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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1974-05-23, Page 1Sharp plag Mayor Harry Worsell snapped an overhand curve over the plate to mark the opening of Industrial League Baseball in Goderich for 1974. The season began last Monday. "The hit `ter was on to the mayor's curve 'and tapped the ball back to him but His Worship abruptly threw to first for ;he out. (staff , photp) - • Local tax picture better than expected despite county rise • Taxpayers in Goderich can heave a huge sigh of relief. - at least for this year. - with the announcement last week by Goderich Town Council that the residential mill rate in the municipality will not go up for public school supporters. Despite an increase in both the county levy and the levies for the Huron County Board of Education, the residential mill rate for public, school supporters will remain at 137.25. The commercial mii1•`rate for public school supporters is up slightly (2:84 mills) to155.36 mills because of the increase in the per capita 'grant which is offered only to residential. assessment.' Separate school. supporters are paying more •across the board. Residential mill rate is 143.14 mills, up 1.82 mills, 4 and commercial rate is 161,91 mills, up" 4.86 mills. Town Administrator Harold Walls who prepared the • budget along with assistance from Deputy -clerk Marion MacKay, explained that many cutbacks in the municipal budget were necessary. Walls'said that $50,000 was taken` out of therecreation budget representing a proposed capitalexpenditure for a new building at Gooderham Park; $24,000 was deleted from the harbor budget which had been included for a new building to replace the "old green building" which was torn down last year ($1,000 was left in the harbor budget for the provision of preliminary plans for the proposed new building) and $50,000 was struck from the Industrial.budget which curtails much of the road construction at Industrial Park. As well, the fire budget .was cut by $4,000; the parks budget by $1,500, and the tourist budget by $3,950. Councillor Dave Gower, local finance chairman who presented the budget at last week's regular council meeting, said the public works budget still remains at almost a half - million dollars. He said the budget will permit sufficient funding for council 'ta carry on "in. a fashion Goderich residents will be proud of". Walls carefully explained the way in figures were contrived. The, -Huron County Board of Education requisitioned $219,346 from Goderich for high school purposes. Because of deferred revenue, a grant in lieu of taxes via the Goderich Housing Authority and a grant from Bell Telephone, only $208,000 will actually be raised in tax dollars. For public school purposes in Goderich, the board of education requisitioned $216,221, but; again .because of deferred credits, a grant in' lieu of taxes yia Goderich Housing Authority and a grant from Bell Telephone ap- plicable to the public school budget, only $203,000 will ac- ,tdally be collected in the municipality for this purpose. In both cases, the board of education requisitions were up considerably over last year, said Walls, but the residential mill rate in Goderich for public school purposes is actually down from 25.Q3 last year to 23.29 this year. The residential mill rate for high school purposes is up only slightly, from '20.70 last year to 21.74 this year. The story is similar where the Huron County rate is con- cerned, according to. Walls. In all $280,226 was requisitioned by the county (up about $80,000) but a Bell Telephone grant, the • Resource Equalization Grant (formerly the mining grant), a poi -lion of the hospital grant based on $50 per bed, the grant in lieu of taxes via Goderich Housing Authority and , deferred revenue, credit' leaves only $218,000 to be collected from the local taxpayers. • The county mill rate is 23.71 mills this year, up from 21.60 last year. The local residential,mill rate is actually down this year. It was 69.92 in 1973 and is 68.51 'this year. , Walls said that total expenditures in Goderich this year amount to $1,448,071. However, local estimated revenue is $649,123.59; the grant from Bell Telephone is $17,352; the Resource Equilization Grant amounts to $102,928 for general purposes; and $3,094 will be realized through the remaining portion of the hospital grant. That leaves $772,07.59 to bel colleeted through local taxation. bills will lie going out about June 12, says the town admiktiistrator. • „ which the budget d'0 The sketch plans for the ad- dition to and the reconstruction of Victoria Public School, Goderich, were approved by the Huron County board of education at a meeting in Clin- ton last Tuesday afternoon. The approval is 'subject to ac- ceptance of the plans by ,the ministry of education. The project ,.includes demolishing the_ .original two- storey building erected in 1910 and.. retaining the 1949 portion Council Members. of Goderich Town Council were divided last Thursday evening on the question of whether or- not the municipality should sponsor a Town of Goderich Invitation Race for the final program at the Goderich Raceway. The idea was vetoed by recorded vote and showed only Reeve Deb Sh-ewfelt, Deputy-. reeve Stan Profit and Coun- cillor Leroy Harrison in favor of the town putting up $500 toward a $1,000 purse, the remaining $500 to be financed by the Goderich Trotting and Agricultural Association and Raceway. The recommendation to :ouncil - from the Ad- ministrativeCommittee to take no action on the raceway request for a town of Goderich purse, 'brought protest at the council table. .The item was deleted from the committee minutes and dealt with under a separate motion. Deputy -reeve Stan Profit said he was in favor of a Town of Goderich' pace because it was "an investment