Loading...
The Huron Expositor, 1987-05-27, Page 11 • . Hensait -A6, A7 Legion A13 Obituaries — A8 Sports —A9, Al2 Walton A7 INDEX, Births — A8 Classifieds - A10, Al1, Al2 Dublin — A4 Entertainment —Al2, A13 Family A7 Seaforth Merchants win home opener. See page 1oi crafts a Serving the communities and areas of Seaforth, Brussels, Dublin, Hensel!.. and Walton THE HURON EXPOSITOR, MAY 27, 1987 50 cents a copy Genesco The General Shoe division of Genesco Canada Inc. will close its Seaforth factory effective July 17, 1987. The closure will af- fect approximately 70 people, mostly - women, employed at the factory. Ian Holland, a spokesman for Genesco Canada, said the action is .being taken in order that the company can remain com- petitive as a major domestic based sup- plier to the Canadian footwear. market. It will be consolidating its men's shoe mak- ing production (Seaforth operation) within its main manufacturing facility in Cam- bridge. Neither the Cambridge plant nor the Seaforth plant have been operating at full capacity in recent years. ' "We've been working short time and short term layoff for well over a year," said, Mr. Holland, noting there was an ex- Police upse The figures released last week pertaining to wage negotiations between the, Town of Seaforth and its police do not tell the whole story, according to the Seaforth Police Association president. Charlie Akey said only one offer was presented by the town after negotiations broke off and a conciliator brought in. That offer, of four 2.5 per cent increases over a two year period beginning January 1, 1987, , was for less than the original offer of six per cent in 1987 and four per cent in 1988. "They say they (the town) have been fair, but their second offer after we went to con- ciliation was $762.52 lower in dollar value to us than the first. And they expect us to take that?" asked Constable Akey. "There was no compromise whatsoever. We went down, but they went down too. You can't conciliate when that happens.. The conciliator' walked out on them (the town)." Constable Akey said he understands the town's main concern was cost, and to close to close ception from May. to; September 1986 when • the Seaforth plant was part of a govern- ment worksharing program. "Since -then there have been a number of specific layoffs and shutdowns." While he didn't say the shut down had been inevitable Mr. Holland did say there was some degree of expectation on the part of the employees. "They were aware of the difficulties over the past year, and certainly. knew there was a struggle over that time to operate. So I think there was a degree of expectation on their part. I think the shut- down came asa shock, but was not totally unexpected," he said. Mr. Holland said a combination of a switch away from men's dress shoes corn- ' pounded by quota Ied to the demiseof the t by town s Seaforth plant. "It's just a matter of us having to con •solidate two plants that are unable to operate at full capacity at the present market level," said Mr.. Holland, adding that even consolidation will not totally sdlve the problem. "Even by consolidating the two we will • not be able to bring the Cambridge plant to full capacity. But, we will make the situa- tion more manageable," he said. To compensate somewhat Genesco will be establishing a committee to help employees affected by the shutdown find alternative !employment. There are no plans to reopen the Seaforth .plant at a future date. Genesco Canada Inc. has been a part of the Seaforth community since 1964. wage offer "That's lower than the first offer." acknowledged the association had been told the town would like to keep the increase to 10 per cent. But, he added, the town is presenting the four 2.5 per cent increases (one every six months)" as a full five per cent over each year. "It isn't. We are only getting five per cent for six months. Over the other six months we get. only 2.5 per cent," he said, adding 1 that averages out to 3.8 per cent each year. By his calculations Seaforth Police would only receive a total one year increase in 1987 r of $1,157.49, not $1,550 as calculated by -the 1 town. In 1988 they would receive an increase of $1,215.97 instead of $1,628. The total incre- ment thereforeover two years would be $2,373.46 as opposed to $3,178. ' "That's lower than their first offer, and they presented it like it was the next best thing to sliced bread," he said. Before conciliation the tocdl'i had offered a total increase of $3,135.90-$1,837.44 (six per cent) January 1, 1987 and $1,298.46 (four per cent) January 1, 1988. The police had proposed a three percent increase every six months for two years (four times), for a total increase of 12 per cent. "That 12 per cent figure over two years may seem large," said Constable Akey, 'but in actual dollarsit paid to us, it meant ess in our pockets than the town's original 10 per cent offer." Constable Akey said the police would eceive $918.72 (three per cent) January 1, 987, $473.13 (three per cent) July 1, 1987, $947.67 (three per cent) January 1, 1988 and 501.95 (three per cent) July 1, 1988 for a total two year increase of $2,841.47. "The difference between the two offers is that our offer is $294.43 cheaper over the two years in actual dollar cost," he said. Constable Akey said this method would have allowed the police to achieve a reasonable balance and stay in a position within reach of other forces in the county and the province. Currently the Seaforth Police Department is ranked last in Huron County in terms of the salary received by its Police Constables. Seaforth Police earned $30,625 in 1986 compared to $31,000 by Ex- eter, $31,452 by Wingham, $31,714 Clinton and $31,722 Goderich. The average salary in the