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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-07-08, Page 1Goederich 139YEAR -27 GODERICH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1587 60 CENTS PER COPY Letter carrier strike stopped by settlement Normal mail service has resumed across the country following the negotia- tion of a tenative settlement between Canada Post Corporation and the Letter Carriers Union of Canada. The mediated agreement, worked out Saturday, ends a 19 -day series of rotating strikes by letter carriers, which halted mail service in various centres including a two-day walkout by Goderich letter carriers. Although in some cities the strikes led to violence between police, and union members who objected to Canada Post's use -of casual labor to deliver the mail dur- ing the strike, no conflicts occurred in Goderich when the local letter•carriers participated in a rotating strike which halted mail delivery in town on June 23 and 24. Police Chief Patrick King notes that no "conflicts" occurred locally. However, police were called as a precaution on a few occasions by people considering crossing picket lines, but their services were not needed. In the settlement, which is expected to receive union ratification by early August, the union yielded ground- on some work, rules which will • help the post office . operate more efficiently, but it won on-the- job security issues that both sides agreed were the major issues of 'contention. The carriers retain the right to return to offices for lunch rather than remain on their routes to deliver extra' mail. They also won back previous guarantees against the contracting out of union work and fend- ed off a demand that new carriers provide their own cFs to travel back and forth to routes. Canada Post also gave up the idea of a one-year wage freeze and agreed to a wage increase averaging three per cent per year over a 31 -month contract retroactive to Jan. 1. Carriers will receive a $500 bonus for the fifft seven months of the contract — $250 for part time. The unions basic hourly rate will rise Aug. 1 to $13.83 and to $14.24 on Aug. 1, 1988. Canada Post gained the right to hire casual workers after five days instead of 20 to fill in for union carriers who are away on scheduled absences. Previously, they have had to pay regular carriers premium rates for fill-in work. Canada Post also guaranteed the . reinstatement of about 150 carriers fired or suspended as 'a result of picket line altercations. Music festival sparks eight noise complaint Goderich Police dealt with 71 occur- rences over the past weekend, 16 of which occurred at Optimist Park, where the an- nual Music Festival was taking place. Eight of the incidents were noise com- plaints, five involved theft, two assaults and two mischief. Local police also dealth with a large number of thefts, mostly of flags, during the past week and are advising flag owners to mark their name or other identification on the "fly" section of the flag to aid in recovery. Part of the record crowd of over 5,000 watches the spectacular fireworks display last Tues, presented by the Town of Goderich, celebrating Canada Day. According to Police Chief Pat King, who organized the show, the town spent $6,500 for the 32 minute show and has received almost $2,800 back in donations. The town will be accepting donations until the end of the Year, For the camera buffs, the picture was shot on 35mm, 400 ISO, black and white film with an open shutter and an exposure time of about five to six seconds for each burst. The lens was covered between bursts and the camera was mounted on a tripod.( photo by Ted Spooner) Urban -rural division widening in Huron as Exeter Mayor Shaw .threatens secession The so-called "urban -rural split" bet- ween aims of municipal politicians in Huron County received another strike of the wedge this \Week. Exeter Mayor Bruce Shaw threatened the town would secede from the county if county council did not become more sensitive to the concerns of Huron's urban municipalities. "If the county doesn't soon rec�gnize the concerns 'of Exeter, we'll be taking every step possible to become a separated town," Shaw said, in an interview publish- ed by the London Free Press Tuesday. While none of the other four towns in Huron are considering such drastic measures, Goderich Mayor Eileen Palmer said ,they all share Exeter's concerns about the rural emphasis of county council. However, she emphasized that Huron County Council is "not unique in any way shape or form," in the amount of criticism it receives and said the Huron mayors are simply participating in the examination of the system which is being conducted by the Minstry of Municipal Affairs. "I think the time has come for some changes and the minister has very ,wisely decided to look at the whole province," she said, noting that Huron County just seems Former fire chief Bissett dies Former Goderich Fire Chief Edward (Ted) Bissett died suddenly Tuesday mor- ning, July 7. He was 76 -years -old. Mr. Bissett, of Goderich, was a fireman with the Goderic'`Ti Fire Department for 47 years. He was fire chief for about 15 years. Surviving are his wife, the former Marion•. Curry. Also surviving are one datig'htei�y Marion and her husba►d John Minton, ocf fn add; and one stat John and ►Alr°and { children and one great-grandchild also, survive. Visitation will be held at the McCallum and Palle Funeral Home today (Wednes- day) from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9, p.m. The funeral service will be conducted at the funeral home on Thursday, July 9 at 2 p.m. Interment in Maitland Cemetery. Complete funeral details will be ayalla'le in net week's .a. ex. to be "on them front page of the newspapers," more than other counties. