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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1996-03-20, Page 2Page 2 Times -Advocate, March20, 1996 Santa parade may return CLINTON - An old tradition may return to Clinton - the Santa Claus Parade. According to the Clinton News Record, it may happen with the help of the town's Busi- ness Improvement Area as well as local organizations and indi- viduals. The idea for hosting the pa- rade came up during a visit by the Clinton Scouts to the town hall during a council meeting. Not only would restarting the parade "create community spir- it...(and)...put something back into the community for the kids," said BIA and council member Don Sootheran, it would attract tourism. Murray hearing adjourned GODERICH - A preliminary hearing for 46 -year-old Steve Murray, who was charged in connection with the death of his daughter, Mistie Murray, has been adjourned to May 30. According to the Huron Ex- positor, the preliminary hearing, which began March 5, was origi- nally scheduled to last four days but ended around noon two days later. EXij 'ER - The Small ) hies Kiosk toot tisanes So udi4tfza.has beton relocated to the Hu on EMploymentResourve Centre, 20 Main St., ExeI- :' er (previously known as the Exdor Caned* Employment Centre). The kiosk was moved due to the relocation of Exeter's municipal offices to tate Old Town Hall as well as the lack of wall space to -place the kiosk.. The Huron EtaployinentResource Centre provides -the public with ac- cess to coordinated. services related to employment, government pro- grams, community, information. and small business information. Other HERC offices are located in Clinton at the Huron Employment Liaison Centre, in Goderich at the . former Canada Employment Centre abd in Sea - forth at the Huron Business Centro. Any small business start-up inquiries should be directed to the Snug! Business Kiosk for preliminary information or to the resource centre in Seaforth for further information. Township refuses to plow. ODC runways during OPSEU strike STEPHEN TOWNSHIP - Township council carried a motion at is March 5 meeting to not plough Ontario Development Corporation run- ways during the OPSEU strike. In further council business, a motion was passed that Bluewater Re- cycling cap its storm drain connections to Stephen's sanitary sewer drain by March 18 and further that it be permanently disconnected as soon as possible. • A motion was also passed to support the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority Private Land Erosion Control Assistance Program for the Park- hill Creek Watershed. The Baker drainage petition for Concession 17, Lot 13 was accepted by and Bill Dietrich, P. Eng. was appointed to study the problem A motion was supported that the Township Recreation Committee be dissolved and local recreation boards be requested to submit proposed budgets, detailing capital expenditures and operating expenses for this year up to April 1. Council also supported a resolution from the Town of Goderich ad- vising all of Huron County, not just the Town of Goderich, will be af- fected if the Goderich Court closes. Bylaws Bylaw numbers 10 and 11-1996 to enter into operating agreements with the Ontario Clean Water Agency for Huron Park sewage and water sys- tems were adopted. Fraudulent Child Find SEAFORT9 / tNI1VGHAM' ' lv Middlesex reviews local 0verninent structure Child Find is warning area rids=' idents about recent fraudulent telephone . solicitations for the organization, reported the Huron I positor. Child Find telemarketing does not involve the sale of products and donors are not required to give out their credit card num- bers. The organization does not so- licit door-to-door, and legitimate telephone solicitations are al- ways followed up with mail that may include one of three ad- dresses - the provincial office in Oakville or two Toronto . ad- dresses, either 79 Scollard Street or 2 Bloor Street West. Suspicious solicitations should be reported to the police. The or- ganization raises funds to locate runaways and identify children. Education staff asked for input PERTH COUNTY - As it pre- pares for provincial spending cuts, reported the Mitchell Ad- vocate, the Perth County Board of Education is asking its staff for cost-saving suggestions. Trustee Margaret Erb created a poster for circulation at the county's schools and education centre asking staff to submit de- tailed suggestions to the board chairperson by March 20. "If we can get even one or two suggestions we could get a hold of, then it would be worth it," she told the Advocate. Trustees backed the move unanimously but decided to make suggestion signatures op- tional. Tax rate