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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-12-18, Page 6Page 6—The Wingham Advance -Times, Dec. 18, 1985 BIG IN BUSINESS The National Museum of Man organized A Door in tae Sky, an exhibition of West Coast prints which opened to acclaim at the Museum or Art Collections_in Bucharest, Romania. The musew:i also co-produced with the NA lion - al Film Board, To Kr:;;w th' Hurons, which won a, award at an archaeological f;lni festival in Italy during the year. To place your action ad in Crossroads classifieds, Call: The Listowel Banner, 291-1660 The Mount Forest Confedelrate, 323-1550 The Wingham Advance -Times, 357-2320 The Milverton Sun, 595-8921 PANASONIC COPIERS ARESTILLP1.IIN RELIABILITY THE AFTERNOON KINDERGARTEN at the Wingham Public School played several Christmas songs in a rhythm band at last Thursday afternoon's Christmas assembly at the school. The little children Soon to be operational played and sang "Hello Everybody and Merry Christmas", "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". Howick fire truck gets temporary home The fire tanker being readied for service in .Howick Township has been offered a temporary home in an equipment shed belonging to a member of the township council until a permanent fire station is ready. During last week's meeting of the Wingham Area Fire Board, members voted to accept the offer of Howick Councillor Norman Fairies, a new represen- tative on the board, to house the tanker in his heated shop. In return the board agreed to pay the heating bill while the tanker is in the shop. The arrangement will enable the fire department to begin using the truck as soon as it is ready for service. Mr. Fairies' shop is near the' highway just outside Gorrie, making it convenient for the fire crew currently being trained there. ` Although the board was told that the crew is not yet ready to begin responding to fires on its own, it will be called out to assist the Wingham crew with fires in the township. The board heard that 18 or 19 firefighters are being trained at Gorrie and they, as well as the tanker, should soon be ready to see some action. Noting that "It appears with that motion (accepting the offer of the shed) we have crossed a bridge toward having a fire station at Gorrie," Deputy Reeve John Jacques, Howick's other representative on the fire board, asked whether the time had come to trigger OMB decision supports council's fire hall plans The recently received deficits which have ,built decision by the Ontario up." Municipal Board (OMB) on an application by Howick Township Council for ap- proval of the construction of a five -bay works shed and rezoning of the land council intended to build it on, paves the way for council to proceed. . OMB members D. M. Rogers and G. M. Hobart, who released the decision on Dec. 5, said the concerts of local citizens who disagreed with council's plan to build a new works shed and convert the old one into 'a fire hall, were considered by the board but the OMB upheld the plan as being council's "studied opinion, backed up by. the evidence of professionals . in both the financial field and the fire The decision statprotection field." Town c es, ' "While it is most unfortunate that farming is not, at this (Continued from Page 1) particular, juncture, a the 'request for a canvass particularly • financially passed with only Dr. rewarding enterprise, we McGregor opposed. He feel it is the responsibility of asked that his opposition be council to provide them recorded. '(residents) with necessary 0-0-0 services of which fire Most of the new members protection is one and to do of council indicated they this in as financially ac- plan to attend one of the new ceptable method as possible. councillor seminars being "This we feel the council offered by the Ministry of has done and we sincerely Municipal Affairs and trust that the expert Housing. A variety of dates financial evidence we ob- and locations are available tained, that the overall cost during January and Feb- ' of fire protection would be ruary, with the closest being lessened will prove true and Goderich and Palmerston. ____khat_the_costs_.to_the-.farmers... -.-The--two-day--sessions -are- will be lessened within the described as "especially next few years. valuable to newly -elected The decision refers to the members of • council as a petition submitted to the general introduction to the OMB by over 1100- Howick broad range of respon- residents protesting Howick sibilities which face Township's plans, saying, municipal government," and "The wording of the petition . council members who had itself does not indicate that attended previously agreed at that time there was any the sessions are very helpful. real understanding of Mayor Jack Kopas council's intention. It would suggested councillors could further appear that even at stay at Banton Place in the hearing, the witnesses Palmerston and go to the showed a certain confusion sessions from there. "Or you to the new method of con- could motor over." trolling fire and provision for 0-0-0 a workshed." The days of Wednesday, -_._ _The decision identifies-_the_^Jan. 297-10-Sunday, residents inose dissatisfied have been set aside for with the new fire plans as Frostyfest '86. Council being from the Fordwich concurred with a request area, in the south-easterly from the Frostyfest com- part of the township. mittee to declare those days ' `The . _rat.e.pa-yers _ are .__ a._community festival,._._.-_ •._. concerned about the rapid The program of events rise in their taxes and this includes a variety concert, was explained by Mrs. bingo, Frostyfest sale, Nancy) Exel, an accountant . pancake breakfast, sleigh for. the township, and results rides, free picture show, from the fact that the taxes skating and dance, as well as had not been raised at all for a snowmobile poker rally, a period of five years. The cross-country skiing and . a town now has had to find tea party and puppet show money to meet certain for the children. The report goes on to say, "The costof the new building and the pumper will also give rise to increases in taxes but not . . . to bind future councils but simply to affect the taxes in the next one or two years. These should be fully paid for by 1988." The decision points out Mrs. Exel had determined the overall cost• of providing fire protection for the township will be decreased and "better protection would be provided for the majority of the ratepayers in the Township of Howick." The OMB also dismissed complaints aboutthe location of the new works The OMB sums up its. opinion