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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1989-12-05, Page 1FIRST SECTION • - -:;„, 4 • • • WINTER WONDERLAND—There's nothing more lovely than fresh -fallen snow lying heavily on trees and branches. Fire board to receive rebate on new pumper The Wingham Area Fire Board will receive a $2,000 rebate, on its soon -to -be -delivered pumper chas- sis, due to a mistake of the compa- ny supplying the chassis. A special meeting of the board was held last Monday evening after Fire Chief Harley Gaunt noted that Hub Fire Engines of British Columbia was preparing to supply the board with a 1989 pumper chas- sis, rather than the 1990 model which was specified under the ten- der contract. When contacted after Last week's meeting, Beard, Chairinan .Rert Beecroft said that as a 1990 chassis will not be available until late nekt year, the board has accepted Hub's offer of a rebate of $2,000 on a 1989 pumper chassis. This will bring the total cost of the pumper, including its built-in crewcab, to $165,323. As Chief Gaunt explained at last Monday's meeting, he received a drawing of the new .pumper from Hub late last month. When study- ing the drawing, he noted that Hub was proposing to provide the board with a 1989 pumper chassis, rather than the 1990 model as was speci- fied in the tender. When he spoke to company rep- resentatives, Chief Gaunt learned that Ford Motor Company, the firm which manufactures the chassis, is moving its operation and subse- quently, no new chassis will come on line until the middle of next year. "The fact of the matter is, gentle- men," said the chief. "They can't produce a '90 chassis for another 12 months." Bill McGrath said the board could not sit by idly. It had ordered the pumper in 1989, with payment in 1990, to save money. The board should be rebated the difference between a 1989 and '90 chassis, he argued. However, some members of the board were not eager to present Hub with an ultimatum. "If you stop this thing (the order on the pumper) now, the board could be looking at another $15,000 to $30,000," predicted Norm Fairies. "If we void it, we're right back to square bne." Mr. McGrath said he would be satisfied with the board accepting the 1989 chassis, provided the com- pany rebated the board $34000, the cost of extending the -"Idatittwe. ialny rrdalberc it's 411582'Ot 4VVi-ttillt 10-'4 iiPt throw the baby ottt with the' bath "We'te talked about this thing for .a whole six months and we've got to make a decision. It isn't going to help the guys fight- ing fires just because we can save $2,000." water," cautioned Mr. Fairies. Bert Elliott, Nelson Underwood and John Cox all said they felt the board should be compensated for the error, as it was due to no mis- take on its part. In a subsequent recorded vote on Mr. McGrath's proposal to ask the company to rebate the board the cost of the extended crewcab, the motion was defeated 6-4. Voting in favor of the motion were Mr. McGrath, Mr. Cox, Mr. Underwood and Mr. Elliott, while Mr. Fairies, Jim Hunter, Gerald D'Arcey, Wayne Riley and Mr. Beecroft were opposed. Mr. Hunter cast two votes, as the other East Wawanosh representative, Fred Meier, was absent. Several other options were dis- cussed, including a proposal simply that Hub fulfill its contract. HOwev- er, finally Mr. D'Arcey said, "We've talked about this thing (the pumper purchase) for a whole six months and we've got to make a decision. It isn't going to help tirguys fighting fires just because we can save $2,000." Finally it was decided. that Chief Gaunt . would benuthoriged to negotiate a, 'ssawrOffif thiTOb, in c*itheboadae1,ato9 4# # the chassfs.Deliiiert of the new' PunlEe0;' glateci*1144161,-, • Belgrave's PRIDE pro0014 - several other viUage'impr�nte , were well received last week at• ' public meeting held by MO* Township at the Women% lusting? Hall in Belgrave. The proposal includes paving of all streets in the Morris side °film hamlet not yet surfaced, sideWaili construction, new street lighting, and renovations to the WI Hall including a new heating systern; insulation, windows and siding: Total cost of the improvements is about $168;951. About $110,524 will be covered by grants from the province. It took about 60 residents less, than an how to hear the proposal and give it the nod at last Tuesdays meeting, evert though it will cost the hamlet dwellers about $60 more in special assessment taxes. Plans for the improvements, many under the province's Pro- gram for Renewal, Improvement, Development and Economic Revi- talization (PRIDE) were finalized in the fall by Morris Council and sent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs' for approval. The entire proposal includes paving for Jane, Hamilton, McCrae, King and John Streets Corbett Dr. and Parker Dr., and sidewalks for Brandon, John and Jane streets, all to be completed in the coming year. Most of this is included in the PRIDE proposal. Additional side- walks will be built airing Highway 4 following highway reconstruction in 1992. Cost of the PRIDE portion of the project is about $76,200, -half of which is covered 'by the province. Most of the local fundinglas. already beenraised on the1989-tax levy, residents -were told, ;he reMOndef °Oki?' A:n*004 " • 41411;Oertialr nuirtre• preople°4741-It 7411 coat betiyeen.