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Times Advocate, 1994-7-6, Page 1SEIP'S valu-mart 4 & 83 Exeter 235-0262 Exeter playground Car Wash Fri. July 8 10 a.m.-2p.m.. ALour store Serving Exeter and area since 1873 Lr a- um nor am me am rSUBSCRIBE, 1If you aren't subscribing to The' Times -Advocate, you're missing out. I Use the coupon below and subscribe today! 1 Name: 1 Address City 1 Prov 'Postal Code SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada Within 40 miles • (65 km) addressed to non letter carrier addresses 830.00 plus 82.10 G.S.T. 1 Outside 40 mites - (65 km) or any letter earner address $60.00 + 84.20 G.S.T. Outside Canada -899.00 tma see 40 poop.) 1 USE YOUR CREDIT CARD 000000 1 00000000 Card No. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I Expiry Date 1 0 Visa 0 Master Card ❑ Cheque enclosed Return to; TIMES ADVOCATE 1424 Main St. Exeter, Ont. NOM 1S6J at• NM 1 Inside Conflict of interest How far do we go for open government? worries council See page 2 Township • taxes Usborne holds line on rate, but Stephen -feels, the pinch See page 2 High School graduation South Huron students honoured for achievements See page 3 Business WISE Middlesex women form idea exchange network See page 5 Jazz and religion Grand Bend composer's work at special service See page 9 Unlco Cup Exeter Thunder bringing soccer championship to. See page 14 - Experts page 11 ' Classifieds pages 17-19 Announcements pages 20-21 Plus Nosh* Locator 8 gal SEIP'S valu-mart 4 & 83 Exeter 235.0262 Fresh Baked Sub Buns .994 pkg. 3 Grant paves way for new $3M Exeter water line Quick provincial approval of a $1.888 million grant came as something of a surprise, and will allow construction to start next spring EXETER - Construction for a new $3 million water pipeline for Exeter can start next spring -after MPP Paul Klopp announced the province's financial support of the project at a press conference Thurs- day. Klopp - said ,Exeter will receive $1.888 million to help fund the pipeline through the Ontario Clean Water Agency. There was some surprise ex- pressed by local politicians that the town's grant application was ap- proved so quickly by the province. In the past, many water and sewage upgrade applications have been put on a waiting list while other higher priority projects have received funding first. The pipeline, which may be com- pleted by winter 1995, will supple- ment Exeter's present well -water supply with a line connected to the Lake Huron supply as it runs through Stephen Township. In- cluded in the project will be a new - pumping station near Crediton and a new underground reservoir in Ex- eter. At the same press conference, ,Klopp also, announced a $10,000 grant to help Zurich with its on- going search for leaks in its sewer system. With the help of the grant, the village will be using video cameras to inspect the insides of sewer con- nections between 70 homes and the main village lines. Those homes were targeted as likely sources of leaks in earlier camera inspections of the main lines. If leaks or illegal connections are found on the property owners' sides of the line, then the costs of repairs will be borne by the owners. The $10,000 grant came through the jobsOntario program ad- ministered by the Ministry of En- vironment and Energy.. Another grant application made by the village to upgrade and repair the sewer system was turned down. • Canada Day fireworks Captured in a double exposure are Canada Day fireworks and spectators Brandi French (front left), Catherine Bergmann, Pam Keys, Amanda Hodgert, Marilou Hern, Vanessa Bray, Sarah Workman (standing at left), Greg Monck, and Jeff Jarrett. The fireworks were presented by the Exeter and Stephen Township Fire Departments. Other Canada Day fire- works displays were seen in Grand Bend and Lucan on Friday. 4 _ Civic Centre alternatives sought Public works is asking for other options if Heritage Square falls through r EXETER - The debate over how the town spends a wind- fall of grant funds continues behind the scenes at town council. Upfor grabs is about half a million dollars, which may or may not be earmarked to upgrade the Public Library and Old Town Hall into a new "civic centre" or "Heritage Square" for Exeter. The grant funds come under the joint infrastructure pro- gram, equal thirds coming from federal, provincial, and municipal governments, totalling $790,018 for the town. The public works committee claimed the first third of the funding for upgrades to sanitary and storm sewer lines in town. Approval has been granted for the infrastructure pro- jects by the government department in charge of the job creation program. The most vigorous opposition at council to using the re- mainder of the funds for upgrading the two public buildings at the corner of Sanders and Main Streets into a civic centre has come from councillors Ben Hoogenboom and Robert