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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWingham Advance-Times, 1977-12-14, Page 1Rik P",Filr"-----"".'"toQINAWIth,;01WWORTafflUt7,1,9fflApi.,&W,40,i, .14 4 FIRST SECTION W ingham , Wednes4lay, December 14, 1977 HO! HO! HO!—Santa himself brought up the rear of the parade held in his honor last Saturday. Questioned about the absence of reindeer, the jolly gent explained they are resting for their big night Dec. 24. Instead he bot his good friend, Reeve Bill Elston of Morris Township, to pull the sleigh. • BEAVER COLONY—These industrious little Beavers walked the,whole parade route with the Santa Claus parade last Saturday. They won third prize in the children's category for their efforts. • • • " • ' LAND -SEA -AIR PACIf.AGI TOURS Businesi or pleasure . book owl yr"' saw Ustow,I, Ontario re 2914111 CaII Toll Free 1-800-265-6332 Single Copy Not Over 30c Listoiniril conduit and Gorrie dam are priority projects for MVCA t, Repairs to the Listowel conduit and replacement of the washed- out Gorrie dam are high on the list of projects to be undertaken next year by the Maitland Valley' Conservation Authority, author- ity members were told at a.' general meeting last week. Both projects are included in the authority's proposed budget for next year; it expects to hear' by the end of this month whether funding has been approved and the budget should be finalized in - early January. Listowel has now given appro- val in principle to the conduit repairs and the authority is awaiting only the funding and the approval of the minister of natural resources to move ahead. The project was allotted a grant of $150,000 this year but more than two tturds of that was with- dra,wn when it became obvious it would not proceed before next year. The new budget proposes $70,000 for detailed engineering of the conduit and $350,000 for the construction of downstream improvements. Authority members were told Maitland Engineering, Wing - ham, has submitted a revised estimate of the cost of replacing the Gorrie dam. It now appears it could be done forless than $50,000. The dam is "quite a sore sub- ject in this area", Chairman Lorne Murray noted, and he pro- rnised to "get political" if neces- sary to get the project approved. "This is the third year it's been in our budget," he said, suggest- ing the authority has been "push- ed around by a couple of civil servants". Mr. Murray also announced the authority's share of the project's cost will be levied over the entire watershed rather than designat- ing Howick Township the special benefitting municipality and assessing it the cost. Authority members gave their approval at the meeting to a plan that would allow controlled development in floodplain areas of qualifying municipalities. The plan hinges on the "two zone,con- cept" of a floodway and a flood fringe. - Those areas that would be affected by flooding, during a very severe regional storm (one in 100 year storm) are considered to be in the floodway while areas beyond this that would be flooded only during a storm with the in- tensity of Hurricane Hazel make up the flood fringe. MVCA Resources Manager Ian, Deslauriers, in explaining the proposal, said he feels there is justification for allowing development in both areas under some circumstances. pevelop- ment in the floodway will be dis- couraged, however, while flood fringe development will normally be approved subject to certain .floodproofing cmditions. - He later noted what the author- ity approved at the meeting was the setting up of criteria: condi- tions to be met by a municipality for it to qualify as a special policy, area. He listed the conditions as: 1) floodplain mapping to regional storm criteria; '2) assuming there is a substantial amount of flood- plain, a remedial measures study must be done to show how it could Please turn to Page 2 Salary increases for dept. heads range from 7.5 to 14.4 per cent Huron County department heads have granted salary: increases for, 1978 which range anywhere from 7.5 per cent to 14.4 per cent. The increases were approved at the October session of county council without any question, County Administratot Bill Hanly said this week.. For the first time ever the de- partment heads negotiated their salary adjustments as other county employees do. Nego- tiators for• the department tieads, • were deputy clerk -treasurer Bill Alcock; planning director Gary Davidson; ' and social services administrator John McKinnon. ...They met with. a special mittee chaired by Warden -Doug McNeil and comprising the' members of the executive com- mittee and the chairman of all other county committees. According to the printed report of • the special committee, de- cision Was reached to allow each department head an increase of salary of $75 ever y\ two weeks or $1,950 per annum. "This increase represents an average (increase) of 3.8 per cent for this group of employees," the ' Special committee report stated. The following