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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1975-03-13, Page 1• Constable Fortner tolome before Pidge The Goderidh Police Com -- charges will be heard at the mission decided Thesday, to designate a judge to hear five charges facing,, Police Con- stable „"fhpmas Fortner, under the Ontario Police Act. The Commission could have heard the charges itself but elected to call in an outside judge after Judge F.G. Carter told the commission that 'fair play' was ,his only thought and an outsider may be better, If a judge can be obtained the next commission Meeting on April 8,. The corrimission.gave authorization to James M. Donnelly to prosecute the charges. Cdnstable Fortner was • charged with five major charges under the Police Act on February 14 by Chief P.D. King. They include two charges of discreditable conduct, two of deceit and one of neglect of duty arising out of the statements made by the officer on October 27 after a shooting --ineident on The Squarein- volving a fellow officer, Con- - stahle John Hills. Chief King laid the charges after information from the trial conflicted with the original ,statement. Under examination Constable Fortner had retracted Many .portions of his statement rendered on the night of Oct. 27. Constable Hills was found innocent by Judge W.A. Ehgoetz on charges , pn unlawful use of a firearm and careless driving. Constable Hills also faced two charges of discreditable conduct under the Police Act but these charges' were with- drawn by Chief King at the commission hearing. Constable Fortner will still see active. .duty until the hearing and is presently on vacation under doctor's orders. If found guilty of the charges Constable Fortner could face at the least a reprimand- or. dismissal from the force. HPSSI1 trustees ok modest hike , Members of the Huron -Perth Roman ;Catholic Separate School Board 'voted in favor of increasing the honorarium paid to trustees to $150 per month effective January 1,1975. The 12 man board rejected an amendment to increase the honorarium by 100 percent to 3200- by_a- vote_of_94o.„ approved the 50 percent in- crease by the same vote. Goderi`ch trustee,. Vince Young introduced the motion to increase board's. salaries to $200, informing the trustees that the legislation regarding parhilmhad not changed since 1969 and was not likely to change again in the next six to seven years. "We are working for about $2 an hour on our present honorarium." I Mr. Young said. "Most people Ildon't realize the time a trustee'puts in on the job and we are worth a couple of hundred dollars anyway." One board member stated that since -the school board's term is only twomonths old and they were elected to serve at the rate that was offered at that time, that perhaps the increase should not come until Sep - Mr. Young added that since other boards such as Huron and Stratford had received raises to a 1 28 *EAR -1 1 Maar 41V THURSbAY, MARCH -13, 1975 , SINGLE COPY 25c ec ro The Goderich recreation complex committee was successful Monday night in its bid to gain council's support in, planning the $1.3 million complex project. The committee confronted council with all the data gathered on the' complex . to date asking for some directive fromthe town. The memberS' major concern was financing and location of 'a suitable site. They appealed to council for approval of the scheme claiming no further action can be taken until such approval is given. "We have gone as fax as we can without a decision about where the complex will be located," said chairman John Sully. "Without the location nailed down we ,can do nothing new.' " Two sites were suggested by the committee... The Huron county board of education has offered to donate 10 acres on Bennett Street opposite the high school. The other site favored by the committee is : „A gr ul Fur e "PirkThlierraiir now used by the race track and playing fields. ' ek•• $300 per month the Huron -Perth board was actually classifying itself as second-class executives with the small in- crease. - The hoard also raised the „mileage expenses for trustees to 16 cents per mile effectiv January. '1, 1976. Previously board members received 10 cents per mile while travelling on board business and a motion * (continued on page 14) Plan gardening course at GDCI night school A gardeniRg course for novice graderfers is being plannedJor GDCI night school, according to Principal Bill' Wark. — think we have some of the top People in this field," Mr. Wark said' in announcing the course. Don McKee of Benmiller, will start the five-week course with assistance for planning a lot lot pleasure and prole : - Mr. Wark said Mr. McKee would be dealing • with guidelines,. suggestions and discussion on how to make better use of property, be it new or old, a small town' lot or a larger rural estate, to fit the. needs of a family way of life and always. with the ernphasii-- on attractiveness. In the second session, Mr. McKeewill talk about a vegetable plot that if properly managed, can be a real moneysaver as well as an immense satisfaction W: the gardnel.' Mrs. an McKee, wife of 'Don McKee, will take