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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-09-02, Page 2e 133 YEAR -35 W rNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1981 50 CENTS PER COPY OMB approves bylaw, mini m The Becker Milk company Ltd. has been granted approval to proceed with the construction of a mini mall on the corner of Bayfield Road and. Suncoast Drive following the decision of an Ontario Municipal Board hearing Tuesday. Hearing' chairman, William Dyer, immediately rendered a decision approving'bylaw 24 of 1981 that will permit the construction of the porposed mall. The bylaw redesignates the parcel of land on the south- west corner of Bayfield Road and Suncoast Drive from developmental to highway commercial. The redesignation will permit the milk company to construct a 10,652 square foot mall that will house a Beckers Milk store, a doughnut shop 'and original plans also included a health spa. The land in question is being purchased by Norman McGoran in trust and originally planning board endorsed the rezoning application and their, recommendation was approved by council. The zoning amendment was circulated within the Club offers to pay for park study The Goderich Optimist Club has offered to pay for an engineering study in an initial step to pursue the creation of a park on the Maitland Riverflats. Following a meeting Saturday, waterfront com- mittee chairman, Elsa Haydon, said a motion will be forwarded to council asking that the firm of Knox, Martin . and Kretch Ltd. of Brampton prepare an engineering and landscape plan for the proposed park. The cost of the engineering plan is estimated at $2,000 and the Optimist Club has agreed topay for the report. "The Optimist Club is paying for the engineering study and from there we will do as much as possible to make it acceptable for next year," she said: "It will take a number of years to get into acceptable shape but the club is enthusiastic and will help out." The engineering firm of Knox, Martin and Kretch recently completed a detailed study• of the recreational potential on the four miles of waterfront on the town's boundary. Part of that study included plans for the proposed park justoff Maitland Road. If council grants approval to the motion, Hayden said the study would commence immediately after theSeptineber 14 meeting. The Optimist Club and council have discussed the concept of a permanent home for. the club's annual music festival after two previous festivals have drawn complaints from neighbouring residents. concerning noise. Following a public meeting on beer tents, music festivals and . related matters, the Optimist Club pledge monetary support Co 'the creation of a park on the NIP lands on the Maitland River flats. , Haydon said, if the motion to proceed with the engineering plan is endorsed by council, that the park has great potential to service many community needs in the future. W'; va INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR Kids on the street A poll concerning whether or not children are glad to be returning to school next week and conducted by Signal -Star reporter Cath Wooden produced some interesting results and very interesting quotes from several random kids. Seepage 1A. Fastball tourney Goderich's biggest ' ball tournament, the Industrial Fastball League's Labor Day Weekend Tournament, will begin for the 13th time this Friday evening. See the schedule in the second section. Typhoons Aside from the typhoons and earthquakes, Laura fl ithby•found that living in the Philippines was a beautiful experience. The Goderich student recently dame home after her year-long Rotary exchange. See page 1A.. JCA required 400 foot radius and: no objections were filed within the 21 -day time limit. However, Western Auto Parts, owners off the Zehrs mall ini Goderich Township filed a letter of objection which was subsequently forwarded to the OMB. Due to the objection, which necessitated an OMB hearing, the agreement with the health spa principals expired. The health spa will now be accomodated in the mini mall on Bayfield Road owned by Lamor Enterprises. Lamor was successful in obtaining a minor variance from the committee of adjustment to ac- comodate the spa in the* list of permitted uses in a highway commercial designation. In her submission to the chairman, lawyer for the objectors, Mrs. E. Brown, argued that there was considerable vacant premises within the core area of town and also that there was undeveloped land within the town limits. "There is no evidence that indicates a positive effect of rezoning the land. It is not inappropriate development but it's wrong now not knowing what's going in the mall," she said. "This is the last site within town for comprehensive highway commercial development. The town hasn't fully considered whether the uses are appropriate or will have an impact on the core." Brown suggested that council draw the line ,von Thieves enter Texaco station Goderich police report one break and enter on the weekend at Ray's Texacoastation on Huron Road. Ap- proximately $1,330 in property (cigarettes), money and coupons was stolen. The incident is still under in- vestigation. There were also five acts of mischief reported on the weekend. Beer bottles were thrown at a buirding and •at a car; and damage was done to a garden planter,' a town flower bed 'and some garden or- naments. Charges have been 'laid with regards to the latter two incidents. The theft of some lawn ornaments was reported and there were three narcotics arrests, seven liquor offences and five car noise complaints. 