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The Times Advocate, 2006-04-26, Page 1(519)235-1115 www.hurontractor.com HURON W TRACTOR Exeter nrmbritnea HIGH SPEED INTERNET SERVING EXETER & SURROUNDING AREAS For as low as $19.95/mo. (519)236-4333 TIMES -ADVOCATE Exeter, Ontario, Canada Wednesday, April 26, 2006 x.25 (includes GST) Sewer grant denied By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF SOUTH HURON — 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. This is the second year in a row the project has been denied a grant and Brown said council will discuss the matter at this Monday's council meet- ing. He said he doesn't anticipate South Huron seeking future grants for the project and council will look to the people of Crediton and Centralia to tell the municipality whether or not the project should continue. The project is "user pay" and the residents would be on the hook for the cost, that without a grant is projected at $5.8 million. Brown said there is a possibility the Ministry of the Environment and the Health Unit could insist the project go ahead; if the Ministry and Health Unit don't insist, Brown said the municipality won't force the pro- ject on the residents if they don't want it. He said South Huron wasn't given an indication of why it was turned down for the grant, but said the government received "way more" grant requests than there was money available. The project was proposed because of concerns over high E. Coli levels in storm drains and ditches. Other problems found during studies of Crediton and Centralia found sewage ponding on properties and off site discharge of sewage and greywater. The project would see a sanitary sewage collection system installed in both villages, with sewage pumped to the Exeter sewage treatment facili- ty. A new pumping station would be built in Crediton, while the Huron Park sewage pumping station would be modified to pump the Centralia wastewater. The municipality has received numerous letters of protest from resi- dents over the projected costs of the project. New patient transfer service for area By Nina Van Lieshout TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF DASHWOOD — Over 75 years of combined experience has led to a family patient transfer service for the Hoffman family. Hoffmans Patient Transfer Ltd., a non -emergent transporta- tion service, based on the Main Street in Dashwood is already up and running on a 24-hour basis. Each of six family members provide their own personal touch to the service. Each member is also both first aid and CPR trained. Jim Hoffman, co-owner and operator of T. Harry Hoffman and Sons Ltd. Funeral Home and Dashwood fire chief, is also the former co-owner of Hoffman's Ambulance Service Ltd., and a former paramedic with over 33 years experience. His wife, Donna was previously a registered nursing assistant, who graduated from South Huron Hospital, eventually working at both University Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital in London. Donna was then employed by Hoffmans Ambulance Service Ltd. as a part-time paramedic for over 25 years. Jim and Donna's son Jamie has worked for the past four years as a firefighter in Toronto. He also volunteers for the Dashwood fire department. Jamie's wife, Jackie is a nurses aid for Exeter Villa. Meanwhile Jeff Hoffman, Jim and Donna's nephew, has worked in transportation at St. Joseph's Hospital for three years. He also volunteers for the Exeter fire department. Jeff is a former paramedic, working 13 years for Hoffmans Ambulance Service Ltd. and three years for Huron County. His wife, Bobbi will bring something completely different to Hoffmans Patient Transfer Ltd. She owns and operates Clear The Way, her Exeter home based business, working as a pro- fessional organizer. Bobbi does the administration work for the service. The family wants no confusion between Hoffman's Ambulance See HOFFMANS page 2 Lucan Public School and Biddulph Central were among the 75 schools involved at the annu- al "Dancefest" at the Carling Heights Optimist Club in London last Friday. Lucan Public stu- dents from JK to Grade 3 performed jazz, rock, jive and Latino. In front from left are Lucan Public JK/SK students Daniella Kress, Katarina Fear-Firman,Alex Petersen and Matthew Greb; in back from left are Grade 2-3 students C.J. Clark,Arica Hodgins, Jamie Wakefield, Connor Brown and Abby Smith. (photo/Scott Nixon) Big cleanup in Hay Swamp By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF HAY SWAMP — Thanks to more than 50 volunteers, over 12,000 pounds of ille- gally -dumped garbage was removed Saturday from the Hay Swamp and area. Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority stew- ardship and conservation lands supervisor Kate Monk said eight crews removed garbage from the roadsides and bushes from Highway 83 north to Rodgerville Road between Babylon and Ausable Lines. This is the first cleanup day that has been held in the Hay Swamp area, Monk said, pointing out it was also Earth Day. She said while the snowmobile club cleans up its trails, Saturday's cleanup was the first community -led effort to rid the area of the illegal garbage. Volunteers Saturday cleaned up 12,225 pounds of See TONNES page 2 Over 50 volunteers spent Saturday morning removing more than 12,000 pounds of illegally -dumped garbage from the Hay Swamp area.Among those helping out were three-year- old Connor Rooseboom of Exeter, above, and his grandfa- ther Albert Rooseboom. (photo/Scott Nixon)