the third —lesson, talking about pruning and remedial gardening. The, thrust of her lecture will deal with persons who already have a garden of some sort and want to improve on it or add to it. She will dishiss starting a compost pile and tell how gardening can be accomplished., ,with ,. a. minimum of commercial -chemical and sprays. Paul Carroil is the instructor for the fourth week and he will deal with the subject of annuals - starting the plants from seed and companion planting -to get the most out of plants and ef- fort. „In the final lesson, Jean McKee Will return to give some hiqs about perennials - choositig, growing and main- . taining them. Night school at GDCI is moving toward its final stages, says Mr. Wark, and has been a successful venture again this year. New principal • in 1975-76 at Brookside Oary Jewitt, presently "vice- principal at Dieter Public School, , has been appointed Acting Principal at Brookside Public School for the school year 1975-76. William Black ' who is now tr, principal of the school, will be -- on sabbatical leave during that year. Mr: Jewitt is a native of Huron County and has taught in Huron schools since 1963. His .experience -includes three years as a teacher at Holmesville Public School; two years as a . teacher at Clinton "Public School; five years as vice-principal at ,Seaforth Public School; and two year as vice:principal at Exeter Public School. The 'Signal -Star regrets an error on the front page ()Nast week's edition which indicated that Brookside School Could be closed by the board of education. This is not so: the. cdrrect information iecontained in the story and regards North Ash- field School. The cornmitteeas no proposal to offer for the possible relocation of the track site and have not considered the cost of the venture, should that site be selected. Councillor Leroy Harrison Claimed that • by forcing relocation of the track the cost of the project would be doubled. The advantage 'of the Agriculture Park site is for the second ice surface planned for the complex. TO 'accommodate the second rink the Goderich; Memodal Arena facilitiesi would merely be expanded and updated to handle both sur- faces. The committee gclalmed that savings could be realized on staff; ' .maintenance, refrigeration . units and ' ice resurfacing machines if the two rinks were combined. In addition to the tink the, complex includes an indoor pool, health and fitness centre, senior citizens .centre, tennis courts, community hall, day nursery, fixed seat auditorium,, squash courts and a shooting range. The facilities included are as a result of a question- naire organized by the com- mittee. The quegtionnaire was sent to all taxpayers in Goderich and the surroundihs areas and enjoyed a 21 percent rettio rate. Of the forms - returned 72 percent ,Wete in favor of, the complex and included suggestions for theproject. Councillor Gower claimed that the location and financing of the • Site was a matter for committee discussion and required no action by council. Mayor Deb Shewfelt agreed, 'adding that one good question for the committee would be to determine the operating costs of the site after it was con- structed. He ' said • that other services in Goderich are provided at half the price other municipalities charge and they are still operating efficiently:. Financing the projectshould be no problem, according to the mayor. He claimed that funds are not hard to raise in Coderich with the support of the service clubs. Councillor Gower agreed with -the mayor adding that if the funds come out of taxes the taxpayer pays and if they are raised publicly the same people are kicking in. He suggested osai to that possibly the whole fund raising project coutd be han- dled out of council. Councillor peters ,suggested taking advantage ' of the donation by the board of education. He said he, had been 'discussion the subject with the physical education instructors at the high school and was , convinced that the „ pool in - eluded in the plans should be located near the school,. He said (continued on page 14) Fire. desirogs Hindmaish cahio Sundag night This melted motorcycle was found in the log cabin that was gutted by fire SiiiiHday night. The bike, a number of cases of empty beer bottles andsome furniture were all that was found in the cabin. (staff photo) 1 Trotters, ball players make private deal Arnica The Goderich Trotting Association and the Industrial Softball Tournament com- mittee hammered out an agreement' Monday that stipulates which group controls the use of Agriculture Fark on the Labor Day weekend.' In a 'letter to the town 'signed by both parties the ball tournament committee relinquished' use of the park this year in return for future rights. . The two sides were asked' by cou'nci I to work out an Seeini is believing New signs gt the entrances to Goderich on Highwas4s 21 and 8 indicate that Goderich is growing at a steady rate and the new figure is 7,909, The population of Goderich has Increased,at an 'average of 694people a year with the latgegt increase Occurring in the fifties. (staff photo) agreement favorable to both after some .controversy was encountered 'over