The Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-04-09, Page 1A bonus from the Easter bunny. Nine-year old
quarterhorse mare, Showoff Charlotte, offers a
menacing but protective glance at the camera
while caring for her newborn filly, Showoff
Peppi. Showoff Peppi arrived Easter morning
at the farm of Jeff Seddon in Goderich Town-
ship. The horses are owned by Tom Flynn, also
of Goderich Township. (photo by Dave Sykes)
Inquest raises
questions of
questions of
OPP seek new leads
The Ontario Provincial Police have no firm
leads in their attempts. to identify the body of a
woman found in Ashfield Township March 25.
The charred remains of an unidentified
female were found off Horizon View Road in
Ashfield Township, one kilometre west of High-
way 21, by a neighbouring farmer.
Last Tuesday the OPP investigation team,
headed by Inspectors. Ron Roberts and.Charles
Judson, released a composite drawing of the
woman in the hopes of soliciting public
response. The drawing was circulated to
newspapers across Canada and in parts of the
United States.
Constable Jim Renwick said the public
response to the description and composite
drawing was good for the first few days and
that evgry lead wasctteeited out by the team.
"We had a very good response from the
public but the calls have dwindled over the last
few days," he daid. "We received calls from all
over Ontario and many from this area. Every
lead was checked and all missing persons were
cleared."
This week the police were issuing a picture of
the wedding rings for distribution in the hopes
of gaining further leads.
Constable Renwick said there was no con-
clusive evidence to indicate the woman was an
American but that it was simply a suspicion.
Anyone having information that may lead to
the identification of the woman is asked to call
the Goderich Detachment of the Ontario
Provincial • Police collect at 519.524-8319. All
calls will be held strictly confidential.
County schools checked for
dangerous asbestos levels
BY DAVE SYKES
Huron County schools have been checked, or
are in the process of .being checked , for
dangerous asbestos levels.
Director of Education, D.J. Cochrane said
Tuesday that .the board is carrying out a
directive from the Ministry of Education to
check all schools in its jursidiction. The
Ministry, issued the edict last month, requiring
all boards to conduct a study of school
buildings.
"Our plant superintendent, Bob McVean and
his maintenance staff have checked or are in
the process of cheating all schools in the
county," Cochrane said. ' ` We have also been in
touch with the architects of these buildings to
determine if asbestos was used and where."
Cochrane admitted there have been some
staff• concerns over the problem but the in-
spections have not turned up anything so far.
.lr. �» •- is '�+aww�1'd'ucJS,w��A�`- t c*.r J ��
street lighting
An inquest into the death of a Goderich man.
has resulted in recommendations for' increased
and improved lighting at the intersection of
Britannia Road and Waterloo Street.
The inquest was called after William O'Neil,
71 was struck by a car attempting to cross the
intersection. He died in University Hospital,
Londonas a result of injuries.
Dr. Bryan Lynch of the Huron County Health
Unit said the five -man jury recomrn.ended that
a light be placed at the crossing marks and that
the lighting_along Britannia Road be increased
in power.
"The existing light there is dim," Lynch
commented. "The police did their own test at
the intersection and found the lighting to be
exceptionally poor."
The jury agreed that the lighting should be
improved and called for new lights and im-
provements, to existing lights. The recom-
mendations were sent to the chief coroner's
office and will be forwarded to the town. There
is no obligation to comply with the recom-
mendations.
The inquest,, however, may necessitate a
serious look at other intersections in the town
but Lynch reiterated the fact that the purpose
of the inquest Was to examine only the one
intersection.
Hotel plans
approved
BY CATH WOODEN ' •
Goderich planning board voted last Tuesday
night, April 1, to accept' the proposal of Mike
Mallough, owner of the Harbour Park Inn, for
expansion of the premises.
Mayor Harry Worsell was the only member
who voted against the proposal.
Even if .town coucil also approves the •ap=
plication for expansion ,of the inn's legal non-
conforming use, citizens may object to the
proposed parking lot, patio, and dining room. If
this happens, Mallough will get a. hearing in
front of the Ontario Municipal Board and it will
decide on the issue. ••
Before voting on the issue, board members
deliberated on whether or not to deal with the
proposal as a whole or vote on the seperate
parts, meaning the parking lot, the patio, and
the dining room.
Board member Ken McGee said he felt that
the people who attended the public meeting
held last month "mellowed over the parking lot
but remained strongly against the patio." He
Said that the proposal " should be dissected"
for the vote.
Reeve Eileen Palmer disagreed. She felt that
"to be fair to everybody, we should accept the
whole package because it is going to go the
OMB route anyway."
Deputy Reeve Bob Allen also felt that the
proposal should be accepted. "No matter how
we put it, objections won't be removed. No
matter how long we deliberate, it's going to go
the OMB."
Chairman Tom Jasper told board members
that the expansion proposal had to be treated as
a whole and that the board could include or
exclude whatever parts it saw fit.
The board decided to vote on the proposal as
a package and passed it.
132 YEAR -15
In many schools asbestos was used around
duct work and many makes of ceiling tile
contained the fire retardent material to meet
fire 'resistant specifications.
The whole question of asbestos use and
concentration in schools has sparked a great
deal of controversy in the province. Recently
some schools in Toronto were closed when 'the
concentration was found to be at unacceptable
levels and this week in Milton, two high school
technical wings were temporarily closed to
students.
Also a maintenance worker in a York
borough school developed a lung disease from
working with asbestos and died about a year
ago. The board confirmed that Ken Gardner
developed an asbestos-related chest condition
in 1976 and died at the age of 60.
