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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-08-29, Page 150TH ANNIVERSARY—Mr. and Mrs. Harold Johnson of Wingham celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house 'for family and friends on Sunday after- noon. Married at Owen Sound on Aug. 29, 1934, Mr. Johnson and his bride, the former Alma Byers, farmed in the Ripley area before moving to Teeswater. They retired to Wingham 10 years ago and now live on Angus Street. 144.4 ••• • . .. :''.• •.. • • •<••• ' .i" • . . . .. . . •1'...'f,• •.';:' ::. . • FIRST SECTION • ' Wingham, Ontario, Wednesday, Aue29, 1984 Single Copy 50c I pians to develop new off-street parking lot Wingham and District Hos-,. pital plans to spend an esti- mated $125,000 developing a new parking lot to relieve a. long-standing shortage of parking at the hospital. Although work on the lot, which will require the demolition of a large house,. is still several months away,' the project cleared an an; portant hurdle last week by winning exemption from zoning requirements which would have restricted its useful size. At a special meeting of the Wingham planning advisory committee, the hospital was Ad hoc committee looks toward granted a minor variance exempting it from the bylaw requiring a 25 -foot setback from a roadway. To have ,complied with setback requirements would have cost the use of nearly 40 per cent of the lot, which is at the corner of John Street and Carling Terrace. Jerry Chomyn, who chaired the meeting, ex- plained in a later interview that the committee had seen no reason to withhold the variance, despite the ob- jections of a couple of neigh- bors. Mrs. Jo Morrison and her daughter Lizann expressed concern that a parking lot on the corner would lead to traffic problems, par- ticularly with CKNX and the high school nearby and with the number of children using dam replacement next summer John Street on their way to and frau" eetus-'d Mr. Chomyn said the Though it remains to be seen what the cost would be or where the money would Corm from, it appears highly likely the committee study- ' ing the Lower Town dam will recommend it be replaced next stuaner with a Weir - type dam which would re- store the lower pond to its former level. At a meeting last week, members of the ad hoc committee set up by council earlier this summer to study solutions to the collapse of the dam expressed their unanimous support for replacement of the dam at the earliest possible date. There also was a general consensus that the dam should remain in its present location and there should be little if any change to the level of the water. An alternative suggestion that a new dam should be built further downstream to flood a larger area along both branches of the Maitland River was dropped after engineer Ken Dunn of B. M. Rogs and Associates, Goderich, warned this would be an expensive and very time-consuming proposition. Mr. Dunn also told the 'committee it would not be feasible to repair the existing dam, since there are too many problems even with the ' portion of the Structure which remains standing. He declined to give an estimate on the probable cost of a weir dam at that site until he had time to complete his preliminary report, but promised to have the report ready by Sept. 7. The committee plans to meet again Sept. 12 to discuss the report before bringing recommendation to town council at its Oct. 1 meeting. Earlier Mr. Dunn had given council a "ball park" estimate that such a dam might cost in the neigh- borhood of $400,000. After selecting Ron Beecroft as its chairman and Mary Stapleton as its secretary, the committee spent most of a two-hour meeting discussing with Mr. Dunn the alternatives for replacement of the old dam. With no figures to work with, little time was spent discussing funding, although the committee did agree it would not rule out any potential sources of support for the project, including Ducks Unlimited, despite reservations expressed by a couple of members about participation by that group. Councillor William Crump and Deputy Reeve Patricia Bailey both expressed concern that the interests of Ducks Unlimited, which provides funding to develop sanctuaries and nesting areas for waterfowl, might not coincide With those of the town. Murray Baier, on the other hand, said it is possible the pond could be designed to accommodate both groups, pointing out that the sports- men's organization might provide up to an 85 per cent subsidy on the project. The committee also is hoping to get special federal or provincial funding for a new dam, similar to the grants received by Brussels this year for repairs to its dam and, despite an official hands-off attitude by the Maitland Valley Con- servation Authority, Mrs. Bailey said council has not ruled out the possibility of pressing the authority for funding. There was some discussion about the possibility of replacing the Howson Dam at the same time, however Mr. D n suggested the commi ould do better to • consider one dam at a time. While agreeing there are underlying structural prob- lems and that, "You cannot Wood places fourth at Pan Am competition Pole vaulter Doug Wood returned home to Wingham this week following excellent performances in two in- ternational competitions. In finishing fourth at both events, Wood raised his personal best vault to 4.77 meters (15.5 feet), up 22 cm from his previous best performance. At a Canada -Unites States challenge meet at Miami, Wood finished third behind three U.S. jumpers with a vault of 4,72 m, 17 cm above 1.oprevious personal best. .,AAt the Pan Am Junior Championships in Nassau, Wood again finished fourth, behind two Americans and a Canadian, in a field which included athletes from seven countries. In the process be raised his personal mark again, to 4.77. The top four vaulters all broke the previous Pan Am junior record of 4.75 m. Wood credits his per- formance to a lot of hard work in preparation and the fact that "the top end of my vault is really starting to come together." He said this is the firgt