a recent decision to grant use of the facilities to the tournament. The trotting association asked council to reconsider the decision because of difficulty they would encounter changing, their race dates. The change was not made at the beginning of the year when the race dates were applied for and for the , second year in a row the tournament Was put out. Council elected to turn the problem of who uses the park over to the two groups in the hope ..they would settle the matter. without hard feelings, • August 29 will be a regularly , scheduled race night for this year and the bill tournament Fireman John Bissett of,the Goderich department donned an air pack to survey fire damage at the John Hindmarsh.eabin Sunday night. The structure was gutted and heavy smoke • hampered firemen's efforts to extinguish the blaze. (staff- ' photo). le solution town will get underway on Saturday morning of the long weekend. In return, the tournament will have complete rights to the park on the weekend for as long as they wish. The trotting association will also remove die tote board before the tournament begins, clean Up • the grounds after racing is ,completed Friday night and permit the roping off of the track for the weekend. Tournament spokesman Doug Fisher told council that ommittee was satisfied with the agreement and stressed the fact that the hall players have total use of the grounds for the entire weekend. He added that the coMmittee, consideretittLi8cretion tiCe better part of valor when they Mini gallery opening as GDCI experiment It is gist an experiment but for two weeks at least, the large corridor at Goderich District Collegiate Instialte im- mediately adjacent to the new gymnasium, will become a mini art gallery,' • Mona Muthern,' a Goderich artist who has, been making a name for herself of recent • months, will be setting up 'a display of her work in the corridor. It will be on view to the students of GDCI and the visiting public from March 24 through April 4 and will bes'open for an additional two hours, on Sunday, April 6 from 2-4 p.m.*, The exhibit is planned to coincide with the Rotary ra ‘, eiogue on 1 uesday, March ,25 ' and the London Symphony Concert on Saturday, March 29. The experiinent is plant:16/c1 to attempt to determine its feasibility as a regular hap- pening in Goderich; its impact .on the students and public ; and its appeal a'S just one more way in which the school can become a more integral part of the , cdmmunity, If it is found successful, other locarartists or groups of artists may be invited to show -their' • work from time to time. There is no provision In the planning for artists to sell their work at the mini gallery, only to provide a showcase for smile local _paintings and other ob- jects d'art. council relinquished their rights but felt the matter could have been solved six months earlier with little problem. Deputy -reeve Bill Clifford congratulated the two groups adding that he was glad to see the matter settled without the involvement of town council. Mayor Deb Shewfelt agreed saying, "It only makes Matters worse when ,,we legislate matters like these." He added that he "fakes his hat,offy to the two groups,. Councillor Elsa Haydon told council she saw noreason to rejoice. She felt that the reasons the matter was brought (continued on page 14) Judge Carter wants names in the paper Judge F.G. Carter, chairman of the Goderich Police Corn - mission, told commission •mernbers, that, • more cooperation should be sought from the media to publitize the results of trials in the courts. Judge Caper explained that iti many cases the public is made aware of the charges but the ,Story is not followed up to completion. He stated tharthe whole legal processis a mockery if the public is not m.ade -aware of the outcome of the trials. The judge's concern- arises put ct the recent increasesin crime and delinquency in the' area from which the County Courthouse is not exempt„ Recently Legion flags from the war meMorial„plaques and the Seaforth chief's police hat have been stolen' . by youngsters awaiting trial. . Judge Carter explained that a judge gives careful eon - sideration to the sentence so it will act as a deterrent but if itis not publicized for others to see its impact is lost. Judge Carter believed that if .the family name appeared in the papeJt would prompt more disciplihe t home. Otherwise it may beco e necessary.to harAle a police officer on duty at the Court Hauge on court days. Chief P.D. King said that since coming to Goderich he has made every, effort to (continued on' page 14.) Man charged in armed robbery 'A 33 -year-old map charged with armed robbery was denied bail Maday morning when he appeared in court and was remanded in custody until the trial date, March 17, Gary Eugene Welsh of no fixed address was charged with armed robbery after 77.year- aci Danny Pysaniuk, owner of the Park House Hbtel on West Street in Goderich, Was robbed at knifepoint at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, The suspect was arrested' at 10 a.m.; the following morning with the assistance of Con- stable James McMeekin of the Exeter Police DepartMent. t•,1 'AP !I