salaries were ap- proved by aimed: clerk-treas- ure,r administrator Bill Hanly $27.820 representing a 7.5 per cent increase; deputy clerk -treasurer '' Bill Alcock $24,310 or 8.7 per cent ; • development officer Spence Cum- niings $17,836 or 12.2 per cent; planning director Gary Davidson' $25,012 •or 8.4 per cent; social services administrator John Mc- Kinnon $18,434 or 11.8 per cent; museum curator Ray Scotchmer 45,470 or 14.4 per cent; county li- brarian Bill Partridge $19,006 or t 11.4 per dent; and Huronview -I4administrator Chester Archibald 121,242 or '10.1 per cent. In telephone interview this week with Hanly, the adminis- trator Said the increases were Within the anti-inflation gidde lines "as printed". "This is what the guide lines say," said Hanly. "The oveeall increase of the group is 3.8 per cent. No one has received more than $2,400." Hanly admitted the increases Were made possible since a new Santa Pctrade is enjoyed by all Though the recent snowstorms may have kept its size down a bit last weekend's Santa Claus par-. ade came off virtually without a hitch, repaying the many hours of work put into it by the Wingham Junior Citizens. The Junior Citizens, with some assistance from Bill Keil of the SANTA'S HELPERS—The Wingham Public School float took first prize in the children's category at the Santa Claus parade last Saturday. Wingham Business Association took over organizing the parade for the second year in a row and i is generally agreed they did a fine job. Hundreds of people from the town and surrounding area turned out to watch the parade make its way up Josephine Street Saturday afternoon; even the snowbanks lining the street play- ed a part by providing smaller spectators with a vantage point from which to watch. The parade compared favor- ably in size to last year's, which was billed as the ".biggest and best ever". It contained 22 en- tries, not counting a number of commercial entries, ranging from colorful floats to majorette corps. Picked as best entries this year were the "Santa's Helpers" float entered by Wingham Public School, first; the< Wingham Jun- ior Citizens' float, second; and the Beaver colony third in the Children's category. The Cubs won an honorable mention, In the General category the float entered by the Pro Life group took first place; the CB Club entry won second and the hospital float took third. Honor- able mentions went to the entries from Wingham Kinsmen Club and Burke Electric. First place carried a $40 prize with $25 for second and $15 for third in each category. Mr. Keil said a special thanks should go to the CB Club for its help with the parade. In addition to providing communications it volunteered to pick up costumes that were delayed by the snow, he, said. After the parade all the chil- dren were invited to the Ar- Mouries where they received a bag of candy courtesy of the busi- ness association and a chance for a private word with Santa him- self. t medical officer of health and a new engineer had been hired early in 1977 at considerablyless 'rrioneY than had been paid to the former ,employees Dr. Frank Mills and Jim firitnell. When he left the county employ Dr.' Mills was being paid $37,024 per annum, Dr. Brian Lynch the ° new MOH was hired at $32,000 and When he has cemple ed, his public health course in Toronto later this year, he will be raised to $36,000 per annum. , Jim Britnell, the former county engineer was receiving $32,578 per annum when he resigned. His' successor Bob Dempsey was hired at $25,000 and will receive an increase of $15,000 on Jan. 1, , 1978. Hanly agreed that in effect the/ money saved On the salaries for the MOH and the county engineer was divided amongthedepart- ment heads holding the overall increase to the county taxpayers at 3.8 per cent. The increases are. however subject -to scrutiny by the AIB and it is still not known.' whether they will be alloWed:, By way f exnlanatio' . ii riamy said- that in 1.975 .County Council had approved similar, increases, for the County department heads for 1976, but the increases „were rolled, back by the' AIB because they didn't meet with the criteria set in the guidelines. This year Hanly maintained,. the increases d� fit the terms of the guidelines. Hanly expressed some -surprise that:CoinitY Council menthers•did not question the . matter fully at Iihe `October session *hen the special committee report was presented. It passed in about three minutes he said.. Reporters at the October ses- sion of the county council were "out" when the report was pre- sented, Said Hardy. The report was not in the reporters' folders as is the general case and Hanly could offer no reason for the ommission. "I was surprised when there was nothing in the papers about the increases," • Said Hanly. the -report wasn't in'the folders on the press table that's probably why the story was missed." Haab' saidtthcPrePort, Wa$: Pa, intentionally left out of the,press folders and added that it should hi/ire been .included with all the