He had been employed by the board since,
1950 and camein contact with asbestos by
removing asbestos coverings on pipes and
boiler fittings.
N +'s
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 1980
35 CENTS PER COPY
Homeowners oppose apartment plans
BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER
Almost simultaneously with a Goderich.Aiea
Planning Board discussion last Wednesday
evening about changes in parkland reser-
vations in a proposed new subdivision at the
extreme southwest end of town• (story on Page
10A this week), about one doien residents along
Suncoast Drive whose properties back onto the
development land weze in session at the home
of Police Chief and Mrs. Pat King, 181 Suncoast
Drive. .
These residents were among 88 landowners in
the neighborhood who received notification of
Bylaw 29, 1980, -which was given third reading at
the. March 10 meeting of town council. That
bylaw approve a zone change on a parcel of
land south of th sewage treatment plant from
developmental f"o single family residential,
special single' family residential, multiple
family residential and open space.
• Attached to the bylaw was a sketch of the
proposed subdivision for 23 lots for • single
family residential and special single family
residential development as well as a multiple
family residential block just off Furse Road
behind the extreme west end of Suncoast Drive
and open space designated between the sub-
division at -the sewage treatment plant.
Homeowners along Suncoast fully expected
housing development to the west of them, but
are strenuously opposed to the proposed
development of=what they understand is an 18 -
unit apartment building in the area.
Many of the residents have already 'filed
• formal objections with the town concerning the
project„ and many others who reside in the
immediate vicinity of the developn- ent are
being urged to follow suit.
Deadline for objections is April 15,1980.
In a telephone interview this week, Police
Chief King said the majority of homeowners in
the area where given to understand when they
purchased their homes that development to the
lake would consist of single family dwellings.
Mrs. Marjorie McQuire, 187 Suncoast Drive,
said she and her husband- Don were led to
believe only "custom single-family homes"
were planned for the prime development land
fronting. Lake Huron.
"It was the, general concensus of opinion at
the. meeting," said Chief King, "that had we
known the plans would be changed, we would
not have built in the neighborhood."
The citizens' meeting had several other
complaints however. They say an apartment
complex will create more traffic and more
noise than single family dwellings.
They are also concerned that since Furse
Road located directly behind the .westerly
portion of Suncoast Drive is the only proposed
road to and from the subdivision, the.prQperty
value on Suncoast will be seriously devaluated.
Some citizens expressed concern that a part
of the buffer zone now existing between Sun-
coast and Furse Road will be lost when Furse
Road is built up to accommodate subdivision
traffic. '
Mrs. McQuire says the town planners should,
not permit apartment blocks to be located in
this proposed subdivision. She feels it is one of
Goderich's only remaining "very lovely areas"
and should be protected to allow as much of the
beauty as possible to be enjoyed by as many
people as possible. .
"We boast about our sunsets at Goderich,"
reasoned Chief. King, "and now we're talking
about blocking them from view with an
apartment building:"
But more than anything else perhaps, the
Suncoast Drive residents resent what could
replace their present view of the lake.
"We'll have a.parking lot and garbage cans to
gaze upon," complained Mrs. McQuire. "We
know we can't have open space to the west of us
forever, but we were assuPed it would be homes
Similar to our own."
There was no better place to be over the Easter
weekend than outside in the spring warmth and
sunshine. The last traces of snow disappeared
and the puddles began to dry tip down at St.
Christopher's Beach, making It a beautiful
place for friends to take an afternoon stroll.
(photo by Cath Wooden)
Chief King agreed. He said he expected the
people who built the apartment building would
want to put the apartments to the west of the lot
towards 'the lake, leaving .the .tarmac, the cars
and the disposal area to the east side directly
behind the Suncoast homes.
'The Suncoast residents are also disappointed
that the parkland .drawn into the sketch which
accompanied the bylaw appears to be the
slopes of existing town property where the
flume is located.
"That's no place for kids to play and people to
walk and relax," said Chief King. "It can beof
very little use as a public park."
"We have been paying higher than average
taxes in this, area," continued Chief King. "This
is another reason for objection to having our
property affected by an apartment building."
• There is a fear that since apartment dwelling
could become more popular in the next few
years as interest rates make home purchases
difficult for a growing number ofapeople,'that
the plans for the area could be changed again to
permit even more apartments.
"Once they get their foot in the 'door,"
remarked Mrs. McQuire, "we could see more
Changes in the planning."
And there is concern that subdivisions to the
south of Suncoast are sitting undeveloped while
plans are being made to expand to the west.
"I object to the granting of new lands for
subdivision when so -much staked out land is not
being utilized," said Chief King referring to
property which has been ready for develop-
ment for almost three years.
"I do wonder where developers' think the
people are coming from," mused Mrs.
McQuire. "We don't seem to have that much
new industry coming to town."
She warned that Goderich could suffer from
over -development as in Kincardine.
"There they have an area called Cardboard
Acres and they can't give it away," claimed
Mrs. McQuire.
Schools to
be in the dark
BY DAVE SYKES
The Huron County Board of Education will
investigate the theory of discontinuing the use
of floodlights around schools at night in an
effort to curb vandalsim on school property,
John Henderson, chairman of the
management committee, presented a report to
the board Tuesday that recommended the use
of outside floodlights at schools be discontinued
to deter vandalsim and other illegal activities.
Henderson told the board that the Ontario
Provincial Police suggested that if schools are
left in total darkness, any lights seen around
the building will alert neighbours and police.
"The OPP have suggested that there is not as
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