Drummond, both of whom sit on the public works com- mittee. That committee is now asking that a list of alternatives for the infrastructure grant funds be drawn up should the civic centre project not go ahead. The committee, on a mo- tion from Drummond, forwarded a motion to council ask- ing works superintendent Glenn Kells and town ad- ministrator Rick Hundey draw up a list of alternate projects "In case the project doesn't take place, for whatever rea- sons," said Hoogenboom when presenting the committee's report Monday evening. The report, with its recommendations was approved by council without further discussion. A mayor's committee continues to meet in regard to the civic centre project. Architects have been asked to submit drawings of how the Old Town Hall and Library might be integrated into a building to house a larger library, the mu- nicipal offices, along with space for community activities of a more "cultural" nature. All applications for how the infrastructure program funds will be spent over the next two years must be submitted to the government by late September. 4 Recognition, for the arts? EXETER - Has a town councillor changed his tune, and is now singing praises for locals arts and culture? Councillor Bin Hoogenboom admitted to having a slight conflict of interest over the matter, but asked if council would consider sending letters of congratula- tions to Exeter residents who recently took part in the production of Peter Pan at the Huron Country Play- house. Hoogenboom said his son was one of those on stage, but noted there were other town children and one adult singing and dancing on stage last month. Hoogenboom pointed out that council often recognizes the achievements of the town's young athletes, but per- haps does not do as much for c*pre or the arts. "Could you say that again..that sentence that began with "the arts?" asked an amused mayor Bruce Shaw. Shaw was referring to Hoogenboom's frequent crit- icism of plans to turn the Old Town Hall and Public Li- brary into a centre for local culture and the arts, as well -as new municipal offices. When the laughter subsided, Shaw agreed such a ges- ture would be "a nice thing to do" for the town's amateur actors. Agreement with hospital temporary A permanent solution with doctors is still to be finalized EXETER - Now it's wait and see. South Huron Hospital will now have 10 wait until July 31 to see if they will be receiving any money from the Ministry of Health to help pay for emergency room doctors. Previous government statements, however, indicate the hospital, or others in similar situations, will not be receiving any funding from the ministry. That means hospitals will have to dip into their own budgets to come up with the money. South Huron, currently facing a $50,000 deficit would not be able to pay for the doctors out of the budget. Although the hospital and the doctors do have a working agree- ment in place, administrator Don Currell, would not elaborate on what it is. . "We have an agreement that hasn't been signed. It's been inching • along. It will run until August 31," said Currelt. If the hospital does not receive the funding for the emergency room staffing from the ministry, it will have several options. One of those is to downsize or lay off staff. "1 don't know the answer to that. It's still up in the air," said Cur- rell. Hit by car, local teen in hospital critical care Police are laying no charges against a driver who struck two youths crossing Highway 21 GRAND BEND - No charges are being laid against a London driver involved in a collision with two pedestrians just north of Grand Bend Saturday night. The Exeter OPP say driver James McRoberts of London was trav- elling abopt five to 10 kilometres below the 70 km/h speed limit when two teenagers tried to cross the road at about 11 p.m. Sat- urday. Despite swerving maneuvers, both youths were struck. Robert Fox of RR3 Granton and Matthew Wurm of Huron Park were transported to South Huron Hospital for treatment of injuries. Wurm. 16 years old, was tritnsferred to Victoria Hospital in London where he remained in critical care as of Tuesday morning. Wurm is the same youth -who 'was seriously injured in an ac- cidental shooting in Exeter in September 1992. Truck thieves scared tff by alert owner in Hensall EXETER - Would-be car thieves were scared off by the vehicle's owner last Tuesday night, report the Exeter OPP. Police say that just before 3 a.m. thieves tried to steal a pickup truck parked in Hensall. Although the keys had been left in the vehicle and the doors unlocked, the owner spot- ted the culprits before they made their getaway. The owner of the truck yelled at the would-be thieves, scaring them away. Police, however, caution that most owners of cars and trucks would not be so lucky. Keys should be removed from vehicles and the doors should be kept locked to avoid such problems, they insist.