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Palmer, said the current controversy dates back to last fall, when Huron County Council simply received and filed a re- quest from the mayors to have the county set up •a separate economic development department, with a full-time co-ordinator. Currently, the county's economic develop- ment department is integrated with the planning department. "It's (economic development) too big, too complex to be tied in with another department," Palmer said. "The Mayors had hoped the county would see fit to set up a separate department. However if budget constraints made it impossible to do it this year, we would have liked to see them spend the year ,examining the matter through study groups, ad hoc committees and really give it some consideration." Since the economy began improving after the late 1970s' recession,Palmer said most counties have set up separate depart- ments with full-time co-ordinators to han- dle economic development. Each of the five towns have been "doing a pretty good job," of promoting economic development on their own, Palmer said, adding she felt it "should be a responsibili- ty of the county," as well. A county -wide economic development department would "make the cost more equitable," for all municipalities, both urban and rural, she suggested. "I think it's time the rural municipalities realized it's a benefit to them, when urban areas develop in- dustrially," said Palmer. INTERNAL PROBLEMS Complaints about the operation of Huron County Council have come not only from outsiders like the mayors, who are not members of council, but from within the county's own employee ranks. Former Medical Officer of Health Dr. Harry Cieslar (June, 1986) and former 'chief county librarian Bill Partridge (last February) hake both recently resigned their postitions due to what they felt was excessive interference in their depart- ments from the Huron County Administration. The Huron Library Staff Association are planning to present a brief to Municipal Af- fairs Minister Bernard Grandmaitre later this summer demanding the creation of a municipal ombusdman to arbitrate bet- ween the public and elected councils. Palmer cautions against taking the °. mayors' complaints and the rest of the controversy surrounding county govern- ment here out of proportion. "Were simply having an intelligent discussion on the situation," she said. Lights go on this weekend The long-awaited traffic lights on Bayfield road should be operating by this weekend, said Goder'ch Works Conuni- sioner Ken Hunter. Installation of the lights, by the Toron- to Firm of Stacey Electric, began '1'ues- day, July 7 and was expected to be com- pleted by the weekend. The installation of the lights at the cor- ner of Suncoast Drive and Bayfield Road shouldn't cause any, inconvenience to motorists, said Hunter, as all the neeerssary pipes and connections are already underground. The new lights will be traffic actuated, which means they will always display green to Bayfield Road drivers unless triggered to change by the presense of vehicles approaching the intersection on Suncoast. One such traffic -actuated set of lights is already in operation at the corner of Huron Road and Brittania Road. Hunter advised motorists to use extra caution in the area, until local drivers get used to seeing the traffic lights operating at the corner. The project will cost approximately $60,000, of which 90 per cent is funded by the Ministry of Transportation and Com- munications and the balance by.the town. The idea of traffic lights on Suncoast has been debated by Goderich Town Council since 1981, when a group of area residents petitioned council to erect lights at ' the Bayfield Road -Bennett Street intersection because of the large number pf school children crossing there. Traffic' studies at the time showed stop lights at that corner were unwar- ranted and a flashing yellow light was in- stalled instead. Later studies, done after the extention of Suncoast Drive, showed that corner did meet, criteria for the lights. Once the new .lights are operating, the flashing light at Bennett and Bayfield will be removed. 'Residents use plenty of water As much as three million litres of water flows through hoses, faucets and pipes in Goderich in a single day, a. much higher per capita average than the ' City of London. ,r The Goderich Public Utilities Commis- sion noted the exceptionally high level of water use during a discussion of enforce- ment of the town's lawn watering bylaw at a recent meeting. PUC manager Evert Middel said it is especially important for. residents. to adhere to the every -other -day lawn water- -ing restrictions this summer, because of expansion being carried out at the water treatment plant. „ The plant will be shut down on certain days while modifications are made. While residents should not notice' the d'i'sruptions under normal circumstances, Middel said "the restrictions should be adhered to just in case of a major fire". Violaters of the bylaw can be given a $10 citation, similar to a traffic ticket, en the first offence, a $30 ticliet for the second of fence and water can be cut off after a third offence. While the town of Goderich uses as much as three million litres of water per day (an average of 400•litres per resident) the en- tire City of London uses only an average of 55 million litres per day for an average of only 220 litres per person. ( Note: figures. include industrial water use.) Metered water. use in London probably" keeps the gallonage down, the commission noted. ' "It gets expensive to run a hose all day; When you're on a meter," said Commis- sioner Herb Murphy. A more applicable comparison might be made between Goderich and the Town of Kincardine, where water use in a single. day has yet to hit the 800,000 litre mark. Water use in Kincardine is metered, while Goderich residents pay a flat fee for water service. INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR Canada Day Canada Day in Goderich offered many exciting activities for people of all ages. Among the activities were a civic recep- tion, the eighth anneal Canada Day Parade, and a children's pet shoo For pictures, see the front page of the Com- munity section. Racetrack news The second night of the Goderich Raceway proved to be far more suc- cessful than opening night, thanks to the generosity of local merchants and patrons who donated blankets to be given to the winning horse of each race. For last Thursday's results, see the Sports section.