time he has really got the use of the techniques he has been working on. The Grade 13 student at F. E. Madill Secondary School said he now plans to take a break until mid-October, when he will start training in preparation for the indoor track and field season, which starts in December. He practices at Madill, where he is coached by athletic director Bob Campbell, and at York University, Toronto, under the coaching of Canadian record -holder Bruce Simpson. Wood said his personal goal was to clear five metres by the end of this summer and, though he- has not reached it yet, "I know I can do it:- It's just a matter of being in the right place at the right time." He said he would like to reach 5.20 m, the 17 -foot mark, next year, which will be his final year of junior competition. That goal is tied into another plan, which is to gain admission to the athletic program at one of the major U.S. universities, most of which have minimum performance standards for entry. At 18 years of age, Wood still has several years to go before hermaches his peak as a vaillter. The best vaulters now in the U.S. and USSR are between 20 and 24 years old, he said, though that does not mean they are over -the - hill after that age. Pole vaulting demands a com- bination of strength and technique, and an athlete ., may peak physically at that age but still not have reach- ed his peak technically. Among his other recol- lections of the Pan Am com- petitions are the scooter rides around Nassau. The traffic there is crazy, he reported, and he was one of nine members of the Canadia team who "wiped out" o scooters — for- tunately after the com- petition was over. He said he heard that an average of sbc people a day go to hospital as a result of scooter accidents. expect to get too much more useful life out Of the Howson Dam," he said the town should be -able -to --get by with minor maintenance to that dam for several years while trying to harilmer out altA greeMent vylth the MiniSt8g, N'aittral Resources aufk Ministry of Transportatioti and Communications for its replacement. He also indicated there would be some tricky problems to overcome in replacing the upper dam, particularly if the bridge were to be retained over top of it. The existing structure is undersized, with the potential for ice -jamming. "It's not inipossible, but it would be tough to put that (dam and bridge) com- bination there," he said. Asked about a possible timetable for replacing the lower dam, Mr. Dunn told the committee that if soil tests were taken this fall the design engineering could be done over the winter, tenders called in the spring and the work completed during next summer. Committee mem- bers agreed unanimously they would like to see the pond restored as soon • as possible. Mr. Dunn noted that while a weir -type dam, with the overflow going over the top along the full length of the dam, would probably be the most economical type of structure for the town's purposes, it would make some changes to the way the pond has been operated. Instead of draining down the pond in the fall and leaving it empty until late in the spring, a weir would hold water virtually year-round, since the relatively small control gate would make it difficult to drain the pond completely except in very dry weather. However no one suggested this would be a disad- vantage, with one member noting it might make it possible to skate on the pond in the winter. Labor Day postal service There will be no counter service or rural delivery at the Wingham Post Office on Labor Day, Sept. 3. However the lock -box lobby will be open. Mail will be collected from the red box in front of the post office at noon Sunday. Outgoing mail will be collected from the street letter boxes in town at 11 a.m. Sunday. Norman Hayes said this will meet the parking require- ments for the 'new addition and, in conjunction with the existing staff parking lot at the rear of the hospital, should handle patient traffic fairly well. He said he did not have the final estimates yet, but guessed it would cost about $125,000 to develop the new lot, including the cost of the land, paving and drainage. He said the cost will be met •from the hospital's capital funds, adding the hospital is unlikely to charge for parking in the lot since all other parking lots in town are free. He also said he did not anticipate it would create any traffic, problems, since all it would do would be to move parked cars •off the street. However he said the - hospital is talking to the town about the possibility of erecting a three-way stop at the corner. Lizann Morrison said the neighbors are concerned by the volume of traffic in an area with no sidewalks and fear the addition of a parking lot at the corner will make things worse. Anyone who has ever watched that corner understands the problem, she said, adding she thinks parents on Summit Drive should be concerned because their children walk past on tir way to school. She said she did not know whether they would take their objections any further. The new lot will enable the hospital to meet part of its parking commitment made to the town in order to obtain a building permit for the new wing. It must still develop some additional parking spaces to meet the require- inents for the existing build- ing, but Mr. Hayes said that by making some adjust- ments to the parking area at the rear of the building it will be very close to its require- ment of 165 spaces for staff and patients. Ad deadline advanced The deadline for classified advertising to appear in next week's issue of The Advance - Times is Friday afternoon, Aug. 31, of this week. The advanced deadline is required because of the Labor Day holiday, on Monday, Sept. 3. committee recognized the potential for a problem, but suggested the , concerns should be addressed to town council or the police depart- ment. ,The new parking lot will be dionally across Carling teitice from the hospital's „heW, emergency and out,. patient' wing, adjoining a small existing parking lot. Together, the two lots should give the hospital about 