in ,drawing people to the town".. "There i,s no direct financial reimbursement to the town, but divided on r which includes the main front entrance, which will be revam= ped to_meet the fire marshall's requirements, also the six existing classrooms`acent to it and the six classros on the 1 second'floor are to°be �: Gained, it is a good investment", Profit argued.' - Councillor Iiave Gower said the Tourist Committee had agreed.to pledge $300 toward a special Summerfwt, Pape with $750 to ' be added by 'the Goderich' Trottingi. Association to make th4 purse:. worth $750. He ; said he wais.. opposed to using taxpayers' money to m "beef up their races". During the presentation of the Tourist Committee minutes later' in the meeting Councillor Gower again stated his op- position to spending $300 for - promoting racing lip Goderich. "I wonder if the chairman of finance'was kicked bye a race horse when he was younger" , quipped Reeve Shewfelt. Reeve Shewfelt went on to. say that 'tourism is fast becoming the number one in- dustry in Huron. He said funds must be directed toward tourism which is a "clean in- dustry that leaves dollars in your town". He added that in his opinion, greater efforts must be made,by Goderich to attract visitors at Stratford up t, -•.i'Tlie Prettiest Tow"n,. in Canada. •Councill'or Frank Walkom Election hustings umming in Huron The ,,gears are in motion locally for the upcoming federal election set for July 8. Nomination meetings for all three parties are arranged for the next few days and hopeful candidates are busily soliciting support and preparing speeches ,„when they confront their party' members. Robert E. McKinley, a Stanley Township farmer who presently holds the Riding of Huron -Middlesex for the Progressive Conservatives, is expected to ; seek the_, nomination for -his-party next Thursday, May 30 .in Saltford Valley Hall at 9, pm. Ina telephone intervew.with the Signal-Statz" Tuesday evening, McKinley 'said.. that if he getsthe nod from the Tories in the Riding to be the can- didate, this will be his fourth election in a little over eight . year,s. He was first elected in November 1965. Guest speakerat' the nomination meeting will be Elden. Williams, Conservative " member of parliament for Calgary North. and A.M. ,Harper, 'a Goderich accountant, who is active in the Liberal* party. Guest speaker at the. Libera I nomination meeting will • be Mark MacGuigan, a federal member of parliament who is an assistant to the Minister of Manpower. The Huron Ne* Democratic Party Riding Association will hold its nomination' meeting for" the federal Riding of Huron - Middlesex on Tuesday, May 28 at 8:15 p,m. in the music room of Robertson Memorial School in Goderich. Guest speaker will be Fred Young, MPP fot}Yorkyiew, who is the NDP. critic on automobile insurance and safety. To date the only declared candidate is Mrs. Shirley Weary, president of the ]ictal Riding Association Who. was the NDP :andidate in the 1968 and 1972. federal elections. Plaza The Huron Liberal heariiig Association will hold its nomination' meeting for the federal Riding of Huron - Mid- dlesex on Monday, May '27 at Central Huron Secondary School in 'Cliriin at 8:30 p.m. Association secretary .Harold Shore told the Signal -Star that one man, John Lyndon,, Goderich theatre manager, will definitely seek the Liberal nomination, Lyndon tried for the nomination 'in the 1973 ' spring provincial by-election• which saw Liberal Jack Riddell defbat PC candidate Don Southcotti. - Four other persons are con- sidering the 'Liberal nomination. They are Graeme Craig, Walton, who also tried for the provincial nomination in• the 1973 by-election; Bill Elston, present Huron County Warden, ,past president of the Huron -Bruce, Liberal Association and former cam- paign manager of provincial and federal candidates; Mrs. Jean Adams, Brncefield, who, tried for the federal nomination n 1972 when Libe'ral Charles lomas, lost to Bob McKinley; Yl July 15 The Ontario Municipal Board hearing on the proposed shopping plaza on Highway 21 south in Goderich is set for the town hall on July 15 at2p.m . It is being held "for, the hearing of all parties interested in supporting or opposing this application". According to Bert Alexander of Suncoast Estates, the develope s, the decision is not expected' to take long after the hearing. He is hopeful of a favorable decision, he added. If appro.al is received for the plazas construction would begin as soon as possil te- with • a probable opening target date of the spring, 1975. Mr. Alexander said A and W `'officials are "champing at the bit" to get going with their development. locally. Opening date for that new enterprise in Goderich to be located in con- junction with 'the shopping plaza, is now expected to be next spring also. 11 as is the gymnasium and stage area. t. There will be a new staff area -general office, principal's office, staff office and health facilities; music room; change ce purse said it was his opinion • t folks who visited Stratford d so to attend the Festival. He said only a very small percen- tage of those tourists could ever be attracted to Goderich, par- ticularly for a horse race. Reeve Shewfelt disagreed saying that figures' prove tourists are looking for all kinds of entertainr'nent. "The more good horses you have the larger the crowds will be", - pointed put Councillor Harrison. "That means more business for Goderich mer - Councillor Eileen Palmer said that if Summerfest is to grow and attract people to .Goderich, it needs. all the publicity it can get. She said since the Tourist Committee's money would go toward a Sum- merfest Pace, that publicity was worth approval of the grant. risible pay hike Pav raises•for workers at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital may be forthcoming as a result of wage