$50 and $60 mOtV'en their , yel*Irtax explained Howard Morton, village resident and chair- man of the meeting. • An additional $18,0400 grant from the Ministry of Energy could be forthcoming to cover costs of rano- vations to the hall, Mr. Morton pointed out. • Among the residents attending the meeting were members of Mor- ris Township Council and other civieofficials. Mr. Morton said following the meeting he was pleased to see a good turnout considering the stormy weather. "People here are obviously interested enough to come out and hear about this.' Two injured on icy roads Two people received minor injuries when the vehicle in which they were travelling slid on ice and struck a tractor on Highway 86, just west of Highway 4 last week. Nineteen -year-old Dorothy Roesler of R.R. 2, Whitechurch, was driving a 1978 Oldsmobile east- bound on Highway SG. The car slid on the icy road surface and struck a Massey Ferguson tractor which was stopped in a driveway. The tractor was driven by Rosa Taylor, 44; of RR. 3, Wingham. The driver and a paSsenger in the car, Cyndi Connor, aged 19, both Were taken by policecruiaer and a 'ssing Motorist to -WhighaM'and istrict ilospital and treated for *LOT *juries; Viking Lore . Page 7B • Editorials • ..... Page 4A Opinions Page 5A Classifieds . Page 6A Carol Sheet . Pages 11A & 12A Sports . Page 2B nollsfar TOURNAMENT CONSOLATION—jack McPherson, president of Wingham Minor Hockey, presents Steve Michie, captain of the Wing,ham Lions Midgets with the consolation pennant in Sunday's 13.1 division at the Wingham Midget Silver Stick tournament. Kin- cardine downed Wingham 5-2 for the championship. For more Sil- ver Stick coverage turn to our Sports section. Radio marathon will raise - Wingham and District Hospital officials expect tehear 'Within a month how nMeltfirbirincial fund- ing Wingham.'S hospital will receive. Although the provincial govern- ment last week announced an eight -per -cent across-the-board increase in funding to Ontario hos- pitals in the coming year, the specifics are not yet known, says the hospital administrator, Norman Hayes. "It's too early to tell what sort of funding we're going to get from the government,' Mr. Hayes noted last week. "Last year they announced hospitals would get an average increase of 8.5 per cent, and unding we received four per cent." His chief concern with this year's funding will be allowances for hos- pital budget increases resulting from new legislation such as pay equity and changes in OHIP. "If they expect us to cover these adjustments ourselves, we wdn't be happy," he noted. At the last meeting of the hospi- tal's Board of Governors, Mr. Hayes said the Ontario Hospital Associa- tion had asked for a 10 -per cent increase in funding. Pay equity and proposed changes to the OHIP scheme giving premium -free cover- age to everyone in Ontario could account for two per cent df the hos- pital's budget increases, he said. • •.• Mission accomplished: •committee has dissolved The Wingham and District Nurs- ing Home Needs Committee met bte list month to dissolve, as its objective to keep the Brookhaven Nursing Horne open has been ftmds for Chri• slinas Bureau accOnVii4hed, reports Margaret Tice true meaning of Chustnias is found in the gift of giving. CKNIX- AM Radio 920, in cenjurictitirkwith the'Clirisurias Bureaus bf Huron Conn* (Forayand Qfldeiis.Ser- vices) and the Listowel, : HaittWer,,, Coilerich and Pviithiet Armies, invite S/6 to titaWelitist- Maimaecterthesein need? • Thk; Thursday, will host a 12 -hour und bmadcast goat 6 amt.:AO" aign ti0rp0130:14, tvzo.foltli ie ties and in Witt; 920 'throughout the.btoarlitaqt.i thi krmattOt�xr it* th, &e less fortunate anct , a* w Through the combined effort AM 920, these charities and our donations, the magic of Christ as 'can be spread to those less for nate. Mann of Wingham, a committee member. Chairman Ian More lancl extend- ed his thanks to all members of the committee who gave freely of their time to gather over 1,400 names on ' ' a petition, to meet with MPP Jack Riddell at Exeter and Minister of Health Elinor Caplan at Queen's Park. The committee feels confident that the recent decision of the nurs- ing home branch to allow construc- tion of a new facility in Wingham will guarantee the availability of nursing home beds in our commu- nity for years to come. aft rifor their driver lag Week', .1!