HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-05-07, Page 1t
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1BY DAVE SYKES
Sometimes things aren't appreciated until
the y are no longer available.
And that may aptly apply to the Environment
Canada Weather Station at the Goderich air-
port,
The Ministry 'of the Environment has an-
nounced plans to transform the Goderich
weather office into an automated weather
station by June 1. Which means the station will
be manned by only a machine that will feed
statistics and data on weather conditions to the
network. That will virtually cut off weather
information in this area.
With the decision by Environment Canada,
there are still soiree available options. The
station could be machine manned with no staff
as planned or it could be turned over to private
interests or private airways to operate.
If thereis a definite need-fo-r-this service -in
the Godericharea the support has to come from
the public and the users.
A similar situation .occured in Geraldton in
northwestern Ontario a few years ago, where
public petitions encouraged the government to
reopen a station there.
The automated station offers 24-hour ob-
servation but is relatively useless for aviators
and others who require updated weather in-
formation.
The Goderich station was established in 1973
and has maintained two full-time employees.
However, weather records have been kept in
Goderich since the 1880s. But the station has not
mainatained a high visibility here and most
people aren't aware of the service available. In
short, the facility is not properly utilized.
CA►, ,worksers
reject latest
contract offer
BY DAVE SYKES
Children's Aid'Society employees in Goderich
have voted in favor of strike action to back
wage and benefit demands.
The 13 members of the Canadian Union of
Public Employees.(CUPE) Local 1427 voted in
favor of strike action' Monday . after con-
cilliation efforts failed.
Gord MacDonald of the CUPE London office
said that no settlement has been reached
despite concilliation efforts and the employees
rejected the latest offer.
The 13 CAS employees have been without a
contract since December 31, 1979: They • are
seeking a 15 per cent across the board increase
and improvements in car allowance,
reclassification provisions, a revision of
statuatory holidays and contract language.
In the latest efforts to reach a settl:ement',"the
employees were offered an eight per -cent in-
crease effective January 1, 1980 and an ad-
ditional one per cent hike on July 1, 1980.
However, MacDonald ,said the offer did not
include any provisions for car allowance or
reclassification and there was no improvement
to the vacation or statuatory holiday position.
Management*ill „again meet with the con-
cilliation officer arid if a settlement cannot be
reached, the officer will then submit a report to
the Ministry of Community and Social Services.
-The union w . strike -position +6»
days after the report has been submitted.
The weather station is invaluable for boaters,
aviators, farmers, anyone interested in
weather and alsb acts as a valuable warning
system against natural disasters. Ifa weather
warning is to be issued the Goderich station
phones local police, PUC, municipal authorities
and county officials requiringpotification.
The station has averaged 1150 inquiries per
month but receives as many as 350 per month
during busy periods in the winter.
The switch to an automated system here
could leave a gap in weather information from
Sarnia to Wiarton. The Mount Forest office has
been automated but is also staffed however,
weather varies between here and there.
With an automates system information could
be obtained by calling. Toronto, London, Sarnia
or any other area weather station but the in-
formation mai not be up to date or of any
benefit to boaters or aviators.
Goderich council has a plan for a new airport
terminal in the works and it includes space for
a weather office. What will happen to that is not
yet known.
A group of concerned aviators have voiced
their intention to petition MP Murray Cardiff to
bring pressure on the Ministry to keep the
station open and staffed to provide current
weather information. If the station is needed
here that appears to be the route to go.
M' •
• ,e.
is
Environment Canada has announced that it
plans to automate the Goderich weather station
located at the Goderich Airport by June 1. The would not be„available through that office. The
transformation would mean that weather in- weather station was opened in 1973. (photo by
formation would be collected by a machine but 'Dave Sykes)
132 YEAR -18
WEDNESDAY, AP•RIL010, 1980
35 CENTS PER COPY
fti 4---(
r
axes increase by 7.
