HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-10-21, Page 1,.the
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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 --