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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-01-21, Page 14 udz • Joaericn le i NAL 1 WEDNESDAY, J. Y 21, 1981 50 CENTS PER COPY Council seeks clarification on BY DAVE SYKISS Town council will seek legal advice lore voting on a request from the Goderich Trotting Association for a grant and,loan in the amount of $10,000. Council had appeoved two separate motions to give`: the association a$5,000 grant and a $5,000 loan with terrors to be worked out by the finance committee. Both motions passed by a 5-4 margin in a recorded vote. But councillor Elsa Haydon asked for a legal opinion on the matter claiming such pre -budget _expenditune,s required a two-thirds majority of counciltopass legally. The Trotting Association first requested the financial assistance last year after undertaking extensive repairs at the raceway,. Council demanded an audited statement from the association and a budget for 1981 before •referring the Matter to the finance committee forsigeommendation. Before the motions were entertained, finance chairman, Don Wheeler recommended that cotmcil This winter has been somewhat severe in nature but the area was given a reprieve this last week with warmer temperatures and sunny skies. And the snow, sun and clear skies brought out the ethereal quality of winter that is most pleasant. ( Photo by Cath Wooden) Shootings estTEdat Il 11t11U1 V CistS The .recent shooting of two Ontario Provincial Police officers has escalated the cry for the use of bullet-proof vests .by all policemen in Ontario. Two Windsor youths face charges of murder and attempted murder following the death of Constable Rick. Verdecchia of the Huntsville detachment and wounding of Constable Neil Hurtubise near Orillie on January 2. The Ontario Police Commission, which is the regulatory agency for all forces across the province, will set up a task force to scrutinize 60 different vests made in Canada and the United States. Toronto Metro Police Chief Jack Ackroyd said his officers will be issued torsi armor and the Ontario Provincial Police Association claims it will bargain for the use of protective vests during itsnext bargaining sessions. Sergeant John Donatis-of the Goderich Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police said the com- missioner is biting into the use of vests force wide but it may not be mandatory to wear them. All OPP TRU (Tactical and Rescue Unit) teams wear protective vests of which there are seven in the province. Donatis said if there was a shooting related incident such a special unit would be called in anyway. The Goderich detachment has two protective vests available for use by officers but they are 25 years old and weigh at least 40 pounds. "They protect the torso but you can't wear them very long," Donatis said. New vests weigh a'little as three or four pounds,. depending on the design, and are equally effective as steel plated vests. Donatis said that shootings of,police officers always raises apprehension among active officers for a few days adding that vests only offer partial protection. "Some officers are more apprehensive than others and vests might make some feel protected," he said.. "That's okay if the shot is'directed at the body but the head is never protected." He is not discounting the benefit of the vest but only pointing out the vulnerability of the officer on duty. Now, after midnight, all squad cars are manned by two officers as a form of protection. In Goderich, Chief Pat King said protective vests are available if an officer wants it or feels it necessary under the circumstances. It may not be long before the Ontario Police Commission make vests available to all Ontario forces. herr family recovers from fire loss BY SHELLEY McPHEE' Things couldn't get much worse for Marsha Kerr and her four children, but Marsha's still smiling. "Things just have to go better," she said with a' hopeful note in her voice. "There are a lot of people depending on me," she added, "So I can't be a pessimist" Marsha, her three sons and daughter are slowly picking up the pieces of their lives, much of which was lost in a devastating fire that destroyed their home. Marsha is hopeful that insurance will cover most to the loss in the blaze that gutted her Huron Haven mobile home, north of Goderich. Faulty wiring is said to be the cause of the fire. Nothing was saved in the December 30 tragedy that caused over $40,000 in damages, but Marsha said that her children were most disappointed that all their brand new Christmas gifts were'destroyed so quickly. But the family is managing. They have moved to Marsha's parents' home, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Tele butt in Londesboro. The children, Peter,10; Barry,8; Linda,7 and Ken,6 have. been able to carry on with their schooling at Colborne Central with a little extra effort from their mother. Each morning before Marsha arrives for work at Bartliff's Bakery, she drives the children to school and then- picks them up again in the afternoon. Marsha has been grateful to her employer for re- scheduling her workinghours to accommodate her lld (ren and Bill Gayrer the special