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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1994-10-26, Page 1SEIP'S valu-mart 4 & 83 Exeter 235-0262 HEY KIDS Don't forget to ask for your SEIP'S SURPRISE Serving Exeter and area since 18; • SEIP'S valu-mart 4 & 83 Exeter 235-0262 NEW! SPLENDIDO PIZZA California Style .5.99 r_____._� "SLIBSCRIBE! If you aren't subscribing to The 1 Times -Advocate, you're missing out. Use the coupon below and ' subscribe today! Name: 1 Address City 1 Prov. Postal Code I ▪ SUBSCRIPTION RATS: Canada ' Within 40 miles - (65 km) addressed to non letter carrier addresses 1 $30.00 plus $2.10 G.S.T. - I Outside 40 miles - (65 km) or any letter ' canter address $60.00 + $4.20 G.S.T. I Outside Canada -$99.00 l.,u see 40 postage) 1 USE YOUR CREDIT CARD ❑000000❑ 00000000 Card No. I Expiry Date Li Visa U Master Card Li Cheque enclosed Retum to; TIMES ADVOCATE 424 Main St. Exeter, Ont. NOM 1S6_11 a� me to me m Meet: yo candidat Listing of loca public meetin. e page fora profit Exeter business market ee page 5 Hallows spirits Getting int the spirit of it all See Crossro Second fron Diel hock South Huron sting W this wee See page Wednesday, October 26, 1994 Most support civic corner, says poll Question - "Do you support town council's plans to renovate the Old Town Hall into a new municipal,office and library complex?" YES 57% NO 30% UNDECIDED EXETER - A Times -Advocate telephone poll indicates a majority of Exeter residents approve of plans to transform the Old Town Hall into a focal point for the community. The $500,000 -plus project has been a source of con- troversy.since the spring, and is likely to be one of the key issues in the municipal election. However, when the T -A conducted a telephcne survey Thursday evening of 60 homes distributed randomly through the alphabetical listings of the phone book, some 57 percent said they supported town council's plans to go ahead with the project, outnumbering nearly two -to -one 13% those who said they opposed the idea. Another 13 percent said they had yet to make up their minds on the issue. The only restriction on the poll was that we did not con- tact any members of the present council, candidates in the election, nor their immediate families. Those who oppose the project, however, seem to be a bit more vocal, with several of them adding comments to their response to the survey. "The corner is already a focal point. It seems like a waste of money," added one person we called. "I think just a few people are deciding this. Just put it on the back burner until real issues are deal with," said another. On the other hand, those who said they support the town hall plans were usually content to simply answer "yes" to the survey question. A few did say they hoped to be one of the homes called after reading of the upcoming poll in last week's issue. The results do suggest mayoral candidate Ben Hoo- genboom will have a hard time selling to voters a platform based on quashing the Town Hall renovation project. His opponent, Lossy Fuller is calling for a revitalization of the Main and Sanders Corner over the next few years, with the Town Hall as its start. She will no doubt be com- forted by the poll's results. While we don't have the capabilities of the Gallup or- ganization to tell you how representative our poll is of the overall voter sentiments in town, we can tell you that the 60 people contacted represent about four percent of town households. The telephone survey method was chosen mainly because of past experiences with readership sur- veys. For instance, in 1988 when we included a ballot on Sunday shopping in the T -A, we received about 60 re- sponses, but nearly all of them were firmly opposed to Sun- day retailing, suggesting only those with strong feelings against the issue were inclined to respond to the survey. Exeter PUC may cut hydro rates Good financial shape makes it possible EXETER - If Ontario Hydro sticks to its promise to freeze elec- tricity rates next year, Exeter customers of the PUC may actually see a rate reduction. The PUC, in preparing its •1995 budget, refers to cost reducing measures and spending restraints, as making possible the rec- ommendation for a rate reduction. PUC manager Hugh Davis said the overall hydro supply system for the town is in good shape, the utility has "excellent" reserve funds. A final decision will be made on 1995 utility rates later this month, or in early November. Also, at this time, the Commission has no plans to increase water rates either. "Legion plans for Remembrance Day The annual cenotaph service and banquet