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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1996-05-22, Page 1SEIP'S valu-mart Scrt aup t since 1 R 1. 4 & 83 Exeter 235-0262 + � 's Retook .49# Hot laws 435.3535 SEIP'S valu-mart 4 & Exeter 235-0262 Wednesday, May 22.:1996 raaawrwwwsser N you aren't s to The 1 Times --"Art tee. yo out ' sutxs�today/ 1 1 Name: Address City 1 Prov I Postal CodeMAW 1 + yaw $36 + 2.45 OST4 y..I $ .4.4+ QST 1 taaatoestettaatt • 1 year 1e3 . CO Q8r4 seer N +Y + e.s3 OST 1 USE YOUR CREW CARD CLIGICXXILICI 1 00LLICILIC0 Card No. ' Expiry Date ❑ Visa . ❑ Master Card ❑ Cheque enclosed Return to TIMES ADVOCATE 424 Main Si. Exeter, Ont. NOM 1S6 MI MN — w aa. w a, OPP. looking for suspect in Grand Bend stabbing By Chris Slcalkos T -A Reporter GRAND BEND - A suspect is still being sought in connection I with an aggravated assault during the Victoria Day long weekend. 1 1 1 Inside Magic Bus coming to Exeter See page 9 Heartworm prevention See Crossroads Second front Experts Pail, a-3 The Grand Bend OPP de- tachment is investigating the in- cident which occurred at ap- proximately 2:10 a.m. Saturday at the corner of Main and Elm Streets. The victim, Shane Pepper, 20, of Hensall, was taken to South Huron Hospital in Exeter suffering from what appeared to be a stab wound to his back. He was later trans- ferred to Victoria Hospital in Lon- don where he was listed in fair condition. Pollee are still investigating but say they are close to identifying a suspect. Despite the stabbing incident, OPP reported a 30 per cent re- duction in Charges from last year during the Victoria Day weekend. A total of 351 charges were laid ...� --+5-a .A Announcements pages 22-23 Classifieds pages 25-28 Trailer broken into in Hay Township HAY TOWNSHIP - Exeter OPP reported unknown persons broke into a trailer on Concession 10 May 14. Several Makita power tools were stolen. Boat in distress assisted by police EXETER - Exeter OPP report RCC Trenton assisted police in lo- cating a boat in distress of the Hu- ron County shoreline. The boat drifted to shore and the person aboard did not suffer any in- juries. Twelve charged with liquor related offences EXETER - Exeter OPP report during ,ee weekend 12 people were chargeJ with liquor related offenc- es and two 12 -hour suspensions woe issued. Police arrested two impaired drivers on Friday night. o#1 ennu th the fireworks d nonship Bosanquet wants tof Join amalgamation.. discussions STEPHEN TOWNSHIP - Ac- cording to the May 23 meeting agenda of the Exeter-Stephen- Usborne-Grand Bend Amalgama- tion Committee, Bosanquet Town- ship has asked to participate in dis- cussions. A Bosanquet delegation will at- tend Thursday night's meeting to be held in the Exeter Council Cham- bers at the Old Town Hall. In addition to the involved mu- nicipalities, a final revised area of interest for amalgamation includes a portion of Bosanquet extending to the Greenway Road as well as sev- eral lots in Hay Township. Although Bosanquet was not in- itially interested in the committee's invitation to join in amalgamation discussion, it was not opposed to the sharing of services. Early in the process, Bosanquet indicated it was discussing amalgamation with its Forest, Arkona and Thedford neighbors. The amalgamation committee does not rule out annexation as a form of recognized restructuring and has long felt it would be pru- dent for Bosanquet to join talks. OCWA brant for Hensall HENSALL - Although the On- tario Clean Water Agency ap- proved an approximate 70 per cent grant last November for the study of Hensall's water supply and stor- age system, the village was only recently made aware of this de- cision. The estimated cost of the study, that will likely take a year to complete, is S265,000. Steve Burns, a consulting en- gineer with B.M. Ross in Goderich attended council's May 13 meeting to explain the water study re- quirements. The Public Utilities Commission and council have been asked by B.M. to set up a liaison committee to oversee the study pro- cess. In recent years, the King and York street wells have tested high for nitrate levels. This resulted in a warning indicating infants should not use the water supply. Although: a study was undertaken ap- proximately 10 years ago, the re- sults were inconclusive and did not clearly attribute the source of the contamination. Until the Ministry of Energy and Environment is sat- isfied the water problem will not re- occur, development proposals will be approved. "It wasn't much of a study 1n the end," said Burns. According to Burns, the po- tential source of nitrate is ag- riculture. A study would identify recharge areas and result in halting practices that threaten the safety of the village's water supply. Land use restrictions and laW by the village were suggested s options to protect the water supply once the source of nitrate has been established. Ideally the study will either prove the water supply and storage sys- tem does not require protection from contamination or evaluate the best means to provide protection. The more expensive and less de- sirable outcome would be the need to find an alternative water source. "The real goal is to prove the ex - r' Continued ora page 3 i' Community Ralf on qunci }y of success. compared with 508 last year. There were 241 charges laid un- der the Liquor Licence Act, down by 134 from Last year, and 68 