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Walton — A7
Sports — A8, A9, Al0
Hensall — All
Dublin — Al2
Obituaries — Al 7
Births — A17
Graduates — Al7
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Serving the communities
and areas of Seaforth,
Brussels, Dublin, Hensall
and Walton
'iron
xp..itor
Seaforth, Ontario
HURON EXPOSITOR, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1988
50 cents a copy
Poor relations, rumors give pant plant bad name
Poor public relations and a misconception
about wages are being cited as the reasons
for the recent withdrawal of the Pants
Manufacturing company from Seaforth.
Al Norman said he didn't realize when he
was hired as plant manager one month ago,
there was such a poor image of the company
in the community. He agreed that image
was caused in great part by the "very poor
public relations" by the consultant hired to
get up the Seaforth Pants Manufacturing
Company, and commented Larry Portnoff
had been released of his duties.
"I just stepped into a bad situation," he
said.
"Larry's the best in North America at
training - nobody knows dress pants like
Larry - but he's not very good at public
relations."
Mr. Norman was in Seaforth almost a
month before he realized anything was
wrong. Since several hundred people had
responded favorably to the initial survey
done for the pants company, he said he
assumed there would be a sufficient
workforce in the area. However, when it
Crime Stoppers is in effect
BY LOU -ANN DE B1iUYN
A program which will benefit Huron
County in the solving and prevention of
crime was officially opened last week in
Goderich.
Opening ceremonies for Crime Stoppers
of Huron County were held Thursday mor-
ning at the Huron County Courthouse in the
provincial court room with a number of
dignitaries in attendance.
"Crime Stoppers is a program that in-
volves the citizen in helping solve crimes.
It is not a police program," Inspector W.E.
Trachsel, of the No. 6 District Ontario Pro-
vincial Police (OPP) detachment in Mt.
Forest, said to those persons in attendance
at the ceremony.
He said the lack of a complete Huron
County Crime Stoppers program, as well
as similiar programs in Perth and Well-
ington counties, was evident when the
district's programs were reviewed in 1987.
Inspector Trachsal has been uzerseeing
the creation of Crime Stoppers programs
inithe three counties since that time.
He noted the program, which has its
origins in a similier program operated in
the United States, is a "very important
community program."
HOW PROGRAM WORKS
"Today is the beginning of an important
program. Crime Stoppers is a program
that involves the citizen in helping solve
crimes. It is nota police matter. Crimes
are solved and prevented and everyone
benefits," he said.
The program operates on the basis of
anonymous callers and reward money, a
OPP Constable Jeff Sabin, co-ordinator of
the Huron County program said. He ex-
plained how the process works. Anyone
who rails Crime Stoppers with information
on a crime is assigned a code number in
order to keep his identity secret. A reward
is issued, at the discretion of the pro-
gram's board of directors, to a caller
whose information has helped lead to an
arrest. Anonymity is still maintained
when rewards are collected. The caller is
given a place and time to meet a board
member who will hand over the money
when a code number is repeated. The
member's clothing is also described to the
caller to make the meeting go smoothly.
However, it is not the caller who picks up
the money but rather, for example, the
spouse or good friend. This guarantees the
informants anonymity.
Inspector Trachsel told those people
gathered the program has been successful
in other areas.
"The Grey -Bruce Crime Stoppers pro-
gram, since its inception, has led to 18 ar-
rests and 50 cases cleared," he said.
The program relies on the efforts and the
working togetherof the people in the com-
munity, the media and the police.
"This is not strictly a police effort. Itis a
combination of community, media and
police," Dave Herbison, chairman of the
Crime Stoppers Board of Directors, said.
Turn to page 19A •
Church sends corn to Africa
The Egmandville United Church recently
sent a truckload of grain to a starving
nation.
The congregation of the Egmondville
United Church decided on February 21 they
were going to make a donation to a
charitable cause, and they wasted no time in
organizing the effort so they could have
their donation ready to be shipped by mid-
March.
The congregation discussed what type of
donation it would like to make, and decided
to use the Canadian Food Grains Bank
-which is an interchurch agency for famine
relief- to send a load of corn to a struggling
nation. They chose this agency because it
has a good reputation for being able to ac-
count for its donations and make sure food
gets to where it is needed.
