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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1975-10-09, Page 1MLI TrKg NO 40 - FIRST WITH THE LOCAL NEWS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1975 2(1( per Copy OFFICIAL VISIT - District Governor Grant Chisholm of Lucknow paid his official visit to the Zurich Lions Club on Monday night and spoke to the members on the theme, "What is Lionism?" Shown here with the Governor are Richard Erb, chairman of the membership committee of the district, Claude Gelinas, president of the local organization, Governor Chisholm and Vincent Doyle, vice-president of the Zurich Lions Club. County -study rural development (by Shirley J. Keller) A new cover on the county's official plan. That was the opinion of Huron County COuncillor Bill Elston when council members discussed the culmination of two years of study into the ramificat- ions of urban development in rural areas (UDIRA). Similar opinions were expressed by other members of council concerning the report entitled Countryside Planning. The $110,000 report was presented to county council Friday for "discussion only to enable planning board to make recommendations." County Planning Director Gary Davidson told members. Prepared by J.F. M ac - Laren •Consultants Ltd., of London, the report concent- rated on the thre main land uses in the county agriculture, urban and recreation. The study was financed through 80 per cent provincial government money and 20 per cent Huron COunty funds. It is the first tin -ie that land use planning from an agricultural perspective has been studied in the prov- ince. Huron was chosen as a pilot study area because it was the first rural county to adopt an official county plan. Goderich Township Reeve Gerty Ginn, however, didn't feel there was much new or helpful in the study. In fact, according to Reeve Ginn, the study only confused him Housing for HensaH (by Rena Caldwell) Hensall council met Oct- ober 6 when the minutes of the previous meeting and a special meeting were approv- ed as circulated to the council. Council discussed the increas- ing vandalism in the village. Children equipped with pellet guns and stones are breaking windows and street lights and are also breaking into places of business and destroying merchandise. Ernie Davis reported a nice holiday in Western Canada. He has since been cleaning catch basins and will take down an ash tree at Mc - Queens. Mr. Davis pointed out that he needs 25 bags of salt; a load of sand and new snow chains. Harold Knight reported for the recreation commit- tee, that everything was com- ing along fine M the arena.' Len Erb will try to find an answer for "What happened to cleaning the creek?" A resolution was passed, "Be it resolved that a survey of need and demand for rent - geared -to -income housing for senior citizens, in the village of Hensall, and be it further resolved that the vill- age of Hensall also agrees to contribute 7 1/2 percent of any annual losses arising out of the operation of such a proj- ect." Council will investigate sharing i Wintario for exp- enses at the arena. Council will pay a $25 annual memb- ership fee to join the assoc- iation of tax collectors. They also learned that if there is 100% hook up of the sewers it will be cheaper for everyone. Hensall will be required to pay for two pupils to the association for the Mentally Retarded. Arrangements were made to participate in the Christmas Party at the Pineridge Chalet. Members of council also learned that they had one application for the Home Renewal program and had hired Dave Sangster to outline the work to be done, The reeve felt this would be costly to have a full time Building Inspector as well as (continued on page 2) more than ever concerning land use planning for Huron. "I thought this study would look at planning from a rural point of view," Ginn told council. "I don 't think this does." Reeve Ginn had plenty of questions to ask concerning what was contained in the report. Most importantly, he wanted to know how the planners proposed to restrict growth in villages and hamlets while allowing towns to grow as quickly and as large as necessary. Gary Davidson told him that villages and hamlets would expand with their abilities to provide services. He said that growth in the village would come from the areas around them and it would not be "exceedingly fast" while growth in towns would be encouraged. Reev Fred Habere of Zurich called villages an "important arm" in the county commun- ity. He charged that the Mac - Laren study was a "rural rep- ort and a big town report," but had nothing of value to offer the villages and ham- lets of the county. The study makes two major recommendations. One is that urban development should be onto poor quality farmland when it is necessary to exp- and; the second is that it provides the five county towns with room to grow in a spec- ific radius around them and that within this circle, the growth should