education school bus driver, has made a special effort to drop off one of the children at Bartliff's every day at 4 pm: Many other people have come to the aid of the Kerr family and have donated clothes and necessary goods to make the children and their mother comfortable. "They say in times of disaster you know who your friends are," Marsha noted, and she has found that there are many. The Constance Foresters, various church groups, the Huron Haven community, friends, her parents' neighbors and people from her former employment in Bayfield have banded together to offer any assistance and donation to Marsha and her children. And it has been through this goodwill and sunnort that the Kerrs have managed to recover from the tragedy, have kept on smiling and given Marsha an optimistic view of 1981. Councillor Magee asks What about Goderich town councillor Jim Magee appeared before the recreation board last Thursday night to present a proposal for a Goderich Salt Festival. "Other towns have festivals. There is the Zurich Bean Festival, and the Grape Festival in Ingersoll., I'd like to see a salt festival considered for Gode rich," h proposed. "What exactly do you mean?" asked board It Festival ? member John Doherty. Magee explained that a festival could be planned around tours of the salt mine and evaporator plant, ;and that booths could be erected to sell salt samples. "Maybe we could hold a street dance or something," he added. Elsa Haydon proposed that a committee be formed of Magee with members of both the tourist committee and recreation board to consider the idea. The motion carried. -Dungannon' .. 3l o man killed In accident a A Dungannon man was killed early Sunday mor- ning when his snowmobile struck a parked truck on Huron County Roads." Glen Anderson, 21, of R.R.1 Dungannon died after the ,snowinobile .be was driving slammed into a parked truclt at_2.4,5 axle .Sunday, ispokesmanat.the Goderich detachment of the OPP said Anderson Was driving alone and the accident was reported at 2.54 a.m. . Anderson is the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Anderson. Funeral service was held in the MacKenzie and McCreath Funeral Home in Lucknow, Tuesday loan -rant vet not concur with either request from the trotting association_ He argued that the association's statement was not accompanied by an auditor's letter and a budget was not submitted. In making the recommendation Wheeler explained that council should not be in competition with banks with regards to'toans and that such a grant would set a precedent. "Council should not be in direct competition with banks and we recommend that no loan be made, " he said. "A grant would set a precedent. People will bring up the trotters work on the new grandstand but Mali sal m �.e they are a special interest group and they helped with the project because it was of special interest to them." Wheeler also challenged the association's right to enter into a loan agreement because the group is not incorporated: He said they soave no real fegalstatu - and the person who signed a loan agreement would be personally liable. Councillor Stan Profit argued in favor of the association's integrity insisting grant precedents had already been established by council. Turn to page 14 ---- . - The Suncoast Mall on Bayfield Road will have a new owner if a proposed sale goes through on the January 29 closing date. Terry Coughlan of Coughlan Real Estate Ltd. Toronto said the sale was to have closed January 15 but has been delayed while present owner, Bert Alexander, clears up some outstanding agreements. He added that the offer to purchase was written to trustee and be was unaware of the beneficiary. The law firm of Joseph Cornacchia and Associates are actin g on behalf of the purchaser. iuwil" iourrteilmeet' in ciirse•d scaiion 'Monday to discuss some outstanding terms • Of the mall agreement that must be completed before the sale. Council passed a motion stating that it would not release a letter of compliance to the purchaser's legal representative prior to the sale until $10,000 has been deposited in trust on behalf of the town. Alexander is required to deposit the $10,000, the amount council says is required to complete details of the mall agreement signed in May,1974. Some of the outstanding terms of the agreement include concrete curbs at the west side of the parting area ($4,000), eight manholes and catch basins require ft -ether work ($2,000), planting of trees on the boulevard ($1,000) and contingencies ($3,000) for .. total of $10,000. Also on closing the present owner must forward $103,000 to the town for outstanding taxes dating to 1979. Use of park approved for Optimist Music Festival- . BY CATH WOODEN ' The Goderich and 'District Optimist Qub were given the go ahead.by the Goderich Recreation Board at its first meeting of thenew year January 15 to plan to hold their second music festival at Harb orPBrk the long weekend of June 26, 27, 28. The club must work in conjunction with the recreation office, specifically director Jim Moore, in coordinating the event. Recreation board member John Doherty proposed the motion which °was approved by all except member