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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1988-06-08, Page 1Obituaries - A6 Weddings - A6 Seniors - A8-Al2 Sports - A13 -A15 Correspondence - A20 Births - A21 Seniors featured on special pages. See pages A8 -Al 1 . Serving the communities and areas of Seaforth, Brussels, Dublin, Hensall and Walton Seaforth, Ontario Huron xpositor HURON EXPOSITOR, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1988 50 cents a copy McKillop reeve to run for warden Bayfield Reeve David Johnston and McKillop Township Reeve Marie Hicknell both announced last week that they will seek to lead Huron County in 1989. The two both said shortly before the lunch break at Thursday's regular council session that they intend to run for warden and visit each member before the election. As reeves of their home municipalities, Hicknell and Johnston are both completing their second county council term. Johnston was first elected to Bayfield council in 1980 and has been reeve since' 1982. He runs a lumber and hardware business, and is married to Gail. They have four adult sons. Hicknell, a McKillop council member for 10 years, has been reeve since 1982. She and Francis, who have six children, operate a hog, beef and cash crop farm. "I've always aspired to the warden's seat," she said Monday. "My family has always encouraged me to go for the top." Hicknell said her political roots go back to 1883, when the first of her ancestors became involved in municipal politics. A great uncle MCKILLOP REEVE Marie Hicknell. was warden in 1937. Johnston, a former Toronto and Peel Region police inspector who came to Bayfield in 1975, also said Monday that he has had an interest in the leadership of the county for several years. But it has been on- ly recently that his business became established firmly enough for the frequent absences a role as warden would require. Both candidates, who must be re-elected locally in November before facing the peer election at the county level in December, said their candidacy was not prompted by specific issues, but by a desire to lead. "I think what the county needs now is to be able to plan for the future," Johnston said. Hicknell has chaired both road and Huron - view committees of council and represents Huron County on the board of Conestoga College. Johnston has chaired the museum com- mittee and the agriculture and property committee and sat on the executive commit- tee and the library board. He currently sits on the waste management committee. Student to study tourist expectations Residents' expectations, and not those of visitors to Huron County, are the focus of a current study of tourism, according to PhD student David Simmons. "Thinking about to has changed," Simmons said Thti sday, while in Goderich. "The new w of thinking about tourism is that it's a form of community development." Simmons, a New d resident, is working,toward hL5 41 phy degree at the University of Waterloo. He Is -working in cooperation with-tlte'Huron County Of- fice of Planning and Development, and will prepare a report for the office follow- ing completion of the project. The study deals with three major concerns. "The first concern is to find out what people think of tourism in general," Sim- mons said. He is initially trying to assess if residents of Huron County think positively about tourism. As well, he wants to deter- mine the level of contact that local people have with tourists. • "How the locals respond to tourists is very important to the nature of tourism," Simmons added. He feels that tourism can have a long, prosperous future in an area, if it's com- patible with the people. "If there are bad community feelings, there is no chance for tourism." Another area of the study focuses on the effects of tourism on the residents. Sim- mons realizes there are both positive and negative effects on the local people, and he is attempting to determine which are the most powerful. Some of the positive effects which he *mentioned are economic( diversification, economic spin-offs, and job creation. However, residents of a tourist area often encounter problems with disrup- tions, Utter, and traffic congestion. Simmons said that's why it isImportant to examine the residents' exftctations. rather than just looking at those of the tourists. Another major interest in the study is to find out how and where the residents think that the tourist areas should be developed. Turn to page 22 • WALTON STANDOFF - A member of the TRU team (Tactical Rescue Unit) from Lon- don walks the streets of Walton with an automatic weapon. The Tru team was called out when an armed Walton man refused to surrender to police on Wednesday. Corbett photo. For more photos see Page 8. Gunman holds police at bay A police special tactics wilt had to be called to Walton last week, as a domestic dispute boiled over into a Walton man's armed confrontation with police. Police said the incident resulted after Barry Comeau, 