freezes PERTH COUNTY - Perth County Council has come up with a proposed budget for 1996 that freezes the tax rate, reported the Mitchell Advocate. Lower welfare costs, increased assessment and reduced ,apettd- .ing have helped the rate remain stable. The $6.9 million buds will be approved this week. LONDON - At its March 12, meeting, Middlesex County Coun- cil by unanimous vote of those in attendance confirmed its earlier de- cision to proceed with activities re- lating to the review of local govern- ment structure in Middlesex County. These activities include an opin- ion ' survey to determine the thoughts of a representative cross- section of County residents; and a review of alternate systems of road service delivery. "We cannot automatically assume that the system of local government that has been in place, largely un- changed, for the last 150 years, is the best option to serve County resi- dents into the next century", said Warden Alan Marr, Reeve of the Township of North Dorchester and Chair of the County's Ad -Hoc Committee on County Restructur- ing. "We may indeed find that very little change is necessary, despite the significant financial pressures facing local government in Mid- dlesex in the coming years. How- ever, we would be doing our rate- payers a disservice if we did not reach a conclusion based on an ob- jective review process" said Marr. Marr' noted that the process of structural review was one which had been started by County Coun- cil following the 1993 London/ Middlesex Annexation, and that the process had enjoyed the coop- eration of nearly all of the local councils in the county. He also em- phasized that it continues to be "driven by the elected officials" in the county, The intention of the County's Ad -Hoc Committee on County Re- structuring, said Warren Marr, is to provide a final report in the sum- mer of 1996. orie $4ports dls�ussion 'fwilling partners only Council agrees with Ste- phen about the scope of. amalgamation • discussion USBORNE TOWNSHIP - Usborne Council con- curred with a recommendation from Stephen Township that amalgamation discussions should continue with willing partners only. Reeve! Plat Down read a letter to council at its March S meeting that expressed concern with the amalganlation study of Transportation services in regard t4 anticipated savings. Usborne is currently participating in an amal- gamation process with Exeter, Grand Bend and Ste- phen Township. Areas of interest for amalgamation have included Hay Township, Hensall, Zurich and Bosanquet, none of which have expressed interest in joining discussion. Municipal Addressing Usborne will be required to .submit corrected names and verified road patterns to the County of Huron Municipal Addressing Project by March 31. Council agreed on the following road name changes: Cemetery Road change to Sand Hill Road Zion Road to Church Road Second Line to Morrison Line/Park Line or Hu- rondale Line Fourth Line to Evergreen Line Cemetery Line to Union Line • ••Land Stewardship George Thompson.attended council's meeting to' discuss the Community Based Land Stewardfhip Initiative. This program has received $20,000 in start-up funding that does not cover Ministry of Natural Resources staff salaries. It is hoped Con- servation Authorities will benefit from this pro- gram. - Public libraries Huron County has conducted a Review of public library grants in consideration of provincial fund- ing cut-backs. The 1996 grants are based on the quantity and quality of space provided for library activities. The Kirkton Branch Library rates #1 (very good). The recommended rental option for Kirkton would reduce the rent paid from $2,178 to $2,063. In other business council reviewed the Ausable Bayfield Committee meeting minutes of Jan. 26. The 1996 contribution to the building reserve fund was discussed with a view to allocating more than $1,000 to bring the reserve closer to the 1/4 to 3/4 split with the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Au- thority. OPP announce torch run dates EXETER - For ten years; mem- bers of the Ontario Provincial Po- lice Service have taken up the torch as part of the Ontario Law Enforce- ment Torch Run for Special Olym- pics. The "Torch Run" has become synonymous with Special Olympics throughout the world. This annual fundraiser provides 'law enforce- ment personnel an opportunity to be part of a meaningful community service program which, in its ten year existence, has raised in excess of $4 million. The Torch Run has grown to include the .yearly partici- pating of over 7300 law enforce- ment personnel in every corner of the province. Ontario Special Olympics is a charitable organization providing year-round sports training