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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1989-02-14, Page 17t tt 4 sk,•:* • OPTIMIST ESSA Y CONTEST — Ray Cardy of the Wingham Optimist Club presented Kevin. Smith of Wingham with first prize in the club's essay competition on "Freedom, Our Most Precious Heritage". Kendra Pennington and Jennifer Rattee, also F. E. Madill students, won second and third. Kevin's essay now goes on to the district competition. From WBA perspective, Iaw adequately enforced In the opinion of the Wigham Business AssOciation, the present level of enforcing the town's main street parking bylaw is adequate. Three representatives of the association's executive conveyed that- message to the regular Feb- ruary meeting of the Wingham Board of Police Commissioners. When the subject of a possible in- crease in the level of main street parking enforcement came up •-during the board's preliminary -• budget discussions last month, corn- -missioners decided to invite the •'',-,.association to comment on the issue. At the outset, Chairman Holly Keil '--made it clear to the delegation — 4,174BA President Jack Kopas and executive members Gerry !Kavanagh and Jason Ainslie — that .the discussion was not to be about the absence of, or the need for, i.parking meters. Mr. Kavanagh was the first to state that in his opinion, the mair street parking situation presents a severe problem to association mem- bers. He said he makes his conclusion as Award winner is announced • Stephanie Goll of Wingham is the -1989 recipient of the Margaret Bennett Junior Citizen Award, Announcement of Miss Goll as the ,second person to be presented the awarcf was made by Wingham Police Chief Bob Wittig during his monthly report presented at the February meeting of the Winghain Board of Police Commissioners. Mr. Wittig said the award is pre- sented to Miss Goll in recognition of her assistance to police when she ob , served an illegal act taking place and reported it quickly to the proper c authorities. The award, established last year by the late Margaret Bennett, a i former member of the board of police commissioners, is to be $ presented at a future meeting of the board. 13 the result orhiS-WalkS daily from th Standard Trust office, where he works, to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce on Victoria Street East. "Very rarely have I seen it, at least in the block that I walk, that, there isn't a parking spot or two," he said. However, some employees of the main street businesses have been known to park on Josephine Street, but they too, should -be Subject to the bylaw, he said. "If employees refuse to adhere to the parking bylaw, then they should be ticketed," Mr. Kavanagh said. Parking violations are more of a problem from within (employees parking on the main street) than from customers, Mr. Ainslie said, "We provide ample parking behind the stores, at least on our block, for owners and staff," he added. Although, technically speaking, these employees who park on Jose- phine Street are not breaking the law, Mr. Kopas said common sense sttil dictates that they should be irking -elsewhere; - gWe encourage our membership gad others to leave the parking aces on the main street for customers, or else they are cutting elf their noses to -spite their faces, so to speak. " He said the present level of enforcement, plus the recent expansion of off-streetparking "has helped to alleviate what used to be seen as a serious parking problem," Commissioner Doug McBurney e asked the ---BA repretentatives it the association -is satisfied with the amount of time currently spent by the Wingham Police Department in enforcing the parking bylaw. "From our perspective, we don't see a parking space problem, so the present enforcement must be adequate," Mr. Ainslie replied. "I guess it's the flagrant offender that we would like to see get the tickets," Mr. Kavanagh added. "The ones who flagrantly ignere the bylaw, and they are there day fter day." Commissioner Ian Moreland ex- pressed thanks to the association representatives for "taking time from a busy schedule to come here and reinforce *hat we have already felt, that the parking bylaw is being adequately enforced." OME awarded insurance contract OME Insurance Brokers Ltd. have been awarded the 1989 insurance ontract in East Wawanosh Township. Michael Duwig of OME attended ast week's meeting of ,council to present this year's policy which, at 7,822, is over $1,000 less than 1-". The Belgrave Conimunity Centres oard also is covered, With t .opening of the new library ding at. Wingham year, the through this brancbinei Per ;CenHuron learixed at jf. MO. meeting. In her annual Huron County:0*f ,librarian L... Ross said. the 1400.