be orderly and predictable. Farmers with property within the growth area of one of the five towns would have 10, 20 and 30 year ass- urances, the report suggests with the farmers on the out- er perimeter of the growth circle having the 30 -year assurance and the permission to remain on their farms for the remainder of their lives if that was their wish. (continued on page 9) Reject liquor request (by Ross Haugh) Huron County Board of Ed- ucation members rejected a request from the Huron County Singles club to rent the auditorium at Seaforth High School for a New Year's Eve dance. The club's request asked that permission be given to serve alcoholic beverages at the proposed function. In supporting the request Seaforth trustee Molly Kunder said other county boards permitted alcoholic bever- ages in schools for special occasions. She added that the Leds and Grenville County Board of Education has a policy statement allowing this type of activity for special occas- ions only. The Easter Ontario group said they do not ap- prove of alcoholic consumpt- ion on school premises but do make special exceptions for service clubs and commun- ity organizations. The Singles club letter suggested' that revenue from the dance and bar after exp- enses could he given to a local service club or for arena renovations in Seaforth. The group in the past has made donations to the Victor- ian Order of Nurses and bought equipment for the kit- chen at Vanastra. Board vice-chairman Herb Turkheim said an Ontario Select Committee on the utiliz- ation of educational facilit- ies has recommended that sale of alcohol be permitted in schools. Turkheim added that a special Huron Board commit- tee in examining the use of school facilities had rejected the alcohol proposal. The request with alcohol privileges was defeated in a board vote with Mrs. Kund- er the only one approving the move. It was agreed the school could be used for the dance but the alcohol ban would stay in effect. After being turned down by the Ontario Ministry of Educ- ation on proposals for further additions and renovations to the Exeter Public School the Board Monday decided to for- ward another plan. At a meeting in London a few weeks ago Ministr) offic- ials had said the limit for this year would be $200,000. Brian Garratt of Kyles, Kyles and Garrett Architects of Stratford came up with new plans totalling $265,000 and this will be forwarded for provincial approval. The new proposal would provide a new gymnasium - auditorium and provide a new lighting and ventilating system in the south wing. Huron Board of Education stands firm on crossing (by Ross Haugh). The Huron Board of Educ- atioin reaffirmed a previous decision to discontinue school crossing guards at the end of December. In August the board voted to abandon school patrols effective September 1, and end their financial support of adult crossing guards at the end of the year. The board employs an adult guard at Victoria Public School in Goderich and pays half the wages of a similar guard at the intersection of Highway 4 and Victoria streets in Exeter near the Exeter Public School. The original decision was made to eliminate the guards and student patrols to end the possibility of legal liability in the event of an accident. At that time the board hoped Exeter and Goderich councils would pay for the guards as other councils in the county do. On September 4, Exeter council agreed to assume thec cost as of January 1, 1975 but changed their policy two weeks later and asked the school board to recons- ider the decision regarding the sharing of costs involved. Director of Education John Cochrane said Monda he felt there was some mis- understanding between cross- ing guards and student pat- rols. The original Goderich res- 'olution requested that the !Board continue providing a student patrol safety prog- guard ruling ram for the elementary school system and said it would review the matter of crossing guards and would take effort to fill the need. Exeter board member Clarence MacDonald said "1 don't know who should pay for the service of the crossing guard but in no way can a grade seven or eight student handle street crossings during the busy traffic on Highway 4 in Ex- eter." Mortgage approved Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation this week announced the approval of a loan and contribution tot- alling $462,665 to the Blue Water Rest Home in Zurich. The funds will be used to construct a 24 -unit senior citizens apartment complex on the western side of the Vill- age of Zurich. The units, all one -bedroom apartments in a one storey building, will be rented to low income senior citizens. Meals and nursing care will be prov- ided, if required, through the resources of an existing nurs- ing home 'located adjacent to the property. The loan and contribution are made under the non- profit provisions of the Nat- ional Housing Act and are at an interest rate of eight per cent over a term of fifty years.