of council's fire plan saying, "This appears to be the least expensive way for the township to acquire both better fire protection and a new works facility. It is in the opinion of council . . . better to plan ahead for fire protection than to react to complaints after there has been a problem. It is equally obvious that it' will be cheaper to operate the fire department through the Wingham station utilizing a fire chief and deputy fire chief and switchboard operator .paid for partially only by the Township of Howick than; it would if they were to assume these responsibilities by them- selves." a change in the cost-sharing agreement. For the benefit of newly - appointed members of the board, he explained that under the agreement establishing the board Howick's share of capital costs rose to 29.6 per cent. However its share of operating costs remained at 17 per cent until a Gorrie station was established. In the meantime Howick also has been paying most of the costs associated with the Gorrie station, to be reim- bursed by the board when it begins operation. However other repre- sentatives on the board suggested it would be premature to change any- thing until the board at least has a commitment from the Howick council to proceed with the fire station. Mr. Jacques had told the board he personally was still committed to the fire bo rd and felt that the majorit�of Howick council agr _ the d. But he said he preferred not to make any public commit- ments since council had not yet voted on the matter. Just prior to this Jack Stafford, the former Howick reeve and fire board chairman, was invited to tell the board what was hap- pening with the fire station proposal, which had been the subject of an Ontario Municipal Board hearing earlier this fall. Mr. Stafford told the board the OMB had'finally/released its decisiorajlast week, giving the township the ouncil shorts 0-0-0 A complaint concerning loitering and disorderly con- duct by teenagers "hanging out" at the Mac's Milk store in Wingham was referred by council to Police Chief Robert Wittig. The com- plaint by a nearby resident concerned excessive noise, vulgar language and gar- bage and debris scattered around the lot. Council also directed the clerk to send a copy of all future complaints of a similar nature directly to the police chief for investigation and -possible- action: - 0 -0-0 Council appointed a number of citizens as representatives on its boards and standing committees. Joan Pletch and Roger Plumb were appointed to the recreation board for a four- year term, 'as were Linda Hess and Patricia Bailey to the Day Care Board. Ted Brewster, Robert Hewines, James A. Currie, Jedy Chomyn, Ward Robertson and Ron Beecroft were appointed to the planning advisory com- mittee and also the com- iffee -of Jatljus meet: lOfr Robertson and Mr. Beecroft are council representatives on those committees. ...The -.proposed -rental -poli cy-- for the courtroom in the Town Hall has been sent back to the property com- mittee for further discussion as a result of some ob- jections by new councillors to the proposed rental fees. These fees would range from a low of $7.50 per day or $1.50 per hour 'for junior or senior citizens' groups with fewer than 15 members to a High of $54 per day or $10tper hour for - business, com- mercial or industrial groups. • Councillors James Mc- Gregor and Bill McGrath questioned the idea of charg- ing the public for the use of a public building, particularly in the case" r of political parties or of service clubs, which put their money back into the community. However Reeve Bruce Machan noted that two years of discussion had already gone into the policy and many of those objections -had been considered. "It's great to say to all these clubs 'You do a great job and here's space'," he said. "But where are you . going to put them all?" He said the policy also is in- tended to encourage more use of the Armouries. However he invited any concerned councillors to come to a meeting of the property and public works cofnmittee to review what has been done and raise any new concerns. 0-0-0 Town council has begun holding lis-meetings--i-n-the courtroom instead of the council chamber. The room is larger and also enjoys better ventilation. Mayor Jack Kopas sits at the --judge's— desk-- on the raised platform, with the other members of council arranged in a semi rcle below him. At the suggestion of Reeve Bruce Machan, the smoking members have.beepAelaced together on one arm of the semi -circle, with the non- smokers on the other side, green light to proceed with its plans for a fire station and a new works shed. Thereport report was long over- due, he said, and he does not know why it was so long in coming, but he described it as "very positive". "There was no question in their mind anywhere along the way that council was trying to hide anything or it was not good planning." He said it is "now back in council's hands" to decide how to proceed, but added, "It was sure good news to -hear that we hadn't been doing things all wrong." In a related matter, the fire board approved payment of about $700 in bills related to work being done by the Howick firefighters on the tanker, as well as $175 for John Brown Motors, where the work is being done, to cover the costs of heating and equipment. Mr. Jacques had suggest- ed the board might consider offiPting something to Mr. !Brown to help with expenses. Wingham Councillor Ron Beecroft, who also runs an auto body repair shop, sug- gested $150 would be a reasonable figure and this was raised to $175 by Coun- cillor James McGregor, the second Wingham represent- ative on the fire board. THAT'S 4 YEARS IN A ROW! NOT BAD EH? "The Winner for the 4th year running was Panasonic" SEPT. '85 ISSUE OF "OFFICE PRODUCTS ANALYST" Let Wayne Steward tell your more about The Workaholics Panasonic Office Automation (To addresses beyond 40 mile radius - '21.50) U.S. or overseas...•59.50 Yes only $19.50 wit buy a year long Christmas gift! A cheery Christmas card will go out to' announce your gift at Christmas time. This offer applies only on Gift Subscriptions to persons outside your own household • either as new subscriptions or renewals of previous gift subscriptions, Price in effect until December 20, 1985 Pi1MIT ■ncfrTI'fA AINAU A to Please send The AdvancerTImes to: PROV. _. POSTALCODE New Subscription [1 Renewal Gift'Card to Read: PROV. I_ POSTAL CODE New Subscription [. ; Renewal Gift Gard to Read: Cash or cheque enclosed for: Name of Donor Address of Donor Phone Town P.O. Box Prov. Postal Coils_ _ The Advance -Times P.O. Box 390, Wingham. N • G 2W0