Elsa Haydon. He said that the Optimists were the only group besides the Goderich Laketown Band which has requested use of Harbor Park this summer. "I would like to see the Optimists granted those dates if they co-ordinate the event along with our recreation director Jim Moore." Jim Searls said he would vote his approval if the Optimists promised to contact previous objectors for their reactions, promised to tone down the music at night, 'and promised to obtain reactions from hotel owners in town. In answer to this, Optimist member Jim Mohring said that the group has total support from the hotel owners in town. He said the group plans to erect a ibY sc c`aa p aciv.Sv ir"c "lar �t ho s...rY fw *hie faefivel which will diminish the noise, and that the group has been attempting to talk to objectors. Doherty said that he couldn't concur with Searls' Watch for' closure signs requests. "The. Liketown Band and other. service • :clubs who have had events have never been asked to do these things. We've got to give the Optimists the nod to go ahead and plan this festivaL They need several months planning andthey deserve an answer tonight "We have to put our faith in Jim Moore," he con- tinued. Haydon said that she had to vote nay to the motion because she didn't feel that all the alternatives had been considered. are mentioned the Agricultural Park, St. Christopher's Beach, and the arena as other oosible sites. Mohring toki the board that these sites had been considered. "The arena takes away from the outdoor atmosphere and the acoustics are very bad. St. Christopher's Beach would be nice except sound equipment would be very expensive and could be damaged easily. As far as the grandstand is con- cerned, you're moving it from one residential area to another." Optimist member Bill Wedlock said that the delegation could not speak for all the Optimists. "We are willing to concur with criteria that we can mutually agree upon after we get this approval. We need six months of planning for this." After the vote. chairman Bob Cornish told the delegation that he hoped things would run mutably between the Optimists and Moore, and if there were problems special board meetings would be called. When road .conditions in the Goderich area deteriorate because of poor weather motorists may notice flashing signs along Highways 21 and 8 ad- vising against travel. The flashing signs or roadblocks advise that high- way travel is for emergency use only and in cases of ,blowing and drifting snow motorists are well advised to heed the warning. Simply,don't drive when the warnings are posted ' Bud Morris of the Ministry of Transportation and Commun ication. Stratford office said the roadblocks have been ready for use for the past two winters but were not required last year. This year the roadblocks have been used on several occasions to deter travel on highways north of Goderich. It is up to the Ministry to post the signs but Morris explained that for ease of operation the roadblocks have been given to local municipalities to set up. Under legislation officers of the Ontario Provincial Police can closroads and with the new system they simply inform municipal police, who in turn instruct the works department to erect the roadblock. "It is up to the Ministry to erect the signs but we simply don't have the means," Morris said. "But this system has worked well and there have been no problems." Under the system the MTC pays the municipalities any costs incurred for setting up the roadblocks. Sgt. John Donatis of the Goderich detachment of the OPP also agrees that the posting system is working well although it doesn't deter some drivers. "Some people will ignore it but it's got to be pretty important when you consider the risks," he said. "We don't always have the manpower but during a day shift we might station officers at roadblocks advising people not to travel the highway. If we stop them on Highway 21 north we'll let them go to Saltford or near the a irport. " Donatis added that most local drivers have enough sense to stay off the highways in blizzard conditions. But if you are planning to tackle the highway and see the roadblock sign at the edge of town -take heed of the warning. 1 INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR Pro director hired James Saar, ' ' a professional director from Toronto, has started rehearsals for Agatha Christie's "Witness for the Prosecution". Goderich Little ' Theatre's up- coming production. See the feature on page 1A. Singer corner home Goderich native Wayne Jessop has just released his fist country and western single entitled Country Star, and returned to Goderich on the weekend to promote it. Jessop is featured on page 1A. Bert McCreath retires After 24 years cif service, Bert McCreath has retired from his job as the assistant post master in Goderich and was feted with a dinner Saturday evening. Bert recalls the less effecient days at the post office on page 1A. 1711 Regular Features Tid Hits Pg. 2 Classified.... Pg. 11-12 Columns,. Pg. 4 Real Estate .. Pg. 12-13 Editorials Pg. 4 Church Pg. 8A Letters - Pg. 5 . R. Board Pg. 5A Obits Pg. 3 Farm Pg. 7A Sport: Pg. €i• 10 C. comet Pg. 3A f