HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-11-12, Page 1- 138YEAR -46
GODERICH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1986
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Children from Robertson Memorial Public School and Victoria laid poppies among the many wreaths. Inset, the Color Party of the
Public School took part in Tuesday morning's Remembrance Day Royal Canadian Legion Branch 109 in Goderich led the parade to
services at the cenotaph in Courthouse Park. About 150 children the cenotaph.
Council approve
plow for airpor
Goderich Town Council has approved the
purchase of another snow removal vehicle
for the Goderich Airport. Approval was
given at .the Nov. 10 meeting of council,
when Airport Committee Secretary Ken
Hunter said a vehicle has become available
after the local airport had been on a waiting
list for five years.
"The present plow would get us through
this winter, but a new one would be needed
next year," Hunter said.
The plow, one of six recently made
available by the Ministry of Transportation
and Communication is "the best of the
bunch" according to Hunter. It has been in
use at the Sault Ste. Marie Airport since
new.
The plow will cost $7,500, of which close to
$5,000 is expected to be raised by the sale of
the local airport's current equipment, with
the remainder of the cost to come out of the
airport budget.
Council directed Mr. Hunter to use the
most economical' means available to
transport the plow to Goderich.
Huron Library
Board dissolved
By Alan Rivett
The Huron County Library Board may
be dissolved at the end of this year after a
Private Members Bill, brought before a
special committee of the provincial
government last week, was given
approval.
Beginning in January 1987, the Huron
County Library may be be brought under
the jurisdiction of Huron County Council
and will operate as a committee of council.
Since 1966, the Library Board has operated
as an autonomous board under the
jurisdiction of the Ontario Public Libraries
Act.
Clerk -Treasurer Bill Hanley, Library
Board Chairman Tom Cunningham, Huron
County Warden Leona Armstrong and the
county's solicitor as well as official objec-
tors were invited to participate in the Stan-
ding Committee on Regulations and
'Huron
. B>_ils •.meeting, which heard the.
Huron County matter -+jai October 22 and
October, 29.
According to Library Chairman Tom
Cunningham, in a brief description of the
meeting at the Huron County council
meeting on November 6, the Private
Members Bill to dissolve the Library
Board was passed by a close vote with the •
chairman of the committee casting the
deciding vote in favor of dissolving the .
committee.
He also said the Bill, called Private Bill
Pr 7, still has to be given third reading
before the Ontario legislature before it will
become law.
"We really don't have anything concrete
to page
Parade 'set
Threats of Asubstantial snowfall for the ..
area serves as a reminder that the annual
Goderich Santa Claus Parade is set . for
Saturday, november 22.
The 1986 edition of the Santa Claus
Parade will celelbrate the theme;
Christmas Through the Eyes of a Child.
Recreation director Jane Netzke reports
that the parade boasts a healthy list of en-
tries again this year, ranging from local
floats to area bands and. of en rse than ct^r
Entry forms for ythe parade'appear in-
side the Signal -Star and trophies will be
presented for the top three entries in each
of the following categories; non-
commercial, commercial, youth group,
school and individual. All entries should be
submitted to the recreation office by Fri-
day, Nov. 14.
� 1'+'.,i'itT'ncS ufi"e-u5nrcil �'tf l� ct%g'�.b1„T...
Marina users suggest improvements for Snug Harbour
The twin difficulties of rising water levels
and increasing pollution in Snug Harbour
Marina have caused concern among patrons
of the municipal facility,, that unless
something is done, the facility will become
unusable.
In a letter to Goderich Town Council on
behalf of a group of patrons, Ken Dawson
drew attention to the problems at the
marina and recommended some possible
solutions proposed by the marina users.
"Without large expense, adjustment to
the rising water levels and cleanup of the
pollution in the Snug Harbour basin seeems
unlikely. Yet, unless something is done, we
may lose the municipal facility so many en-
joy," said the letter, which was dealt with at
the Nov. 10 meeting of council.
Museum funding
formula approved
By Alan Rivett
Officals connected with the proposed
$3.5 million expansion and renovations
project to the Huron County Pioneer
Museum are breathing a sigh of relief
after government officials accepted a new
funding formula for the project.
The new funding formula, passed by
Huron County Council at its meeting on
November 6, calls for the museum project
to be completed in two distinct phases,
with the County and the provincial govern-
ment each contributing 50 per cent of the
$2.4 million cost for first phase construc-
tion. The second phase will be completed
as money becomes available.
The original funding plan, adopted last
year by Huron County Council, had the
county, provincial and federal govern-
ments each contributing one-third each to
the project which was slated to go ahead in
- one phase.
Museum Committee Chairman Dave
Johnston said the project was prat in
jeopardy Last week after the County's $1
million grant application through the
Federal government's Cultural Initiatives
Program (CIP) was declined.
In turn, the County's grant application
under the provincial Ministry of Citizen-
ship and Culture (MCC) was also placed in
jeopardy. The provincial ministry refusede
o approve the one-third funding proposal
by the county after learning of the federal
government announcement.
