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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-12-28, Page 3Looking back • from page 2 Goderich Ratepayers' Association and along with other members of that group, was vehemently opposed to the new sidewalks and the new lighting on The Square. Another member of the Goderich Ratepayers' Association"': . . Brian Knights . . . also was elected to town council in the fall. It was the claim of GRA that the down lighting project , was "un- necessary and unwanted by many businessmen". They urged council to take a second look• at the matter, saying the money spent on downtown im- provements would be better., utilized for off street parking. +++ One of the interesting exchanges between the town and a citizen this year was the agreement which allowed a house owned by Art Bourdeau on Bennett Street to be moved back off the street allowance. The Bourdeau residence was very close to the Bennett Street so town council gave Bourdeau $10,000 - and Bourdeau gave the town the land required by the municipality to widen Bennett Street. +++ The town"s deputy - reeve for 1978, Eileen Palmer, had a very busy year. Palmer chaired the. environmental division of council and also headed up the Organizational Review Committee which was set to take a look at all jobs and all departments in the municipality with an eye to streamlining them, and making them more efficient and more economical. As chairman of en- vironment for 1977-78 Palmer was instrumental in setting up a reserve fund account which is gathering money to pay for major improvements to the town's. pollution control plant. ---During the budget meetings in 1978, Deb Shewfelt suggested that it might be good business to bring some of that reserve fund money into the general en- vironmental budget rather than increase costs to • the taxpayer through the general levy.. Palmer promised to study the aspect of budgeting and there may be a further report on that early in 1979 or during the 1979 budget discussions. In April, Palmer presented plans for en- closing the 850 feet of open flume in Goderich at an approximate cost of $125,000. Palmer was pleased to announce that the work would be completed "at no cost to the taxpayer". "We are saving you 12.5 mills this year," said Palmer who explained the reserve fund was made possible through the increased sewage rates paid by PUC customers in Goderich. And it was the Organizational Review Committee (ORC) that finally set the plans in motion for the town to hire a new commissioner of works, Ken Hunter Junior, son of former town solicitor Ken Hunter. Hunter started on the job in Goderich on April 17 at a basic salary of $19,000 per annum, and according to various reports from council throughout the remainder of the year, has managed to save the town at least the cost of his own salary . . probably more. But ORC didn't fare too well on its plan to get the tw.o committee system going in Goderich. Regular council meetings were to be held on the first and third Monday of each month and on the second Monday, the administration corn- mittee was to meet with the public works com- mittee meeting on the second Tuesday. But from the beginning, there were problems and snags and council is now back on its old schedule of having three council meetings per month . . . and the various divisions of council, such as harbor, traffic, environment, parks, finance, public works, etc. +++ The• Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP) got off the ground in 1978 and constituted a good deal of •the public works program in Goderich for the year. Work has included new sewers, new roads and a whole new look for Goderich's north-east corner. It will also mean that homeowners in that area will be able to tie into related government- sponsored programs for low-cost loans and some funding for im- provements to their homes;ms well. +++ Skunks became, a smelly problem for town council this spring and summer as homeowners in the municipality reported they were over- run with the black and white striped pussies. It takes quite a bit to get the townsfolk out to the council meetings .. . but the skunk problem did it. Taxpayers were rewarded, too. The town agreed to pay homeowners to hire trappers to rid their homes of skunks. Next spring? Who knows? +++ Smokers and non- smokers had a comical exchange at one of the summer's council meetings. One smoker, Deputy -reeve Eileen Palmer said she refused to be "brainwashed, bulldozed and railroaded" into giving up her cigarettes for committee meetings as well as for regular council sessions. Councillor Bob Allen and Councillor Elsa Haydon introduced the motion which was ap- proved, but Palmer said she intended to smoke at committee meetings "with or without Elsa Haydon's approval". "Surely some little bit of give and take is needed," said Councillor Stan Profit at the same meeting. Profit is a cigar smoker. "There is give and take, said Councillor Haydon. "You give the smoke and I have to take it." +++ During the year, there was considerable discussion about building a new, longer runway at Goderich's municipal airport, Sky Harbour. The idea was to build an asphalt runway 5,000 feet by 100 feet . . . but there was a restriction on the amount of space needed for the strip plus a problem of funding. It was a feeling of some of the airport committee members that a shorter, narrower runway would be affordable and would accommodate all present and future aircraft of a medium size. Deputy -reeve Eileen Palmer said the town should be giving serious consideration to leasing the airport "and letting somebody else worry about the improvements for the future." There really was no resolution of the runway problem until a notice came to council later in the year that Transport Canada would not be providing any funds for the project at this time. According to Deb Shewfelt, that letter was a "blessing in disguise." +++ During 1978, town council purchased the land owned by