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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1988-04-12, Page 19A t r‘D ,t4 paggMAM#3,61e4.4.41ma., ,, ' t • t'' t.10 LIBERAL,. ASSOCIATION MEETS — tan Scott, attorney general of Ontario, Anita and Jack Riddell chat- „ me7.77cemeireemm11111141.1NOM ted with Goderich Mayor Eileen Palmer at the annual meeting of the Huron Provincial LiberalAsociation held last Wednesday in Blyth. Mr. Scott was the guest speaker ,at the riveting. • Attorney General d --stand on San n r o government is not afraid to make tough decisions, even on matters such as Sunday shopping and abortion, , Attorney General Ian,- told,,the,appuai,meetirig.of-the— Huron Provinelal Liberal Associa- tion last Wednesday evening in Blyth. Mr. Scott addressed almost '400 party faithful at the meeting, the second since the association was formed under redistribution in the fall of 1986. In defending the government's controversial move to allow , municipalities to determine whether or not stores remain open on Sundays, Mr. Scott said when the Liberals came to power in 1985, they discovered that 40 per cent of the retail establishments in the province were open on Sundays under the existing law, but that same law was being breached in some parts of the province and simply could not be enforced. "We could have made a little change here or there, but we looked • at the reality of life in Ontaripthe said. In some 'communities, par - titularly along the border, there is tremendoits• treasure to reflrain !pen, while-thevura are opposed. "It was not our right to impose one view on everybody,” Mr. Scott con- tinued, and so the government decided to let municipalities decide for themselves. Letting the municipalities decide whether or not to allow stores to remain open on Sundays "takes into account the diversity of this province and allows local people the freedom to make their own decisions". He called the abortion issue the most divisive in the province and a grave problem which faces governments all across Canada. When Dr. Henry Morgentaler was acquitted in. a provincial court, Ontario appealed the decision to the Supreme Court to enforce the Criminal Code. However, the higher cOurfauled the law invalid and now the province must live with that - ruling. Since coming to power in 1985 the Ontario Liberalsliave made several 'hold414thhattivatiVtratelia;!1,01ra ending ,eitra-bilfini„b`Y deetdes, increasing funding -for hoipitals, colleges and universities and passing a Freedom of Information Act. However, much remains to be done, said 'Mr: .Scott, and the government *still hopes to improve services to file handicapped and elderly, as well as improve the educational and the health-care systems. RIDDELL SPEAKS. In his remarks at last week's meeting, Huron MP and Ontario Minister of Agriculture Jack Riddell thanked his supporters for all their hard work in- last:fall's provincial election. - "It's important to avoid com- placency," Mr. Riddell warned his, fellow Liberals. "We have to earn (Continued on Page 2B) ire seeks Wingham Town Council wants more information before granting a request for a special meeting with an ad hoc committee of the Wingham and Area Fire Board. At its regular April session, council considered the ad hoc committee's request for a special meeting to discuss a personnel matter. When some members of council appeared willing to agree to the meeting, reservations were quickly expressed by each of council's two fire board representatiVet. "I think that at dila Hine it would be presumptive of us ta set a date," Councillor James McGregor said and suggested council wait at least until a report from the Otitari0 Pire Marshal has been received by the board before any med.* 04 held With the ad hoc committee. Although the committee has prepared a report which it hoped to discuss with council, Dr. McGregor ---- a Member of 'the ad hoc com- mittee — said it is not a unanimous one. and hinted at the possibility of an additional minority report on the personnel matter. "It appears as though they (the committee) do want to discuss the possibility of hiring a full-time fire chiefi" Councillor Ron Beecroft, Witigham's other fire board representative said. He said that after reading the ad hoc committee's report, "1 wasof the impression that it is a f�regone Certe.luttien that we are hiring time chief, and at a salary which has been aireacly , • • ut e ba 41,*# fot't6yeitrs, win mediae 60. Re also coached. hockey for 15 Atari:, male athlete, Heather Shiell of are.. Miss Shieli started her softball 'Career m Belgrave, pJaying catelter,;and,110* Ida3ra in ,,-Winghatu• and for- the Goderich Elevators. She managed the con- cession booth at the ballPark for two vii •LU „ years, umpires baseball and plays youth groups in the areal: eams litave ' Srnce it was chartered ,Belgrave Kinsmen quite active ifl the, community; T. inSihenwere instrumental in th velopment of the Paw bag Park ,13elgrave assisted financially and with. vol-unteer labor in -the., building of the -new food - broth and p1a3rgrotind.