* ifl nor Huron did a booming busineaa'1 1968. At Wingham, the !nave from cramped quarters in thOwnhaii to the spacious free -goading- building on Edward Street helped contribute to the (*Illation of 51,390 books in 1988, up by 7,761 from the 43,529 of the previous year. The Brussels branch library led tine county with an increase of 46 per cent in the number of books loaned out during the year. In I.,: ; , 13,125 books were circulated from the the Brussels branch compared with 9,099 -the yearbefore - - - Generally, good results were reported throughout most of north Huron, although not all of the news was good. -On the loss side, circulation at Bluevale dropped to 1,116 from 2,152, a loss of 52 per cent, while Auburn dropped nine per cent, from 2,239 to Wingham Town Council has pass- ed a bylaw which makes seven appointments to the Wingham and District Museum Board. The action took place at council's regular February session and appoints John Schedler, Mabel Jacklin, Bob Skinn, Scott Reid, Barbara Bender, Robert c aibert -and-Blaise Grita to -the -Want.-- • The terms of Mr. Schedler, Mrs. Jacklin and Mr. Skinn expire Dec. 31, 1989 while for Mr. Reid and Mrs. Bender, the term expires Dec. M, 1990. The appointments of Mr. Carbert and Mr. Grifa are to end Dec. 31, 1991. Future of local hospital is discussed at council In the meantime, the hospital board and foundation ask that area councils will consider setting money aside now in reserve funds for future expansion at the hospital. Mrs. Arbuckle explained the role of the hospital foundation, formed several years ago to act as the fund -raiding arrreof the hospital. The foundation is responsible for raising money, which it must turn over every five years to the board of governors. One of its most successful events is the fund-raising barbecue, which will be held this June 23, she mentioned. Mrs. Inglis provided council with some interesting statistics about the use of the hospital facilities by township residents. In 1988, 10 per cent of the people who used the outpatient department at the hospital were from' Turnberry; 8.5 per cent of the in- patients and four of the 14 chronic - care patients. Council members appeared interested in the presentation and said they would give consideration to the hospital at budget time. _ Commissioners abDrove Two representatives of the board of governors at the Wingham and • District Hospital and one member of its charitable foundation 'attended the first monthly meeting of Turnberry council. Mary Lou Thompson, hospital board chairman and Doris Inglis, Turnberry representative, attended the meeting, as did Isobel Arbuckle, foundation chairman. As Mrs. Thompson explained, the Wingham hospital is considering a capital expansion within the next several years and will require the support of the larger community. The health, ministry has said it could be 10 years before any capital funds are forthcoming, but overcro*cling at the local hospital may nee a,.sitate action before that. The hospital's intensive care unit, its chronic care wing and obstetrics all are being considered for modernization, Mrs. Thompson added. She estimated the entire cost of the project to be between $800,000 and $1.2 million, cautioning that it would not go to tender for at least two years. $364,011 budget for 1989 Wingham Board of Police qrainniissioners has approved its 089 budget totalling $364,011, a 7.5 per cent increase over last year's actual total expenditure of $338,690. The board had at one time pared the increase down to 6.8 per cent, but the last minute addition of $2,500 for the purchase of a portable radio unit brought the increase back up to 7.5 per cent. However, Chairman Holly Keil pointed out that when budget deliberations began the board was faced with a 7.9 per cent increase, but commissioners managed to cut items to bring that figure down to 6.8 per cent. Largest single budget item is the $250,368 for police department salaries. Employee benefits — 18.67 per cent of department salaries — account for another $46,743 and honoraria for commissioners and the board secretary will total $6,200. Services provided by the Hanover Police Radio Dispatch System will cost the board $19,000 in 1989 and the purchase of a new vehicle will cost another $12,000. Operating and maintenance costs for the department's vehicles is ex- pected to cost a total of $14,500. The board expects revenue to be $63,000 — a $60,000 provincial government unconditional grant and $3,000 in anticipated revenue from bylaw enforcement — leaving the Town of Wingham's share at $301,011. The purchase of a portable radio unit generated a discussion on the philosophy of service contracts and the possibility of establishing a reserve account for such equipment purchases in the future. Mrs. Keil pointed out that Wingham is the only force in Zone 5 which goes beyond the 10 -year mark in replacing its equipment and askea Police Chief Bob Wittig for an opinion on how soon the radio equip- ment would have to be replaced. Mr. Wittig told commissioners that the portable units are most in need of replacement, while the department will likely have to replace at least one mobile unit in about five years. Commissioner Doug McBurney recommended the immediate pur- chase of a portable unit and suggested that the board consider making provisions to purchase at least one a year for the next three years. He also suggested entering into a service contract with an electronics company to maintain and repair the current equipment, at least until it is updated. Commissioner Fred McGee. however, was opposed to service contracts saying that, in general they can turn out to be more costly than if the board were to pay for service and maintenance on an as - needed basis.