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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1996-06-05, Page 1SEIP'S valu-mart VVctinesd�i . Juni_ +'3G 5 tr ONt DOLLAR pa me nim sato arra ma on ser - cin 11 you anent Times -Advocate, you're II We au,todayi 1 Name: �� Postal Code OMNI1year 335. 245 3sT4 y $113.4.41 OST satnocna�ntn 1 1 yw 3113. 4.41 osTQ y y .11.33 MST 3111.00 (U M11.40 posies) 1 OSE YOUR CMT CARD lo Theout - 1 1 UWIDCIDCLI 1 ❑❑❑❑❑O❑❑ Card No. 1 Expiry Date I ❑ Visa 0 Master Card 1 1 0 enclosed • 1 Beam= TIMES ADVOCATE 424 Main St. Exeter, Ort. NOM 1136 ■ -- MIN IMO rrINE — 1 1 1 1 1 Inside Exeter Guides celebrate 50 years See Crossroads Experts page 12 Classifieds pages 25-28 Locker fire deliberately set SHDHS staff extinguished fire in second floor, smoke-filled hallway EXETER - Staff at South Huron District High School extinguished a small fire last Wednesday that was deliberately set inside a sec- ond floor locker. Exeter Fire Department re- sponded to the call at 3:39 p.m. shortly after students finished classes for the day. Teachers Bill Payette and Wally Webster, Brian O'Connell and Custodian Harold Borden worked together to cut open the lock with bolt cutters and douse the flames with two fire extinguishers after automatic sensors set off fire alarms. Volunteer firefighters arrived within minutes of the call to en- sure the fire would not re -ignite and clear the second floor hallway of smoke. Principal Wiliam Gerth said no- body was hurt and school custodial staff had re -painted three charred lockers and cleaned the area in time for classes the next morning. However, he said he was dis- appointed someone among the stu- dent body would deliberately set a file inside the school. ' "I'm disturbed a member from Nu school could take an action as severe as that individual chose to make. Someone could have been hurt," said Gerth who called for an assembly the next morning to dis- cuss the incident with the students. "I think the students were shak- en by what took place. It was a sobering lesson and most realized what happened was totally un - cool," he said. Police are In- vestigating the incident. Snowbirds to M. Enter Volunteer Fate Department responded to a small fire at South Huron District High School on Wednesday. School staff extingulshed the blaze which was deliberately. set inside a locker. Nobody was hurt in the incident. ante rt.:.at, : air show HURON PARK - In a tribute to Terry Stuart, a pilot who was rec- netly killed in a plane crash near the Centralia airport, the Snowbirds will put on a free air show at Huron Air Park on June 12 at 6 p.m. "We're very honored," said Tom Lawson, a partner with Centralia In- ternational Academy. "There are other places they could go to." Arriving from Quebec, the Snow- birds will spend their mid-term break in Grand Bend from June 10 to 12, afterwhich they will depart for Hamilton. On Wednesday morning, prior to the air show, the Snowbirds will make appearances at public schools in Grand Bend, Zurich and Huron Park. Shed fire threatened nearby home USBORNE - Exeter Volunteer firefighters needed assistance from the Hensel! fore Department to bat- tle attle a fann shed fire in Usborne Township on Saturday. , Exeter Fine Depattme nt dis- patched three units at 1:45 p.m. to the farm of Rat Dougall on lot 30 concession two, but had difficulty preventing the fire from spreading to the nearby farm house only 30 t feet away. Fire Chief John Morgan said the fann house was in the direct path of a strong southerly wind that was blowing sparks towards it. "The wind was blowing a lot of debris under the house...we were watering it down but it still caught fire on two occasions," said Mor- gan. With the help of Hensel' five - fighters, they wan able so save the house which sustained minimal damage. However, the 65 X 30 shed was destroyed. . Morgan puts the property, dam- age for the shed at $15.000 and es- timated that the two fire depart- ments pumped a total of 53,000 gallons of water on the blaze and the house to ?rotect it from bunt- ing. The fire was caused when an un- attended refuse fire ignited some wooden rails leaning up against the of the shed. i F•. Exeter Council passes bylaw reducing elected members By Heather Mir T -A Reporter EXETER - After discussion at Monday night's council meeting regarding the possibil- ity of eliminating the position of deputy reeve, council passed a bylaw to reduce its elected members from six to four. The bylaw will come into effect for the 1997 election. "I thought initially we wanted to eliminate the position of deputy reeve," said Councillor Roy Triebner. According to the Mu- nicipal Act, the Corporation of the Town of Exeter must consist of a mayor, reeve, deputy reeve and four coun- cilllors all to be elected by general vote. The position of deputyreeve does not re- ceive a greater honorarium but does have signing au- thority io addition to the mayor and reeve. The dep- uty reeve may also chair a council meeting in the absence of the head of council and the reeve. According to Clerk Elizabeth Bell, rives as well as deputy reeves of towns originally attended County Council. Since County Council reduced its numbers due to a lack of space, Exeter has only had one representative attend meetings. However, should the popula- tion grow substantially in the future, a second member may be required to attend. In Huron, only Goderich sends more than one repre- sentative to County Council meetings. In order to change the composition of coun- cil, a private bill would be required that could