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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-05-17, Page 1L 132 YEAR -20 THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1979 TA 35 CENTS PER COPY Cheaper to cut the middle man The Goderich Fire Department will proceed towards the acquisition of a new Motorola communications system after receiving sup- port in principal from council, Monday. Council agreed to support a fire committee proposal to replace the present Bell system vith a Motorola communications network, basically the samesystem but at a much more attractive price. The present system 'is costing the town $989 per month but Motorola is offering a five-year lease -purchase agreement for $523.95 per month. The cost includes maintenance and after the five-year period the town would own the system. The present system is strictly on a rental basis. Weekend costs X3,000 Vandals played havoc on these lights in Court House Park recently trying to uproot one light standard and hurling a beer bottle through the globe on another. No estimate to replace the globe was available from town officials and the public utilities straightened up the tilted standard. Incidents of van- dalism in town over the weekend totaled over $3,000. (photo by Jeff Seddon) Vandals caused $500 damage to this show window at Strickland Motors on Huron Road sometime last weekend. Police say concrete was thrown through the window. The incident was one of several last weekend. (photo by Cath Wooden) BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Vandals were busy. doing their dirty work in Goderich over the weekend and as a result, Goderich Police Chief Pat King says his men will be "stepping up" their patrols both on the Square and throughout town: The police are also asking for the co- operation of the public in reporting anything suspicious they might have seen in connection with the recent van- dalism or anything which they might see in the future. The destruction all seemed to start on Thursday evening, May 10 when three globe lights were broken in Caurt House Park. Then, sometime late Friday night or early Saturday morning, a piece of concrete was thrown through a plate glass .window on the west side of the Strickland Motors Md. building on Huron Road causing an estimated $500 damage. A 1978 Firebird on the Strickland lot also received about $150 worth of damage after being hit 1)37 another"' Vehicle and five or six car lighters were taken from, vehicles on the lot. On. the same night or early the next morning, five flags valued at. $30 each were stolen from the roof of the Sheaffer Pen Company also located on Huron Road. At that time the five flag poles were bent and broken —from a trailer parked on the lot. The tank was worth about $40. Goderich police have Turn to page 18 •. formation leading to the apprehension and con- viction of the person or persons responsible for the theft and damage at Sheaffer Pen. All such inforination will be kept strictly confidential. About 3:30 a.m.: Saturday it is suspected that at least two people walked over and jumped on the hoods of seven different cars scattered. throughout the lot at McGee Pontiac Buick Cadillac located on Hamilton Street causing about $2,500 worth of damage. Damage was also done to one of the car doors probably by being kicked. Ken McGee says the vandalism of this weekend is not an isolated case. It happens almost every weekend but,,.is often not reported - to police, he says. Tilis past weekend however, there was much more damage than usual so it was reported. Jim Hayter Chev Olds Limited located on Kingston Street did not escape vandals over the weekend either; On Saturday morning, Mr. Hayter reported to police that four chrome wheel covers- had been stolen - from a vehicle on his lot and, broken beer bottles left • behind, He says he has also had damage done on his lot at other times which he has never reported. Goderich Fina Sales and .Service on Bayfield Road had a propane tank stolen Friday evening receiving an estimated $150 worth of damage. A reward of $500 has been posted for any in - Lights target dor vandal's BY&EFF SEDDON The warm weather that blessed Goderich last week gave vandals comfortable working conditions they took full advantage of. An im- promptu. gathering . in Court House. Park Thursday night cost taxpayers a few hundred dollars in damages to lights, a garbage con- tainer and a park bench. The lights and park. furniture damaged by vandals was confined to the area near the cenotaph. The light shining on the cenotaph was torn from its mount and a -park -lamp adjacent to the monument was slightly damaged when vandals attempted to pull it out of the ground. Another lamp near the court house was broken by a beer bottle thrown at the globe. A garbage can was kicked in and apark bench picked up and tossed on the ground breaking the cement end of the bench and one board on it. Ken Hunter, com- missioner of works, said it was' difficult to put a price on the damages. He said the parks crew could repair the park bench and the garbage can and the public utilities would be repairing damages to -the lights. He said the man hours could be attributed to vandalism estimating the repairs to the bench at $50 for materials and time. Hunter said the cost to fix the broken light could only be a guess. He said the complete unit cost $390 adding that he hoped the globe would cost between $50 and $100. He said the town had not ordered any replacement globesR when the , new lights were installed and that he did not know what they would cosh He said the garbage can could only be par- tially fixed. He said the container, which cost $167 and was donated by the Goderich Lions Club, had its' doors kicked in pointing out that once the doors are damaged they can never befixed properly again. PUC manager Al Turn to page 18 • vnetmematerskranteer Fire Committee chairman, Brian Knights, they were simply duplicating systems. Reeve explained that aside from the obvious -savings Bob Allen explained that the Bell system with the Motorola system and the fact that the 'functioned well but that Motorola was more town would own the equipment in five years, economical. there were other advantages. "With Bell every year we are paying more "The system is designed for flexibility," for the same equipment," he said. "But with Kinights said. "But it also contains two-way Motorola we own the equipment after five communication and a dictaphone recording years." But Palmer was concerned that in another three or four years the town would again have to purchase a more up-to-date system. "Three years ago we purchased the best system on the market and even though we'll, own this one in five years Motorola will probably have a better system out," sh claimed. "So what the hell good is this on nd why don't we wait until they come out with the better system." Two Motorola representatives were present at the council meeting and one told Palmer he didn't think the present system would be im- proved upon appreciably in the future. Council approved the matter in principal and will now wait for