11 will proceed co development at least until the official plan i , is complete. Pa Brown's argument centred on acceptable uses • highway commercial zone, suggesting that some of the proposed commercial interests would be better suited in a core environment. Town lawyer; Dan Murphy argued that develop- ment under the highway commercial designation has been expanding, adding that the Ministry of Housing hastaken a liberal approach to the matter. "When the official plan was revised for the Sun - coast Mall it changed the thrust of thinking," he said. " The McGoran application and uses' are identical to uses in the 1972 bylaw. Retail is now simply referred Truck drivers waiting to unload grain at the elevators must put up with hours -long line-ups before their turn 'comes around. Albert Cooper of Drayton turned the wait into advantage last week with 'a nap under a shade tree. ( Photo by Cath Wooden) oderich joins communities in Terry Fox Day run On Sunday September 413,' communities across Canada will revive the spirit of Terry Fox in a series of special.runs to raise money for cancer research. The day has been labelled Terry Fox. Day "in Canada, in recognition of the one -legged runner who attmepted to run across. Canada in aid of cancer: research. His dream and indomitable spirit captured the hearts of all Canadians, who are now asked to keep up the fight. ' On this special, day, a series of 10 kilometre runs have been planned in communities across the country. The runs have been organized under the guidance of the Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Track and Field Association, Fitness and Amateur Sport Canada and Four Seasons Hotels. During a legacy that began April 12, 1980, Terry Fox pounded halfway across the country and raised more than$23•million for cancer research. Goderich is just one of the many Canadian com- munities offering a 10 kilometre run on sunday September 13. The Kinette and Kinsmen clubs are 'sponsoring the event that will begin at the Suncoast Mall and the route is the same one used for the Cancer bike-a-thon in April. While the Kinsmen and Kinettes will also provide manpower along the route and in organizing the event. Everyone in the Goderich .area is inviting to 'join in and walk, jog, run or stroll along 'the designated route. Each participant' has the option of Obtaining pledges for the 10 kilometres or a fee $5 can be paid prior to the start of the run: Pledge sheets are now available at'Finchers on The Square and when ad- ditional' materials arrive, pledge sheets will be available at other locations. . Both Clinton and Seaforth are also sponsoring runs and Clinton Mayor Chester Archibald has challenged other mayors to take up the run. Also service clubs from those two towns have issued a challenge to thier counterparts in other commMities. Goderich has offered generous support to the fund through past events and Diane. Armstrong of the Kinettes said "it would be nice if the people came out in support one more time." You don't have to run and you don't even have to gather numerous pledges, just pay $5 and join the run for cancer research on Terry Fox Day: ICU fund going well Dempsey. says The fund raising campaign for $250,000 for a new intensive care unit (ICU) at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich is going "extremely well", according to campaign chairman Bob Dem- psey. . ' • . To date, all municipal councils in the area•including the town of Goderich, Goderich Township, Colborne Township, East and West Wawanosh Townships, Stanley Township, Ashfield Township and the Village of Bayfield have been approached. Response has been encouraging, Dempsey told The Signal -Star this week. The AM&G project appears to be important to the people of the area, he said. Pledges have also been received from the medical. staff at AM&G; the members of the board and all participants of the various campaign committees. Plans are now underway to approach other government agencies and private foundations for funds, as well as local business, commerce, industry, service clubs and special interest groups and in- dividuals. The door-to-door blitz will be undertaken October 15, climaxed with a public announcement that same evening of the results of the campaign to date. Donors are being urged to make an immediate "up front" tfawto the hospital building project, as well as a further commitment for the, coming two years. Plans for the intensive care unit are nearing completion. Construction is expected to begin early in '1982 to alleviate the crowded and outdated situation in the local ICU. Occupancy is expected by September 1982, and will allow an enlarged physiotherapy department, a day care surgery department and extra chronic bed space as well as the modern intensive care unit. Total cost of the project is $495,000 with'$250,000 of that amount already raised from the hospital's own funds. No provincial governnient'funding is available for this addition, although the project is heartily en- dorsed by the ministry of health. Government money for such hospital capital building projects is not immediately forthcoming because the demands for hospital construction and updating far exceed the supply of cash' When board members learned it would be at least five years before any government money could be sought - possibly longer - it was agreed the ICU project could not wait and must be funded through local dollars raised by public subscription. RCMP raids result in charges against 26 people A total of 26 persons were arrested on narcotic and drug related charges last week by RCMP officers in Stratford. The arrests were the result of a three- month, hree monthundercover operation by the .RCMP in Stratford, Goderich, Seaforth, Mitchell, Milverton and Waterloo. Supt. D.H. Heaton of the RCMP said an officer operated under cover for the past three months in the area posing as a drug trafficker. The officer pur chased quantities of ISI), hashish, hash oil and marijuana with a street value of $8,000. 