not be changed again for two terms. Amalgamation Prior to council ad- journing the public meet- ing to discuss amalgama- tion, Councillor Thom Hughes indicated he would not be making a Btodon recommending Exeter withdraw from amalgama- tion discussion. A letter was sent to the committee regarding Exeter's concern for representation by population in the creation of a ward system in the amalgamated municipality. "I think it's important and I think it should be resolved before we spend tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money to hire a constdtant for an amalgamation study." "I think it's important and I think it should be resolved before we spend tens of thou- sands of dollars of taxpayers' money to hire a consultant for an amalgamation study," said Hughes. On the subject of amalgamation, Exeter also received a copy of letter from the Township of Hay indicating its opposition to the Amal- gamation Committee including a portion of Hay in its study area. The letter, sent to the Minister of Municipal Affairs, raises concern over the crossing of municipal boundaries to "obtain lands without negotiations." "The committee has not presented any spe- cific justification for these lands in Hay so one can only assume that the lands would be for an economic bonus purpose. The Town of Exeter has previously applied to obtain part of these lands pursuant to the Municipal Boun- daries Adjustment Act, but this process has been in limbo since the Amaigurttitrtido Coca- mittee was formed. Council' Mitts 'diet the minister did not mean for Bill 26 to become a vehicle for other municipalities to obtain land without justification and appropriate com- pensation," stated the letter. Exeter Council noted and filed the com- munication. Flowers on Main Street designed to enhance downtown streetscape The Exeter Business Association will fund the long-term Hy Anis Sh elk°. T -A Reporter EXETER - Downtown Exeter has become a lot more colorful, thanks to the Exeter Business Association. Last week, the EBA Beautifica- tion Committee delivered on their promise to adorn Main Street with hanging baskets and barrels of flowers in an effort to enhance the streetscape of the downtown area. A total of 44 barrels were placed on the sidewalks on both sides of Main Street from Huron to Gidley by EBA committee members and volunteers. The public works de- partment helped by placing 64 hanging baskets midway up the ce- ment light posts spanning the same length of the downtown area. John Wuertit, committee chair- person, said eventually flowers will stretch down the entire length of Main Street but for now the arca between Huron sad Oidley streets was chosen to maximize the visual impact. "We wanted to keep than con- centrated M a mull area to create a more spectacular effect," he said adding the committee didn't want to dilute the visual display of the flowers by spreading then too thin. Florist Ben Hoogenboom acted as a consultant for the EBA when it purchased the flowers. He said the barrels hold dracaena (green spikes) pink and blue geraniums, German and English ivy with lo- belia The hanging baskets contain vines, with German and English ivy and mini -cascade geraniums. "They bled together quite nice- ly," said Hoogenboom. Wuertb said the committee got the idea for the project after Exeter placed second in the nation-wide Communities in Bloom competi- tion last summer. However, this - project Workfare interests I Address Board Huron Board of Educa- tion will express its interest in program to minister CLINTON - In a recorded vote, 12 Huron County Board of Educa- tion members supported a rec- ommendation of the Executive Committee Report to send a letter to the Minister of Community and Social Services expressing an in- terest in establishing a pilot work- fare program. One member of the board ex- pressed serious concern about the proposed program and voted against the motion. "If we have meaningful jobs, we should be paying for those jobs," said Trustee Joan Van den Broeck, adding the program could create "administrative nightmares" as well as potential liability. Van den Broeck explained that as "If we have meaningful jobs, we should be paying for those jobs." the employer, the board could po- tentially be responsible for having an individual's social assistance cut off if they did not perform the re- quired job. This, she said, could have the potential to create a li- ability if the employee was angered by withdrawal of assistance due to action from the board. Although no costs for running the idiotprosWttta lettalksble,Vir `rector Paul Carroritid-dielFirCfrf leirtelong history of worsting with social 'Mblstance to provide co-op education and work experience. "This have been positive and pro- duction and has benefited the board," he said. As the debate rages across the province about the punitive aspects of workfare, Carroll said the board's early initative could help shape the direction the program takes into a meaningful, positive and helpful education and work- place training experience. will be a permanent part of the streetscape every spring. "Our intention is to make Main , Street colorful and alive," said Wueth adding it will help Exeter take a pro -active stance against the trend to slop at big box Mail stems out of town. "We want to make Exeter a des- tination town where people will want to drive to and shop," he said, According to Mouth, the EBA's beautification project is only one piece of the puzzle. He hopes the stores with existing window level flower boxes will follow suite and • Coatlened es pap 3