The Church's goal was 500 bushels initial-
ly, but when donations to buy the corn with
were asked for the response was over-
whelming. In one Sunday alone there were
800 bushels donated, so the ante was upped
to 1,000 bushels. Even people from outside
the church gave donations to the cause.
The whole operation was done on a local
level, so the church had more control over
how the resources were used, rather than
just giving in a general way. About 500
bushels of grain were purchased from Ken
Carnochan, a member of the congregation;
and Mark Smith, who is another member of
the congregation, did the trucking. The
other 500 bushels of corn were bought from
the Hensall Co-op. The Hensall Co-op also
helped the church by donating the bagging
of the grain.
The 1,000 bushels of grain will now be ship-
ped to one of three A£ricantions -either
Mali, Ethiopia or Angolan.
The Canadian International Development
Agency has a policy whereby they match
donations such as this by giving the same
item on a 3:1 ratio. So the Egmondville
United Church is actually responsible for
sending 4,000 bushels of corn to Africa.
The church committee members who
organized this project were Rev. Cheryl Ann
StadelbauereSampa, Jim Papple, Ken Car-
nochan, Bruce Coleman, and Milt Dieu.
Rev. Stadelbauer-Sampa says she has
seen such a good response to the project this
year that she hopes to see it again next year,
but on a bigger scale which would include
other churches and the entire community.
FEEDING THE NEEDY - The Egmondville United Church donated 1000 bushels of
corn to be sent to Africa recently. Bruce Coleman, Jim Popple, Rev. Stadelbauer Sam -
pa, and Milt Dietz were members of the committee which helped to organize the event,
and the entire congregation, and many memberS of the community at large, donated
funds to purchase the grain. The grain will be matched 3:1 by the Canadian Interna-
tional Development Agency, so the end result in 4,000 bushels of grain to a needy
country. Corbett photo.
came time for hiring the workforce, it
disappeared.
Mr. Nowas unable to get the
minimum' of 65 people needed to make it
feasible to open the pants manufacturing
company. Any less than 65 to start and the
company could not make enough pants to
break even.
"Of the 140 people who applied in early
November only 41 were still available," said
Mr. Norman.
"Some had decided to retire, and others I
called said they 'just weren't interested'.
That's when I realized something was
wroSo Mr. Norman advertised further in 12
weekly newspapers in the area. Those 12
advertisements only netted an additional 19
responses.
"In the end I had 62 people - if no one quit,
and you have to assume that a few are not
going to be satisfied," he said.
"I had enough people for March and April,
but not for Mayor June. An I had to take in-
to consideration I had no c,ne to draw from."
Mr. Norman added he hadn't realized part
of the problem lay in the fact rumors had
been circulating the plant only intended to
pay minimum wage.
"That was a misconception," he said, ad-
ding employees were to be paid according to
their ability. Some might have started at the
$4.55 minimum wage but would work up to a
$6.60/hour base rate within a few weeks of
starting. They could ,continue to increase
their rate to $7 or $8 per hour under a piece
work system of payment.
"The employees are measured on perfor-
Turn to page 18A •
SNOOPING AROUND - Dogs snooping around the landfill site are
just what operators of the Grey Municipal Landfill site DO NOT
want, but they may not get what they want, if users of the site con-
tinue to dump dead livestock there. Grey Township officials said
three separate piles of animal carcasses were found at the landfill
site last Saturday. This carcass, clearly recognizable as a calf,
was badly burned. The origin of the carcasses is unknown, and
could have come from peoplo in any of the three municipalities of
Morris, McKillop and Grey, that use the site. Citizen photo.
Township outraged by ignorant acts
There has been unauthorized dumping of
livestock at the landfill site used by the
townships of McKillop, Merits And Grey,
and council members from the monitoring
township of Grey are not happy about it.
"We understand we have to allow people
to come in, and we can't turn them away,
but it's fair to say on Saturday, when we saw
the site, we would have been prepared to
close down permanently," said Councillor
Graeme MacDonald.
Grey Township Reeve Leona Armstrong
said three separate piles of livestock car-
casses were found by the two site operators
after they reported to work last Saturday.
The carrssees, clearly recognizable as a
calf, a pig and three lamhs, were found such
a distance from each other officials feel they
must have been deposited by different peo-
ple. The calf and the lambs were badly
burnt, suggesting they were deposited in the
special trench where wood and wood by-
products are burned.
