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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-10-21, Page 1,.the • erich SIGN 133 YEAR -42 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1981 , GODERICH, ONTARIO 50 CENTS PER COPY Cornrnimity sen McCabe named chief adin stratc►r Tice' town of Godericb has appointed carry a McCabe as its chief administrative officer following the passing -of bylaw 61 Monday. 'McCabe, who has served the twain the capacIty Of deputy -clerk and clerk -treasurer, will now assume responsibilities as chief administrative officer tor,the corperation. The bylaw states that he will have confab]) and management of the administration of the government .and administrative affairs of the municipal corporation and perform such duties as prescribed by council. McCabe will also be responsible for the efficient administration of an departments in town and Will have authority and control over those departments and employees. The appointment was effective atthe time of the passing of the bylaw. d over the top A two-hour cable television program highlighted the fund raising campaign for the construction of a new Intensive Care Unit at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital. The two-hour special featured taped variety segements, cheque presentations and up to date information on the status of the campaign. We'll have more stop signs than Hong Kong - Haydon Several>motians from the town's traffic committee asking for prohibitted parking, the erection of stop signs and a feasibility study on truck traffic, met with criticism at the council table Monday: The traffic committee, chaired by Jim Magee in- troduced four separate motions at council to alleviate potentially dangerous situations: . The first motion asked that feasibility study be done by a professional firm of alternate routes for trucks to bypass residential areas of town. Two other motions asked that . parking be prohibited on both sides of Bennett Street between Bayfield Road and Walnut Street and also that it be prohibited on Cambria Road between Elgin Avenue and Anglesea Street. A final motion called for the placement of a four- way stop at the corner of Nelson Street and Cambria Road. Councillor Elsa Haydon initially asked that all four motions be tabled for further study but her request was voted down. "I am not speaking against the motions but we'll have more stop signs than Hong Kong," she said. 'lI would like us to get together and look at it in an overall way. Are we being too restrictive for a small town?" Councillor Magee felt that the request for a study on alternate truck routes was just being shoved aside, something he said has happened in the past. "I have consulted with several people on it," he said. "In 1974 I presented an alternate plan to plan- ning board, it was shoved aside and now the Baine thing is happening." While he has taken it upon himself to give the matter of alternate truck routes an ind depth look, Magee said the town should at least have a plan in place. "There is no money at this time but we must put something in plan," he insisted. "It is time we spent money on traffic and gave it serious consideration because industry is increasing in the harbor." CouncillorJim•Searls suggested that the study and romantic notions of a truck bypass was stupidity. "I have the solution. Shut down industry and there will be no trucks, " he said. "A feasibility study is stupidity. Trucks have to go through town unless you spend $10 million for a road around the town and a bridge overtop." Magee argued that the town did not have to take immediate steps to alleviate the truck traffic problem and insisted that truck traffic could be diverted from town. Councillor Stan Profit said that while his initial impression of the motion was that it was frivolous in nature, he has received static from people living along the truck route. "To sit here and say the study is silly, dumb and stupid is silly, dumb and stupid," he said. The motion to commission,a feasibility study was defeated but council will check to see if previous studies on the problem, are on file. If not, they will investigate the possibility of government funding for a new study. Council did agree to a stylized version of the second motion arid has banned parking on the south side of Bennett Street between Bayfield Road and Walnut Street. A motion to prohibit parking on Cambria Road was defeated. Cambria Road will get some attention though, as council agreed to a motion to erect a four-way stop' at the corner of Cambria Road and Nelson Street. Magee said school children use the intersection and' that control was needed. Searls suggested that it was up to the people to educate their children on proper safety procedures, especially crossing at a busy intersection. Haydon claimed that more traffic signs were restrictive and wondered how they manage in New Yost; ' Quiet weekend for p of ice Ma . Goderich police report a quit weekend with only three minor thefts and a few liquor violations. WT1ae .Golderdoh-.Ovl?..?P;. _detatchment--repornts...-six break and enters; 11 thefts; two frauds; 13 wilful damage incidents; three found properties; 11 High- way Traffic Act incidents; five impaired driving charges; five liquor charges; 12 motor vehicle ac- cident. _fouamrniss g rsang,,,,,.tww.raJogesimsia in.,—.. cidents; three assistances to the public; and two reports of cattle on the highway. 4 Here, co -host Gloria Zamin, host tim Baker and fund- raising chairman, Bob Dempsey, offer closing remarks as the fund exceeded its goal of $250,000. The door-to-door canvass Thursday evening was also a resounding success. ( Photo by Dave Sykes) The community serviced by Alexandra Marine and General Hospital responded enthusiastically as the Intensive Care Unit Building Fund went well over the projected $250,000 target this week. The goal was surpassed near the conclusion of the two-hour special telecast on cable television channel 12 Thursday, after hundreds of canvassers solicited support for the project in town and in Goderich Township. - The entire campaign, to raise $250,000 for the construction of a new Intensive Care Unit, began months ago and the planning led to presentations to local governrrient, groups, business, industry and service clubs and culminated with a door-to-door canvass of the town and township. The planning, presentation and solicitation reached an apex with the concluding two-hour television special Thursday. A beaming Bob Dempsey, chairman bf the ICU fund-raising drive and orchestrator of the entire project, was obviously pleased with the blitz results. "I was pleasantly surprised. We didn't expect the canvass to 'go quite so well, " he said. "The entire campaign went well and we are expecting additional pledges from groups, clubs, industry and government ,who have to go before their board of governors." As of Thursday evening, the blitz produced $43,000 in pledges and an additional $10,000 