72 parking spaces. Hospital Administrator One injured as truck hits tree Dale Rutledge, 19, of RR 6, Goderich, escaped with minimal injury when the truck he was driving blew a tire, left the roadway and hit a tree along Con. 89 of East Wawanosh Township last Friday. Two passengers in the vehicle, Larry Bauer, 18, of RR 1, Belgrave, and Carrie - Lynn Ferguson, 15, of RR 5, Brussels, were not injured. Provincial police at Wingham reported there was $1,000 damage to the vehicle, a 1973 Ford pickup. Day care centre won't close, minister pled es Despite a government policy which would force the parents of most children using the Wingham day care centre to pay vastly higher per diem fees, there is no need to fear the centre will close, the minister respon- sible for such programs has promised. In a recent letter to Wingham Deputy Reeve Patricia Bailey, who has been one of the leaders in the fight to keep day care centres open and affordable, Minister of Community and Social Services Frank Drea pledges that, "...no day care establishment will close because of the problems you had • outlined, especially in the Wingham area." Although Mr. Drea does not indicate •exactly how centres will be kept operating in the face of the dramatic enrolment decline anticipated,,:when fees are raised at the beginning of 1986, he says that, "Over the next period of time my ministry will finalize its work on a range of options to deal with this particular issue. "In the meantime," he concludes, "I want to assure you that there is no need to worry; the matter is well in hand. Once the details have been finalized, my staff will advise you." The minister notes this letter is to confirm a promise made earlier this year during a meeting at Wien's Park with represen- tatives of the Ontario Coalition for Better 'Day Care. Mrs. Bailey, who has taken a leading role in the fight against what is seen as a serious threat. to publicly -funded day care centres, said she is pleased with the minister's pledge, but does not plan to relax yet. She -will be making a presentation to the Stan- ding Committee on Social Development meeting at Stratford later in September. Day care became a hot issue last year when the Ontario government announced it -plans to eliminate the across-the-board funding which has enabled public day care centres to keep their per diem fees well below actual operating costs. The new policy would continue to sub- sidize only children from families which qualified as needy under a means test; all others would have to pay a fee based on the actual cost of day. care. Day care centres have calculated that. when this policy, takes full effect in January of 1986 it will more than double the per diem fees for most families to over $20 per child. Local surveys of parents have indicated that most could not afford the higher fees and would with- draw their children from public day care. • Turnberry council is split over decision to purchase grader There is a split in Turn - berry Township council over a decision last week, to purchase a new road grader. Reeve Brian McBurney and Deputy Reeve Doug Fortune say they are op- posed to purchasing a new, grader this year since it will •contribute to a deficit in the roads budget. However Councillors Randy Scott, Joan Wright and Don Morrison are adamant that they made the right move in deciding to purchase a new John Deere grader, even though it is over $2,000 more expensive than a Champion model of equivalent horsepower. Compounding the problem is council's decision to keep the township's 1975 Wabco grader. Representatives from Champion Road Machinery and John Deere attended last Tuesday's meeting for the opening of the grader ten- ders. After the tenders were opened, council went into a half-hour committee -of -the - whole session to discuss the matter, following which Mr. McBurney announced to the John Deere sales rep, "Ydu just sold yourself aArader." The John Defie Class 6 grader's tender price was $137,589 without a trade-in and $130,593 with a trade-in. The competing Champion machinewould have cost approximately $135,000 without a trade-in and Combine fire causes 20,000 in damage A combine owned by Bruce Brothers Farms of Belgrave was lost in a ,fire last Saturday afternoon on County Road 20, west of Belgrave at Marnoch. Wingham Fire Chief Dave Crothers said the depart- ment responded to the call at 5:10 p.m., but the 1971 combine was beyond saving at that point. Mr. Crothers estimated the damage at $20,000 and said the suspected cause of the blaze is friction. The machine was working at the farm of John Car- michael, the south half of Lot 34, Con. 6, when it took fire. The local firefighters also were called out last Friday at 1:30 p.m. by the- Winghatn OPP to a fire in a truck owned by William Yeoman of Wroxeter. The fire was at Lot 6, Con. 2 of Howick Township and Mr. Crothers estimated the damage at $500. The cause of the fire is unknown, he said. Last Tuesday, a, self - loading wagon of straw caught fire at the farm of Glen Golley on Highway 86, east of Wingham. Mr. Crothers said the Wingham department received the call at 1:15 p.m. The fire was soon ex- tinguished, but it eaused,an estimated $200 damage to the wagon. almost $120,000 with a trade- in. That is including the installation of special Frink snowplow equipment with which the John Deere comes complete. Champion also submitted a tender for a Class 7 grader at $137,923. A Class 6 grader has 180 horsepower while a Class 7 has 205. In addition to its regular meeting last Tuesday evening, at which. -the tender was accepted, council met last Thursday evening to discuss the grader purchase and township finances. However no decision was reached at that meeting. In a later interview, Mr., Scott, who made the motion to purchase the John Deere grader, said he feels he made the right choice. Mr. Scott, Road Superintendent Ross Nicholson and Len Baird, a township grader operator, recently attended a John Deere demonstration which convinced Mr. Scott that its model is a "far superior machine". Please turn to Page 5