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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2006-12-27, Page 66 Times–Advocate Wednesday, December 27 2006 Opinion Forum News FEBRUARY FEBRUARY I • With costs as high as approximately $140,000 on one side of the scale, and an opportunity to provide a specialized program for a rural area on the other side, trustees of the Avon Maitland District School Board will consider expanding French Immersion to the St. Marys area. Insufficient interest was shown in Exeter to bring the program here. • Huron Park residents didn't show much interest in a survey mailed out by Dave Burrell to see if resi- dents of the village want to buy their homes. Huron Park's Burrell — disappointed at the province's announcement Jan. 9 it won't give resi- dents the option of buying their homes, but instead is looking for one buyer for the entire residential side of the park — sent out flyers to 355 homes in Huron Park, asking residents if they are interested in buying their home, renting or forming a co-op. Only four people filled out the survey and returned it to Burrell. FEBRUARY 8 • Several thousand residents were in the dark over the weekend after several inches of snow blanketed the area, knocking out power to customers. Hydro One spokesperson Daffyd Roderick said Monday afternoon 4,600 customers were without power in the Clinton, Zurich and Grand Bend areas. Power was also out intermittently throughtout the area over the weekend. • The Lake Huron Primary Water Supply System asked area residents Monday to implement voluntary water use in response to continuing loss of power supply from Hydro One. The 3.5 megawatt backup generator at the water treatment plant has been running since the storm began Saturday. Hydro One reported continuing problems on the main power supply to the water treatment plant located near Grand Bend. The power supply to the plant had been sporadic since the storm on the week- end and were still in place Tuesday morning. FEBRUARY 15 • The Grand Bend Motorplex hopes to host The World Electronic Music Festival this July, but it first needs an extension from council on its noise bylaw. Paul Spriet of the Motorplex and representatives of the music festival attended South Huron council's Monday night meeting to request the extension. Council made no decision on the issue, but directed organizers to first take their proposal to neighbours of the Motorplex and listen to any concerns about noise. • The farming income crisis was the topic of discus- sion for the Hensall stop of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture Presidential Tour Feb. 10. OFA president Ron Bonnett and vice-president Paul Mistele addressed about 40 farmers with questions and concerns regarding agriculture issues in Ontario. FEBRUARY 22 • Abuse by residents has led the municipality to decide to scrap its annual fall large garbage pickup. Instead, South Huron residents will be allowed to drop off those previously picked -up large items at the landfill site for free. Such items include chairs, tables, sofas, mattresses, TVs, computers and appliances (which must be certified freon-free). Council approved the changes after a report from road superintendent Ken Betties. • The 2006 proposed draft budget for Lucan Biddulph is expected to bring less than a one per cent overall tax increase. This is partly due to the County of Middlesex receiving $3.14 million unexpectedly from the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund. It is also the result of a provincewide reassessment in 2005 — the school board tax rate is dropping from 0.29 per cent to .264 per cent for residential proper- ties. APRIL 5 The cleanup of a former gas bar and restaurant at the corner of Highway 4 and Crediton Road will now cost more than five times the price of the original estimate. The estimated $42,000, six-day job to remove under- ground fuel storage tanks ballooned to a new final esti- mate of $220,000, which includes the removal of conta- minated soil. APRIL 12 • A new project designed to identify the needs and problems of local businesses and help them expand and thrive is getting under way in South Huron. Hugh McMaster of the South Huron Chamber of MARCH I • Bluewater council has rejected a proposal from South Huron to participate in the Joint Enforcement Building Services Organization (JEBSO) which would have seen the municipalities look at shared delivery of building services. In a letter received from South Huron chief admin- istrative officer Larry Brown, it was stated negotia- tions had taken place between several area munici- palities in November and December of 2005, but most had declined to take part in the proposal. • The architectural drawings and floor plans are in for the planned new museum on Lucan's Main Street. Mayor Tom McLaughlin led a discussion on the issue at Lucan Biddulph's brief Feb. 23 meeting. MARCH 8 • The final chapter in the story of one of the area's oldest businesses has been written with the recent closure of Dirmey Funeral Home. Owner Bill Dinney officially closed the business March 1. Founded in 1887 by Dinney's great grand- father Robert Rowe, the business was located at the corner of Main and Huron streets for the entire time. Dinney's father Bob ran the business from 1943 until 1994, when Dinney took over as manager. The busi- ness has been in the family for four generations. • Organizers of The World Electronic Music Festival will have to look elsewhere for a location for this July's event after South Huron council nixed a request for a noise bylaw exemption. As previously reported, the Grand Bend Motorplex hoped to host the event July 21-23, but the Motorplex needed its noise bylaw extended from 12:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. on the Friday of the festival and to 5 a.m. on the Saturday. MARCH 15 • Several members of the McGillivray community packed the gym at McGillivray Central School March 8 to discuss the possible closure of the elementary school. After the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) announced at an annual capital plan meet- ing recently McGillivray is still on the closure list, School Council sent out several letters urging the community to speak up on this issue. • Awareness, preparation and communication were three of the keys emphasized during a Flood Emergency Planning Meeting at the Exeter Masonic Hall. Hosted by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority, the annual meeting has been held each year since the 2000 flood. MARCH 22 • A group of concerned residents have formed the South Huron Citizens' Association and appeared before council, expressing concerns about the local economy, taxes and a desire for more openness from the municipality. Many issues arose at the meeting, both during spokesperson Dean Ducharme's statement and at the end of the meeting when council opened the meeting up to the public. • Over 300 people packed the Holmesville Community Centre for the Grass Roots Income Crisis next steps meeting. Among those in attendance were MP Paul Steckle of Huron -Bruce and newly appointed MP Bev Shipley of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. MPP Carol Mitchell could not attend. MARCH 29 • Huron Bruce MP Paul Steckle took questions on a wide ranging number of topics March 24 at a ques- tion and answer session with residents at Queensway in Hensall. The visit was set up by the operations group at Queensway Steckle was questioned on topics from food and farming to environmental sprawl and looked ahead to the new session of Parliament beginning Commerce attended council's meeting, informing them of a `Business Retention and Expansion Program.' The year-long program will involve several key community partners and local businesses. The program will develop tools to encourage the growth and stability of local area businesses, including industry and manufacturing, retail, farming and tourism. APRIL 19 • The municipality's years -long efforts to receive com- pensation on the construction of the Exeter branch library should finally be coming to an end. South Huron heads to a pre-trial in London Thursday to present its case against bond company Guarantee Company of North America. A full house at EPS —The gym at Exeter Public School was packed last Tuesday for the school's annual Christmas concert. From left are Shelby Heywood, Danielle Smith, Sam McEwan and Ben Turner. (photos/Scott Nixon) Kiley Pincombe, left, Dan Allen and Kaycee Wareing of Exeter Public School sing Christmas songs. Above left are Exeter Public students Courtney Miller and Noah Chapman. As South Huron chief administrative officer Larry Brown explained to the Times -Advocate, the municipali- ty is seeking compensation of over $500,000 resulting from delays in the construction of the new library at the corner of Main and Sanders streets, which led to increased costs. APRIL 26 • The nearly $6 million proposed sewer project for Crediton and Centralia has hit a major roadblock as the municipality has been denied a government grant. Chief administrative officer Larry Brown said Monday that South Huron has been turned down for a Canada - Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) grant that would have covered two thirds of the project's cost.