rest. , Four young people injured in collision near 81 Three young riven are in London hospitals following a two -vehicle collision near Blyth on. Saturday afternoon. The accident occurred on Highway 4, south of Con- cession 4-5, East Wawanosh Township. William St. Mahe of Kitchener and RR 2, Blyth was the driver of a van which was involved in a collision with a vehicle driven by Lambert F. Sanders, RR 4, Brussels. Mr. St. Marie was brought to the Wingham and Dis- trict Hospital via ambulance and given emergency treatment for injuries to both legs. He was transferred later that evening to University Hospital, London, where officials described his condition as satisfactory on Tues- day afternoon. Two passengers, in the van were also injured. Edward J. Whitby of Wingham received an Bridge unsafe; to be closed for the winter Due to the unsafe condition of the Lower Town Bridge as revealed in the bridge appraisals the bridge will be closed for the winter with repairs possibly to be made in the winter or spring. This is the decision reached at the Nov. 28 meeting of the Turnberry Township council. It was agreed to advertise clo- sure of the bridge in the Wingham Advance Times. The township will rent a sand truck from Mac Wylie for $200 per month standby. When in operation, cost will be $13.50 per hour if Mr. Wylie operates the vehicle and $8.00 per hour if a township employee operates the truck. Ken Dunn of B. M. Ross, and Associates explained to Council that the cost of the BAine bridge contract will be $306,900 plus $2,400 extra for heating. Piling will cost between 820- 30,000 for piers and abutments and is included in the contract price, injured right ankle and was also transferred to University Hospi- tal on Saturday evening. His condition is also satisfactory. Stephanie Rae" of Wingham was admitted' to the Wingham and District Hospital with injury to the pelvis, left shoulder and right rib cage. She *as discharged from hospital on Tuesday. Donald Eisenhofer, formerly of Wingham, a pedestrian assisting at the scene, also received in- juries. He was admitted to the Wingham and 'District Hospital - with apparent injury to the cer- vical spine and was transferred to a London hospital on Tuesday for. further investigation. His condition was listed as satis- factory. The accident was investigated by the Wingham detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police. During last week, the Wingham detachment also investigated a mishap in which Garry C. Double of RR 4, Wingham was injured. The single -car accident occurred Wednesday on Highway 86, west of Huron Road 12, when Mr. Double's vehicle went off the north side of the roadway into the ditch and struck a fence owned by Alexander Corrigan. Seven charges were laid under the Highway Traffic Act last No Christmas display at Porter home Fred Porter, Leopold St., has told us, with regret, that there will be no Christmas display at his home this year. Lack of help has made it impossible to set out the hundreds of display pieces which drew crowds in previous years. Fred says that he has had calls from people as far away as Sarnia, wanting to know whether or not the Christmas "wonder- land" would be set up as usual. He says he would "just love" to do it, but it has become im- possible week by the local detachment. One charge was laid under the Liquor Licence Act and one under the CriMinal Code. . The Goderich detachment of the OPP investigated a single car accident last Thursday on High- way 86 west of Whitechurch. The car was driven by Barbara Potter and injured as a result of the accident was a passenger, Sherry Potter of RR 3, Holyrood. She was treated for minor in- juries at the Wingham and Dis- trict Hospital and later released. New judge picked for Huron bench William Coehrane of Goderich who has served as Crown at- torney in Huron County for the past 5 years was recently ap- pointed a provincial court judge in the criminal division. Mr. Cochrane replaces Huron Judge Glenn Hayes who died earlier this year. The appointment, announced last week by Attorney -General Roy McMurtry, was effective Monday. However Mr. Cochrane said he will not be sworn in until early January and can't preside over any cases until that time. The 63 -year-old graduate of the University of Western Ontario, London, and Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto, was called to the bar in 1941 and made a Queen's counsel in 1962. Before serving as Crown attorney he practised law in his hometown of Exeter', where he also served as reeve and coun- cillor and was elected mayor in 1952 He is a former chairman of the South Huron District Hospital Board and the Exeter Public Utilities Commission and is also a past president of the Exeter Lions Club and past master_of-the-‘,1 Masonic Lodge. Mr. Cochrane's responsibilities as Crown attorney will temporar- ily be handled by former Walker- ton Crown attorney George Pat- terson and others appointed by the regional Crown attorney's of- fice in Guelph. • 5 •••