0 Supt. Heaton said that intelligence gathered during the undercover oftration indicates an increasing ^ problem of drug abuse in the above mentioned communities and Mat marijuana and I SD trafficking is predominant. As a result of the investigation 26 persons face trafficking charges under the Narcotics Control Act and Food and Drugs Act. A 17 -year old Goderich man was among those arrested and he faces a charge of trafficking hashish. to as convenience." Highway commercial land was intended to ac- comodate commercial concerns that required more space than core retail outlets. However, as Murphy pointed, the Ministry has been.much more flexible in permitteduses in highway commercial zones. In testimony at the hearing, county planner Roman Dzus said highway commercial should be different from the core area and should compliment services and functions of the core rather than compete. He said some of the uses permitted in the McGoran application could be located in the core area. At the time of the application for the rezoning, Dzus objected on the basis that the development was premature considering that only one tennant was secure. . "If the development can be filled with highway commercial uses it cannot be premature," he said. –If it is built on spec it is premature. Land is scarce along the highway." Dzus expressed concern that although mini malls Turn topage 5. Taxes may not be such a good deal With interest rates hovering around record rates for the past several months, many people found it more profitable to simply let taxes fall into arrears since interest rates on overdue accounts are quite reasonable. By current standards, the interest rate on ovlydue tax accounts is much more reasonable than borrowing from a lending institution. While bank rates are around23 per cent the charge on tax arrears is 1.25 per cent per.month or 15 per cent per year. . But following the passing of Bill 121 in the Legislature, municipalities may now charge 11/2 per cent above the prime lending, rate on all accounts in arrears. Current tax bills for the 1981 fiscal year will still carry the 15 per cent per annum rate. So depending on the prime lending rate, municipalities may be charging about 25 per cent on accounts in arrears. All that's required to effect the new rate Ls a municipal bylaw: Goderich clerk Larry McCabe said the town of Goderich has few problems with delinquent accounts. "The arrears are in, good. shape here.. Some municipalities have arrears in the 15 to 20 per cent range but ours run from 1 to 2 per cent," he said. "The matter will be reviewed"by the finance com- mittee with a recommendation to council." Foam homes are subject of meeting Homeowners who had urea formaldehyde foam insulation installed are giving the government a fight in a battle for compensation and residents in Huron County may join the fight. Grant Chisholm of Lucknow has set up a meeting for Wednesday, September 9 in the Lucknow Com- munity Centre and all area homeowners with urea formaldehyde insulation are invited to attend the information meeting. Recently a HUFFI group was formed in the Perth County area and Chisholm says the problem is serious enough to band Huron homeowners together. "The meeting is open to anyone and if there is enough interest we will ' work towards forming a county group," he said. "There are some horrible stories about it(the foam) ." MPs Dr. Gary Gurbin and Murray Cardiff will attend the meeting along with a representative of the County Health Department to answer questions and concerns. The featured guest speaker at the meeting is Bill Bremner of Mississauga, interim chairman of 'HUFFI. Bremner is the former owner'of an insulation company and became involved with HUFFI as a matter of conscience since he was involved in recruiting dealers for the since banned insulation. Bremner believes that the companies selling. and installing the foam insulation were mislead by the government and manufacturers on the proper procedure to install the product. Urea formaldehyde foam insulation was given the green light by the government in 1977 despite the fact that many countries had banned use of the foam. Many homeowners took advantage of the federally - funded Canadian Home Insulation Program ( CHIP) to install the insulation but the government banned its use last year. It is estimated that as many as 18 per cent of the homes with the foam have problems. The main problem is that the foam has been placed in the wrong type of structures and only homes with an all wood structure can adequately benefit froni use of the insulation. . A few people_ tom Huron. County attended a recent.. meeting of the nevlily formed HUFF'I group, but that organization will not serrve both counties. Chisholm hopes there will be enough interest to form a group in the Huron area. The meeting in thi, Lucknow Community Centre will begin at 8 p.m.