and com- petitive opportunities for persons with a developmental handicap. It is part of a thrivingworld-wide or- ganization dedicated to help people become all they can - physically, mentally, socially, emotionally and become accepted, respected and ac - Tools stolen from Hay Township cottage HAY TOWNSHIP - OPP report a drill and a saw were stolen during a break and enter at a cottage in Nor- man Heights in Hay Township on Saturday. In a separate incident that occur- ence on the same day, the theft of a weed sprayer from a barn in Hay Twp. was reported. • Residents concerned about waste transfer site plans . Continued from front page he explained of the 12,000 square foot building that was proposed on Nov. t. "Because waste is moved daily, a lot of the problems normal- ly encountered (are) eliminated.". Since waste is not stored on site, he said, odor will not be a problem. Under the Environmental Pro- tection Act, he pointed out, MOB could shut the operation down if odors are emitted' "If a resident complains there's a smell, the ministry out conte out, they can shut it down," hesaid, adding odors do not have to be identified by an expert. He explained the county has tak- en an interest in the project dee to its Waste Management Master Plan and the waste transfer station will be a modern waste site that could deal with all of the cowtty's *este. 'The proposed transfer 'titian will redirect wide away from old- er, potentially Nonfat dumps and will be transported to litepsid San- itary landfill facilities," milds g bro- chure. "They put a bole in the "aid and cover it up at to end of the day," said Veilleux, referring to tra- ditional landfill sites. 'The association's initial goal was to have the transfer station ap- proved by March 1, 1996, and op- erational by the following July. However, delays due to the Ontario Public Service Employees Union strike and in gaining approval at township and county levels have put the project on hold. If the strike ends by the end of March, " Veilleux estimated, the structure, which would take 10 weeks to construct, could begin as early as August. Once approval is obtained, waste from the site will be transferred to modern landfills. According to Veilkux, the association has three or four sites in mind, including Michigan, that are willing to accept a million tonnes of waste each year. Ideally, ht the' long terns what youi wed so see Is 1t centralized sta- tion," be add. BRA's suggested waste transfer station gine hand lin band with its co -collection prelim t to be adopt - e•. : April 1 by Zurich, Hen011, 11, May, •Usboree, l itarchacd, Grand Bend and Ailsa Craig com- m. AAoaordiag to Veilleux, since the association has introduced the program last fall to area mu- nicipalities, many have expressed an interest. Although BRA alleges the waste transfer station will create 12 jobs, some residents are concerned about private waste collectors losing their jobs in the meantime due to co - collection. "There's no future • for Huron Park," complained resident Bev Dawe. "Why are they using (it) for a test site?...They're going to tell us it's okay. How do we know until years from now?...It will be dev- astating to the community." "Some people don't understand what's going down with this," add- ed resident Luella Pavlick. 1 I don't think it's been researched enough...They're riot only going to lose the people in the hoytie, Duct in the industrial park." "Once it's up and running," gait Dawe, "you can't stet it down." Dawe was to address Stephen Counccil at hs Match 19 meetipg about the intended waste transfer station. tive members of society. This year's Exeter OPP Torch Run takes place on Tuesday, April 30. The torch will be carried through Zurich, Hensall and Exeter. The torch carried during the Law Enforcement Torch Run represents the "Flame of Hope" - it continues to burn brightly because you care. It is in this spirit that we ask you or your organization to join the Law Enforcement community in support of Special Olympics. This call for action will enable the continued growth of the programs that benefit these special young athletes. Please consider our request for financial support. Tax receipts will be issued. for all donations over ten dollars. The Law Enforcement Torch Run Co-ordinator for 1996 is Constable P: ula Rossewy. Constable Rossewy can be reached at the Exeter OPP Detachment at 235-1300 for further information. High boarding Troy Cooper launches himself off a ramp while skate- boarding with a friend in Exeter on Friday. Cooper is try Ing to promote Interest In forming a -skateboard club In ' the area but said skateboarders are usually kicked out of the parking ibis where they like to go boarding.