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The Huron Expositor, 1985-08-21, Page 1INDEX Brussels / A6 Classified / A16, 17, 18 Dublin / A4 Entertainment / A20 Family / Al2, 13, 15 Farm / A14 Hensall / A7 Obituaries / A13 Sports / A8, 9 Walton / A5 Weddings / .Al2 Seaforth day at Clinton Race track See page A8 Pail Serving the communities and areas of Seaforth, Brussels, Dublin, Hensall and Walton ur n • xpositor SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1985 — 20 PAGES Great debate not over Debate over restoration of the Roundhouse located on the property of the Seaforth and District Community Centres continues. At the August meeting of council a request by the Agricultural Society that they be allowed to attach steel siding to the building to facilitate its upkeep was poo-poo'ed and referred back to the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) for further consideration. The Roundhouse has been designated as a heritage structure, A request to have the building de -designated was denied. In a letter to council Ken Moore, Chairman of the Agricultural Society's Property Com- mittee, said the removal of the old arena and the construction of the new, has left the Ag Society with a "high upkeep frame building, sitting in a hole in the middle of a parking lot." Since the building is only used two days each year, during the Fall Fair, and has been designated as a heritage structure, it is one the Ag Society feels it cannot afford to restore, although it recognizes its im- portance. What the ' Ag Society proposed to do instead was to preserve the building in its present form by covering it with steel siding screwnailed to the present • lumber. It also proposed to replace the doors with new vented ones, and to trim it to match the arena. This they felt would mean a substantial cost at the beginning but would make the building almost upkeep free for a number of years. It would also preserve the building without any major structural changes and eliminate deterioration. If in the future the building could lie restored the steel could be removed and the building would be intact. Even siding isn't permanent "i think their biggest concern was if they restored it they'd be looking at upkeeping it every three or so years," said Town Clerk Jim Crocker. "They seem to have looked into the siding in detail. I don't think though you take a heritage building and cover it with siding just because it's going to take a bit of upkeep every three years." Councillor Hazel Hildebrand pointed out that even siding isn't permanent. "A lot of people think siding is permanent, but it's not really either. What if someone in the meantime were to rim into it with their car?" she asked. Henry Mero also queried covering the Roundhouse with aluminum siding, "Siding it with aluminum isnot the answer. It's either a historical building that should be restored or it shouldn't be there," he said. LACAC is against both de -designation and the "proposed" covering of the Roundhouse because $2,500 of public money through BRIC grants has already been given to the Ag Society for the restoration of the building. 2) Since the Ag Society is a volunteer group, future executives may wish to continue the restoration. 3) The Roundhouse was selected as one of the first three buildings to be designated in Seaforth in 1978. 4) Because of its unusual shape.and use, the building is not only of local but of provincial significance. 5) Grant monies are still available to assist with the proper restoration of the building and contrary to the submission from the . Ag Society it is probable deterioration of the building will continue unseen beneath the metal siding due to water entrapment. LACAC further reported if the Roundhouse were covered with vertical steel barn siding Seaforth would have "nothing more than a warehouse in the middle of a parking lot." By-law to regulate disturbing noises Anybody looking for some peace and quiet in town is likely to find it sometime in the near future, if a noise bylaw passed by town council works as it should. The bylaw, passed at the August meeting of council, is an attempt by the town to prohibit or regulate unusual noises, or noises likely to disturb inhabitants within the municipality. Goderich has a similar bylaw. The bylaw, drew a few grins from council members and the odd giggle as it was read, but no comments. Police Chief Hal Claus on the other hand expressed some skepticism. He said he expected it to work to a certain extent but not as efficiently as people might want it to. "'Phe bylaw reads persistent, so we still have to prove that a disturbance was persistent," said Chief Claus. "People are going to call the police and say their neighbor's dog was barking, and that's not good enough. They can't expect a charge to be laid the first time we receive a complaint. People deserve a warning first. But if a dog is persistently barking and we keep getting calls then that all adds to the evidence and the party will be charged," he said. "But people are going to have to be prepared to give testimony as to the noise. Were not going to sit beside somebody's yard just to catch the dog." The bylaw prohibits the ringing of any bell, the blowing of any horn and the noise of any siren or other signal device on any vehicle except where required ore ressly permitted by law, shouting and load music, whether emanating from a fixed sea or vehicle, the discharge into the opera air of the exhaust of any steam engine or stationary internal combustion engine except through a muffler or other device which effectively prevents loud or explosive noise, any unnecessary noise arising or occurring between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. from any excavation or construction work and persistent barking or other similar persistent noisemaking by any domestic pet. Anyone who contravenes the bylaw is liable to a fine up to a maximum of $300. No significant changes in enrolment A slight downward trend in projected student enrolment figures won't mean any significant changes in Huron County schools says superintendent of program Arnold Mothers. Last week, Mr. Mothers said the only area showing an increase is at the schools for the t Unable mentally retarded. This fall there are expected to be 83 pupils in such schools, compared to 68 last fall. "They're almost all directly related to the fact developmentally handicapped students are coming on stream," he said. Previously, these students came under the jurisdiction of the ministry of community and social services. Liberals OFFIRR no help There has been some confusion on the heels of the Ontario government's OFFIRR last week OFFIRR, or the Ontario Family Farm Interest Rate Reduction Program, was announced last week by Agriculture Minister Jack Riddell. Several farmers have asked whether money from the program, which gives farmers a break on the interest they pay on existing long-term debts of up to $200,000. tan be applied to operating capital. The answer is no. The key lies in the expression "long- term." The subsidy must be applied to a debt payable over a period of two years or more, such as