Mr. Johnston said the committee recent.
ly met with Mrs. Marty Brent,
agetl e
In response the the problem of rising
water levels, which have already put the
centre pier of the harbor under water, Mr.
Dawson's group suggested the use of
floating docks. The docks could be built to
rise and fall with water levels and have the
advantange of being movable, so they can
be secured at any location and lifted out of
the water for winter.
Mr. Dawson's letter suggests the harbor
patrons would arrange for these docks to be.•
installed at "no cost to the Town of
Goderich". The group proposed to incur all
costs for construction and installation for
the docks, supplying their own labor and
agreeing to adhere to agreed specifications.
The docks would become the property of
the town of Goderich after five years and the
allowed to recover their
patrons
would
be
capital costs through`' an appropriate dis-
count on their seasonal warfage fees over
five years.
In regard noise and pollution complaints
resulting from the marina's proximity to the
Domtar Salt Mines, Dawson's group
believes relocation of thewarfage is the
answer: The letter suggests a location along
the Maitland River wall, out from the town
ramp which now exists would solve the
problem.
"The wall is strong, there is room for
parallel docking, the depth is sufficient, the
area is protected from storms and the loca-
tion is free from the noise and air pollution
from the Domtar salt mine," the letter says.
Because of present conditions, none of the
six people who signed the letter used the
harbor last season. Dawson suggested adop-
Avenue by 12:30 p.n when judging will
take place. The parade is scheduled to
begin at 1 p.m. and make its way around
the Square and down West Street to
Waterloo Street.
Children will get an opportunity to visit
with Santa at the Park Theatre after the
parade.
Police establish
hiring proceedure
The establishment of new hiring pro-
cedures for the Goderich police force was
discussed at a meeting of the police com-
mission held recently.
Police Chief Patrick King presented a
list of new hiring procedures following the
guidelines established by the Ontario
Police College in Alymer to commission
members for discussion.
One of the most notable changes to the
hiring procedure currently followed by the
Goderich police force would see prospec-
tive police officers undergoing fitness and •
psychological tests.
"I feel fitness and psychological testing
should be part of the hiring procedure,"
Chief King told commission memb s.
Screening of applications by th olice
chief raised ,concerns from comma n
members who felt they should also be
integral part of the hiring process.
It was decided that the police chief
should be able to screen applicants as to
their eligibility pursuant to the Police Act
and that the applications. should be made
available to' the police commission for
discussion and approval.
Under the new hiring procedures, com-
missioners will also take part in the formal
interview and selection process of police
officers.
Other items to be completed according
to the new hiring procedures include a
records check on each prospective officer
by the police chief, a written test including
an essay to determine the capability of ap-
plicants and their knowledge of laws, a
background investigation by the police
chief ordesignated offteer, a.'indicaY°ex
amination and a driving test.
The establishment of new hiring pro-
cedures for the Goderich police force are
to be passed at the next police commission
meeting.
tion of the proposal would be economically
the proposal be economically
favorable for the town because of increased
usage.
"Suppose 176 feet of warfage space is re-
quired for our group of six. At $14 per foot,
this represents $2,464 per year additional
warfage revenue for the Town. Further sup-
pose that the docks required cost us $6,000,
not including our labor. To recoup the $6,000
outlay over five years, our. total discount
would amount to $1,200 Per year. Over a
five-year period, the town gains $6,320 in
revenue and $6,000 worth of floating docks
which will produce $2,464 in revenue each
year thereafter," Dawson's letter
explained.
Council referred the proposal to the Parks
and Waterfront Committee, for
consideration. •
A fire earl �L'uesda morningcompletely destroyed a cottage at 11ep►grtimetlt�re9poaitl�d to the call just before 7 a.m. and had the
e
Bluiewater'Beach, south of Goderich, owned, by Geraldine Hughes ,under control. A damage intimate was not available. (photoby
Of 'broth. No-one was in the cottage at the thne of the blaze and Dave Sykes)
the entre of the fire had not been detettiued. The Goderieh l♦ ire
INSIDE THE
SIGNAL -STAR
Vikings to finals
GDCI's senior girls basketball team
enters its fourth straight Huron -Perth
senior girls basketball final by defeating
the Mitchell Blue Devils 51-29 in semi-final
play. The senior Vikings face Stratford
Northwestern for the championship. For
more details and pictures on both ,the
senior and junior girls teams, see the
Sports section.
School honors friend
After 23 years with the board of educa-
tion, custodian Ben Freeman retires.
Robertson staff and students honor their
friend who aAted as chief custodian at the
school for the past six years. - For story and
picture, see inside the front section.
Comedy and action
"TIME FRONT PAGE" Goderich Little
Theatre's latest production gave au-
diences a delivery of exactly the sort of
comedy and dramatic action they came
for. Signal Star's review of the production
can be found on page 4 of the Community
Section.,