27, threatened his wife Valeria, during a 'loud argument' Wednes- day morning. Mrs. Comeau phoned the police to come and end the situation at about 11:50 am. Shortly after noon the police received another call from Mrs. Comeau, who said her husband was threatening suicide and had a gun. Police advised Mrs. Comeau to leave the house for her own safety. "There is always the danger he would decide to take someone with him," said Sgt. John McKee of the Wingham detach- ment of the Ontario Provincial Police, who was the commander at the incident. Mr. Comeau allowed his wife to leave the house, but when police arrived he would not come out of the house himself. OPP surrounded the house, blockaded the street times, leaning a rifle on the railing each time, but not heeding police demands to put up his hands and surrender. As the TRU team, dressed in fatigues and wielding automatic weapons and tear gas, relieved regular OPP officers and surrounded the house, Mr. Comeau finally came out of the house and gave himself up. A knife was found on his person when he was searched during the arrest. One Walton resident who watched the standoff as the TRU team surrounded the house, said he knew Mr. Comeau, and played pool with him. "And I also know that this will drive him nuts," he said. He described Mr. Comeau as a regular guy and a nice guy, and said "if they would let me I would walk right up to him. This is all bullshit. They're just playing army." Incident Commander Sgt. McKee was impressed with the way the TRU team handled the incident. at both ends, and phoned and asked "I think they did an excellent job. neighbors on the street to leave their Nobody got hurt, and it was a nice clean homes as quickly and quietly as possible. arrest." Trained police negotiators tried to con- There were no shots fired throughout the vince Mr. Comeau, a weapons collector incident. with about eight rifles and shotguns and a Mr. Comeau will face charges of: number of knives, to surrender to police. possession of firearms dangerous to the The standoff started at noon and lasted public, careless use of a firearm, and until approximately 4, p.m. when a TRU possession of a prohibited weapon. The lat- team (tactical rescue unit) arrived from ter charge was made becuase of a swit- London. The team was called in because chblade type knife Mr. Comeau had in his negotiators felt, from the way Mr. Comeau home. was acting, it was obvious he wasn't going Mr. Comeau is currently out on bail, and to give up. Prior to the TRU team's arrival will appear in court on June 22 in Mr. Comeau came out on his porch several Wingham. Home daycare proposal dumped I PA A private home daycare proposal which would have subsidized childcare costs for 25 single parents or low income families in Huron County was rejected last week. In a 19 to 12 recorded vote, county council finally put to rest the daycare issue which has surfaced regularly at council sessions for more than a year, always being referred for more information. "We felt the need was definitely there. Whether or not (a proposal) goes or not is always a political decision," social services administrator John MacKinnon said Monday. MacKinnon said his staff had been developing the proposal for more than a year. In January, council voted narrowly in favor of setting aside funding for the pro- gram in its 1988 budget. tale social services committee recom- mendation rejected Thursday by council would have hired one person to develop a program for 25 daycare spaces throughout the county for a six-month trial. Originally, it would have been a nine- month test costing $82,000. Huron County's share would be 20 per cent along with 50 per cent federal funds and 30 per cent provincial money. "I think what we are proposing here is ex- tremely high (in cost)," said Exeter Reeve Lossy Fuller at the meeting. "We're not a ci- ty and we do not have to pay city prices...for 25 children, I can't see it." Some Huron reeves say the program could have substituted welfare dollars with childcare dollars. That would give some parents who now must stay home with children and collect welfare an opportunity to earn their money. Bayfield Reeve David Johnston voted for daycare, although his questions have been among the most critical of the program at recent meetings. Turn to page 18 - Hensall company wins federal bean contract Cook's Division of Gerbo Corp. of Hen - sail has won a Government of Canada con- tract worth nearly $183,000, to supply kidney beans to Apgola for the Canadian International Development Agency. Murray Cardiff, MP for Huron -Bruce made the announce on behalf of Supply and Services Minister Otto Jelinek. The beans are part of Canada's contribution to the World Food Program. THE SHORTS WERE HIS IDEA, but the rest of the outfit sported by Pat Coyne, was a result of a clothes relay held as part of the St. Columban School Playday. Playday, held last Wednesday, ke.Pt students, and teachers running. Mcllwraith photo. 0 4