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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1989-02-21, Page 174 1 • A*1' "CARTOON CAPERS" was the theme for the Wingham FigureSkating Club's Carnival at the Lockridge Memorial Arena and taking part were these Muppet Babies, from left: Front row, Christie Warwick, Tami Kerr, Jennifer McDonnell, Paul Clugston, Angela Chippa,- Back row, Cheryl McBride, Harmony Spivey, Carleigh Galbraith, Patricia Heibein. IVanci Skinn. Gorrie — During its Feb. 14 meeting-40We]; Township Council imstied some concerns regardhig the purchase ef a new fire pumper. Council's COMM hinged on the high cost of the new pumper estimated at apptoximately $180,000. Fire Chief Harley Gaunt informed council in Wilting of the haPertahce of pur- chasing a new truck in the near future. The last tankers were purchased in 1969 and 1981 respectively. An additional used 1905 pumper was purchased when the area fire board was established and while, all units have served the board well, Mr. Gaunt feels it is time to update some of the equipment citing a problem with the availability of parts for repairs. The purchase of a new pumper would give the fire area better .."ent4n both the Wingham and Goriie stations. Fire Chief Gaunt suggested the f, • „ 1970 imt wouldre*nain Wingham along wia new unit and PuITIPer would be, Alaeplaeed in the • Genie station along with the.1965 *lit as a -backlit which would give rtheeliaabrieeadeaparnrtmliehenntewer andmore Fire Chief Gaunt also pointed qut _ prices for pumpers increase by about $20,000 'annually and stated several regulations and laws pro- • hibit the use of pumpers of vintage elder than 13 years. Council discussed the suggestions made by Fire Chief Gaunt. To solve the problems of the high cost council discussed the option of purchasing another used unit from Toronto or other major urban centres but was advised that trucks from such Centres are usually in bad shape since they are used excessively. Council decided- to -research -its options further and postponed its de- cision to a future council meting. Wingham granted $18,240 for its recycling program The Town of Wingham has been awarded a provincial government grant of $18,240 to assist in getting its multi -material recycling program off the ground. The MOE grant will be used for the operation of the program itself as well as for the purchase of A new strategy designed to guide the Maitland Conservation Author- ity's activities over the next 20 years was introduced to members at the MVCA's annual meeting Thursday at Wroxeter. The 20 -year strategy, MVCA General Manager Les Tervit told the meeting, is aimed at solving the major resource management problems in the watershed. The Maitland Conservation Strat- egy was developed in three stages: -A redefinition of the major resource management issues in the t watershed, and determining the cause and effect of each. [• -The identification of the most * effective alternatives fpr:;. dealing with each major issue. -The development of programs to deal with the issues using identified alternatives. _The strategy's overall goal focuses on the conservation of soil " and water resources and to achieve this, the authority has developed four program areas: land use, 'development, land management, • and conservation area property management. . "Our primary target audience at this stage is the MVCA directors, MVCA staff and the municipalities," Mr. Tervit said. Paul Weitendorf, MVCA commun- ity •relations co-ordinator briefly explained the planned implementa- tion of the strategy in the four program areas. The land use program will focus on the major land use issues in the watershed- and will address how people use existing and farmer resource lands and marginal agricultural land. In order to meet its land use goal, the authority will encourage con- servation of the existing !Mures lands in the watershed, conVerkion of Marginal agricultural lands:to a more sustainable land use, and the restoration to their natural state of former resource lands that perform valuable natural functions. Program activities will be de- veloped in the areas of information and education, extension services, planning and policy, data collection and monitorint: The development program ad- dresses major development issues and associated infrastructure in areas where there is potential for flooding and -or erosion, and other lands that are important in main- taining natural riverline and shoreline processes. • To meet this goal, the authority will encourage_ hew :development to - locate in arits,which axle not subject to floocruitlind-or 2 -erosion, where there wilt he no interference with natural -riverline or . shoreline processesior where the flood- ettisionhazards can be effectively mitigated with neo upstream or downstrealn impacts. The authority also will encourage the relocation or removal of development from areas subject to flood and -or erosion as well as en- courage the appropriate use of remedial measures to protect existing development in areas subject to flooding -erosion. In order