BY DAVE SYKES
Goderich taxpayers will be asked to dig into
their pockets for an additional 7.1 per cent for
1980.
Town council finalized, its budget Monday -
that calls for a 7.1 per cent overall increase in
taxes. Council hacked away at the budget at a
special meeting Monday after the Huron
County Board of Education had made its final
figures public.
To an average taxpayer, with a house of an
estimated market value of $50,000• and an
assessment, of $3000, the increase would mean a
$47.70 hike on the tax bill. Most of the tax in-
cr e a s e is-ea-ten-up-brinc re ased-edueat-ion-cos ts.
They
panel and $28.83 in the secondary panel for a '
$41.43 total of the $47.70 increase.
'The town's share of that increase is only $6.54
while the County portion decreased by 27 cents.
the town held its general municpal mill rate
t6 a respectable 2 per cent increase this year.
The commercial mill rate rose to 130.54 from
127.98 in 1979 and theresidential raze rose to
110.96 from 108.78. The total increase in the
municipal general rate is 5.26 mills.
The biggest increase in the mill rate was
per cent
endorsed in the 1980. board of education budget.
Last week the board endorsed a $25,452,768
budget that.represents a 14.65 per cent increase
in the education taxes. Most of the education
increased was blamed on inflation and
declining . enrolment that resulted in less
provincial funding.
Council was able to hold the line on the
general municipal rate due to a high surplus
from 1979 and financial planning. Even with the
slight increase in the town's share of the tax
increase, $94,310 has been set aside in reserves
in five categories.
Of that amount, $10,000 has been set aside for
a "waterfront improvement study, $20,000 for
town hall renovations', $15,000 for employees
sick leave gratuities; $16,000 for a new airport
terminal and $3,310 for working capital.
Aside from these reserve funds, the miltLa
was actually lower than that of 1979: • ;0,
At the budget meeting” Monday council•
slashed an additional $142,000 to bring the in-
crease down to two per cent, inclduing the
reserve accounts. Finance committe chair-
man, Eileen Palmer, told council that never
has so much' been done in town with so little an
inerease-ire-the-moll ruga.
"In 1979 the mill rate increase was only 2.5
per cent over 1978 and never has so much work
been done with such a small increase," she
said. "1980 can be a new decade in financial
planning so I propose we cut $150,000 from the
budget to keep the mill rate below that of 1979
and hope that council will add mills for a
reserve fund." .
Some of the major deletions included: $25,000
from the pollution control plant budget, for a
truck; $25,000 from industrial development of ,.
the industrial park; $15,000 from the arena
maintenance and capital budget and $15,000 has
been cut from recreation program operations.
Legion mar Holland liberation
amount to $12.60 in the elementary
It was that kind of weekend. The warm tem-
peratures and sunny skies brought people out of
doors on the weekend to participate in a myriad
of activities that were shelved with the first•
signs of tall. And it was perfect weather for
W.EyvrS ,.1.1 langC1.1"' ; '
fishing off the south pier in Goderich as this
youngster demonstrated on Sunday. The young
fisherman. east his line into the harbour channel
and was content to wait all afternoon for a bit if
necessary. (photos by Dave Sykes)
On Friday, May 9 at 7:00 p.m., operation 'We
Do Remember' will commence in Goderich to
commemorate the liberation of Holland by
Canadian•forces. Plans for this celebration are
a result of a joint committee composed of
members of the Dutch Canadian community
and Legion Branch 109.
The exercise will begin at the Goderich
Legion Hall with a parade of legionaires, in-
cluding 34 veterans who served in Holland in
the spring of 1945, and citizens of Dutch origin
from the area. The parade will form up at 7:00
behind the ' Goderich Laketowri Band and
proceed around The Square and up Hamilton
Street to the memorial fountain at the corner of
Hamilton and Victoria Streets. '
Here, a brief service and the rededication of
the plaque will take place. Officiating will be
Dr. Heeneman, the Dutch Vice Consul from
London, the Reverend 'VandenBerg and the
Legion padre, the Reverend G.L. Royal.