charges were laid under the High- way Traffic Act. The Regional R.I.D.E program stopped and checked more than 5,000 vehicles and laid four Im- paired Driving charges and issued 10 12 -hour suspensions. The first long weekend of the summer, commonly known as "May 2-4" has traditionally brought thousands of visitors to Grand Bend to enjoy the beach, water sports and Main Street night life. More than 20,000 people, mostly youths, visited the village from May 18-20. Line-upssto get into lo - 'cal bars stretched over a block by 7 p.m. each night, and traffic cruising the one kilometre "main drag" took 30 minutes to get to the beach and back. OPP Sergeant Bev Prevett, who worked the weekend night shift, said the extended closing hour now permitted at bars and restaurants helped with the after hours crowd that usually gathers on Main Street after pubs close. "We still have the crowds that want to leave by midnight, a crowd that wants to leave at 1 a.m. and now they're also leaving at 2 a.m. So instead of getting a mass exodus at one o'clock in the morning, now it's spread out more which actually worked to our advantage," said Prevett. Ironically, the hot sunny condi- tions also helped keep things cool. Cold and wet weather would drive people indoors where they would have more time to drink. The hot hazy and humid weather that set in at the beginning of the weekend kept people active outside for most of the time. C�nservati�n authorities Initiate user fee structure Visitors will now be charged for the use of ABCA conservation areas By Heather Mir T -A Reporter EXETER - Due in large part to reduced provincial funding, the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Author- ity recently initated a day use fee of $2 per person at Morrison Dam. A conservation area individual season pass may be purchase for $i l and family passes are available at a cost of 532. These passes allow day use entrance to ap- proximately 10,000 acres of land with the exception of the Port Franks Conservation Area. The fee for use of the Morrison Dam is in line with other conserva- tion authorities for the facilities pro- vided. Season passes are much less expensive than other areas such as the Pinery Provincial Park. Pour factors have contributed to the move to a user pay system which Kate Monk, ARCA information and education manager, de- scribes as a "last resort" to keep the area open to the public and in public ownership. •The province eliminated the land tax rebate for conservation authority properties, taxes at Morrison Dam now total approximately $1,000 •The provincial grant for con- servation authorities was reduced and will be eliminated by 1997, with the exeption of funding to maintain flood control structures •Without a sponsor to adopt the Morrison Dam, the ABCA was forced to find other means to raise the $3,000 needed to keep the area open *Municipalities don't have the money to make up for the finan- cial short -fall left by reduced pro- vincial funding and the elimina- tion of tax relief The alternative to implementing a user pay system would be to close the area. However, taxes would still need to be paid and some maintenance would be re- quired. Maintenance of the prop- erty includes grass cutting, ski trail grooming, safety inspections and trail mainte- nance. Vandalism, which has occured this year on the dock and to the washrooms at Morrison, increas- es the cost of maintaining the area. The Exeter Boy Scouts have been actively in- volved in conducting an annual clean-up of the area and have also built and installed blue bird boxes along the trail. One of the most commonly raised concerns is ac- cess to conservation areas for lower income individ- uals and families. Season passes represent the best value and the ABCA has bulk rates for organiza- tions wishing to purchase passes to distribute as they wish. The authority also has a reserve set up for money donated directly into main- taining Morrison Dam. Conservation authorities receive less than $9 per person each year of the municipal tax levy and pro- vincial taxes will vanish by next year. In some cases, service clubs have worked with conservation authori- ties to avoid implementing user pay systems. Clinton Lions Club, for example, has adopted the Clin- ton Conservation Area and is cov- ering most of its operating costs. "We'd be more than happy to work with a group or more than one group," said Monk. Morrison Dam has proved to be a well used con- servation area, especially during the Spring when the water is stocked by the Conservation Foundation with rainbow trout. Monk esti- mates between 10 and 15 vehicles are in the parking lot each day during these months. People parked at Morrison Dam will be given a grace period to purchase passes at the conserva- tion office. Staff are checking windshields and distributing fly- ers explaining the new system un- til public awareness has been raised. Although only seven sea- aot parses have been sold to date, the ABCA has not received many complaints about the new system. According to Monk, while some people have raised concerns about the system, "others are ac- cepting it, realizing they do get to see where their money goes. It's really in our best interest to keep the area open to the public be- cause there is such a great benefit to everyone." "It's really in our best interest to keep the area open to the public." pit,i* Kato Monk