are being planned EXETER - The Exeter Legion, R.E. Pooley Branch, is planning its Remembrance Day activities, in- cluding a November 11 banquet. Poppies will go on sale No- vember 2, with the assistance of the Huron -Middlesex Army Cadet Corps and Legion members. A • parade and cenotaph service will be held Sunday November 6, followed by a special service at the Exeter United Church. Local schools will be holding Re- membrance Day services of their own Friday November 11. Parents wishing to attend should contact their child's school for service times. The Legion will be hosting a Re- membrance banquet that evening for all members, veterans, and guests. Guest speaker for the eve- ning will be Rob Esscry of Central- ia, who traced his uncle's downed plane in France. Tickets arc being sold at the Exeter branch, Stan Frayne's, and Dinncy Furniture. Drama machine Drama students at South Huron District High School do a warm up exercise before a Sun- day afternoon rehearsal for their school's upcoming entry in the Crossroads Drama Fes- tival in Blyth November 18. Working together as a machine are Rob Miller (front left), Laura Sandwith (front right), and behind are Jen Campbell, and Jeff Bowen. The school's entry this year will be What Glorious Times They Had: Nellie McClung. Public per- formances at the school are planned for November 24 and 25. Airport used to train officers RCMP host driving course for those who guard politicians, VIPs and royalty By Fred Groves T -A staff HURON PARK - In 1989, Sgt. Gary Budden of the Roy- al Canadian Mounted Police made sure United States pres- ident George Bush was well -protected. He has driven vehicles for the royal family when they have visited Canada and last week, he wan at the Huron Park Airport to teach a defensive driving course to law en- forcement officers. The RCMP offers the course which teaches the officers how to drive safely especially when they are assigned the important task of protecting dignitaries. Out on the airport's runways were members of the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police, Metro Toronto as well as some from the Niagara Regional Police. "The OPP are bodyguards for the premier of the province and the rcst are with the VIP section," said Budden who is with the RCMP's training section in London. "All dignitaries coming into the country, we have to pro- tect them," he said. The atmosphere at the test track created for the officers was fairly relaxed. Budden communicated tq his instructors and there were no uniforms, no marked cars and the only sign of any police identification was the markings on the huge RCMP command centre. Knowing how to drive defensively, in any situation is se- rious business and the RCMP are the ones who provide the training and pass their expertise onto other law enforcement agencies. "We provide it because no one else offers it. It's very ex- pensive, we're wrecking cars here." There were no smashups at the airport, but the different kinds of cars were put through a course which you wouldn't want your family car to experience. On the course were tight turns, quick lane changes and even a bit of water and slippery road conditions to make things even more challenging. Budden stressed the importance for the special assign- ment officers to take this driving course which has been held at the Huron Park Airport for nearly 10 years. "Police spend 80 percent of their time at the wheel and they don't train other thap at the academy. Police officers are the only ones in the world who have a unique driving style. We have to do pursuits, attention isn't always on the driving." The group which Budden was instructing on Thursday had 12 officers, both male and female, and another group, which had been on the course earlier in the week, was in London upgrading their shooting skills. At the airport, the track was set up to include high speed lane changes which drivers had to pick one of four lanes at between 80 and 110 kilometres per hour. There was a turn which had to be maneuvered at 65 km and another at 80. Added to that was what Bodden called "dec:.sion makers" where the drivers approach a set of lights and have just three seconds to make a decision. And what is the toughest thing to remember when de- fensive driving? "They (officers) know their limitations but they have to know the limitation of the vehicle." Emergency driving procedures were taught to police officers on the Centralia Airport runway last week. 1 l l'l 'll 'S (' 1 \'!►ll I 1 11 '.S 1•'011 11.1)'01? )1.1,\ /' ) o('1? 1.01'1:' - 1'111:') l 1:'1.1. MI 1111)• 0.V l'1(;1,;1111). 1