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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-09-14, Page 1Flophouse reference. irks citizen Statements by police commission members who referred to Court House Park as a "flophouse" has raised the ire of local citizens. One citizen, Jim Searls, was present at Mondays council meeting and said to mayor Deb Shewfelt that reference to the park as a flophouse was a poor statement in his opinion. Mayor Shewfelt asked Searls if he was speaking onbehalf of the Goderich Ratepayers Association or giving a personal opinion. Searls replied he was just ....passing- along his own opinion. Councillor Haydon also spoke' briefly on the matter and indicated that she will seek an apology for the reference by police commission members. Haydon said after the meeting that the "flophouse': matter would be dealt with at next weeks committee of council meeting. Searls claimed that acts of vandalism in the park were seemingly limited to a few broken flagpoles and that the offenders had been dealt and the damage repaired. He claimed that crime and acts of vandalism were not a critical problem in Goderich and expressed shock at statements that filtered from the police com- mission, Councillor Haydon, parks chairman, said she has received several calls from citizens and will pursue the matter at Mondays council meeting. A tow truck driver from Len Jenkins Auto Parts pries an angle parking sign out from underneath this 1970 Ford Mercury in front of Radio Shack at 40 Hamilton Street as investigating officer, Constable Rick Livesey looks on. (Photo by . Joanne Walters) the derich The Ford with mind of itsown.. Runaway car circles street, hits business BY JOANNE WALTERS, Store owners on Hamilton Street are probably beginning to wonder about the safety of their locations. In. May, a motorist drove through a plate glass window and into the former Pro Hardware store which was being renovated at the time to house the 13aechler Kitchens and Interiors store on the corner of Hamilton Street and The Square. On Tuesday of this week a runaway 1970 Ford Mercury owned by Elsie Gardiner of Goderich, crashed into Radio Shack located at 40 Hamilton Street. The car was parked in front of the Print Shop on Newgate Street with the engine running. Police say it appears that the vehicle slipped out of park and into reverse travelling about 80 feet,in-assjgg s v ,aj cars 'and backing into Radio Shack causing about $700 damage to the building and about $500 damage to the car. The accident raises questions about the safety of the car's transmission. The U.S. national highway traffic safety administration has been investigating complaints about similar accidents in which some Ford Motor Company cars have slipped from park into reverse. Transmission failures have been linked to numerous accidents, some resulting in injury or death which fortunately was not the case in the Goderich accident. The federal transport ministry which is also investigating reports of slipping transmissions, recently issued an advisory to consumers that cars should not be left running or in gear. None of the cars complained about havi j been recalled by 1 ord.' ._ IGNAL . STA 1 131 YEAR -37 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14,1978 30 CENTS PER COPY artme Despite some rumblings of discontent Goderich town council was forced to delay passing of a bylaw to permit the construction of two eighteen -unit apartment buildings on Suncoast Drive as proposed by Jack Freeman. Freeman's proposal received tentative ap- proval at the planning board level last week and was passed on to counci for final rezoning of the property. As the bylaw, to amend bylaw 29 of 1972, was going to be introduced for a third and final reading, Huron County planner, Roman Dzus asked to speak to the bylaw. c Dzus told council that the planning depart - 9 t re'zonin ment had no objections to the development but that the bylaw should not be passed. "The bylaw is improperly prepared and technically incorrect," Dzus , said. "I cannot recomment passing the bylaw. The bylaw does rezone the property but there are exemptions required under bylaw 29 and they are not ptipulated." , Councillor Elsa Haydon then suggested that council table the bylaw until the next session of council so the bylaw and development could be scrutinized further. Reeve Bill Clifford said he couldn't support tabling the bylaw adding that Freeman's plan was a good one and council delayed again should expedite the bylaw. Mayor Deb Shewfelt was also opposed to tabling the bylaw and asked Dzus if the bylaw could be altered at the meeting and then passed. Dzus said it couldn't, adding that preparation of the bylaw required more time than a few minutes. "There seems to be some kind, of ,battle_ between -the county planners and the town," $hewfe}t said. "It seems that the planners want i:o rule on everything." Haydon suggested to council that Freeman must have known about his intentions to build the apartment complex months ago and yet required urgent attention to the rezoning bylaw. She said council was given little time for proper discussion. Dzus explained to council that following initial approval from planning board it was necessary to draft a rezoning bylaw for council's approval. But he stated that the planning department, because of its caseload, required more time to formulate a bylaw than was allowed between the two meetings. He said the bylaw could be prepared for the next Monday meeting. The bylaw was prepared by works com- Turn to page 7 • Bilingual plaques hot issue Council opposed to:gov'tproposal Goderich town council decided Monday they want no part of a proposed federal government scheme to change the Pioneers of the Huron Tract Plaque with a new bilingual plaque. The large Huron Tract plaque is affixed to one of the stone pillars on Toronto Street that serve as an entrance -to the town. The plaque was placed there by the federal government and they are' now engaged in a program of replacing federal plaques with revised bilingual texts. Council received a letter from the Depart- ment of Indian and northern affairs stating that the old plaque would be replaced with a new bilingual one. The text of the plaque was also to be revised but the government was willing to negotiate the placing and wording of the plaque, But council members were disturbed at the government's action and decided to object to the procedure. Town clerk, Larry McCabe, told members that the government would simply place the plaque in another town in Huron County rather than hassle with council. Councillor Don Wheeler introduced the motion to object to the federal government proposal adding that he realized it "probably wouldn't do any good." Wheeler explained his motion saying that adding a bilingual sign would do nothing to promote national unity, if that indeed was the intent of the plaque replacement adding that the government's decision was devisive and a waste of the taxpayers'money. Councillor Eileen Palmer who then ad- dressed council in French and indicated she was totally bilingual said she refused to get excited about the matter. "It would be simply narrow minded to get involved in such a decision that has absolutely no bearingon national unity," Palmer said, Councillor Elsa Haydon declared that she spoke four languages and that the plaque change was not simply a minor matter in that a revised text would change local history as recorded on the present plaque. Councillor Stan Profit, who was not ashamed to admit that he spoke but one language, English, and not too well at times, agreed with Haydon not to support any measures that would change the historical significance of the plaque. Wheeler, in speaking to his final motion said he opposed the government interference, not because the plaque would also be in French but because it changed local history and was "a waste of the taxpayers' money for no earthly good reason." Dearborn laying off, not closing A seasonal layoff of Dearborn Steel Tubing workers prompted rumours that the firm was closing its Goderich plant,but owner Bob Brown said Wednesday those rumours are "absolutely untrue". Brown said the company was laying off some workers this Friday adding that he didn't know the exact number of employees being layed off. He said he didn't want to estimate the number because he didn't want to be wrong and alarm employees. •Brown said the layoff is an annual thing brought on by a slow–down of production at summer's end. He said some of the employees may be called back through the winter months but added that production alwsys slows this time of year. Brown said everything was going well with the company and there was no danger of a shutdown. A source close to the situation said 21 workers would be given pink slips Friday. LIFE OPENED THE KIM) :L THE FORESTS DILFARMSTEADS, TILLED THE FIELDS, REAPED THE HARESTS ' AND OF THE WOMEN, WHO MADE TIE HOMES . BORE THE CHILtREN . NURSED THEM., REARED THEM, BRIGHTENED AND ENNOBLED DOMESTIC LIRE. IN THE HURON TRACT DURING, A ,lr N i `1 KEAR TYD, 010