'We're trying to do a good job - to deal
with the garbage in a sensible and responsi-
ble way," said Mrs. Armstrong, adding
Grey Township even hired en extra man to
ensure garbage would be deposited in the
right spots, and in compliance with Ministry
of the Environment regulations.
"But up until now we've been operating on
a honor system. Obviously it isn't working."
Mrs. Armstrong said she suspects the car-
casses were concealed in plastic bags or
boxes and were only revealed after their
coverings were burned away.
"Maybe we've been a little lenient - not
heavy handed enough," said Councillor
MacDonald.
"Maybe we'll have to have everything
dumped right in front of our eyes," added
Reeve Armstrong.
Iq all fairness members of Grey council
said they could not blame the landfill site
operators for what happened, since it is im-
possible for two men to be in four places at
once.
The landfill is open only one day a week - 9
a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, and on that day is
"very busy". There is only one access road
to the site, and it is locked when the site is
not open. Only the two site operators and the
town clerk have keys to the gate. Anyone
wanting access during non operating hours
would have to come in the back way on
snowmobiles or climb the fence. Grey couut-
cillors said both would be difficult to do with
livestock.
They said they are outraged anyone would
consider bringing livestock into a public
landfill site - at all.
"It's just ignorance it they don't know it's
not allowed," said Councillor Lyle
Pettapiece.
Council noted the dead stock removal
operation, which used to be located just
south of Brussels is no longer there, and the
removals in Atwood and Clinton may not be
as convenient as the Grey landfill site. But
that, they said, does not excuse the fact the
landfill regulations were broken, and point
out livestock removal is usually done at no
charge.
"Maybe the people who don't want to call
for dead stock removal, want to go to a coun-
ty landfill system where you'll have to take
all your deadstock forty or more miles
away," said Councillor MacDonald, adding
not only does Grey have to comply with
Ministry regulations but it can be penalized
if it does not.
Reeve Armstrong said the townships of
Grey, McKillop and Morris also have to con-
sider the implications such disposals will
have on the life expectancy of the landfill
site.
Located on a five -acre plot of land one
mile east of Walton, on the McKillop/Grey
boundary the site was given a 29 year life ex-
pectancy five years ago. That was when it
was though McKillop Township would be
leaving the site to join with Seaforth and
Tuckersmith. McKillop will not be leaving
the site.
"The way things are going we'll be lucky
if it last five years," said Reeve Armstrong.
"We're just starting a masterplan with
the county for a landfill site, but it could be
several years before they get something. We
want to keep our landfill site as long as
possible because if we get a county -wide
site, you might have to truck it (garbage)
who knows where."
Operation of the Grey Township Waste
Disposal Site costs in the neighborhood of
$40,000 per year. McKillop and Grey
Township each pay 45 per cent of that cost,
with Morris Township picking up the re-
maining 10 per cent.
"Certainly the education about what can
and can't be done at the landfill site has to
be ongoing," said Councillor MacDonald.
"But I think we're going to be a lot
tougher in the future."
"We can't have people abusing their
privileges," added Reeve Armstrong.
Firm fined for safety infraction in fatality
A worker's death in a trench collapse in
Egmondville in 1986 has resulted in a $50,000
fine for Laois Contracting Co. Ltd. of
Clinton.
Ralph Melville, 26, of Thedford, was
crushed and another employee received
chest injuries when a 1.8 metre (six-foot)
deep mhshored water main trench caved in
during work in Egmondville on September
a.
Levis Contracting pleaded guilty Monday
in provincial court in Goderich to a labor
ministry charge of failing to ensure safety
measures were in place during construction
of the watermain extension. Two similar
charges against owners of the family -run
company and superintendent Kenneth
Wayne Eagleson were withdraw.
A coroner's inquest determined Mr.
Melville died instantly of massive head in-
juries. Terry Hodgins, 21, of RR 3 Parkhill,
was buried to his chest. Labor ministry con-
struction safety officer Arthur Godard from
the London ministry office testified at the in-
quest trenches of more than 1.2 metres (four
feet) should be either propped or sloped at
an angle.
Chimney fire in Staffa
The fire alarm sounded on Wednesday
morning at 8:10 a.m. summoning Seaforth
firefighters to a chimney fire in RR 2 Staffa,
but the fire was out before they got there.
The chimney fire was in a house belonging
to Ted Stoneman of Lot 23, Concession 13,
and it burnt itself out with no damage to the
home.
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