a mortgage, and since operating capital is an annual expense, it doesn't qualify. "The program applies to any debt with an amortization period of two years or more," says Nancy Bardecki, Director of the Farm Assistance Program Branch of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. That includes all manner of lending institutions, companies, and private individuals - provided the individuals are prepared to make statutory declarations about the loan. According to another ministry spokesman, OFFIRR is designed to give certain farmers "a little breathing space." Other limitations on eligibility have to do with off -farm income, net personal worth and equity. Application will be available from Sept. I of this year until Jan. 15, 1986. Mr. Riddell has said he expects his ministry to process the applications it receives within four weeks. AS IT SLIPS AWAY — Irwin Ward was driving this forklift behind a property on Goderich St. W. Monday morning when the ground beneath it began to give way. The hole continued to widen for most of the morning, until It revealed ad abandoned septic tank eight feet square with about four feet of water in it. Regulations implemented after this tank would have been covered over (judging by its age) insisted such holes be filled in with earth and gravel. "If a bunch of kids had been lumping on that same spot, they would have fallen In and It would have been tragic," one bystander said. (Till photo) There are 5,990 students expected this fall in Huron's elementary schools. Last Sep- tember, there were 6,065 students in the kindergarten to grade eight classes. The expected student number changes are spread throughout the county and no one school is experiencing a great drop in enrolment. "There are no particular trends in the enrolment figures, ' said Mr. Mothers. He said the projected enrolment figures at J.A.D. McCurdy, Hensall and Vanastra public schools won't change much. These schools recently went through accommoda- tion reviews, and the school board agreed to keep them open. Hensall is expected to have four more students while the other two schools are predicting small decreases, Mr. Mathers said Vanastra and McCurdy are located in areas where there are a large number of rental units which makes predictions diffi- cult. Enrolment at the secondary school level will remain virtually the same. Last year there were 3,789 students and 3,782 are expected this Sept. 3. One high school which the board has been watching closely for declining enrolment over the past number of years, F.E. Madill secondary school in W ingham, is actually predicting an increase of 20 students. A planned enrolment change will effect Central Huron Secondary School in Clinton. Starting this September, all basic level students will be taught in their home schools. That means Goderich basic level students who have been going to Clinton will return to Goderich District Collegiate Institute. TO FARAWAY PLACES — The Seaforth Playschool-Playground rounded up last week with a concert performed for the benefit of the parents. At the concert's close the children let off helium -tilled balloons. The balloons bear their owner's name and address. Sea(orth's Kyle Kruse hopes his message will bring a reply. (MCIlwraith photo) Council provides aid Town council has agreed to send $200 to each of three municipalities hit by natural disasters in 1985. Despite having no money set aside to finance such requests council agreed to find some and re`gipond positively to requests from the municipalities of Essex, Sudbury and South Central Ontario, who were victims of flooding and tornados earlier this year. The provincial and federal governments have Tentative agreement set The Seaforth Public Utilities Commission has reached a tentative agreement with its four outside workers. The only thing still required is union approval of the contract. According to PUC Manager Tom Phillips, representatives of the union were due to sign late last week. As of Friday, that hadn't happened, but Mr. Phillips said the repre- sentatives were coming through the area early this week, and would likely sign the' agreement then. Details of the tentative pact cannot be released until the signing. The announcement of the proposed agree- ment came at the PUC meeting Wednesday night. Also discussed at the meeting was a new transformer for Seaforth. Mr. Phillips said the current transformer was examined in July, with an eye to replacement cost and the need to do so. The commission had put out a tender for replacement of the air brake, with considera- tion given to the man who installed the transformer initially. His price, Mr. Phillips said, was about one-third that proposed by Ontario Hydro. DEADLINE SET The commission set a deadline of 4 p.m., August 19, for tenders on the proposed CNR watermain crossing. Once awarded, the contract will stipulate the work be done within one month. Mr. Phillips also said the town's new rest home, Maplewood Manor, slated to open this fall, would have its own transformers by the middle of October. The commission received two other tenders for the project. Hydro facilities are about to be installed in a pair of new residences in town - one on Market St., the other on North Main St., Mr. Phillips said. In addition, an underground line is to be installed at a new residence on Adam St. A report was presented to the commission from the Ontario government concerning the use of mobile facilities for the destruction of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. A copy of that report is available in Mr. Phillips' office. agreed to match on a dollar•to-oouar basis whatever monies those areas can raise. "if it were Seaforth I'd have to say we'd be doing the same thing and sending out letters asking for help as well." commented Seaforth Mayor Alf Ross. "I think we should give them something Whatever we can afford would help Someday the shoe might be on the other foot," said Councillor Carolanne Doig. Councillor Wayne Ellis voiced some concern the South Central Ontario disaster relief fund may not be as needy as the other two since it has been more widely publicized That area was hit May 31 by a tornado which played havoc with the lives and properties in a 55 mile path. Over 300 homes. many farm buildings, livestock, crops and businesses were destroyed. Twelve lives were lost and a number of people were injured "'think a lot of the money neeued to repair that area has been raised already. i think those people have got quite a lot of money, " he said. "As well they have their homes insured. If we give to anyone it should probably be the other two communities, because they are in a much poorer situation." Town Clerk Jim Crocker pointed out damages in South Central Ontario hover near the $150 million mark and that insurance will not cover more than 60 to 65 per cent of the property losses. "I don't think we can distinguish which disaster should get more or less of our money," said Councillor Henry Mero. "As far as I'm concerned a disaster's a disaster. Councillor Bill Martin suggested council take into account such requests for aid when it makes up its 1986 budget.