and, salary ,increases granted etnployees at 13 ,Toronto area hospitals recently Information from the Ontario Hospital Association says over 5,000 employees received raises of about $1.50 per hour in stages over a two-year contrct. • 4 A special 3 5-merf i r task force met in Toronto to consider. effects the raises would have throughout the province. The :Task- Force of senior hospital executives felt that equity for hospitals throughout the province must be defined. Wages should be set according to local standards and living costs. ....Director of the Goderich Hospital, Tim Elliott, said that while .he is "in sympathy" with pay raises for employees here, the hospital board must approve them.. Local conditions 'must he examined also, he added,. For example, living costs in, Goderich are not aWhigh as those in Toronto°, • Nothing definite can be.disclosed yet, Mr. Elliott said. room; and. home economics and industrial arts room. On the second floor there will be the new library and two classrooms. Brian Garratt, a r- "Nitect, of the firm of Kyles, Kyles and Garratt, Stratford, said when presenting the sketch plans, the two classrooms could be opened up to make an enlarged library resource centre if the classrooms were no longer needed because of declining enrolment or if a. larger library was weeded to meet an increased enrolment. He said the library was in a central position, convenient to all areas of the school. The other new area is the kindergarten and the four' classrooms to accommodate the trainable retarded pupils. The' Tatter group, numbering 26, are enrolled • at Queen Elizabeth School, in the former St. Peter's separate school in Goderich, and is rented from the' Huron -Perth County Roman Catholic separate school board. Mr. Garrattsaid the new ad- dition would have the 'same type of brick and'would be very compatible to the remainder of the school: The board approved having work started do construction of the new boiler room and the 'electrical ' hook-up as soon as the go-ahead is given . by the ministry. Mr. Garratt explained the present heating system is housed in the pa -rt °to • be - demolished and he would like to see' work orf the boiler room startled in about six weeks and completed by September 1. The remainder of the ,project should have,. ministry, approval of final plans- by August 1. . tenders called by September 1 and con- I r' struction underway by October 1, Mr. Garratt said"tie expects it will be • possible to have the mechanical equipment for the boiler room available by August 1 and installation corn. pleted by September 1. A new chimney - 'a metal stack - will be erected as it would be more costly to bring the old brick stack !gyp to present standard: Mr: Garrett said the' new home economics and industrial arts room will be the second in the .county for elementary students. The other is in Seaforth. Grades '7 and 8 students at Holmesyille Public, Colborne Township Public; Brookside and Robertso`i'i Memorial School will be bused to Victoria, School for -classes in home economics and industrial arts. The estimated cost of the' project is $729,000--$575,000' for the 500 elementary pupils 'at Victoria and $154,000 for the accommodation of the' trainable retarded pupils ,at continued on page 14 • Ask Conklin Company to aid design Handcuffed but happy no Sgt. Mery Witter shows the students of Victoria Public School his handcuffs by placing them on young Stephen Mabon. Stefher1 and the other pupils were at the police station for an open house tour as part of police"week. Seven classes of pupils toured the station and the con- stables were at 'other schools demonstrating the cruisers and 'their equipment. (staff photo) Goderich Town- Council -has been asked by ratepayers on Rich Street in this municipality to write to David Conllin,, president of Discount , Dave, Division of Conklin *umber, to suggest he impose some design restrictions on homes being constructed on lots sold by .his, • company to local developers. - Jim 'Searis, spokesman for the Rich Street delegation, said the design of homes` presently Under construction' on Rich Street by Erick Krohmer is un- - s.atisfactory to, the neigh borhood. "Our beef is not' against the size of the homes but the lack of -variety in styling," • said Searis He admitted that lar8er. homes would be preferred 'since the area with its proximity to schools is attractive to families.' with children of school, age. Searis said Conklin, Lumber (Discount -Dave's} sells•the lots' to developers with stipulation that all materials for those • homes must come from Conklin Lumber. Searls went on to suggest that since Mr. Conklin is a local businessman, he should be in- terested in the .community to see to it that some variation in. the style of houses is, assured. On motion of Councillors Eileen Palmer and Elsa Havdon, council agreed to con- tact David Conklin in this mat- ter. Councillor Palmer said that other examples of Krohmer, construction about town show that the ,developer does build some fine homes. She said no developer should use "one area to.put up -this matchboxes, as -I'" call them". Councillor Bill Clifford'war- ned council the properties may .already all be sold and the con- trol already out of Mr. Conklin's hands. Mayor Harry Worsell said the letter would simply request Mr. Conklin to consider the suggestion in future deals. - , Correction Last week, The Signal -Star . erroneously reported the total -Opportunities for •Youth grant to paint The Square as $10,700. The figure was the amount originally sought in connection with the project. The actual amount approved was $6,600 to finance the salaries of eight students instead of 12. The focal businessmen are nbw making arrangements to make up the salaries of the remaining four students' needed to com- plete the work this sumt`ner.