Mrs. Sophia Glousher which will, facilitate the propbsed extension to Suncoast Drive from Highway 21 through to Highway 8. - The agreed price was $5,000 but there were a few stipulations on the agreement for the 100 foot by 1,301.75 foot strip of land. The road and service are to be installed by 1980 and Mrs. Glousher is to be allowed free hook up of one single family dwelling. All legal and survey costs were paid by the town, too. , There still has been estimate on the cost of that project. +++ The cost of parking tickets went up in Goderich during 1978, from $2 to $3. The reason cited for the increase was the clerical and ad- ministrative work necessary after the parking ticket has been issued. This discussion at the council chambers brought renewed talk of parking meters in Goderich, but nothing is done so far on this con- troversial subject., +++ The Canadian National Railway station in Goderich came under discussion this year at council when members of council feared CN planned to abandon the site. Some interested groups in Goderich decided to get involved in finding an alternate use for the building in such an eventuality. But at a meeting of council in late June, it was explained -that there would be no change in the level of service and the building would be maintained by CN. The railway company only planned to re-classify the Goderich operation, and withdraw the station agent from town. The agent - operator of the station, N.B. McEwan became the payroll clerk; the telecom- munications equipment remains in the building; the premises is used on occasion as a bunk house; the maintenance workers utilize space in the building; and the freight shed is leased to another party. Council never did concur with a motion to permit CN to do this with the town's approval, partly because of the hope that passenger service would be restored to Goderich and other points in southwestern Ontario before too many years pass. Council did ask the CN representativesto do something about the diesel engines which park in the area during the cold weather with the motors, running through the night making it dif- ficult for area residents to sleep. �- One representative promised to act on that complaint, but just this fall at the council meeting, Councillor John Doherty said the diesels are back again and somebody should jog the memories of the CN of- ficials who were in Goderich last summer. +++ During the summer of 1978, Alexandra Marine and General Hospital administrator Jim Banks resigned over a disclosure that the hospital was running way over budget and was in serious financial dif- ficulty. Hospital staff was cut and several other cost cutting measures were employed by the board to right the situation. Goderich town council didn't really get involved in the matter, except to ask for a meeting with the town's representative to the board, Gordon Crabb. Goderich's mayor, Deb Shewfelt suggested the town had some respon- sibility to help the hospital out of its dilemma but not all members of council agreed. Asked Shewfelt, "Why do we have a represen- tative on the board if we The winner and the losers. Mayor irlarry Worsen got warm congratulations from his opponents after winning the mayoral race in Goderich November 13. Worsell carne back to the council table after a two year absence. He mayorretired as years spentthe utilities c nlsnedefeaedincumbent'mayor Deb Shewfelt and counc#11or Don Wheeler. have no responsibility to the hospital?" As it turned out, the. hospital didn't go to the municipalities for assistance. The board was able to. hire a new administrator, Elmer Taylor from Exeter's South Huron District Hospital, and began to initiate positive steps towards righting the situation. By the end of 1978, the board at AM&G expected to be back et an even keel. About $145,000 was given to the hospital in a special grant from the Ontario Ministry of Health to which several conditions were attached, such as having nursing, medical and management consultants come to AM&G to make their assessments. Town council also expressed some alarm during the year for the severe doctor shortage in Goderich. • Deputy -reeve Eileen Palmer felt council should do anything possible to attract doctors here. But the town's medical staff took a different approach and one new doctor, Dr. Charlton Chan, settled here early in November. Two more doctors - a husband and wife team from London - are expected in town early in the spring of 1979. During 1978, Dr. John Wallace died, leaving a practice vacant. As well, Dr. Roy Lomas, Dr. Barry Deathe and Dr. Harry Ceislar left their practices for other in Turn to page 8 • Q.Q1:E,R1Q ISIONAL,STA t, THURSDAY, D.E.cE11! RER M8; iO78,4►4QE A truck carrying a load of cattle crashed over the highway 21 bridge leading into Goderich on October 5. The driver and passenger were not seriously injured but several steers had to be destroyed. Goderich township reeve Gerry Ginn was elected warden of Huron County for 1978 and was given the chain of office by incumbent warden Doug McNeil, reeve of Colborne township. Both politicians ended their political careers late in 1978 retiring from their posts. A Depend on Classified Ads :s T EJ M A Sts CHRISTMAS WISH COLOURING CONTEST WINNERS From left to right: TERESA BRINDLEY, RANDY DREHMANN JIM COLLINS (OWNER) SHARI LOBB, JAMIE RIEHL STE tiM;iATrS101 ZEHR'S PLAZA Hwy. No. 8 GODERICH STARTING THE NEW YEAR WITH A LI'I"I'LE STYLE C ISTS LESS THA\, YOU THINK... OPEN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS ALL YEAR ROUND '';44.-loric4'.1 R , 411s li pa - f1 ���I'�'E� tJl1'.� L,III�"ill�liryr ,:" ji, LONG DRESSES... 30»" OFF Special Rack of $1 BLOUSES... 0 r Special Rack of SWEATERS... 1' 10 5. CHRISTMAS EXCHANGES WILL BE HANDLED UNTIL WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3rd 1�)jihlM�i;M1—��M01ii61I1�Mkllijibil� zhe clot%es ciosd 36 North St. Shoppers Square Goderich (n 11vlWM S24-8572 Our wish to you for a Joyful Holiday and a Prosperous New Year.