to meet its land man- agement program goal, the authority will encourage the adoption of appropriate agricultural land management practices that may include cropping, tillage, farm • waste, fertilizer and pesticide man- agement, and drainage practices. • In addition to mangin' g soil and water resources, the conservation areas property management pro- gram may also include the following activities where appropriate: recre- ation and education facilities, forest management, fish and wildlife man- agement, small dams and reser- voirs, and heritage sites. Mr. Tervit said the Maitland Con- servation Strategy is to be carried • out at three distinct levels: --The overall 20 -year strategy. --Interim five-year strategies developed for each major issue and organized by program area. -Annual activity outlines for each major issue which define the MVCA's objectives for the year. MVCA Chairman Bruce McCall told the meeting the strategy rep- resents a considerably different ap- proach to watershed planning than the authority previously had taken. Residents in the watershed derive Many benefits from its natural resources, he said, but the activities of people have placed these vital resources under increasing pres- sure. "Given the current use, many of these local natural resources will not be sustained for future generations to enjoy," he said in support of the strategy. igures may show there's a less expensive way to go The Wingham Area Fire Board period of two years or more. has asked Fire Chief Harley Gaunt Wingham Town Council, at its to get an estimate on what it would February meeting, suggested a cost to remove the fire pack from three,,year period and asked its two one of the department's older representatives to get a firm figure pumpers and install it on a new cab • on what the pumper will cost. and chassis. At the board's February meeting, At its regular February meeting, Mr. Gaunt reported that a firm the board also directed Mr. Gaunt to quote received from a fire truck circulate that information to the manufacturer sets the purchase councils et each of the five member price at $173,876. municipalities for consideration Members noted that the price for during their budget deliberations. the cab and chassis is quoted at Faced with the possibility of a $48,000, which means the other $180,4100 pumper purch:.ze, board $125,000 or so is for fitting out the members have been looking Mr truck with the fire pack. ways to minimize the impact on So, Howick Township representa. municipal budgets, including five Norm Fairies asked what was spreading the purchase • over a wrong with taking the fire pack off the pumper at Gorrie which was being replaced and putting in on the new cab and chassis. Asked if it could be done, Mr. Gaunt acknowledged that it was possible, but pointed out that in order for the completed unit to qualify for a 1989 rating, the pump on the old fire pack would have to be inspected and rebuilt. The other questiOn to be answered, he said, is whether or not there is any company in Ontario which specializes in the refitting. The board hopes Mr. Gaunt's re- port on this new approach will help councils to reach a decision which their representatives will then deliver at the March meeting. curbside "blue boxes", a vital com- ponent of the program, Agriculture and Food Minister Jack Riddell said last week. Mr. Riddell, who is also Huron MPP, was announcing the grant on behalf of Environment Minister Jim Bradley. He congratulated Wingham for joining other municipalities in On- tario which also are recycling signi- ficant quantities of their waste. Meanwhile, Wingham's recycling co-ordinator Jim Lang toltThe Advance -Thies that - the tentative date for the program kickoff is Monday, March 27. Mr. Lang said 1,300 blue boxes have already been ordered and de- livered, and will soon be distributed to households throughout the town. • The town also will mount an in- formation and advertising cam- paign to educate residents on how the program works. Morris Township building permits Two building permits and one demolition permit were approved at the first monthly meeting of Morris council. Building permits were approved for: Allan Krotz, Lot 24, Con. 5, a new porch and Bev Griffith, Bluevale, a storage building. A demolition permit for a side porch was issued to Mr. Krotz. County looks at healthy surplus Although audited figures are not yet in, it appears that Huron County Council is beginning 1989 with a healthy surplus froin last year's operations. Figures released at council's regular February meeting indicate a total surplus of $943,632 for 191:. . A breakdown of that figure shows a surplus of $471,915 from general funds last year, $431,651 from the 1 highways budget and $40,066 from the library budget. K. Wood retiring from FEMSS Ken Wood, principal at the F. E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham for the past number of years, is retiring at the end of this school year. Mr. Wood, who was vice principal for Several years before being named Madill principal, has been at the Wingham school for 31 years. •