filtered into the hospital the next day from donors who were missed and wanted to be anintegral part of the campaign The smooth and efficient fund-raising campaign raised a total of $295,605 in pledges over the next three years. While the committee's publicly funded goal has been exceeded, the money will ensure the new unit will be adequately equipped. "Just because we have more' than we need, people should not discontinue their efforts," Dempsey ex- plained. splained. "The additional money will be put to the improvement of health care in the community hospital by purchasing additional related ICU equipment and facilities. Our estimates were for equipment in the mid -price range but now we can purchase more sophisticated equipment." The months of planning, making presentations and sol challis Afihe,,,,,,o tMnittelkit F ai volunteers culminated with the door-to-door canvas's Thursday and subsequent realization of the monetary goal. Almost 300 volunteers canvassed the town and township in miserable weather, collecting pledges for the fund. The entire campaign and planning procedure was highlighted by a two-hour television special aired on Cable channel 12 Thursday. The entire show was produced by volunteers but was tastefully and professionally done. Harvey Graff of Toronto was responsible. for the Turn to page 3 Champion, union_ .settle contract dispute • Chainpion Road Machinery Limited and members of Local 1863 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers ratified a new two-year contract Friday. Under the terms of the new agreement, 605 unionized employees will receive a six per cent general increase in both years of the contract and a cost of living allowance remains in effect. The con- tract, which affects 95 salaried and 510 hourly em- ployees, also contained ' provisions for improved benefits and contract language. • The two-year contract will boost the average wage. for hourly employees to $12.05 per hour in the first year of the agreement. The grader manufacturing company has a total work force of 767 employees in Goderich. The office staff has been without a contract since June of this year while the contract for hourly, em- ployees expired in August. The union and company failed to come to terms in initial bargaining sessions' as the union refused to accept the original company offer which Iain Bain, Corporate Vice -President Employee Relations, said offered no general in- creases but contained " a richer COLA (Cost of Living Allowance) formula." The union had applied for conciliation to the Ministry of Labor and Trevor Stephenson was sub- sequently appointed to mediate the contract dispute. Following one session with Stephenson, the company made a contraet offers that was ratified by the union membership Friday. Union President, Gord Hulley, said that ap- proximately 373 employees voted on the contract offer and 85 per cent were in favor of accepting .the two-year deal. "The vote proves they were satisfied;" he said. Bain was also satisfied with the result of the union vote claiming the contract was one the company could live with. "I am pleased. It took a while to get there," he said. "With the COLA clause the contract recognizes infla- tion and it is also a contract that will protect the future of the business." The cost of living clause offers employees a one cent per hour raise for every one-third of a point in- crease in the Consumer Price Index. The clause does not kick in however, until the CPI has increased four per cent from July's figure. There is no ceiling on the cost of living allowance clause. Other benefits include increases in the paid life `insurance plan, the pension plan is increased by $15 per month per year of service and the dental plan will reflect the current schedule of rates at no cost to the employee. Review committee tears apart board English curriculum BY STEPHANIE LEVESQUE Trustees of the Huron -Perth Separate School Board were upset that its intermediate English curriculum was torn apart by an English provincial review com- mittee. The review, compiled by two Ministry of Education officials, was presented to the board at its meeting on October 13. Trustee Jeanette Eybergep said trustees spend time in committee developing a curriculum, then the Ministry comes and tears it apart. She asked why guidelines were set first? Director of Education William Eckert said, "The boards were left to their own demise." He told the trustees, "Don't take exception to the criticism". but to look at the objectives Mr. Eckert said the criticism is valid and that. .:. c .M.a^tess-the---province;---tl,re---filen°€n—Perth - Separate School curriculum is "looking very good". Trustee William K'nnahan suggested the two ministry officials who compiled the report, be pre - sent at a board meeting to discuss the report. This was agreed to by the board and an invitation will be extended. The report was compiled by having questionnaires filled out by teachers and students of grades seven and eight at seven schools across the two countielt One recommendation, that teachers de-emphasize spelling, punctuation and kinds of sentences didn't sit well. with Trustee Ronald.,Marcy. He said he thought the tendency was to get back to the basics. Evaluation of students' work was also recommed- ed to be changed, as the recommendations point out that words such as excellent, average and weak are not easily defined. The Ministry recommendations emphasized the use of practising what the students have learned by using it in other subject areas, spelling, reading and writing skills were particutarl,' noted. 'l'he use of writing journals, a collerlion owr'iten works by the students, was praised by the Ministry officials. It was reported that over half the teachers Tarn in page 3 • The life insurance is paid by, the company, but for the first time, employees can purchasethe same amount of insurance at group rates. The company , has also introduced long-term disability insurance that augments present company policy. The new plan will kick in after one year and offers an emplo ee 50 per cent of his -or her salary' until age 65 or until, the employee is working again. Bain said that benefit is uncommon in industry. . While the conciliation processwas not instrumental in the contract, it marked . the first time in recent history that the union had applied to the Ministry of • Labor. MAMMY INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR Bus monitors Colborne Central School has initiated a school bus monitor system for safety in which senior students are trained to handle emergencies resulting from an accident. Joanne Buchanan has the story and pictures on Page 1A. What a show The Intensive Care Unit building fund was a resounding success. and two-hour television special on the cable network was an equally fine production. Many volunteers offered their expertise to make the show a rofessinntri- '. `"Endures rom that telecast appear on Page 1 A, -a. .,,.ter --