county for police constables was $31,302 in 1986. Wingham Police have since received a 'Turn to page 5A KAHN FIRE - Seafor th firefighters calmed a fire Friday night at the RR 4 Seaforth farm of Brian Go'dkin. The blaze levelled the barn; Winthrop fire levels barn, kills calf damages es truck • POUR MOI - Quebec exchange students visited their Ontario twins froni Seaforth Public School May 15 to May 22. Julie Homes, french teacher at SPS and Ghislaine Petterin, English teacher at La Polyvalente Chavigny, Trois-Rivieres wrote to the Socie- ty for Educational visits and Exchanges in Canada to arrange the match. Ghislaine Pet- terin gives Paul Carroll, superintendent of operations _at the Huron Board of Education, some gifts. cfake photo. English, french students spend fun -filled. week BY NELLIE BLAKE IMPRESSED BY MAIN STREET, Exchange students from Quebec arrived Mrs. Pelterin was impressed by in Seaforth May 15, to spend a fun -filled Seaforth's Main Street and by the town's week with their Ontario "twins" and their plan to upgrade the buildings on Main families before going home Friday Street. She said she enjoys poking through morning. old buildings and their attics. Ghislaine Pelterin, a Secondary one "I like Seaforth. It has a heritage to save English teacher(Grade seven and eight and to take advantage of," she said. Mrs. level) brought 18 students to Ontario to take Pelterin especially admires Cardno Hall part in the second half of the exchange pro. and Cardno theatre. gram designed to teach students and Andrea Moore and her twin Marie-Josee teachers about a different culture, Huard enjoyed spending the exchange language, history and geography. together and getting to know one another. The French students were greeted at the While in Ontario, they visited Niagara Palls, Seaforth Public School by their "twins" and ' the CN tower, the Science Centre in Toronto .their parents and later enjoyed a potluck and went shopping in London. They also supper. During the weekend, the Quebec visited the Huron County Historical Gaol in twins were taken to various historical sites Goderich and Carter's farm near Seaforth. and "hot spots". . Marie-•dosee knows little English but was On Monday, May 18, Mayor Alf Ross able to communicate with Andrea using sign weleomed the students and presented their language. With difficulty, she said Trois- teacher with the town flag and town pins for Rivieres is bigger than Seaforth in size and the children. He took them on a tour of the population. In Quebec the only large body of council chambers and invited both teachers water is the St. Lawrence River. Ontario to lunch while the students went on a has the five Great Lakes. scavenger hunt around Seaforth. Turn to page 5A Students find way to beat post Students in Michigan may have discovered a quick and inexpensive means of corresponding with their Canadian neighbors. Two balloons, sent from two separate locations ifiMichigan.fiave found their way to the Seaforth area. The first was discovered at approximate- ly 5:30 p.m. by Marlyn Smith of the 14th Concession of,McKillop. Mrs. Smith was out. driving the lawnmower when, she saw something, she didn't know what, float by. "I thought I could reach up and grab it, . but it didn't stop. It kept on going." Mrs. Smith, curious to know what it was all about, said she had to climb over a wire fence and run halfway across the cattle pasture field before she caught up with it. "rt was only when I was over the fence that I realized it was a balloon. I'd seen Balloons before but this one had a string on it, so I thought it might be something different." It was. Attached to the string was a note fr"om student at Atwood Elementary School in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, a town approximately 200 miles away. ."I was kind of welted Wen I saw it had come from so far." e " all the way k _.. 9 _ , � befbnging to a friend of the a rThe baltokn must have Come tiled a calf and also lama ed a truc(2 c oss the la e, said Mrs. Smith, addmg it Godkins. the cause of the fife is under investigation. Blake photo couldn't have been long in coniin'g since the Seaforth Firefighters were salted to a barn a "e•' .. � of inthro ' Fri- day`Winthrop night, but when they arrived the barn was alreadybtirnt to the ground The barn was' out the RR 4 property of Brian Godkin. One calf, belonging to Mrs. Godkin, Was the only victim of the fare. Fireman JIM Finlayson said the barn must have been burning for about one hour before they received the call. It continued to burn for three hour after the firemen arrived. Firefighter's stayed until the danger to nearby buildings was over. Ilan McClory, a friend visiting Mr. Godkin at the time of the fire, had his truck - badly damaged by the fire It was parked on the gangway leading up to the barn. on had diff ulty pulling the Vehicle from the fire' because the keys were net in the ignition. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. P pe s EW' PEN PAL Juliet Vogels a Grade 2 note,ihalthough un unprotected, was in oiled 'student aati t.rColumban School, found this g a letter from a Grade 2 stu- The note was written by girl named dent m Michigan. JWie and hew classmates Desiree, and said "I like to swirl and jump have written back to their Ani'erican rope. I'm eight years=old. Next year I want neighbor. MCliwraith photo. to play baseball. Do you play baseball? Prom -Desiree 13. Wright back soon." want to know what the mystery's all about" . Mrs Smith said she intends to reply to the she said. letter and to enquire when the balloon was Some of the mystery might however be actually released and Ally. solved by the message on thn ialloon found "There's a bit of a mystery behind it'and I Turn; to page 5A •