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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1987-11-24, Page 01I MORRIS TOWNSHIP has boosted the Wingham Branch Library building fund by $5, 000 which includes this cheque for $3,000 presented last week by Reeve Doug Fraser to Wingham librarian Margaret Day. A pledge of an additional $2,000 by mid-March will complete the Morris donation. Local police I Crime Stoppers Program now underway in Huron County Crime Stoppers of Huron is ex- pected to be in operation by, mid- March 1988, Jeff Sabin of the Ontario Provincial Police, Goderich detach - went, told an information meeting at Goderich last Wednesday eve- ning. Mr. Sabin is the Huron County co- ordinator for the Crime Stoppers program which will involve the county's three OPP detachments, at Wingham, Goderich and Exeter; the P re m d o r layoff a police departments in Huron's five towns, Goderich, Wingham, Sea - just for one week forth, Exeter and Clinton; news- paper and broadcasting media in the Approximately 90 employees of county and th 1 b Premdor in Wingham started a one- week layoff Monday, morning in a company, move to adjust its in- ventory. G. H. Wilhelm told The Advance - Times the company is in "a tem- porary overstocked position" which made the layoff necessary so that orders could catch up to inventory already on hand. The employees will return to work at their regular starting time on Monday, Nov. 30. e genera pu jic. "Just having a meeting where the media, members of this committee, and the police are all in the same room putting together a program is quite an exciting concept," Mr. Sabin told those attending the meeting. Although at that point the program had not yet been an- nounced to the public, Mr. Sabin said he had already received two telephone calls seeking information on its operation. The program will feature a "crime of the. week" which will be Department called carried in this and other newspapers in the county as well as being to fire at Gorrie broadcast on television and radio. The feature will be an unsolved case The Wingham and Area Fire Department was called to a fire in Gorrie Monday, morning at ap- proximately 9 o'clock. Details on the blaze were not available at press gimme, but -will appear in next week's edition of the newspaper. In two separate :incidents last week, the department was called to a fire last Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. to the farm of Bruce Corrigan, Lot 6, Con. 2 of Turnberry T. unship. Doug Carr, a spokesman for the department, said an old barn was being burned on the Corrigan property and no damage was reported. The department was alerted to a fire last Sunday, Nov. 15, at 3:13 p.m. behind the Winghom Post Office. According to,,Mr. ,Carr, the fire in a garbage bin r."ulted in $100 damage. from one of the participating law enforcement agencies and will describe the crime as well as en- courage anyone who has knowledge of the case to. call the Crime Stop- pers' toll-free number. Each feature will guarantee the anonymity of any caller and mention the possibility of a reward. Mr. Sabin said rewards in the Huron program will range from $50 to $1,000 with the exact amount decided on an individual basis for each case. Representatives from Crime Stoppers of Grey -Bruce and the Metropolitan Toronto program told of the success of Crime Stoppers in their areas. Murray Smart of Owen Sound, a member of the Grey -Bruce board of directors, said the program started there in May of this year, but it has enjoyed a great deal of support from both urban and rural areas within its r jurisdiction. COM "We operate within the triangle — mission,, the community, the police, and the media," Mr. Smart said. "Without . �d�••�� .�--..;,ail thr�be; the progc•arr jrAt wn�slris� c work." -o s, out.ot county system The Wingham Board of Police Commissioners has opted to drop out of the Huron County Police Com- munications System and instead to purchase services from a com- munications system in Hanover. At a, meeting in Goderich last Tuesday, the Wingham board told representatives from the four other police commissions using the Huron system that Wingham will no longer. participate. All; members of the Wingham commission attended the Goderich meeting, called to discuss the prospect of Wingham's remaining in the Huron system in light of costing quotations from the Hanover system. However, at one point during the. meeting the Wingham representatives withdrew to meet in caucus and when they returned, advised the, meeting the town is leaving the Huron system for the less expensive services offered by Hanover. In an interview following the Goderich meeting, Wingham Board Chairman Fred McGee told The Advance -Times the, move is being made strictly on the basis of the difference in costs between the two similar systems. "We don't want it to appear as though the Huron County system is not working," Mr. McGee said. "It