- The e 'sMen als e • been responsible for inaking the arena for the Oast two'yea have given financial sjipp hockey and rmgette. Miss Shiell was unable to attend to accept her award. --Male athlete, Terry Daer of RR 5, Wingham. Mr. Deer has played baseball for 12 years in Belgrave and Wingham. and won the top - batting award When his teain cap- tured the WOAA and all -Ontario championsjup two years ago. He also has played hockey for 14 years in Belgraye and Wingham and was with the all -Ontario championship Bantam, hockey- team in 198546. In -addition, he:was- ra-Mtitiliertif -the WOSSA finalist F. E Madill Secondary School hockey team, an Optimist junior golf champion and a gold medal winner in track and field at the East Wawanosh Public School. —Volunteer, Gordon Penge11Y of Certificates were presented to Marion Taylor, Cheryl faxtoa, Annie Blair a posthumous award for her husband, Hugh Blair — Robert Carter and the Relgrave Co - Operative. Probationary period over for graderman The probationary _ employment.. - period -for Morris graderoperator ' Bob Dickert ended April 1 and he has been hired full-time by the township. Mr. Dickert was hired last year by township council at 59 per hour. Council increased his hourly wage to $10 per hour at the first April, ' Meeting. - 4 h a MI interim Morris Township, Council has authorized an interim tax billing for late June. The interim billing is necessary -because changes currently under- way to county market value assessment mean tax roles will not be available until late May at the earliest. As Clerk -Treasurer Nancy Michie explained to council members at the first regular April meeting, the interim billing will be for 50 per cent of the 1987 realty taxes and will not include special charges such as drains, street lights or dogs. "1 don't see anything wrong with it ittee ting Although no figures were mention - •ed at the council meeting, an . n - formed source suggested the salary stated 'in the report is in the area of $35,000 which includes benefits. The cost of hiring a full-time chief would also include a vehicle and mileage, the source said. Of 11 municipalities responding to a recent survey, all currently em- ploy full-time fire chiefs. Of that seven, three also have other full- time 'fire department employees. Salaries fon fire chiefs ranged from the lowest of $27,000 in Derby Township to the $42,300 high of the TOW* Of Renfrew.' The Town of Strathroy pays its fire chief 041320, Kincardine's full-thue chief receives $32,572 and St. Marys pays $29,384 to its fire chief. iteov, 1*7 .4%4141)10. had 0.m0. concern about the fire marshal's report and said he "heard through the grapevine" that the report will be- presented individually to the councils of each of the- board's Member municipalities instead of at a general meeting of all councils as promised earlier by the fire mar- shal's representative. "It's a five -member fire board and all members should have the same information," Mr. Machan said. "What happens if one of us asks a question here that. some of the other councils don't?" Following the discussion, council agreed to advise the ad hoc com- mittee that it is willing to meet, but not until 'after the report from the fire Marshal, has been reeliyeff.by `-fit04100:: ax mailing (the interim biffing)," said Coun- cillor Howie Morton. "It will save us some on our borrowing." Mrs. Michie said a total of $331,680 will be due in the first tax in- stallment, the last Friday in June. Without an interim tax billing, she said, the township would be forced to borrow, money to keep up with its expenditures. The final tax installment will be due the last Friday in November as in past years. Still with taxes, council also in- structed Mrs. Michie to proceed with having the tax bills printed by a computer firm, rather than by hand at the municipal office. Mrs. Michie said having the tax bills computer -printed will cost no more money than having them hand done and probably will save the township money and her time. For example, last year it cost $4300 to process one tax billing manually, she said, compared to $500 for the interim billing. She still will go over the taX bills before they are sent out, she assured council members. Gravel contracts are awarded by East Wawanosh Lloyd Jacklin of Listowel and Joe Kerr Ltd. of Wingham have been awarded the 1988 East Wawanosh gravel contracts. All gravel will be taken from the township pit -at Westfield. The ',Malin firm will stockpile 5,000 cubic yards of gravel for $1.40 per yard or $7,0(0. Kerr will crush, place and haul 15,000 cubic yards to roads in the south end of the township for $242 per .yard or 14800, , . „ „ . . .