Motorola to forward a lease - purchase agreement which will require council approval and a bylaw. At $989 per month it cost the town $11,976 per year for the Bell system. With the Motorola system the town will have to pay a down - payment fee of $2,937 and coupled with the monthly payments ,of $523.95 the cost for the year would amount to $9,224.40. unit." The two-way communication is valuable for communication between a fireman in a burning building and the chief on the street. It was also suggested by the Ontario Fire Marshall that the town purchase the portable units. - It also contains a dictaphone call check unit that automatically records galls to the fire department. In the event of fire the call can be played back several times to re -check the location of the fire. "Often people call in a panic but with the recorder the message can be replayed to get the exact location," Knights said. "Then there's no discrepancy over what the caller might have said." The dictaphone is capable of handling 60 minutes of phone time or as many as 150 calls. The old system rented from Bell did not have a fixed price and costs rose each year and there was no hint'bf ownership in the agreement. Reeve Eileen Palmer said it appeared as if Where does it end ? BY DAVE SYKES Reeve Eileen Palmer took exception to council's prodigal spending habits Monday just three weeks after the finalization of the 1979 budget. ' Council . agreed to• a new communications system for thefire deft-, Anent, electrical work at the east warf of the marina at a cost of $5.000 and paving around the grandstand at an estimated cost of $4,000 in separate motions Monday. "Where does it all end?" Palmer asked of the council members. "What is the sense of having a budget when it keeps changing?" Councillor Elsa Haydon defended the ex- penditure on the electrical system at the harbor claiming the harbor committee had saved money on several other budget items and told Palmer the marina was self supporting. We may not,goover budget and the marina, generally supprts itself," Haydon said. "The electricity is off there so if we want to make money at the marina we have to do the work. Council also approved the cost of paving around the grandstand as Commissioner of Works, Ken Hunter, explained the town was responsible for outside work at the grandstand. At the suggestion of Clerk Larry McCabe, the $4,000 paving job was to be taken from the Agriculture Park maintenance budget. When the recreation board was ?. nted jurisdiction over the park they establikh d a maintenance budget. ~' Palmer disagreed with a third .project in which the town agreed to proceed with a local •improverhent project as petitioned. by the residents of Catherine Street: The Catherine Street residents petitioned the town to resur- face the road with tar and chip and to install curbs and gutters along the sides of the street under the Ljal Improvement Act. In the petition the residents of Catherine Street believed their request warranted action claiming the street was in poor condition and potentially dangerous to pedestrian and vehicular traffic. They added that a burst water main at the south end of ' the street during the winter compounded the existing pothole problems and because of poor drainage is 'often covered with water. The residents said the street was heavily travelled because of its proximity to Robertson School, Agriculture Park and Goderich and District Collegiate Institute. As a result of the increased traffic residents claimed that people Turn to page l 8 • Aest..etics priority'over free enterprise BY DAVE SYKES The days of the fast food wagon on The Square started with Peter Zimmerman over 40 years ago and will -likley end with Laird Eisler's operation. Council rejected a request from Joe Essex who asked permission to set up a wagon on the corner of Montreal Street and the Square to sell hamburgers and french fries. Monday council denied the request to limit the fast food wagon business to that now operated by Eisler. Councillor Jim Searls opposed the request on the basis of limiting congregations of people and night traffic on The Square. "We ,already have one wagon and a sub- marine place," Searls said. " People will he congregating on The Square causing traffic problems and it turns it into a circus." Councillor Stan Profit disagreed with the argument offered by Searls. claiming that free enterprise in a free society took precedence over concerns df congregations on The Square. "We are always restricting, is there free enterprise in society or not?" Profit questioned. "It's silly, discrimnatory and restrictive not to allow him to set up a business unless we pass a bylaw about such operations. We are not acting in good faith." Deputy -reeve, Bob Allen labelled Profit's concerns as ridiculous insisting that such establishments were notorious for litter and if council permitted such transient trade The Square would turn into a Grand Bend.' "We don't allow people to, put up trailers in town and that's restrictive," Allen argued. "Corner wagons are notorious for litter and if we allow them we will turn Goderich into a Grand Bend." Councillor Elsa Haydon also opposed per- mitting more food wagons on The Square claiming it was difficult to visualize a wagon an every corner. Reeve Eileen Palmer suggested there was merit in both arguments but added that aesthetics took priority over free enterprise. "Free enterprise is the basis of society but there has to be control over the aesthetic quality of the Square," she said. "I feel aesthetics takes priority over free enterprise." Profit introduced.a motion to allow the wagon to operate on The Square but it died for lack of a seconder. A motion introduced by deputy -reeve Allen to refuse permission to Mr. Essex was passed. Construction progress Merchants on Bayfield load from Britannia Road to the southern limits of town do intend to club together this summer, but not quite for the purpose outlined in last week's Signal -Star. Frank Pontis, a spokesman for the Suncoast Strip Business Association, said Association funds will be used to pay for advertising during the summer to acquaint shoppers with the construction progress on Highway 21. Merchants in the Suncoast Strip Business Association believe the reconstruction on Bayfield Road will be an asset to the com- munity, and that only minimal inconvenience to .customers. and to businesses in the.area will.. be necessary. • Construction is completed on Britannia Road which was opened to traffic Wednesday: The curb and gutter contractors will commence work on May 22-23 on Britannia Road. Construction will shut down at noon Thursday and traffic will be moving on all of Highway 21 . by 5:00 p.m. Gee, that's a tough question officer. Joey and Michael Vetula of Stratfgrd were almost stumped when Constahle Gerry Gaeler of Mount Forest asked the youngsters to spell their las. name after completing• the road safety course in the safety village that was part of the Poli e Week display in Suncoast Mall Saturday. The safety village tested t e youngsters' knowledge of the rules of the road. (photo by Dave Sykes)