is, but it would have cost us almost double what we will pay to Hanover for basically the same service." By April 1, 1988, Wingham expects to be within the Hanover system although the changeover could take place at any time before then. Wingham could even be in the new system as early as the end of this year, Mr. McGee said. To join the Hanover system the town must pay a one-time start-up cost of 75 cents per capita, or ;2,205.75. A monthly per -capita rate, also will be charged. Mr. McGee said the town's 1988 monthly rate in the Hanover system is likely to be an increase of three to six per cent over the 1987 per capita rate of ;4.54. To Wingham, this means an approxima�e annual cost of $13,752 at the lesser increase, or approximately $14,153 at the greater. In any event, it is con- siderably less than the $22,148 it was io have been assessed by the Goderich system. The Hanover communications system started in 1980, serving only the Hanover Police Department with a monthly per capita charge of $3.50, Mr. McGee said. In 1981 the Durham Police Department joined the system while the monthly rate remained the some. In 1982 the rate increased to $4.42 and in 1983, the police departments of Mount Forest, Palmerston and Harriston joined with the gate set at $4.84. The following year, as a result of the increased revenue due to the system's growth, the rate dropped to $3.78. In 1986 the fire departments of Ayton, Mildmay and Clifford en- tered the system and the rate in- creased to $4.27. Wingham's role in the Huron County system has been under study by the commission since last December when the board sought clarification on whether or not it had the authority to enter a com- munications agreement on behalf of the town. In January, the Ontario Police Commission ruled the board does have that authority. Throughout most of the year dis- cussion on the possibility of changing systems took up a good portion of the board's time. Other members of the Huron County system are the police departments of Exeter, Clinton, Seaforth and Goderich. Earlier tnis year the Exeter and Seaforth police commissions had expressed their displeasure with the county system, but none of that was evident at the Goderich meeting last Tuesday, sources said. However, Exeter Mayor Bruce Shaw told reporters after the meeting Wingham's withdrawal from the Huron County system is a serious blow because it will increase the costs for the rethaining four towns. The full financial impact an the four remaining towns won't be known until the lode com- munications system budget is revised to exclude Wingham. Uoderich Mayor Eileen Palmer said the future of the system still could be positive if the remaining municipalities stick together. Mrs. Palmer, who is also the chairman oi toward county unity. the town's police commission, said Wingham Mayor Jack Kopas said the commission will look at ways to the Hanover centre is able to provide attract, more fee -paying users, the some service to the Wingham perhaps private companies with fire police department for a smaller cost and burglar alarms which have to be because it has, more users and monitored. utilizes part-time staff. The Clinton Mayor John Balfour said projected savings are significant for the Wingham decision leaves the a town of 3,000 with a police budget four other towns holding the bag at a of approximately $300,000, Mr. time when politicians are looking Kopas said. Turnberry looking at waste disposal options Turnberry council members have decided they must move now to find an already -established waste disposal site which would take the township's refuse if its own dump is closed. Art Clark of Maitland Engineering Services in Wingham attended the second, monthly, meeting, of Tur- Advance-Times format changes with next issue Beginning with next week's issue, The Advance -Times will be coaft to its readers with a refivabing new look. With the Dec. 1 edition, this newspaper will be printed in tabloid size, a format we feel will meet with the approval of most readers. The package will be trim and easier to handle, but will still carry all of the news items we have been covering in the past, and more. We welcome the comments of oar readers and advertisers on this. another excising change in a MV hidrtoty ds< sserlirt is Bder1• nberry council recently to update members on the dump situation. The township dump is quickly nearing the end of its useful life, said Mr. Clark. When Turnberry Councillor Paul Elgie asked Mr. Clark how long the current site may be operational, he was told one to two years. Council has all but ruled out establishing a new site within the township due to the high costs associated with having a site ap- proved. Therefore, Mr. Clark suggested, the township should come up with an alternative before the present site expires and the Ontario Ministry of the Environ- ment orders another site to take Turnberry's waste, but possibly at a high cost to the