Following the rededication ceremony the
parade will returlh along Hamilton Street tothe
cenotaph in Court House Park where, during a
brief halt, two representatives of the Dutch
Canadian community will lay a wreath in
remembrance of the Canadian servicemen and
Dutch soldiers and civilians who died during
World War I1 in the Netherlands.
At 8:00, the Dutch citizens, the Legion
members and their ladies will assemble in the
Jubilee Room of the Legion for an evening of
Dutch style music, entertainment, food, and
comradeship. In case of inclement weather, the
reception will be held as scheduled, and the
parade will be held on a later date.
Michigan man
arrested in
Nassau County
Police' have arrested Gene Woodward, 27, in
connection with the death of his ex-wife,
Kimberly Jean Woodward, 24, of Carrollton,
Michigan.
Woodward, of Sag-in-aw, M-ichigan, was -
arrested by Nassau County Police at his
father's residence in Merrick, New York. He
was wanted on a charge of first degree murder
and is now in custody in the Nassau County
Detention Centre.
Woodward is wanted in connection with the
Turn to page 20
No decision on beer
tents until October
BY DAVE SYKES
Beer tent operations will continue as before
in Goderich after council decided to leave the
matter as is until October.
Council entertained a delegation represen-
ting most service clubs at the Monday meeting
with the intention of making policy on future
'beer tents.
However, all service clubs were represented
at the meeting and submitted letters asking
council not to confine beer tents to one specific
area but to consider each on its own merit. On
that basis, council elected to wait and review
the matter in October.
Jim Morris, a Kinsmen representing all
groups at the meeting, asked that council look.
at each request for a beer tent individually. He
said the groups have formed an inter -club
liason committee that will schedule and co-
ordinate activities and all clubs are willing to
first obtain written permission from council,
the police association, the department of health
and the fire department before proceeding with
a beer tent.
The Kinsmen Club also took the initiative of
polling several Square merchants to solicit
their views of beer tents in Court House Park.
Morris estimated that 75 questionaires were
distributed with a return of about 45.
"There were three that were in definite op-
position but that was mainly to the blocking of
streets during the Carnival," he said.
Morris said the service clubs could see no
need for action or a blanket policy on beer tents
adding that council should examine each
request,
Councillor Elsa Haydon insisted that a
number of businessmen were upset with being
put in the position of declaring whether or not
they were in favor of beer tents:
"A number of businessmen were upset by
being put in that position," she said. " They are
just operating a business on the Square."
Deputy -reeve Bob Allen intorduced a motion
calling for the matter to be tabled until October
when. council will be able to review the
situation. In the interim, he suggested that beer
tents carry on as approved by council.
7�r
The GDCI Vikings
began the Huron -Perth r"a
soccer season Thur-
sday and both senior oix
and junior teams t,
recorded
recorded wins over 4
Stratford Central. See
story and picture ,on
page 13 -
Board budget up
The Huron County Board of Education y
passed its 1980 budget Thursday and it call
for a 14 per cent increase in the education iii
taxes. The board expenditures for the year '1$
are over $25 million. See story page 12.,
Service loses Marion
Marion Hindmarsh ended a 13 -year career
with the Childrens Aid Society announcing
her retirement from fostering and adoption 0
Work. See story'Page Al.
. Come fly with Rod
Rod Graham was flying airplanes before he
knew how to drive a car. Now he is an inIf
-
structor and pilot for Western Air services.
See story page Al .
Regular Features`
Tid Bits P. 2 Columns P. Al
Editorial P. 4 Weddings P. A2-3
Letters P• K Entert. P A4 -1i
Education P 12 Church P. AR
Sports P. 13-15 Farm P. A10
('lass P. 16-19 Capt. Comet.... P. A14
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