't always necessary, unless you're bak- ing. Remember it only takes about 10 minutes for an oven to preheat to 180 degrees C (350 degreesF. ) When you can, try and use the broiler which saves energy. * Baking with glass or ceramic cookware transfers the heat better than some metal cookware. Using pots and pans that fit element siz- es and cooking with lids on reduces heat loss and also translates into energy and money savings. "Not many consumer products last as long as home appliances," said Inglis' Mr. Lalani. "Making a conscious effort to use them wisely help save the environment and consumers their hard earned money." rDEBT PROBLEMS? �■ There are alternatives to Bankruptcy For FREE Initial consultation contact: D. Bruce McLennan Trustee at McLENNAN 8 COMPANY LTD. Trustee In Bankruptcy 484 Richmond Street, London Tel: 4334728 Usborne & Hibbert Mutual Fire Insurance Company Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S1 (Established In 1876) Provides Full Insurance Coverage for Farm Properties New Applications are Welcomed DIRECTORS & ADJUSTERS Larry Gardiner, RR2, Staffs 345-2670 Morris WMows, RR2 8t. Pouts 3934640 Lome Feeney, Whoa 540-0051 Jac$ Nodpert, Mt, iOrkton 2296152 Joe't;hatte, RIM Mitchell 3499706 Micheel O'Shea RR3 Granton .225-2600 AGENTS ayne Maysr Exeler ,436.1915 John Moors. Dublin .045.2512 Joseph unlec, MNcheI 3490012 Heed Moe, Exeter 235-0350 A refund from swplus sow de- clared for all policy holders wt,o qualify, are on recent and In good standing as at Decent - her 08 n- ber 31, 1900. QUALITY TYPESETTIN "Set" to your specifications Brochu Bookie a0istol For more information please phone Deb Lord at 24.e111o211le Gaiser Kneale 235-2420, 238-4454 * OIC rates subject to charge. Short term rates available. Segregated Fluids rates reflect- actual past psrjon*ancs. Finery returns will vary. Investments Gr../RSP 416 1 Yr. - 6.375% 3 Yr. - 6.625% Syr. -7.00% Segregated Funds 2 YR. - 8.97% 3YR. -9.72% 5YR. -9.10% BUSINESS IN DIRECTORY AUCTIONEERS Risen i Robson 35 Years Experience of Selling or Appraisals Call or fax 519- 886-0833 for yours Mobile office, immediate payment, 3 auctioneers we pick up and sell corn- piete or partial household 'effects Specializing In real estate and general sales REPAIRS Sewing Machine Repairs to all makes Free estimates 90 Day Warranty 2 Experienced since 195 Sew and Save Centre Ltd. 149 Downie St., Stratford Phone 271-9660 Bob Heywood Licensed Auctioneer Specializing in household and estate auctions Reasonable rates Bob 235-0874 Laveme 235-1278 HAIR STYLIST Culting cam» 10 Wellington St. & Main (Beside Murphy's) 235 -HAIR (4247) Vicki Parsons Wm Scott Terri Farquhar Waxing and ear plerdng Seniors dlscount on Mon., Tues., Wed.