township. "I would encourage you (council) to do everything you possibly can to make yourselves welcome at a site before you are ordered to do so," Mr. Clark said. Earlier this year Turnberry had contacted representatives of the large Holmesville waste disposal site about the _possibility of it ac- ZlTease turn to Page 2A) Wingham man's condition still serious after accident A 32 -year-old Wingham man was In serious condition Monday. mor- ning in Victoria Hospital, London, following an accident north of Blyth late last Thursday evening. A spokesman for the Ontario Provincial Police at Wingliam said Peter Braun was a passenger in a 19►19 Chevrolet pick-up truck driven by 19 -year-old Robert J. Zimmer of Wingham Nov, 19 at 11:45 p.m. According to the police, the truck was proceeding in the northbmW lane of Highway 4 at 80 kilometrm an hour when it swerved off the road into the west ditch and struck a hydro pole. Weather conditions wen listed as poor at fleas Naso and floe police say the road was covered wIff snow and sleet. Mr. Zimmer, Mr. Braun and a second passenger in the vehicle, & year-old Peter Beyersbergen of wtngnam, all were taken by am- bulance to Wingham and District Hospital. Mr. Braun later was transferred to London, but Mr. Timmer and Mr. Beyersbsrgen were released after two days of hospital observation, according to a hospital spokesman. 'Phe polies report damage to the truck at 89000, howswr, an a & d1lih al 06 ji 0 damage was does 1s dw hydro pots sed traedsrmer. Many of the calls, he said, will offer information on crimes or suspected criminal activity other than the case featured in the "crime of the week". He estimated 60 per cent of calls received are from "the criminal element and 40 per cent from the average citizen down the street." Payment of any reward is made on arrest rather than on conviction, Mr. Smart said. Far too often a court case can be dragged out over a lengthy period of time, he added. "The informant doesn't want to wait around for a couple of years to get paid the reward." Research has determined that people will not give information to police for basically two reasons, fear and apathy. Mr. Smart said the Crime Stoppers meets both of these head on with the guarantee of anonymity and the incentive of a reward. Dave Osborne of the Owen Sound OPP detachment is co-ordinator of the Grey -Bruce program and said $800 has been paid out in rewards since it began in May. Since that time, 120 phone calls to the toll-free number have resulted in 18 arrests, 60 charges and the clearing of 55 cases. "We are extremely satisfied with these results," Mr. Osborne said. Cal Miller of Toronto said the program there has resulted in 1,000 arrests, 2,970 charges, the recovery of $1.6 million in stolen property, and the recovery of $16.1 million (street value) in illegal drugs from 11,194 telephone calls since the program started there in 1984. "It has had a tremendous, impact on crime in the Metro area," Mr. Miller said. Money needed to build high school ........ 2A Volunteer awards program .... - .......... 4A Howick Legion winners ...............SA Ironmen still in second .............. 213 Howick Bantams win three .............. 3B Brussels video ........ , .. 7B Inside Crossroads Puzzles a release ........ 2A United Church sponsors Zambia ........ 4A At Wit's End ............ 16A Show Biz ............... 4B Crossword ............. 13B Slinger ................ 17B Young Fordwich woman is injured in car accident A young Fordwich-area woman is in fair condition in University Hospital, London, following a single - vehicle accident last Tuesday evening near Hanover. According to the Walkerton detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police, Margaret Lawson, 17, of RR, 1, Fordwich, was a passenger in a vehicle driven by 26 -year-old Douglas Moore of RR 1, Wroxeter. The Moore vehicle was eastbount on nigoway # oetween Walkerton and Hanover at 11 p.m. on Nov. 17, say the police, when it left the road, went down a steep embankment, striking rocks and rolling over. . Mr. Moore and Ms. Lawson were trapped in the vehicle for ap- proximately two hours before they were found and taken to County of Bruce General Hospital in Walkerton, according to the OPP. A spokesman for the hospital reported Mr. Moore has been discharged, but Ms. Lawson was transferred to hospital in London, where she was in fair condition Monday morning. Santa Claus Parade televised. on' Thursday Wingham's Santa Claus parade, sponsored by the Wingham Optimist Club, will be telecast this Thursday at 7:30 p.m. over cable television, Channel 12. Those who were not able to attend the parade and enjoy it in person, or those who would like to see it again, will have the opportunity on Thursday evening. BANTA AND MRS. CLAUS were the stars Saturday as a large turnout braved the Inclement weather to w'elooms the North Pols r"Idents to town durfnp the 1987 NYngham OptNMBt Santa Claus Parade. I 0